Aṅguttara Nikāya
X. Dasaka-Nipāta
X: Upāsaka-Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
X. The Book of the Tens
X: The Lay-followers
Sutta 95
Uttiya Suttaɱ
Uttiya[1]
Translated from the Pali by F. L. Woodward, M.A.
Copyright The Pali Text Society
Commercial Rights Reserved
For details see Terms of Use.
The Wanderer Uttiya came to see the Exalted One,
and on coming to him greeted him courteously,
and after the exchange of greetings and reminiscent talk
sat down at one side.
So seated the Wanderer Uttiya said this to the Exalted One:
(1) "Pray, Master Gotama, is the world eternal?
Is this the truth and other view infatuation?"
"I have not declared, Uttiya:
the world is eternal
this the truth and other view infatuation."
■
(2) "How then, Master Gotama, is the world not eternal?
Is this the truth and other view infatuation?"
"This also, Uttiya, I have not declared:
the world is not eternal
this the truth and other view infatuation."
■
(3) "Pray, Master Gotama, is the world limited?
Is this the truth and other view infatuation?"
"I have not declared, Uttiya:
the world is limited
this the truth and other view infatuation."
■
(4) "Pray, Master Gotama, is the world unlimited?
Is this the truth and other view infatuation?"
"I have not declared, Uttiya:
the world is unlimited
this the truth and other view infatuation."
■
(5) "Pray, Master Gotama, is the soul body?
Is this the truth and other view infatuation?"
"I have not declared, Uttiya:
the soul is body
this the truth and other view infatuation."
■
(6) "Pray, Master Gotama, is the soul one thing,
body another thing?
Is this the truth and other view infatuation?"
"I have not declared, Uttiya:
the soul is one thing,
body another thing
this the truth and other view infatuation."
■
(7) "Pray, Master Gotama, is a wayfarer (man)[2] beyond death?
Is this the truth and other view infatuation?"
"I have not declared, Uttiya:
a wayfarer (man) is beyond death
this the truth and other view infatuation."
■
(8) "Pray, Master Gotama, is a wayfarer (man) not beyond death?
Is this the truth and other view infatuation?"
"I have not declared, Uttiya:
a wayfarer (man) is not beyond death
this the truth and other view infatuation."
■
(9) "Pray, Master Gotama, is a wayfarer (man) beyond death
and yet is not?
Is this the truth and other view infatuation?"
"I have not declared, Uttiya:
a wayfarer (man) is beyond death
and yet is not
this the truth and other view infatuation."
■
(10) "Pray, Master Gotama, is a wayfarer (man) neither beyond death
nor yet is not?
Is this the truth and other view infatuation?"
"I have not declared, Uttiya:
a wayfarer (man) is neither beyond death
nor yet is not
this the truth and other view infatuation."
§
"Pray, Master Gotama, how is this?
To my question
'is the world eternal?
Is this the truth and other view infatuation?'
you answered:
'I have not declared, Uttiya:
the world is eternal
this the truth and other view infatuation.'
■
To my question
'is the world not eternal?
Is this the truth and other view infatuation?'
you answered:
'This also, Uttiya, I have not declared:
the world is not eternal
this the truth and other view infatuation..'
■
To my question
'is the world limited?
Is this the truth and other view infatuation?'
you answered:
'I have not declared, Uttiya:
the world is limited
this the truth and other view infatuation.'
■
To my question
'is the world unlimited?
Is this the truth and other view infatuation?'
you answered:
'I have not declared, Uttiya:
the world is unlimited
this the truth and other view infatuation.'
■
To my question
'is the soul body?
Is this the truth and other view infatuation?'
you answered:
'I have not declared, Uttiya:
the soul is body
this the truth and other view infatuation.'
■
To my question
'is the soul one thing,
body another thing?
Is this the truth and other view infatuation?'
you answered:
'I have not declared, Uttiya:
the soul is one thing,
body another thing
this the truth and other view infatuation.'
■
To my question
'is a wayfarer (man) beyond death?
Is this the truth and other view infatuation?'
you answered:
'I have not declared, Uttiya:
a wayfarer (man) is beyond death
this the truth and other view infatuation.'
■
To my question
'is a wayfarer (man) not beyond death?
