Anuradha Sutta

SN 22:86 Anuradha is Caught Out

Translated from the Pali by M. O' C. Walshe

[The Ven. Anuradha, dwelling alone in a forest hut, is quizzed by wanderers of another sect. He takes his problem to the Buddha, who is staying at Vesali:]

“I am staying, Lord, in a forest hut not far away. Now a number of wanderers of another sect came to me… and said: ’Friend Anuradha, a Tathagata, a superman, a man supreme, one who has gained the Highest, must be describable in [one of] four ways: a Tathagata comes to be after death; he does not come to be after death; he both comes to be and does not come to be after death; he neither comes to be nor does not come to be after death.’To this Lord, I replied…: ’A Tathagata can be described otherwise than in these four ways…’ At my reply the wanderers of another sect said: ’This monk must be a novice, not long ordained, or if he is an elder, he is an ignorant fool.’ Then the wanderers, abusing me as a novice and a fool, got up and went away. Soon after they had left, Lord, I thought: ’If these wanderers were to ply me with further questions, how should I answer them so as to express correctly the Blessed One’s standpoint without misrepresentation, in accordance with the true doctrine, so that no follower of his teacher would incur reproach?’”

“Now what do you think Anuradha, is the body permanent or impermanent?”

“Impermanent, Lord.”…

“Well then, Anuradha, do you equate the Tathagata with his body,… feelings,… perceptions,… mental formations,… consciousness?”

“No indeed, Lord.”

“Do you consider he has no body,… feelings,… perceptions,… mental formations,… consciousness?”

“No indeed, Lord.”

“Then, Anuradha, since in this very life the Tathagata is not to be regarded as really and truly existing, is it proper for you to declare of him: ’Friends, he who is a Tathagata… can be described otherwise than in these four ways…’?”

“No indeed, Lord.”

“Good, good, Anuradha. As before, so now I proclaim just suffering and the ceasing of suffering.”