“I am old, feeble, and pallid,” said Venerable Piṅgiya, “my eyes unclear, my hearing faint—don’t let me perish while still confused. Explain the teaching so that I may understand the giving up of rebirth and old age here.”
“Seeing them being harmed on account of forms,” replied the Buddha, “those negligent folk are inflicted on account of forms—therefore, Piṅgiya, being diligent, give up form so as not to be reborn.”
“The four quarters, the intermediate directions, below, and above: in these ten directions there’s nothing at all in the world that you’ve not seen, heard, thought, or cognized. Explain the teaching so that I may understand the giving up of rebirth and old age here.”
“Observing mankind sunk in craving,” replied the Buddha, “tormented, mired in old age; therefore, Piṅgiya, being diligent, give up craving so as not to be reborn.”
The Questions of Piṅgiya
Snp 5.17 · Piṅgiyamāṇavapucchā
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.