sutta » sn » sn48 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 48.42

Uṇṇābhabrāhmaṇasutta

The Brahmin Uṇṇābha

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.
At Sāvatthī.

Atha kho uṇṇābho brāhmaṇo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi.
Then Uṇṇābha the brahmin went up to the Buddha, and exchanged greetings with him.

Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho uṇṇābho brāhmaṇo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to the Buddha:

“Pañcimāni, bho gotama, indriyāni nānāvisayāni nānāgocarāni, na aññamaññassa gocaravisayaṁ paccanubhonti.
“Mister Gotama, these five faculties have different scopes and different ranges, and don’t experience each others’ scope and range.

Katamāni pañca?
What five?

Cakkhundriyaṁ, sotindriyaṁ, ghānindriyaṁ, jivhindriyaṁ, kāyindriyaṁ.
The faculties of the eye, ear, nose, tongue, and body.

Imesaṁ nu kho, bho gotama, pañcannaṁ indriyānaṁ nānāvisayānaṁ nānāgocarānaṁ na aññamaññassa gocaravisayaṁ paccanubhontānaṁ kiṁ paṭisaraṇaṁ, ko ca nesaṁ gocaravisayaṁ paccanubhotī”ti?
What do these five faculties, with their different scopes and ranges, have recourse to? What experiences their scopes and ranges?”

“Pañcimāni, brāhmaṇa, indriyāni nānāvisayāni nānāgocarāni na aññamaññassa gocaravisayaṁ paccanubhonti.
“Brahmin, these five faculties have different scopes and different ranges, and don’t experience each others’ scope and range.

Katamāni pañca?
What five?

Cakkhundriyaṁ, sotindriyaṁ, ghānindriyaṁ, jivhindriyaṁ, kāyindriyaṁ.
The faculties of the eye, ear, nose, tongue, and body.

Imesaṁ kho, brāhmaṇa, pañcannaṁ indriyānaṁ nānāvisayānaṁ nānāgocarānaṁ na aññamaññassa gocaravisayaṁ paccanubhontānaṁ mano paṭisaraṇaṁ, manova nesaṁ gocaravisayaṁ paccanubhotī”ti.
These five faculties, with their different scopes and ranges, have recourse to the mind. And the mind experiences their scopes and ranges.”

“Manassa pana, bho gotama, kiṁ paṭisaraṇan”ti?
“But Mister Gotama, what does the mind have recourse to?”

“Manassa kho, brāhmaṇa, sati paṭisaraṇan”ti.
“The mind has recourse to mindfulness.”

“Satiyā pana, bho gotama, kiṁ paṭisaraṇan”ti?
“But what does mindfulness have recourse to?”

“Satiyā kho, brāhmaṇa, vimutti paṭisaraṇan”ti.
“Mindfulness has recourse to freedom.”

“Vimuttiyā pana, bho gotama, kiṁ paṭisaraṇan”ti?
“But what does freedom have recourse to?”

“Vimuttiyā kho, brāhmaṇa, nibbānaṁ paṭisaraṇan”ti.
“Freedom has recourse to extinguishment.”

“Nibbānassa pana, bho gotama, kiṁ paṭisaraṇan”ti?
“But what does extinguishment have recourse to?”

“Accayāsi, brāhmaṇa, pañhaṁ, nāsakkhi pañhassa pariyantaṁ gahetuṁ.
“This question goes too far, brahmin! You weren’t able to grasp the limit of questioning.

Nibbānogadhañhi, brāhmaṇa, brahmacariyaṁ vussati nibbānaparāyaṇaṁ nibbānapariyosānan”ti.
For extinguishment is the culmination, destination, and end of the spiritual life.”

Atha kho uṇṇābho brāhmaṇo bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinanditvā anumoditvā uṭṭhāyāsanā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā pakkāmi.
And then the brahmin Uṇṇābha approved and agreed with what the Buddha said. He got up from his seat, bowed, and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right, before leaving.

Atha kho bhagavā acirapakkante uṇṇābhe brāhmaṇe bhikkhū āmantesi:
Then, not long after he had left, the Buddha addressed the mendicants:

“seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, kūṭāgāre vā kūṭāgārasālāyaṁ vā pācīnavātapānā sūriye uggacchante vātapānena rasmi pavisitvā kvāssa patiṭṭhitā”ti?
“Suppose there was a bungalow or a hall with a peaked roof, with windows on the eastern side. When the sun rises and a ray of light enters through a window, where would it land?”

“Pacchimāyaṁ, bhante, bhittiyan”ti.
“On the western wall, sir.”

“Evameva kho, bhikkhave, uṇṇābhassa brāhmaṇassa tathāgate saddhā niviṭṭhā mūlajātā patiṭṭhitā daḷhā asaṁhāriyā samaṇena vā brāhmaṇena vā devena vā mārena vā brahmunā vā kenaci vā lokasmiṁ.
“In the same way, the brahmin Uṇṇābha’s faith in the Realized One is settled, rooted, and planted deep. It’s strong and can’t be shifted by any ascetic or brahmin or god or Māra or divinity or by anyone in the world.

Imamhi ce, bhikkhave, samaye uṇṇābho brāhmaṇo kālaṁ kareyya, natthi taṁ saṁyojanaṁ yena saṁyojanena saṁyutto uṇṇābho brāhmaṇo puna imaṁ lokaṁ āgaccheyyā”ti.
If he were to pass away at this time, he would be bound by no fetter that might return him to this world.”

Dutiyaṁ.