English
Thus I say, declare, teach, make known, establish, reveal, analyze, make clear, make manifest. "Peaceful, smokeless, trouble-free, without craving, he has crossed birth and aging," thus I say. Therefore the Blessed One said: "Having comprehended the high and low in the world, (Punṇaka, said the Blessed One) Whose wavering is nowhere in the world; Peaceful, smokeless, trouble-free, without craving, he has crossed birth and aging," thus I say. At the end of the verses… with clasped hands, bowing to the Blessed One, he sat down: "My Teacher, venerable sir, is the Blessed One; I am a disciple." The explanation of Punṇaka's questions, the third. The Explanation of Mettagū the Youth's Question 18. I ask you, Blessed One, tell me this, I consider you a knower of the Vedas, a developed being; From where, indeed, have these sufferings arisen, Whatever various kinds there are in the world? "I ask you, Blessed One, tell me this." "I ask" refers to three kinds of questions: the question for illuminating the unseen, the question for confirming the seen, and the question for cutting off doubt. What is the question for illuminating the unseen? Naturally, a characteristic is unknown, unseen, unweighed, unexamined, unmanifested, undeveloped. One asks a question for its knowledge, for its seeing, for its weighing, for its examination, for its manifestation, for its development – this is the question for illuminating the unseen. What is the question for confirming the seen? Naturally, a characteristic is known, seen, weighed, examined, manifested, developed. One asks a question for the purpose of confirming it with other wise ones – this is the question for confirming the seen. What is the question for cutting off doubt? Naturally, one is assailed by uncertainty, assailed by doubt, in a state of perplexity – "Is it so, or is it not so? What is it, or how is it?" So, one asks a question for the purpose of cutting off doubt – this is the question for cutting off doubt. These are the three kinds of questions. There are also another three kinds of questions: questions by humans, questions by non-humans, and questions by emanations. What are questions by humans? Humans approach the Buddha, the Blessed One, and ask questions; monks ask, nuns ask, laymen ask, laywomen ask, kings ask, khattiyas ask, brahmins ask, vessas ask, suddas ask, householders ask, renunciants ask – this is questions by humans. What are questions by non-humans? Non-humans approach the Buddha, the Blessed One, and ask questions; nāgas ask, supaṇṇas ask, yakkhas ask, asuras ask, gandhabbas ask, great kings ask, Indas ask, Brahmās ask, devas ask ...nti – This is the question by a non-human. What is the question by a created being? The Blessed One creates a form, mind-made, with all limbs and minor parts, with unblemished faculties. That created being, having approached the Buddha, the Blessed One, asks a question. The Blessed One answers. This is the question by a created being. These are the three questions. Again, three questions: the question about one's own welfare, the question about others' welfare, the question about the welfare of both. ... Again, three questions: the question about welfare in this life, the question about welfare in future lives, the question about ultimate welfare. ... Again, three questions: the question about blameless welfare, the question about welfare free from defilements, the question about purified welfare. ... Again, three questions: the question about the past, the question about the future, the question about the present. ... Again, three questions: the question about the internal, the question about the external, the question about the internal and external. ... Again, three questions: the question about wholesome things, the question about unwholesome things, the question about indeterminate things. ... Again, three questions: the question about aggregates, the question about elements, the question about sense bases. ... Again, three questions: the question about foundations of mindfulness, the question about right exertions, the question about bases of psychic power. ... Again, three questions: the question about faculties, the question about powers, the question about factors of awakening. ... Again, three questions: the question about the path, the question about the fruit, the question about Nibbana. I ask this, I ask you, I entreat you, I request you, I make you gracious, "Tell me," I ask you. "Blessed One" this is a term of respect... a true designation, that is, "Blessed One." "Tell me" means tell, explain, teach, make known, establish, reveal, analyze, make clear, make manifest. I ask you, Blessed One, tell me this. "Thus, Venerable Mettagū" – "thus" is a word connection... Thus, Venerable Mettagū. "I consider you a knower of the Vedas, one whose self is developed." "Knower of the Vedas" – I consider you that, "one whose self is developed" – I consider you that. Thus I know, thus I understand, thus