English
"By not seeing, not hearing, not knowing, by not having virtue, not having vows, nor by that." "I consider this teaching to be utterly delusive." This teaching of yours is a delusive teaching, a foolish teaching, a confused teaching, an ignorant teaching, a teaching of equivocation – thus I think, thus I know, thus I understand, thus I discern, thus I comprehend, thus I penetrate – "I consider this teaching to be utterly delusive." "Some attain purity by views." Purity-view. Some ascetics and brahmins proclaim purity, complete purity, perfect purity, release, complete release, perfect release. With the view: "The world is eternal, this alone is truth, all else is folly," some ascetics and brahmins proclaim purity, complete purity, perfect purity, release, complete release, perfect release. With the view: "The world is not eternal... ...the Tathāgata neither is nor is not after death, this alone is truth, all else is folly," some ascetics and brahmins proclaim purity, complete purity, perfect purity, release, complete release, perfect release. Thus, some proclaim purity through views. Therefore, that brahmin said: "If indeed not by view, nor by tradition, nor by knowledge, nor by moral practices and vows, is purity declared; nor by non-view, non-tradition, non-knowledge, non-morality, non-vows, is it declared; I consider this teaching utterly delusive, that some proclaim purity by views." 76. Questioning, relying on views, Māgaṇḍiya, you have come to delusion regarding what you have grasped; And from this, you have not seen even a tiny perception, therefore, you are utterly deluded. "Questioning, relying on views" means: The brahmin Māgaṇḍiya questions views, relying on views; he questions attachment, relying on attachment; he questions bondage, relying on bondage; he questions hindrance, relying on hindrance. "Questioning" means asking again and again. Thus, "questioning, relying on views." "Māgaṇḍiya, said the Blessed One" means: The Blessed One addresses that brahmin by name. "Blessed One" is an expression of reverence... ...a true designation, namely, "Blessed One." Thus, "Māgaṇḍiya, said the Blessed One." "You have come to delusion regarding what you have grasped" means: That view which you have grasped, clung to, adhered to, settled upon, determined, by that very view you are deluded, utterly deluded, completely deluded; you have come to delusion, utter delusion, complete delusion; you have plunged into darkness. Thus, "you have come to delusion regarding what you have grasped." "And from this, you have not seen even a tiny perception" means: From this inner peace, or... either from the practice or from the teaching of the Dhamma, he does not obtain a suitable perception, a fitting perception, a characteristic perception, a causal perception, a positional perception, how then knowledge? Even so, from this, he did not see even a tiny perception. Or, impermanence, or a perception in line with impermanence, or suffering, or a perception in line with suffering, or non-self, or a perception in line with non-self, he does not obtain even the mere arising of perception, or the mere knowing, how then knowledge? Even so, from this, he did not see even a tiny perception. Therefore, you see as deluded. "Therefore" means for that reason, for that cause, for that condition, for that origin; from the state of utter delusion, from the state of foolishness, from the state of bewilderment, from the state of ignorance, from the state of aimless wandering, you see, you behold, you observe, you look at, you contemplate, you examine – therefore, you see as deluded. Therefore, the Blessed One said: "Relying on views and questioning, [O Māgaṇḍiya, said the Blessed One] He came to delusion regarding what is grasped; From this, he did not see even a tiny perception, therefore you see as deluded." 77. "Equal, superior, or inferior, whoever thinks so, let him dispute with that; Undisturbed in these three modes, 'equal' or 'superior' does not exist for him." "Equal, superior, or inferior, whoever thinks so, let him dispute with that" means: whoever thinks "I am equal" or "I am superior" or "I am inferior," that person, by that conceit, by that view, or with that individual, would engage in quarrel, dispute, contention, argument, strife – "You do not understand this Dhamma and Discipline, I understand this Dhamma and Discipline. How could you understand this Dhamma and Discipline? You are wrongly practicing, I am rightly practicing. What is consistent is mine, what is inconsistent is yours. What should have been said first, you said last; what should have been said last, you said first. What you were accustomed to is reversed. Your argument is refuted. You are defeated. Go, seek release from the argument, or untangle it if you can!" – "Equal, superior, or inferior, whoever thinks so, let him dispute with that." No. Unshaken in the three modes, 'I am equal' or 'I am superior' does not occur to him. For whom these three modes are abandoned, uprooted, calmed, tranquilized, incapable of arising again, burned by the fire of knowledge, he in the three modes does not waver, does not tremble. For the unshaken person, 'I am similar' or 'I am superior' or 'I am inferior' – it does not occur to him. 