24. “Suppose, bhikkhus, a man loved a woman with his mind bound to her by intense desire and passion. He might see that woman standing with another man, chatting, joking, and laughing. What do you think, bhikkhus? Would not sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair arise in that man when he sees that woman standing with another man, chatting, joking, and laughing?”
“Yes, venerable sir. Why is that? Because that man loves that woman with his mind bound to her by intense desire and passion; [224] that is why sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair would arise in him when he sees her standing with another man, chatting, joking, and laughing.”
25. “Then, bhikkhus, the man might think: ‘I love this woman with my mind bound to her by intense desire and passion; thus sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair arise in me when I see her standing with another man, chatting, joking, and laughing. What if I were to abandon my desire and lust for that woman?’ He would abandon his desire and lust for that woman. On a later occasion he might see that woman standing with another man, chatting, joking, and laughing. What do you think, bhikkhus? Would sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair arise in that man when he sees that woman standing with another man…?”
“No, venerable sir. Why is that? Because that man no longer loves that woman; that is why sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair do not arise in him when he sees that woman standing with another man…”
26. “So too, bhikkhus, when a bhikkhu who is not overwhelmed with suffering does not overwhelm himself with suffering… (as in §23 above) [225]…thus that suffering is exhausted in him. Thus, bhikkhus, the exertion is fruitful, the striving is fruitful.
27. “Again, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu considers thus: ‘While I live according to my pleasure, unwholesome states increase in me and wholesome states diminish; but when I exert myself in what is painful, unwholesome states diminish in me and wholesome states increase. What if I exert myself in what is painful?’ He exerts himself in what is painful. When he does so, unwholesome states diminish in him and wholesome states increase.934 At a later time he does not exert himself in what is painful. Why is that? The purpose for which that bhikkhu exerted himself in what is painful has been achieved; that is why at a later time he does not exert himself in what is painful.
28. “Suppose, bhikkhus, an arrowsmith were warming and heating an arrow shaft between two flames, making it straight and workable. When the arrow shaft had been warmed and heated between the two flames and had been made straight and workable, then at a later time he would not again warm and heat the arrow shaft and make it straight and workable. Why is that? The purpose for which that arrowsmith had warmed and heated the arrow and made it straight and workable has been achieved; that is why at a later time he would not again warm and heat the arrow shaft and make it straight and workable.
29. “So too, a bhikkhu considers thus...(as in §27 above) [226]…that is why at a later time he does not exert himself in [226]... that is why at a later time he does not exert himself in what is painful. Thus too, bhikkhus, the exertion is fruitful, the striving is fruitful.
30–37. “Again, bhikkhus, here a Tathāgata appears in the world, accomplished, fully enlightened…(as Sutta 51, §§12–19)… he purifies his mind from doubt.
38. “Having thus abandoned these five hindrances, imperfections of the mind that weaken wisdom, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, he enters upon and abides in the first jhāna, which is accompanied by applied and sustained thought, with rapture and pleasure born of seclusion. Thus too, bhikkhus, the exertion is fruitful, the striving is fruitful.
39. “Again, bhikkhus, with the stilling of applied and sustained thought, a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the second jhāna, which has self-confidence and singleness of mind without applied and sustained thought, with rapture and pleasure born of concentration. Thus too, bhikkhus, the exertion is fruitful, the striving is fruitful.
40. “Again, bhikkhus, with the fading away as well of rapture, a bhikkhu abides in equanimity, and mindful and fully aware, still feeling pleasure with the body, he enters upon and abides in the third jhāna, on account of which noble ones announce: ‘He has a pleasant abiding who has equanimity and is mindful.’ Thus too, bhikkhus, the exertion is fruitful, the striving is fruitful.
41. “Again, bhikkhus, with the abandoning of pleasure and pain, and with the previous disappearance of joy and grief, a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the fourth jhāna, which has neither-pain-nor-pleasure and purity of mindfulness due to equanimity. Thus too, bhikkhus, the exertion is fruitful, the striving is fruitful.
42. “When his concentrated mind is thus purified, bright, unblemished, rid of imperfection, malleable, wieldy, steady, and attained to imperturbability, he directs it to knowledge of the recollection of past lives. He recollects his manifold past lives, that is, one birth, two births...(as Sutta 51, §24)...Thus with their aspects and particulars he recollects his manifold past lives. Thus too, bhikkhus, the exertion is fruitful, the striving is fruitful.
