Then Ven. Malunkyaputta, who was ardent & resolute, went to
the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to
one side. As he was sitting there, he said to the Blessed One: "It
would be good, lord, if the Blessed One would teach me the Dhamma
in brief so that, having heard the Dhamma from the Blessed One, I
might dwell alone in seclusion: heedful, ardent, &
resolute."
"Here now, Malunkyaputta: What will I say to the young monks
when you — aged, old, elderly, along in years, come to the last
stage of life — ask for an admonition in brief?"
"Lord, even though I'm aged, old, elderly, along in years, come
to the last stage of life, may the Blessed One teach me the Dhamma
in brief! May the One Well-gone teach me the Dhamma in brief! It
may well be that I'll understand the Blessed One's words. It may
well be that I'll become an heir to the Blessed One's words."
"What do you think, Malunkyaputta: the forms cognizable via the
eye that are unseen by you — that you have never before seen, that
you don't see, and that are not to be seen by you: Do you have any
desire or passion or love there?"
"No, lord."[1]
"The sounds cognizable via the ear...
"The aromas cognizable via the nose...
"The flavors cognizable via the tongue...
"The tactile sensations cognizable via the body...
"The ideas cognizable via the intellect that are uncognized by
you — that you have never before cognized, that you don't cognize,
and that are not to be cognized by you: Do you have any desire or
passion or love there?"
"No, lord."
"Then, Malunkyaputta, with regard to phenomena to be seen,
heard, sensed, or cognized: In reference to the seen, there will be
only the seen. In reference to the heard, only the heard. In
reference to the sensed, only the sensed. In reference to the
cognized, only the cognized. That is how you should train yourself.
When for you there will be only the seen in reference to the seen,
only the heard in reference to the heard, only the sensed in
reference to the sensed, only the cognized in reference to the
cognized, then, Malunkyaputta, there is no you in
connection with that. When there is no you in connection
with that, there is no you there. When there is no
you there, you are neither here nor yonder nor between the
two. This, just this, is the end of stress."[2]
"I understand in detail, lord, the meaning of what the Blessed
One has said in brief:
"It's in this way, lord, that I understand in detail the meaning
of what the Blessed One said in brief."
"Good, Malunkyaputta. Very good. It's good that you understand
in detail this way the meaning of what I said in brief."
[The Buddha then repeats the verses.]
"It's in this way, Malunkyaputta, that the meaning of what I
said in brief should be regarded in detail."
Then Ven.
Malunkyaputta, having been admonished by the admonishment from the
Blessed One, got up from his seat and bowed down to the Blessed
One, circled around him, keeping the Blessed One to his right side,
and left. Then, dwelling alone, secluded, heedful, ardent, &
resolute, he in no long time reached & remained in the supreme
goal of the holy life for which clansmen rightly go forth from home
into homelessness, knowing & realizing it for himself in the
here & now. He knew: "Birth is ended, the holy life fulfilled,
the task done. There is nothing further for the sake of this
world." And thus Ven. Malunkyaputta became another one of the
arahants.