Udāna (Heartfelt Sayings)

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in the stilt longhouse of Migāra’s mother in the Eastern Monastery. Then in the late afternoon, the Buddha came out of retreat and sat outside the gate. Then King Pasenadi of Kosala went up to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side.

Now at that time seven matted-hair ascetics, seven Jain ascetics, seven naked ascetics, seven one-cloth ascetics, and seven wanderers passed by not far from the Buddha. Their armpits and bodies were hairy, and their nails were long; and they carried their pack with shoulder-poles.

King Pasenadi saw them passing by. He got up from his seat, arranged his robe over one shoulder, knelt on his right knee, raised his joined palms toward those various ascetics, and pronounced his name three times: “Sirs, I am Pasenadi, king of Kosala! I am Pasenadi, king of Kosala! I am Pasenadi, king of Kosala!”

Then, not long after those ascetics had left, King Pasenadi went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him, “Sir, these are among those in the world who are perfected or who are on the path to perfection!”

“Great king, as a layman enjoying sensual pleasures, living at home with your children, using sandalwood imported from Kāsi, wearing garlands, fragrance, and makeup, and accepting gold and currency, it’s hard for you to know who is perfected or on the path to perfection.

You can get to know a person’s ethics by living with them. But only after a long time, not casually; only when attentive, not when inattentive; and only by the wise, not the witless. You can get to know a person’s purity by dealing with them. … You can get to know a person’s resilience in times of trouble. … You can get to know a person’s wisdom by discussion. But only after a long time, not casually; only when attentive, not when inattentive; and only by the wise, not the witless.”

“It’s incredible, sir, it’s amazing, how well said this was by the Buddha. …

Sir, these are my spies, my undercover agents returning after spying on the country. I shall later make use of what they first spied out. Now—when they have rinsed off the dust and dirt, and are nicely bathed and anointed, with hair and beard dressed, and dressed in white—they will amuse themselves, supplied and provided with the five kinds of sensual stimulation.”

Then, understanding this matter, on that occasion the Buddha expressed this heartfelt sentiment:

“Don’t strive in every situation, don’t become another’s man. Don’t live depending on another, and don’t use the teaching to make money.”

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Now at that time the Buddha was sitting reviewing his own giving up of many bad, unskillful qualities, and the many skillful qualities he had fully developed.

Then, knowing the many bad, unskillful qualities that he had given up and the many skillful qualities he had fully developed, on that occasion the Buddha expressed this heartfelt sentiment:

“What was before then was not; what before was not then was. It never was, nor will it be, nor is it found today.”

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Now at that time several ascetics, brahmins, and wanderers who followed various other religions were residing in Sāvatthī, holding different views, beliefs, and opinions, relying on different views.

There were some ascetics and brahmins who had this doctrine and view: “The cosmos is eternal. This is the only truth, anything else is futile.”

Others held views such as the following, each regarding their own view as true and others as silly. “The cosmos is not eternal.”

“The cosmos is finite.”

“The cosmos is infinite.”

“The soul and the body are one and the same.”

“The soul is one thing, the body another.”

“A realized one still exists after death.”

“A realized one no longer exists after death.”

“A realized one both still exists and no longer exists after death.”

“A realized one neither still exists nor no longer exists after death.”

They were fighting, quarreling, and disputing, continually wounding each other with barbed words: “Such is Truth, such is not Truth! Such is not Truth, such is Truth!”

Then several mendicants robed up in the morning and, taking their bowls and robes, entered Sāvatthī for alms. Then, after the meal, when they returned from almsround, they went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what was happening. The Buddha said:

“The wanderers of other religions are blind and sightless. They don’t understand what is beneficial or what is not beneficial, nor what is the truth and what is not the truth. That’s why they are fighting, quarreling, and disputing, continually wounding each other with barbed words.

Once upon a time, mendicants, right here in Sāvatthī there was a certain king. Then the king addressed a man, ‘Please, my man, gather all those blind from birth throughout Sāvatthī and bring them together in one place.’ ‘Yes, Your Majesty,’ that man replied. He did as the king asked, then said to him, ‘Your Majesty, the blind people throughout Sāvatthī have been gathered.’ ‘Well then, lad, show them an elephant.’ ‘Yes, Your Majesty,’ that man replied. He did as the king asked.

