What’s the Goal of the Spiritual Life?Kimatthiyabrahmacariyasutta

“Mendicants, if wanderers who follow another religion were to ask you:“Sace vo, bhikkhave, aññatitthiyā paribbājakā evaṁ puccheyyuṁ: ‘Reverends, what’s the goal of leading the spiritual life under the ascetic Gotama?’‘kimatthiyaṁ, āvuso, samaṇe gotame brahmacariyaṁ vussatī’ti?

You should answer them:Evaṁ puṭṭhā tumhe, bhikkhave, tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ evaṁ byākareyyātha: ‘The goal of leading the spiritual life under the Buddha is to completely understand suffering.’‘dukkhassa kho, āvuso, pariññāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī’ti.

If wanderers of other religions were to ask you:Sace pana vo, bhikkhave, aññatitthiyā paribbājakā evaṁ puccheyyuṁ: ‘Reverends, what is that suffering?’‘katamaṁ panāvuso, dukkhaṁ, yassa pariññāya samaṇe gotame brahmacariyaṁ vussatī’ti?

You should answer them:Evaṁ puṭṭhā tumhe, bhikkhave, tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ evaṁ byākareyyātha: ‘The eye is suffering.‘Cakkhu kho, āvuso, dukkhaṁ; The goal of leading the spiritual life under the Buddha is to completely understand this.tassa pariññāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussati. Sights …Rūpā dukkhā; Eye consciousness …Cakkhuviññāṇaṁ dukkhaṁ; Eye contact …Cakkhusamphasso dukkho; The pleasant, painful, or neutral feeling that arises dependent on eye contact is also suffering.Yampidaṁ cakkhusamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṁ sukhaṁ vā dukkhaṁ vā adukkhamasukhaṁ vā tampi dukkhaṁ; The goal of leading the spiritual life under the Buddha is to completely understand this.tassa pariññāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussati …pe…

The ear … nose … tongue … body …jivhā dukkhā … mind …mano dukkho; The pleasant, painful, or neutral feeling that arises dependent on mind contact is also suffering.yampidaṁ manosamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṁ sukhaṁ vā dukkhaṁ vā adukkhamasukhaṁ vā tampi dukkhaṁ; The goal of leading the spiritual life under the Buddha is to completely understand this.tassa pariññāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussati. This is that suffering.Idaṁ kho, āvuso, dukkhaṁ; The goal of leading the spiritual life under the Buddha is to completely understand this.’yassa pariññāya bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī’ti.

When questioned by wanderers of other religions, that’s how you should answer them.”Evaṁ puṭṭhā tumhe, bhikkhave, tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ evaṁ byākareyyāthā”ti.