Ummaggasutta

Atha kho aññataro bhikkhu yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho so bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “kena nu kho, bhante, loko nīyati, kena loko parikassati, kassa ca uppannassa vasaṁ gacchatī”ti?

Then one of the mendicants went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him: “Sir, what leads the world on? What drags it around? What arises and takes control?”

“Sādhu sādhu, bhikkhu. Bhaddako kho te, bhikkhu, ummaggo, bhaddakaṁ paṭibhānaṁ, kalyāṇī paripucchā. Evañhi tvaṁ, bhikkhu, pucchasi: ‘kena nu kho, bhante, loko nīyati, kena loko parikassati, kassa ca uppannassa vasaṁ gacchatī’”ti? “Evaṁ, bhante”. “Cittena kho, bhikkhu, loko nīyati, cittena parikassati, cittassa uppannassa vasaṁ gacchatī”ti.

“Good, good, mendicant! Your approach and eloquence are excellent, and it’s a good question. For you asked: ‘What leads the world on? What drags it around? What arises and takes control?’” “Yes, sir.” “Mendicant, the mind leads the world on. The mind drags it around. When the mind arises, it takes control.”

“Sādhu, bhante”ti kho so bhikkhu bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinanditvā anumoditvā bhagavantaṁ uttari pañhaṁ apucchi: “‘bahussuto dhammadharo, bahussuto dhammadharo’ti, bhante, vuccati. Kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, bahussuto dhammadharo hotī”ti?

Saying “Good, sir”, that monk approved and agreed with what the Buddha said. Then he asked another question: “Sir, they speak of ‘a learned memorizer of the teaching’. How is a learned memorizer of the teaching defined?”

“Sādhu sādhu, bhikkhu. Bhaddako kho te, bhikkhu ummaggo, bhaddakaṁ paṭibhānaṁ, kalyāṇī paripucchā. Evañhi tvaṁ, bhikkhu, pucchasi: ‘bahussuto dhammadharo, bahussuto dhammadharoti, bhante, vuccati. Kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, bahussuto dhammadharo hotī’”ti? “Evaṁ, bhante”. “Bahū kho, bhikkhu, mayā dhammā desitā— suttaṁ, geyyaṁ, veyyākaraṇaṁ, gāthā, udānaṁ, itivuttakaṁ, jātakaṁ, abbhutadhammaṁ, vedallaṁ. Catuppadāya cepi, bhikkhu, gāthāya atthamaññāya dhammamaññāya dhammānudhammappaṭipanno hoti bahussuto dhammadharoti alaṁvacanāyā”ti.

“Good, good, mendicant! Your approach and eloquence are excellent, and it’s a good question. … I have taught many teachings: statements, mixed prose & verse, discussions, verses, inspired exclamations, legends, stories of past lives, amazing stories, and elaborations. But if anyone understands the meaning and the text of even a four-line verse, and if they practice in line with that teaching, they’re qualified to be called a ‘learned memorizer of the teaching’.”

“Sādhu, bhante”ti kho so bhikkhu bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinanditvā anumoditvā bhagavantaṁ uttari pañhaṁ apucchi: “‘sutavā nibbedhikapañño, sutavā nibbedhikapañño’ti, bhante, vuccati. Kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, sutavā nibbedhikapañño hotī”ti?

Saying “Good, sir”, that monk approved and agreed with what the Buddha said. Then he asked another question: “Sir, they speak of ‘a learned person with penetrating wisdom’. How is a learned person with penetrating wisdom defined?”

“Sādhu sādhu, bhikkhu. Bhaddako kho te, bhikkhu, ummaggo, bhaddakaṁ paṭibhānaṁ, kalyāṇī paripucchā. Evañhi tvaṁ, bhikkhu, pucchasi: ‘sutavā nibbedhikapañño, sutavā nibbedhikapaññoti, bhante, vuccati. Kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, sutavā nibbedhikapañño hotī’”ti? “Evaṁ, bhante”. “Idha, bhikkhu, bhikkhuno ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti sutaṁ hoti, paññāya cassa atthaṁ ativijjha passati; ‘ayaṁ dukkhasamudayo’ti sutaṁ hoti, paññāya cassa atthaṁ ativijjha passati; ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodho’ti sutaṁ hoti, paññāya cassa atthaṁ ativijjha passati; ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti sutaṁ hoti, paññāya cassa atthaṁ ativijjha passati. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhu, sutavā nibbedhikapañño hotī”ti.

“Good, good, mendicant! Your approach and eloquence are excellent, and it’s a good question. … Take a mendicant who has heard: ‘This is suffering.’ They see what it means with penetrating wisdom. They’ve heard: ‘This is the origin of suffering’ … ‘This is the cessation of suffering’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering.’ They see what it means with penetrating wisdom. That’s how an individual is learned, with penetrating wisdom.”

“Sādhu, bhante”ti kho so bhikkhu bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinanditvā anumoditvā bhagavantaṁ uttari pañhaṁ apucchi: “‘paṇḍito mahāpañño, paṇḍito mahāpañño’ti, bhante, vuccati. Kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, paṇḍito mahāpañño hotī”ti?

Saying “Good, sir”, that monk approved and agreed with what the Buddha said. Then he asked another question: “Sir, they speak of ‘an astute person with great wisdom’. How is an astute person with great wisdom defined?”

“Sādhu sādhu, bhikkhu. Bhaddako kho te, bhikkhu, ummaggo, bhaddakaṁ paṭibhānaṁ, kalyāṇī paripucchā. Evañhi tvaṁ bhikkhu pucchasi: ‘paṇḍito mahāpañño, paṇḍito mahāpaññoti, bhante, vuccati. Kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, paṇḍito mahāpañño hotī’”ti? “Evaṁ, bhante”. “Idha, bhikkhu, paṇḍito mahāpañño nevattabyābādhāya ceteti na parabyābādhāya ceteti na ubhayabyābādhāya ceteti attahitaparahitaubhayahitasabbalokahitameva cintayamāno cinteti. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhu, paṇḍito mahāpañño hotī”ti. Chaṭṭhaṁ.

“Good, good, mendicant! Your approach and eloquence are excellent, and it’s a good question. … An astute person with great wisdom is one who has no intention to hurt themselves, or to hurt others, or to hurt both. When they think, they only think of the benefit for themselves, for others, for both, and for the whole world. That’s how an individual is astute, with great wisdom.”