AN 4.24 Kalaka Sutta

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AN 4.24 Kalaka Sutta : At Kalaka's Park
On one occasion the Lord Buddha was staying in Saketa at Kalaka's park. There he addressed the monks: "Monks!"

"Yes, lord," the monks responded.

The Lord Buddha said: "Monks, whatever in the cosmos — with its devas(angels), Maras(Devils), & Brahmas, its generations with their contemplatives(ascetics/hermits) & brahmans royalty & common people — is seen, heard, sensed, cognized, attained, sought after, pondered by the intellect: That do I know. Whatever in the cosmos — with its devas(angels), Maras(Devils), & Brahmas, its generations with their contemplatives(ascetics/hermits) & brahmans, their royalty & common people — is seen, heard, sensed, cognized, attained, sought after, pondered by the intellect: That I directly know. That has been realized by the Tathagata(Buddha), but in the Tathagata(Buddha)(1) it has not been established.(2)

"If I were to say, 'I don't know whatever in the cosmos... is seen, heard, sensed, cognized... pondered by the intellect,' that would be a falsehood in me. If I were to say, 'I both know and don't know whatever in the cosmos... is seen, heard, sensed, cognized... pondered by the intellect,' that would be just the same. If I were to say, 'I neither know nor don't know whatever in the cosmos... is seen, heard, sensed, cognized... pondered by the intellect,' that would be a fault in me.

"Thus, monks, the Tathagata(Buddha), when seeing what is to be seen, doesn't construe an (object as) seen. He doesn't construe an unseen. He doesn't construe an (object) to-be-seen. He doesn't construe a seer.

"When hearing...

"When sensing...

"When cognizing what is to be cognized, he doesn't construe an (object as) cognized. He doesn't construe an uncognized. He doesn't construe an (object) to-be-cognized. He doesn't construe a cognizer.

Thus, monks, the Tathagata(Buddha) — being the same with regard to all phenomena(inner tendencies) that can be seen, heard, sensed, & cognized — is 'Such.' And I tell you: There's no other 'Such' higher or more sublime.

"Whatever is seen or heard or sensed and fastened onto as true by others, One who is Such — among the self-fettered — wouldn't further claim to be true or even false. *** "Having seen well in advance that arrow where generations are fastened & hung  — 'I know, I see, that's just how it is!' — there's nothing of the Tathagata(Buddha) fastened."

Notes:

1.Reading tathagate with the Thai edition.

2.I.e., the Tathagata(Buddha) hasn't taken a stance on it.