Dighanikaya 29.187

29.187

Agāramajjhe vasantā hi sotāpannādayo yāvajīvaṃ gihibyañjanena tiṭṭhanti. Khīṇāsavo pana arahattaṃ patvāva manussabhūto parinibbāti vā pabbajati vā. Cātumahārājikādīsu kāmāvacaradevesu muhuttampi na tiṭṭhati. Kasmā? Vivekaṭṭhānassa abhāvā. Bhummadevattabhāve pana ṭhito arahattaṃ patvāpi tiṭṭhati. Tassa vasena ayaṃ pañho āgato. Bhinnadosattā panassa bhikkhubhāvo veditabbo. Atīrakanti atīraṃ aparicchedaṃ mahantaṃ. No ca kho anāgatanti anāgataṃ pana addhānaṃ ārabbha evaṃ na paññapeti, atītameva maññe samaṇo gotamo jānāti, na anāgataṃ. Tathā hissa atīte aḍḍhachaṭṭhasatajātakānussaraṇaṃ paññāyati. Anāgate evaṃ bahuṃ anussaraṇaṃ na paññāyatīti imamatthaṃ maññamānā evaṃ vadeyyuṃ. Tayidaṃ kiṃ sūti anāgate apaññāpanaṃ kiṃ nu kho? Kathaṃsūti kena nu kho kāraṇena ajānantoyeva nu kho anāgataṃ nānussarati, ananussaritukāmatāya nānussaratīti. Aññavihitakena ñāṇadassanenāti paccakkhaṃ viya katvā dassanasamatthatāya dassanabhūtena ñāṇena aññatthavihitakena ñāṇena aññaṃ ārabbha pavattena, aññavihitakaṃ aññaṃ ārabbha pavattamānaṃ ñāṇadassanaṃ saṅgāhetabbaṃ paññāpetabbaṃ maññanti. Te hi carato ca tiṭṭhato ca suttassa ca jāgarassa ca satataṃ samitaṃ ñāṇadassanaṃ paccupaṭṭhitaṃ maññanti, tādisañca ñāṇaṃ nāma natthi. Tasmā yathariva bālā abyattā, evaṃ maññantīti veditabbo.

For stream-enterers and so forth living in the household remain until the end of their lives with the outward characteristics of a householder. But one who has destroyed the taints, having reached arahantship as a human, either attains final passing or goes forth [into homelessness]. In [the realms of] the sense-sphere deities, such as the Four Great Kings and so forth, he does not remain even for an instant. Why? Because of the absence of a place of seclusion. Yet having stood in the individual existence of an earth-deity, he remains even after reaching arahantship. It was with reference to this that this question arose. And because of having shattered all flaws, his state as a bhikkhu should be understood. 'Shoreless' means having no shore, boundless, vast. 'Not, however, the future': but concerning future time, he does not declare thus; they might speak thus thinking of this meaning: 'The ascetic Gotama knows only the past, I think, not the future. For thus is his recollection of five hundred and fifty birth stories known in the past; such vast recollection is not known in the future.' 'Why is this so?' means: why indeed is there no declaration concerning the future? 'How is it?' means: for what reason indeed—not knowing does he not recollect the future, or does he not recollect through a lack of desire to recollect? 'With a knowledge and vision directed elsewhere' means: through knowledge that has become seeing by being capable of seeing as though right before the eyes, through knowledge directed elsewhere, operating with reference to something else; they think that knowledge and vision operating with reference to something else, directed elsewhere, is to be included and declared. For they think that for him, whether walking, standing, sleeping, or awake, knowledge and vision is constantly, continually present, and no such knowledge exists. Therefore, it should be understood: 'Just as foolish, inexpert persons, thus they think.'