Appendix Two: Non-Udāna Exclamations

From MN 75: To Māgandiya (Māgandiya Sutta)

“Now what do you think, Māgandiya? Have you ever seen or heard of a king or king’s minister–enjoying himself, provided & endowed with the five strands of sensual pleasure, without abandoning sensual craving, without removing sensual fever–who has dwelt or will dwell or is dwelling free from thirst, his mind inwardly at peace?”

“No, Master Gotama.”

“Very good, Māgandiya. Neither have I ever seen or heard of a king or king’s minister–enjoying himself, provided & endowed with the five strands of sensual pleasure, without abandoning sensual craving, without removing sensual fever–who has dwelt or will dwell or is dwelling free from thirst, his mind inwardly at peace. But whatever contemplatives or brahmans who have dwelt or will dwell or are dwelling free from thirst, their minds inwardly at peace, all have done so having realized–as it has come to be–the origination & disappearance, the allure, the danger, & the escape from sensual pleasures, having abandoned sensual craving and removed sensual fever.”

Then at that moment the Blessed One exclaimed,

When this was said, Māgandiya the wanderer said to the Blessed One, “It’s amazing, Master Gotama. It’s astounding, how this, too, is well-stated by Master Gotama: ‘Freedom from disease: the foremost good fortune. Unbinding: the foremost ease.’ We have also heard this said by earlier wanderers in the lineage of our teachers: ‘Freedom from disease: the foremost good fortune. Unbinding: the foremost ease.’ This agrees with that.”

“But as for what you have heard said by earlier wanderers in the lineage of your teachers, Māgandiya–‘Freedom from disease: the foremost good fortune. Unbinding: the foremost ease’–which freedom from disease is that, which unbinding?”

When this was said, Māgandiya the wanderer rubbed his own limbs with his hand. “This is that freedom from disease, Master Gotama,” he said. “This is that unbinding. For I am now free from disease, happy, and nothing afflicts me.”

“Māgandiya, it’s just as if there were a man blind from birth who couldn’t see black objects… white… blue… yellow… red… or pink objects; who couldn’t see even or uneven places, the stars, the sun, or the moon. He would hear a man with good eyesight saying, ‘How wonderful, good sirs, is a white cloth–beautiful, spotless, & clean.’ He would go in search of something white. Then another man would fool him with a grimy, oil-stained rag: ‘Here, my good man, is a white cloth–beautiful, spotless, & clean.’ The blind man would take it and put it on. Having put it on, gratified, he would exclaim words of gratification, ‘How wonderful, good sirs, is a white cloth–beautiful, spotless, & clean.’ Now what do you think, Māgandiya? When that man blind from birth took the grimy, oil-stained rag and put it on; and, having put it on, gratified, exclaimed words of gratification, ‘How wonderful, good sirs, is a white cloth–beautiful, spotless, & clean’: Did he do so knowing & seeing, or out of faith in the man with good eyesight?”

“Of course he did it not knowing & not seeing, Master Gotama, but out of faith in the man with good eyesight.”

“In the same way, Māgandiya, the wanderers of other sects are blind & eyeless. Without knowing freedom from disease, without seeing unbinding, they still speak this verse:

This verse was stated by earlier worthy ones, fully self-awakened:

“But now it has gradually become a verse of ordinary people.

“This body, Māgandiya, is a disease, a cancer, an arrow, painful, an affliction. And yet you say, with reference to this body, which is a disease, a cancer, an arrow, painful, an affliction: ‘This is that freedom from disease, Master Gotama. This is that unbinding,’ for you don’t have the noble vision with which you would know freedom from disease and see unbinding.”

“I’m convinced, Master Gotama, that you can teach me the Dhamma in such a way that I would know freedom from disease, that I would see unbinding.”

“Māgandiya, it’s just as if there were a man blind from birth who couldn’t see black objects… white… blue… yellow… red… pink… the sun, or the moon. His friends, companions, & relatives would take him to a doctor. The doctor would concoct medicine for him, but in spite of the medicine his eyesight would not appear or grow clear. What do you think, Māgandiya? Would that doctor have nothing but his share of weariness & disappointment?”

“Yes, Master Gotama.”

“In the same way, Māgandiya, if I were to teach you the Dhamma–‘This is that freedom from disease; this is that unbinding’–and you on your part did not know freedom from disease or see unbinding, that would be wearisome for me; that would be troublesome for me.”

“I’m convinced, Master Gotama, that you can teach me the Dhamma in such a way that I would know freedom from disease, that I would see unbinding.”

“Māgandiya, it’s just as if there were a man blind from birth who couldn’t see black objects… white… blue… yellow… red… pink… the sun, or the moon. Now suppose that a certain man were to take a grimy, oil-stained rag and fool him, saying, ‘Here, my good man, is a white cloth–beautiful, spotless, & clean.’ The blind man would take it and put it on.

