Vīmaṁsakasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 47

The Inquirer · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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thereTatra, monksbhikkhave, the Realized One himselftathāgatova furtheruttariṁ should be askedpaṭipucchitabbo:
which‘ye corruptsaṅkiliṭṭhā cognizable by eye and earcakkhusotaviññeyyā thingsdhammā, are foundsaṁvijjanti orvā thesete in the Realized Onetathāgatassa notno or not?'vā’ti?
answeringByākaramāno, monksbhikkhave, the Realized Onetathāgato thusevaṁ would answerbyākareyya:
which‘ye corruptsaṅkiliṭṭhā cognizable by eye and earcakkhusotaviññeyyā thingsdhammā, notna thesete in the Realized Onetathāgatassa are found'saṁvijjantī’ti.

Next, they should ask the Realized One himself about this, ‘Can anything corrupt be seen or heard in the Realized One or not?’ The Realized One would answer, ‘Nothing corrupt can be seen or heard in the Realized One.’

what‘Ye mixedvītimissā cognizable by eye and earcakkhusotaviññeyyā thingsdhammā, are foundsaṁvijjanti orvā theyte in the Realized Onetathāgatassa notno or not?vā’ti?
answeringByākaramāno, monksbhikkhave, the Realized Onetathāgato thusevaṁ would answerbyākareyya:
what‘ye mixedvītimissā cognizable by eye and earcakkhusotaviññeyyā thingsdhammā, notna theyte in the Realized Onetathāgatassa are foundsaṁvijjantī’ti.

‘Can anything mixed be seen or heard in the Realized One or not?’ The Realized One would answer, ‘Nothing mixed can be seen or heard in the Realized One.’

'which‘Ye cleanvodātā cognizable by eye and earcakkhusotaviññeyyā thingsdhammā, are foundsaṁvijjanti orvā thosete in the Realized Onetathāgatassa notno or not?'vā’ti?
answeringByākaramāno, monksbhikkhave, the Realized Onetathāgato thusevaṁ would answerbyākareyya:
'which‘ye cleanvodātā cognizable by eye and earcakkhusotaviññeyyā thingsdhammā, are foundsaṁvijjanti thosete in the Realized One;tathāgatassa;
thisetaṁ I am the path in thispathohamasmi, thisetaṁ the rangegocaro, notno andca by thattena made of that.'tammayo’ti.

‘Can anything clean be seen or heard in the Realized One or not?’ The Realized One would answer, ‘Clean things can be seen and heard in the Realized One. I am the scope and the range of that, but I am not determined by that.’

of such a doctrineEvaṁvādiṁ indeedkho, monksbhikkhave, teachersatthāraṁ ought toarahati a disciplesāvako to approachupasaṅkamituṁ for listening to the teachingdhammassavanāya.
to themTassa the teachersatthā the teachingdhammaṁ teachesdeseti higher and higheruttaruttariṁ better and betterpaṇītapaṇītaṁ with dark and bright sideskaṇhasukkasappaṭibhāgaṁ.
asYathā asyathā indeedkho, monksbhikkhave, of a monkbhikkhuno the teachersatthā the teachingdhammaṁ teachesdeseti higher and higheruttaruttariṁ better and betterpaṇītapaṇītaṁ with dark and bright sideskaṇhasukkasappaṭibhāgaṁ sotathā sotathā heso in thattasmiṁ teachingdhamme having directly knownabhiññāya here a certainidhekaccaṁ principledhammaṁ among the teachingsdhammesu conclusionniṭṭhaṁ comes togacchati, in the teachersatthari has confidencepasīdati:
a fully awakened one‘sammāsambuddho the Blessed Onebhagavā, well explainedsvākkhāto by the Blessed Onebhagavatā the teachingdhammo, practicing wellsuppaṭipanno the Saṅghasaṅgho’ti.

