Saṃyutta Nikāya
3. Khandha Vagga
22. Khandha Saṃyutta
6. Upāya Vagga
Sutta 62
Nirutti-Patha Suttaṃ
Getting Down to the Fundamentals
Translated from the Pāḷi
by
Michael M. Olds
[1][bit][pts][bodh] I Hear Tell:
Once upon a time The Lucky Man,
Sāvatthī-town revisiting.
There the The Lucky Man said this to the Group of Five beggars:
"Beggars!"
"Bhante!" they replied,
and the Lucky Man said to them:
"There are, beggars,
three paths to description,
paths to making known,
paths getting down to the fundamentals,[1]
unconfused,
unconfused previously,
not in doubt
not to come into doubt.
What three?
Whatever form, beggars is past,
ended,
wound up —
'was' is such as this reckoned,
'was' is such as this designated,
'was' is such as this made known.
such as this is not reckoned 'is'.
such as this is not reckoned 'will be.'
Whatever sense-experience, beggars is past,
ended,
wound up —
'was' is such as this reckoned,
'was' is such as this designated,
'was' is such as this made known.
such as this is not reckoned 'is'.
such as this is not reckoned 'will be.'
Whatever perception, beggars is past,
ended,
wound up —
'was' is such as this reckoned,
'was' is such as this designated,
'was' is such as this made known.
such as this is not reckoned 'is'.
such as this is not reckoned 'will be.'
Whatever own-making, beggars is past,
ended,
wound up —
'was' is such as this reckoned,
'was' is such as this designated,
'was' is such as this made known.
such as this is not reckoned 'is'.
such as this is not reckoned 'will be.'
Whatever sense-consciousness, beggars is past,
ended,
wound up —
'was' is such as this reckoned,
'was' is such as this designated,
'was' is such as this made known.
such as this is not reckoned 'is'.
such as this is not reckoned 'will be.'
Whatever form, beggars is unborn,
not come into being —
'will be' is such as this reckoned,
'will be' is such as this designated,
'will be' is such as this made known.
such as this is not reckoned 'is'.
such as this is not reckoned 'was.'
Whatever sense-experience, beggars is unborn,
not come into being —
'will be' is such as this reckoned,
'will be' is such as this designated,
'will be' is such as this made known.
such as this is not reckoned 'is'.
such as this is not reckoned 'was.'
Whatever perception, beggars is unborn,
not come into being —
'will be' is such as this reckoned,
'will be' is such as this designated,
'will be' is such as this made known.
such as this is not reckoned 'is'.
such as this is not reckoned 'was.'
Whatever own-making, beggars is unborn,
not come into being —
'will be' is such as this reckoned,
'will be' is such as this designated,
'will be' is such as this made known.
such as this is not reckoned 'is'.
such as this is not reckoned 'was.'
Whatever sense-consciousness, beggars is unborn,
not come into being —
'will be' is such as this reckoned,
'will be' is such as this designated,
'will be' is such as this made known.
such as this is not reckoned 'is'.
such as this is not reckoned 'was.'
Whatever form, beggars is born,
come into being —
'is' is such as this reckoned,
'is' is such as this designated,
'is' is such as this made known.
such as this is not reckoned 'was'.
such as this is not reckoned 'will be.'
Whatever sense-experience, beggars is born,
come into being —
'is' is such as this reckoned,
'is' is such as this designated,
'is' is such as this made known.
such as this is not reckoned 'was'.
such as this is not reckoned 'will be.'
Whatever perception, beggars is born,
come into being —
'is' is such as this reckoned,
'is' is such as this designated,
'is' is such as this made known.
such as this is not reckoned 'was'.
such as this is not reckoned 'will be.'
Whatever own-making, beggars is born,
come into being —
'is' is such as this reckoned,
'is' is such as this designated,
'is' is such as this made known.
such as this is not reckoned 'was'.
such as this is not reckoned 'will be.'
Whatever sense-consciousness, beggars is born,
come into being —
'is' is such as this reckoned,
'is' is such as this designated,
'is' is such as this made known.
such as this is not reckoned 'was'.
such as this is not reckoned 'will be.'
These are, beggars, the three paths to description,
paths to making known,
paths getting down to the fundamentals,
unconfused,
unconfused previously,
not in doubt
not to come into doubt.
Even Vassa and Bhaññā of Ukkalā,
holding the no-reason-way,
the no-deed-way,
the 'there is nothing'-way,
even they do not find fault with,
do not think to refute,
these three paths to description,
paths to making known,
paths getting down to the fundamentals.
And how come?
For fear of creating uproar,
blame
and anger."
[1] Nirutti-patha. Nirutti: ni = down; rutti: to the root, or essence; generally has a meaning something like 'intuitive etymology'. It is not 'book etymology' which looks for logical derivations of words but is etymology based on 'hearing' the intent of the original coiner of a word which is often not logical in the scientific sense (and perhaps more often than is comfortable, more logical in the scientific sense). Here the meaning is the intuitive understanding of things as they are, that is, in this case, that whatever the ultimate reality, the conventional world and orientation in it requires a sense of Time. There is no real understanding of things that does not double back to incorporate the conventional view. 'First there was a mountain, then there was no mountain, then there was.' This is the same logic as is required to understand that it is not 'There is no self' but 'There is no thing there that is the self.' That to say 'There is no self' negates the consensus reality on no better grounds than that on which the consensus reality is based: i.e., opinion. To see that the world has no fundamental thing there equivalent to 'Time' does not negate the existence of the construct in the consensus reality.