“Then his friends, companions, & relatives would take him to a doctor. The doctor would concoct medicine for him: purges from above & purges from below, ointments & counter-ointments and treatments through the nose. And thanks to the medicine his eyesight would appear & grow clear. Then together with the arising of his eyesight, he would abandon whatever passion & delight he felt for that grimy, oil-stained rag. And he would regard that man as an enemy & no friend at all, and think that he deserved to be killed. ‘My gosh, how long have I been fooled, cheated, & deceived by that man & his grimy, oil-stained rag!–“Here, my good man, is a white cloth–beautiful, spotless, & clean.”’

“In the same way, Māgandiya, if I were to teach you the Dhamma–‘This is that freedom from Disease; this is that unbinding’–and you on your part were to know that freedom from Disease and see that unbinding, then together with the arising of your eyesight you would abandon whatever passion & delight you felt with regard for the five clinging-aggregates. And it would occur to you, ‘My gosh, how long have I been fooled, cheated, & deceived by this mind! For in clinging, it was just form that I was clinging to… it was just feeling… just perception… just fabrications… just consciousness that I was clinging to. With my clinging as a requisite condition, there arises becoming… birth… aging-&-death… sorrow, lamentation, pains, distresses, & despairs. And thus is the origin of this entire mass of stress.’”

“I’m convinced, Master Gotama, that you can teach me the Dhamma in such a way that I might rise up from this seat cured of my blindness.”

“In that case, Māgandiya, associate with people of integrity. When you associate with people of integrity, you will hear the true Dhamma. When you hear the true Dhamma, you will practice the Dhamma in accordance with the Dhamma. When you practice the Dhamma in accordance with the Dhamma, you will know & see for yourself: ‘These things are diseases, cancers, arrows. And here is where diseases, cancers, & arrows cease without trace. With the cessation of that clinging of mine comes the cessation of becoming. With the cessation of becoming comes the cessation of birth. With the cessation of birth then aging-&-death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair all cease. Such is the cessation of this entire mass of suffering & stress.’”

SN 22:55 Exclamation (Udāna Sutta)

At Sāvatthī. There the Blessed One exclaimed this exclamation: “‘It should not be, it should not occur to me [should not be mine]; it will not be, it will not occur to me [will not be mine]’: A monk set on this would break the [five] lower fetters.”

When this was said, a certain monk said to the Blessed One, “In what way would a monk set on this–‘It should not be, it should not occur to me; it will not be, it will not occur to me’–break the [five] lower fetters?”1

“There is the case, monk, where an uninstructed run-of-the-mill person–who has no regard for noble ones, is not well-versed or disciplined in their Dhamma; who has no regard for people of integrity, is not well-versed or disciplined in their Dhamma–assumes form to be the self, or the self as possessing form, or form as in the self, or the self as in form.

“He assumes feeling to be the self, or the self as possessing feeling, or feeling as in the self, or the self as in feeling. He assumes perception to be the self, or the self as possessing perception, or perception as in the self, or the self as in perception. He assumes fabrications to be the self, or the self as possessing fabrications, or fabrications as in the self, or the self as in fabrications. He assumes consciousness to be the self, or the self as possessing consciousness, or consciousness as in the self, or the self as in consciousness.

“He doesn’t discern, as it has come to be, inconstant form as ‘inconstant form.’ He doesn’t discern, as it has come to be, inconstant feeling as ‘inconstant feeling’ … inconstant perception as ‘inconstant perception’ … inconstant fabrications as ‘inconstant fabrications’ … inconstant consciousness as ‘inconstant consciousness.’

“He doesn’t discern, as it has come to be, stressful form as ‘stressful form’ … stressful feeling as ‘stressful feeling’ … stressful perception as ‘stressful perception’ … stressful fabrications as ‘stressful fabrications’ … stressful consciousness as ‘stressful consciousness.’

“He doesn’t discern, as it has come to be, not-self form as ‘not-self form’ … not-self feeling as ‘not-self feeling’ … not-self perception as ‘not-self perception’ … not-self fabrications as ‘not-self fabrications’ … not-self consciousness as ‘not-self consciousness.’

“He doesn’t discern, as it has come to be, fabricated form as ‘fabricated form’ … fabricated feeling as ‘fabricated feeling’ … fabricated perception as ‘fabricated perception’ … fabricated fabrications as ‘fabricated fabrications’ … fabricated consciousness as ‘fabricated consciousness.’

“He doesn’t discern, as it has come to be, that ‘form will stop becoming’ … ‘feeling will stop becoming’ … ‘perception will stop becoming’ … ‘fabrications will stop becoming’ … ‘consciousness will stop becoming.’

“Now, a well-instructed disciple of the noble ones–who has regard for noble ones, is well-versed & disciplined in their Dhamma; who has regard for people of integrity, is well-versed & disciplined in their Dhamma–doesn’t assume form to be the self, or the self as possessing form, or form as in the self, or the self as in form. He doesn’t assume feeling to be the self…. doesn’t assume perception to be the self…. doesn’t assume fabrications to be the self…. He doesn’t assume consciousness to be the self, or the self as possessing consciousness, or consciousness as in the self, or the self as in consciousness.

“He discerns, as it has come to be, inconstant form as ‘inconstant form’ … inconstant feeling as ‘inconstant feeling’ … inconstant perception as ‘inconstant perception’ … inconstant fabrications as ‘inconstant fabrications’ … inconstant consciousness as ‘inconstant consciousness.’

