Ru-Yi Meditation Center
Saṃyutta Nikāya · Discourse 35.116

Traveling to the End of the World

Lokantagamanasutta — Lokakāmaguṇavagga

Setting
Not stated at the outset; the mendicants later consult Ānanda, presumably nearby
Speakers
The Buddha, who gives a brief summary and leaves; the assembled mendicants; Venerable Ānanda, who supplies the detailed explanation
Form
A summary-and-departure frame: the Buddha states a compressed teaching, withdraws without elaborating, and the mendicants turn to Ānanda, who unpacks it using the heartwood simile
Length
~4 minutes to read
Northern parallel
A rough counterpart may exist in the Chinese Saṃyukta-āgama (T99), though this reading guide does not assert a specific matching sutra number
Difficulty
★★★☆☆ — a philosophically dense definition, framed by a well-known narrative device

Why this discourse

This discourse opens with a formula this project has already met in a different collection: “it's not possible to know or see or reach the end of the world by traveling…but I also say there's no making an end of suffering without reaching the end of the world.” The identical core claim, in nearly identical wording, opens the already-published Rohitassa Sutta (AN 4.45), where a sky-walking godling named Rohitassa recounts a hundred-year lifetime spent trying, and failing, to outrun the world's edge, and the Buddha answers with the famous verse locating the world, its origin, its cessation, and the path to its cessation “in this fathom-long carcass with its perception and mind.” This discourse shares that opening claim but not that frame: here the Buddha states it as a bare summary to the assembled mendicants and withdraws without a word of explanation, leaving them to work out the meaning themselves. What follows is a device this project has not yet used at length — mendicants unable to unpack a compressed teaching turn to Venerable Ānanda, who declines the honor with a heartwood parable (a person searching for heartwood who bypasses a tree's own roots and trunk for its branches and leaves, exactly as the mendicants bypassed the Buddha himself to ask his student) before supplying the answer anyway: the world, in the Noble One's own training, is simply whatever in the world one perceives and conceives the world through — the six sense fields themselves.

Reading guide

A formula already met, in a different frame

AN 4.45, already on this site, opens with the identical core claim — the world's end cannot be reached by traveling, and there is no end of suffering without reaching it — spoken to the godling Rohitassa, who supplies his own hundred-year travel story and receives the famous “fathom-long carcass” verse in reply. This discourse states the same claim to the assembled mendicants, then walks away without elaborating at all.

A summary given, then withheld

The Buddha's own pattern here — a compressed teaching, then departure without explanation — forces the mendicants to seek out the meaning themselves rather than receiving it directly, testing whether the teaching has actually been understood by requiring it to be reconstructed.

The heartwood parable, and a gentle rebuke

Ānanda's own image — someone in need of heartwood who wanders past a tree's roots and trunk, imagining the heartwood must be sought in the branches and leaves — doubles as a rebuke: the mendicants had direct access to the Buddha, the one who knows and sees, and bypassed him for his student.

The world defined as the reach of the six senses

Ānanda's own answer, once given, is precise: whatever in the world one perceives and conceives the world through — eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind — is called “the world” in the Noble One's own training. The Buddha, on hearing this reported back, confirms he would have answered no differently himself.

Key terms

lokassa antaṃ — the end, or limit, of the world — the object the Buddha declares unreachable by traveling, in wording shared with AN 4.45's own Rohitassa Sutta
sāradāni — heartwood — the object of Ānanda's own simile, and the discourse's own image for what the mendicants overlooked in the Buddha himself
cakkhunā kho, āvuso, lokasmiṃ lokasaññī lokamānī — through the eye in the world you perceive the world and conceive the world — Ānanda's own formula, repeated for each of the six sense doors, defining “the world” itself
ariyassa vinaye — in the discipline, or training, of the Noble One — the frame within which Ānanda's own definition of “the world” is offered
paṇḍito mahāpañño — astute, of great wisdom — the Buddha's own verdict on Ānanda once he hears the explanation reported back

The text

The complete discourse: the Buddha's brief summary and departure, the mendicants' deliberation, their approach to Ānanda, the heartwood parable, Ānanda's own explanation, and the Buddha's confirmation. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).

§1“Mendicants, I say it’s not possible to know or see or reach the end of the world by traveling. But I also say there’s no making an end of suffering without reaching the end of the world.” When he had spoken, the Blessed One got up from his seat and entered his dwelling. Soon after the Buddha left, those mendicants considered, “The Buddha gave this brief summary recital, then entered his dwelling without explaining the meaning in detail. … Who can explain in detail the meaning of this brief summary recital given by the Buddha?”

