The grounds for the acceptance of a view (matika)

In this document, we will look for the occurrences of a specific matika related to the grounds for the acceptance of a view or doctrine. This list is found in the Pali Canon. In particular, it is found in the Kesamuttisutta (a.k.a. the Kalama Sutta) where it has been the object of a lot of interpretations and commentaries from modern Buddhist apologists.

Table of content:

Objectives - This page will enumerate the occurrences of the list of grounds for the acceptance of a view or doctrine in the Pali Canon. This will be used later (hopefully) for a commentary on the modernist interpretations of the Kalama Sutta.

Structure - To support this future commentary, this document will:

  • Section A: define the list we used as reference,
  • Section B: locate, as exhaustively as possible, all the full or partial occurrences of the list in the Pali Canon,
  • Section C: examine, in the text surrounding those occurrences, terms that are related to the expression “when you know for yourself” found in the Kalama Sutta.

Future work to this document will (hopefully) include:

  • polishing and publishing the code used to locate the occurrences from the Sutta Central corpus,
  • adding a section for the occurrences of the terms related to “when you know for yourself” in other suttas.

Thanks - The author wants to express the deepest thanks to Sutta Central for their amazing work of collecting and maintaining an online version of the Pali Canon, and to all the translators, famous or not, that have provided versions of the texts in english.

A. The matika

The list is known for its use in AN3.65 Kalama Sutta, “Please, Kālāmas, don’t go by…“

Pali English
anussava oral tradition, oral transmission
parampara lineage of teaching, inheritance, tradition
itikirāya hearsay, testament, what seems appropriate
piṭakasampadānena collection of scripture, canonical/scriptural authority
takkahetu logic, logical reasoning, thought
nayahetu inference, inferential reasoning
ākāraparivitakkā reasoned contemplation/cogitation
diṭṭhinijjhānakkhantiyā acceptance of a view after consideration, after pondering it
bhabbarūpatāya appearance/semblance of competence of a teacher, competence of a speaker
samaṇo no garūti thinking ‘this ascetic is our respected teacher/guru’

It has been refered to by some authors as the ten grounds for the acceptance of a thesis (or view, or doctrine). It lists the grounds that cannot be reliably used as foundations for accepting a view or doctrine, because a view founded on those grounds could eventually be either true or false.

Note: in CND/MND, another element is added: itihītihaṃ, for rumor, hearsay.

This list overlaps with another list refered by Bhikkhu Bodhi as the five grounds of conviction or five grounds for the acceptance of a doctrine: namely saddhā (faith), ruci (preference), anussava (oral tradition), ākāraparivitakkā (reasoned contemplation), diṭṭhinijjhānakkhantiyā (acceptance after consideration).
This second list of five occurs fully in SN12.68, SN35.153, MN95 and MN102, and are counted in this document as partial occurrences of the list of ten grounds collected in section B.

When used in a sutta, the list of ten grounds comes with an advice on what should be used for accepting a doctrine. This advice remains open to interpretation:

But when you know for yourselves: ‘These things are unskillful, blameworthy, criticized by sensible people, and when you undertake them, they lead to harm and suffering’, then you should give them up.

Corresponding in pali to:

Yadā tumhe, kālāmā, attanāva jāneyyātha: ‘ime dhammā akusalā, ime dhammā sāvajjā, ime dhammā viññugarahitā, ime dhammā samattā samādinnā ahitāya dukkhāya saṁvattantī’ti, atha tumhe, kālāmā, pajaheyyātha.

The list of five grounds (saddhā …), usually goes with similar expressions refering to knowledge and vision.

In section C, we’ll collect all those expressions related to the right method to access knowledge.

B. occurrences of the matika

This section will identify the occurrences of the matika in the pali canon. We’ve kept only occurrences of the full or partial matika up to 2 elements (when at least 2 elements of the list come together in a single sutta).

For each occurrence, we provide an extract and some notes to understand its context and how the list is used.

AN3.65 - Kesaputtiya

English extract: https://suttacentral.net/an3.65/en/bodhi

“It is fitting for you to be perplexed, Kālāmas, fitting for you to be in doubt. Doubt has arisen in you about a perplexing matter. Come, Kālāmas, do not go by oral tradition, by lineage of teaching, by hearsay, by a collection of scriptures, by logical reasoning, by inferential reasoning, by reasoned cogitation, by the acceptance of a view after pondering it, by the seeming competence of a speaker, or because you think: ‘The ascetic is our guru.’ But when, Kālāmas, you know for yourselves: ‘These things are unwholesome; these things are blameworthy; these things are censured by the wise; these things, if accepted and undertaken, lead to harm and suffering,’ then you should abandon them.

Pali extract: https://suttacentral.net/an3.65/pli/ms

“Alañhi vo, kālāmā, kaṅkhituṁ alaṁ vicikicchituṁ. Kaṅkhanīyeva pana vo ṭhāne vicikicchā uppannā.
Etha tumhe, kālāmā, mā anussavena, mā paramparāya, mā itikirāya, mā piṭakasampadānena, mā takkahetu, mā nayahetu, mā ākāraparivitakkena, mā diṭṭhinijjhānakkhantiyā, mā bhabbarūpatāya, mā samaṇo no garūti. Yadā tumhe, kālāmā, attanāva jāneyyātha: ‘ime dhammā akusalā, ime dhammā sāvajjā, ime dhammā viññugarahitā, ime dhammā samattā samādinnā ahitāya dukkhāya saṁvattantī’ti, atha tumhe, kālāmā, pajaheyyātha.

Notes

The Buddha speaks with the Kalamas. Recently, they have been exposed to a lot of different teachers, “they explain and elucidate their own doctrines, but disparage, denigrate, deride, and denounce the doctrines of others”. The Kalamas have seen so many Brahmins come and go, each contradicting/belittling the previous ones. It created perplexity and doubt, scepticism towards any Dharma.

There comes the famous list (see extract above), and the advice to “know for yourselves”.

The Buddha then goes into multiple examples, leading the Kalamas into investigating what’s a good doctrine of morality.

The conclusion reveals the relationship between the “do not go by oral tradition (etc)” and this discourse on discipline: “it is because of this that this was said” [do not go by oral tradition, etc]].

“The disciple who lives according to this […] has won four assurances.”

  1. if transmigration and karma are real, they will be reborn in a good destination
  2. if there is no transmigration and karma, they will still obtain happiness in this life
  3. if evil comes to one who does evil, they will be spared (because they have no evil intention)
  4. if evil does not come to one who does evil, at least they will be purified.

These four assurances are related to four views on transmigration and karma. That’s the conclusion of this sutta: independently on which view you adopt on the matter of karma and rebirth, if you align your life with the right discipline (sila), according to your own inner experience of wholesomeness/unwholesomeness, and how this leads to happiness/suffering, you will ease your own suffering.

AN3.66 - Sāḷhasutta

English extract: https://suttacentral.net/an3.66/en/sujato

“Please, Sāḷha and friend, don’t go by oral transmission, don’t go by lineage, don’t go by testament, don’t go by canonical authority, don’t rely on logic, don’t rely on inference, don’t go by reasoned contemplation, don’t go by the acceptance of a view after consideration, don’t go by the appearance of competence, and don’t think ‘The ascetic is our respected teacher.’ But when you know for yourselves: ‘These things are unskillful, blameworthy, criticized by sensible people, and when you undertake them, they lead to harm and suffering’, then you should give them up.

[…]

They understand: ‘There is this, there is what is worse than this, there is what is better than this, and there is an escape beyond the scope of perception.’ Knowing and seeing like this, their mind is freed from the defilements of sensuality, desire to be reborn, and ignorance. When they’re freed, they know they’re freed.
They understand: ‘Rebirth is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is no return to any state of existence.’

