English
When one sees the origin of the world, Kaccāna, as it actually is with right wisdom, the non-existence in the world does not occur to him. When one sees the cessation of the world, Kaccāna, as it actually is with right wisdom, the existence in the world does not occur to him. This world, Kaccāna, is for the most part bound by attachment, by clinging, by obsession. And if one does not approach, does not cling to, does not resolve upon this attachment, clinging, mental determination, obsession, underlying tendency, thinking 'This is my self,' he does not doubt, does not waver, that suffering arises when it arises, and suffering ceases when it ceases. Knowledge of this is independent of others. To this extent, Kaccāna, there is right view. 'All exists,' Kaccāna, is one extreme. 'All does not exist,' is the second extreme. Avoiding these two extremes, Kaccāna, the Middle..." Thus the Tathāgata teaches the Dhamma: With ignorance as condition, volitional formations; With volitional formations as condition, consciousness; ...and so on... Thus is the origin of this entire mass of suffering. But with the complete fading away and cessation of ignorance, volitional formations cease; ...and so on... Thus is the cessation of this entire mass of suffering. "So it is, friend Ānanda, for those venerable ones who have such companions in the holy life, compassionate, wishing for their welfare, advisors, instructors. And having heard this teaching of the venerable Ānanda, the Dhamma has been fully understood by me." The Eighth. 9. Rāhula Sutta 91. At Sāvatthī. Then the venerable Rāhula approached the Blessed One; having approached... and so on... sat down to one side, and the venerable Rāhula said to the Blessed One: "How, Bhante, by knowing, by seeing, in this body with consciousness, and in all external signs, do the latent tendencies of 'I-making,' 'mine-making,' and conceit not arise?" "Whatever form there is, Rāhula, 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 one sees it as it really is with right wisdom. Whatever feeling... whatever perception... whatever volitional formations... whatever consciousness, past, future, or present, internal or external... ...and so on... all consciousness—'This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self'— thus one sees it as it really is with right wisdom. It is in this way, Rāhula, by knowing, by seeing, in this body with consciousness, and in all external signs, that the latent tendencies of 'I-making,' 'mine-making,' and conceit do not arise." The Ninth. 10. The Second Rāhula Sutta 92. At Sāvatthī. Seated to one side, the venerable Rāhula said to the Blessed One: "How, Bhante, by knowing, by seeing, in this body with consciousness, and in all external signs, do the latent tendencies of 'I-making,' 'mine-making,' and conceit... the mind is gone, transcending distinctions, peaceful, well-liberated?” “Whatever form there is, Rāhula, past, future, or present, internal or external, … far or near, all form: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self’— seeing this as it really is with right wisdom, one is liberated without clinging. Whatever feeling there is… Whatever perception there is… Whatever volitional formations there are… Whatever consciousness there is, 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’— seeing this as it really is with right wisdom, one is liberated without clinging. Thus, Rāhula, for one who knows, for one who sees thus, in this body with consciousness, and in all external signs, the mind is gone, free from ‘I-making’ and ‘mine-making’ and conceit, transcending distinctions, peaceful, well-liberated.” The Tenth. The Chapter of Elders, the Ninth. Its Summary: Ānanda, three Yamakas, Anurādha and Vakkali; Assaji, Khemaka, Channa, the other two Rāhulas. 10. The Chapter of Flowers 1. The River Sutta 93. Sāvatthī. “Just as, monks, a mountain river, flowing downwards, far-reaching, swift-flowing. Even if reeds were grown on both its banks, they would lean into it; even if kusa grass were grown, they would lean into it; even if pabbaja plants were grown, they would lean into it; even if bīraṇa grass were grown, they would lean into it; even if trees were grown, they would lean into it. If a person, being carried away by the current, were to grasp the reeds, they would break away. He would thereby come to ruin and disaster. If he were to grasp the kusa grass, if he were to grasp the pabbaja plants, if he were to grasp the bīraṇa grass, if he were to grasp the trees, they would break away. He would thereby come to ruin and disaster. Even so, monks, Monks, the untaught ordinary person, not seeing the noble ones, unskilled in the noble Dhamma, undisciplined in the noble Dhamma, not seeing the true men, unskilled in the Dhamma of true men, undisciplined in the Dhamma of true men, regards form as self, or self as possessing form; or form as in self, or self as in form. That form of his perishes. From that cause, he falls into loss and misfortune. Feeling... perception... volitional formations... consciousness he regards as self, or self as possessing consciousness; or consciousness as in self, or self as in consciousness. That consciousness of his perishes. From that cause, he falls into loss and misfortune. What do you think, monks, is form permanent or impermanent? Impermanent, venerable sir. Feeling... perception... volitional formations... consciousness, is it permanent or impermanent? Impermanent, venerable sir. Therefore... seeing thus... he understands: there is no further state of being. The First. 