At one time Venerable Ānanda was staying near Rājagaha in the Hot Springs Monastery. Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā ānando rājagahe viharati tapodārāme. Then Ānanda rose at the crack of dawn and went to the hot springs to bathe. Atha kho āyasmā ānando rattiyā paccūsasamayaṁ paccuṭṭhāya yena tapodā tenupasaṅkami gattāni parisiñcituṁ. When he had bathed and emerged from the water he stood in one robe drying his limbs. Tapodāya gattāni parisiñcitvā paccuttaritvā ekacīvaro aṭṭhāsi gattāni pubbāpayamāno. The wanderer Kokanada also rose at the crack of dawn and went to the hot springs to bathe. Kokanudopi kho paribbājako rattiyā paccūsasamayaṁ paccuṭṭhāya yena tapodā tenupasaṅkami gattāni parisiñcituṁ.

He saw Ānanda coming off in the distance Addasā kho kokanudo paribbājako āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ dūratova āgacchantaṁ. and said to him, Disvāna āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ etadavoca: “Who’s here, reverend?” “kvettha, āvuso”ti?

“I’m a mendicant, reverend.” “Ahamāvuso, bhikkhū”ti.

“Of which mendicants?” “Katamesaṁ, āvuso, bhikkhūnan”ti?

“Of the ascetics who follow the Sakyan.” “Samaṇānaṁ, āvuso, sakyaputtiyānan”ti.

“I’d like to ask the venerable about a certain point, if you’d take the time to answer.” “Puccheyyāma mayaṁ āyasmantaṁ kiñcideva desaṁ, sace āyasmā okāsaṁ karoti pañhassa veyyākaraṇāyā”ti.

“Ask, reverend. When I’ve heard it I’ll know.” “Pucchāvuso, sutvā vedissāmā”ti.

“Is this your view: ‘The cosmos is eternal. This is the only truth, anything else is futile’?” “Kiṁ nu kho, bho, ‘sassato loko, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’ti—evaṁdiṭṭhi bhavan”ti?

“That’s not my view, reverend.” “Na kho ahaṁ, āvuso, evaṁdiṭṭhi: ‘sassato loko, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’”ti.

“Then is this your view: ‘The cosmos is not eternal. This is the only truth, anything else is futile’?” “Kiṁ pana, bho, ‘asassato loko, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’ti—evaṁdiṭṭhi bhavan”ti?

“That’s not my view, reverend.” “Na kho ahaṁ, āvuso, evaṁdiṭṭhi: ‘asassato loko, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’”ti.

“Then is this your view: ‘The cosmos is finite …’ … “Kiṁ nu kho, bho, antavā loko …pe… ‘The cosmos is infinite …’ … anantavā loko … ‘The soul and the body are one and the same …’ … taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīraṁ … ‘The soul is one thing, the body another …’ … aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīraṁ … ‘A realized one still exists after death …’ … hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā … ‘A realized one no longer exists after death …’ … na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā … ‘A realized one both still exists and no longer exists after death …’ … hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā … ‘A Realized One neither exists nor doesn’t exist after death. This is the only truth, anything else is futile’?” neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññanti—evaṁdiṭṭhi bhavan”ti?

“That’s not my view, reverend.” “Na kho ahaṁ, āvuso, evaṁdiṭṭhi: ‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’”ti.

“Then, sir, do you neither know nor see?” “Tena hi bhavaṁ na jānāti, na passatī”ti?

“That’s not so, reverend. “Na kho ahaṁ, āvuso, na jānāmi na passāmi. I do know and see.” Jānāmahaṁ, āvuso, passāmī”ti.

“When asked about all these points, you say that’s not your view. “‘Kiṁ nu kho, bho, sassato loko, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññanti—evaṁdiṭṭhi bhavan’ti, iti puṭṭho samāno: ‘na kho ahaṁ, āvuso, evaṁdiṭṭhi—sassato loko, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’ti vadesi.

