English
6. The Undeclared Chapter 1. The Undeclared Sutta 54. Then a certain bhikkhu approached the Blessed One; having approached, he saluted the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Seated to one side, that bhikkhu said to the Blessed One: "What, venerable sir, is the reason, what is the cause, why doubt does not arise in the mind of a well-taught noble disciple concerning the undeclared matters?" "Through the cessation of views, bhikkhu, doubt does not arise in the mind of a well-taught noble disciple concerning the undeclared matters. 'The Tathāgata exists after death,' bhikkhu, this is a view; 'The Tathāgata does not exist after death,' bhikkhu, this is a view; 'The Tathāgata both exists and does not exist after death,' bhikkhu, this is a view; 'The Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist after death,' bhikkhu, this is a view. An untaught ordinary person, bhikkhu, does not understand views, does not understand the origin of views, does not understand the cessation of views, does not understand the path leading to the cessation of views. For him, that view grows, he is not freed from birth, old age, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair, he is not freed from suffering, I say. "But a well-taught noble disciple, bhikkhu, understands views, understands the origin of views, understands the cessation of views, understands the path leading to the cessation of views. For him, that view ceases, he is freed from birth, old age, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair, he is freed from suffering, I say. Knowing thus, bhikkhu, seeing thus, a well-taught noble disciple does not declare: 'The Tathāgata exists after death'; does not declare: 'The Tathāgata does not exist after death'; does not declare: 'The Tathāgata both exists and does not exist after death'; does not declare: 'The Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist after death'. Knowing thus, bh Bhikkhu, a well-taught noble disciple, seeing thus, is thus one who does not declare concerning the undeclared points. Knowing thus, bhikkhu, a well-taught noble disciple, seeing thus, does not tremble, does not waver, does not shake, does not fall into terror concerning the undeclared points. ‘The Tathāgata exists after death’ – this, bhikkhu, is born of craving... ...this is born of perception... ...this is born of conceit... ...this is born of mental proliferation... ...this is born of clinging... ‘The Tathāgata exists after death’ – this, bhikkhu, is remorse. ‘The Tathāgata does not exist after death’ – this, bhikkhu, is remorse. ‘The Tathāgata both exists and does not exist after death’ – this, bhikkhu, is remorse. ‘The Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist after death’ – this, bhikkhu, is remorse. An uninstructed ordinary person, bhikkhu, does not understand remorse. Does not understand the origin of remorse. Does not understand the cessation of remorse. Does not understand the path leading to the cessation of remorse. For him, that remorse grows. He is not freed from birth, from old age, from death, from sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair. He is not freed from suffering, I say. But a well-taught noble disciple, bhikkhu, understands remorse. Understands the origin of remorse. Understands the cessation of remorse. Understands the path leading to the cessation of remorse. For him, that remorse ceases. He is freed from birth... ...from suffering, I say. Knowing thus, bhikkhu, a well-taught noble disciple, seeing thus, does not declare ‘The Tathāgata exists after death’... ...nor does he declare ‘The Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist after death’. Knowing thus, bhikkhu, a well-taught noble disciple, seeing thus, is thus one who does not declare concerning the undeclared points. Knowing thus, bhikkhu, a well-taught noble disciple, seeing thus, does not tremble, does not waver, does not shake, does not fall into terror. he falls into doubt regarding the undeclared matters. This, indeed, bhikkhu, is the reason, this is the cause why doubt does not arise in the instructed noble disciple regarding the undeclared matters. The First. 2. The Discourse on the Destinations of Persons 55. "Seven, bhikkhus, are the destinations of persons I shall teach, and ungrasped Nibbāna. Listen to it, attend carefully; I shall speak." "Yes, venerable sir," those bhikkhus replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this: "And what, bhikkhus, are the seven destinations of persons? "Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu practices thus: 'May it not be, may it not be mine; it will not be, it will not be mine; what exists, what has come to be, that I abandon'— thus he attains equanimity. He does not delight in being, he does not delight in becoming; he sees with right wisdom the supreme peaceful state. But that state is not fully realized by him; his underlying tendency to conceit is not fully abandoned; his underlying tendency to craving for becoming is not fully abandoned; his