An Inspired SayingUdānasutta

At Sāvatthī.Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

There the Buddha expressed this heartfelt sentiment:Tatra kho bhagavā udānaṁ udānesi: “‘It might not be, and it might not be mine. It will not be, and it will not be mine.’“‘no cassaṁ, no ca me siyā, nābhavissa, na me bhavissatī’ti— A mendicant who makes such a resolution can cut off the lower fetters.”evaṁ adhimuccamāno bhikkhu chindeyya orambhāgiyāni saṁyojanānī”ti.

When he said this, one of the mendicants said to the Buddha,Evaṁ vutte, aññataro bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “But sir, how“yathā kathaṁ pana, bhante, ‘no cassaṁ, no ca me siyā, nābhavissa, na me bhavissatī’ti— can a mendicant who makes such a resolution cut off the lower fetters?”evaṁ adhimuccamāno bhikkhu chindeyya orambhāgiyāni saṁyojanānī”ti?

“Mendicant, take an unlearned ordinary person who has not seen the noble ones, and is neither skilled nor trained in their teaching. They’ve not seen true persons, and are neither skilled nor trained in their teaching.“Idha, bhikkhu, assutavā puthujjano ariyānaṁ adassāvī …pe…

They regard form as self, self as having form, form in self, or self in form.sappurisadhamme avinīto rūpaṁ attato samanupassati, rūpavantaṁ vā attānaṁ; attani vā rūpaṁ, rūpasmiṁ vā attānaṁ. They regard feeling …Vedanaṁ … perception …saññaṁ … choices …saṅkhāre … consciousness as self, self as having consciousness, consciousness in self, or self in consciousness.viññāṇaṁ attato samanupassati, viññāṇavantaṁ vā attānaṁ; attani vā viññāṇaṁ, viññāṇasmiṁ vā attānaṁ.

They don’t truly understand form—which is impermanent—as impermanent.So aniccaṁ rūpaṁ ‘aniccaṁ rūpan’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti, They don’t truly understand feeling …aniccaṁ vedanaṁ ‘aniccā vedanā’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti, perception …aniccaṁ saññaṁ ‘aniccā saññā’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti, choices …anicce saṅkhāre ‘aniccā saṅkhārā’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti, consciousness—which is impermanent—as impermanent.aniccaṁ viññāṇaṁ ‘aniccaṁ viññāṇan’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti.

They don’t truly understand form—which is suffering—as suffering.Dukkhaṁ rūpaṁ ‘dukkhaṁ rūpan’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti, They don’t truly understand feeling …dukkhaṁ vedanaṁ … perception …dukkhaṁ saññaṁ … choices …dukkhe saṅkhāre … consciousness—which is suffering—as suffering.dukkhaṁ viññāṇaṁ ‘dukkhaṁ viññāṇan’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti.

They don’t truly understand form—which is not-self—as not-self.Anattaṁ rūpaṁ ‘anattā rūpan’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti, They don’t truly understand feeling …anattaṁ vedanaṁ ‘anattā vedanā’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti, perception …anattaṁ saññaṁ ‘anattā saññā’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti, choices …anatte saṅkhāre ‘anattā saṅkhārā’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti, consciousness—which is not-self—as not-self.anattaṁ viññāṇaṁ ‘anattā viññāṇan’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti.

They don’t truly understand form—which is conditioned—as conditioned.Saṅkhataṁ rūpaṁ ‘saṅkhataṁ rūpan’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti, They don’t truly understand feeling …saṅkhataṁ vedanaṁ … perception …saṅkhataṁ saññaṁ … choices …saṅkhate saṅkhāre … consciousness—which is conditioned—as conditioned.saṅkhataṁ viññāṇaṁ ‘saṅkhataṁ viññāṇan’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti.

They don’t truly understand that form will vanish.Rūpaṁ vibhavissatīti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti. They don’t truly understand that feeling …Vedanā vibhavissati … perception …saññā vibhavissati … choices …saṅkhārā vibhavissanti … consciousness will vanish.viññāṇaṁ vibhavissatīti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti.

But a learned noble disciple has seen the noble ones, and is skilled and trained in the teaching of the noble ones. They’ve seen true persons, and are skilled and trained in the teaching of the true persons.Sutavā ca kho, bhikkhu, ariyasāvako ariyānaṁ dassāvī ariyadhammassa kovido ariyadhamme suvinīto sappurisānaṁ dassāvī sappurisadhammassa kovido sappurisadhamme suvinīto They don’t regard form as self …na rūpaṁ attato samanupassati …pe… They don’t regard feeling …na vedanaṁ … perception …na saññaṁ … choices …na saṅkhāre … consciousness as self.na viññāṇaṁ attato samanupassati.

They truly understand form—which is impermanent—as impermanent.So aniccaṁ rūpaṁ ‘aniccaṁ rūpan’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti. They truly understand feeling …Aniccaṁ vedanaṁ … perception …aniccaṁ saññaṁ … choices …anicce saṅkhāre … consciousness—which is impermanent—as impermanent.aniccaṁ viññāṇaṁ ‘aniccaṁ viññāṇan’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti.

They truly understand form … feeling … perception … choices … consciousness—which is suffering—as suffering.Dukkhaṁ rūpaṁ …pe… dukkhaṁ viññāṇaṁ …

They truly understand form … feeling … perception … choices … consciousness—which is not-self—as not-self.anattaṁ rūpaṁ …pe… anattaṁ viññāṇaṁ …

They truly understand form … feeling … perception … choices … consciousness—which is conditioned—as conditioned.saṅkhataṁ rūpaṁ …pe… saṅkhataṁ viññāṇaṁ ‘saṅkhataṁ viññāṇan’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti.

