Saɱyutta Nikāya
4. Saḷāyatana Vagga
41. Citta Saɱyutta
The Book of the Kindred Sayings
4. The Book Called the Saḷāyatana-Vagga
Containing Kindred Sayings on the 'Six-Fold Sphere' of Sense and Other Subjects
41. Kindred Sayings about Citta
Sutta 6
Dutiya Kāmabhū Suttaɱ
Kāmabhū (ii)
Translated by F. L. Woodward
Edited by Mrs. Rhys Davids
Copyright The Pali Text Society
Commercial Rights Reserved
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[1][bit][than] Thus have I heard:
Once the venerable Kāmabhū was staying at Macchikasaṇḍa
in Wild Mango Grove.
Then Citta, the housefather, came to visit the venerable [201] Kāmabhū,
and on coming to him
saluted him
and sat down at one side.
So seated, Citta, the housefather, said to the venerable Kāmabhū: -
"Sir, how many activities[1] are there?"
"There are three activities, housefather:
those of body,
those of speech
those of mind."
"Well said, sir," said Citta, the housefather,
pleased with the venerable Kāmabhū's reply,
and welcomed it.
Then he asked a further question: -
■
"But what, sir, is the activity of body,
what is the activity of speech,
what is the activity of mind?"
"In-breathing and out-breathing, housefather,
is the activity of body;
thought directed and sustained
is the activity of speech:
perception and feeling
are the activity of mind."
"Well said, sir," said Citta, the housefather,
pleased with the venerable Kāmabhū's reply,
and welcomed it.
Then he asked a further question: -
■
"But why, sir, are in-breathing and out-breathing the activity of body?
Why is thought directed and sustained the activity of speech?
Why are perception and feeling the activity of mind?"
"In-breathing and out-breathing, housefather,
are bodily processes,
dependent on body.
Therefore are they called
'the activity of body.'
First one directs thought
and sustains it,
then one utters speech.
Therefore is thought directed and sustained called
'the activity of speech.'
Perception and feeling
are mental processes
dependent on mind.
Therefore are they called
'the activity of mind'."
"Well said, sir," said Citta, the housefather,
pleased with the venerable Kāmabhū's reply,
and welcomed it.
Then he asked a further question: -
■
"But how, sir, comes the attainment
of the ceasing of perception and feeling?"
"A brother, housefather,
in attaining the ceasing of perception and feeling
does not think:
'I shall attain,
the ceasing of perception and feeling',
'I am attaining,
the ceasing of perception and feeling',
'I have attained
the ceasing of perception and feeling,'
but his mind has [202] been so practised that it leads him on to the state of being such."[2]
"Well said, sir," said Citta, the housefather,
pleased with the venerable Kāmabhū's reply,
and welcomed it.
Then he asked a further question: -
■
"But, sir, in attaining the ceasing of perception and feeling,
what states cease first?
Is it the activity of body
or of speech
or of mind?"
"In so attaining, housefather,
a brother's activity of speech ceases first,[3]
then that of body,
then that of mind."
"Well said, sir," said Citta, the housefather,
pleased with the venerable Kāmabhū's reply,
and welcomed it.
Then he asked a further question: -
■
"But a brother who has so attained,
how does he differ from a dead man,
from one who bas made an end?
"In a dead man, housefather,
in one who bas made an end,
the activity of body
has ceased,
become calmed
the activities of speech
has ceased,
become calmed
the activities of mind
has ceased,
become calmed
Life has run out,
vital heat has ceased,
the faculties are scattered.
In him, housefather, who has attained the ceasing of perception and feeling,
the activity of body
also has ceased,
become calmed
the activities of speech
also has ceased,
become calmed
the activites of mind
also has ceased,
become calmed.
But his life has not run out,
vital beat has not ceased,
the faculties have become clarified.
That is the difference between a dead man,
one who bas made an end,
and one who has attained the ceasing of perception and feeling."
"Well said, sir," said Citta, the housefather,
pleased with the venerable Kāmabhū's reply,
and welcomed it.
Then he asked a further question: -
■
"But how comes about the emerging
from attaining the ceasing of perception and feeling?"
"In emerging from attaining the ceasing of perception and feeling, housefather,
a brother does not think:
'I will now emerge,
from attaining the ceasing of perception and feeling',
'I am emerging,
from attaining the ceasing of perception and feeling',
'I have now emerged from attaining the ceasing of perception and feeling,'
but his mind has been so practised
that it leads him on to the state of being such."
"Well said, sir," said Citta, the housefather,
pleased with the venerable Kāmabhū's reply,
and welcomed it.
Then he asked a further question: -
■
"But wben a brother is thus emerging
from attaining the ceasing of perception and feeling,
what states arise first?
Is it activity of body,
activity of speech,
or activity of mind?
"In a brother so emerging from attaining the ceasing of perception and feeling, housefather,
activity of mind arises first,
next activity of body,
and last activity of speech."
[203] "Well said, sir," said Citta, the housefather,
pleased with the venerable Kāmabhū's reply,
and welcomed it.
Then he asked a further question: -
■
"But when a brother has so emerged
from attaining the ceasing of perception and feeling,
how many contacts touch him?
"When a brother has so emerged
from attaining the ceasing of perception and feeling, housefather,
three contacts touch him:
the void,
the signless
and the aimless contact."[4]
"Well said, sir," said Citta, the housefather,
pleased with the venerable Kāmabhū's reply,
and welcomed it.
Then he asked a further question: -
■
"But when one has so emerged
from attaining the ceasing of perception and feeling,
how does a brother's mind tend,
slope,
incline?"[5]
"His mind tends to detachment,[6] housefather,
it slopes to detachment,
it inclines to detachment."
"Well said, sir," said Citta, the housefather,
pleased with the venerable Kāmabhū's reply,
and welcomed it.
Then he asked a further question: -
■
"But, sir, how many states
are most useful
for the attainment of the ceasing of perception and feeling?'
"Indeed, housefather,
you ask last
what you ought to have asked first!
Yet will I explain to you.
Two states are most useful, housefather,
for the attainment of the ceasing of perception and feeling, -
calm and insight."
[1] Sañkhārā [sp. text: saṅkhara; PED: Saṅkhāra. The section also occurs at M. i, 301. Lord Chalmers (Dialogues, v, 215) translates 'plastic forces.' Comy. = sañkharīyati, nibbattīyatī ti'
[2] Tathattāya upaneti or 'leads to thusness' (a term for Nibhāna) Cf. S. v, 90; Points of Controversy, 338, n. 1, where the S. passage is overlooked.
"...speech ceases." Speech proper ceases, but own-making (saṅkhāra) of thought continues and this is classed as 'speech'. This stops prior to entering the second jhāna, so it is in this way that it is said that speech stops in the first jhāna.
— p.p.
[3] In first jhāna speech ceases.
[4] Suññato, animitto, appaṇihito phasso. For those terms see Buddh. Psych. Eth., 92 ff. and notes. He is 'empty' of lust, etc., freed from the three marks or signs of nicca, adukkha, attā and, being experienced in dukkha, he desires nothing, fixes his aim on nothing but Nibbāna. Comy. refers to V.M. 658. At Paṭisambh., ii, 35, the homily begins: 'Brethren, there are three deliverances, that of the void, the signless, the aimless.' Cf. Expos., ii, 301.
[5] The usual phrase for a river's course to tho sea, ninna, poṇa, pabbhāra.
[6] Viveka 'Nibbāna.' Comy.