Pali extract: https://suttacentral.net/an3.66/pli/ms

“Etha tumhe, sāḷhā, mā anussavena, mā paramparāya, mā itikirāya, mā piṭakasampadānena, mā takkahetu, mā nayahetu, mā ākāraparivitakkena, mā diṭṭhinijjhānakkhantiyā, mā bhabbarūpatāya, mā samaṇo no garūti. Yadā tumhe, sāḷhā, attanāva jāneyyātha ‘ime dhammā akusalā, ime dhammā sāvajjā, ime dhammā viññugarahitā, ime dhammā samattā samādinnā ahitāya dukkhāya saṁvattantī’ti, atha tumhe, sāḷhā, pajaheyyātha.

[…]

So evaṁ pajānāti: ‘atthi idaṁ, atthi hīnaṁ, atthi paṇītaṁ, atthi imassa saññāgatassa uttari nissaraṇan’ti. Tassa evaṁ jānato evaṁ passato kāmāsavāpi cittaṁ vimuccati, bhavāsavāpi cittaṁ vimuccati, avijjāsavāpi cittaṁ vimuccati; vimuttasmiṁ vimuttamiti ñāṇaṁ hoti.

‘Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā’ti pajānāti.

Notes

This time the discourse is not given by the Buddha, but by Venerable Nandaka to Salha and Rohana. Nandaka starts directly by saying to Salha this paragraph seen in AN3.65 (“Come, Salha, do not go by…“).

Then Nandaka unfolds the same reasoning as in AN3.65: we need to examine things (dhammā) rooted in greed (lobha), aversion (dosa) and delusion (moha), and that lead to suffering, and abandon them.

This time, greed is said to mean “longing” (abhijjhā), and that longing leads to wrong deeds. Aversion is said to mean “ill will” (byāpāda), idem. And delusion is said to mean “ignorance” (avijjā).

In this sutta, Nandaka doesn’t mention the four assurances of AN3.65. Instead, he says that the noble disciple, as a reward of abandoning greed, aversion, delusion, “He understands thus: ‘There is this; there is the inferior; there is the superior; there is a further escape from whatever is involved with perception.’ When he knows and sees thus, his mind is liberated from [the taints]. When it is liberated there comes the knowledge: ‘it’s liberated’.”

There’s here 3 kinds of knowledge in one paragraph:

  • he understands thus: pajānāti
  • he knows and sees thus: evaṁ jānato evaṁ passato
  • he knows (it’s liberated): ñāṇaṁ

AN4.193 - Bhaddiyasutta

English extract: https://suttacentral.net/an4.193/en/sujato

“Please, Bhaddiya, don’t go by oral transmission, don’t go by lineage, don’t go by testament, don’t go by canonical authority, don’t rely on logic, don’t rely on inference, don’t go by reasoned contemplation, don’t go by the acceptance of a view after consideration, don’t go by the appearance of competence, and don’t think ‘The ascetic is our respected teacher.’ But when you know for yourselves: ‘These things are unskillful, blameworthy, criticized by sensible people, and when you undertake them, they lead to harm and suffering’, then you should give them up.

Pali extract: https://suttacentral.net/an4.193/pli/ms

“Etha tumhe, bhaddiya, mā anussavena, mā paramparāya, mā itikirāya, mā piṭakasampadānena, mā takkahetu, mā nayahetu, mā ākāraparivitakkena, mā diṭṭhinijjhānakkhantiyā, mā bhabbarūpatāya, mā ‘samaṇo no garū’ti. Yadā tumhe, bhaddiya, attanāva jāneyyātha: ‘ime dhammā akusalā, ime dhammā sāvajjā, ime dhammā viññugarahitā, ime dhammā samattā samādinnā ahitāya dukkhāya saṁvattantī’ti, atha tumhe, bhaddiya, pajaheyyātha.

Notes

In this sutta, Baddhiya comes to the Buddha because he heard that “the ascetic Gotama is a magician who knows a converting magic by which he converts the disciples of teachers of other sects” ([Bhikkhu Bodhi, AN, 2012, p567], see also note 907 ref to SN42.13 and MN56.8).

The Buddha dispells how “some ascetics and brahmins untruthfully, baselessly, falsely, and wrongly misrepresent [him]” by saying this. He uses the same sutta as in AN 3.65 to show what his conversion is about: abandoning things (dhammā) rooted in greed, aversion and delusion, and that lead to suffering (with vehemence (sārambha) added in the mix).

This time the Buddha doesn’t mention the four assurances. But he asks Baddhiya: “did I say to you: ‘Come, Bhaddiya, be my disciple and I will be your teacher’?”. Bhaddiya says no. The emphasis seems to be on the choice Bhaddiya made to go to the Buddha for refuge on his own.

After having said how beneficial it would be for basically everyone to convert that way (in note 911, Bhikkhu Bodhi refers to MN56.26 at this point), at the very end of the sutta, there is this interesting paragraph: “If these great sal trees would be converted by this conversion toward the abandoning of unwholesome qualities and the acquisition of wholesome qualities, that would lead to the welfare and happiness even of these great sal trees for a long time, if they could choose. How much more then for a human being!” (Bhikkhu Bodhi, AN, 2012, p 570).

Note: Bhikkhu Bodhi note 912 mentions that sace ceteyyum (“if they could choose”) is found in Sinhala-script and Roman-script but not Burmese-script.

SN12.68 - Kosambisutta

English extract: https://suttacentral.net/sn12.68/en/sujato

“Reverend Musīla, apart from faith, preference, oral tradition, reasoned contemplation, or acceptance of a view after consideration, do you know for yourself that rebirth is a condition for old age and death?”

“Reverend Saviṭṭha, apart from faith, preference, oral tradition, reasoned contemplation, or acceptance of a view after consideration, I know and see that rebirth is a condition for old age and death.”

Pali extract: https://suttacentral.net/sn12.68/pli/ms

“aññatreva, āvuso musila, saddhāya aññatra ruciyā aññatra anussavā aññatra ākāraparivitakkā aññatra diṭṭhinijjhānakkhantiyā atthāyasmato musilassa paccattameva ñāṇaṁ: ‘jātipaccayā jarāmaraṇan’”ti?

“Aññatreva, āvuso paviṭṭha, saddhāya aññatra ruciyā aññatra anussavā aññatra ākāraparivitakkā aññatra diṭṭhinijjhānakkhantiyā ahametaṁ jānāmi ahametaṁ passāmi: ‘jātipaccayā jarāmaraṇan’”ti.

Notes

This sutta reports an exchange happening between the four Venerables Musila, Savittha, Narada and Ananda.

Savittha asks Musila the following question: “Friend Musila, apart from faith, apart from personal preference, apart from oral tradition, apart from reasoned reflexion, apart from acceptance of a view after pondering it, does the Venerable Musila have personal knowledge thus: ‘With birth as condition, aging-and-death [comes to be]?’“ [Bhikkhu Bodhi, SN, p. 610]

This unfolds along the list of factors of dependent origination. And the final point is Savittha saying “I know this, I see this: ‘Nibbana is the cessation of existence’“. To that sentence, Musila concludes that Savittha is an Arahant.

But Narada interrupts. And an exchange of the same kind unfolds into a discussion on the point that it is not enough to know and see ‘Nibbana is the cessation of existence’ to be an arahant. That one needs also to extinguish all taints related to this view, to make “bodily contact” with this truth (use of a simile).

In his notes, Bhikkhu Bodhi points to a discussion on the “five grounds for the acceptance of a thesis” [Bhikkhu Bodhi, SN, note 198, p 781]. They are here put in contrast with personal knowledge (paccattameva ñāṇa), and knowledge and vision (jānāmi passāmi).

SN35.153 - Atthi­nu­kho­pariyā­ya­sutta

English extract: https://suttacentral.net/sn35.153/en/sujato

“There is a method—apart from faith, preference, oral tradition, reasoned contemplation, or acceptance of a view after consideration—that a mendicant can rely on to declare their enlightenment. That is: ‘I understand: “Rebirth is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is no return to any state of existence.”’

