Saṃyutta Nikāya
V: Mahā-Vagga
56. Sacca Saṃyutta
V. Papāta Vagga
Sutta 46
Andhakāra Suttaṃ
Darkness
Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
Proofed against and modified in accordance with the revised edition at dhammatalks.org
Provenance, terms and conditons
[1][pts][bodh] "There is, monks, an inter-cosmic [intergalactic?] void, an unrestrained darkness, a pitch-black darkness, where even the light of the sun and moon — so mighty, so powerful — doesn't reach."
When this was said, one of the monks said to the Blessed One, "Wow, what a great darkness!
What a really great darkness!
Is there any darkness greater and more frightening than that?"
"There is, monk, a darkness greater and more frightening than that."
"And which darkness, lord, is greater and more frightening than that?"
"Any contemplatives or brahmans who do not know, as it has come to be, that 'This is stress'; who do not know, as it has come to be, that 'This is the origination of stress' ... 'This is the cessation of stress' ... 'This is the path of practice leading to the cessation of stress': They revel in fabrications leading to birth; they revel in fabrications leading to aging; they revel in fabrications leading to death; they revel in fabrications leading to sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair.
Reveling in fabrications leading to birth... aging... death... sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair, they fabricate fabrications leading to birth... aging... death... sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair. Fabricating fabrications leading to birth... aging... death... sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair, they drop into the darkness of birth.
They drop into the darkness of aging... the darkness of death... darkness of sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair.
They are not totally released from birth, aging, death, sorrows, lamentations, pains, distresses, and despairs.
They are not totally released, I tell you, from suffering and stress.
"But as for any contemplatives or brahmans who do know, as it has come to be, that 'This is stress'; who know, as it has come to be, that 'This is the origination of stress' ... 'This is the cessation of stress' ... 'This is the path of practice leading to the cessation of stress': They don't revel in fabrications leading to birth; don't revel in fabrications leading to aging; don't revel in fabrications leading to death; don't revel in fabrications leading to sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair.
Not reveling in fabrications leading to birth... aging... death... sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair, they don't fabricate fabrications leading to birth... aging... death... sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair.
Not fabricating fabrications leading to birth... aging... death... sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair, they don't drop into the darkness of birth.
They don't drop into the darkness of aging, don't drop into the darkness of death, don't drop into the darkness of sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair.
They are totally released from birth, aging, death, sorrows, lamentations, pains, distresses, and despairs.
They are totally released, I tell you, from suffering and stress.
"Therefore, monks, your duty is the contemplation, 'This is stress ...
This is the origination of stress ...
This is the cessation of stress.'
Your duty is the contemplation, 'This is the path of practice leading to the cessation of stress.'"
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