Reading guide
Dependence on others versus settled confidence
This project's own reading: the discourse's own contrast is social as much as epistemic — those lacking understanding are described looking to another's face for reassurance (“surely this worthy one knows and sees”), while those who understand need no such external confirmation at all.
A pillar-image this vagga will use again
This project's own direct comparison: the deeply embedded, storm-unshaken pillar used here to illustrate settled understanding is the same image this vagga's own closing discourse, SN 56.40, will use once more — there applied specifically to withstanding a rival debater's own challenge rather than to inner confidence generally.
Key terms
The text
§1“Mendicants, there are ascetics and brahmins who don’t truly understand about suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path. They gaze up at the face of another ascetic or brahmin, thinking: ‘Surely this worthy one knows and sees.’
§2Suppose there was a light tuft of cotton-wool or kapok which was taken up by the wind and landed on level ground. The east wind wafts it west; the west wind wafts it east; the north wind wafts it south; and the south wind wafts it north. Why is that? It’s because the tuft of cotton-wool is so light. In the same way, there are ascetics and brahmins who don’t truly understand about suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path. They gaze up at the face of another ascetic or brahmin, thinking: ‘Surely this worthy one knows and sees.’ Why is that? It’s because they haven’t seen the four noble truths.
§3There are ascetics and brahmins who truly understand about suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path. They don’t gaze up at the face of another ascetic or brahmin, thinking: ‘Surely this worthy one knows and sees.’
§4Suppose there was an iron pillar or an Indra’s pillar with deep foundations, firmly embedded, imperturbable and unshakable. Even if violent storms were to blow up out of the east, the west, the north, and the south, they couldn’t make it shake or rock or tremble. Why is that? It’s because that Indra’s pillar is firmly embedded, with deep foundations. In the same way, there are ascetics and brahmins who truly understand about suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path. They don’t gaze up at the face of another ascetic or brahmin, thinking: ‘Surely this worthy one knows and sees.’ Why is that? It’s because they have clearly seen the four noble truths. What four? The noble truths of suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path.
§5That’s why you should practice meditation …”
Self-check quiz
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