Question
Whence so many arguments, disputes
and sorrow, lamentation, selfishness,
arrogance, pride and slander too?
Whence come all these? Please upon them speak.

Buddha
Much love of arguments, disputes,
means sorrow, lamentation, selfishness,
with arrogance, pride and slander too.
Inclined to selfishness, arguments, disputes;
quarrels, slander also come to birth.

Question
From what causes in the world there’s dearness, love,
these various greeds that wander in the world,
from these causes, hopes and their ends as well,
these bring about a human being’s future.

Buddha
From desires in the world as causes of the dear,
these various greeds that wander in the world,
from these causes, hopes and their ends as well,
these bring about a human being’s future.

Question
From what causes in the world is there desire,
and much deliberation on this—whence it comes?
And anger too, false-speaking, also doubtfulness,
and dharmas such as these by the Samaṇa declared

Buddha
“It’s pleasant, unpleasant”, so in the world they say
and depending on these arises desire,
but having seen forms, their arising and decay,
then a person in this world certainly deliberates.

With anger, false-speaking, also doubtfulness,
and all such dharmas, this quality exists.
The doubting person
in the knowledge-path should train
for the Samaṇa has declared dharmas
after having Known.

Question
The pleasant, the unpleasant, originate from what?
In the absence of what do these cease to be?
That which is being, non-being as well,
what their origination, do tell me of this?

Buddha
“Touch”, the origination of pleasant, unpleasant,
“Touch” being absent these cease to be.
That which is being, non-being as well,
its origin’s thus, I tell you of this.

Question
From what causes in the world does touch come to be
And whence does possessiveness also arise?
in the absence of what is “mine” making not?
When what exists not are no “touches” touched?

Buddha
“Touches” depend upon mind, upon form,
possessiveness caused by longing repeated,
when longing’s not found, possessiveness’s gone,
When form is no longer, no “touches” are “touched”.

Question
For one in what state does form cease to be,
how bliss and dukkha come to cease as well,
please do you tell me how these come to cease?
For this we would know—such is my intent.

Buddha
Neither one of normal perception nor yet abnormal,
neither unperceiving no cessation of perception,
but form ceases for one who (has known) it thus:
Conceptual proliferation has perception as its cause.

Question
Whatever we’ve asked of you, to us you’ve explained,
another query we’d ask, please speak upon this,
those reckoned as wise here, do they say that
“purity of soul is just for this (life)”
or do some of them state there’s another beyond?

Buddha
Here some reckoned as wise do certainly say:
“Purity of soul is just for this life”;
but others who claim to be clever aver
that there is an occasion
for what has nothing leftover.

And Knowing that these are dependent on views,
having Known their dependence, the investigative Sage
since Liberated Knows, so no longer disputes,
the wise one goes not from being to being.