On one occasion the Blessed One was staying in Saketa at Kalaka's park. There he addressed the monks: “Monks!”

“Yes, lord,” the monks responded.

The Blessed One said: “Monks, whatever in the cosmos — with its devas, Maras, & Brahmas, its generations with their contemplatives & brahmans royalty & common people — is seen, heard, sensed, cognized, attained, sought after, pondered by the intellect: That do I know. Whatever in the cosmos — with its devas, Maras, & Brahmas, its generations with their contemplatives & brahmans, their royalty & common people — is seen, heard, sensed, cognized, attained, sought after, pondered by the intellect: That I directly know. That has been realized by the Tathagata, but in the Tathagata(1) it has not been established.(2)

“If I were to say, 'I don't know whatever in the cosmos… is seen, heard, sensed, cognized… pondered by the intellect,' that would be a falsehood in me. If I were to say, 'I both know and don't know whatever in the cosmos… is seen, heard, sensed, cognized… pondered by the intellect,' that would be just the same. If I were to say, 'I neither know nor don't know whatever in the cosmos… is seen, heard, sensed, cognized… pondered by the intellect,' that would be a fault in me.

“Thus, monks, the Tathagata, when seeing what is to be seen, doesn't construe an [object as] seen. He doesn't construe an unseen. He doesn't construe an [object] to-be-seen. He doesn't construe a seer.

“When hearing…

“When sensing…

“When cognizing what is to be cognized, he doesn't construe an [object as] cognized. He doesn't construe an uncognized. He doesn't construe an [object] to-be-cognized. He doesn't construe a cognizer.

Thus, monks, the Tathagata — being the same with regard to all phenomena that can be seen, heard, sensed, & cognized — is 'Such.' And I tell you: There's no other 'Such' higher or more sublime.

Notes