Saṃyutta Nikāya
5. Mahā-Vagga
48. Indriya Saṃyutta
5. Jarā Vagga
The Book of the Kindred Sayings
5. The Great Chapter
48. Kindred Sayings on the Faculties
5. Old Age
Sutta 42
Uṇṇābho Brāhmaṇa Suttaṃ
Uṇṇābha the Brahmain
Translated by F. L. Woodward
Edited by Mrs. Rhys Davids
Copyright The Pali Text Society
Commercial Rights Reserved
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On a certain occasion the Exalted One was staying near Sāvatthī
in East Park,
at the terraced house of Migara's mother.
Now the brahmin Uṇṇābha came to visit the Exalted One,
and on coming to him
greeted him courteously,
and, after the exchange of greetings and courtesies,
sat down at one side.
So seated,
Uṇṇābha the brahmin said this to the Exalted One:
"There are these five sense-faculties, master Gotama,
of different scope,
of different range.
They do not mutually [193] enjoy
each other's scope and range.
What are the five?
The sense-faculty of eye,
that of ear,
that of nose,
that of tongue,
and the sense-faculty of body.
Now, master Gotama, as these five sense-faculties
are of different scope,
of different range,
and do not mutually enjoy each other's scope and range,
pray, what common ground of resort[1] have they,
and who profits by their scope and range?"
■
"There are, brahmin, as you say,
these five sense-faculties
of different scope
and different range,
and they do not mutually
enjoy each other's scope and range.
What are the five?
The sense-faculty of eye,
that of ear,
that of nose,
that of tongue,
and the sense-faculty of body.
Well, mind is their common ground of resort.
It is mind that profits by their scope and range."
■
"But, master Gotama, what is the resort of mind?"
"Mindfulness, brahmin, is the resort of mmd."
"Then, master Gotama, what is the resort of mindfulness?"
"Release, brahmin, is the resort of mindfulness."
"What, then, master Gotama, is the resort of release?"
"Nibbāna, brahmm, is the resort of release."
"But, master Gotama, what is the resort of Nibbāna?"
"The question goes too far,[2] brahmin.
That question is beyond the compass of an answer.
The aim of living the holy life, brahmin,
is to plunge[3] into Nibbāna.
It has Nibbāna for its goal,
Nibbāna for its ending."
Then the brahmin Unriabha was delighted with the words of the Exalted One and received them gladly.
And he rose up from his seat,
saluted the Exalted One by the right
and went away.
Now not long after the departure of the brahmin Uṇṇābha
the Exalted One said to the monks:
[194] "Suppose, monks, in a house with a peaked roof
or in a pavilion with a peaked roof,
with a window facing east,
when the sun is rising
and its rays strike through the window,
on what do they rest?"[4]
"On the western wall, lord."
"Just so, monks,
the faith of the brahmin Uṇṇābha is bent on,
rooted in,
rests on the Tathāgata.
It is strong,
not to be uprooted
by any recluse
or brahmin
or deva
or Mara
or Brahma,
or by anyone else in the world.
Monks, if at this time
the brahmin Uṇṇābha were to make an end,
there is no fetter, bound by which,
the brahmin Uṇṇābha would come back to this world."[5]
[1] Paṭisaraṇaṇ, 'looking to,' or 'referring to.' At A. i, 199, 'regoing.' Cf. Dialog. i, 122 n.; Pts. of Contr. 140. At M. i, 295, Mahā Koṭṭhita puts this question to Sāriputta. It is discussed at Buddh. Psych. Ethics, where see Mrs. Rhys Davids' extract from Comy. on M. i loc. cit. For 'resort' see next §.
[2] Text ajjhaparaṇ (Burmese MSS.), but M. i, 304, accasaraṇ, i.e. it is transcendental. That at S. ii, 1898, should be the same, where Comy. atikkanto.
[3] 0gadhaṇ = Nibb. abbhantaraṇ, anupaviṭṭhaṇ. Comy.
[4] Cf. K.S. ii, 71.
[5] He is anāgāmin. This instance may be added to the two referred to above on text 178 n.