‘Kiṁ pana, bho, asassato loko, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññanti—evaṁdiṭṭhi bhavan’ti, iti puṭṭho samāno: ‘na kho ahaṁ, āvuso, evaṁdiṭṭhi—asassato loko, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’ti vadesi.

Kiṁ nu kho, bho, antavā loko …pe… anantavā loko … taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīraṁ … aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīraṁ … hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā … na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā … hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā … neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññanti—evaṁdiṭṭhi bhavanti, iti puṭṭho samāno: ‘na kho ahaṁ, āvuso, evaṁdiṭṭhi—neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’ti vadesi.

Yet when asked whether you neither know nor see, ‘Tena hi bhavaṁ na jānāti na passatī’ti, iti puṭṭho samāno: you say, ‘That’s not so, reverend. ‘na kho ahaṁ, āvuso, na jānāmi na passāmi. I do know and see.’ Jānāmahaṁ, āvuso, passāmī’ti vadesi. How then should we see the meaning of this statement?” Yathā kathaṁ panāvuso, imassa bhāsitassa attho daṭṭhabbo”ti?

“‘The cosmos is eternal. This is the only truth, anything else is futile:’ that’s a misconception. “‘Sassato loko, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’ti kho, āvuso, diṭṭhigatametaṁ. ‘The cosmos is not eternal. This is the only truth, anything else is futile:’ that’s a misconception. ‘Asassato loko, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’ti kho, āvuso, diṭṭhigatametaṁ. ‘The cosmos is finite …’ … Antavā loko …pe… ‘The cosmos is infinite …’ … anantavā loko … ‘The soul and the body are one and the same …’ … taṁ jīvaṁ taṁ sarīraṁ … ‘The soul is one thing, the body another …’ … aññaṁ jīvaṁ aññaṁ sarīraṁ … ‘A realized one still exists after death …’ … hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā … ‘A realized one no longer exists after death …’ … na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā … ‘A realized one both still exists and no longer exists after death …’ … hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā … ‘A Realized One neither exists nor doesn’t exist after death. This is the only truth, anything else is futile:’ that’s a misconception. ‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’ti kho, āvuso, diṭṭhigatametaṁ.

I know and see the scope of convictions, the scope of grounds for views, fixation on views, obsession with views, the origin of views, and the uprooting of views. Yāvatā, āvuso, diṭṭhi yāvatā diṭṭhiṭṭhānaṁ diṭṭhiadhiṭṭhānaṁ diṭṭhipariyuṭṭhānaṁ diṭṭhisamuṭṭhānaṁ diṭṭhisamugghāto, tamahaṁ jānāmi tamahaṁ passāmi. Knowing and seeing thus, why should I say: Tamahaṁ jānanto tamahaṁ passanto kyāhaṁ vakkhāmi: ‘I neither know nor see?’ ‘na jānāmi na passāmī’ti? I do know and see.” Jānāmahaṁ, āvuso, passāmī”ti.

“What is the venerable’s name? And how are you known among your spiritual companions?” “Ko nāmo āyasmā, kathañca panāyasmantaṁ sabrahmacārī jānantī”ti?

“Reverend, my name is Ānanda. “‘Ānando’ti kho me, āvuso, nāmaṁ. And that’s how I’m known among my spiritual companions.” ‘Ānando’ti ca pana maṁ sabrahmacārī jānantī”ti.

“Goodness! I had no idea I was consulting such a great tutor as “Mahācariyena vata kira, bho, saddhiṁ mantayamānā na jānimha: Venerable Ānanda! ‘āyasmā ānando’ti. If I had known who Sace hi mayaṁ jāneyyāma: you were, I wouldn’t have said so much. ‘ayaṁ āyasmā ānando’ti, ettakampi no nappaṭibhāyeyya. May Venerable Ānanda please forgive me.” Khamatu ca me āyasmā ānando”ti.

Chaṭṭhaṁ.