sn.35.103 Saṁyutta Nikāya (Linked Discourses)

Uddaka

“Bhikkhus, Uddaka Ramaputta used to make this declaration:

“‘This, surely a knowledge-master—
This, surely a universal conqueror—
This, surely he has excised
The tumour’s root not excised before!’

“Bhikkhus, though Uddaka Ramaputta was not himself a knowledge-master, he declared: ‘I am a knowledge-master.’ Though he was not himself a universal conqueror, he declared: ‘I am a universal conqueror.’ Though he had not excised the tumour’s root, he declared: ‘I have excised the tumour’s root.’ But here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu speaking rightly might say:

“‘This, surely a knowledge-master—
This, surely a universal conqueror—
This, surely he has excised
The tumour’s root not excised before!’

“And how, bhikkhus, is one a knowledge-master? When a bhikkhu understands as they really are the origin, the passing away, the gratification, the danger, and the escape in regard to the six bases for contact, such a bhikkhu is a knowledge-master.

“And how, bhikkhus, is a bhikkhu a universal conqueror? When, having understood as they really are the origin, the passing away, the gratification, the danger, and the escape in regard to the six bases for contact, a bhikkhu is liberated by nonclinging, such a bhikkhu is a universal conqueror.

“And how, bhikkhus, does a bhikkhu excise the tumour’s root not excised before? ‘The tumour,’ bhikkhus: this is a designation for this body consisting of the four great elements, originating from mother and father, built up out of rice and gruel, subject to impermanence, to rubbing and pressing, to breaking apart and dispersal. ‘The tumour’s root’: this is a designation for craving. When craving has been abandoned by a bhikkhu, cut off at the root, made like a palm stump, obliterated so that it is no more subject to future arising, in such a case the bhikkhu has excised the tumour’s root not excised before.

“Bhikkhus, though Uddaka Ramaputta was not himself a knowledge-master, he declared: ‘I am a knowledge-master.’… But here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu speaking rightly might say:

“‘This, surely a knowledge-master—
This, surely a universal conqueror—
This, surely he has excised
The tumour’s root not excised before!’”

- Translator: Bhikkhu Bodhi

- Editor: Blake Walsh

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About Uddaka

“Mendicants, Uddaka, son of Rāma, used to say:
‘This for sure is the knowledge master!
This for sure is the conqueror of all!
This for sure is the boil’s root dug out,
never dug out before!’
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.’
Here’s how a mendicant would rightly say:
‘This for sure is the knowledge master!
This for sure is the conqueror of all!
This for sure is the boil’s root dug out,
never dug out before!’
And how is someone a knowledge master?
It’s when a mendicant truly understands the six fields of contact’s origin, ending, gratification, drawback, and escape.
That’s how a mendicant is a knowledge master.
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, ending, gratification, drawback, and escape.
That’s how a mendicant is a conqueror of all.
And how has a mendicant dug out the boil’s root, which was never dug out before?
‘Boil’ is a term for this body made up of the four primary elements, 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 boil’s root, which was never dug out before.
Uddaka, son of Rāma, used to say:
‘This for sure is the knowledge master!
This for sure is the conqueror of all!
This for sure is the boil’s root dug out,
never dug out before!’
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.’
But that’s how a mendicant would rightly say:
‘This for sure is the knowledge master!
This for sure is the conqueror of all!
This for sure is the boil’s root dug out,
never dug out before!’