'It does not occur to me' – unshaken in the three modes, 'I am equal' or 'I am superior' – it does not occur to him. Therefore the Blessed One said – ‘‘Equal, superior, or inferior, whoever thinks so, he disputes with that. Unshaken in the three modes, 'I am equal' or 'I am superior' does not occur to him.’’ 78. What would a brahmin, who has reached the truth, say? Or 'This is false', with whom would he dispute? In whom equality or inequality does not exist at all, with what argument would he engage? 'This is the truth' – what would that brahmin say? A brahmin is so called because he has expelled the seven defilements... such a one, untainted, is called a Brahma. 'This is the truth' – what would that brahmin say? 'The world is eternal, this alone is true, all else is false' – what would a brahmin say, what would he declare, what would he speak, what would he expound, what would he assert? 'The world is not eternal... ...the Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist after death, this alone is true, all else is false' – what would a brahmin say, what would he declare, what would he speak, what would he expound, what would he assert? – 'This is the truth' – what would that brahmin say? Or 'This is false' – with whom would he dispute? A brahmin (would not say) 'Mine is the truth, yours is false' – with what conceit, with what view, or with what person would he make a quarrel, make a dispute, make a contention, make a controversy, make a conflict? – 'You do not understand this Dhamma and Discipline... ...explain it if you can' – or 'This is false' – with whom would he dispute? In whom equality or inequality does not exist at all. In whom, that is, in which person, in an Arahant, one whose defilements are destroyed, the conceit 'I am similar' does not exist, the conceit 'I am superior' does not exist, the conceit 'I am inferior' There is not, they do not exist, it is not found, it is not perceived. Abandoned, uprooted, calmed, tranquilized, incapable of future arising, burned by the fire of knowledge— in which there is neither equality nor inequality. With whom would he engage in dispute? With what conceit, with what view, or with what person would he engage in dispute, contend, quarrel, wrangle, dispute, argue, or contend— "You do not understand this Dhamma and Discipline... ...or explain it if you can." With whom would he engage in dispute? Therefore the Blessed One said: "What would that brahmin declare as truth? Or with whom would he dispute as false? In whom there is neither equality nor inequality, with whom would he engage in dispute?" 79. Having abandoned a home, wandering without a dwelling, a sage making no intimacies in the village; empty of desires, not looking forward, how would he not quarrel with people? Then the householder Haliddakani approached the venerable Mahakaccana; having approached and greeted the venerable Mahakaccana, he sat down to one side. Seated to one side, the householder Haliddakani said this to the venerable Mahakaccana: "Venerable Kaccana, this was said by the Blessed One in the Magandiya Question of the Atthakavagga— 'Having abandoned a home, wandering without a dwelling, a sage making no intimacies in the village; empty of desires, not looking forward, how would he not quarrel with people?'" "Venerable Kaccana, how is the meaning of this brief statement by the Blessed One to be understood in detail?" "Householder, the form element is the home of consciousness; and consciousness bound by lust for the form element is called 'home-dwelling'. Householder, the feeling element is the home of consciousness; and consciousness bound by lust for the feeling element is called 'home-dwelling'. Householder, the perception element is the home of consciousness; and consciousness bound by lust for the perception element is called 'home-dwelling'. Householder, the volitional formations element is the home of consciousness; and consciousness bound by lust for the volitional formations element is called 'home-dwelling'. Thus, householder," householder, he is one who roams in an open space. “And how, householder, is one who roams not in an open space? Householder, whatever desire, whatever passion, whatever delight, whatever craving, whatever attachments and clingings, whatever mental determinations, adherences, and latent tendencies there are in the form element— these have been abandoned by the Tathāgata, their root cut off, made like a palm stump, brought to non-existence, not liable to arise in the future. Therefore, the Tathāgata is called one who roams not in an open space. Householder, whatever desire, whatever passion, whatever delight, whatever craving,