Domains of Sense

[287] [319]

[1][chlm][pts][than][ntbb] [upal] THUS have I heard:

Once when the Lord was staying at Sāvatthī in Jeta's grove in Anāthapiṇḍika's pleasaunce,
he intimated to the Almsmen
that he would instruct them
in the import of the Six Great Domains of Sense,
and thus began: -

If a man lacks ken and vision
of the sense of sight -
and of Forms -
and of ocular perception -
and of ocular Contact -
and of the feelings,
pleasant
unpleasant
or neither,
which arise because of ocular contact, -
then he grows enamoured of all these things.

As he lives thus enamoured
and immersed
and infatuated with them
and with the satisfaction they bring,
the five factors of love of existence grow up;
and there is a sturdy growth
of cravings for a future life
with a passionate delight
and revelling in the thought of it.

There is a growth both of bodily
[288] and of mental distress,
of bodily and mental inflammation
and of bodily and mental fever;
the man experiences ills of mind
and ills of body.

And precisely the same happens
with each of the other five senses.

If, however, a man has ken and vision
of the sense of sight
and its objects,
and of ocular perception,
Contact and the feelings,
pleasant
unpleasant
or neither,
which arise because of ocular contact, -
then he never grows enamoured of these things.

As he lives thus unenamoured,
un-immersed
and un-infatuated
either with them
or with the satisfaction they bring,
the five factors of love of existence wane;
and there is a decay of cravings for a future life
and no passionate delight
and revelling in the thought of it.

There is a decay
both of bodily
and of mental distress,
of bodily and mental inflammation
and of bodily and [289] mental fever;
the man experiences weal in mind
and weal in body.

The outlook of the man
with heart set aright
and at ease, -
this right outlook is his;
and his too is the right [320] aspiration,
the right endeavour,
the right mindfulness
and the right rapture of concentration
which mark the man
whose heart is set right
and at ease.

Ere this,
he has already attained
to purity of act
and word
and of mode of livelihood.

Thus, the (whole) Noble Eightfold Path
proceeds to its perfected development;
and with the Path's development
the fourfold mustering of mindfulness
similarly proceeds to its perfected development,
as too do the four efforts,
the four psychic powers,
the five faculties,
the five forces
and the seven factors of enlightenment,
while the twin yoke-fellows,
calm and intuition,
are at their work.

By transcendent knowledge
(a) he comprehends what transcendent knowledge should comprehend,
(b) discards what transcendent knowledge should discard,
(c) fosters what transcendent knowledge should foster, and
(d) realizes what transcendent knowledge should realize.

(a) That which transcendent knowledge should comprehend,
implies the five supporting factors of
forms,
feelings,
perception,
the factors
and consciousness.

(b) That which transcendent knowledge should discard,
is ignorance and craving for continuing existence.

(d) [290] That which transcendent knowledge should realize,
is Understanding and Deliverance.

And all that has been said
of the sense of sight
applies equally to the other five senses.

Thus spoke the Lord.

Glad at heart,
those Almsmen rejoiced in what the Lord had said.

Majjhima Nikāya III. Upari Paṇṇāsa 5. Saḷāyatana Vagga

Sacred Books of the Buddhists Volume VI Dialogues of the Buddha Part V

Further Dialogues of the Buddha Volume II

Sutta 149

Mahā Saḷ-Āyatanika Suttaɱ

Domains of Sense

Majjhima Nikāya
III. Upari Paṇṇāsa
5. Saḷāyatana Vagga

Sacred Books of the Buddhists
Volume VI
Dialogues of the Buddha
Part V

Further Dialogues of the Buddha
Volume II