Aṇguttara Nikāya
Sattaka Nipāta
Avyākata Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
The Book of the Sevens
Chapter VI: The Unexplained
Sutta 51
The Unexplained[1]
Translated from the Pali by E.M. Hare.
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[1][olds][than] Now a certain monk approached the Exalted One, saluted and sat down at one side;
and so seated, he spoke thus to the Exalted One:
'Lord, what is the cause, the reason, why
to the learned Ariyan listener
doubt arises not
as to unexplained points?'
[2][olds] 'Verily, it is by view-stopping, monk,
that doubt arises not
to the learned Ariyan listener
as to unexplained pints.
§
"Is the Tathāgata[2] after death?"
— this is but a view-issue[3], monk;
"Is the Tathāgata not after death?"
"Both is he and is he not after death?"
"Neither is he nor is he not after death?"
— these are but view-issues, monk.
■
The unlerned average man
understands not view,
understands not view-origin,
understands not view-stopping,
understands not the stepping of the way
to view-stopping.
For him view[4] grows;
and he is not freed from birth, old age, death,
from sorrows, griefs, ills, tribulations;
he is not freed from ill,
I say.
■
But the learned Ariyan listener
understands view,
its origin,
its stopping,
the stepping of the way thereto.
For him view is stopped;
and he is freed from birth, old age, death,
from sorrows, griefs, ills, tribulations;
he is freed from ill,
I say.
§
Thus knowing, thus seeing, the learned Ariyan listener, indeed, explains not:
"Is the Tathāgataafter death?"
"Is the Tathāgata not after death?"
"Both is he and is he not after death?"
"Neither is he nor is he not after death?"
■
Thus knowing, thus seeing,
the learned Ariyan listener
is thus subject[5] to the inexplicable
as to unexplained points.
■
Thus knowing, thus seeing,
the learned Ariyan listener
is not afraid,[6] trembles not, wavers not, shakes not,
[40] nor falls to quaking concerning these points:
"Is the Tathāgataafter death?"
"Is the Tathāgata not after death?"
"Both is he and is he not after death?"
"Neither is he nor is he not after death?"
§
"Is the Tathāgata after death?"
— this is but a craving[7]-issue, monk;
"Is the Tathāgata not after death?"
"Both is he and is he not after death?"
"Neither is he nor is he not after death?"
— these are but craving-issues, monk.
■
"Is the Tathāgata after death?"
— this is but a perception[8]-issue, monk;
"Is the Tathāgata not after death?"
"Both is he and is he not after death?"
"Neither is he nor is he not after death?"
— these are but perception-issues, monk.
■
"Is the Tathāgata after death?"
— this is but a illusion-issue, monk;
"Is the Tathāgata not after death?"
"Both is he and is he not after death?"
"Neither is he nor is he not after death?"
— these are but illusions, monk.
■
"Is the Tathāgata after death?"
— this is but a fancy, monk;
"Is the Tathāgata not after death?"
"Both is he and is he not after death?"
"Neither is he nor is he not after death?"
— these are but fancies, monk.
■
"Is the Tathāgata after death?"
— this is but a grasping-issue, monk;
"Is the Tathāgata not after death?"
"Both is he and is he not after death?"
"Neither is he nor is he not after death?"
— these are but grasping-issues, monk.
■
"Is the Tathāgata after death?"
— this is but a source of remores, monk;
"Is the Tathāgata not after death?"
"Both is he and is he not after death?"
"Neither is he nor is he not after death?"
— these are but sources of remorse, monk.
■
The unlearned average mqn understands not these views[9],
understands not view-origin,
understands not view-stopping,
understands not the stepping of the way
to view-stopping.
For him view grows;
and he is not freed from birth, old age, death,
from sorrows, griefs, ills, tribulations;
he is not freed from ill,
I say.
§
But the learned Ariyan listener
understands view,
its origin,
its stopping,
the stepping of the way thereto.
For him view is stopped;
and he is freed from birth, old age, death,
from sorrows, griefs, ills, tribulations;
he is freed from ill,
I say.
§
Thus knowing, thus seeing, the learned Ariyan listener, indeed, explains not:
"Is the Tathāgataafter death?"
"Is the Tathāgata not after death?"
"Both is he and is he not after death?"
"Neither is he nor is he not after death?"
■
Thus knowing, thus seeing,
the learned Ariyan listener
is thus subject to the inexplicable
as to unexplained points.
■
Thus knowing, thus seeing,
the learned Ariyan listener
is not afraid, trembles not, wavers not, shakes not,
nor falls to quaking concerning these points:
"Is the Tathāgataafter death?"
"Is the Tathāgata not after death?"
"Both is he and is he not after death?"
"Neither is he nor is he not after death?"
Verily, monk, this is the cause, the reason,
why to the learned Ariyan listener
doubt arises not
as to unexplained points.'
[1] Avyākata: more literally (a-vi-ā-kar) unexpounded, unanalyzed, undefined. D.i, 188; M.i, 426; S.iv, 375; A.v, 193.
[2] Comy. satto.
[3] Diṭṭhigata.
[4] Sā diṭṭhi.
[5] Avyākaraṇa-dhammo.
[6] Na cchambhati na kampati (S.e. here with v.l. inserts na calati), na vedhati no santāsaṇ āpajjati; cf. M. ii, 138. For chambhati the Colombo 1922 edition of Comy. and Hewavitarne Bequest reads, jambhati; glossing, na kampati. See Trenckner's Notes, p. 70.
[7] I think we should read with v.l. la or pe between each term; S.e only with vippaṭisāro.
[8] Saññāgata. Comy. Diṭṭhisaññā eva h'ettha saññāgataṇ; in fact it treats each term as a form of diṭṭhi.
[9] The text repeats from here onwards in full.
