The Young Man Udaya’s Questions (SNP5.14)

“To the meditator who sits dust-free,” said venerable Udaya,
“with duty-done, pollutant-free,
who is perfect in all things, I have come in need with a question:
please tell of freedom through knowledge, the breaking up of ignorance.”

“The giving up of sensual desire, Udaya,” said the Gracious One,
“and of sorrow, these two,
the dispelling of sloth, and the constraint of worry about wrong-doing.

“Purity through equanimity and mindfulness, preceded by thought of impermanent things,
this I call freedom through knowledge, the breaking up of ignorance.”

“By what is the world fettered?” said venerable Udaya,
“By what does it roam about?
By completely giving up what thing is there what is called Nibbāna?”

“The world is fettered by enjoyment, Udaya,” said the Gracious One,
“it roams about through reflections.
By completely giving up craving there is what is called Nibbāna.”

“For he who lives mindfully, how is it consciousness ceases?
We have come to ask the Gracious One, therefore may we hear your word.”

“Without rejoicing over feeling on the inside or outside—
for he who lives mindfully in this way, consciousness ceases.”

The Young Man Udaya’s Questions are Finished

Translated by Ānandajoti Bhikkhu.

Original translation 1999, revised, May 2007.

The text and translation, together with detailed notes and discussions, may be found in multiple formats on the translator’s website, Ancient Buddhist Texts.

Used by kind permission of Bhikkhu Ānandajoti.

The original translation was released under the following licence: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

Prepared for SuttaCentral by Bhikkhu Sujato.