Is this the truth and other view infatuation?'
you answered:
'I have not declared, Uttiya:
a wayfarer (man) is not beyond death
this the truth and other view infatuation.'
■
To my question
'is a wayfarer (man) beyond death
and yet is not?
Is this the truth and other view infatuation?'
you answered:
'I have not declared, Uttiya:
a wayfarer (man) is beyond death
and yet is not
this the truth and other view infatuation.'
■
To my question
'is a wayfarer (man) neither beyond death
nor yet is not?
Is this the truth and other view infatuation?'
you answered:
'I have not declared, Uttiya:
a wayfarer (man) is neither beyond death
nor yet is not
this the truth and other view infatuation.'
What then has been declared by the worthy Gotama?"
§
"With full comprehension, Uttiya,
I teach Dhamma to disciples
for the purification of beings,
for the overpassing of sorrow and despair,
for the going to an end of grief and dejection,
for reaching the Method,[3]
for the realizing of Nibbāna."
■
"If then with full comprehension
the worthy Gotama teaches dhamma to disciples
for the purification of beings,
for the overpassing of sorrow and despair,
for the going to an end of grief and dejection,
for reaching the Method,
for the realizing of Nibbāna,
pray, will the whole world escape[4] thereby
or only half of it
or one third part of it?"
At these words the Exalted One was silent.
■
[134] Then it occurred to the venerable Ānanda:
"The Wanderer Uttiya must not be allowed to entertain the harmful view
that:
'Gotama the recluse,
when asked by him an all-important question,[5]
let it drop.
Can it be that he cannot answer it?'
Such a view would be loss and sorrow
for a long time
to the Wanderer Uttiya."
■
So the venerable Ānanda said this to him:
"See now, Uttiya, your reverence,
I will make a figure for you.
In a figure sometimes intelligent people understand the meaning of what is said.
Suppose a border-town of some rājah,
with strong foundations,
strong walls and towers,
but a single gate;
and over that gate is set a warden,
shrewd and watchful,
who keeps out strangers
and lets in known people.
As he patrols all round that town in due order
he might not mark a crevice in the wall
or a hole big enough for a cat to slip through,
nor would he have the knowledge:
'So many creatures enter
or so many creatures leave this town.'[6]
But this he would know:
'Whatsoever creatures of any size[7]
enter or leave this town,
all of them enter or leave by this gate.'
■
Just in the same way, your reverence
(that question of yours, namely):
'Will the whole world escape thereby
or half of it
or one third part of it?'
is not a matter of urgent importance to the Wayfarer.
■
What he says is this:
'Whosoever have escaped,
are escaping
or will escape from the world,
all of them,
by abandoning the five hindrances,
those defilements of the heart
which cause the weakening of insight -
all of them
with thoughts well established in the four arisings of mindfulness,
by making to grow in very truth the seven limbs of wisdom -
all of them have escaped,
are escaping
or will escape by so doing.'
■
So as to that question of yours which [135] you put to the Exalted One,
you asked it from a different point of view.[8]
That is why the Exalted One did not explain the matter to you."
[1] Cf. Andersen, Pali Reader, 89 and notes; Ud. 67. At K.S. v, 20, 146, Uttiya is a monk; so also atBrethren, 34, where Comy. states that he was originally a Wanderer. As Mrs. Rhys Davids there remarks, it may be the same person.
[2] Cf. above, n. on § 93.
[4] Niyyissati, lit. 'go out.'
[5] Sabba-sāmukkaɱsikaɱ. Comy. has mayā sabba-pucchānaɱ uttamaɱ pucchaɱ pucchito, but does not explain how it came to have this meaning. DA. i, 277 = AA. on A. iv, 186, s.v. dhamma-desana = MA. iii, 92 = UdA. 283, gives the meaning of 'a self-raised teaching, only intelligible to self.' But here the meaning conveyed is 'essential' (Andersen's Pali Glossary). It does not occur in Saɱyutta Nikāya or Comy.
[6] This sentence is not at D. ii, 83, or K.S. v, 139.
[7] Olarika.
[8] Aññena pariyāyena - i.e., not dhamma-pariyāyena but añña-titthiya-pariyāyena.