And what is that method? Take a mendicant who sees a sight with the eye. When they have greed, hate, and delusion in them, they understand ‘I have greed, hate, and delusion in me.’ When they don’t have greed, hate, and delusion in them, they understand ‘I don’t have greed, hate, and delusion in me.’ Since this is so, are these things understood by faith, preference, oral tradition, reasoned contemplation, or acceptance of a view after consideration?”

“No, sir.”

“Aren’t they understood by seeing them with wisdom?”

“Yes, sir.”

Pali extract: https://suttacentral.net/sn35.153/pli/ms

“atthi, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma bhikkhu aññatreva saddhāya, aññatra ruciyā, aññatra anussavā, aññatra ākāraparivitakkā, aññatra diṭṭhinijjhānakkhantiyā aññaṁ byākareyya: ‘“khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā”ti pajānāmī’ti.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, pariyāyo, yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma bhikkhu aññatreva saddhāya …pe… aññatra diṭṭhinijjhānakkhantiyā aññaṁ byākaroti: ‘khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyāti pajānāmī’ti?
Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu cakkhunā rūpaṁ disvā santaṁ vā ajjhattaṁ rāgadosamohaṁ, atthi me ajjhattaṁ rāgadosamohoti pajānāti; asantaṁ vā ajjhattaṁ rāgadosamohaṁ, natthi me ajjhattaṁ rāgadosamohoti pajānāti. Yaṁ taṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu cakkhunā rūpaṁ disvā santaṁ vā ajjhattaṁ rāgadosamohaṁ, atthi me ajjhattaṁ rāgadosamohoti pajānāti; asantaṁ vā ajjhattaṁ rāgadosamohaṁ, natthi me ajjhattaṁ rāgadosamohoti pajānāti. Api nu me, bhikkhave, dhammā saddhāya vā veditabbā, ruciyā vā veditabbā, anussavena vā veditabbā, ākāraparivitakkena vā veditabbā, diṭṭhinijjhānakkhantiyā vā veditabbā”ti?

“No hetaṁ, bhante”.

“Nanume, bhikkhave, dhammā paññāya disvā veditabbā”ti?

“Evaṁ, bhante”.

Notes

Another sutta criticizing the “five grounds for the acceptance of a thesis”.

In this sutta, the investigation is on the grounds on which a Bhikkhu can declare: ‘Detroyed is birth, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more for this state of being’.

The answer the Buddha provides is related to one, having seen a form, a sound with the ear… a mental phenomenon with the mind, “sees with wisdom” [dhammā paññāya disvā veditabbā] that there is no lust, hatred or delusion [lobha, dosa, moha] internally.

MN76 - Sandakasutta

English extract: https://suttacentral.net/mn76/en/sujato

Sandaka, these things have been explained by the Blessed One, who knows and sees, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha: four ways that negate the spiritual life, and four kinds of unreliable spiritual life. A sensible person would, to the best of their ability, not practice such spiritual paths, and if they did practice them, they wouldn’t succeed in the procedure of the skillful teaching.”

[…]

Furthermore, take another teacher who is an oral transmitter, who takes oral transmission to be the truth. He teaches by oral transmission, by the lineage of testament, by canonical authority. But when a teacher takes oral transmission to be the truth, some of that is well learned, some poorly learned, some true, and some otherwise.

[…]

What do I know or see that I should lead the spiritual life under this teacher? This negates the spiritual life.’ Realizing this, they leave disappointed.

[…]

“But Master Ānanda, when a mendicant is perfected, would the knowledge and vision that their defilements are ended be constantly and continually present to them, while walking, standing, sleeping, and waking?”

Pali extract: https://suttacentral.net/mn76/pli/ms

“cattārome, sandaka, tena bhagavatā jānatā passatā arahatā sammāsambuddhena abrahmacariyavāsā akkhātā cattāri ca anassāsikāni brahmacariyāni akkhātāni, yattha viññū puriso sasakkaṁ brahmacariyaṁ na vaseyya, vasanto ca nārādheyya ñāyaṁ dhammaṁ kusalan”ti.

[…]

Puna caparaṁ, sandaka, idhekacco satthā anussaviko hoti anussavasacco. So anussavena itihitihaparamparāya piṭakasampadāya dhammaṁ deseti. Anussavikassa kho pana, sandaka, satthuno anussavasaccassa sussutampi hoti dussutampi hoti tathāpi hoti aññathāpi hoti.

[…]

Sohaṁ kiṁ jānanto kiṁ passanto imasmiṁ satthari brahmacariyaṁ carissāmi? ‘So abrahmacariyavāso ayan’ti— iti viditvā tasmā brahmacariyā nibbijja pakkamati.

[…]

“Yo pana so, bho ānanda, bhikkhu arahaṁ khīṇāsavo vusitavā katakaraṇīyo ohitabhāro anuppattasadattho parikkhīṇabhavasaṁyojano sammadaññāvimutto tassa carato ceva tiṭṭhato ca suttassa ca jāgarassa ca satataṁ samitaṁ ñāṇadassanaṁ paccupaṭṭhitaṁ: ‘khīṇā me āsavā’”ti?

Notes

The Blessed One is named “the Blessed One who knows and sees”.

Ananda speaks to an assembly of wanderer led by Sandaka. He teaches about the four ways that negate the living of the holy life.

  1. Holding the view “there is nothing give, nothing offered, nothing sacrificed; no fruit or result of good and bad actions; no this world, no other world […]”,
  2. Holding the view “when one acts or makes other act […], no evil is done by the doer” and no outcome of evil,
  3. Holding the view “there is no cause or condition for the defilement of beings; beings are defiled withotu cause or condition; there is no cause or condition for the purification of beings, beings are purified withotu cause or condition; […] all beings, all living things, all creatures, all souls are without mastery, power, energy”,
  4. Holding the view “there are these seven bodies that are unmade, not brought forth, uncreated, without a creator, [these are earth, water, fire, air, pleasure, pain, soul]; herein there is no killer, no slaughterer, no hearer, no speaker; […] the round of rebirths is limited, there is no shortening or extending it, no increasing or decreasing it”.

Those are clearly related to different doctrines of morality, cause and effect / karma. Each time, it is said “about this a wise man considers thus: […] ‘What do I know and see that I should lead the holy life under this teacher?’ So when he finds that this way negates the living of the holy life, he turns away from it and leaves it.”

Ananda then teaches about the four kind of holy life without consolation, wherein a wise man certainly would not live the holy life, or if he should live it, would not attain the true way.

  1. “some teacher claims to be omniscient and all-seeing”, when asked “how is this?” he replies “I had to…”,
  2. “some teacher is a traditionalist, one who regards oral tradition as truth; he teaches a Dhamma by oral tradition, by legends handed down, by the authority of the collections”,
  3. a certain teacher is a reasoner, an inquirer; he teaches a Dhamma hammered out by reasoning, following a line of inquiry as it occurs to him”,
  4. “a certain teacher is dull and confused; […] when he is asked such and such a question, he engages in verbal wriggling, in eel-wriggling”.

So when the wise man listening to teacher holding this view “finds that this holy life is without consolation, he turns away from it and leaves it.”

Ananda then speaks of the Tathagata, how the Tathagata went through all jhanas (unfolding this matika in the sutta, as in MN51).

The sutta concludes on a discussion about the status of the Arahant. Notably, Sadanka asks “when a Bhikkhu is an arahant with taints destroyed […] is his knowledge and vision that his taints are destroyed continuously and uninterruptedly present to him whether he is walking or standing or sleeping or awake?” Ananda replies “his knowledge and vision that his taints are destroyed is not […], rather, he knows ‘My taints are destroyed’ only when he reviews this fact.”

Note: that last “knowledge and vision” (ñāṇadassanaṁ) is different from the “know and see” (jānatā passatā) of the Tathagata.

MN95 - Caṅkīsutta

English extract: https://suttacentral.net/mn95/en/sujato

“Master Gotama, regarding that which by the lineage of testament and by canonical authority is the ancient hymnal of the brahmins, the brahmins come to the definite conclusion: ‘This is the only truth, other ideas are silly.’ What do you say about this?”

