“Those who have previously answered me,” said Venerable Hemaka, “before Gotama’s teaching, said ‘thus it was’ or ‘so it shall be’. All that was just the testament of hearsay; all that just fostered speculation: I found no delight in that.
But you, sage, explain to me the teaching that destroys craving. Having understood it, one who lives mindfully may cross over clinging in the world.”
“The removal of desire and lust, Hemaka, for pleasant things seen, heard, thought, or cognized here is extinguishment, the state that does not pass.
Those who have fully understood this, mindful, are quenched in this very life. Always at peace, they’ve crossed over clinging to the world.”
The Questions of Hemaka
Snp 5.9 · Hemakamāṇavapucchā
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.