English
‘‘Impermanent, venerable sir’’. ‘‘But what is impermanent, is it suffering or happiness?’’ ‘‘Suffering, venerable sir’’. ‘‘But what is impermanent, suffering, subject to change, is it fitting to regard it thus – ‘This is mine, this I am, this is my self’’’? ‘‘No, venerable sir’’. ‘‘Are mental objects permanent or impermanent?’’ ‘‘Impermanent, venerable sir’’…and so on…. ‘‘Is mind-consciousness permanent or impermanent?’’ ‘‘Impermanent, venerable sir’’…and so on…. ‘‘Is mind-contact permanent or impermanent?’’ ‘‘Impermanent, venerable sir’’…and so on…. ‘‘And that which arises dependent on mind-contact: feeling-related, perception-related, volition-related, consciousness-related, is that permanent or impermanent?’’ ‘‘Impermanent, venerable sir’’. ‘‘But what is impermanent, is it suffering or happiness?’’ ‘‘Suffering, venerable sir’’. ‘‘But what is impermanent, suffering, subject to change, is it fitting to regard it thus – ‘This is mine, this I am, this is my self’’’? ‘‘No, venerable sir’’. ‘‘Seeing thus, Rahula, the instructed noble disciple becomes disenchanted with the eye, becomes disenchanted with forms, becomes disenchanted with eye-consciousness, becomes disenchanted with eye-contact, and with that which arises dependent on eye-contact: feeling-related, perception-related, volition-related, consciousness-related, he becomes disenchanted with that too…and so on… he becomes disenchanted with the tongue, becomes disenchanted with tastes, becomes disenchanted with tongue-consciousness, becomes disenchanted with tongue-contact, and with that which arises dependent on tongue-contact: feeling-related, perception-related, volition-related, consciousness-related, he becomes disenchanted with that too. …becomes disenchanted… He becomes disenchanted with mind, he becomes disenchanted with mental phenomena, he becomes disenchanted with mind-consciousness, he becomes disenchanted with mind-contact, and with whatever arises conditioned by mind-contact— felt as pleasant, painful, or neutral, perceived as pleasant, painful, or neutral, volitionally formed as pleasant, painful, or neutral, cognized as pleasant, painful, or neutral— he also becomes disenchanted with that. Being disenchanted, he becomes dispassionate. Through dispassion, he is liberated. When liberated, there is the knowledge: ‘Liberated.’ He understands: ‘Birth is destroyed, the holy life has been lived, what was to be done has been done, there is no more for this state of being.’” This is what the Blessed One said. Venerable Rāhula was delighted and rejoiced in the Blessed One’s words. While this exposition was being spoken, Venerable Rāhula’s mind was liberated from the taints without clinging. And for many thousands of deities, the dust-free, stain-free Dhamma-eye arose: “Whatever is of a nature to arise, all that is of a nature to cease.” The Eighth. 9. Discourse on Things that Bind “Monks, I will teach you things that bind and the binding itself. Listen to that. And what, monks, are things that bind, and what is the binding itself? Monks, there are forms cognizable by the eye—agreeable, pleasing, charming, desirable, connected with sensual desire, and arousing passion. These, monks, are called things that bind. The desire and lust for them, that is the binding itself… Monks, there are tastes cognizable by the tongue… Monks, there are mental phenomena cognizable by the mind—agreeable, pleasing, charming, desirable, connected with sensual desire, and arousing passion. These, monks, are called things that bind. The desire and lust for them, that is the binding itself.” The Ninth. 10. Discourse on Things that are Clung To “Monks, I will teach you things that are clung to and the clinging itself. Listen to that. And what, monks, are things that are clung to, and what is the clinging itself? Monks, there are forms cognizable by the eye—agreeable, pleasing, charming, desirable, connected with sensual desire, and arousing passion. These, monks, are called things that are clung to. The desire and lust for them… attachment. … There are, monks, tastes cognizable by the tongue… … There are, monks, mind-objects cognizable by the mind, agreeable, pleasing, charming, dear, connected with sensuality, enticing. These, monks, are called things to which there is attachment. The desire-attachment there, that is the attachment there.” The Tenth. The Chapter on Worldly Sensual Pleasures, the Twelfth. Its Summary – Two are spoken of by Māra’s Snare, and by Worldly Sensual Pleasures; Sakka and Pañcasikha, and Sāriputta and Rāhula; Bondage and Attachment, by these the chapter is declared. 