The Buddha teaches on the six sense bases regarding about uddaka, guiding disciples toward discernment of sense experience and release from clinging.

SN 35.103 About Uddaka

“Udako sudaṁ, bhikkhave, rāmaputto evaṁ vācaṁ bhāsati:

‘idaṁ jātu vedagū,
idaṁ jātu sabbajī,
idaṁ jātu apalikhataṁ
gaṇḍamūlaṁ palikhaṇin’ti.

Taṁ kho panetaṁ, bhikkhave, udako rāmaputto avedagūyeva samāno ‘vedagūsmī’ti bhāsati, asabbajīyeva samāno ‘sabbajīsmī’ti bhāsati, apalikhataṁyeva gaṇḍamūlaṁ ‘palikhataṁ me gaṇḍamūlan’ti bhāsati.

Idha kho taṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sammā vadamāno vadeyya:

‘idaṁ jātu vedagū,
idaṁ jātu sabbajī,
idaṁ jātu apalikhataṁ
gaṇḍamūlaṁ palikhaṇin’ti.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, vedagū hoti? Yato kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu channaṁ phassāyatanānaṁ samudayañca atthaṅgamañca assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti; evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu vedagū hoti.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sabbajī hoti? Yato kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu channaṁ phassāyatanānaṁ samudayañca atthaṅgamañca assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṁ viditvā anupādāvimutto hoti; evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sabbajī hoti.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno apalikhataṁ gaṇḍamūlaṁ palikhataṁ hoti? Gaṇḍoti kho, bhikkhave, imassetaṁ cātumahābhūtikassa kāyassa adhivacanaṁ mātāpettikasambhavassa odanakummāsūpacayassa aniccucchādanaparimaddanabhedanaviddhaṁsanadhammassa. Gaṇḍamūlanti kho, bhikkhave, taṇhāyetaṁ adhivacanaṁ. Yato kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno taṇhā pahīnā hoti ucchinnamūlā tālāvatthukatā anabhāvaṅkatā āyatiṁ anuppādadhammā; evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno apalikhataṁ gaṇḍamūlaṁ palikhataṁ hoti.

Udako sudaṁ, bhikkhave, rāmaputto evaṁ vācaṁ bhāsati:

‘idaṁ jātu vedagū,
idaṁ jātu sabbajī,
idaṁ jātu apalikhataṁ
gaṇḍamūlaṁ palikhaṇin’ti.

Taṁ kho panetaṁ, bhikkhave, udako rāmaputto avedagūyeva samāno ‘vedagūsmī’ti bhāsati, asabbajīyeva samāno ‘sabbajīsmī’ti bhāsati; apalikhataṁyeva gaṇḍamūlaṁ ‘palikhataṁ me gaṇḍamūlan’ti bhāsati.

Idha kho taṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sammā vadamāno vadeyya:

‘idaṁ jātu vedagū,
idaṁ jātu sabbajī,
idaṁ jātu apalikhataṁ
gaṇḍamūlaṁ palikhaṇin’ti.

Dasamaṁ.

Saḷavaggo pañcamo.

Tassuddānaṁ

Dve saṅgayhā parihānaṁ,
Pamādavihārī ca saṁvaro;
Samādhi paṭisallānaṁ,
Dve natumhākena uddakoti.

Saḷāyatanavagge dutiyapaṇṇāsako samatto.

Tassa vagguddānaṁ

Avijjā migajālañca,
Gilānaṁ channaṁ catutthakaṁ;
Saḷavaggena paññāsaṁ,
Dutiyo paṇṇāsako ayanti.

Paṭhamasatakaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Udako sudaṁ, bhikkhave, rāmaputto evaṁ vācaṁ bhāsati:

“Mendicants, Uddaka son of Rāma used to say:

‘idaṁ jātu vedagū,

‘Hereupon, ever the knowledge master!

idaṁ jātu sabbajī,

Hereupon, ever the conqueror of all!

idaṁ jātu apalikhataṁ

Hereupon, ever the undug

gaṇḍamūlaṁ palikhaṇin’ti.

boil’s root was dug out by me!’

Taṁ kho panetaṁ, bhikkhave, udako rāmaputto avedagūyeva samāno ‘vedagūsmī’ti bhāsati, asabbajīyeva samāno ‘sabbajīsmī’ti bhāsati, apalikhataṁyeva gaṇḍamūlaṁ ‘palikhataṁ me gaṇḍamūlan’ti bhāsati.

Even though Uddaka son of Rāma was no knowledge master, he said ‘I’m a knowledge master.’ Though he was no conqueror of all, he said ‘I’m conqueror of all.’ And though the boil’s root was not dug out, he said ‘I’ve dug out the boil’s root.’

Idha kho taṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sammā vadamāno vadeyya:

A mendicant might rightly say here:

‘idaṁ jātu vedagū,

‘Hereupon, ever the knowledge master!

idaṁ jātu sabbajī,

Hereupon, ever the conqueror of all!

idaṁ jātu apalikhataṁ

Hereupon, ever the undug

gaṇḍamūlaṁ palikhaṇin’ti.

boil’s root is dug out!’

Kathañca, bhikkhave, vedagū hoti?

And how is someone a knowledge master?

