The Connected Discourses of the Buddha
Page 107
“Here, bhikkhu, the uninstructed worldling does not understand form subject to arising as it really is thus: ‘Form is subject to arising.’ He does not understand form subject to vanishing as it really is thus: ‘Form is subject to vanishing.’ He does not understand form subject to arising and vanishing as it really is thus: ‘Form is subject to arising and vanishing.’ He does not understand feeling … perception … volitional formations … consciousness subject to arising … subject to vanishing … subject to arising and vanishing as it really is thus: ‘Consciousness is subject to arising and vanishing.’
“This is called ignorance, bhikkhu, and in this way one is immersed in ignorance.”
When this was said, that bhikkhu said to the Blessed One:
“Venerable sir, it is said, ‘true knowledge, true knowledge.’ What now, venerable sir, is true knowledge, and in what way has one arrived at true knowledge?”
“Here, bhikkhu, the instructed noble disciple understands form subject to arising as it really is thus: ‘Form is subject to arising.’ He understands form subject to vanishing as it really is thus: ‘Form is subject to vanishing.’ [172] He understands form subject to arising and vanishing as it really is thus: ‘Form is subject to arising and vanishing.’ He understands feeling … perception … volitional formations … consciousness subject to arising … subject to vanishing … subject to arising and vanishing as it really is thus: ‘Consciousness is subject to arising and vanishing.’
“This is called true knowledge, bhikkhu, and in this way one has arrived at true knowledge.”
127 (2) Subject to Arising (2)
On one occasion the Venerable Sāriputta and the Venerable Mahākoṭṭhita were dwelling at Bārāṇasī in the Deer Park at Isipatana. Then, in the evening, the Venerable Mahākoṭṭhita emerged from seclusion, approached the Venerable Sāriputta, … and said to him: “Friend Sāriputta, it is said, ‘ignorance, ignorance. ’ What now, friend, is ignorance, and in what way is one immersed in ignorance?”
(The rest of this sutta is identical with the exchange on ignorance in the preceding sutta.) [173]
128 (3) Subject to Arising (3)
At Bārāṇasī in the Deer Park at Isipatana. Sitting to one side, the Venerable Mahākoṭṭhita said to the Venerable Sāriputta: “Friend Sāriputta, it is said, ‘true knowledge, true knowledge.’ What now, friend, is true knowledge, and in what way has one arrived at true knowledge?”
(The rest of this sutta is identical with the exchange on true knowledge in §126.)
129 (4) Gratification (1)
At Bārāṇasī in the Deer Park at Isipatana. Sitting to one side, the Venerable Mahākoṭṭhita said to the Venerable Sāriputta: “Friend Sāriputta, it is said, ‘ignorance, ignorance.’ What now, friend, is ignorance, and in what way is one immersed in ignorance?”
“Here, friend, the uninstructed worldling does not understand as it really is the gratification, the danger, and the escape in the case of form, feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness. This, friend, is called ignorance, and in this way one is immersed in ignorance.”
130 (5) Gratification (2)
At Bārāṇasī in the Deer Park at Isipatana…. [174] “Friend Sāriputta, it is said, ‘true knowledge, true knowledge.’ What now, friend, is true knowledge, and in what way has one arrived at true knowledge?”
“Here, friend, the instructed noble disciple understands as it really is the gratification, the danger, and the escape in the case of form, feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness. This, friend, is called true knowledge, and in this way one has arrived at true knowledge.”
131 (6) Origin (1)
At Bārāṇasī in the Deer Park at Isipatana…. “Friend Sāriputta, it is said, ‘ignorance, ignorance.’ What now, friend, is ignorance, and in what way is one immersed in ignorance?”
“Here, friend, the uninstructed worldling does not understand as it really is the origin and the passing away, the gratification, the danger, and the escape in the case of form, feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness. This, friend, is called ignorance, and in this way one is immersed in ignorance.”
132 (7) Origin (2)
At Bārāṇasī in the Deer Park at Isipatana…. “Friend Sāriputta, it is said, ‘true knowledge, true knowledge.’ What now, friend, is true knowledge, and in what way has one arrived at true knowledge?”
“Here, friend, the instructed noble disciple understands as it really is the origin and the passing away, the gratification, the danger, and the escape in the case of form, feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness. This, friend, is called true knowledge, and in this way one has arrived at true knowledge.” [175]
133 (8) Koṭṭhita (1)
(Identical with §129 and §130 combined, except here Sāriputta asks the questions and Mahākoṭṭhita replies.)