I acknowledge, thus I penetrate. "Knower of the Vedas, one whose self is developed" – How is the Blessed One a knower of the Vedas? The Vedas are called the knowledge in the four paths, wisdom, understanding, the faculty of wisdom. The power of wisdom... and so on... the enlightenment factor of investigation of phenomena, inquiry, insight, right view. The Blessed One, by these knowledges, has gone to the end, has reached the end of birth, aging, and death; has gone to the limit, has reached the limit; has gone to the boundary, has reached the boundary; has gone to the cessation, has reached the cessation; has gone to the refuge, has reached the refuge; has gone to the shelter, has reached the shelter; has gone to the protection, has reached the protection; has gone to the fearless, has reached the fearless; has gone to the unshakeable, has reached the unshakeable; has gone to the deathless, has reached the deathless; has gone to Nibbana, has reached Nibbana. Or, one who has gone to the end of the Vedas is a master of the Vedas; or, one who has gone to the end by means of the Vedas is a master of the Vedas; or, one who has known seven phenomena is a master of the Vedas: self-view is known, doubt is known, adherence to rites and rituals is known, lust, hatred, delusion, conceit are known. Known to him are evil, unwholesome phenomena, defiling, leading to renewed existence, accompanied by suffering, resulting in suffering, leading to birth, aging, and death in the future. Having thoroughly investigated all knowledges, which exist here for ascetics and brahmins; dispassionate towards all feelings; having transcended all knowledge, he is a master of knowledge. Thus, the Blessed One is a master of knowledge. How is the Blessed One developed in self? The Blessed One is developed in body, developed in morality, developed in mind, developed in wisdom, developed in foundations of mindfulness, developed in right exertions, developed in bases of psychic power, developed in faculties, developed in powers, developed in enlightenment factors, developed in the path; with defilements abandoned, with the unshakeable penetrated, with cessation realized. Suffering is fully understood by him, the origin is abandoned, the path is developed, cessation is realized, what is to be directly known is directly known, what is to be fully understood is fully understood, what is to be abandoned is abandoned, what is to be developed is developed, what is to be realized is realized. He is endowed with boundless, great, profound, immeasurable, unfathomable, rich in many gems, like an ocean, six-limbed equanimity. Having seen a form with the eye, he is neither pleased nor displeased; he dwells in equanimity, mindful and clearly comprehending. Having heard a sound with the ear, having smelled an odor with the nose... Having experienced, having tasted flavor with the tongue, having touched tangibles with the body, having cognized mental phenomena with the mind, he is neither joyful nor sorrowful; he dwells in equanimity, mindful and clearly comprehending. Having seen a form with the eye, a pleasing form, he does not covet, does not delight in, does not generate lust. His body is steady, his mind is steady, internally well-established, well-liberated. But having seen an unpleasing form with the eye, he is not dismayed, his mind is not unsettled, his mind is not depressed, his mind is not ill-willed. His body is steady, his mind is steady, internally well-established, well-liberated. Having heard a sound with the ear, having smelled an odor with the nose, having tasted a flavor with the tongue, having touched a tangible with the body, having cognized a mental phenomenon with the mind, for a pleasing phenomenon, he does not covet, does not delight in, does not generate lust. His body is steady, his mind is steady, internally well-established, well-liberated. But having cognized an unpleasing mental phenomenon with the mind, he is not dismayed. His mind is not unsettled, his mind is not depressed, his mind is not ill-willed. His body is steady, his mind is steady, internally well-established, well-liberated. Having seen a form with the eye, in pleasing and unpleasing forms, his body is steady, his mind is steady, internally well-established, well-liberated. Having heard a sound with the ear, having smelled an odor with the nose, having tasted a flavor with the tongue, having touched a tangible with the body, having cognized a mental phenomenon with the mind, in pleasing and unpleasing phenomena, his body is steady, his mind is steady, internally well-established, well-liberated. Having seen a form with the eye, in what is alluring, he is not allured, in what is hateful, he is not hateful, in what is deluding, he is not deluded, in what is irritating, he is not irritated, in what is intoxicating, he is not intoxicated, in what defiles, he is not defiled. Having heard a sound with the ear, having smelled an odor with the nose,