13. The Householder Chapter 1. Vesālī Sutta 124. At one time the Blessed One was dwelling in Vesālī, in the Great Wood, in the Gabled Hall. Then Ugga, the householder of Vesālī, approached the Blessed One; having approached, he sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, Ugga, the householder of Vesālī, said to the Blessed One: “What, venerable sir, is the reason, what is the cause, why some beings here do not attain final Nibbāna in this very life? And what, venerable sir, is the reason, what is the cause, why some beings here do attain final Nibbāna in this very life?” “There are, householder, forms cognizable by the eye, agreeable, pleasing, charming, dear, connected with sensuality, enticing. If a monk delights in them, welcomes them, clings to them. For him, delighting in them, welcoming them, clinging to them, consciousness dependent on that arises, and that is attachment. A monk with attachment, householder, does not attain final Nibbāna. … There are, householder, tastes cognizable by the tongue… … There are, householder, mind-objects cognizable by the mind, agreeable, pleasing, charming, dear, connected with sensuality, enticing. If a monk delights in them, welcomes them, clings to them. For him, delighting in them, welcoming them, clinging to them, consciousness dependent on that arises, and that is attachment. A monk with attachment, householder, does not attain final Nibbāna. This, householder, is the reason, this is the cause, why some beings here do not attain final Nibbāna in this very life. are fully unbound. “There are, householder, forms cognizable by the eye, desirable, agreeable, pleasing, lovely, connected with sensual pleasure, and exciting lust. If a monk does not delight in them, does not welcome them, does not remain attached to them, for him, not delighting in them, not welcoming them, not remaining attached to them, consciousness is not dependent on them, nor is there clinging to them. Without clinging, householder, a monk is fully unbound… There are, householder, tastes cognizable by the tongue… There are, householder, mental phenomena cognizable by the mind, desirable, agreeable, pleasing, lovely, connected with sensual pleasure, and exciting lust. If a monk does not delight in them, does not welcome them, does not remain attached to them, for him, not delighting in them, not welcoming them, not remaining attached to them, consciousness is not dependent on them, nor is there clinging to them. Without clinging, householder, a monk is fully unbound. This, householder, is the reason, this is the cause, why some beings here are fully unbound in this very life.” The First. 2. The Vajjī Sutta 125. At one time the Blessed One was dwelling among the Vajjīs at Hatthigāma. Then Ugga, the householder of Hatthigāma, approached the Blessed One; having approached, he sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, Ugga, the householder of Hatthigāma, said to the Blessed One: “What, venerable sir, is the reason, what is the cause, why some beings here are not fully unbound in this very life? And what, venerable sir, is the reason, what is the cause, why some beings here are fully unbound in this very life?” (As in the previous discourse, so should this be elaborated.) “This, householder, is the reason, this is the cause, why some beings here are fully unbound in this very life.” The Second. 3. The Nāḷandā Sutta 126. At one time the Blessed One was dwelling in Nāḷandā, in Pāvārika’s Mango Grove. Then Upāli, the householder, approached the Blessed One… Sitting to one side, Upāli, the householder, said to the Blessed One: “What, venerable sir, is the reason, what is the cause, why m here some beings in this very life do not attain final Nibbāna? But what, venerable sir, is the reason, what is the condition by which here some beings in this very life do attain final Nibbāna? (To be elaborated as in the previous discourse.) This, householder, is the reason, this is the condition by which here some beings in this very life do attain final Nibbāna. The Third. 4. The Discourse to Bhāradvāja 127. At one time the venerable Piṇḍola Bhāradvāja was dwelling in Kosambī, at Ghosita's Park. Then King Udena approached the venerable Piṇḍola Bhāradvāja; having approached, he exchanged greetings with the venerable Piṇḍola Bhāradvāja. Having concluded the courteous and memorable talk, he sat down to one side. Seated to one side, King Udena said this to the venerable Piṇḍola Bhāradvāja – ‘‘What now, good Bhāradvāja, is the reason, what is the condition, that these young monks, with fresh black hair, endowed with a fortunate youth, in the prime of life, not having played in sensual pleasures, lead a complete and pure holy life for as long as they live, and also make progress on the path?’’ ‘‘This, great king, was said by the Blessed One, the Knower, the Seer, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened One – ‘Come, monks, establish a mother-mind towards those who are like mothers, establish a sister-mind towards those who are like sisters, establish a daughter-mind towards those who are like daughters.’ This, great king, is the reason, this is the condition, that these young monks, with fresh black hair, endowed with a fortunate youth, in the prime of life, not having played in sensual pleasures, lead a complete and pure holy life for as long as they live,