The Young Man Ajita’s Questions (SNP5.2)

“By what is the world enveloped?” said venerable Ajita,
“Why does it not become clear?
What do you say is its defilement? What is the world’s great fear?”

“The world is enveloped by ignorance, Ajita,” said the Gracious One,
“because of heedlessness and meanness it does not become clear.
Hunger is its defilement, I say; suffering is the world’s great fear.”

“Streams are flowing everywhere,” said venerable Ajita,
“What is the constraint for streams?
Tell me the restraint for streams; by what are the streams shut off?”

“Whatever streams there are in the world, Ajita,” said the Gracious One,
“mindfulness is the constraint for them.
That is the restraint for streams, I say; by wisdom they are shut off.”

“Wisdom and also mindfulness,” said venerable Ajita,
“and mind and body, dear Sir,
please tell me this when asked: where does this cease?”

“This question that was asked, Ajita, I can answer it! As to where mind and body ceases without remainder:
with the cessation of consciousness, in this place it ceases.”

“Those who have discerned the Teaching, and the many in training here,
when I ask the prudent one, please tell me their conduct, dear Sir.”

“He should not be greedy for sense pleasures, or be disturbed in mind.
Skilful in all things, the monk should wander mindfully.”

The Young Man Ajita’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.