English
having approached, he sat down on the bank of the Sumāgadhā Pond, speculating about the world. That man, bhikkhus, saw a four-fold army entering a lotus stalk on the bank of the Sumāgadhā Pond. Having seen this, it occurred to him: 'Surely I am mad, surely I am out of my mind! What does not exist in the world, that I have seen!'" "Then, bhikkhus, that man entered the city and announced to the large assembly: 'Surely I am mad, sirs, surely I am out of my mind, sirs! What does not exist in the world, that I have seen!'" "How, pray tell, good man, are you mad, how are you out of your mind? And what does not exist in the world that you have seen?" "Here, sirs, having left Rājagaha, thinking, 'I will speculate about the world,' I approached the Sumāgadhā Pond; having approached, I sat down on the bank of the Sumāgadhā Pond, speculating about the world. I saw, sirs, a four-fold army entering a lotus stalk on the bank of the Sumāgadhā Pond. Thus, sirs, I am mad, thus I am out of my mind. And this does not exist in the world— what I saw.” “Indeed, sir, you are mad, indeed, you are deranged. There is nothing like that in the world which you have seen.” “That person, monks, actually saw what was real, not what was unreal. Formerly, monks, a battle between devas and asuras had been arrayed. In that battle, monks, the devas won, the asuras were defeated. Defeated, monks, the asuras, frightened, entered the asura city through the root of a lotus stalk, deceiving the devas. “Therefore, monks, do not ponder about the world: ‘The world is eternal’ or ‘The world is not eternal,’ ‘The world is finite’ or ‘The world is infinite,’ ‘The soul and the body are the same’ or ‘The soul is one thing, the body another,’ ‘The Tathāgata exists after death’ or ‘The Tathāgata does not exist after death,’ ‘The Tathāgata both exists and does not exist after death’ or ‘The Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist after death.’ For what reason? This pondering, monks, is not connected with the goal, it is not fundamental to the holy life, it does not lead to disenchantment, to dispassion, to cessation, to peace, to direct knowledge, to full enlightenment, to Nibbāna. “When you ponder, monks, you should ponder: ‘This is suffering’… ‘This is the path leading to the cessation of suffering.’ For what reason? This pondering, monks, is connected with the goal, it is fundamental to the holy life, it leads to disenchantment, to dispassion, to cessation, to peace, to direct knowledge, to full enlightenment, to Nibbāna. “Therefore, monks, effort should be made: ‘This is suffering’… effort should be made: ‘This is the path leading to the cessation of suffering.’” The First. 2. The Discourse on the Precipice 1112. At one time the Blessed One was staying at Rājagaha, on Vulture Peak Mountain. Then the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: “Come, monks, let us go to Paṭibhānakūṭa for our day’s abiding.” “Yes, venerable sir,” those bhikkhus replied to the Blessed One. They listened. Then indeed the Blessed One, together with many bhikkhus, approached where Paṭibhānakūṭa was. Indeed, a certain bhikkhu saw a great precipice at Paṭibhānakūṭa. Having seen it, he said to the Blessed One: "This is indeed a great precipice, venerable sir, a very fearful precipice, venerable sir. Is there, venerable sir, another precipice greater and more fearful than this precipice?" "There is, bhikkhu, another precipice greater and more fearful than this precipice." "Which then, venerable sir, is that other precipice greater and more fearful than this precipice?" "Whatever recluses or brahmins, bhikkhus, 'This is suffering' they do not truly understand, 'This is the origin of suffering' they do not truly understand, 'This is the cessation of suffering' they do not truly understand, 'This is the path to the cessation of suffering' they do not truly understand, they delight in formations leading to birth, they delight in formations leading to aging, they delight in formations leading to death, they delight in formations leading to sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair. Delighting in formations leading to birth, delighting in formations leading to aging, delighting in formations leading to death, delighting in formations leading to sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair, they generate formations leading to birth, they generate formations leading to aging, they generate formations leading to death, they generate formations leading to sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair. Having generated formations leading to birth, having generated formations leading to aging, having generated formations leading to death, having generated formations leading to sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair, they fall into the precipice of birth, They fall into the chasm of old age, they fall into the chasm of death, they fall into the chasm of sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair. They are not freed from