Viyahapannatti 6.10: Uddeśaka 10: anyatīrthika

"Venerable Sir, adherents of other doctrines state and declare as follows: 'However many living beings there are in the city of Rājagṛha, no one is able to bring out and display the pleasure or pain of that many beings, even the size of a jujube kernel, or a kidney bean, or a pea, or an urad bean, or a mung bean, or a louse, or a nit.' / How is this so, Venerable Sir?" / "Gautama, what those adherents of other doctrines state and declare is false. But I, Gautama, state and declare this: In the entire universe, no one is able to bring out and display the pleasure or pain of all beings, even the size of a jujube kernel, or a kidney bean, or a pea, or an urad bean, or a mung bean, or a louse, or a nit. / For what reason? Gautama, this Jambūdvīpa continent is declared to be […] in circumference. / If a deity of great power and majesty were to take a large scent-casket with an ointment, uncover it, and saying 'I am going right now,' encircle the entire Jambūdvīpa continent twenty-one times in three finger-snaps and quickly return; would then, Gautama, that entire Jambūdvīpa continent be touched by those particles of scent?" / "Yes, it would be touched." / "Gautama, would anyone be able to bring out and display those particles of scent even the size of a jujube kernel, or a kidney bean, or a pea, or an urad bean, or a mung bean, or a louse, or a nit?" / "No, Venerable Sir, that is not possible." / "For that reason, Gautama, it is said that no one is able to bring out and display [their] pleasure or [pain]."

"Venerable Sir, is a living being conscious? Is that which is conscious a living being?" / "Gautama, that which is a living being is necessarily conscious, and that which is conscious is necessarily a living being." / "Venerable Sir, is a living being an inhabitant of hell? Is an inhabitant of hell a living being?" / "Gautama, an inhabitant of hell is necessarily a living being; a living being, however, may be an inhabitant of hell, or may not be an inhabitant of hell." / "Venerable Sir, is a living being an Asurakumāra? Is an Asurakumāra a living being?" / "Gautama, an Asurakumāra is necessarily a living being; a living being, however, may be an Asurakumāra, or may not be an Asurakumāra." / In this manner, the standard series of categories is to be spoken up to the celestial beings. / "Venerable Sir, does that which lives constitute a living being? Does a living being live?" / "Gautama, that which lives is necessarily a living being; a living being, however, may live or may not live." / "Venerable Sir, is that which lives an inhabitant of hell? Does an inhabitant of hell live?" / "Gautama, an inhabitant of hell necessarily lives; that which lives, however, may be an inhabitant of hell, or may not be an inhabitant of hell." / In this manner, the series of categories should be applied up to the celestial beings. / "Venerable Sir, is one capable of liberation an inhabitant of hell? Is an inhabitant of hell one capable of liberation?" / "Gautama, one capable of liberation may be an inhabitant of hell, or may not be an inhabitant of hell. An inhabitant of hell also may be capable of liberation, or may be incapable of liberation." / In this manner, the series of categories [is to be applied] up to the celestial beings.

"Venerable Sir, adherents of other doctrines state and declare: 'Truly, all beings, living entities, creatures, and souls experience purely painful feeling.' / How is this so, Venerable Sir?" / "Gautama, what those adherents of other doctrines state is false. But I, Gautama, state and declare: / Some beings, living entities, creatures, and souls experience purely painful feeling, and occasionally pleasurable [feeling]. Some beings, living entities, creatures, and souls experience purely pleasurable feeling, and occasionally unpleasurable [feeling]. Some beings, living entities, creatures, and souls experience feeling of mixed degree—occasionally pleasurable and unpleasurable. / For what reason? / Gautama, inhabitants of hell experience purely painful feeling, and occasionally pleasurable [feeling]. The Bhavanapatis, Vāṇavyantaras, Jyotiṣkas, and Vaimānikas experience purely pleasurable feeling, and occasionally unpleasurable [feeling]. Earth-bodied beings up to human beings experience feeling of mixed degree—occasionally pleasurable and unpleasurable. For that reason, [it is so stated]."

"Venerable Sir, regarding the matter that inhabitants of hell consume by taking it to themselves: do they consume matter that occupies the space of their own body by taking it to themselves? Do they consume matter that occupies the immediately adjacent space by taking it to themselves? Or do they consume matter that occupies the non-adjacent space by taking it to themselves?" / "Gautama, they consume matter that occupies the space of their own body by taking it to themselves; they do not consume matter that occupies the immediately adjacent space by taking it to themselves, nor do they consume matter that occupies the non-adjacent space by taking it to themselves." / As for inhabitants of hell, so also the series of categories up to the celestial beings.

"Venerable Sir, does a kevalin know and perceive by means of sense organs?" / "Gautama, this meaning is not tenable." / "For what reason?" / "Gautama, in the eastern direction a kevalin knows what is limited and knows what is unlimited, up to: the vision of a kevalin is unobstructed. For that reason, [it is so stated]."

The pleasure and pain of living beings, whether a living being lives, likewise those capable of liberation, / purely painful feeling, matter taken to oneself, and the kevalin.

"So it is, Venerable Sir! So it is, Venerable Sir!"