To some of the blind people he showed the elephant’s head, saying, ‘Here is the elephant.’ To some of them he showed the elephant’s ear, saying, ‘Here is the elephant.’ To some of them he showed the elephant’s tusk, saying, ‘Here is the elephant.’ To some of them he showed the elephant’s trunk, saying, ‘Here is the elephant.’ To some of them he showed the elephant’s flank, saying, ‘Here is the elephant.’ To some of them he showed the elephant’s leg, saying, ‘Here is the elephant.’ To some of them he showed the elephant’s thigh, saying, ‘Here is the elephant.’ To some of them he showed the elephant’s tail, saying, ‘Here is the elephant.’ To some of them he showed the tip of the elephant’s tail, saying, ‘Here is the elephant.’

Then he approached the king and said, ‘Your Majesty, the blind people have been shown the elephant. Please go at your convenience.’

Then the king went up to the blind people and said, ‘Have you seen the elephant?’ ‘Yes, Your Majesty, we have been shown the elephant.’ ‘Then tell us, what kind of thing is an elephant?’

The blind people who had been shown the elephant’s head said, ‘Your Majesty, an elephant is like a pot.’

Those who had been shown the ear said, ‘An elephant is like a winnowing fan.’

Those who had been shown the tusk said, ‘An elephant is like a ploughshare.’

Those who had been shown the trunk said, ‘An elephant is like a draft-pole.’

Those who had been shown the flank said, ‘An elephant is like a storehouse.’

Those who had been shown the leg said, ‘An elephant is like a pillar.’

Those who had been shown the thigh said, ‘An elephant is like a mortar.’

Those who had been shown the tail said, ‘An elephant is like a pestle.’

Those who had been shown the tip of the tail said, ‘An elephant is like a broom.’

Saying, ‘Such is an elephant, not such! Such is not an elephant, such is!’ they punched each other with their fists. At that, the king was pleased.

In the same way, mendicants, the wanderers of other religions are blind and sightless. They don’t understand what is beneficial or what is not beneficial, nor what is the truth and what is not the truth. That’s why they are fighting, quarreling, and disputing, continually wounding each other with barbed words. ‘Such is Truth, such is not! Such is not Truth, such is!’”

Then, understanding this matter, on that occasion the Buddha expressed this heartfelt sentiment:

“Some ascetics and brahmins, it seems, cling to these things. Arguing, they dispute, the folk who see just one part.”

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Now at that time several ascetics, brahmins, and wanderers who followed various other religions were residing in Sāvatthī, holding different views, beliefs, and opinions, relying on different views.

There were some ascetics and brahmins who had this doctrine and view: “The self and the cosmos are eternal. This is the only truth, anything else is futile.”

Others held views such as the following, each regarding their own view as true and others as silly. “The self and the cosmos are not eternal.”

“The self and the cosmos are both eternal and not eternal.”

“The self and the cosmos are neither eternal nor not eternal.”

“The self and the cosmos are made by oneself.”

“The self and the cosmos are made by another.”

“The self and the cosmos are made by both oneself and another.”

“The self and the cosmos have arisen anomalously, not made by oneself or another.”

“Pleasure and pain are eternal, and the self and the cosmos.”

“Pleasure and pain are not eternal, and the self and the cosmos.”

“Pleasure and pain are both eternal and not eternal, and the self and the cosmos.”

“Pleasure and pain are neither eternal nor not eternal, and the self and the cosmos.”

“Pleasure and pain are made by oneself, and the self and the cosmos.”

“Pleasure and pain are made by another, and the self and the cosmos.”

“Pleasure and pain are made by both oneself and another, and the self and the cosmos.”

“Pleasure and pain have arisen anomalously, not made by oneself or another, and the self and the cosmos.”

They were fighting, quarreling, and disputing, continually wounding each other with barbed words: “Such is Truth, such is not Truth! Such is not Truth, such is Truth!”

Then several mendicants robed up in the morning and, taking their bowls and robes, entered Sāvatthī for alms. Then, after the meal, when they returned from almsround, they went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what was happening.

