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B0102020101mūlapariyāyavaggo (fundamental meaning sutra)

English

his view is straightened, he is endowed with unwavering confidence in the Dhamma, he has come to this True Dhamma.’’ 90. ‘‘It is good, friend,’’ those bhikkhus having delighted in and approved of the Venerable Sāriputta’s words, asked the Venerable Sāriputta a further question – ‘‘Is there, friend, another way by which a noble disciple has right view, his view is straightened, he is endowed with unwavering confidence in the Dhamma, he has come to this True Dhamma?’’ ‘‘There is, friends. When, friends, a noble disciple understands nutriment, understands the origin of nutriment, understands the cessation of nutriment, and understands the path leading to the cessation of nutriment – to this extent too, friends, a noble disciple has right view, his view is straightened, he is endowed with unwavering confidence in the Dhamma, he has come to this True Dhamma. And what, friends, is nutriment, what is the origin of nutriment, what is the cessation of nutriment, what is the path leading to the cessation of nutriment? These four nutriments, friends, are for the maintenance of beings that have come to be, or for the support of those seeking to be born. Which four? Physical food, coarse or subtle, contact is the second, mental volition is the third, consciousness is the fourth. From the origin of craving comes the origin of nutriment, from the cessation of craving comes the cessation of nutriment, ay just this Noble Eightfold Path is the practice leading to the cessation of nutriment, namely: right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. When, friends, a noble disciple thus understands nutriment, thus understands the origin of nutriment, thus understands the cessation of nutriment, thus understands the practice leading to the cessation of nutriment, he, having abandoned the underlying tendency of lust completely, having removed the underlying tendency of aversion, having uprooted the underlying tendency of the view and conceit 'I am', having abandoned ignorance and generated knowledge, becomes an ender of suffering in this very life. To this extent, friends, a noble disciple has right view, his view is straight, he is endowed with unwavering confidence in the Dhamma, he has come to this True Dhamma. "Well said, friend," those bhikkhus, having rejoiced in and approved of the Venerable Sāriputta's words, asked Venerable Sāriputta a further question: "Is there, friend, another way by which a noble disciple has right view, his view is straight, he is endowed with unwavering confidence in the Dhamma, he has come to this True Dhamma?" "There is, friend. When, friends, a noble disciple understands suffering, understands the origin of suffering, understands the cessation of suffering, and understands the practice leading to the cessation of suffering – to this extent, friends, a noble disciple has right view, his view is straight, he is endowed with unwavering confidence in the Dhamma, he has come to this True Dhamma. What, friend, is suffering? What is the origin of suffering? What is the cessation of suffering? What is the practice leading to the cessation of suffering? Birth is suffering, old age is suffering, death is suffering, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair are suffering, association with the disliked is suffering, separation from the liked is suffering, not getting what one wants is suffering, in brief, the five aggregates of clinging are suffering – this is called... Friends, suffering. And what, friends, is the origin of suffering? It is this craving that leads to renewed existence, accompanied by delight and lust, seeking delight here and there; that is, craving for sensual pleasures, craving for existence, craving for non-existence – this, friends, is called the origin of suffering. And what, friends, is the cessation of suffering? It is the complete fading away and cessation of that very craving, its abandonment, relinquishment, release, and non-attachment – this, friends, is called the cessation of suffering. And what, friends, is the path leading to the cessation of suffering? It is this Noble Eightfold Path, that is, right view... ...right concentration – this, friends, is called the path leading to the cessation of suffering. When, friends, a noble disciple thus understands suffering, thus understands the origin of suffering, thus understands the cessation of suffering, thus understands the path leading to the cessation of suffering, then, having completely abandoned the underlying tendency of lust, having removed the underlying tendency of aversion, having uprooted the underlying tendency of the conceit ‘I am’, having abandoned ignorance and generated knowledge, he becomes one who makes an end of suffering in this very life – to this extent, friends, a noble disciple has right view, his view is straight, he is endowed with unwavering confidence in the Dhamma, he has come to this True Dhamma. 