“Well, Bhāradvāja, is there even a single one of the brahmins who says this: ‘I know this, I see this: this is the only truth, other ideas are silly’?”

“No, Master Gotama.”

[…]

“The brahmins don’t just honor this because of faith, but also because of oral transmission.”

“First you relied on faith, now you speak of oral tradition. These five things can be seen to turn out in two different ways. What five? Faith, preference, oral tradition, reasoned contemplation, and acceptance of a view after consideration. Even though you have full faith in something, it may be void, hollow, and false. And even if you don’t have full faith in something, it may be true and real, not otherwise.

Pali extract: https://suttacentral.net/mn95/pli/ms

Atha kho kāpaṭiko māṇavo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “yadidaṁ, bho gotama, brāhmaṇānaṁ porāṇaṁ mantapadaṁ itihitihaparamparāya piṭakasampadāya, tattha ca brāhmaṇā ekaṁsena niṭṭhaṁ gacchanti: ‘idameva saccaṁ, moghamaññan’ti. Idha bhavaṁ gotamo kimāhā”ti?

“Kiṁ pana, bhāradvāja, atthi koci brāhmaṇānaṁ ekabrāhmaṇopi yo evamāha: ‘ahametaṁ jānāmi, ahametaṁ passāmi. Idameva saccaṁ, moghamaññan’”ti?

“No hidaṁ, bho gotama”.

[…]

“Na khvettha, bho gotama, brāhmaṇā saddhāyeva payirupāsanti, anussavāpettha brāhmaṇā payirupāsantī”ti.

“Pubbeva kho tvaṁ, bhāradvāja, saddhaṁ agamāsi, anussavaṁ idāni vadesi. Pañca kho ime, bhāradvāja, dhammā diṭṭheva dhamme dvedhā vipākā. Katame pañca? Saddhā, ruci, anussavo, ākāraparivitakko, diṭṭhinijjhānakkhanti— ime kho, bhāradvāja, pañca dhammā diṭṭheva dhamme dvedhā vipākā. Api ca, bhāradvāja, susaddahitaṁyeva hoti, tañca hoti rittaṁ tucchaṁ musā; no cepi susaddahitaṁ hoti, tañca hoti bhūtaṁ tacchaṁ anaññathā.

Notes

The Buddha is being asked questions by a brahmin student Kapathika. It is said that this student is a sixteen years old clansman, “a master of the Three Vedas with their vocabularies, liturgy, phonology and grammar, fully versed in natural philosophy and in the marks of a Great Man”, very learned, has good delivery and is wise.

Kapathika asks (Bhikkhu Bodhi trans.): “In regard to the ancient brahmanic hymns that have come down through oral transmission preserved in the collections the brahmins come to the definite conclusion: ‘only this is true, anything else is wrong.’ What does the Master Gotama say about this?”

The Buddha replies that none of those brahmins knows and sees ‘only this is true, anything else is wrong’. Thus placing the discussion about the method to access knowledge, and not the knowledge itself.

He then proceeds with criticizing five grounds for the acceptance of a thesis (faith, personal preference, oral tradition, reasoned reflexion, acceptance of a view after pondering it).

After this, Kapathika asks: “How does one preserve truth?” (saccānurakkhana or safeguarding the truth), meaning how can one speak about some view without relying on those grounds?

The Buddha explains: “He says ‘my faith is thus’; but he does not yet come to the definite conclusion: ‘only this is true, anything else is wrong’”. Same for oral tradition (‘my oral tradition is thus’), and reflective acceptance (‘my reflective acceptance is thus’).

The sutta goes on with explaining how does one discover the truth. The follower investigates a bhikkhu in regard to stats based on greed, hate or delusion. If the bikkhu is purified from states based on greed, hate or delusion, then follows another matika describing a following discovering the truth.

The follower:

  • places faith in the bikkhu,
  • visits him,
  • pays respect,
  • gives ear to him,
  • hears the Dhamma,
  • memorises the Dhamma,
  • examines the meaning () of the teachings he has memorized,
  • gains a reflective acceptance ()
  • zeals springs up and then,
  • he applies his will,
  • he scrutinises,
  • he strives,
  • he realises with the body the surpreme truth and sees it by penetrating it with wisdom.

“The final arrival at truth lies in the repetition, development, and cultivation of those same things.”

Faith being the first step here, is the faith in the teacher, after examining the teacher is purified from greed, hate and delusion.

MN102 - Pañ­catta­yasutta

English extract: https://suttacentral.net/mn102/en/sujato

Now, consider the ascetics and brahmins whose view is as follows. ‘The self and the cosmos are eternal. This is the only truth, other ideas are silly.’ It’s simply not possible for them to have purified and clear personal knowledge of this, apart from faith, preference, oral tradition, reasoned contemplation, or acceptance of a view after consideration. And in the absence of such knowledge, even the partial knowledge that they are clear about is said to be grasping on their part. ‘All that is conditioned and coarse. But there is the cessation of conditions—that is real.’ Understanding this and seeing the escape from it, the Realized One has gone beyond all that.

Pali extract: https://suttacentral.net/mn102/pli/ms

Tatra, bhikkhave, ye te samaṇabrāhmaṇā evaṁvādino evaṁdiṭṭhino: ‘sassato attā ca loko ca, idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan’ti, tesaṁ vata aññatreva saddhāya aññatra ruciyā aññatra anussavā aññatra ākāraparivitakkā aññatra diṭṭhinijjhānakkhantiyā paccattaṁyeva ñāṇaṁ bhavissati parisuddhaṁ pariyodātanti—netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati. Paccattaṁ kho pana, bhikkhave, ñāṇe asati parisuddhe pariyodāte yadapi te bhonto samaṇabrāhmaṇā tattha ñāṇabhāgamattameva pariyodapenti tadapi tesaṁ bhavataṁ samaṇabrāhmaṇānaṁ upādānamakkhāyati. Variant: yadapi → yadipi (mr)‘Tayidaṁ saṅkhataṁ oḷārikaṁ atthi kho pana saṅkhārānaṁ nirodho atthetan’ti— iti viditvā tassa nissaraṇadassāvī tathāgato tadupātivatto.

Notes

Bhikkhu Bodhi notes that “this sutta is a ‘middle length’ counterpart of the longer Brahmajāla Sutta”.

The sutta starts with the Buddha telling about “some recluses and brahmins who speculate about the future”. Those speculations are related to the nature of the self and its becoming after death. The sutta details multiple views, and how each brahmins holding one of those views criticize the others for some reason.

In a second part, the Buddha tells, similarly, about “some recluses and brahmins who speculate about the past, who assert various doctrinal propositions about the past”. Here again, those are mostly about the nature and permanence of the self. In this second part, the Buddha highlights how those recluses and brahmins “hold such a doctrine and view as this: […] ‘only this is true, anything else is wrong’“.
Here the Buddha unfolds the five grounds for the acceptance of a thesis (faith, personal preference, oral tradition, reasoned reflexion, acceptance of a view after pondering it). But, for those recluses and brahmins, “since they have no pure and clear personal knowledge, [their knowledge] is declared to be clinging on their part”.

It is noted by Bhikkhu Bodhi, drawing from the commentary, that those different views (future and past) can be mapped to different levels of attainment.

In a third part, the Buddha speaks about those recluses and brahmins who enter some levels of attainment while still clinging to some views of the self not based on clear personal knowledge. “This good recluse of brahmin […] regards himself thus: ‘I am at peace, I have attained Nibbana, I am without clinging.’ Certainly this venerable one asserts the way directed to Nibbana. Yet this good recluse of brahmin still clings”, and when they declare they have attained Nibbana, “that too is declared clinging on the part of this good recluse of brahmin”.

The Tathagata, “by understanding as they actually are the origination, the disappearance, the gratification, the danger and the escape in the case of the six bases of contact” has discovered the sublime peace that is “liberation through not-clinging”.

