Rāgavirāgasutta—Bhikkhu Sujato

If others ask why you follow the spiritual path, say it’s for the fading away for lust, for giving up fetters, for final extinguishment without anything left over.

At Sāvatthī.

“Mendicants, if wanderers who follow another religion were to ask you: ‘Reverends, what’s the purpose of leading the spiritual life under the ascetic Gotama?’ You should answer them like this: ‘The purpose of leading the spiritual life under the Buddha is the fading away of greed.’

If wanderers of other religions were to ask you: ‘Is there a path and a practice for the fading away of greed?’ You should answer them like this: ‘There is a path and a practice for the fading away of greed.’

And what is that path, what is that practice for the fading away of greed? It is simply this noble eightfold path, that is: right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion. This is the path, this is the practice for the fading away of greed.

When questioned by wanderers of other religions, that’s how you should answer them.”

-- SN 45.41

“Mendicants, if wanderers who follow another religion were to ask you: ‘Reverends, what’s the purpose of leading the spiritual life under the ascetic Gotama?’ You should answer them like this:

‘The purpose of leading the spiritual life under the Buddha is to give up the fetters.’ …

‘… to uproot the underlying tendencies.’ …

‘… to completely understand the course of time.’ … *

‘… to end the defilements.’ …

‘… to realize the fruit of knowledge and freedom.’ …

‘… for knowledge and vision.’ …”

-- SN 45.42-47

At Sāvatthī.

“Mendicants, if wanderers who follow another religion were to ask you: ‘Reverends, what’s the purpose of leading the spiritual life under the ascetic Gotama?’ You should answer them like this: ‘The purpose of leading the spiritual life under the Buddha is extinguishment by not grasping.’

If wanderers of other religions were to ask you: ‘Is there a path and a practice for extinguishment by not grasping?’ You should answer them like this: ‘There is a path and a practice for extinguishment by not grasping.’

And what is that path, what is that practice for extinguishment by not grasping? It is simply this noble eightfold path, that is: right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion. This is the path, this is the practice for extinguishment by not grasping.

When questioned by wanderers of other religions, that’s how you should answer them.”

-- SN 45.48

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The Buddha is sharing the goals of the spiritual life.

* ‘… to completely understand the course of time.’ … appears to be a translation that may be misinterpreted. The Pali phrase is: ‘addhānapariññatthaṁ kho, āvuso, bhagavati brahmacariyaṁ vussatī’ti …pe…

which Bhikkhu Bodhi translates as: for the understanding of the course of [samsāra].

ChatGPT translates this as: “For the purpose of fully understanding the noble truths”

One does understand the course of samsāra (transmigration) through fully understanding the four noble truths.

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