English
In the past, too, I was devoured by feeling in just the same way, just as I am now being devoured by present feeling. And if I were to delight in future feeling; future... "I would be consumed by feeling in the future, just as I am now consumed by present feeling." Having reflected thus, he is not attached to past feeling; he does not delight in future feeling; he is practicing for disenchantment, dispassion, cessation of present feeling. "Indeed, I am now consumed by perception... Indeed, I am now consumed by formations. I was consumed by formations in the past, just as I am now consumed by present formations. If I were to delight in future formations, I would be consumed by formations in the future, just as I am now consumed by present formations." Having reflected thus, he is not attached to past formations; he does not delight in future formations; he is practicing for disenchantment, dispassion, cessation of present formations. "Indeed, I am now consumed by consciousness. I was consumed by consciousness in the past, just as I am now consumed by present consciousness. If I were to delight in future consciousness, I would be consumed by consciousness in the future, just as I am now consumed by present consciousness." Having reflected thus, he is not attached to past consciousness; he does not delight in future consciousness; he is practicing for disenchantment, dispassion, cessation of present consciousness. "What do you think, monks, is form permanent or impermanent?" "Impermanent, venerable sir." "But that which is impermanent, is it suffering or happiness?" "Suffering, venerable sir." "But that which is impermanent, suffering, subject to change, is it fit to regard it thus: 'This is mine, this I am, this is my self'?" "No, venerable sir." "Feeling... perception... formations... consciousness, are they permanent or impermanent?" "Impermanent, venerable sir." "But that which is p Impermanent, is it suffering or happiness? Suffering, venerable sir. But what is impermanent, suffering, subject to change, is it fit to regard it as: 'This is mine, this I am, this is my self'? No, venerable sir. Therefore, bhikkhus, whatever form, past, future, or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, inferior or superior, far or near, all form— 'This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self'— thus it should be seen as it really is with right wisdom. Whatever feeling, past, future, or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, inferior or superior, far or near, all feeling— 'This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self'— thus it should be seen as it really is with right wisdom. Whatever perception, past, future, or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, inferior or superior, far or near, all perception— 'This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self'— thus it should be seen as it really is with right wisdom. Whatever mental formations, past, future, or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, inferior or superior, far or near, all mental formations— 'This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self'— thus it should be seen as it really is with right wisdom. Whatever consciousness, past, future, or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, inferior or superior, far or near, all consciousness— 'This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self'— thus it should be seen as it really is with right wisdom. This, bhikkhus, is called the noble disciple who diminishes, not accumulates; abandons, not clings; disperses, not heaps up; dissipates, not consolidates. What does he diminish, not accumulate? Form he diminishes, not accumulates; feeling he diminishes, not accumulates; perception he diminishes, not accumulates; mental formations he diminishes, not accumulates; consciousness he diminishes, not accumulates. What does he abandon, not cling to? Form he abandons, not clings to; feeling he abandons, not clings to; perception he abandons, not clings to; mental formations he abandons, not clings to; consciousness he abandons, not clings to. What does he disperse, not heap up? Form he disperses, not heaps up; feeling he disperses, not heaps up; perception he disperses, not heaps up; mental formations he disperses, not heaps up; consciousness he disperses, not heaps up. What does he dissipate, not consolidate? Form he dissipates, not consolidates; feeling he dissipates, not consolidates; perception he dissipates, not consolidates; mental formations he dissipates, not consolidates; consciousness he dissipates, not consolidates. Seeing thus, bhikkhus, the instructed noble disciple becomes disenchanted with form, with feeling, with perception, with mental formations, with consciousness. Being disenchanted, he becomes dispassionate; through dispassion, he is liberated. When liberated, there is the knowledge: 'Liberated.' 