CND 4 - Mettagu

Translation from https://zacanger.com/niddesa/assets/niddesa.html#mettag%C5%AB

19 · [The Blessed One: “Mettagū!”]
You ask me about the occurrence of suffering,
And I will say that for you as one who knows:
All sufferings occur due to dependence,
Of all types of different forms in the world.

“You ask me about the occurrence of suffering”: Suffering, bitterness, old age, sickness, death, sadness, desperation, and sorrow. You ask, you ask about the cause of suffering, you ask about the root, you ask about arising, you ask about happening, you ask about waiting, you ask about the nutriment, you ask about the object, you ask about the condition, you ask about the collection, you ask strongly, you ask, beg, request, make it clear. “Mettagū,” the Blessed One called the Brāhmaṇa by his name. “Blessed One,” this is a respectful synonym… (omitted).

“I will say that for you as the one who knows”: “That,” I will explain the cause of suffering, …the root, arising, production, …(omitted); I will explain, I will teach… (omitted). “As the one who knows,” such as the one who knows, the one who understands, the one who penetrates, not from hearsay, not from rumors, not from inheritance, not from scripture, not from logic, not from reasoning, not because of theoretical contemplation, not because of the insights accepted after contemplation; a method that is personally proven and self-proven by oneself, I will say that.

Tracing back to Pali pi/cnd8:

Dukkhassa ve maṃ pabhavaṃ apucchasi, (mettagūti bhagavā)
Taṃ te pavakkhāmi yathā pajānaṃ;
Upadhinidānā pabhavanti dukkhā,
Ye keci lokasmi­maneka­rūpā.

[…]

Yathā pajānanti yathā pajānanto ājānanto vijānanto paṭivijānanto paṭivijjhanto. Na itihītihaṃ na itikirāya na paramparāya na piṭaka­sam­padāya na takkahetu na nayahetu na ākāra­pari­vitak­kena na diṭṭhi­nij­jhā­nak­khan­tiyā sāmaṃ saya­ma­bhiñ­ñā­taṃ attapaccak­kha­dhammaṃ taṃ kathayissāmīti—taṃ te pavakkhāmi yathā pajānaṃ.

CND 4 - Mettagu

Translation from https://zacanger.com/niddesa/assets/niddesa.html#mettag%C5%AB

22 · [The Blessed One: “Mettagū!”]
I will tell you the Dhamma, known in real life and not through rumors;
Anyone who knows it, living mindfully,
Can cross over love (desire) in the world.

“I will tell you the Dhamma”: “Dhamma,” the beginning is good, the middle is good, and the end is good; the meaning is correct, the phrase is correct; only the perfect and pure Brāhmaṇa line: four mindfulnesses, four righteousness, four divine bases, five senses, five powers, seven enlightenment factors, eight holy paths, Nibbāna and the path leading to Nibbāna; I will tell, I will explain, I will teach, I will reveal, I will analyze, I will clarify. “Mettagū,” the Blessed One called the Brāhmaṇa by his name.

“In the current life and not in rumors”: “In the current life,” in the seen, in the known, in the measured, in the made clear: “All actions are impermanent”… (omitted) “any collection of dhammas is an extinction of dhammas” means in the Dhamma that is seen (in the current life), in the Dhamma that is known, in the Dhamma that is measured, in the Dhamma that is made clear; this is what I will talk about, in the real life. Or, I will tell you about the suffering which is seen, I will tell you about the collection which is seen, I will tell you the way which is seen, I will tell you about the extinction of what is seen, and this is what I will talk about, in the present. Or, in the life as directly visible, instant, inviting you to see, able to guide, and the wise should experience it by themselves; this is what I will talk about, in this life. “Not rumors,” not anecdotal, not from hearsay, not from inheritance, not from scripture, not from logical inference, not from reasoning, not because of theoretical reflection, not because of an opinion received after reflection, but by oneself. The known and self-evidenced Dhamma, I will talk about that.

“Anyone who, after knowing, is mindful”: After knowing, weighing, judging, separating, clarifying: “All actions are impermanent” after knowing, …(omitted). “Mindful,” there are four ways to be mindful: when practicing mindfulness on the body, when practicing mindfulness on perception, when watching the mind in the heart, when the practice is in line with the teachings, it is mindful.

And again in four ways: the state of avoiding non-mind, the state of the Dhamma that should be done to the mind, the state of the Dhamma that is obstructed by the mind, the state of the mindfulness factor (phase) not being forgotten.

And again in four ways: the state of possessing mindfulness, the state of abiding in mindfulness, the state of experiencing mindfulness, and the state of mindfulness not lowering.

And again in four ways: with the state of being mindful as the object of mindfulness, the quiet state as the object, the calm state as the object, the state of silence; the recollection of the Buddha, the recollection of the Dhamma, the recollection of the Saṅgha, the precepts, the alms, of the mind; mindfulness of the in and out breath, of death, of the body, of silence; all mindfulness, free-mindfulness…, the path without a fork, are called mindfulness. Having been fully possessed, reaching fully, possessing, arriving, with this thought, he is called mindful. “Living,” when you go, live, act, guard, exist, survive.

“Able to cross through love in the world”: “Love” is called craving, which is greed, …(omitted) unwholesome roots. “Being in love,” what does it mean to be loving? The “spread” is love, the “broad” is love, the “vast” is love, the “incorrect” is love, “it forces” is love, “it seizes” is love, “fraud” is love, “poisonous root” is love, “poisonous fruit” is love, “poison is used” is love; or, “the vast thirst for love”: in form…, sound…, smell…, taste… (omitted), the material realm, the formless realm, the desire realm, the four constituents, the five endowments, past, future, now, the enlarged attachments in the dhammas that are seen, heard, felt, and knowable, are love. “In the world,” in the world of suffering, in the world of humans, (omitted)…, and in the world of being. “Able to survive the love in the world”: “The love in the world, he can pass through, surpass, pass, transcend, and overcome mindfully” [Ni.1].

Tracing back to Pali pi/cnd8:

Kittayissāmi te dhammaṃ, (mettagūti bhagavā) Diṭṭhe dhamme anītihaṃ; Yaṃ viditvā sato caraṃ, Tare loke visattikaṃ. (5)

[…]

Diṭṭhe dhamme anītihanti. Diṭṭhe dhammeti diṭṭhe dhamme ñāte dhamme tulite dhamme tīrite dhamme vibhūte dhamme vibhāvite dhamme sabbe saṅkhārā aniccāti … pe … yaṃ kiñci samuda­ya­dhammaṃ sabbaṃ taṃ nirodha­dhammanti diṭṭhe dhamme ñāte dhamme tulite dhamme tīrite dhamme vibhūte dhamme vibhāvite dhammeti—evampi diṭṭhe dhamme kathayissāmi. Atha vā dukkhe diṭṭhe dukkhaṃ kathayissāmi, samudaye diṭṭhe samudayaṃ kathayissāmi, magge diṭṭhe maggaṃ kathayissāmi, nirodhe diṭṭhe nirodhaṃ kathayissāmīti— evampi diṭṭhe dhamme kathayissāmi. Atha vā diṭṭhe dhamme sandiṭṭhikaṃ akālikaṃ ehipassikaṃ opaneyyikaṃ paccattaṃ veditabbaṃ viññūhīti—evampi diṭṭhe dhamme kathayissāmīti diṭṭhe dhamme. Anītihanti na itihītihaṃ na itikirāya na paramparāya na piṭaka­sam­padāya na takkahetu na nayahetu na ākāra­pari­vitak­kena na diṭṭhi­nij­jhā­nak­khan­tiyā, sāmaṃ saya­ma­bhiñ­ñā­taṃ attapaccak­kha­dhammaṃ, taṃ kathayissāmīti—diṭṭhe dhamme anītihaṃ.

CND 5 - Dhokata

Translation from https://zacanger.com/niddesa/assets/niddesa.html#dhotaka

35 · [The Blessed One: “Dhotaka!”]
I will tell you about the stillness,
Known in (real) life rather than (through) rumor,
Anyone who knows it, living mindfully,
Can cross over love (desire) in the world.

