5.2. Ajita’s Questions (SNP5.2)

Ajita
The world, by what it’s wrapped?
and why it shines not forth?
say too with what it’s smeared?
and what’s its greatest fear?

Buddha
The world is wrapped by Ignorance;
It shines not forth due to doubt and negligence;
Its smeared by longing,
And suffering is its greatest fear.

Ajita
The streams are flowing everywhere,
how can the streams be blocked,
say how the streams may be restrained?
by what the streams are dammed?

Buddha
Whatever streams are in the world,
they may be blocked by mindfulness—
that I say is streams’ restraint;
by wisdom they are dammed.

Ajita
So wisdom it is and mindfulness!
Now, sir, I ask you, tell me this:
the namer-mind, the bodily form—
where does it cease to be?

Buddha
That question asked by you
I tell about it now,
the namer-mind and bodily form
where they cease to be:
by cessation of the consciousness,
they wholly cease to be.

Ajita
Who have the Dharma measured up,
who train themselves, the multitude,
how, sir, do they behave themselves?
please answer what I speak.

Buddha
No greediness in pleasures of sense,
having a tranquil mind and clear,
skilled in all the Dharma’s ways—
that mindful bhikkhu who’s left home.

Translated by Laurence Khantipalo Mills.

This translation was edited by Bhikkhu Sujato as part of the full translation of the Sutta Nipāta with commentary prepared from a draft handwritten and typed manuscript of Laurence Khantipalo Mills in 2015. The project was managed by Laurence’s students Michael Wells and Gary Dellora, and initial digitizing of the text was by Sean Read. Full text is available at https://suttacentral.net/downloads

In addition to the suttas noted, Bhikkhu Sujato also translated verses 46, 78, 232, 465, 500, 589–597, 865, 885–890, 894–5, 897–901, 902–916, and 919–921.

This text is released dedicated to the Public Domain by way of Creative Commons Zero. No rights reserved.