The Buddha answers the venerable Tissa Metteyya's questions about who is content in the world, who is not perturbed, and who has gone beyond the net of existence.

SNP 5.2  Tissametteyyamāṇavapucchā - Tissa Metteyya’s Questions

“Kodha santusito loke,
(iccāyasmā tissametteyyo)
Kassa no santi iñjitā;
Ko ubhantamabhiññāya,
Majjhe mantā na lippati;
Kaṁ brūsi mahāpurisoti,
Ko idha sibbinimaccagā”.

“Who here is |content::satisfied, pleased [santusita]| in the world?”
(said the venerable Tissa Metteyya)
“For whom is there no |perturbation::agitation, disturbance, movement, turmoil [iñjita]|?
Having |directly known::experientially understood [abhiññāya]| |both ends::a pair of boundary points or conditions [ubhonte]|,
who does not get |entangled::smeared, stuck [lippati]| in the middle through wisdom?
Whom do you call a great man?
Who here has gone beyond |stitching [existence]::A metaphor for craving, for craving sews into production this or that state of existence; lit. seamstress, needlewoman. Read [AN 6.61](/an6.61) discourse for an explanation on this. [sibbinī]|?”

“Kāmesu brahmacariyavā,
(metteyyāti bhagavā)
Vītataṇho sadā sato;
Saṅkhāya nibbuto bhikkhu,
Tassa no santi iñjitā.

“Living the |spiritual life::a life of celibacy, contemplation, and ethical discipline lived for the sake of liberation; oriented toward inner development rather than sensual pleasures [brahmacariya]| among sensual pleasures,
(Metteyya,” said the Buddha)
“|free from craving::without wanting, yearning, longing, attachment [vītataṇhā]|, ever |mindful::remembering to be present with continuous effort, observing the body in and of itself, feelings in and of itself, mind in and of itself, mental qualities in and of itself [sata]|;
A bhikkhu who is |quenched::liberated from mental defilements [nibbuta]|, having |understood::comprehended [saṅkhāya]|,
for him there is no perturbation.

So ubhantamabhiññāya,
Majjhe mantā na lippati;
Taṁ brūmi mahāpurisoti,
So idha sibbinimaccagā”ti.

Having directly known both ends,
through wisdom, he does not get entangled in the middle;
I call him a great man—
he has gone beyond stitching [existence].”

See AN 6.61 for a detailed explanation of the Buddha's response to Tissa Metteyya's questions.

Qualities:

Contentment

Contentment

The quality of being satisfied with the requisites one has and with the present conditions, resulting in having few desires and being free from agitation.

Also known as: fewness of wishes, having few desires, satisfaction, sense of ease
Pāli: santutthi, appicchatā, tuṭṭha, tosana
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Imperturbable

Imperturbable

A stable clarity of mind that does not react strongly to changing circumstances, remaining even and composed in both pleasant and difficult conditions.

Also known as: unagitated, unmoved, unruffled, unshaken, untroubled, unwavering, without mental unease
Pāli: aparitassa, anigha, aneja, avihaññamāna
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Mindfulness

Mindfulness

Remembering to be present with continuous effort, observing the body, feelings, mind, and mental qualities in and of themselves.

Also known as: recollecting, remembering, keeping in mind, presence, awareness
Pāli: sati, anupassanā
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Quenching

Quenching

An experiential state of being “cooled,” where the burning fever of craving has subsided and the mind dwells in a peace free from the anxiety of needing to become something else.

Also known as: being cooled, desirelessness, free from hope, fulfilled, fully satiated, having attained emancipation
Pāli: nibbuta, nirāsa
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Spiritual life

Spiritual life

A life of celibacy, contemplation, and ethical discipline lived for the sake of liberation; oriented toward inner development rather than sensual pleasures

Also known as: abstinence, celibacy, chastity, holy life, sexual restraint
Pāli: brahmacariya
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Last updated on December 13, 2025