“To the meditator, rid of hopes,” said Venerable Udaya, “who has completed the task, is free of defilements, and has gone beyond all things, I have come seeking with a question. Tell me the liberation by enlightenment, the smashing of ignorance.”
“The giving up of both” replied the Buddha, “sensual desires and displeasures; the casting aside of dullness, and the prevention of remorse;
pure equanimity and mindfulness, preceded by investigation of principles—this, I declare, is liberation by enlightenment, the smashing of ignorance.”
“What fetters the world? How does it travel about? With the giving up of what is extinguishment spoken of?”
“Delight fetters the world. It travels about by means of thought. With the giving up of craving extinguishment is spoken of.”
“For one living mindfully, how does consciousness cease? We’ve come to ask the worthy sir: let us hear what you say.”
“Not taking pleasure in feeling internally and externally—for one living mindfully, that’s how consciousness ceases.”
The Questions of Udaya
Snp 5.14 · Udayamāṇavapucchā
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.