By esteeming one’s view as superior in the world, one cannot overcome disputes. The steadfast sage is one who has abandoned all grasping and clinging, standing free from every view.

SNP 4.5  Paramaṭṭhaka sutta - Sublime

Paramanti diṭṭhīsu paribbasāno,
Yaduttari kurute jantu loke;
Hīnāti aññe tato sabbamāha,
Tasmā vivādāni avītivatto.

Settled in views seen as |sublime::ultimate, very best; lit. furthest [parama]|,
whatever a person |esteems::constructs, themselves make out [karoti]| as superior in the world;
From that, he says all others are ‘|inferior::deficient, low [hīna]|,’
and thus, he does not overcome |dispute::argument, contention [vivāda]|s.

Yadattanī passati ānisaṁsaṁ,
Diṭṭhe sute sīlavate mute vā;
Tadeva so tattha samuggahāya,
Nihīnato passati sabbamaññaṁ.

Whatever one perceives as beneficial,
in what is seen, heard, |sensed::noticed, smelled, tasted, felt or thought [muta]|, or by |ethics and observances::precepts and practices, rites and rituals [sīlavata]|;
Clinging to that very thing,
one sees all else as inferior.

Taṁ vāpi ganthaṁ kusalā vadanti,
Yaṁ nissito passati hīnamaññaṁ;
Tasmā hi diṭṭhaṁ va sutaṁ mutaṁ vā,
Sīlabbataṁ bhikkhu na nissayeyya.

The skilled call this a knot,
when based on [clinging], one supposes others as inferior;
Therefore, in whatever is seen, heard, sensed,
or in ethics and observances, a bhikkhu shouldn’t |depend::lean down on [nissayati]|.

Diṭṭhimpi lokasmiṁ na kappayeyya,
Ñāṇena sīlavatena vāpi;
Samoti attānamanūpaneyya,
Hīno na maññetha visesi vāpi.

One should not construct any view in the world,
based on knowledge or ethics and observances;
Let one not consider oneself as ‘equal,’
or think of oneself as ‘inferior’ or ‘superior.’

Attaṁ pahāya anupādiyāno,
Ñāṇepi so nissayaṁ no karoti;
Sa ve viyattesu na vaggasārī,
Diṭṭhimpi so na pacceti kiñci.

Having abandoned |grasping::taking up, seizing, seeing as personal, seen as self [atta]| and |not clinging to [anything]::not taking as mine, not grasping onto, not taking possession of [anupādiyāna]|,
one does not create a dependency even on |having insight::understanding, having knowledge [ñāṇa]|;
Not taking sides among those who are divided,
one does not fall back on any view whatsoever.

Yassūbhayante paṇidhīdha natthi,
Bhavābhavāya idha huraṁ vā;
Nivesanā tassa na santi keci,
Dhammesu niccheyya samuggahītaṁ.

For whom no |aspiration::determination, prayer [paṇidhi]| here exists |for either end::for two extremes [ubhonte]|[1],
or for |various states of existence::continued existence; such success and failure, gain and loss, eternity and annihilation, good and evil [bhavābhava]|, here or in another world;
There are no abodes of attachment for him,
|evaluating::discriminating, distinguishing the difference [niccheyya]| among |Dhammas::Per commentary, this refers to the sixty-two speculative views. In the broader sense, this can mean all phenomena [dhamme]|, he grasps at nothing.

Tassīdha diṭṭhe va sute mute vā,
Pakappitā natthi aṇūpi saññā;
Taṁ brāhmaṇaṁ diṭṭhimanādiyānaṁ,
Kenīdha lokasmiṁ vikappayeyya.

In what is seen, heard, or sensed,
not even the slightest |notion::conception, label, perception [sañña]| is |formulated::(of an idea or opinion) imagined, fabricated, fashioned, designed, devised, concocted [pakappita]| by him;
That sage who does not cling to any view,
how could anyone in the world |categorize::define, theorize [vikappayati]| him?

Na kappayanti na purekkharonti,
Dhammāpi tesaṁ na paṭicchitāse;
Na brāhmaṇo sīlavatena neyyo,
Pāraṅgato na pacceti tādīti.

They do not |theorize::construct, formulate [kappayati]|, they do not |emphasize::put forward; lit. put in front [purekkharoti]|,
they do not subscribe to any of the doctrines;
A sage cannot be led by ethics and observances,
having gone beyond, the |steadfast one::unmoved, unaffected [tādī]| does not fall back.

[1] See AN 6.61 for different meanings of both ends.

Qualities:

Argumentativeness

Argumentativeness

Disposition or tendency to argue, disagree or engage in contention, often motivated by conceit or attachment to views. It obstructs harmony and feeds quarrels, rivalry, and feuding.

Also known as: bickering, contentiousness, contrariness, quarrelsomeness
Pāli: kalaha, viggaha, vivāda
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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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Clinging to rules and observances

Clinging to rules and observances

A grasping at external forms of practice—rituals, customs, or rules—as ends in themselves, believing they alone lead to purification. It mistakes the letter for the spirit, binding the mind to outward observance while missing the inner transformation they are meant to support.

Also known as: attachment to rites and rituals, attachment to precepts, attachment to practices, attachment to customs, attachment to conventions, attachment to traditions, attachment to ceremonies, attachment to rules, attachment to regulations, attachment to laws
Pāli: sīlabbataparāmāsa
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Conceit

Conceit

Self-view expressed as comparison—seeing oneself as superior, inferior, or equal; the persistent “I am” conceit (asmimāna) that underlies identification and fuels rebirth

Also known as: arrogance, egotism, pride, self-importance, tendency of self-comparison
Pāli: māna, atimāna, unnaḷa
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Discernment

Discernment

Clear seeing that distinguishes what is wholesome from unwholesome, true from false.

Also known as: ability to make out distinctions, ability to discriminate, distinguish, clear seeing, penetrating internal vision
Pāli: viveka, nipaka, niccheyya
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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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Impartiality

Impartiality

Represents the nature of an awakened being - steady, incorruptible, not favoring or rejecting based on personal bias.

Also known as: suchness, equipose, unaffectedness
Pāli: tādibhāva
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Speculation

Speculation

A form of discursive thought that wanders into conjecture and theorizing, disconnected from direct experience. It involves moving from one idea to another through logic and argument, and is often rooted in unwise attention. Speculation can further proliferate into views and opinions.

Also known as: analytical thinking disconnected from direct experience, conjecture, discursive reasoning, theorizing, hypothesis-making, reasoned reflection
Pāli: takka, kappa
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Last updated on May 19, 2026