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The Radhasamyutta The First Chapter Discourse on Mara At Savatthi. Then the venerable Radha approached the Blessed One. Having approached and paid homage to the Blessed One, he sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, the venerable Radha said to the Blessed One: "Mara, Mara," it is said, venerable sir. To what extent, venerable sir, is there Mara? "When there is form, Radha, there is Mara, or the slayer, or one who is slain. Therefore, Radha, see form as Mara, see it as the slayer, see it as that which is slain, see it as a disease, see it as a boil, see it as a dart, see it as misery, see it as miserable. Those who see it thus, see rightly. When there is feeling... When there is perception... When there are volitional formations... When there is consciousness, there is Mara, or the slayer, or one who is slain. Therefore, Radha, see consciousness as Mara, see it as the slayer, see it as that which is slain, see it as a disease, see it as a boil, see it as a dart, see it as misery, see it as miserable. Those who see it thus, see rightly." "But for what purpose, venerable sir, is right seeing?" "Right seeing, Radha, is for dispassion." "But for what purpose, venerable sir, is dispassion?" "Dispassion, Radha, is for fading away." "But for what purpose, venerable sir, is fading away?" "Fading away, Radha, is for liberation." "But for what purpose, venerable sir, is liberation?" "Liberation, Radha, is for Nibbana." "But for what purpose, venerable sir, is Nibbana?" "You have gone too far, Radha, with the question. You could not grasp the limit of the question. For the holy life, Radha, is lived immersed in Nibbana, its destination Nibbana, its culmination Nibbana." First. Discourse on a Being At Savatthi. Sitting to one side, the venerable Radha said to the Blessed One: "A being, a being," it is said, venerable sir. To what extent... "Now, venerable sir, what is called a 'being'?" "Radha, that which is desire, that which is lust, that which is delight, that which is craving for form, there one is bound, there one is attached, therefore one is called a 'being'. For feeling... for perception... for volitional formations... for consciousness, that which is desire, that which is lust, that which is delight, that which is craving, there one is bound, there one is attached, therefore one is called a 'being'." "Just as, Radha, boys or girls play with sand-castles. As long as they are not free from lust, not free from desire, not free from affection, not free from thirst, not free from feverish longing, not free from craving for those sand-castles, so long do they cling to those sand-castles, play with them, treasure them, cherish them, make them their own. But when, Radha, boys or girls are free from lust, free from desire, free from affection, free from thirst, free from feverish longing, free from craving for those sand-castles, then they scatter those sand-castles with their hands and feet, disperse them, demolish them, make them a plaything. Even so, Radha, you too should scatter form, disperse it, demolish it, make it a plaything, and practice for the destruction of craving. Scatter feeling, disperse it, demolish it, make it a plaything, and practice for the destruction of craving. Perception... Scatter volitional formations, disperse them, demolish them, make them a plaything, and practice for the destruction of craving. Scatter consciousness, disperse it, demolish it, make it a plaything, and practice for the destruction of craving. For the destruction of craving, Radha, is Nibbana." The Second. 3. The Discourse on the Root of Becoming 162. Thus have I heard. Once the Blessed One was staying at Savatthi. Seated to one side, the venerable Radha said to the Blessed One: "'The cessation of the root of becoming, the cessation of the root of becoming' is spoken of, venerable sir. Now, venerable sir, what is the root of becoming, and what is the cessation of the root of becoming?" "Radha, that which is form..." Whatever desire, whatever lust, whatever delight, whatever craving, whatever attachments and clingings, whatever mental fixations, adherences, and underlying tendencies – this is called the 'lead to becoming'. The cessation of these is the cessation of the 'lead to becoming'. In feeling... in perception... in formations... in consciousness, whatever desire, whatever lust, whatever delight, whatever craving, whatever attachments and clingings, whatever mental fixations, adherences, and underlying tendencies – this is called the 'lead to becoming'. The cessation of these is the cessation of the 'lead to becoming'. The Third. 