92. ‘It is good, friend,’ those bhikkhus, having delighted in and approved of the Venerable Sāriputta’s words, asked the Venerable Sāriputta a further question – ‘Is there, friends, another way in which a noble disciple has right view, his view is straight, he is endowed with unwavering confidence in the Dhamma, he has come to this True Dhamma?’ ‘There is, friends. When, friends, a noble disciple understands aging-and-death, understands the origin of aging-and-death, understands the cessation of aging-and-death, and understands the path leading to the cessation of aging-and-death – to this extent, friends, a noble disciple has right view, his view is straight, he is endowed with unwavering confidence in the Dhamma, has come to this True Dhamma. And what, friends, is aging-and-death? What is the origin of aging-and-death? What is the cessation of aging-and-death? What is the path leading to the cessation of aging-and-death? The aging, the decrepitude, the broken teeth, the graying hair, the wrinkled skin, the decline of life, the decay of the faculties of the various beings in the various orders of beings— this, friends, is called aging. And what, friends, is death? The passing away, the perishing, the breaking up, the disappearance, the dying, the demise, the completion of time, the breaking up of the aggregates, the laying down of the body, the cutting off of the life-faculty of the various beings from the various orders of beings— this, friends, is called death. Thus, this aging and this death— this, friends, is called aging-and-death. With the origin of birth, there is the origin of aging-and-death. With the cessation of birth, there is the cessation of aging-and-death. This Noble Eightfold Path itself is the path leading to the cessation of aging-and-death, namely: Right View… …Right Concentration. “When, friends, a noble disciple thus understands aging-and-death, thus understands the origin of aging-and-death, thus understands the cessation of aging-and-death, thus understands the path leading to the cessation of aging-and-death, then, having entirely abandoned the underlying tendency to lust… …he makes an end of suffering. To this extent, friends, a noble disciple has Right View, his view is straight, he is endowed with unwavering confidence in the Dhamma, he has come to this True Dhamma.” “Good, friends!” …they asked… “Is it possible, friends…?” …“It is possible, friends. When, friends, a noble disciple understands birth, understands the origin of birth, understands the cessation of birth, and understands the path leading to the cessation of birth— to this extent, friends, a noble disciple has Right View, his view is straight, he is endowed with unwavering confidence in the Dhamma, he has come to this True Dhamma. And what, friends, is birth? What is the origin of birth? What is the cessation of birth? What is the path leading to the cessation of birth? the path? That for those beings, in this or that group of beings, birth, coming to be, descent, coming forth, the manifestation of the aggregates, the acquisition of the sense bases— this, friend, is called birth. From the arising of existence, is the arising of birth. From the cessation of existence, is the cessation of birth. This Noble Eightfold Path is the practice leading to the cessation of birth, namely— right view…and so on…right concentration. When, friend, a noble disciple thus understands birth, thus understands the origin of birth, thus understands the cessation of birth, thus understands the path leading to the cessation of birth, he, having abandoned all latent tendencies of lust…and so on… makes an end of suffering. To this extent, friend, a noble disciple has right view, his view is straight, he is endowed with unwavering confidence in the Dhamma, he has come to this True Dhamma. "Good, friend,"…and so on…they asked, "Is it possible, friend…and so on…?" "It is possible, friend. When, friend, a noble disciple understands existence, and understands the origin of existence, and understands the cessation of existence, and understands the path leading to the cessation of existence— to this extent, friend, a noble disciple has right view, his view is straight, he is endowed with unwavering confidence in the Dhamma, he has come to this True Dhamma. But what, friend, is existence? What is the origin of existence? What is the cessation of existence? What is the path leading to the cessation of existence? These three, friend, are existences: sense-sphere existence, form-sphere existence, formless-sphere existence. From the arising of clinging, is the arising of existence. From the cessation of clinging, is the cessation of existence. This Noble Eightfold Path is the practice leading to the cessation of existence, namely— right view…and so on…right concentration. When, friend, a noble disciple thus understands existence, thus understands the origin of existence, thus understands the cessation of existence,