ud6.4:0.1Heartfelt Sayings 6.4
ud6.4:0.2Followers of Various Other Religions (1st)
ud6.4:1.1So I have heard.
ud6.4:1.2At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.
ud6.4:1.3Now at that time several ascetics, brahmins, and wanderers who followed various other religions were residing in Sāvatthī, holding different views, beliefs, and opinions, relying on different views.
ud6.4:2.1There were some ascetics and brahmins who had this doctrine and view:
ud6.4:2.2“The cosmos is eternal. This is the only truth, anything else is futile.”
ud6.4:3.1Others held views such as the following, each regarding their own view as true and others as silly.
ud6.4:3.2“The cosmos is not eternal.”
ud6.4:4.2“The cosmos is finite.”
ud6.4:5.2“The cosmos is infinite.”
ud6.4:6.2“The soul and the body are one and the same.”
ud6.4:7.2“The soul is one thing, the body another.”
ud6.4:8.2“A realized one still exists after death.”
ud6.4:9.2“A realized one no longer exists after death.”
ud6.4:10.2“A realized one both still exists and no longer exists after death.”
ud6.4:11.2“A realized one neither still exists nor no longer exists after death.”
ud6.4:12.1They were fighting, quarreling, and disputing, continually wounding each other with barbed words:
ud6.4:12.2“Such is Truth, such is not Truth!
ud6.4:12.3Such is not Truth, such is Truth!”
ud6.4:13.1Then several mendicants robed up in the morning and, taking their bowls and robes, entered Sāvatthī for alms.
ud6.4:13.2Then, after the meal, when they returned from almsround, they went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what was happening. The Buddha said:
ud6.4:16.1“The wanderers of other religions are blind and sightless.
ud6.4:16.2They don’t understand what is beneficial or what is not beneficial, nor what is the truth and what is not the truth.
ud6.4:16.3That’s why they are fighting, quarreling, and disputing, continually wounding each other with barbed words.
ud6.4:17.1Once upon a time, mendicants, right here in Sāvatthī there was a certain king.
ud6.4:17.2Then the king addressed a man,
ud6.4:17.3‘Please, my man, gather all those blind from birth throughout Sāvatthī and bring them together in one place.’
ud6.4:17.4‘Yes, Your Majesty,’ that man replied. He did as the king asked, then said to him,
ud6.4:17.5‘Your Majesty, the blind people throughout Sāvatthī have been gathered.’
ud6.4:17.6‘Well then, lad, show them an elephant.’
ud6.4:17.7‘Yes, Your Majesty,’ that man replied. He did as the king asked.
ud6.4:18.1To some of the blind people he showed the elephant’s head, saying,
ud6.4:18.2‘Here is the elephant.’
ud6.4:18.3To some of them he showed the elephant’s ear, saying,
ud6.4:18.4‘Here is the elephant.’
ud6.4:18.5To some of them he showed the elephant’s tusk, saying,
ud6.4:18.6‘Here is the elephant.’
ud6.4:18.7To some of them he showed the elephant’s trunk, saying,
ud6.4:18.8‘Here is the elephant.’
ud6.4:18.9To some of them he showed the elephant’s flank, saying,
ud6.4:18.10‘Here is the elephant.’
ud6.4:18.11To some of them he showed the elephant’s leg, saying,
ud6.4:18.12‘Here is the elephant.’
ud6.4:18.13To some of them he showed the elephant’s thigh, saying,
ud6.4:18.14‘Here is the elephant.’
ud6.4:18.15To some of them he showed the elephant’s tail, saying,
ud6.4:18.16‘Here is the elephant.’
ud6.4:18.17To some of them he showed the tip of the elephant’s tail, saying,
ud6.4:18.18‘Here is the elephant.’
ud6.4:19.1Then he approached the king and said,
ud6.4:19.2‘Your Majesty, the blind people have been shown the elephant.
ud6.4:19.3Please go at your convenience.’
ud6.4:20.1Then the king went up to the blind people and said,
ud6.4:20.2‘Have you seen the elephant?’
ud6.4:20.3‘Yes, Your Majesty, we have been shown the elephant.’
ud6.4:20.4‘Then tell us, what kind of thing is an elephant?’
ud6.4:21.1The blind people who had been shown the elephant’s head said,
ud6.4:21.2‘Your Majesty, an elephant is like a pot.’
ud6.4:22.1Those who had been shown the ear said,
ud6.4:22.2‘An elephant is like a winnowing fan.’
ud6.4:23.1Those who had been shown the tusk said,
ud6.4:23.2‘An elephant is like a ploughshare.’
ud6.4:24.1Those who had been shown the trunk said,
ud6.4:24.2‘An elephant is like a draft-pole.’
ud6.4:25.1Those who had been shown the flank said,
ud6.4:25.2‘An elephant is like a storehouse.’
ud6.4:26.1Those who had been shown the leg said,
ud6.4:26.2‘An elephant is like a pillar.’
ud6.4:27.1Those who had been shown the thigh said,
ud6.4:27.2‘An elephant is like a mortar.’
ud6.4:28.1Those who had been shown the tail said,
ud6.4:28.2‘An elephant is like a pestle.’
ud6.4:29.1Those who had been shown the tip of the tail said,
ud6.4:29.2‘An elephant is like a broom.’
ud6.4:30.1Saying, ‘Such is an elephant, not such!
ud6.4:30.2Such is not an elephant, such is!’ they punched each other with their fists.
ud6.4:30.3At that, the king was pleased.
ud6.4:31.1In the same way, mendicants, the wanderers of other religions are blind and sightless.
ud6.4:31.2They don’t understand what is beneficial or what is not beneficial, nor what is the truth and what is not the truth.
ud6.4:31.3That’s why they are fighting, quarreling, and disputing, continually wounding each other with barbed words.
ud6.4:31.4‘Such is Truth, such is not!
ud6.4:31.5Such is not Truth, such is!’”
ud6.4:32.1Then, understanding this matter, on that occasion the Buddha expressed this heartfelt sentiment:
ud6.4:33.1“Some ascetics and brahmins, it seems,
ud6.4:33.2cling to these things.
ud6.4:33.3Arguing, they dispute,
ud6.4:33.4the folk who see just one part.”