43. “When his concentrated mind is thus purified, bright, unblemished, rid of imperfection, malleable, wieldy, steady, and attained to imperturbability, he directs it to knowledge of the passing away and reappearance of beings…(as Sutta 51, §25)... Thus with the divine eye, which is purified and surpasses the human, he sees beings passing away and reappearing, inferior and superior, fair and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate, and he understands how beings pass on according to their actions. Thus too, bhikkhus, the exertion is fruitful, the striving is fruitful. [227]
44. “When his concentrated mind is thus purified, bright, unblemished, rid of imperfection, malleable, wieldy, steady, and attained to imperturbability, he directs it to knowledge of the destruction of the taints. He understands as it actually is: ‘This is suffering’;…‘This is the origin of suffering’;…‘This is the cessation of suffering’;…‘This is the way leading to the cessation of suffering’;…‘These are the taints’;…‘This is the origin of the taints’;…‘This is the cessation of the taints’;…‘This is the way leading to the cessation of the taints.’
45. “When he knows and sees thus, his mind is liberated from the taint of sensual desire, from the taint of being, and from the taint of ignorance. When it is liberated there comes the knowledge: ‘It is liberated.’ He understands: ‘Birth is destroyed, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming to any state of being.’ Thus too, bhikkhus, the exertion is fruitful, the striving is fruitful.
46. “So the Tathāgata speaks, bhikkhus. And because the Tathāgata speaks thus, there are ten legitimate grounds for praising him:
(1) “If the pleasure and pain that beings feel are caused by what was done in the past, then the Tathāgata surely must have done good deeds in the past, since he now feels such taintless pleasant feelings.
(2) “If the pleasure and pain that beings feel are caused by the creative act of a Supreme God, then the Tathāgata surely must have been created by a good Supreme God, since he now feels such taintless pleasant feelings.
(3) “If the pleasure and pain that beings feel are caused by circumstance and nature, then the Tathāgata surely must have good luck, since he now feels such taintless pleasant feelings.
(4) “If the pleasure and pain that beings feel are caused by class [among the six classes of birth], then the Tathāgata surely must belong to a good class, since he now feels such taintless pleasant feelings.
(5) “If the pleasure and pain that beings feel are caused by exertion here and now, then the Tathāgata surely must strive well here and now, since he now feels such taintless pleasant feelings.
(6) “If the pleasure and pain that beings feel are caused by what was done in the past, then the Tathāgata is to be praised; if not, then the Tathāgata is still to be praised.
(7) “If the pleasure and pain that beings feel are caused by the creative act of a Supreme God, then the Tathāgata is to be prais
ed; if not, then the Tathāgata is still to be praised.
(8) “If the pleasure and pain that beings feel are caused by chance, then the Tathāgata is to be praised; if not, then the Tathāgata is still to be praised.
(9) “If the pleasure and pain that beings feel are caused by class, then the Tathāgata is to be praised; if not, then the Tathāgata is still to be praised.
(10) “If the pleasure and pain that beings feel are caused by exertion here and now, then the Tathāgata is to be praised; if not, [228] then the Tathāgata is still to be praised.
“So the Tathāgata speaks, bhikkhus. And because the Tathāgata speaks thus, there are these ten legitimate grounds for praising him.”
That is what the Blessed One said. The bhikkhus were satisfied and delighted in the Blessed One’s words.
Pañcattaya Sutta
The Five and Three
1. THUS HAVE I HEARD.935 On one occasion the Blessed One was living at Sā̄vatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park. There he addressed the bhikkhus thus: “Bhikkhus.”—“Venerable sir,” they replied. The Blessed One said this:
(SPECULATIONS ABOUT THE FUTURE)
2. “Bhikkhus, there are some recluses and brahmins who speculate about the future and hold views about the future, who assert various doctrinal propositions concerning the future.
(I) Some assert thus: ‘The self is percipient and unimpaired after death.’
(II) Some assert thus: ‘The self is non-percipient and unimpaired after death.’
(III) Some assert thus: ‘The self is neither percipient nor non-percipient and unimpaired after death.’
(IV) Or they describe the annihilation, destruction, and extermination of an existing being [at death].
(V) Or some assert Nibbāna here and now.936
“Thus (a) they either describe an existing self that is unimpaired after death; (b) or they describe the annihilation, destruction, and extermination of an existing being [at death]; (c) or they assert Nibbāna here and now. Thus these [views] being five become three, and being three become five. This is the summary of the ‘five and three.’
