English
Homage to the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened One. The Middle Length Discourses The First Fifty Discourses 1. The Division of the Root 1. The Discourse on the Root of All Things 1. Thus have I heard – on one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling in Ukkaṭṭhā, in the Subhaga Grove, at the root of a royal sala tree. There, the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus, saying: “Bhikkhus!” “Venerable sir,” those bhikkhus replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this: “I shall teach you, bhikkhus, the root of all things. Listen to it, attend carefully, I shall speak.” “Yes, venerable sir,” those bhikkhus replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this: 2. “Here, bhikkhus, an uninstructed ordinary person, who is not a seer of the noble ones, unskilled in the Dhamma of the noble ones, undisciplined in the Dhamma of the noble ones; who is not a seer of the good persons, unskilled in the Dhamma of the good persons, undisciplined in the Dhamma of the good persons – perceives earth as earth; having perceived earth as earth, he conceives earth, he conceives in earth, he conceives from earth, he conceives ‘earth is mine,’ he delights in earth. For what reason? ‘It is not fully understood by him,’ I say. He perceives water as water; having perceived water as water, he conceives water, he conceives in water, he conceives from water, he conceives ‘water is mine,’ he delights in water. For what reason? ‘It is not fully understood by him,’ I say. He perceives fire as fire; having perceived fire as fire, he conceives fire, he conceives in fire, he conceives from fire, he conceives ‘fire is mine,’ he delights in fire. For what reason? ‘It is not fully understood by him,’ I say. He perceives air as air; having perceived air as air, he conceives air, he conceives in air, he conceives from air, he conceives ‘air is mine,’ he delights in air. For what reason? ‘It is not fully understood by him,’ I say. 3. He perceives beings as beings; having perceived beings as beings, he conceives beings, he conceives in beings, he conceives from beings, he conceives ‘beings are mine,’ He delights in beings. For what reason is that? I say, 'It is not fully understood by him.' He perceives gods as gods. Having perceived gods as gods, he conceives of gods, he conceives in gods, he conceives from gods, he conceives 'gods are mine', he delights in gods. For what reason is that? I say, 'It is not fully understood by him.' He perceives Prajāpati as Prajāpati. Having perceived Prajāpati as Prajāpati, he conceives of Prajāpati, he conceives in Prajāpati, he conceives from Prajāpati, he conceives 'Prajāpati is mine', he delights in Prajāpati. For what reason is that? I say, 'It is not fully understood by him.' He perceives Brahmā as Brahmā. Having perceived Brahmā as Brahmā, he conceives of Brahmā, he conceives in Brahmā, he conceives from Brahmā, he conceives 'Brahmā is mine', he delights in Brahmā. For what reason is that? I say, 'It is not fully understood by him.' He perceives the Ābhassaras as Ābhassaras. Having perceived the Ābhassaras as Ābhassaras, he conceives of the Ābhassaras, he conceives in the Ābhassaras, he conceives from the Ābhassaras, he conceives 'the Ābhassaras are mine', he delights in the Ābhassaras. For what reason is that? I say, 'It is not fully understood by him.' He perceives the Subhakiṇhas as Subhakiṇhas. Having perceived the Subhakiṇhas as Subhakiṇhas, he conceives of the Subhakiṇhas, he conceives in the Subhakiṇhas, he conceives from the Subhakiṇhas, he conceives 'the Subhakiṇhas are mine', he delights in the Subhakiṇhas. For what reason is that? I say, 'It is not fully understood by him.' He perceives the Vehapphalas as Vehapphalas. Having perceived the Vehapphalas as Vehapphalas, he conceives of the Vehapphalas, he conceives in the Vehapphalas, he conceives from the Vehapphalas, he conceives 'the Vehapphalas are mine', he delights in the Vehapphalas. For what reason is that? I say, 'It is not fully understood by him.' He perceives the Overlord as the Overlord. Having perceived the Overlord as the Overlord, he conceives of the Overlord, he conceives in the Overlord, he conceives from the Overlord, he conceives 'the Overlord is mine', he delights in the Overlord. For what reason is that? I say, 'It is not fully understood by him.' He perceives the dimension of infinite space as the dimension of infinite space. Breathes in; Having perceived the dimension of infinite space as the dimension of infinite space, he conceives the dimension of infinite space, he conceives in the dimension of infinite space, he conceives from the dimension of infinite space, he conceives 'the dimension of infinite space is mine', he delights in the dimension of infinite space. For what reason? I say that it is not fully comprehended by him. He perceives the dimension of infinite consciousness as the dimension of infinite consciousness; Having perceived the dimension of infinite consciousness