4. The Discourse on What is to be Fully Understood 163. At Sāvatthī. The venerable Rādha approached the Blessed One. Having approached, he paid homage to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. As the venerable Rādha was sitting to one side, the Blessed One said to him: "Rādha, I will teach you the things to be fully understood, and full understanding, and the person who has fully understood. Listen to that, attend carefully; I will speak." "Yes, venerable sir," the venerable Rādha replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this: "And what, Rādha, are the things to be fully understood? Form, Rādha, is a thing to be fully understood. Feeling is a thing to be fully understood. Perception is a thing to be fully understood. Formations are things to be fully understood. Consciousness is a thing to be fully understood. These, Rādha, are called the things to be fully understood. And what, Rādha, is full understanding? Rādha, whatever is the destruction of lust, the destruction of hatred, the destruction of delusion – this is called, Rādha, full understanding. And what, Rādha, is the person who has fully understood? 'An Arahant' is what he should be called. This venerable one of such a name, of such a clan – this, Rādha, is called the person who has fully understood." The Fourth. 5. The Discourse on Ascetics 164. At Sāvatthī. As the venerable Rādha was sitting to one side, the Blessed One said to him: "Rādha, there are these five aggregates of clinging. Which five? The aggregate of clinging to form, the aggregate of clinging to feeling, the aggregate of clinging to perception, the aggregate of clinging to formations, the aggregate of clinging to consciousness. Rādha, whatever ascetics or brahmins regarding these five aggregates of clinging do not fully understand the gratification, the danger, and the escape... do not know as it really is; they are not, Rādha, recluses or brahmins to me, nor are they considered recluses among recluses, or brahmins among brahmins, nor do those venerable ones, for the sake of recluseship or brahminship, abide having realized and attained it for themselves in this very life. But whoever, Rādha, are recluses or brahmins, who know as it really is the gratification, the danger, and the escape from these five clinging-aggregates; they, Rādha, are recluses or brahmins to me, and are considered recluses among recluses, and brahmins among brahmins, and those venerable ones, for the sake of recluseship and brahminship, abide having realized and attained it for themselves in this very life. The Fifth. 6. The Second Discourse on Recluses 165. At Sāvatthī. The Blessed One said this to Venerable Rādha, who was sitting to one side: ‘‘These, Rādha, are five clinging-aggregates. Which five? The clinging-aggregate of form... and so on... the clinging-aggregate of consciousness. Whoever, Rādha, are recluses or brahmins, who do not know as it really is the origin, the disappearance, the gratification, the danger, and the escape from these five clinging-aggregates; they are not, Rādha, recluses or brahmins to me, nor are they considered recluses among recluses, or brahmins among brahmins, nor do those venerable ones, for the sake of recluseship or brahminship, abide having realized and attained it for themselves in this very life. The Sixth. 7. The Discourse on the Stream-Enterer 166. At Sāvatthī. The Blessed One said this to Venerable Rādha, who was sitting to one side: ‘‘These, Rādha, are five clinging-aggregates. Which five? The clinging-aggregate of form... and so on... the clinging-aggregate of consciousness. When, Rādha, a noble disciple knows as it really is the origin, the disappearance, the gratification, the danger, and the escape from these five clinging-aggregates – this noble disciple, Rādha, is called a stream-enterer, one not subject to downfall, certain of liberation, bound for enlightenment. The Seventh. 8. The Discourse on the Arahant 167. At Sāvatthī. The Blessed One said this to Venerable Rādha, who was sitting to one side: ‘‘These five Indeed, Rādha, these are the aggregates of clinging. Which five? The aggregate of clinging to form... and so on... the aggregate of clinging to consciousness. When, Rādha, a monk, having known as they really are the arising and passing away, the gratification, the danger, and the escape from these five aggregates of clinging, is liberated by not clinging— he is called, Rādha, an Arahant: one whose taints are destroyed, who has lived the holy life, who has done what had to be done, who has laid down the burden, who has attained his own goal, whose fetters of existence are utterly destroyed, who is rightly liberated through final knowledge. The Eighth. 9. Discourse on Desire and Lust 168. At Sāvatthī. The Blessed One said this to Venerable Rādha, who was sitting to one side: "Whatever desire, Rādha, whatever lust, whatever delight, whatever craving there is for form, abandon that. Thus that form will be abandoned, cut off at the root, made like a palm stump, brought to non-existence, not liable to arise again in the future. Whatever desire, whatever lust, whatever delight, whatever craving there is for feeling, abandon that. Thus that feeling will be abandoned, cut off at the root, made like a palm stump, brought to non-existence, not liable to arise again in the future. For perception...