“I will tell you about the stillness”: The stillness of greed, the stillness of aversion, …(omitted), the stillness of all unwholesome creations; silence, cessation; I will tell, announce, say, explain, teach, interpret, build, uncover, parse, clarify.

“[The Blessed One: ‘Dhotaka’]”: “Dhotaka,” the World Venerable calls the Brāhmaṇa by his name. “Blessed One,” …(omitted).

“In the current life and not from hearsay”: “In the current life,” in the seen, in the known, in the measured, in the made clear: “All actions are impermanent”… (omitted) “any collection of dhammas is an extinction of dhammas” means in the Dhamma that is seen (in the current life), in the Dhamma that is known, in the Dhamma that is measured, in the Dhamma that is made clear; this is what I will talk about, in the real life. Or, I will tell you about the suffering which is seen, I will tell you about the collection which is seen, I will tell you the way which is seen, I will tell you about the extinction of what is seen, and this is what I will talk about, in the present. Or, in the life as directly visible, instant, inviting you to see, able to guide, and the wise should experience it by themselves; this is what I will talk about, in this life. “Not rumors,” not anecdotal, not from hearsay, not from inheritance, not from scripture, not from logical inference, not from reasoning, not because of theoretical reflection, not because of an opinion received after reflection, but by oneself. The known and self-evidenced Dhamma, I will talk about that.

“Anyone who lives mindfully after knowing”: After knowing, weighing, judging, separating, clarifying: “All actions are impermanent” after knowing, …(omitted). “Mindful,” …(omitted) he is called mindful. “Living,” when you go, live, act, guard, exist, survive.

“Able to cross through love in the world”: “Love” is called craving, which is greed, …(omitted) unwholesome roots. “Being in love,” what does it mean to be loving? The “spread” is love, the “broad” is love, the “vast” is love, the “incorrect” is love, “it forces” is love, “it seizes” is love, “fraud” is love, “poisonous root” is love, “poisonous fruit” is love, “poison is used” is love; or, “the vast thirst for love”: in form…, sound…, smell…, taste… (omitted), the material realm, the formless realm, the desire realm, the four constituents, the five endowments, past, future, now, the enlarged attachments in the dhammas that are seen, heard, felt, and knowable, are love. “In the world,” in the world of suffering, in the world of humans, (omitted)…, and in the world of being. “Able to cross the love in the world”: “The love in the world, he can pass through, surpass, pass, transcend, and overcome mindfully” [Ni.1].

Tracing back to Pali pi/cnd9:

Kittayissāmi te dhammaṃ, (mettagūti bhagavā)
Diṭṭhe dhamme anītihaṃ;
Yaṃ viditvā sato caraṃ,
Tare loke visattikaṃ. (5)

[…]

Diṭṭhe dhamme anītihanti. Diṭṭhe dhammeti diṭṭhe dhamme ñāte dhamme tulite dhamme tīrite dhamme vibhūte dhamme vibhāvite dhamme sabbe saṅkhārā aniccāti … pe … yaṃ kiñci samuda­ya­dhammaṃ sabbaṃ taṃ nirodha­dhammanti diṭṭhe dhamme ñāte dhamme tulite dhamme tīrite dhamme vibhāvite dhamme vibhūte dhammeti, evampi—diṭṭhe dhamme … pe …. Atha vā dukkhe diṭṭhe dukkhaṃ kathayissāmi, samudaye diṭṭhe samudayaṃ kathayissāmi, magge diṭṭhe maggaṃ kathayissāmi, nirodhe diṭṭhe nirodhaṃ kathayissāmīti, evampi— diṭṭhe dhamme … pe …. Atha vā sandiṭṭhikaṃ akālikaṃ ehipassikaṃ opaneyyikaṃ paccattaṃ veditabbaṃ viññūhīti, evampi—diṭṭhe dhamme. Anītihanti na itihītihaṃ na itikirāya na paramparāya na piṭaka­sam­padāya na takkahetu na nayahetu na ākāra­pari­vitak­kena na diṭṭhi­nij­jhā­nak­khan­tiyā sāmaṃ saya­ma­bhiñ­ñā­taṃ attapaccak­kha­dhammaṃ, taṃ kathayissāmīti—diṭṭhe dhamme anītihaṃ.

CND 8 - Hemaka

Translation from https://zacanger.com/niddesa/assets/niddesa.html#hemaka

53 · [Venerable Hemaka like this:]
Whatever they told me before, before Gotama’s teaching,
Like this that was, like this that will be, that is all rumors,
That was all an increase in theory, I didn’t have much joy there.

“What they told me before”: Bāvari Brāhmaṇa and all other his teachers, they explain, teach, inform, establish, uncover, analyze, clarify their own views, their own likes, inclinations, opinions, intentions.

“[Like this Venerable Hemaka]”: “Like this,” the continuation of the sentences, the connection of the words, the completion of the sentences, the combination of words, this is the order of the sentence, which is “like this.” “Venerable,” this is a synonym of love, respect, and obedience. “Hemaka,” the name, title, security of the Brāhmaṇa, title, word, phrase.

“Before the teachings of Gotama”: Before the teachings of Gotama, on the other side of the teachings of Gotama, prior to the teachings of Gotama; the Buddha’s precepts, the precepts of the victors, the precepts of the Tathāgata, the first precepts of the Arahants.

“Like this and that was, like this and that will be”: Legend that it was like this, and that it will be like this.

“It’s all rumors”: It’s all rumors, hearsay, inheritance, the teachings of the scriptures, logical inferences, reasoning, thoughts about theories, opinions accepted after contemplation, and they tell that they are not personally proven by themselves, not the self-proven method.

“That is all an increase in theory”: It is all an increase in theory, an increase in seeking, …thinking, …desire, malicious seeking, persecution, the thinking about land, the thinking about death, the thinking related to sympathy with others, the thinking related to the benefit of respect and reputation, the thinking related to not being scorned.

“I didn’t have great joy there”: I didn’t have great joy there, didn’t receive it, didn’t prove it, didn’t obtain it.

Tracing back to pali pi/cnd12

Ye me pubbe viyākaṃsu, (iccāyasmā hemako)
Huraṃ gotamasāsanā;
Iccāsi iti bhavissati,
Sabbaṃ taṃ itihītihaṃ;
Sabbaṃ taṃ takkavaḍḍhanaṃ,
Nāhaṃ tattha abhiramiṃ. (1)

[…]

Sabbaṃ taṃ itihītihanti sabbaṃ taṃ itihītihaṃ itikirāya paraṃparāya piṭaka­sam­padāya takkahetu nayahetu ākāra­pari­vitak­kena diṭṭhi­nij­jhā­nak­khan­tiyā na sāmaṃ saya­ma­bhiñ­ñā­taṃ na attapaccak­kha­dhammaṃ kathayiṃsūti—sabbaṃ taṃ itihītihaṃ.

CND 18 - Recitation about the way to the far shore

Translation from https://zacanger.com/niddesa/assets/niddesa.html#recitation-about-the-way-to-the-far-shore

106 · Whatever they told me before, before Gotama’s teaching:
Like this that was once, like this and that will be;
That’s all rumors,
All that is an increase in theory.

“What they told me before”: “What,” Bāvari Brāhmaṇa and his other teachers, they explain, teach…, their own views, likes, inclinations, opinions, intentions.

“Before the teachings of Gotama”: Before the teachings of Gotama, on the other side of the teachings of Gotama, before the commandments of Gotama, the Buddha’s precepts, the precepts of the victors, the precepts of the Tathāgata, the first precepts of the Arahants.

“Like this and that was, like this and that will be”: Legend that it was like this, and that it will be like this.

“It’s all rumors”: It’s all rumors, hearsay, inheritance, the teachings of the scriptures, logical inferences, reasoning, thoughts about theories, opinions accepted after contemplation, and they tell that they are not personally proven by themselves, not the self-proven method.

