“By what is the world shrouded?” said Venerable Ajita. “Why does it not shine? Tell me, what is its sullying? What is its greatest fear?”
“The world is shrouded in ignorance.” replied the Buddha. “Avarice and negligence make it not shine. Muttered prayer is its sullying, I say. Suffering is its greatest fear.”
“The streams flow everywhere,” said Venerable Ajita. “What is there to block them? And tell me the restraint of streams—by what are they locked out?”
“The streams in the world,” replied the Buddha, “are blocked by mindfulness. I tell you the restraint of streams—they are locked out by wisdom.”
“That wisdom and mindfulness,” said Venerable Ajita, “and that which is name and form, good fellow; when questioned, please tell me of this: where does this all cease?”
“This question which you have asked, I shall answer you, Ajita. Where name and form cease with no residue left behind—with the cessation of consciousness, here they cease.”
“There are those who have appraised the teaching, and many kinds of trainees here. Now you, being alert, are asked to tell me their behavior, good fellow.”
“Not greedy for sensual pleasures, their mind would be unclouded. Skilled in all things, a mendicant would wander mindful.”
The Questions of Ajita
Snp 5.2 · Ajitamāṇavapucchā
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.