'Birth is destroyed, the holy life has been lived, what was to be done has been done, there is no more... He understands that this is for such a state. This, monks, is called a monk who neither accumulates nor disperses. Having dispersed, he neither abandons nor grasps. Having abandoned, he neither dries up nor swells up. Having dried up, he neither shakes off nor stirs up. Having shaken off, what does he neither accumulate nor disperse? Having dispersed, he neither accumulates nor disperses form; Having dispersed, he neither accumulates nor disperses feeling; Having dispersed, he neither accumulates nor disperses perception; Having dispersed, he neither accumulates nor disperses volitional formations; Having dispersed, he neither accumulates nor disperses consciousness. Having dispersed, what does he neither abandon nor grasp? Having abandoned, he neither abandons nor grasps form; Having abandoned, he neither abandons nor grasps feeling; Having abandoned, he neither abandons nor grasps perception; Having abandoned, he neither abandons nor grasps volitional formations; Having abandoned, he neither abandons nor grasps consciousness. Having abandoned, what does he neither dry up nor swell up? Having dried up, he neither dries up nor swells up form; Having dried up, he neither dries up nor swells up feeling; Having dried up, he neither dries up nor swells up perception; Having dried up, he neither dries up nor swells up volitional formations; Having dried up, he neither dries up nor swells up consciousness. Having dried up, what does he neither shake off nor stir up? Having shaken off, he neither shakes off nor stirs up form; Having shaken off, he neither shakes off nor stirs up feeling; Having shaken off, he neither shakes off nor stirs up perception; Having shaken off, he neither shakes off nor stirs up volitional formations; Having shaken off, he neither shakes off nor stirs up consciousness. Having shaken off, such a monk, monks, with a mind thus liberated, the devas with Indra, with Brahmā, with Pajāpati, salute from afar – Homage to you, noble man, Homage to you, supreme man; Whose support we do not know, That on which you meditate. 8. The Piṇḍolya Sutta 80. At one time the Blessed One was dwelling among the Sakyans in Kapilavatthu, at the Nigrodha Park. Then the Blessed One, having dismissed the community of bhikkhus for some reason, having dressed in the forenoon, taking his bowl and robe, entered Kapilavatthu for alms. Having wandered for alms in Kapilavatthu, after his meal, having returned from his alms round, he approached the Great Wood for a day's abiding. Having penetrated the Great Wood, he sat down for a day's abiding at the foot of a beluva creeper. Then, as the Blessed One was in seclusion, As he was in seclusion, this thought arose in his mind: "I have neglected the community of bhikkhus. There are here bhikkhus, new, recently ordained, newly come to this Dhamma and Discipline. For them, not seeing me, there might be change, there might be alteration. Just as for a young calf, not seeing its mother, there might be change, there might be alteration, even so, there are here bhikkhus, new, recently ordained, newly come to this Dhamma and Discipline, for them, not seeing me, there might be change, there might be alteration. Just as for young seeds, not getting water, there might be change, there might be alteration, even so, there are here bhikkhus, new, recently ordained, newly come to this Dhamma and Discipline, for them, not getting to see me, there might be change, there might be alteration. What if I were to support the community of bhikkhus now, just as I supported the community of bhikkhus before?" Then indeed, Brahmā Sahampati, knowing with his mind the thought in the mind of the Blessed One – just as a strong man might extend a bent arm or bend an extended arm – even so – vanished from the Brahmā-world and appeared before the Blessed One. Then indeed, Brahmā Sahampati, having arranged his upper robe over one shoulder, and having saluted the Blessed One with clasped hands, spoke to the Blessed One thus: "So it is, Blessed One; so it is, Fortunate One! For the Blessed One, Venerable Sir, the community of bhikkhus is neglected. There are here bhikkhus, new, recently ordained, newly come to this Dhamma and Discipline. For them, not seeing the Blessed One, there might be change, there might be alteration. Just as for a young calf, not seeing its mother, there might be change, there might be alteration, even so, there are here bhikkhus, new, recently ordained, newly come to this Dhamma and Discipline, for them, not seeing the Blessed One, there might be change, there might be alteration. Just as for young seeds, not getting water, there might be a... there would be change, there would be alteration. Even so, there are new monks here, recently gone forth, newly come to this Dhamma and Discipline. For them, not seeing the Blessed One, there would be change, there would be alteration. May the Blessed One, revered sir, rejoice in the Sangha of monks; may the Blessed One, revered sir, greet the Sangha of monks.