134 (9) Koṭṭhita (2)
(Identical with §131 and §132 combined, except here Sāriputta asks the questions and Mahākoṭṭhita replies.) [176]
135 (10) Koṭṭhita (3)
The same setting. Sitting to one side, the Venerable Sāriputta said to the Venerable Mahākoṭṭhita: “Friend Koṭṭhita, it is said, ‘ignorance, ignorance.’ What now, friend, is ignorance, and in what way is one immersed in ignorance?”
“Here, friend, the uninstructed worldling does not understand form, its origin, its cessation, and the way leading to its cessation. He does not understand feeling … perception … volitional formations … consciousness, its origin, its cessation, and the way leading to its cessation. This, friend, is called ignorance, and in this way one is immersed in ignorance.”
When this was said, the Venerable Sāriputta said to the Venerable Mahākoṭṭhita: “Friend Koṭṭhita, it is said, ‘true knowledge, true knowledge.’ What now, friend, is true knowledge, and in what way has one arrived at true knowledge?”
“Here, friend, the instructed noble disciple understands form, [177] its origin, its cessation, and the way leading to its cessation. He understands feeling … perception … volitional formations … consciousness, its origin, its cessation, and the way leading to its cessation. This, friend, is called true knowledge, and in this way one has arrived at true knowledge.”
IV. HOT EMBERS
136 (1) Hot Embers
At Sāvatthī. “Bhikkhus, form is hot embers,227 feeling is hot embers, perception is hot embers, volitional formations are hot embers, consciousness is hot embers. Seeing thus, bhikkhus, the instructed noble disciple experiences revulsion towards form … revulsion towards consciousness. Experiencing revulsion, he becomes dispassionate…. He understands: ‘… there is no more for this state of being.’”
137 (2) Impermanent (1)
At Sāvatthī. “Bhikkhus, you should abandon desire for whatever is impermanent. And what is impermanent? [178] Form is impermanent; you should abandon desire for it. Feeling … Perception … Volitional formations … Consciousness is impermanent; you should abandon desire for it. Bhikkhus, you should abandon desire for whatever is impermanent.”
138 (3) Impermanent (2)
… “Bhikkhus, you should abandon lust for whatever is impermanent.” …
(Complete as in the preceding sutta, with “lust” instead of “desire.”)
139 (4) Impermanent (3)
… “Bhikkhus, you should abandon desire and lust for whatever is impermanent.”…
(Complete as in §137, with “desire and lust” instead of “desire.”)
140 (5) Suffering (1)
… “Bhikkhus, you should abandon desire for whatever is suffering.” …
141 (6) Suffering (2)
… “Bhikkhus, you should abandon lust for whatever is suffering.” …
142 (7) Suffering (3)
… “Bhikkhus, you should abandon desire and lust for whatever is suffering.”…
143 (8) Nonself (1)
… “Bhikkhus, you should abandon desire for whatever is
nonself.” … [179]
144 (9) Nonself (2)
… “Bhikkhus, you should abandon lust for whatever is nonself.” …
145 (10) Nonself (3)
… “Bhikkhus, you should abandon desire and lust for whatever is nonself.”…
146 (11) Engrossed in Revulsion
At Sāvatthī. “Bhikkhus, for a clansman who has gone forth out of faith, this is what accords with the Dhamma: he should dwell engrossed in revulsion towards form, feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness.228 One who dwells engrossed in revulsion towards form … towards consciousness, fully understands form, feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness. One who fully understands form … consciousness is freed from form, feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness. He is freed from birth, aging, and death; freed from sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair; freed from suffering, I say.”
147 (12) Contemplating Impermanence
At Sāvatthī.229 “Bhikkhus, for a clansman who has gone forth out of faith, this is what accords with the Dhamma: he should dwell contemplating impermanence in form … (as above) … [180] he is freed from suffering, I say.”
148 (13) Contemplating Suffering
… “he should dwell contemplating suffering in form … he is freed from suffering, I say.”
149 (14) Contemplating Nonself
… “he should dwell contemplating nonself in form … he is freed from suffering, I say.”
V. VIEWS
150 (1) Internally
At Sāvatthī. “Bhikkhus, when what exists, by clinging to what, do pleasure and pain arise internally?”230 [181]
“Venerable sir, our teachings are rooted in the Blessed One….”
“When there is form, bhikkhus, by clinging to form, pleasure and pain arise internally. When there is feeling … perception … volitional formations … consciousness, by clinging to consciousness, pleasure and pain arise internally.
