SA 968（九六八） 须达

Thus have I heard:

At one time the Buddha was staying at Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park in the Jeta Grove near Śrāvastī.

At that time, the elder Anāthapiṇḍada went out to see the World-Honored One every day to pay respects and make offerings. The elder Anāthapiṇḍada thought, "I go out too early now. The World-Honored One and the bhikṣus have not yet arisen from their meditation. I should go to the abodes of the non-Buddhist practitioners." He then entered the non-Buddhist practitioners' monastery, exchanged greetings and pleasantries with the non-Buddhist practitioners, and sat to one side.

At that time, the non-Buddhist practitioners asked, "Elder, what do you see in the śramaṇa Gautama? What do you see?"

The elder replied, "I also do not know how to see the World-Honored One. What does the World-Honored One see?"

The non-Buddhist practitioners said, "You say you see the Saṃgha. How do you see the Saṃgha? What does the Saṃgha see?"

The elder replied, "I also do not know how to see the Saṃgha. What does the Saṃgha see?"

The non-Buddhist practitioners further asked, "Elder! How do you now see yourself? Where do you see yourself?"

The elder replied, "You all should each speak about what you see, and then I will speak about what I see. It is not difficult."

At that time, a non-Buddhist practitioner said, "Elder! I see that the entire world is permanent. This is true, the rest is false."

Another said, "Elder! I see that the entire world is impermanent. This is true, the rest is false."

Another said, "Elder! The world is both permanent and impermanent. This is true, the rest is false."

Another said, "The world is neither permanent nor impermanent. This is true, the rest is false."

Another said, "The world has an end. This is true, the rest is false."

Another said, "The world has no end. This is true, the rest is false."

Another said, "The world has both an end and no end."

Another said, "The world is neither finite nor infinite."

Another said, "Life is the same as the body."

Another said, "Life is different from the body."

Another said, "After the Tathāgata's death, he exists."

Another said, "After the Tathāgata's death, he does not exist."

Another said, "After the Tathāgata's death, he both exists and does not exist."

Another said, "After the Tathāgata's death, he is neither existent nor nonexistent. This is true, the rest is false."

The non-Buddhist teachers said to the elder, "We have each spoken our views. Now you should speak your view."

The elder replied, "What I see is true, conditioned, conceptual, and dependent. If it is true, conditioned, conceptual, and dependent, then it is impermanent. What is impermanent is suffering. Knowing this, I do not attain any view at all. As you see it: 'The world is permanent, this is true, the rest is false.' This view is true, conditioned, conceptual, and dependent. If it is true, conditioned, conceptual, and dependent, then it is impermanent. What is impermanent is suffering. Therefore you practice near suffering, attain only suffering, firmly abide in suffering, and deeply enter suffering. Thus your words, 'The world is impermanent, this is true, the rest is false,' have such faults."

The world is permanent, impermanent, neither permanent nor impermanent, the world has an end, the world is endless, the world has an end and is endless, the world is neither finite nor infinite, life is the same as the body, life is different from the body, the Tathāgata exists after death, the Tathāgata does not exist after death, the Tathāgata both exists and does not exist after death, the Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist after death, this is true, the rest is false, all as explained above.

An outsider said to the elder Anāthapiṇḍada, "As you say, if there is a view that is true, conditioned, conceptual, and dependent, then it is impermanent. If it is impermanent, then it is suffering. Therefore, elder, the view you see also practices near suffering, attains suffering, abides in suffering, and deeply enters suffering."

The elder replied, "I did not say that what is seen is true, conditioned, conceptual, and dependent, and all are impermanent. If it is impermanent, then it is suffering. Knowing suffering, do I not attain anything in what is seen?"

The outsider said, "So it is, elder!"

At that time, the elder Anāthapiṇḍada subdued the heterodox theories in the heretic's monastery, established the correct theories, and having roared the lion's roar among the heterodox assembly, he went to where the Buddha was, bowed his head at the Buddha's feet, sat to one side, and told the Buddha in detail about the discussion he had with the heretics.

The Buddha told the elder Anāthapiṇḍada, "Excellent! Excellent! You should occasionally subdue the ignorant heretics and establish the correct theories."

Having spoken these words, the Buddha finished. The elder Anāthapiṇḍada rejoiced and followed the teachings, bowed, and left.