They truly understand that form will vanish.Rūpaṁ vibhavissatīti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti. They truly understand that feeling …Vedanā … perception …saññā … choices …saṅkhārā … consciousness will vanish.viññāṇaṁ vibhavissatīti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti.

It’s because of the vanishing of form, feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness that a mendicant who makes such a resolution—So rūpassa vibhavā, vedanāya vibhavā, saññāya vibhavā, saṅkhārānaṁ vibhavā, viññāṇassa vibhavā, evaṁ kho, bhikkhu, ‘It might not be, and it might not be mine. It will not be, and it will not be mine’—‘no cassaṁ, no ca me siyā, nābhavissa, na me bhavissatī’ti— can cut off the lower fetters.”evaṁ adhimuccamāno bhikkhu chindeyya orambhāgiyāni saṁyojanānī”ti.

“Sir, you say that a mendicant who makes such a resolution can cut off the lower fetters.“‘Evaṁ adhimuccamāno,’ bhante, ‘bhikkhu chindeyya orambhāgiyāni saṁyojanānī’ti.

But how are they to know and see in order to end the defilements without delay?”Kathaṁ pana, bhante, jānato kathaṁ passato anantarā āsavānaṁ khayo hotī”ti?

“Mendicant, an unlearned ordinary person worries about things that aren’t a worry.“Idha, bhikkhu, assutavā puthujjano atasitāye ṭhāne tāsaṁ āpajjati. For an unlearned ordinary person worries:Tāso heso bhikkhu assutavato puthujjanassa: ‘It might not be, and it might not be mine. It will not be, and it will not be mine.’‘no cassaṁ, no ca me siyā, nābhavissa, na me bhavissatī’ti.

A learned noble disciple doesn’t worry about things that aren’t a worry.Sutavā ca kho, bhikkhu, ariyasāvako atasitāye ṭhāne na tāsaṁ āpajjati. For a learned noble disciple doesn’t worry:Na heso, bhikkhu, tāso sutavato ariyasāvakassa: ‘It might not be, and it might not be mine. It will not be, and it will not be mine.’‘no cassaṁ, no ca me siyā, nābhavissa, na me bhavissatī’ti.

Should consciousness involved with form, supported by form, established on form continue to remain, with a sprinkling of relishing it would grow, increase, and mature.Rūpupayaṁ vā, bhikkhu, viññāṇaṁ tiṭṭhamānaṁ tiṭṭheyya, rūpārammaṇaṁ rūpappatiṭṭhaṁ nandūpasecanaṁ vuddhiṁ virūḷhiṁ vepullaṁ āpajjeyya.

Or should consciousness involved with feeling remain …Vedanupayaṁ vā, bhikkhu …

Or should consciousness involved with perception remain …saññupayaṁ vā, bhikkhu …

Or should consciousness involved with choices, supported by choices, established on choices continue to remain, with a sprinkling of relishing it would grow, increase, and mature.saṅkhārupayaṁ vā, bhikkhu, viññāṇaṁ tiṭṭhamānaṁ tiṭṭheyya, saṅkhārārammaṇaṁ saṅkhārappatiṭṭhaṁ nandūpasecanaṁ vuddhiṁ virūḷhiṁ vepullaṁ āpajjeyya.

Suppose, mendicant, you were to say:Yo, bhikkhu, evaṁ vadeyya: ‘Apart from form, feeling, perception, and choices, I will describe the coming and going of consciousness, its passing away and reappearing, its growth, increase, and maturity.’ That is not possible.‘ahamaññatra rūpā, aññatra vedanāya, aññatra saññāya, aññatra saṅkhārehi viññāṇassa āgatiṁ vā gatiṁ vā cutiṁ vā upapattiṁ vā vuddhiṁ vā virūḷhiṁ vā vepullaṁ vā paññāpessāmī’ti, netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati.

If a mendicant has given up greed for the form element, the support is cut off, and there is no establishment of consciousness.Rūpadhātuyā ce, bhikkhu, bhikkhuno rāgo pahīno hoti. Rāgassa pahānā vocchijjatārammaṇaṁ patiṭṭhā viññāṇassa na hoti.

If a mendicant has given up greed for the feeling element …Vedanādhātuyā ce, bhikkhu, bhikkhuno …

perception element …saññādhātuyā ce, bhikkhu, bhikkhuno …

choices element …saṅkhāradhātuyā ce, bhikkhu, bhikkhuno …

consciousness element, the support is cut off, and there is no establishment of consciousness.viññāṇadhātuyā ce, bhikkhu, bhikkhuno rāgo pahīno hoti. Rāgassa pahānā vocchijjatārammaṇaṁ patiṭṭhā viññāṇassa na hoti. Since that consciousness does not become established and does not grow, not making choices, it is freed.Tadappatiṭṭhitaṁ viññāṇaṁ avirūḷhaṁ anabhisaṅkhacca vimuttaṁ.

Being free, it’s stable. Being stable, it’s content. Being content, they’re not anxious. Not being anxious, they personally become extinguished.Vimuttattā ṭhitaṁ. Ṭhitattā santusitaṁ. Santusitattā na paritassati. Aparitassaṁ paccattaññeva parinibbāyati.

They understand: ‘Rebirth is ended … there is nothing further for this place.’‘Khīṇā jāti …pe… nāparaṁ itthattāyā’ti pajānāti.

The ending of the defilements without delay is for one who knows and sees this.”Evaṁ kho, bhikkhu, jānato evaṁ passato anantarā āsavānaṁ khayo hotī”ti.