§2Then those mendicants thought, “This Venerable Ānanda is praised by the Buddha and esteemed by his sensible spiritual companions. He is capable of explaining in detail the meaning of this brief summary recital given by the Buddha. Let’s go to him, and ask him about this matter.”

§3Then those mendicants went to Ānanda and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, they sat down to one side. They told him what had happened, and said, “May Venerable Ānanda please explain this.”

§4“Reverends, suppose there was a person in need of heartwood. And while wandering in search of heartwood he’d come across a large tree standing with heartwood. But he’d pass over the roots and trunk, imagining that the heartwood should be sought in the branches and leaves. Such is the consequence for the venerables. Though you were face to face with the Buddha, you bypassed him, imagining that you should ask me about this matter. For he is the Buddha, the one who knows and sees. He is vision, he is knowledge, he is the manifestation of principle, he is the manifestation of divinity. He is the teacher, the proclaimer, the elucidator of meaning, the bestower of freedom from death, the lord of truth, the Realized One. That was the time to approach the Buddha and ask about this matter. You should have remembered it in line with the Buddha’s answer.”

§5“Certainly he is the Buddha, the one who knows and sees. He is vision, he is knowledge, he is the manifestation of principle, he is the manifestation of divinity. He is the teacher, the proclaimer, the elucidator of meaning, the bestower of freedom from death, the lord of truth, the Realized One. That was the time to approach the Buddha and ask about this matter. We should have remembered it in line with the Buddha’s answer. Still, Venerable Ānanda is praised by the Buddha and esteemed by his sensible spiritual companions. You are capable of explaining in detail the meaning of this brief summary recital given by the Buddha. Please explain this, if it’s no trouble.” “Then listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.” “Yes, reverend,” they replied. Ānanda said this:

§6“Reverends, the Buddha gave this brief summary recital, then entered his dwelling without explaining the meaning in detail: ‘Mendicants, I say it’s not possible to know or see or reach the end of the world by traveling. But I also say there’s no making an end of suffering without reaching the end of the world.’ This is how I understand the detailed meaning of this summary recital. Whatever in the world through which you perceive the world and conceive the world is called the world in the training of the Noble One. And through what in the world do you perceive the world and conceive the world? Through the eye in the world you perceive the world and conceive the world. Through the ear … nose … tongue … body … mind in the world you perceive the world and conceive the world. Whatever in the world through which you perceive the world and conceive the world is called the world in the training of the Noble One. When the Buddha gave this brief summary recital, then entered his dwelling without explaining the meaning in detail: ‘Mendicants, I say it’s not possible to know or see or reach the end of the world by traveling. But I also say there’s no making an end of suffering without reaching the end of the world.’ That is how I understand the detailed meaning of this summary. If you wish, you may go to the Buddha and ask him about this. You should remember it in line with the Buddha’s answer.”

§7“Yes, reverend,” replied those mendicants. Then they rose from their seats and went to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what had happened. Then they said, “And Ānanda explained the meaning to us in this manner, with these words and phrases.”

§8“Mendicants, Ānanda is astute, he has great wisdom. If you came to me and asked this question, I would answer it in exactly the same way as Ānanda. That is what it means, and that’s how you should remember it.”

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Self-check quiz

5 questions. Click an answer to see immediate feedback. No score is recorded — this is for your own checking.

Question 1 of 5
What already-published discourse in a different collection opens with the identical claim that the world's end cannot be reached by traveling?
Correct: A. AN 4.45's Rohitassa Sutta, already on this site, opens with nearly identical wording.
Question 2 of 5
What does the Buddha do immediately after stating his brief summary in this discourse?
Correct: A. The mendicants are left to seek out the meaning themselves, turning to Ānanda.
Question 3 of 5
What does Ānanda's own heartwood parable illustrate?
Correct: A. A person seeking heartwood who bypasses the roots and trunk for branches and leaves, as the mendicants bypassed the Buddha.
Question 4 of 5
How does Ānanda define “the world,” in the Noble One's own training?
Correct: A. Through the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind — the same reach as this book's own central subject.
Question 5 of 5
How does the Buddha respond when the mendicants report Ānanda's own explanation back to him?
Correct: A. “If you came to me and asked this question, I would answer it in exactly the same way as Ānanda.”
Answered 0 of 5 · Correct 0

Further reading

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