as the dimension of infinite consciousness, he conceives the dimension of infinite consciousness, he conceives in the dimension of infinite consciousness, he conceives from the dimension of infinite consciousness, he conceives 'the dimension of infinite consciousness is mine', he delights in the dimension of infinite consciousness. For what reason? I say that it is not fully comprehended by him. He perceives the dimension of nothingness as the dimension of nothingness; Having perceived the dimension of nothingness as the dimension of nothingness, he conceives the dimension of nothingness, he conceives in the dimension of nothingness, he conceives from the dimension of nothingness, he conceives 'the dimension of nothingness is mine', he delights in the dimension of nothingness. For what reason? I say that it is not fully comprehended by him. He perceives the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception as the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception; Having perceived the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception as the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, he conceives the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, he conceives in the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, he conceives from the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, he conceives 'the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception is mine', he delights in the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception. For what reason? I say that it is not fully comprehended by him. He perceives the seen as the seen; Having perceived the seen as the seen, he conceives the seen, he conceives in the seen, he conceives from the seen, he conceives 'the seen is mine', he delights in the seen. For what reason? I say that it is not fully comprehended by him. He perceives the heard as the heard; Having perceived the heard as the heard, he conceives the heard, he conceives in the heard, he conceives from the heard, he conceives 'the heard is mine', he delights in the heard. For what reason? I say that it is not fully comprehended by him. He perceives the cognized as the cognized; Having perceived the cognized as the cognized, He conceives the sensed as 'I am'. He conceives 'I am in the sensed'. He conceives 'I am from the sensed'. He conceives 'the sensed is mine'. He delights in the sensed. For what reason? I say, 'It is not fully understood by him.' He cognizes the cognized as the cognized. Having cognized the cognized as the cognized, he conceives the cognized as 'I am'. He conceives 'I am in the cognized'. He conceives 'I am from the cognized'. He conceives 'the cognized is mine'. He delights in the cognized. For what reason? I say, 'It is not fully understood by him.' 6. He cognizes unity as unity. Having cognized unity as unity, he conceives unity as 'I am'. He conceives 'I am in unity'. He conceives 'I am from unity'. He conceives 'unity is mine'. He delights in unity. For what reason? I say, 'It is not fully understood by him.' He cognizes diversity as diversity. Having cognized diversity as diversity, he conceives diversity as 'I am'. He conceives 'I am in diversity'. He conceives 'I am from diversity'. He conceives 'diversity is mine'. He delights in diversity. For what reason? I say, 'It is not fully understood by him.' He cognizes the all as the all. Having cognized the all as the all, he conceives the all as 'I am'. He conceives 'I am in the all'. He conceives 'I am from the all'. He conceives 'the all is mine'. He delights in the all. For what reason? I say, 'It is not fully understood by him.' He cognizes Nibbana as Nibbana. Having cognized Nibbana as Nibbana, he conceives Nibbana as 'I am'. He conceives 'I am in Nibbana'. He conceives 'I am from Nibbana'. He conceives 'Nibbana is mine'. He delights in Nibbana. For what reason? I say, 'It is not fully understood by him.' The first section on the stages of understanding, in the way of the ordinary person, is finished. 7. Even that monk, bhikkhus, who is a trainee, whose mind has not attained (the goal), dwelling, aspiring for the unexcelled security from bondage, he too discerns earth as earth. Having discerned earth as earth, let him not conceive earth as 'I am'. Let him not conceive 'I am in earth'. Let him not conceive 'I am from earth'. Let him not conceive 'earth is mine'. Let him not delight in earth. For what reason? 'It is to be fully understood by him,' I say. "Water... Fire... Wind... Beings... Devas... Pajāpati... Brahmā... The Abhassara gods... The Subhakiṇha gods... The Vehapphala gods... The Overlord... The dimension of infinite space... The dimension of infinite consciousness... The dimension of nothingness... The dimension of neither perception nor non-perception... What is seen... What is heard... What is sensed... What is cognized... Unity... Diversity... All... Nibbāna— he fully understands Nibbāna as Nibbāna. Having fully understood Nibbāna as Nibbāna, he should not conceive Nibbāna,