The Buddha answers Tissa Metteyya's questions about who is content in the world, who is not perturbed, and who has gone beyond the net of existence.

“Who here is |content::satisfied, pleased [santusita]| in the world?” (said the venerable Tissa Metteyya) “For whom is there no |perturbation::agitation, disturbance, movement, turmoil [iñjita]|? Having |directly known::experientially understood [abhiññāya]| |both ends::a pair of boundary points or conditions [ubhonte]|, who does not get |entangled::smeared, stuck [lippati]| in the middle through wisdom? Whom do you call a great man? Who here has gone beyond |stitching [existence]::A metaphor for craving, for craving sews into production this or that state of existence; lit. seamstress, needlewoman. Read [AN 6.61](/an6.61) discourse for an explanation on this. [sibbinī]|?”

One is incapable of ending suffering without directly knowing and completely comprehending everything, without the mind detaching from it and without abandoning it. One is capable of ending suffering by directly knowing and completely comprehending everything, with the mind detaching from it, and by abandoning it.

This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, as I have heard:

The Buddha declares the three types of eyesight - 1) the physical eye, 2) the divine eye, and 3) the wisdom eye. The wisdom eye is unsurpassed of the three.

This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, as I have heard:

The Blessed One explains the two principles of explaining the Dhamma - 1) ‘See harm as harm’ and 2) ‘Having seen harm as harm, become disenchanted with it, become detached from it, and be released from it.’

This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, as I have heard:

If suffering is displeasing to you, do not commit evil deeds, whether openly or in secret.

Thus have I heard—At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthi, in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s park. Now at that time, several boys were catching fish between Sāvatthi and Jeta’s Grove.

A bhikkhu endowed with two qualities of being moved on occasions that inspire a sense of urgency and by wisely striving when aroused with urgency, dwells in the here and now with abundant ease and joy, and his mind is directed towards the wearing away of the mental defilements.

This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, as I have heard:

The Buddha describes the fetter of craving as the most significant bond, bound by which, beings continue wandering on in cyclic existence.

This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, as I have heard:

The Buddha shares the consequences of causing division within the monastic community.

This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, as I have heard:

The Buddha describes how to see the three felt experiences that are experienced on contact through the sense doors - pleasant, painful, and neither-painful-nor-pleasant.

This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, as I have heard:

Verses depicting the uncertain, brief, and suffering-laden nature of mortal life, emphasizing the inevitability of death for all beings, like ripe fruits fated to fall. The Buddha counsels against futile grief and lamentation over the departed, urging the wise to understand the world’s relentless course of decay and death.

Uncertain and unknown, is the life of mortals here; It is difficult and brief, and bound up with |suffering::discomfort, unpleasantness, discontentment, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, i.e. mild or intense suffering [dukkha]|.

DhammaPada verses 60-75 describe the traits and consequences for an immature person. They suffer from delusion, cling to false views of self and possessions, perform harmful actions, seek status without wisdom, and long for recognition. In contrast, the wise avoid their company and pursue seclusion and true understanding of the Dhamma.

Long is the night for one who is awake, long is a |yojana::a unit of distance used in ancient India, ranging from 3.5 to 15 km [yojana]| for one who is tired; Long is the |cyclic existence::wandering on, moving on continuously, passing from one state of existence to another, stream of existence [saṃsāra]| for the |immature::lacking in discernment or good sense, child-like in understanding [bāla]|, those who do not understand the true |Dhamma::teachings of the Buddha that point to the nature of reality, the ultimate truth [dhamma]|.

Dhammapada verses 273–289 emphasize the eightfold path as the foremost way to liberation, seeing the impermanent, unsatisfactory, and not-self nature of all things. Further, the verses mention the relation of meditation and wisdom, They mention restraint, how wisdom through meditation, on cutting off the forest as well as the undergrowth, and making swift effort to purify by the way of practice leading to Nibbāna.

Of all the paths, the eightfold path is the |foremost::best, most important [seṭṭha]|, of all the truths, the four noble truths are the foremost; of all the mental qualities, the |fading of desire::dispassion, detachment [virāga]| is the foremost, of all the two-footed beings, the |clear-eyed one::who can see, gifted with sight [cakkhumant]| is the foremost.

The Buddha contrasts the suffering experienced by gods and humans, who delight in impermanent sense objects, with the contentment of the Tathāgata who understands their true nature, highlighting the differing views of happiness held by the world and the Noble Ones.

“Bhikkhus, gods and humans delight in |forms::visible objects such as beautiful sights, faces, expressions, art, ornaments, possessions, status symbols, admired appearances, enticing scenery, or objects of desire and attachment [rūpe]|, are fond of forms, rejoice in forms. With the change, fading away, and ending of forms, gods and humans dwell in |suffering::discomfort, unpleasantness, discontentment, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, i.e. mild or intense suffering [dukkha]|.

How an uninstructed ordinary person and a learned disciple of the Noble Ones respond to the five unobtainable states of aging, illness, death, perishing, and loss.

“These five states, bhikkhus, are unobtainable by an ascetic, a brahmin, a deity, Māra, Brahmā, or anyone else in the world. What are these five? (1) The state ‘do not grow old’ when subject to aging is unobtainable by an ascetic, a brahmin, a deity, Māra, Brahmā, or anyone in the world. (2) The state ‘do not fall ill’ when subject to illness ... (3) ‘do not die’ when subject to death ... (4) ‘do not perish’ when subject to perishing ... (5) ‘do not be lost’ when subject to loss is unobtainable by an ascetic, a brahmin, a deity, Māra, Brahmā, or anyone else in the world.

Upon learning that he was not awakened, Bāhiya travels a great distance to seek the Buddha. Upon arriving, he sees the Buddha on alms round and begs for urgent instruction despite the hour. The Buddha gives him a terse training to see only the seen, heard, sensed, and cognized—without clinging. Bāhiya realizes the Dhamma immediately, only to be killed by a charging cow shortly after. The Buddha declares his attainment and honors him.

Thus have I heard—At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthi, in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s park. Now, at that time, Bāhiya of the |Bark Cloth::dressed in bark strips [dārucīriya]| was living in |Suppāraka::an ancient western seaport, modern-day Nala Sopara [suppāraka]|, by the seashore. He was honored, respected, revered, worshipped, and esteemed. He was a recipient of the four requisites: robes, alms-food, lodging, and medicines. Then, while Bāhiya was alone in seclusion, the following |train of thought::reflection, contemplation [parivitakka]| arose in his mind: “Whoever in the world are |Arahants::fully awakened ones, free from all mental defilements; worthy of offerings and veneration; also an epithet of the Buddha [arahant]| or have entered the |path to Arahantship::way of practice to the full awakening [arahattamagga]|, I am one of them.”

The Buddha explains how to cultivate the higher mind through similes whenever a harmful or unwholesome thought associated with desire, aversion, or delusion arises. Applying these five methods in a gradual sequence leads to abandoning of unwholesome thoughts, and to steadiness, calming, unification and collectedness of the mind.

Thus have I heard—At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthi, in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s park. There, the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: “Bhikkhus.”