Uṇṇābhabrāhmaṇasutta

Sāvatthinidānaṁ. Atha kho uṇṇābho brāhmaṇo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho uṇṇābho brāhmaṇo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

At Sāvatthī. Then Uṇṇābha the brahmin went up to the Buddha, and exchanged greetings with him. 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. Katamāni pañca? Cakkhundriyaṁ, sotindriyaṁ, ghānindriyaṁ, jivhindriyaṁ, kāyindriyaṁ. Imesaṁ nu kho, bho gotama, pañcannaṁ indriyānaṁ nānāvisayānaṁ nānāgocarānaṁ na aññamaññassa gocaravisayaṁ paccanubhontānaṁ kiṁ paṭisaraṇaṁ, ko ca nesaṁ gocaravisayaṁ paccanubhotī”ti?

“Worthy Gotama, these five faculties have different domains and different ranges, and don’t experience each other’s domain and range. What five? The faculties of the eye, ear, nose, tongue, and body. What do these five faculties, with their different domains and ranges, have recourse to? What experiences their domains and ranges?”

“Pañcimāni, brāhmaṇa, indriyāni nānāvisayāni nānāgocarāni na aññamaññassa gocaravisayaṁ paccanubhonti. Katamāni pañca? Cakkhundriyaṁ, sotindriyaṁ, ghānindriyaṁ, jivhindriyaṁ, kāyindriyaṁ. Imesaṁ kho, brāhmaṇa, pañcannaṁ indriyānaṁ nānāvisayānaṁ nānāgocarānaṁ na aññamaññassa gocaravisayaṁ paccanubhontānaṁ mano paṭisaraṇaṁ, manova nesaṁ gocaravisayaṁ paccanubhotī”ti.

“Brahmin, these five faculties have different domains and different ranges, and don’t experience each other’s domain and range. What five? The faculties of the eye, ear, nose, tongue, and body. These five faculties, with their different domains and ranges, have recourse to the mind. And the mind experiences their domains and ranges.”

“Manassa pana, bho gotama, kiṁ paṭisaraṇan”ti? “Manassa kho, brāhmaṇa, sati paṭisaraṇan”ti. “Satiyā pana, bho gotama, kiṁ paṭisaraṇan”ti? “Satiyā kho, brāhmaṇa, vimutti paṭisaraṇan”ti. “Vimuttiyā pana, bho gotama, kiṁ paṭisaraṇan”ti? “Vimuttiyā kho, brāhmaṇa, nibbānaṁ paṭisaraṇan”ti. “Nibbānassa pana, bho gotama, kiṁ paṭisaraṇan”ti? “Accayāsi, brāhmaṇa, pañhaṁ, nāsakkhi pañhassa pariyantaṁ gahetuṁ. Nibbānogadhañhi, brāhmaṇa, brahmacariyaṁ vussati nibbānaparāyaṇaṁ nibbānapariyosānan”ti.

“But worthy Gotama, what does the mind have recourse to?” “The mind has recourse to mindfulness.” “But what does mindfulness have recourse to?” “Mindfulness has recourse to freedom.” “But what does freedom have recourse to?” “Freedom has recourse to extinguishment.” “But what does extinguishment have recourse to?” “This question goes too far, brahmin! You weren’t able to grasp the limit of questioning. For extinguishment is the objective, destination, and culmination 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: “seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, kūṭāgāre vā kūṭāgārasālāyaṁ vā pācīnavātapānā sūriye uggacchante vātapānena rasmi pavisitvā kvāssa patiṭṭhitā”ti? “Pacchimāyaṁ, bhante, bhittiyan”ti. “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. Imamhi ce, bhikkhave, samaye uṇṇābho brāhmaṇo kālaṁ kareyya, natthi taṁ saṁyojanaṁ yena saṁyojanena saṁyutto uṇṇābho brāhmaṇo puna imaṁ lokaṁ āgaccheyyā”ti. Dutiyaṁ.

Then, not long after he had left, the Buddha addressed the mendicants: “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?” “On the western wall, sir.” “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. If he were to pass away at this time, he would be bound by no fetter that might return him to this world.”