Saɱyutta Nikāya
II. Nidāna Vagga
12. Nidāna Saɱyutta
7. Mahā Vagga
The Book of the Kindred Sayings
Part II. The Book Called the Nidāna-Vagga
Containing Kindred sayings on Cause
and Other Subjects
12. The Kindred Sayings on Cause
7. The Great Chapter
Sutta 62
Dutiya Assutavantu Suttaɱ
The Untaught (2)
Translated by Mrs. Rhys Davids
Assisted by F. L. Woodward
Originally Published by
The Pali Text Society
Public Domain
[1][wrrn][bodh][than] Thus have I heard:
The Exalted One was once staying near Sāvatthī
at the Jeta Grove in Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.
And there the Exalted One addressed the brethren, saying:
"Brethren!"
"Master!" responded those brethren.
The Exalted One said:
"The untaught manyfolk, brethren,
might well be repelled by this body,
child of the four great elements,
might cease to fancy it
and wish to be free from it.
Why so?
Seen is the growth and decay of this body,
child of the four great elements,
the taking on
and the laying down of it.
Hence well might the manyfolk be repelled by it,
cease to fancy it,
and wish to be free from it.
Yet this, brethren, that we call thought,
that we call mind,
that we call consciousness,
by this the untaught manyfolk are not able to feel repelled,
they are not able to cease fancying it
or to be freed from it.
Why so?
For many a long day, brethren,
has it been for the uneducated manyfolk
that to which they cleave,
that which they call 'mine,'
that which they wrongly conceive thinking:
'That is mine; this I am; this is my spirit.'
Hence the untaught manyfolk
are not able to feel repelled by it,
are not able to cease fancying it,
are not able to be freed from it.
It were better, brethren,
if the untaught manyfolk approached this body,
child of the four great elements,
as the self rather than the mind.
Why so?
Seen is it, brethren, how this body,
child of the four great elements,
persists for a year,
[66] persists for two years,
persists for three,
four,
five,
ten,
twenty,
thirty years,
persists for forty,
for fifty years,
persists for a hundred years
and even longer.
But this, brethren, that we call thought,
that we call mind,
that we call consciousness,
that arises as one thing,
ceases as another,
whether by night or by day.
Because of a contact which makes for pleasant feeling, brethren,
pleasant feeling arises.
From the ceasing of that contact which makes for pleasant feeling,
the pleasant feeling, -
which had arisen because of the contact making for pleasant feeling, -
that ceases,
that is quenched.
Because of a contact which makes for painful feeling, brethren,
painful feeling arises.
From the ceasing of that contact which makes for painful feeling,
the painful feeling, -
which had arisen because of the contact making for painful feeling, -
that ceases,
that is quenched.
Because of a contact which makes for neutral feeling, brethren,
neutral feeling arises.
From the ceasing of that contact which makes for neutral feeling,
the neutral feeling, -
which had arisen because of the contact making for neutral feeling, -
that ceases,
that is quenched.
Just as if from the adjusted friction of two sticks,
heat is born,
a spark is brought forth,
but from the separating
and withdrawing
of just those two sticks,
the heat which was consequent,
that ceases,
that is quenched.
Even so because of a contact which makes for pleasant feeling, brethren,
pleasant feeling arises,
from the ceasing of that contact which makes for pleasant feeling,
the pleasant feeling, -
which had arisen because of the contact making for pleasant feeling, -
that ceases,
that is quenched;
because of a contact which makes for painful feeling, brethren,
painful feeling arises,
From the ceasing of that contact which makes for painful feeling,
the painful feeling, -
which had arisen because of the contact making for painful feeling, -
that ceases,
that is quenched;
because of a contact which makes for neutral feeling, brethren,
neutral feeling arises,
From the ceasing of that contact which makes for neutral feeling,
the neutral feeling, -
which had arisen because of the contact making for neutral feeling, -
that ceases,
that is quenched.
So seeing, brethren,
the well taught Ariyan disciple
is repelled by contact,
is repelled by feeling,
is repelled by perception,[1]
is repelled by consciousness.
Being repelled
he is not attracted by them,
unattracted he is set free,
and the knowledge comes in freedom
about freedom!
And he knows that birth is perished,
that the divine life is lived,
done that which was to be done,
no hereafter to these conditions!
"Sankhara" is included in the BJT Pali, but most likely this is incorrect. This sutta is dealing with consciousness.
— p.p.
[1] Text omits saṅkhāra's.