Yato kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu channaṁ phassāyatanānaṁ samudayañca atthaṅgamañca assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti;

It’s when a mendicant truly understands the six fields of contact’s origin, disappearance, gratification, drawback, and escape.

evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu vedagū hoti.

That’s how a mendicant is a knowledge master.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sabbajī hoti?

And how is a mendicant a conqueror of all?

Yato kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu channaṁ phassāyatanānaṁ samudayañca atthaṅgamañca assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṁ viditvā anupādāvimutto hoti;

It’s when a mendicant comes to be freed by not grasping after truly understanding the six fields of contact’s origin, disappearance, gratification, drawback, and escape.

evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sabbajī hoti.

That’s how a mendicant is a conqueror of all.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno apalikhataṁ gaṇḍamūlaṁ palikhataṁ hoti?

And how has a mendicant dug out the undug boil’s root?

Gaṇḍoti kho, bhikkhave, imassetaṁ cātumahābhūtikassa kāyassa adhivacanaṁ mātāpettikasambhavassa odanakummāsūpacayassa aniccucchādanaparimaddanabhedanaviddhaṁsanadhammassa.

‘Boil’ is a term for this body made up of the four principal states, produced by mother and father, built up from rice and porridge, liable to impermanence, to wearing away and erosion, to breaking up and destruction.

Gaṇḍamūlanti kho, bhikkhave, taṇhāyetaṁ adhivacanaṁ.

‘Boil’s root’ is a term for craving.

Yato kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno taṇhā pahīnā hoti ucchinnamūlā tālāvatthukatā anabhāvaṅkatā āyatiṁ anuppādadhammā;

It’s when a mendicant has given up craving, cut it off at the root, made it like a palm stump, obliterated it, so it’s unable to arise in the future.

evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno apalikhataṁ gaṇḍamūlaṁ palikhataṁ hoti.

That’s how a mendicant has dug out the undug boil’s root.

Udako sudaṁ, bhikkhave, rāmaputto evaṁ vācaṁ bhāsati:

Uddaka son of Rāma used to say:

‘idaṁ jātu vedagū,

‘Hereupon, ever the knowledge master!

idaṁ jātu sabbajī,

Hereupon, ever the conqueror of all!

idaṁ jātu apalikhataṁ

Hereupon, ever the undug

gaṇḍamūlaṁ palikhaṇin’ti.

boil’s root is dug out!’

Taṁ kho panetaṁ, bhikkhave, udako rāmaputto avedagūyeva samāno ‘vedagūsmī’ti bhāsati, asabbajīyeva samāno ‘sabbajīsmī’ti bhāsati; apalikhataṁyeva gaṇḍamūlaṁ ‘palikhataṁ me gaṇḍamūlan’ti bhāsati.

Even though Uddaka son of Rāma was no knowledge master, he said ‘I’m a knowledge master.’ Though he was no conqueror of all, he said ‘I’m conqueror of all.’ And though the boil’s root was not dug out, he said ‘I’ve dug out the boil’s root.’

Idha kho taṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sammā vadamāno vadeyya:

A mendicant might rightly say here:

‘idaṁ jātu vedagū,

‘Hereupon, ever the knowledge master!

idaṁ jātu sabbajī,

Hereupon, ever the conqueror of all!

idaṁ jātu apalikhataṁ

Hereupon, ever the undug

gaṇḍamūlaṁ palikhaṇin’ti.

boil’s root is dug out!’”

Dasamaṁ.

Saḷavaggo pañcamo.

Tassuddānaṁ

Dve saṅgayhā parihānaṁ,

Pamādavihārī ca saṁvaro;

Samādhi paṭisallānaṁ,

Dve natumhākena uddakoti.

Saḷāyatanavagge dutiyapaṇṇāsako samatto.

Tassa vagguddānaṁ

Avijjā migajālañca,

Gilānaṁ channaṁ catutthakaṁ;

Saḷavaggena paññāsaṁ,

Dutiyo paṇṇāsako ayanti.

Paṭhamasatakaṁ.

Qualities:

Attachment

Attachment

A mental fastening onto people, things, views, or states as “me” or “mine,” unwilling to release them. This clinging can give a sense of security and sweetness.

Also known as: acquisition, bond, clinging, grasping, holding on, possession, entanglement, bound, connected, taking as mine
Pāli: upadhi, upādāna, sakiñcana, mamatta
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Craving

Craving

A driving ‘thirst’ that reaches out toward experiences, identities, or outcomes as the place to find satisfaction—“if only I had that.” It spins stories of lack, binds the mind to becoming, and invariably leads to suffering.

Also known as: wanting, yearning, longing, lit. thirst
Pāli: taṇha, abhijjhā
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Ending

Ending

The complete exhaustion and ending of craving, aversion, and delusion—the three roots of suffering. It refers to both the gradual wearing away of defilements through practice and the final cessation that constitutes Nibbāna.

Also known as: cessation, exhaustion, gradual ending, wearing away
Pāli: khaya, khīṇa, nirodha
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Free from attachment

Free from attachment

Release from grasping, not taking anything as “me” or “mine,” ceasing to appropriate or identify with people, things, views, or experiences.

Also known as: free from grasping, not appropriating, not taking as mine, without acquisitions, not clinging, not grasping, not holding onto
Pāli: nirūpadhi, nānupādāya, asita, anuggaha
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Last updated on July 27, 2026