The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha - Bhikkhu Nanamoli [387]
“How then, student, among the brahmins is there even a single teacher or teacher’s teacher back to the seventh generation of teachers who says thus: ‘I declare the result of these five things having realised it myself with direct know ledge’?”—“No, Master Gotama.” [200]
“How then, student, the ancient brahmin seers, the creators of the hymns, the composers of the hymns, whose ancient hymns that were formerly chanted, uttered, and compiled the brahmins nowadays still chant and repeat, repeating what was spoken, reciting what was recited—that is, Aṭṭhaka, Vāmaka, Vāmadeva, Vess̄mitta, Yamataggi, Angirasa, Bh̄radv̄ja, V̄sẹ̣ha, Kassapa, and Bhagu—did even these ancient brahmin seers say thus: ‘We declare the result of these five things having realised it ourselves with direct knowledge’?”—“No, Master Gotama.”
“So, student, it seems that among the brahmins there is not even a single brahmin who says thus: ‘I declare the result of these five things having realised it myself with direct knowledge. ’ And among the brahmins there is not even a single teacher or a single teacher’s teacher back to the seventh generation of teachers, who says thus: ‘I declare the result of these five things having realised it myself with direct knowledge.’ And the ancient brahmin seers, the creators of the hymns, the composers of the hymns…even these ancient brahmin seers did not say thus: ‘We declare the result of these five things having realised it ourselves with direct knowledge.’ Suppose there were a file of blind men each in touch with the next: the first one does not see, the middle one does not see, and the last one does not see. So too, student, in regard to their statement the brahmins seem to be like a file of blind men: the first one does not see, the middle one does not see, and the last one does not see.”
10. When this was said, the brahmin student Subha, Todeyya’s son, was angry and displeased with the simile of the file of blind men, and he reviled, disparaged, and censured the Blessed One, saying: “The recluse Gotama will be worsted.” Then he said to the Blessed One: “Master Gotama, the brahmin Pokkharasāti of the Upamaññā clan, lord of the Subhaga Grove, says thus:912 ‘Some recluses and brahmins here claim superhuman states, distinctions in knowledge and vision worthy of the noble ones. But what they say [201] turns out to be ridiculous; it turns out to be mere words, empty and hollow. For how could a human being know or see or realise a superhuman state, a distinction in knowledge and vision worthy of the noble ones? That is impossible.’”
11. “How then, student, does the brahmin Pokkharas̄ti understand the minds of all recluses and brahmins, having encompassed them with his own mind?”
“Master Gotama, the brahmin Pokkharasāti does not even understand the mind of his slavewoman Pụ̣ik̄, having encompassed it with his own mind, so how could he understand thus the minds of all recluses and brahmins?”
12. “Student, suppose there were a man born blind who could not see dark and light forms, who could not see blue, yellow, red, or carmine forms, who could not see what was even and uneven, who could not see the stars or the sun and moon. He might say thus: ‘There are no dark and light forms, and no one who sees dark and light forms; there are no blue, yellow, red, or carmine forms, and no one who sees blue, yellow, red, or carmine forms; there is nothing even and uneven, and no one who sees anything even and uneven; there are no stars and no sun and moon, and no one who sees stars and the sun and moon. I do not know these, I do not see these, therefore these do not exist.’ Speaking thus, student, would he be speaking rightly?”
“No, Master Gotama. There are dark and light forms, and those who see dark and light forms…there are the stars and the sun and moon, and those who see the stars and the sun and moon. [202] Saying, ‘I do not know these, I do not