Bodhirājakumārasutta

mn85:12.1 So I approached Āḷāra Kālāma and said to him,

mn85:12.2 ‘Reverend Kālāma, to what extent do you say you’ve realized this teaching with your own insight?’

mn85:12.3 When I said this, he declared the dimension of nothingness.

mn85:12.4 Then it occurred to me,

mn85:12.5 ‘It’s not just Āḷāra Kālāma who has faith,

mn85:12.6 energy,

mn85:12.7 mindfulness,

mn85:12.8 immersion,

mn85:12.9 and wisdom; I too have these things.

mn85:12.10 Why don’t I make an effort to realize the same teaching that Āḷāra Kālāma says he has realized with his own insight?’

mn85:12.11 I quickly realized that teaching with my own insight, and lived having achieved it.

mn85:12.12 So I approached Āḷāra Kālāma and said to him,

mn85:12.13 ‘Reverend Kālāma, is it up to this point that you realized this teaching with your own insight, and declare having achieved it?’

mn85:12.14 ‘I have, reverend.’

mn85:12.15 ‘I too have realized this teaching with my own insight up to this point, and live having achieved it.’

mn85:12.16 ‘We are fortunate, reverend, so very fortunate

mn85:12.17 to see a venerable such as yourself as one of our spiritual companions!

mn85:12.18 So the teaching that I’ve realized with my own insight, and declare having achieved it, you’ve realized with your own insight, and dwell having achieved it.

mn85:12.19 The teaching that you’ve realized with your own insight, and dwell having achieved it, I’ve realized with my own insight, and declare having achieved it.

mn85:12.20 So the teaching that I know, you know, and the teaching you know, I know.

mn85:12.21 I am like you and you are like me.

mn85:12.22 Come now, reverend! We should both lead this community together.’

mn85:12.23 And that is how my tutor Āḷāra Kālāma placed me, his pupil, on the same position as him, and honored me with high praise.

mn85:12.24 Then it occurred to me,

mn85:12.25 ‘This teaching doesn’t lead to disillusionment, dispassion, cessation, peace, insight, awakening, and extinguishment. It only leads as far as rebirth in the dimension of nothingness.’

mn85:12.26 Realizing that this teaching was inadequate, I left disappointed.

mn85:12.27 I set out to discover what is skillful, seeking the supreme state of sublime peace. I approached Uddaka son of Rāma and said to him,

mn85:12.28 ‘Reverend, I wish to lead the spiritual life in this teaching and training.’

mn85:12.29 Uddaka replied,

mn85:12.30 ‘Stay, venerable.

mn85:12.31 This teaching is such that a sensible person can soon realize their own denomination with their own insight and live having achieved it.’

mn85:12.32 I quickly memorized that teaching.

mn85:12.33 As far as lip-recital and verbal repetition went, I spoke the doctrine of knowledge, the elder doctrine. I claimed to know and see, and so did others.

mn85:12.34 Then it occurred to me,

mn85:12.35 ‘It is not solely by mere faith that Rāma declared: “I realize this teaching with my own insight, and live having achieved it.”

mn85:12.36 Surely he meditated knowing and seeing this teaching.’