“That is all the increase in theory”: It is all an increase in theory, an increase in seeking, …thinking, …desire, malicious seeking, persecution, the thinking about land, the thinking about death, the thinking related to sympathy with others, the thinking related to the benefit of respect and reputation, the thinking related to not being scorned.

Tracing back to pali pi/cnd22

Yeme pubbe viyākaṃsu,
Huraṃ gotamasāsanā;
Iccāsi iti bhavissati,
Sabbaṃ taṃ itihītihaṃ;
Sabbaṃ taṃ takkavaḍḍhanaṃ. (5)

[…]

Ye me pubbe viyākaṃsūti. Yeti yo ca bāvarī brāhmaṇo ye caññe tassa ācariyā, te sakaṃ diṭṭhiṃ sakaṃ khantiṃ sakaṃ ruciṃ sakaṃ laddhiṃ sakaṃ ajjhāsayaṃ sakaṃ adhippāyaṃ byākaṃsu ācikkhiṃsu desayiṃsu paññapiṃsu paṭṭhapiṃsu vivariṃsu vibhajiṃsu uttānīakaṃsu pakāsesunti—ye me pubbe viyākaṃsu.

Huraṃ gotamasāsanāti huraṃ gotamasāsanā, paraṃ gotamasāsanā, pure gotamasāsanā, paṭhamataraṃ gotamasāsanā buddhasāsanā jinasāsanā tathā­gata­sāsanā arahan­ta­sāsanāti—huraṃ gotamasāsanā.

Iccāsi iti bhavissatīti evaṃ kira āsi, evaṃ kira bhavissatīti—iccāsi iti bhavissati.

Sabbaṃ taṃ itihītihanti sabbaṃ taṃ itihītihaṃ itikirāya paramparāya piṭaka­sam­padāya takkahetu nayahetu ākāra­pari­vitak­kena diṭṭhi­nij­jhā­nak­khan­tiyā na sāmaṃ saya­ma­bhiñ­ñā­taṃ na attapaccakkhaṃ dhammaṃ yaṃ kathayiṃsūti—sabbaṃ taṃ itihītihaṃ.

Sabbaṃ taṃ takkavaḍḍhananti sabbaṃ taṃ takkavaḍḍhanaṃ vitak­ka­vaḍḍha­naṃ saṅkap­pa­vaḍ­ḍha­naṃ kāmavitak­ka­vaḍḍha­naṃ ­byāpā­da­vitak­ka­vaḍḍha­naṃ vihiṃ­sā­vitak­ka­vaḍḍha­naṃ ñāti­vitak­ka­vaḍḍha­naṃ jana­pada­vitak­ka­vaḍḍha­naṃ ama­rāvitak­ka­vaḍḍha­naṃ parā­nudaya­tā­paṭi­saṃ­yutta­vitak­ka­vaḍḍha­naṃ lābhasakkā­ra­siloka­paṭi­saṃ­yutta­vitak­ka­vaḍḍha­naṃ anavaññat­ti­paṭi­saṃ­yutta­vitak­ka­vaḍḍha­nanti—sabbaṃ taṃ takkavaḍḍhanaṃ. Tenāha thero piṅgiyo—

MND 14 - Quick Instructions

https://zacanger.com/niddesa/assets/niddesa.html#quick-instructions

“For him, there is nothing unseen here (in this world),
There is no knowledge that cannot be known,
He proves that everything that exists should be guided by inference,
Because the Tathāgata, like that, is all-eyes.”
[Ps.1]

“The self-evidenced method of distress adjustment”: “Self-evidenced method,” not from rumors, not from inheritance, not from scripture, not from logic, not from reasoning, not because of theoretical contemplation, not because of the insights accepted after contemplation; a method that is personally proven and self-proven by oneself.

Tracing back to pali:

“Na tassa adiṭ­ṭha­midhat­thi kiñci,
Atho aviñ­ñāta­ma­jānitab­baṃ;
Sabbaṃ abhiññāsi yadatthi neyyaṃ,
Tathāgato tena samantacakkhū”ti.

Evaṃ bhagavā saman­ta­cak­khu­nāpi vivaṭacakkhūti—akittayi vivaṭacakkhu.

Sakkhidhammaṃ parissa­ya­vinayanti. Sakkhidhammanti na itihitihaṃ, na itikirāya, na paramparāya, na piṭaka­sam­padāya, na takkahetu, na nayahetu, na ākāra­pari­vitak­kena, na diṭṭhi­nij­jhā­nak­khan­tiyā sāmaṃ saya­ma­bhiñ­ñā­taṃ attapaccakkhaṃ dhammanti—sakkhidhammaṃ.

MND 14 - Quick Instructions (2)

Translation from https://zacanger.com/niddesa/assets/niddesa.html#quick-instructions

169 · Because he is an unconquered conqueror,
He saw the Dhamma self-evidently instead of (by) hearsay,
Therefore, it is true that those who do not let go
Should always respectfully follow the teachings of the Blessed One.
[Like this, the Blessed One (said).]

“Because he is an unconquered conqueror”: The “conqueror,” the conqueror of form, the conqueror of sound, the conqueror of smell, the conqueror of taste, the conqueror of touch, the conqueror of dhamma, is not conquered by any pollution, he conquers those evil and unwholesome dhammas; shunning the pollution, the others, the fearful, the bitter fruit, old age and death in the future.

“He sees the self-evidenced Dhamma rather than (by) hearsay (rumor)”: “Self-certification” is not heard, not based on work like this, not based on inheritance, not based on three possessions, not based on theoretical contemplation, not based on contemplation. His insights were seen and understood in the Dhamma that he personally proved and realized.

“Therefore it is indeed the commandment of the Blessed One”: “Therefore,” therefore; the reason; the cause; the condition; the cause. “The commandment of the Blessed One,” the commandment of the Blessed One, the teachings of Gotama, the teachings of the Buddha, the teachings of the conqueror, the teachings of the Tathāgata, the teachings of the gods, the teachings of the Arahants.

“He who does not let go (relax) should always be respectful and follow his studies. [Like this, the Blessed One (said)]”: “He who does not let go,” a respectful actor… “Always,” …. “Respect,” to respect with the body, or with words, or with the heart, or as such it means to respect, or to salute, revere, and respect. “Follow learning,” there are three types of learning: …. “Blessed One,” a synonym for respect….

Tracing back to pali pi/mnd14:

Abhibhū hi so anabhibhūto, Sak­khi­dhamma­ma­nīti­ha­maddasi; Tasmā hi tassa bhagavato sāsane, Appamatto sadā namassama­nu­sikkhe. (Iti bhagavā.)

[…]

Sak­khi­dhamma­ma­nīti­ha­maddasīti. Sakkhidhammanti na itihitihaṃ na itikiriyāya na paramparāya na piṭaka­sam­padāya na takkahetu na nayahetu na ākāra­pari­vitak­kena na diṭṭhi­nij­jhā­nak­khan­tiyā sāmaṃ saya­ma­bhiñ­ñā­taṃ attapaccak­kha­dhammaṃ addasi addakkhi apassi paṭivijjhīti— sak­khi­dhamma­ma­nīti­ha­maddasi.

MND 16 - Sariputta

https://zacanger.com/niddesa/assets/niddesa.html#s%C4%81riputta

198 · [The Blessed One: “Sāriputta!”]
For the repulsed, being close to the unmanned seat
And sleeping place is indeed peace.
The one who wants to be enlightened will follow the Dhamma,
I will say that for you as the one who knows it.

[…]

“I will say that for you as the one who knows”: “That,” according to the way. “I will say,” I will say, I will explain, I will teach, I will tell, I will establish, I will uncover, I will analyze, I will clarify. “As the knower,” as the knower, the sure knower, one who has penetrated, not from hearsay, not from rumor, not from inheritance, not from the teachings of the scriptures, not from logical inference, not from reasoning, not from theoretical thinking, not from the insights accepted after contemplation, the method that is personally proven and self-proven, I will say that.