3. (I) “Therein, bhikkhus, those recluses and brahmins [229] who describe the self as percipient and unimpaired after death describe such a self, percipient and unimpaired after death, to be either: material;
or immaterial;
or both material and immaterial;
or neither material nor immaterial;
or percipient of unity;
or percipient of diversity;
or percipient of the limited;
or percipient of the immeasurable.937
Or else, among those few who go beyond this, some make assertions about the consciousness-kasiṇa, immeasurable and imperturbable. 938
4. “The Tathāgata, bhikkhus, understands this thus: ‘Those good recluses and brahmins who describe the self as percipient and unimpaired after death describe such a self to be either material… or they describe it to be percipient of the immeasurable. Or else, [230] some make assertions about the base of nothingness, immeasurable and imperturbable; [for them] “there is nothing” is declared to be the purest, supreme, best, and unsurpassed of those perceptions—whether perceptions of form or of the formless, of unity or diversity.939 That is conditioned and gross, but there is cessation of formations.’ Having known ‘There is this,’ seeing the escape from that, the Tathāgata has gone beyond that.940
5. (II) “Therein, bhikkhus, those recluses and brahmins who describe the self as non-percipient and unimpaired after death describe such a self, non-percipient and unimpaired after death, to be either:material;
or immaterial;
or both material and immaterial;
or neither material nor immaterial.941
6. “Therein, bhikkhus, these criticise those recluses and brahmins who describe the self as percipient and unimpaired after death. Why is that? Because they say: ‘Perception is a disease, perception is a tumour, perception is a dart; this is peaceful, this is sublime, that is, non-perception.’
7. “The Tathāgata, bhikkhus, understands this thus: ‘Those good recluses and brahmins who describe the self as non-percipient and unimpaired after death describe such a self, non-percipient and unimpaired after death, to be either material…or neither material nor immaterial. That any recluse or brahmin could say: “Apart from material form, apart from feeling, apart from perception, apart from formations, I shall describe the coming and going of consciousness, its passing away and reappearance, its growth, increase, and maturation”—that is impossible.942 That is conditioned and gross, but there is [231] cessation of formations.’ Having known ‘There is this,’ seeing the escape from that, the Tathāgata has gone beyond that.
8. (III) “Therein, bhikkhus, those recluses and brahmins who describe the self as neither percipient nor non-percipient and unimpaired after death describe such a self, neither percipient nor non-percipient and unimpaired after death, to be either:material;
or immaterial;
or both material and immaterial;
or neither material nor immaterial.943
9. “Therein, bhikkhus, these criticise those good recluses and brahmins who describe the self as percipient and unimpaired after death, and they criticise those good recluses and brahmins who describe the self as non-percipient and unimpaired after death. Why is that? Because they say: ‘Perception is a disease, perception is a tumour, perception is a dart, and non-perception is stupefaction;944 this is peaceful, this is sublime, that is, neither-perception-nor-non-perception. ’
10. “The Tathāgata, bhikkhus, understands this thus: ‘Those good recluses and brahmins who describe the self as neither percipient nor non-percipient and unimpaired after death describe such a self, neither percipient nor non-percipient and unimpaired after death, to be either material…or neither material nor immaterial. If any recluses or brahmins describe the entering upon this base to come about through a measure of formations regarding what is seen, heard, sensed, and cognized, that is declared to be a disaster for entering upon this base.945 [232] For this base, it is declared, is not to be attained as an attainment with formations; this base, it is declared, is to be attained as an attainment with a residue of formations.946 That is conditioned and gross, but there is cessation of formations.’ Having known ‘There is this,’ seeing the escape from that, the Tathāgata has gone beyond that.
11. (IV) “Therein, bhikkhus, those recluses and brahmins who describe the annihilation, destruction, and extermination of an existing being [at death]947 criticise those good recluses and brahmins who describe the self as percipient and unimpaired after death, and they criticise those good recluses and brahmins who describe the self as non-percipient and unimpaired after death, and they criticise those good recluses and brahmins who describe the self as neither percipient nor non-percipient and unimpaired after death. Why is that? All these good recluses and brahmins, rushing onwards, assert their attachment thus: ‘We shall be thus after death, we shall be thus after death.’ Just as a merchant going to market thinks: ‘Through this, that will be mine; with this, I will get that’; so too, these good recluses and brahmins seem like merchants when they declare: ‘We shall be thus after death, we shall be thus after death.’
12. “The Tathāgata, bhikkhus, understands this thus: ‘Those good recluses and brahmins who describe the annihilation, destruction, and extermination of an existing being [at death], through fear of identity and disgust with identity, keep running and circling around that same identity.948 Just as a dog bound by a leash tied to a firm post or pillar [233] keeps on running and circling around that same post or pillar; so too, these good recluses and brahmins, through fear of identity and disgust with identity, keep running and circling around that same identity. That is conditioned and gross, but there is cessation of formations.’ Having known ‘There is this,’ seeing the escape from that, the Tathāgata has gone beyond that.
13. “Bhikkhus, any recluses or brahmins who specul
ate about the future and hold views about the future, who assert various doctrinal propositions concerning the future, all assert these five bases or a certain one among them.949
(SPECULATIONS ABOUT THE PAST)
14. “Bhikkhus, there are some recluses and brahmins who speculate about the past and hold views about the past, who assert various doctrinal propositions concerning the past.
(1) Some assert thus: ‘The self and the world are eternal: only this is true, anything else is wrong.’950
The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha Page 92
