1. Discourse
  2. ud.3.10
  3. html
  4. text
  1. ud.3.9 <<
  2. >> ud.4.1
buddha daily wisdom image

ud.3.10 Udana

The Discourse about Looking Around the World

Thus I heard: At one time the Gracious One was dwelling near Uruvelā, on the bank of the river Nerañjarā, at the root of the Awakening tree, in the first period after attaining Awakening.

Then at that time the Gracious One was sitting in one cross-legged posture for seven days experiencing the happiness of freedom. Then with the passing of those seven days the Gracious One, after rising from that concentration, looked around the world with his Buddha-eye. The Gracious One looking around the world with his Buddha-eye saw beings being tormented with many torments, and being burned with many fevers, born from passion, and born from hatred, and born from delusion.

Then the Gracious One, having understood the significance of it, on that occasion uttered this exalted utterance:

“This world, overcome by contact, is tormented,
It speaks of a disease as the self,
For with whatever it conceives
Hereafter it becomes otherwise.

“Continually becoming other,
the world is shackled by continuity,
overcome by continuity,
it greatly rejoices in continuity,
What it rejoices in, that is fearful,
What it fears, that is suffering.

“This spiritual life is lived for the complete giving up of continuity.

“For whatever the ascetics or brāhmaṇas
say about freedom from continuity being through further continuity,
all of them are not free from continuity, I say.

“Or whatever the ascetics or brāhmaṇas
say about the escape from continuity being through discontinuity,
all of them have not escaped from continuity, I say.

“Conditioned by cleaving this suffering originates,
through the destruction of all attachment there is no origination of suffering.

“See this world overcome by many kinds of ignorance,
beings, who delight in beings, are not free from continuity.

“Whatever continuities in existence there are, everywhere, in every respect,
all those continuities are impermanent, suffering, changeable things.

“Seeing it like this, as it really is, with right wisdom,
Craving for continuity is given up, and he does not rejoice in discontinuity.

“From the complete destruction of craving
there is a fading away of ignorance without remainder, cessation, and Emancipation.

“For that monk who is emancipated,
Without attachment, there is no continuity in existence.

“He has vanquished Māra, is victorious in battle,
He is such a one who has overcome all continuations in existence.”

- Translator: Bhikkhu Ānandajoti

- Editor: Bhikkhu Sujato

The World

So I have heard.
At one time, when he was first awakened, the Buddha was staying near Uruvelā at the root of the tree of awakening on the bank of the Nerañjarā River.
There the Buddha sat cross-legged for seven days without moving, experiencing the bliss of freedom.
When seven days had passed, the Buddha emerged from that state of immersion and surveyed the world with the eye of a Buddha.
He saw sentient beings tormented with many torments, and burning with many fevers
born of greed, hate, and delusion.
Then, understanding this matter, on that occasion the Buddha expressed this heartfelt sentiment:
“This world, born in torment,
overcome by contact, speaks of disease as the self.
For whatever it thinks it is,
it turns out to be something else.
The world is attached to continued existence, overcome by continued existence,
taking pleasure only in continued existence, yet it becomes something else.
What it enjoys, that is the fear;
what it fears, that is the suffering.
But this spiritual life is led
in order to give up continued existence.
Of the ascetics and brahmins who say that through continued existence one is freed from continued existence, none are themselves freed from continued existence, I say.
Of the ascetics and brahmins who say that through annihilation of existence one escapes from continued existence, none have themselves escaped from continued existence, I say.
For this suffering originates dependent on all attachment. With the ending of all grasping there is no origination of suffering.
Just look at this world!
Mired in all sorts of ignorance, beings in love with being are not released from continued existence.
Whatever states of continued existence there are—everywhere, all over—all are impermanent, suffering, and perishable.
One who sees truly like this,
with right wisdom,
gives up craving for continued existence,
while not look forward to ending existence.
Extinguishment comes from the ending of all cravings;
fading away and cessation with nothing left over.
There is no further existence
for that mendicant extinguished without grasping.
Victorious in battle, such a one has defeated Māra;
they’ve gone beyond all states of existence.”