Uṇṇābha Brāhmaṇa Sutta (2)
The Five Sense Faculties and Their Support
[966] Thus have I heard. At Sāvatthī.
At that time the brāhmaṇa Uṇṇābha approached the Blessed One, exchanged greetings with him, and after the courteous exchange was seated to one side. Then he asked the Blessed One:
[967] “Master Gotama, the five indriyas (sense faculties) have different objects, different fields, and do not experience each other’s fields. Which five?
The eye-faculty, the ear-faculty, the nose-faculty, the tongue-faculty, and the body-faculty.
What, Master Gotama, is the support (ādāra) for these five faculties that have different objects, different fields, and do not experience each other’s fields? And what experiences the objects of these five faculties?”
The Buddha’s Explanation
[968] The Blessed One said:
“Brahmin, these five sense-faculties have different objects, different fields, and do not experience each other’s fields.
Which five? The eye, ear, nose, tongue, and body.
The mind (mano) is the support for these five faculties, and the mind experiences the objects of these five faculties.”
Ascending Supports
[969] Uṇṇābha asked: “But Master Gotama, what is the support of the mind?”
The Buddha replied: “Sati (mindfulness) is the support of the mind.”
[970] “And what is the support of sati, Master Gotama?”
“Vimutti (liberation) is the support of sati.”
[971] “And what is the support of vimutti, Master Gotama?”
“Nibbāna is the support of vimutti.”
Uṇṇābha asked: “And what is the support of Nibbāna, Master Gotama?”
The Buddha replied:
“Brahmin, you have overstepped the question. The ultimate limit of knowledge cannot be grasped in that way. For the brahmacariya, when lived out fully, leads to Nibbāna, has Nibbāna as its destination, Nibbāna as its final goal.”
The Brāhmaṇa’s Joy
[972] Then the brāhmaṇa Uṇṇābha, delighted and rejoicing in the Blessed One’s words, rose from his seat, paid homage to the Blessed One, circled him to the right, and departed.
The Buddha Instructs the Bhikkhus
[973] Not long after Uṇṇābha had departed, the Blessed One called the bhikkhus and said:
[974] “Bhikkhus, imagine an upper chamber with a window facing north or east. When the sun rises, wherever its rays fall through that window, they settle upon the western wall.”
The bhikkhus replied: “Upon the western wall, Bhante.”
The Blessed One said:
“So it is, bhikkhus. Uṇṇābha’s faith in the Tathāgata has become firm, established, rooted, and grounded— unshakable by any ascetic or brāhmaṇa, deity, Māra, Brahmā, or anyone in the world.
If Uṇṇābha were to pass away at this very moment, there would remain no saṅyojana that could bind him to return to this world again.”
End of the Uṇṇābha Brāhmaṇa Sutta (2)