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11. Abhijānantasatipañha

Question on Directly Knowing

Rājā āha—
The king asked:

“bhante nāgasena, sabbā sati abhijānantī uppajjati, udāhu kaṭumikāva satī”ti?
“Venerable Nāgasena, does all mindfulness arise through knowing directly or does it come with outside help?”

“Abhijānantīpi, mahārāja, kaṭumikāpi satī”ti.
“By knowing directly, your majesty, and with outside help.”

“Evañhi kho, bhante nāgasena, sabbā sati abhijānantī, natthi kaṭumikā satī”ti?
“If thus, venerable Nāgasena, all mindfulness is from directly knowing, there is none with outside help.”

“Yadi natthi, mahārāja, kaṭumikā sati, natthi kiñci sippikānaṁ kammāyatanehi vā sippāyatanehi vā vijjāṭṭhānehi vā karaṇīyaṁ, niratthakā ācariyā, yasmā ca kho, mahārāja, atthi kaṭumikā sati, tasmā atthi kammāyatanehi vā sippāyatanehi vā vijjāṭṭhānehi vā karaṇīyaṁ, attho ca ācariyehī”ti.
“If there were no mindfulness with outside help, your majesty, then artisans would have no need for practice, or craftsmanship, or schooling, and teachers would be useless, but since there is mindfulness with outside help, the opposite is true.”

“Kallosi, bhante nāgasenā”ti.
“You are clever, venerable Nāgasena.”

Abhijānantasatipañho ekādasamo.
Question on Directly Knowing eleventh

Sativaggo chaṭṭho.
Mindfulness Chapter sixth

Imasmiṁ vagge ekādasa pañhā.
In this chapter eleven questions