Saṃyutta Nikāya
4. Saḷāyatana Vagga
35. Saḷāyatana Saṃyutta
§ I: Mūla-Paññāsa
3. Sabba Vagga
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
35. Kindred Sayings the Sixfold Sphere of Sense
§ I: The First Fifty Suttas
3. The Chapter on The All
Sutta 29
Andha-Bhūtam aka Aḍḍha-Bhūtaṃ Suttaṃ
Afflicted[1]
Translated by F. L. Woodward
Edited by Mrs. Rhys Davids
Copyright The Pali Text Society
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The Exalted One was once staying near Rājagaha, in Bamboo Grove, at the Squirrels' Feeding-ground
Then the Exalted One addressed the brethren, saying:
"Brethren."
"Lord," responded those brethren to the Exalted One.
The Exalted One said:
"Brethren, the all is afflicted.
What all, Brethren, is afflicted?
The eye, brethren, is afflicted,
objects are afflicted,
eye-conseiousness, is afflicted,
eye-contact, is afflicted,
that weal or woe or neutral state experienced,
which arises owing to eye-contact,-
that also is afflicted.
Afflicted with what?
Afflicted with birth,
decay and death,
sorrow and grief,
woe,
lamentation
and despair.
So I declare.
■
The ear, brethren, is afflicted,
sounds are afflicted,
ear-conseiousness, is afflicted,
ear-contact, is afflicted,
that weal or woe or neutral state experienced,
which arises owing to ear-contact,-
that also is afflicted.
Afflicted with what?
Afflicted with birth,
decay and death,
sorrow and grief,
woe,
lamentation
and despair.
So I declare.
■
The nose, brethren, is afflicted,
scents are afflicted,
nose-conseiousness, is afflicted,
nose-contact, is afflicted,
that weal or woe or neutral state experienced,
which arises owing to nose-contact,-
that also is afflicted.
Afflicted with what?
Afflicted with birth,
decay and death,
sorrow and grief,
woe,
lamentation
and despair.
So I declare.
■
The tongue, brethren, is afflicted,
savours are afflicted,
tongue-conseiousness, is afflicted,
tongue-contact, is afflicted,
that weal or woe or neutral state experienced,
which arises owing to tongue-contact,-
that also is afflicted.
Afflicted with what?
Afflicted with birth,
decay and death,
sorrow and grief,
woe,
lamentation
and despair.
So I declare.
■
The body, brethren, is afflicted,
things tangible are afflicted,
body-conseiousness, is afflicted,
body-contact, is afflicted,
that weal or woe or neutral state experienced,
which arises owing to body-contact,-
that also is afflicted.
Afflicted with what?
Afflicted with birth,
decay and death,
sorrow and grief,
woe,
lamentation
and despair.
So I declare.
■
The mind, brethren, is afflicted,
mind-states are afflicted,
mind-conseiousness, is afflicted,
mind-contact, is afflicted,
that weal or woe or neutral state experienced,
which arises owing to mind-contact,-
that also is afflicted.
Afflicted with what?
Afflicted with birth,
decay and death,
sorrow and grief,
woe,
lamentation
and despair.
So I declare.
§
So seeing, brethren, the well-taught Ariyan disciple
is repelled by the eye,
is repelled by objects,
is repelled by eye-consciousness,
is repelled by eye-contact,
is repelled by that weal or woe or neutral state experienced,
which arises owing to eye-contact.
■
So seeing, brethren, the well-taught Ariyan disciple
is repelled by the ear,
is repelled by sounds,
is repelled by ear-consciousness,
is repelled by ear-contact,
is repelled by that weal or woe or neutral state experienced,
which arises owing to ear-contact.
■
So seeing, brethren, the well-taught Ariyan disciple
is repelled by the nose,
is repelled by scents,
is repelled by nose-consciousness,
is repelled by nose-contact,
is repelled by that weal or woe or neutral state experienced,
which arises owing to nose-contact.
■
So seeing, brethren, the well-taught Ariyan disciple
is repelled by the tongue,
is repelled by savours,
is repelled by tongue-consciousness,
is repelled by tongue-contact,
is repelled by that weal or woe or neutral state experienced,
which arises owing to tongue-contact.
■
So seeing, brethren, the well-taught Ariyan disciple
is repelled by the body,
is repelled by things tactile,
is repelled by body-consciousness,
is repelled by body-contact,
is repelled by that weal or woe or neutral state experienced,
which arises owing to body-contact.
■
So seeing, brethren, the well-taught Ariyan disciple
is repelled by the mind,
is repelled by mind-states,
is repelled by mind-consciousness,
is repelled by mind-contact,
is repelled by that weal or woe or neutral state experienced,
which arises owing to mind-contact.
§
Being repelled by these,
he lusts not for them.
Not lusting he is set free.
In this freedom
comes insight
that it is a being free.
Thus he realizes:
'Rebirth is destroyed,
lived is the righteous life,
done is the task.
For life in these conditions
there is no hereafter.'"
Aḍḍha-Bhūtaṇ vs andhabhūtam. Bhk. Bodhi agrees with the reading used by Woodward, but translates 'weighed down'. I see no reason to object to andhabhūtam: which would be 'being blinded by'. The difference is orientation towards the being. Aḍḍhabhūtam suggests the affliction by these things of the being; andhabhūtam suggest the being blinded by these things of the mind. The latter would more closely adhere to the aims of the Dhamma.
— p.p.
[1] Reading Aḍḍha-Bhūtaṇ with Comy. MSS., for andha - of text.