SN 35.103

Udakasutta

“Udako sudaṁ, bhikkhave, rāmaputto evaṁ vācaṁ bhāsati: ‘idaṁ jātu vedagū, idaṁ jātu sabbajī, idaṁ jātu apalikhataṁ gaṇḍamūlaṁ palikhaṇin’ti. Taṁ kho panetaṁ, bhikkhave, udako rāmaputto avedagūyeva samāno ‘vedagūsmī’ti bhāsati, asabbajīyeva samāno ‘sabbajīsmī’ti bhāsati, apalikhataṁyeva gaṇḍamūlaṁ ‘palikhataṁ me gaṇḍamūlan’ti bhāsati. Idha kho taṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sammā vadamāno vadeyya: ‘idaṁ jātu vedagū, idaṁ jātu sabbajī, idaṁ jātu apalikhataṁ gaṇḍamūlaṁ palikhaṇin’ti.

About Uddaka

“Mendicants, Uddaka son of Rāma used to say: ‘Hereupon, ever the knowledge master! Hereupon, ever the conqueror of all! Hereupon, ever the undug boil’s root was dug out by me!’ Even though Uddaka son of Rāma was no knowledge master, he said ‘I’m a knowledge master.’ Though he was no conqueror of all, he said ‘I’m conqueror of all.’ And though the boil’s root was not dug out, he said ‘I’ve dug out the boil’s root.’ A mendicant might rightly say here: ‘Hereupon, ever the knowledge master! Hereupon, ever the conqueror of all! Hereupon, ever the undug boil’s root is dug out!’

Kathañca, bhikkhave, vedagū hoti? Yato kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu channaṁ phassāyatanānaṁ samudayañca atthaṅgamañca assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti; evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu vedagū hoti.

And how is someone a knowledge master? It’s when a mendicant truly understands the six fields of contact’s origin, disappearance, gratification, drawback, and escape. That’s how a mendicant is a knowledge master.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sabbajī hoti? Yato kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu channaṁ phassāyatanānaṁ samudayañca atthaṅgamañca assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṁ viditvā anupādāvimutto hoti; evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sabbajī hoti.

And how is a mendicant a conqueror of all? It’s when a mendicant comes to be freed by not grasping after truly understanding the six fields of contact’s origin, disappearance, gratification, drawback, and escape. That’s how a mendicant is a conqueror of all.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno apalikhataṁ gaṇḍamūlaṁ palikhataṁ hoti? Gaṇḍoti kho, bhikkhave, imassetaṁ cātumahābhūtikassa kāyassa adhivacanaṁ mātāpettikasambhavassa odanakummāsūpacayassa aniccucchādanaparimaddanabhedanaviddhaṁsanadhammassa. Gaṇḍamūlanti kho, bhikkhave, taṇhāyetaṁ adhivacanaṁ. Yato kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno taṇhā pahīnā hoti ucchinnamūlā tālāvatthukatā anabhāvaṅkatā āyatiṁ anuppādadhammā; evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno apalikhataṁ gaṇḍamūlaṁ palikhataṁ hoti.

And how has a mendicant dug out the undug boil’s root? ‘Boil’ is a term for this body made up of the four principal states, produced by mother and father, built up from rice and porridge, liable to impermanence, to wearing away and erosion, to breaking up and destruction. ‘Boil’s root’ is a term for craving. It’s when a mendicant has given up craving, cut it off at the root, made it like a palm stump, obliterated it, so it’s unable to arise in the future. That’s how a mendicant has dug out the undug boil’s root.

Udako sudaṁ, bhikkhave, rāmaputto evaṁ vācaṁ bhāsati: ‘idaṁ jātu vedagū, idaṁ jātu sabbajī, idaṁ jātu apalikhataṁ gaṇḍamūlaṁ palikhaṇin’ti. Taṁ kho panetaṁ, bhikkhave, udako rāmaputto avedagūyeva samāno ‘vedagūsmī’ti bhāsati, asabbajīyeva samāno ‘sabbajīsmī’ti bhāsati; apalikhataṁyeva gaṇḍamūlaṁ ‘palikhataṁ me gaṇḍamūlan’ti bhāsati. Idha kho taṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sammā vadamāno vadeyya: ‘idaṁ jātu vedagū, idaṁ jātu sabbajī, idaṁ jātu apalikhataṁ gaṇḍamūlaṁ palikhaṇin’ti.

Uddaka son of Rāma used to say: ‘Hereupon, ever the knowledge master! Hereupon, ever the conqueror of all! Hereupon, ever the undug boil’s root is dug out!’ Even though Uddaka son of Rāma was no knowledge master, he said ‘I’m a knowledge master.’ Though he was no conqueror of all, he said ‘I’m conqueror of all.’ And though the boil’s root was not dug out, he said ‘I’ve dug out the boil’s root.’ A mendicant might rightly say here: ‘Hereupon, ever the knowledge master! Hereupon, ever the conqueror of all! Hereupon, ever the undug boil’s root is dug out!’”