“What do you think, bhikkhus, is form permanent or impermanent?”
“Impermanent, venerable sir.”
“Is what is impermanent suffering or happiness?”
“Suffering, venerable sir.”
“But without clinging to what is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change, could pleasure and pain arise internally?”
“No, venerable sir.”
“Is feeling … perception … volitional formations … consciousness permanent or impermanent?… But without clinging to what is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change, could pleasure and pain arise internally?”
“No, venerable sir.”
“Seeing thus … He understands: ‘… there is no more for this state of being.’”
151 (2) This Is Mine
At Sāvatthī. “Bhikkhus, when what exists, by clinging to what, by adhering to what,231 does one regard things thus: ‘This is mine, this I am, this is my self’?”
“Venerable sir, our teachings are rooted in the Blessed One….”
“When there is form, bhikkhus, by clinging to form, by adhering to form, [182] one regards things thus: ‘This is mine, this I am, this is my self.’ When there is feeling … perception … volitional formations … consciousness, by clinging to consciousness, by adhering to consciousness, one regards things thus: ‘This is mine, this I am, this is my self.’
“What do you think, bhikkhus, is form … consciousness permanent or impermanent?”
“Impermanent, venerable sir.”…
“But without clinging to what is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change, could one regard anything thus: ‘This is mine, this I am, this is my self’?”
“No, venerable sir.”
“Seeing thus … He understands: ‘… there is no more for this state of being.’”
152 (3) The Self
At Sāvatthī. “Bhikkhus, when what exists, by clinging to what, by adhering to what, does such a view as this arise: ‘That which is the self is the world; having passed away, that I shall be—permanent, stable, eternal, not subject to change’?”232
“Venerable sir, our teachings are rooted in the Blessed One….”
“When there is form, bhikkhus, by clinging to form, by adhering to form, such a view as this arises: ‘That which is the self is the world; having passed away, that I shall be—permanent, stable, eternal, not subject to change.’ When there is feeling … perception … volitional formations … consciousness, by clinging to consciousness, by adhering to consciousness, such a view as this [183] arises: ‘That which is the self is the world … not subject to change.’
“What do you think, bhikkhus, is form … consciousness permanent or impermanent?”
“Impermanent, venerable sir.”…
“But without clinging to what is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change, could such a view as that arise?”
“No, venerable sir.”
“Seeing thus … He understands: ‘… there is no more for this state of being.’”
153 (4) It Might Not Be For Me
At Sāvatthī. “Bhikkhus, when what exists, by clinging to what, by adhering to what, does such a view as this arise: ‘I might not be, and it might not be for me; I will not be, [and] it will not be for me’?”233
“Venerable sir, our teachings are rooted in the Blessed One….”
“When there is form, bhikkhus, by clinging to form, by adhering to form, such a view as this arises: ‘I might not be, and it might not be for me; I will not be, [and] it will not be for me.’ When there is feeling … perception … volitional formations … [184] consciousness, by clinging to consciousness, by adhering to consciousness, such a view as this arises: ‘I might not be … and it will not be for me.’
“What do you think, bhikkhus, is form … consciousness permanent or impermanent?”
“Impermanent, venerable sir.”…
“But without clinging to what is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change, could such a view as that arise?”
“No, venerable sir.”
“Seeing thus … He understands: ‘… there is no more for this state of being.’”
154 (5) Wrong View
At Sāvatthī. “Bhikkhus, when what exists, by clinging to what, by adhering to what, does wrong view arise?”234
“Venerable sir, our teachings are rooted in the Blessed One….”
“When there is form, bhikkhus, by clinging to form, by adhering to form, wrong view arises. When there is feeling … perception … volitional formations … consciousness, by clinging to consciousness, by adhering to consciousness, wrong view arises.
“What do you think, bhikkhus, is form … consciousness permanent or impermanent?” [185]
“Impermanent, venerable sir.”…
“But without clinging to what is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change, could wrong view arise.”
“No, venerable sir.”
“Seeing thus … He understands: ‘… there is no more for this state of being.’”
155 (6) Identity View
At Sāvatthī. “Bhikkhus, when what exists, by clinging to what, by adhering to what, does identity view arise?”235
“Venerable sir, our teachings are rooted in the Blessed One….”
“When there is form, bhikkhus, by clinging to form, by adhering to form, identity view arises. When there is feeling … perception … volitional formations … consciousness, by clinging to consciousness, by adhering to consciousness, identity view arises.”…
“Seeing thus … He understands: ‘… there is no more for this state of being.’”
156 (7) View of Self