“Who here in the world is content?” said Venerable Tissametteyya. “Who has no perturbations? What thoughtful one, knowing both ends, is not stuck in the middle? Who do they say is a great man? Who here has escaped the seamstress?”
“Leading the spiritual life among sensual pleasures,” replied the Buddha, “rid of craving, ever mindful; a mendicant who, after appraisal, is quenched: that’s who has no perturbations.
That thoughtful one, knowing both ends, is not stuck in the middle. He is a great man, I declare; he has escaped the seamstress here.”
The Questions of Tissametteyya
Snp 5.3 · Tissametteyyamāṇavapucchā
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.