5.8. Nanda’s Questions

“Santi loke munayo,

(iccāyasmā nando)

Janā vadanti tayidaṁ kathaṁsu;

Ñāṇūpapannaṁ no muniṁ vadanti,

Udāhu ve jīvitenūpapannaṁ”.

“Na diṭṭhiyā na sutiyā na ñāṇena, (…)

Munīdha nanda kusalā vadanti;

Visenikatvā anīghā nirāsā,

Caranti ye te munayoti brūmi”.

“Ye kecime samaṇabrāhmaṇāse,

(iccāyasmā nando)

Diṭṭhassutenāpi vadanti suddhiṁ;

Sīlabbatenāpi vadanti suddhiṁ,

Anekarūpena vadanti suddhiṁ.

Kaccissu te bhagavā tattha yatā carantā,

Atāru jātiñca jarañca mārisa;

Pucchāmi taṁ bhagavā brūhi me taṁ”.

“Ye kecime samaṇabrāhmaṇāse,

(nandāti bhagavā)

Diṭṭhassutenāpi vadanti suddhiṁ;

Sīlabbatenāpi vadanti suddhiṁ,

Anekarūpena vadanti suddhiṁ;

Kiñcāpi te tattha yatā caranti,

Nātariṁsu jātijaranti brūmi”.

“Ye kecime samaṇabrāhmaṇāse,

(iccāyasmā nando)

Diṭṭhassutenāpi vadanti suddhiṁ;

Sīlabbatenāpi vadanti suddhiṁ,

Anekarūpena vadanti suddhiṁ.

Te ce muni brūsi anoghatiṇṇe,

Atha ko carahi devamanussaloke;

Atāri jātiñca jarañca mārisa,

Pucchāmi taṁ bhagavā brūhi me taṁ”.

“Nāhaṁ sabbe samaṇabrāhmaṇāse,

(nandāti bhagavā)

Jātijarāya nivutāti brūmi;

Ye sīdha diṭṭhaṁ va sutaṁ mutaṁ vā,

Sīlabbataṁ vāpi pahāya sabbaṁ.

Anekarūpampi pahāya sabbaṁ,

Taṇhaṁ pariññāya anāsavāse;

Te ve narā oghatiṇṇāti brūmi”.

“Etābhinandāmi vaco mahesino,

Sukittitaṁ gotamanūpadhīkaṁ;

Ye sīdha diṭṭhaṁ va sutaṁ mutaṁ vā,

Sīlabbataṁ vāpi pahāya sabbaṁ.

Anekarūpampi pahāya sabbaṁ,

Taṇhaṁ pariññāya anāsavāse;

Ahampi te oghatiṇṇāti brūmī”ti.

Nandamāṇavapucchā sattamā.

SC 1SC Verse 1084Nanda
People say that in the world
there are sages—how is this?
Do they say “sage” for knowledge won,
or for a certain way of life?

SC 2SC Verse 1085Buddha
The intelligent ones say not “a sage”,
for view, tradition, knowledge won;
those foeless, desireless and free from distress
who so fare along are sages, I say.

SC 3SC Verse 1086Nanda
Some of these monks and brahmins they say
that purity comes from the seen and the heard,
from rites and from vows and from other things too,
have they, O Lord, while practising thus
crossed over birth and crossed decay, sir?
I ask the Lord thus, please tell me of this.

SC 4SC Verse 1087Buddha
Some of these monks and brahmins they say
that purity comes from the seen and the heard,
from rites and from vows and from other things too
and even though they have practised thus,
I say they’ve not crossed over birth and decay.

SC 5SC Verse 1088Nanda
Some of these monks and brahmins they say
that purity comes from the seen and the heard,
from rites and from vows and from other things too,
if you say, O Sage, they’ve not crossed the flood,
who fares through the world of devas, mankind,
crossed over birth and crossed decay, sir?
I ask the Lord thus, please tell me of this.

SC 6SC Verse 1089Buddha
Of these monks and these brahmins I do not say
that all are shrouded by birth and decay:
those who’ve let go of the seen, heard, and known,
of rites and of vows and others—all,
completely craving Known and from the inflows free—
those persons I say have crossed over the flood.

SC 7SC Verse 1090Nanda
By the Great Seeker’s words I’m truly delighted
well-explained, O Gotama, is “to assets unattached”,
those who’ve let go of the seen, heard and known,
of rites and of vows and of other things—all,
completely craving Known and from the inflows free—
also I say they’ve crossed over the flood.