“In whom sensual pleasures do not dwell,” said Venerable Todeyya, “and for whom there is no craving, and who has crossed over indecision—of what kind is their liberation?”
“In whom sensual pleasures do not dwell,” replied the Buddha, “and for whom there is no craving, and who has crossed over indecision—there is no liberation that is further.”
“Are they free of hope, or are they still in need of hope? Do they possess wisdom, or are they still forming wisdom? O Sakyan, elucidate the sage to me, so that I may understand, All-seer.”
“They are free of hope, they are not in need of hope. They possess wisdom, they are not still forming wisdom. That, Todeyya, is how to understand a sage, one who has nothing, unattached to sensual life.”
The Questions of Todeyya
Snp 5.10 · Todeyyamāṇavapucchā
Connections
Collection & context
- Sutta NipātaThe collection containing this text
- The Pāli canonCanonical collection in which this edition is preserved
- Theravāda traditionsTransmission and study context
- The early Buddhist communityHistorical and traditional setting
Books
- On The Way To The Far Shore: Q&A with The Buddha on the Way to AwakeningLeigh Brasington · Commentary
- Handful of Leaves: an Anthology from the Sutta PiṭakaEarly Buddhist discourses; Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu (translator and compiler) · Included in anthology
About this edition
Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato · SuttaCentral · CC0
This translation is an expression of an ancient spiritual text that has been passed down by the Buddhist tradition for the benefit of all sentient beings. It is dedicated to the public domain via Creative Commons Zero (CC0). You are encouraged to copy, reproduce, adapt, alter, or otherwise make use of this translation. The translator respectfully requests that any use be in accordance with the values and principles of the Buddhist community. In particular, please do not use this work in AI training datasets, for the development of any AI model or algorithm, or in any AI-derived technologies.
Published source. Translation wording and order are preserved; source headings and notes are retained, with navigation and formatting adapted for this reader.
The opening image is AI-generated nature artwork for Buddhist Atlas, an evocative companion rather than a historical depiction.