The Great Questions (1st)Paṭhamamahāpañhāsutta

At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.

Then several mendicants robed up in the morning and, taking their bowls and robes, entered Sāvatthī for alms.Atha kho sambahulā bhikkhū pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya sāvatthiṁ piṇḍāya pavisiṁsu. Then it occurred to him,Atha kho tesaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ etadahosi: “It’s too early to wander for alms in Sāvatthī.“atippago kho tāva sāvatthiyaṁ piṇḍāya carituṁ; Why don’t we visit the monastery for the wanderers of other religions?”yannūna mayaṁ yena aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ ārāmo tenupasaṅkameyyāmā”ti.

Then they went to the monastery for the wanderers of other religions and exchanged greetings with the wanderers there.Atha kho te bhikkhū yena aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ ārāmo tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā tehi aññatitthiyehi paribbājakehi saddhiṁ sammodiṁsu. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, they sat down to one side. The wanderers said to them:Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinne kho te bhikkhū te aññatitthiyā paribbājakā etadavocuṁ:

“Reverends, the ascetic Gotama teaches his disciples like this:“Samaṇo, āvuso, gotamo sāvakānaṁ evaṁ dhammaṁ deseti: ‘Please, mendicants, directly know all things. Meditate having directly known all things.’‘etha tumhe, bhikkhave, sabbaṁ dhammaṁ abhijānātha, sabbaṁ dhammaṁ abhiññāya viharathā’ti; We too teach our disciples:mayampi kho, āvuso, sāvakānaṁ evaṁ dhammaṁ desema: ‘Please, reverends, directly know all things. Live having directly known all things.’‘etha tumhe, āvuso, sabbaṁ dhammaṁ abhijānātha, sabbaṁ dhammaṁ abhiññāya viharathā’ti. What, then, is the difference between the ascetic Gotama’s teaching and instruction and ours?”Idha no, āvuso, ko viseso ko adhippayāso kiṁ nānākaraṇaṁ samaṇassa vā gotamassa amhākaṁ vā, yadidaṁ dhammadesanāya vā dhammadesanaṁ anusāsaniyā vā anusāsanin”ti?

Those mendicants neither approved nor rejected that statement of the wanderers of other religions.Atha kho te bhikkhū tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ bhāsitaṁ neva abhinandiṁsu nappaṭikkosiṁsu. They rose from their seats, thinking,Anabhinanditvā appaṭikkositvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkamiṁsu: “We will learn the meaning of this statement from the Buddha himself.”“bhagavato santike etassa bhāsitassa atthaṁ ājānissāmā”ti.

Then, after the meal, when they returned from almsround, they went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what had happened.Atha kho te bhikkhū sāvatthiyaṁ piṇḍāya caritvā pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkantā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho te bhikkhū bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ:

“Mendicants, when wanderers of other religions say this, you should say to them:“Evaṁvādino, bhikkhave, aññatitthiyā paribbājakā evamassu vacanīyā: ‘One thing: question, summary recital, and answer. Two … Three … Four … Five … Six … Seven … Eight … Nine … Ten things: question, summary recital, and answer.’‘eko, āvuso, pañho eko uddeso ekaṁ veyyākaraṇaṁ, dve pañhā dve uddesā dve veyyākaraṇāni, tayo pañhā tayo uddesā tīṇi veyyākaraṇāni, cattāro pañhā cattāro uddesā cattāri veyyākaraṇāni, pañca pañhā pañcuddesā pañca veyyākaraṇāni, cha pañhā cha uddesā cha veyyākaraṇāni, satta pañhā sattuddesā satta veyyākaraṇāni, aṭṭha pañhā aṭṭhuddesā aṭṭha veyyākaraṇāni, nava pañhā navuddesā nava veyyākaraṇāni, dasa pañhā dasuddesā dasa veyyākaraṇānī’ti. Questioned like this, the wanderers of other religions would be stumped, and, in addition, would get frustrated.Evaṁ puṭṭhā, bhikkhave, aññatitthiyā paribbājakā na ceva sampāyissanti, uttari ca vighātaṁ āpajjissanti. Why is that?Taṁ kissa hetu? Because they’re out of their element.Yathā taṁ, bhikkhave, avisayasmiṁ. I don’t see anyone in this world—with its gods, Māras, and divinities, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans—who could provide a satisfying answer to these questions except the Realized One or his disciple or someone who has heard it from them.Nāhaṁ taṁ, bhikkhave, passāmi sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya yo imesaṁ pañhānaṁ veyyākaraṇena cittaṁ ārādheyya, aññatra tathāgatena vā tathāgatasāvakena vā ito vā pana sutvā.

‘One thing: question, summary recital, and answer.’‘Eko pañho eko uddeso ekaṁ veyyākaraṇan’ti, That’s what I said, but why did I say it?iti kho panetaṁ vuttaṁ. Kiñcetaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ? Becoming completely disillusioned, dispassionate, and freed regarding one thing, seeing its limits and fully comprehending its meaning, a mendicant makes an end of suffering in this very life.Ekadhamme, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sammā nibbindamāno sammā virajjamāno sammā vimuccamāno sammā pariyantadassāvī sammadatthaṁ abhisamecca diṭṭheva dhamme dukkhassantakaro hoti. What one thing?Katamasmiṁ ekadhamme? ‘All sentient beings are sustained by food.’‘Sabbe sattā āhāraṭṭhitikā’— Becoming completely disillusioned, dispassionate, and freed regarding this one thing, seeing its limits and fully comprehending its meaning, a mendicant makes an end of suffering in this very life.imasmiṁ kho, bhikkhave, ekadhamme bhikkhu sammā nibbindamāno sammā virajjamāno sammā vimuccamāno sammā pariyantadassāvī sammadatthaṁ abhisamecca diṭṭheva dhamme dukkhassantakaro hoti. ‘One thing: question, summary recital, and answer.’‘Eko pañho eko uddeso ekaṁ veyyākaraṇan’ti, That’s what I said, and this is why I said it.iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ idametaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ.

‘Ten things: question, summary recital, and answer.’‘Dasa pañhā dasuddesā dasa veyyākaraṇānī’ti, That’s what I said, but why did I say it?iti kho panetaṁ vuttaṁ. Kiñcetaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ? Becoming completely disillusioned, dispassionate, and freed regarding ten things, seeing their limits and fully comprehending their meaning, a mendicant makes an end of suffering in this very life.Dasasu, bhikkhave, dhammesu bhikkhu sammā nibbindamāno sammā virajjamāno sammā vimuccamāno sammā pariyantadassāvī sammadatthaṁ abhisamecca diṭṭheva dhamme dukkhassantakaro hoti. What ten?Katamesu dasasu? The ten ways of performing unskillful deeds.Dasasu akusalesu kammapathesu— Becoming completely disillusioned, dispassionate, and freed regarding these ten things, seeing their limits and fully comprehending their meaning, a mendicant makes an end of suffering in this very life.imesu kho, bhikkhave, dasasu dhammesu bhikkhu sammā nibbindamāno sammā virajjamāno sammā vimuccamāno sammā pariyantadassāvī sammadatthaṁ abhisamecca diṭṭheva dhamme dukkhassantakaro hoti. ‘Ten things: question, summary recital, and answer.’‘Dasa pañhā dasuddesā dasa veyyākaraṇānī’ti, That’s what I said, and this is why I said it.”iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ idametaṁ paṭicca vuttan”ti.