A disciple ought to approach a teacher who has such a doctrine in order to listen to the teaching. The teacher explains Dhamma with its higher and higher stages, with its better and better stages, with its dark and bright sides. When they directly know a certain principle of those teachings, in accordance with how they were taught, the mendicant comes to a conclusion about the teachings. They have confidence in the Teacher: ‘The Blessed One is a fully awakened Buddha! The teaching is well explained! The Saṅgha is practicing well!’

if thatTañce, monksbhikkhave, mendicantbhikkhuṁ otherspare thusevaṁ should askpuccheyyuṁ:
what‘ke but the venerable haspanāyasmato reasonsākārā, whatke evidenceanvayā, because of which the venerableyenāyasmā thusevaṁ you sayvadesi—
fully awakenedsammāsambuddho the Blessed Onebhagavā, well explainedsvākkhāto by the Blessed Onebhagavatā the Dhammadhammo, practicing wellsuppaṭipanno the Saṅghasaṅgho’ti?
rightlySammā answeringbyākaramāno, monksbhikkhave, a mendicantbhikkhu thusevaṁ should answerbyākareyya:
here I‘idhāhaṁ, reverendsāvuso, whereyena the Blessed Onebhagavā I approached himtenupasaṅkamiṁ to listen to the Dhammadhammassavanāya.
to meTassa meme the Blessed Onebhagavā the Dhammadhammaṁ teachesdeseti higher and higheruttaruttariṁ better and betterpaṇītapaṇītaṁ with dark and bright sideskaṇhasukkasappaṭibhāgaṁ.
asYathā asyathā to meme, reverendsāvuso, the Blessed Onebhagavā the Dhammadhammaṁ teachesdeseti higher and higheruttaruttariṁ better and betterpaṇītapaṇītaṁ with dark and bright sideskaṇhasukkasappaṭibhāgaṁ sotathā so Itathāhaṁ in thattasmiṁ Dhammadhamme having directly knownabhiññāya here a certainidhekaccaṁ principledhammaṁ among teachingsdhammesu I came to a conclusionniṭṭhamagamaṁ, in the Teachersatthari I had confidencepasīdiṁ—
fully awakenedsammāsambuddho the Blessed Onebhagavā, well explainedsvākkhāto by the Blessed Onebhagavatā, the Dhammadhammo, practicing wellsuppaṭipanno the Saṅghasaṅgho’ti.

If others should ask that mendicant, ‘But what reason and evidence does the venerable have for saying this?’ Answering rightly, the mendicant should say, ‘Reverends, I approached the Buddha to listen to the teaching. He explained Dhamma with its higher and higher stages, with its better and better stages, with its dark and bright sides. When I directly knew a certain principle of those teachings, in accordance with how I was taught, I came to a conclusion about the teachings. I had confidence in the Teacher: “The Blessed One is a fully awakened Buddha! The teaching is well explained! The Saṅgha is practicing well!”’

of whoeverYassa whoeverkassaci, monksbhikkhave, in thisimehi in mannerākārehi in thisimehi in wordpadehi in thisimehi in phrasebyañjanehi in the Realized Onetathāgate faithsaddhā settledniviṭṭhā ishoti rootedmūlajātā plantedpatiṭṭhitā, thisayaṁ is saidvuccati, monksbhikkhave, groundedākāravatī faithsaddhā based on evidencedassanamūlikā;
strongdaḷhā unshakeableasaṁhāriyā by an asceticsamaṇena orvā by a brahminbrāhmaṇena orvā by a goddevena orvā by Māramārena orvā by a divinitybrahmunā orvā by anyonekenaci orvā in the worldlokasmiṁ.
thusEvaṁ indeedkho, monksbhikkhave, of the Realized Onetathāgate legitimate scrutinydhammasamannesanā there ishoti.
and thusEvañca thenpana the Realized Onetathāgato legitimately well-scrutinizeddhammatāsusamanniṭṭho ishotī”ti.
the Blessed One said thisIdamavoca the Blessed Onebhagavā.
satisfiedAttamanā thosete monksbhikkhū of the Blessed Onebhagavato speechbhāsitaṁ approvedabhinandunti.
the Inquirer DiscourseVīmaṁsakasuttaṁ finishedniṭṭhitaṁ seventhsattamaṁ.

When someone’s faith is settled, rooted, and planted in the Realized One in this manner, with these words and phrases, it’s said to be grounded faith that’s based on evidence. It is strong, and cannot be shifted by any ascetic or brahmin or god or Māra or divinity or by anyone in the world. That is how there is legitimate scrutiny of the Realized One, and that is how the Realized One is legitimately well-scrutinized.” That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, the mendicants approved what the Buddha said.

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