Tracing back to pali pi/mnd16:

Vijiguccha­mānassa yadidaṃ phāsu, (sāriputtāti bhagavā)
Rittāsanaṃ sayanaṃ sevato ve;
Sam­bodhi­kāmassa yathānudhammaṃ,
Taṃ te pavakkhāmi yathā pajānaṃ.

[…]

Taṃ te pavakkhāmi yathā pajānanti. Tanti bodhiyā anudhammaṃ. Pavakkhāmīti pavakkhāmi ācikkhissāmi desessāmi paññapessāmi paṭṭhapessāmi vivarissāmi vibhajissāmi uttānīka­ris­sāmi pakāsissāmi. Yathā pajānanti yathā pajānaṃ yathā pajānanto ājānanto vijānanto paṭivijānanto paṭivijjhanto na itihitihaṃ na itikirāya na paramparāya na piṭaka­sam­padāya na takkahetu na nayahetu na ākāra­pari­vitak­kena na diṭṭhi­nij­jhā­nak­khan­tiyā sāmaṃ saya­ma­bhiñ­ñā­taṃ attapaccakkhaṃ dhammaṃ, taṃ kathayissāmīti—taṃ te pavakkhāmi yathā pajānaṃ.

PE4 - 4. Sutta­vicaya­catut­tha­bhūmi

English extract: https://suttacentral.net/pe4/en/nyanamoli

If, when thus inquired into, they give the construction, [then that Thread] must be scrutinized therein [in regard to those defilements] as follows: “What is the Thread’s meaning and what is not its meaning according to the traditional [interpretation] or by what is given in the texts”?

Pali extract: https://suttacentral.net/pe4/pli/ms

Sace evaṁ vīmaṁsiyantā yojanaṁ deti, tattha upaparikkhitabbaṁ. Paramparāya vā piṭakasampadānena vā suttassa attho ca nattho ca.

Notes

This text is part of the commentary, and deals with how to investigate the Suttas. It is expected that the 2 elements of the list related to scripture should occur here.

C. Mapping “know for yourself”

In the following section, we’ve collected all the occurrences, in section B, of expressions that can relate to “know for yourself” (attanāva jāneyyātha). See the following table:

Sutta Expression (english) Expression (pali)
AN3.65 you know for yourself these things (dhammam)… attanāva jāneyyātha
AN3.66 you know for yourself these things (dhammam)… attanāva jāneyyātha
AN3.66 a noble disciple understands ‘There is this’ pajānāti
AN3.66 a noble disciple knows and sees thus (infra) evaṁ jānato evaṁ passato
AN3.66 a noble disciple knows ‘It is liberated’ ñāṇaṁ
AN4.193 you know for yourself these things (dhammam)… attanāva jāneyyātha
SN12.68 you (bhikkhu) know for yourself paccattameva ñāṇaṁ
SN12.68 I know and see ahametaṁ jānāmi ahametaṁ passāmi
SN35.153 I (Tathagata) understand ‘Rebirt is ended’ pajānāmī
SN35.153 a bhikkhu understands ‘I have greed’ pajānāmī
SN35.153 these things are understood by seeing them with wisdom paññāya disvā veditabbā
MN76 The Blessed One knows and sees jānatā passatā
MN76 I (student) know or see that I should lead the spiritual life… kiṁ jānanto kiṁ passanto
MN76 a bhikkhu knows and sees their defilements are ended ñāṇadassanaṁ
MN95 I (a brahmin) know and see this (doctrine) ahametaṁ jānāmi, ahametaṁ passāmi
MN102 a brahmin has purified and clear personal knowledge paccattaṁyeva ñāṇaṁ bhavissati parisuddhaṁ pariyodātanti
CND4 The Blessed One knows all sufferings… yathā pajānaṃ
CND4 The Blessed One knows a method… vijānanto
CND4 The Blessed One understands a method… paṭivijānanto
CND4 The Blessed One penetrates a method… paṭivijjhanto
CND4 The Blessed One know in real life the Dhamma anītihaṃ
CND5 The Blessed One know in real life the stillness anītihaṃ
MND14 The Blessed One sees the Dhamma self-evidently sak­khi­dhamma­ma­nīti­ha­maddasi
MND16 The Blessed One knows the Dhamma yathā pajānaṃ
CND4, CND5, CND8, CND18, MND16 A method personnaly proven and self-proven by oneself sāmaṃ saya­ma­bhiñ­ñā­taṃ attapaccak­kha­dhammaṃ taṃ kathayissāmīti
MND14 a method self-evidenced sakkhidhammaṃ
MND 14 His insights were seen and understood in the Dhamma that he personally proved and realized. sāmaṃ saya­ma­bhiñ­ñā­taṃ attapaccak­kha­dhammaṃ addasi addakkhi apassi paṭivijjhīti

Reserve

This section is still work in progress. We’ve searched expressions such as “self-proven”, “self-evidence”, “one who knows” or “unbeliever” in CND/MND. And one occurrence sounded interesting enough to be kept here.

MN51.12

MN51.12=MN76.35 “which he has himself realized by direct knowledge”

MND 10

88 · Those who have no leakage in satisfaction,
Those who are not enthusiastic in arrogance,
The soft and the eloquent, the unbeliever,
He will not be tainted.

“The unbeliever, he will not be tainted”: “The unbeliever,” who has been personally proven by himself, of the self-represented Dhamma, does not believe in any other Samaṇa, or Brāhmaṇa, or heaven, or man, or Brahma: “All actions are impermanent,” he has proved it himself …, “all actions are suffering”…, “all dhammas are selfless”…, “action is based on ignorance”…, “being is based on life, age, death”…, “death by ignorance leads to demise”…, “birth and death lead to life and death)”…, “this is suffering”…, “these are defilements”…, “this is the path leading to defilements”…, “these dhammas should be proven to be known”…, “these dhammas should be witnessed”…, “the gathering, extinction, pleasure, trouble, detachment of the touch…,” the gathering of the five aggregates…, the four major gatherings, disappearance, pleasure, trouble, detachment are justified by oneself, knowing… “any collection of dhammas is an extinguishing of dhammas.” The one who knows the Dhamma by himself, self-proven, does not believe in any other Samaṇa, or Brāhmaṇa, or heaven, or man, or Brahma.

This was said by the Blessed One [SN.48.44]: “Sāriputta! Do you have faith that when the root of faith has been practiced and practiced more, is an immortal foothold, an immortal shore, an end of immortality?; when the root of vitality…, the root of mind…, the root of concentration…, when the root of wisdom…, ?”

“Great Virtue! Here, I do not rely on faith in the Blessed One that when the root of faith…, when the root of vitality…, when the root of mind…, when the root of concentration…, when the root of wisdom …, Great Virtue! If this is not known, not seen, not discovered, not testified, not touched by wisdom, there, they will come to other people with faith that when the root of faith has been practiced…, there is an immortal foothold, an immortal other side, and an immortal end; but, Great Virtue! Those who have known, seen, discovered, testified, and touched with wisdom, where they are confident and undoubtful that the root of faith…., and an end of immortality. Great Virtue! For me, this has been known, has been seen, has been discovered, has been testified, has been touched with wisdom, where I am confident and undoubting that when the root of faith…, there is a foothold….”

“Good! Well! Sāriputta! Sāriputta! If this is not known, unseen, undiscovered, untested, untouched by wisdom, there, they will come to others with faith that when the root of faith…, when the root of wisdom has already been practiced and practiced more, there is an immortal foothold, an immortal shore, and an end of immortality.”

“The unbelievers and those who are not known, And those who have cut off reincarnation, The person who destroys the opportunity and the person who has spit out, He is indeed the best person.” [Dhp.97]

“The unbelievers will not be tainted”: All ignorant ordinary people are tainted, good ordinary people, including the seven types of learned, they are tainted, and the Arahant is neither tainted nor away from being tainted: he who is detached from the staining, the extinction of greed becomes the state of freedom from greed; the extinction of anger becomes the state of freedom from anger; the extinction of delusion becomes the state of freedom from delusion, he is the person who has descended into the state, has practiced the behavior… (omitted), the cycle of life and death, without his rebirth.