Then, understanding this matter, on that occasion the Buddha expressed this heartfelt sentiment:

“Some ascetics and brahmins, it seems, cling to these things. They founder in mid-stream, without reaching that objective.”

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Now at that time several ascetics, brahmins, and wanderers who followed various other religions were residing in Sāvatthī, holding different views, beliefs, and opinions, relying on different views.

There were some ascetics and brahmins who had this doctrine and view: “The self and the cosmos are eternal. This is the only truth, anything else is futile.”

Others held views such as the following, each regarding their own view as true and others as silly. “The self and the cosmos are not eternal.”

“The self and the cosmos are both eternal and not eternal.”

“The self and the cosmos are neither eternal nor not eternal.”

“The self and the cosmos are made by oneself.”

“The self and the cosmos are made by another.”

“The self and the cosmos are made by both oneself and another.”

“The self and the cosmos have arisen anomalously, not made by oneself or another.”

“Pleasure and pain are eternal, and the self and the cosmos.”

“Pleasure and pain are not eternal, and the self and the cosmos.”

“Pleasure and pain are both eternal and not eternal, and the self and the cosmos.”

“Pleasure and pain are neither eternal nor not eternal, and the self and the cosmos.”

“Pleasure and pain are made by oneself, and the self and the cosmos.”

“Pleasure and pain are made by another, and the self and the cosmos.”

“Pleasure and pain are made by both oneself and another, and the self and the cosmos.”

“Pleasure and pain have arisen anomalously, not made by oneself or another, and the self and the cosmos.”

They were fighting, quarreling, and disputing, continually wounding each other with barbed words: “Such is Truth, such is not Truth! Such is not Truth, such is Truth!”

Then several mendicants robed up in the morning and, taking their bowls and robes, entered Sāvatthī for alms. Then, after the meal, when they returned from almsround, they went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what was happening.

Then, understanding this matter, on that occasion the Buddha expressed this heartfelt sentiment:

“Folk are fixated on the I-maker, which is tied up with the other-maker. There are some who do not realize this, they do not see the dart.

But when they see this dart, they do not think, ‘I make it’, nor ‘another makes it’.

These folk are caught up in conceit, tied by conceit, shackled by conceit. Vehemently defending their views, they don’t escape transmigration.”

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Now at that time Venerable Subhūti was sitting not far from the Buddha, cross-legged, with his body straight, having attained the immersion free of placing the mind.

The Buddha saw him meditating there.

Then, understanding this matter, on that occasion the Buddha expressed this heartfelt sentiment:

“In whom mental vibrations are cleared away, internally clipped off entirely, perceiving the formless, beyond chains, having overcome the four yokes, <j>they never return.”

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground. Now at that time two gangs were both hopelessly in love with a certain courtesan. Fighting, quarreling, and disputing, they attacked each other with fists, stones, rods, and swords, resulting in death and deadly pain.

Then several mendicants robed up in the morning and, taking their bowls and robes, entered Rājagaha for alms. Then, after the meal, when they returned from almsround, they went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what was happening.

Then, understanding this matter, on that occasion the Buddha expressed this heartfelt sentiment:

“What has been attained and what is to be attained are both strewn over with dust for that one training while still sick. Those for whom the training is the essence, or precepts and observances, chastity, and service as the essence: this is one extreme. Those who say, ‘There’s nothing wrong with sensual pleasures’: this is the second extreme. Thus these two extremes swell the charnel grounds, while the charnel grounds swell wrong view. Not realizing these two extremes, some get stuck and some overreach. For those who realize these things, who were not found there, who did not conceive by that, there is no cycle of rebirths to be found.”

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Now at that time the Buddha was meditating in the open during the dark of night, while oil lamps were burning.

And many moths were falling down and crashing down into the lamps, coming to grief and ruin. The Buddha saw the moths coming to grief.

Then, understanding this matter, on that occasion the Buddha expressed this heartfelt sentiment:

“Hastening by, they miss the essence, sprouting ever more new bonds. Like moths falling in the flame, some have become fixed in what is seen or heard.”