English
(7) 2. The Great Chapter 1. The Discourse on the Sectarian Views, etc. 62. “There are these three sectarian views, monks, which, when questioned by the wise, when pressed, when debated, lead to a standstill, to non-action. Which three? There are, monks, some ascetics and brahmins who hold this view, who say this: ‘Whatever this person experiences, be it pleasure or pain, or neither-pain-nor-pleasure, all that is due to past deeds.’ There are, monks, some ascetics and brahmins who hold this view, who say this: ