Buddha Sutta

SN 22:53 The Fully Enlightened One

Translated from the Pali by John D. Ireland

“A Tathagata, Bhikkhus, being a Perfected One is fully enlightened. Because of dispassion for the body, detachment from the body, cessation of [craving for] the body, he is called ’liberated without grasping,’ ’fully enlightened.’ And a Bhikkhu liberated by wisdom, because of dispassion for the body, detachment from the body, cessation of the body, is called ’liberated without grasping,’ ’liberated by wisdom.’

“A Tathagata, being a Perfected One is fully enlightened. Because of dispassion for feeling … perception … mental activities … consciousness … He is called ’liberated without grasping,’ ’fully enlightened.’ And a Bhikkhu liberated by wisdom, because of dispassion for feeling … consciousness … is called ’liberated without grasping,’ ’liberated by wisdom.’ Now, Bhikkhus, what is the distinction, what is the divergence, what is the difference between a Tathagata, a Perfected One, a Fully Enlightened One, and a Bhikkhu liberated by wisdom?”

“For us, Sir, such things originate from the Lord, we have the Lord as our guide, the Lord as our resort. It would indeed be good, Sir, if the Lord were to explain the meaning of this utterance. Having heard the Lord the Bhikkhus would then remember it.”

“Then listen, Bhikkhus, attend carefully and I will speak.”

“Yes, Sir,” those Bhikkhus replied to the Lord.

The Lord said, “A Tathagata, Bhikkhus, a Perfected One, a fully Enlightened One, makes manifest an unmanifest path, he recognizes an unrecognized path, he proclaims an unproclaimed path, he is the knower of the path, the discoverer of the path, is skilled in the path. And now, Bhikkhus, his disciples coming afterwards live following the path.”