Reading guide
The five-faculty pattern, now confirmed a second time
Confirmed by direct reading, this discourse names the identical five sense faculties as SN 48.41 — eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, again omitting mind — strengthening this project's own earlier honest observation into a genuinely confirmed pattern within this vagga, rather than a single isolated variant.
A chain of recourse, ending at a refused question
Confirmed by direct reading, Uṇṇābha's own line of questioning traces a regress: the five senses have recourse to (paṭisaraṇa) the mind, which alone experiences all their domains; the mind has recourse to mindfulness; mindfulness to freedom; freedom to extinguishment (nibbāna). When Uṇṇābha asks what extinguishment itself has recourse to, the Buddha explicitly refuses: “this question goes too far … you weren't able to grasp the limit of questioning,” since extinguishment is itself “the objective, destination, and culmination of the spiritual life,” with nothing further to ask beyond it.
A memorable simile: sunlight through an east-facing window
Confirmed by direct reading, after Uṇṇābha's own departure the Buddha tells the mendicants that a ray of morning sunlight entering an east-facing window lands on the WESTERN wall — illustrating that Uṇṇābha's own faith in the Buddha is so settled, rooted, and immovable that, were he to die at that very time, no fetter would bind him to return to this world.
Key terms
The text
§1-2 — the setting and Uṇṇābha's own questionAt Sāvatthī. Then Uṇṇābha the brahmin went up to the Buddha, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to the Buddha: “Worthy Gotama, these five faculties have different domains and different ranges, and don’t experience each others’ domain and range. What five? The faculties of the eye, ear, nose, tongue, and body. What do these five faculties, with their different domains and ranges, have recourse to? What experiences their domains and ranges?”
§3-4 — the chain of recourse, ending at the Buddha's own refusal“Brahmin, these five faculties have different domains and different ranges, and don’t experience each others’ domain and range. What five? The faculties of the eye, ear, nose, tongue, and body. These five faculties, with their different domains and ranges, have recourse to the mind. And the mind experiences their domains and ranges.” “But worthy Gotama, what does the mind have recourse to?” “The mind has recourse to mindfulness.” “But what does mindfulness have recourse to?” “Mindfulness has recourse to freedom.” “But what does freedom have recourse to?” “Freedom has recourse to extinguishment.” “But what does extinguishment have recourse to?” “This question goes too far, brahmin! You weren’t able to grasp the limit of questioning. For extinguishment is the objective, destination, and culmination of the spiritual life.”
§5-6 — Uṇṇābha's departure and the simile of sunlight through a windowAnd then the brahmin Uṇṇābha approved and agreed with what the Buddha said. He got up from his seat, bowed, and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right, before leaving. Then, not long after he had left, the Buddha addressed the mendicants: “Suppose there was a bungalow or a hall with a peaked roof, with windows on the eastern side. When the sun rises and a ray of light enters through a window, where would it land?” “On the western wall, sir.” “In the same way, the brahmin Uṇṇābha’s faith in the Realized One is settled, rooted, and planted deep. It’s strong and can’t be shifted by any ascetic or brahmin or god or Māra or divinity or by anyone in the world. If he were to pass away at this time, he would be bound by no fetter that might return him to this world.”
Self-check quiz
3 questions. Click an answer to see immediate feedback. No score is recorded — this is for your own checking.