2. The Discourse on Flowers 94. At Savatthi. I do not dispute with the world, monks; the world disputes with me. A speaker of Dhamma, monks, does not dispute with anyone in the world. That which is not agreed upon by the wise in the world, monks, that I also say 'is not'. That which is agreed upon by the wise in the world, monks, that I also say 'is'. And what, monks, is not agreed upon by the wise in the world, which I say 'is not'? Form, monks, as permanent, stable, eternal, not subject to change, is not agreed upon by the wise in the world; that I also say 'is not'. Feeling... perception... volitional formations... consciousness, as permanent, stable, eternal, not subject to change, is not agreed upon by the wise in the world; that I also say 'is not'. This, monks, is what is not agreed upon by the wise in the world; that I also say 'is not'. And what, monks, is agreed upon by the wise in the world, which I say 'is'? Form, monks, as impermanent, suffering, subject to change... is impermanent, is suffering, is subject to change. This is considered to exist in the world by the wise; I also say that it exists. Feeling is impermanent… …consciousness is impermanent, is suffering, is subject to change. This is considered to exist in the world by the wise; I also say that it exists. This, monks, is what is considered to exist in the world by the wise; I also say that it exists. Monks, there is a worldly phenomenon in the world, which the Tathāgata fully comprehends and realizes; having fully comprehended and realized it, he declares it, teaches it, proclaims it, establishes it, reveals it, analyzes it, makes it plain. And what, monks, is the worldly phenomenon in the world, which the Tathāgata fully comprehends and realizes, and having fully comprehended and realized it, declares it, teaches it, proclaims it, establishes it, reveals it, analyzes it, makes it plain? Form, monks, is a worldly phenomenon in the world, which the Tathāgata fully comprehends and realizes. Having fully comprehended and realized it, he declares it, teaches it, proclaims it, establishes it, reveals it, analyzes it, makes it plain. If, monks, when the Tathāgata thus declares, teaches, proclaims, establishes, reveals, analyzes, and makes plain, one does not know, does not see, what can I do for such a foolish, ordinary person, blind, without eyes, not knowing, not seeing? Feeling, monks, is a worldly phenomenon in the world… …perception, monks… …formations, monks… …consciousness, monks, is a worldly phenomenon in the world, which the Tathāgata fully comprehends and realizes. Having fully comprehended and realized it, he declares it, teaches it, proclaims it, establishes it, reveals it, analyzes it, makes it plain. If, monks, when the Tathāgata thus declares, teaches, proclaims, establishes, reveals, analyzes, and makes plain, one does not know, does not see, what can I do for such a foolish, ordinary person, blind, without eyes, not knowing, not seeing? Just as, monks, a lotus or a lotus, or a white lotus, born in the water, grown in the water, risen above the water it stands, unsoiled by the water; even so, monks, the Tathāgata, born in the world, grown in the world, having overcome the world he dwells, unsoiled by the world. The Second. 3. The Discourse on the Simile of the Foam-Lump 95. At one time the Blessed One was dwelling at Ayojjhā, on the bank of the river Gaṅgā. There the Blessed One addressed the monks – ‘‘Just as, monks, this river Gaṅgā might carry along a great lump of foam. A man with good sight would see it, observe it, examine it carefully. As he sees it, observes it, examines it carefully, it would appear empty to him, it would appear hollow to him, it would appear without substance to him. What substance, monks, could there be in a lump of foam? Even so, monks, whatever form there is, past, future, present… whether far or near, a monk sees it, observes it, examines it carefully. As he sees it, observes it, examines it carefully, it appears empty to him, it appears hollow to him, it appears without substance to him. What substance, monks, could there be in form? ‘‘Just as, monks,