Buddha on Everything

"Monks, I will teach you *everything. Listen & pay close attention. I will speak."

"As you say, Blessed One," the monks responded.

The Blessed One said, "What is everything? Simply the eye & forms, ear & sounds, nose & aromas, tongue & flavors, body & tactile sensations, intellect & ideas. This, monks, is called everything. Anyone who would say, 'Repudiating this everything, I will describe another,' if questioned on what exactly might be the grounds for his statement, would be unable to explain, and furthermore, would be put to grief. Why? Because it lies beyond range."

(Sabba Sutta, Samyutta Nikaya 35:23, Pali canon)

*Note: The Pali word sabba translated here as ‘everything’ is elsewhere rendered ‘the all.’ As this is rather an obscure term, somewhat philosophical sounding, here a more generally-understandable word has been used. Moreover, in effect, both translations amount to the same thing which is the totality of one’s experience, both psychological & physical, and as one implication of this teaching is that complicated philosophies of self are negated, the simple word ‘everything’ seems appropriate.