underlying tendency to ignorance is not fully abandoned. With the destruction of the five lower fetters, he is one who attains Nibbāna in the interim. Just as, bhikkhus, when an iron plate heated all day is struck, a spark arises and is extinguished. Even so, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu practices thus: 'May it not be, may it not be mine; it will not be, it will not be mine; what exists, what has come to be, that I abandon'— thus he attains equanimity. He does not delight in being, he does not delight in becoming; he sees with right wisdom the supreme peaceful state. But that state is not fully realized by him; his underlying tendency to conceit is not fully abandoned; his underlying tendency to craving for becoming is not fully abandoned; his underlying tendency to ignorance is not fully abandoned. He, with the five... By the destruction of the five lower fetters, he attains Nibbāna in the interim. Here, monks, a bhikkhu practices thus: 'May it not be, may it not be mine; it will not be, it will not be mine; what exists, what has come to be, that I abandon' — he attains equanimity. He does not delight in being, he does not delight in becoming; he sees with right wisdom the supreme, peaceful state. But that state is not fully realized by him; his underlying tendency to conceit is not fully abandoned; his underlying tendency to craving for becoming is not fully abandoned; his underlying tendency to ignorance is not fully abandoned. By the destruction of the five lower fetters, he attains Nibbāna in the interim. Just as, monks, when an iron plate heated all day is struck, a flake forms, flies up, and is extinguished. Even so, monks, a bhikkhu practices thus: 'May it not be, may it not be mine; it will not be, it will not be mine; what exists, what has come to be, that I abandon' — he attains equanimity. By the destruction of the five lower fetters, he attains Nibbāna in the interim. Here, monks, a bhikkhu practices thus: 'May it not be, may it not be mine; it will not be, it will not be mine; what exists, what has come to be, that I abandon' — he attains equanimity. By the destruction of the five lower fetters, he attains Nibbāna in the interim. Just as, monks, when an iron plate heated all day is struck, a flake forms, flies up, and is extinguished without touching the plate. Even so, monks, a bhikkhu practices thus: 'May it not be, may it not be mine; it will not be, it will not be mine; what exists, what has come to be, that I abandon' — he attains equanimity. By the destruction of the five lower fetters, he attains Nibbāna in the interim. Here, monks, a bhikkhu practices thus: 'May it not be, may it not be mine; it will not be, it will not be mine; what exists, what has come to be, that I abandon' — he attains equanimity. By the destruction of the five lower fetters, he attains Nibbāna after striking. Just as, monks, when an iron plate heated all day is struck, a flake forms, flies up, and is extinguished after striking the plate. Even so, monks, a bhikkhu... a monk practices thus: "May it not be, may it not be mine..." With the destruction of the five lower fetters, he becomes one who attains Nibbāna by striking. Here again, monks, a monk practices thus: "May it not be, may it not be mine..." With the destruction of the five lower fetters, he becomes one who attains Nibbāna without exertion. Just as, monks, from an iron plate heated all day, when struck, a flake might arise, fly up, and fall onto a small pile of grass or wood. It might generate fire there, generate smoke, and having generated fire and smoke, having consumed that small pile of grass or wood, it would die out without fuel. Even so, monks, a monk practices thus: "May it not be, may it not be mine..." With the destruction of the five lower fetters, he becomes one who attains Nibbāna without exertion. Here again, monks, a monk practices thus: "May it not be, may it not be mine..." With the destruction of the five lower fetters, he becomes one who attains Nibbāna with exertion. Just as, monks, from an iron plate heated all day, when struck, a flake might arise, fly up, and fall onto a large pile of grass or wood. It might generate fire there, generate smoke, and having generated fire and smoke, having consumed that large pile of grass or wood, it would die out without fuel. Even so, monks, a monk practices thus: "May it not be, may it not be mine..." With the destruction of the five lower fetters, he becomes one who attains Nibbāna with exertion. Here again, monks, a monk practices thus: "May it not be, may it not be mine, it will not be, it will not be mine, what exists, what has come to be, that I abandon." He attains equanimity. He does not delight in existence, he does not delight in becoming, the supreme state, peaceful... sees with right wisdom. And that state of his is not fully realized; his latent tendency to conceit is not fully abandoned; his latent tendency to craving for existence is not fully abandoned; his latent tendency to ignorance is not fully abandoned.