[24] On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāketa, in the Kāḷaka Grove (Kāḷakārāma). There the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: "Bhikkhus." "Venerable sir," those bhikkhus replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this:
"Bhikkhus, whatever in the world with its devas, with Māra, with Brahmā, in this generation with its ascetics and brahmins, with its devas and humans, is seen, heard, sensed, cognized, attained, sought after, or ranged over by the mind — that I know. Bhikkhus, whatever in the world with its devas, with Māra, with Brahmā, in this generation with its ascetics and brahmins, with its devas and humans, is seen, heard, sensed, cognized, attained, sought after, or ranged over by the mind — that I have directly known. That has been known by the Tathāgata, yet that has not become established in the Tathāgata. Bhikkhus, if I were to say, 'Whatever in the world with its devas … is seen, heard, sensed, cognized, attained, sought after, or ranged over by the mind — that I know,' that would be a falsehood on my part. … If I were to say, 'That I both know and do not know,' that too would be just the same. … If I were to say, 'That I neither know nor do not know,' that would be a fault in me.
"Thus, bhikkhus, the Tathāgata, having seen what is to be seen, does not conceive the seen, does not conceive the unseen, does not conceive what is to be seen, does not conceive with regard to things seen. Having heard what is to be heard, he does not conceive the heard, does not conceive the unheard, does not conceive what is to be heard, does not conceive with regard to things heard. Having sensed what is to be sensed, he does not conceive the sensed, does not conceive the unsensed, does not conceive what is to be sensed, does not conceive with regard to things sensed. Having cognized what is to be cognized, he does not conceive the cognized, does not conceive the uncognized, does not conceive what is to be cognized, does not conceive with regard to things cognized. Thus, bhikkhus, amid things seen, heard, sensed, and cognizable, the Tathāgata is just such, a stable one (tādī); and I declare that there is no other stable one higher or more excellent than that stable one.
Whatever is seen, or heard, or sensed,
clung to and deemed truth by others —
amid those who are self-constrained, one who is Such
would not posit it further as true or even as false.
Having seen this dart well in advance,
whereon people cling and are stuck,
[saying] 'I know, I see, it is just so' —
for the Tathāgatas there is no clinging."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.