birth, old age, death, sorrows, lamentations, pains, displeasures, and despairs. "They are not freed from suffering," I say. But, bhikkhus, whoever recluses or brahmins truly understand "this is suffering"... "this is the path leading to the cessation of suffering," they do not delight in formations that lead to birth, they do not delight in formations that lead to old age, they do not delight in formations that lead to death, they do not delight in formations that lead to sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair. They are not delighted by formations that lead to birth, they are not delighted by formations that lead to old age, they are not delighted by formations that lead to death, they are not delighted by formations that lead to sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair. They do not form formations that lead to birth, they do not form formations that lead to old age, they do not form formations that lead to death, they do not form formations that lead to sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair. Having not formed formations that lead to birth, having not formed formations that lead to old age, having not formed formations that lead to death, having not formed formations that lead to sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair, they do not fall into the chasm of birth, they do not fall into the chasm of old age, they do not fall into the chasm of death, they do not fall into the chasm of sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair. They are freed from birth, old age, death, sorrows, lamentations, pains, displeasures, and despairs. "They are freed from suffering," I say. Therefore, bhikkhus, "this is suffering" — effort should be made... "this is the path leading to the cessation of suffering" — The practice of the eight steps should be done. Second. 3. The Discourse on the Great Burning "Monks, there is a hell called the Great Burning. There, whatever form one sees with the eye, one sees only disagreeable forms, not agreeable forms; only unlovely forms, not lovely forms; only unpleasant forms, not pleasant forms. Whatever sound one hears with the ear... Whatever tangible one touches with the body... Whatever mental phenomenon one cognizes with the mind, one cognizes only disagreeable phenomena, not agreeable phenomena; only unlovely phenomena, not lovely phenomena; only unpleasant phenomena, not pleasant phenomena." When this was said, a certain monk said to the Blessed One: "Great indeed is that burning, venerable sir! Exceedingly great indeed is that burning, venerable sir! Is there, venerable sir, another burning greater and more terrible than this burning?" "There is, monk, another burning greater and more terrible than this burning." "And what, venerable sir, is that other burning greater and more terrible than this burning?" "Whatever recluses or brahmins, monks, do not understand 'This is suffering' as it really is, do not understand 'This is the origin of suffering' as it really is, do not understand 'This is the cessation of suffering' as it really is, do not understand 'This is the path leading to the cessation of suffering' as it really is, they delight in formations that lead to rebirth, delighting in them, they generate formations, having generated formations, they burn with the burning of birth, they burn with the burning of old age, they burn with the burning of death, they burn with the burning of sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair. They are not freed from birth, old age, death, sorrows, lamentations, pains, displeasures, and despairs. I say they are not freed from suffering." "But whatever recluses or brahmins, monks, understand 'This is suffering' as it really is, understand 'This is the origin of suffering' as it really is, understand 'This is the cessation of suffering' as it really is, understand 'This is the path leading to the cessation of suffering' as it really is, They do not delight in formations leading to rebirth. ...not delighting... ...do not form... ...having not formed, they are not burned by the fever of birth, they are not burned by the fever of old age, they are not burned by the fever of death, they are not burned by the fever of sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair. They are freed from birth, old age, death, sorrows, lamentations, pains, griefs, and despairs. "They are freed from suffering," I say. Therefore, monks, 'This is suffering' — effort should be made. ... 'This is the path leading to the cessation of suffering' — effort should be made. The Third. 4. The Sutta on the Peaked House If, monks, someone were to say this: 'I, without directly knowing the noble truth of suffering as it is, ...without directly knowing the noble truth of the path leading to the cessation of suffering as it is, will rightly make an end of suffering' — that is not possible. Just as, monks, if someone were to say this: 'I, without building the lower story of a peaked house, will raise the upper story' —