“He discerns, as it has come to be, stressful form as ‘stressful form’ … stressful feeling as ‘stressful feeling’ … stressful perception as ‘stressful perception’ … stressful fabrications as ‘stressful fabrications’ … stressful consciousness as ‘stressful consciousness.’

“He discerns, as it has come to be, not-self form as ‘not-self form’ … not-self feeling as ‘not-self feeling’ … not-self perception as ‘not-self perception’ … not-self fabrications as ‘not-self fabrications’ … not-self consciousness as ‘not-self consciousness.’

“He discerns, as it has come to be, fabricated form as ‘fabricated form’ … fabricated feeling as ‘fabricated feeling’ … fabricated perception as ‘fabricated perception’ … fabricated fabrications as ‘fabricated fabrications’ … fabricated consciousness as ‘fabricated consciousness.’

“He discerns, as it has come to be, that ‘form will stop becoming’ … ‘feeling will stop becoming’ … ‘perception will stop becoming’ … ‘fabrications will stop becoming’ … ‘consciousness will stop becoming.’

“From the non-becoming of form, from the non-becoming of feeling… of perception… of fabrications… of consciousness, a monk set on this–‘It should not be, it should not occur to me; it will not be, it will not occur to me’–would break the [five] lower fetters.”

“Lord, a monk set on this would break the [five] lower fetters. But for one knowing in what way, seeing in what way, is there the immediate ending of fermentations?”

“There is the case where an uninstructed run-of-the-mill person… falls into fear over what is not grounds for fear. There is fear for an uninstructed run-of-the-mill person [who thinks], ‘It should not be, it should not occur to me; it will not be, it will not occur to me.’ But an instructed disciple of the noble ones does not fall into fear over what is not grounds for fear. There is no fear for an instructed disciple of the noble ones [who thinks], ‘It should not be, it should not occur to me; it will not be, it will not occur to me.’

“Should consciousness, when standing, stand attached to form, supported by form [as its object], landing on form, watered with delight, it would exhibit growth, increase, & proliferation.

“Should consciousness, when standing, stand attached to feeling, supported by feeling [as its object], landing on feeling, watered with delight, it would exhibit growth, increase, & proliferation.

“Should consciousness, when standing, stand attached to perception, supported by perception [as its object], landing on perception, watered with delight, it would exhibit growth, increase, & proliferation.

“Should consciousness, when standing, stand attached to fabrications, supported by fabrications [as its object], landing on fabrications, watered with delight, it would exhibit growth, increase, & proliferation.

“Were someone to say, ‘I will describe a coming, a going, a passing away, an arising, a growth, an increase, or a proliferation of consciousness apart from form, from feeling, from perception, from fabrications,’ that would be impossible.

“If a monk abandons passion for the property of form….

“If a monk abandons passion for the property of feeling….

“If a monk abandons passion for the property of perception….

“If a monk abandons passion for the property of fabrications….

“If a monk abandons passion for the property of consciousness, then owing to the abandonment of passion, the support is cut off, and there is no landing of consciousness. Consciousness, thus not having landed, not increasing, not concocting, is released. Owing to release, it is steady. Owing to steadiness, it is contented. Owing to contentment, it is not agitated. Not agitated, he [the monk] is totally unbound right within. He discerns that ‘Birth is ended, the holy life fulfilled, the task done. There is nothing further for this world.’

“For one knowing in this way, seeing in this way, monk, there is the immediate ending of fermentations.”

From SN 56:11 The Tathāgata (Tathāgata Sutta)

That is what the Blessed One said. Gratified, the group of five monks delighted in the Blessed One’s words. And while this explanation was being given, there arose to Ven. Koṇḍañña the dustless, stainless Dhamma eye: Whatever is subject to origination is all subject to cessation.

And when the Blessed One had set the Wheel of Dhamma in motion, the earth deities cried out: “At Vārāṇasī, in the Game Refuge at Isipatana, the Blessed One has set in motion the unexcelled Wheel of Dhamma that cannot be stopped by contemplative, brahman, deva, Māra, Brahmā, or anyone at all in the cosmos.” On hearing the earth devas’ cry, the Devas of the Four Kings took up the cry… On hearing the Devas of the Four Kings’ cry, the Devas of the Thirty-three… the Devas of the Hours… the Contented devas… the Devas Who Enjoy Creation… the Devas Who Control the Creations of Others… the Devas of Brahmā’s Retinue took up the cry: “At Vārāṇasī, in the Game Refuge at Isipatana, the Blessed One has set in motion the unexcelled Wheel of Dhamma that cannot be stopped by contemplative, brahman, deva, Māra, Brahmā or anyone at all in the cosmos.”

So in that moment, that instant, the cry shot right up to the Brahma worlds. And this ten-thousand fold cosmos shivered & quivered & quaked, while a great, measureless radiance appeared in the cosmos, surpassing the effulgence of the devas.

Then the Blessed One exclaimed: “So you really know, Koṇḍañña? So you really know?” And that is how Ven. Koṇḍañña acquired the name Añña-Koṇḍañña–Koṇḍañña who knows.

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