The Benefit of Spirital Life as Non-relatedness, Restraint, and Evasion

Non-relatedness

Another time I approached Pakudha Kaccayana and asked him the same question.

He replied, ‘Great king, there are these seven substances — unmade, irreducible, uncreated, without a creator, barren, stable as a mountain-peak, standing firm like a pillar — that do not alter, do not change, do not interfere with one another, are incapable of causing one another pleasure, pain, or both pleasure and pain. Which seven?

The earth-substance, the liquid-substance, the fire-substance, the wind-substance, pleasure, pain, and the soul as the seventh.

These are the seven substances — unmade, irreducible, uncreated, without a creator, barren, stable as a mountain-peak, standing firm like a pillar — that do not alter, do not change, do not interfere with one another, and are incapable of causing one another pleasure, pain, or both pleasure and pain.

“‘And among them there is no killer nor one who causes killing, no hearer nor one who causes hearing, no cognizer nor one who causes cognition. When one cuts off [another person’s] head, there is no one taking anyone’s life. It is simply between the seven substances that the sword passes.’

“Thus, Pakudha Kaccayana answered with non-relatedness.

Just as if a person, when asked about a mango, were to answer with a breadfruit; or, when asked about a breadfruit, were to answer with a mango.

In the same way, when asked about a fruit of the contemplative life, visible here and now, Pakudha Kaccayana answered with non-relatedness.

The thought occurred to me: ‘How can anyone like me think of disparaging a brahman or contemplative living in his realm?’

Yet I neither delighted in Pakudha Kaccayana’s words nor did I protest against them. Neither delighting nor protesting, I was dissatisfied. Without expressing dissatisfaction, without accepting his teaching, without adopting it, I got up from my seat and left.

Fourfold Restraint

Another time I approached Nigantha Nataputta and asked him the same question.

He replied: ‘Great king, there is the case where the Nigantha — the knotless one — is restrained with the fourfold restraint.

How is the Nigantha restrained with the fourfold restraint?

There is the case where the Nigantha is obstructed by all waters, conjoined with all waters, cleansed with all waters, suffused with all waters.

This is how the Nigantha is restrained with the fourfold restraint.

When the Nigantha — a knotless one — is restrained with such a fourfold restraint, he is said to be a Knotless One (Nigantha), a son of Nata (Nataputta), with his self perfected, his self controlled, his self established.’

“Thus, when asked about a fruit of the contemplative life, visible here and now, Nigantha Nataputta answered with fourfold restraint. \

Just as if a person, when asked about a mango, were to answer with a breadfruit; or, when asked about a breadfruit, were to answer with a mango:

In the same way, when asked about a fruit of the contemplative life, visible here and now, Nigantha Nataputta answered with fourfold restraint.

The thought occurred to me: ‘How can anyone like me think of disparaging a brahman or contemplative living in his realm?’

Yet I neither delighted in Nigantha Nataputta’s words nor did I protest against them. Neither delighting nor protesting, I was dissatisfied.

Without expressing dissatisfaction, without accepting his teaching, without adopting it, I got up from my seat and left.

Evasion

Another time I approached Sañjaya Belatthaputta and asked him the same question.

He replied: ‘If you ask me if there exists another world [after death], if I thought that there exists another world, would I declare that to you? I don’t think so.

I don’t think in that way. I don’t think otherwise. I don’t think not. I don’t think not not.*

If you asked me if there isn’t another world… both is and isn’t… neither is nor isn’t… if there are beings who transmigrate… if there aren’t… both are and aren’t… neither are nor aren’t… if the Tathagata exists after death… doesn’t… both… neither exists nor doesn’t exist after death, would I declare that to you?

I don’t think so. I don’t think in that way. I don’t think otherwise. I don’t think not. I don’t think not not.’

Thus, Sañjaya Belatthaputta answered with evasion.

Just as if a person, when asked about a mango, were to answer with a breadfruit; or, when asked about a breadfruit, were to answer with a mango:

In the same way, when asked about a fruit of the contemplative life, visible here and now, Sañjaya Belatthaputta answered with evasion.

The thought occurred to me: ‘This — among these brahmans and contemplatives — is the most foolish and confused of all.

How can he, when asked about a fruit of the contemplative life answer with evasion?’

Still the thought occurred to me: ‘How can anyone like me think of disparaging a brahman or contemplative living in his realm?’

I did not delight in Sañjaya Belatthaputta’s words. But I did not protest against them.

Neither delighting nor protesting, I was dissatisfied.

Without expressing dissatisfaction, without accepting his teaching, without adopting it, I got up from my seat and left.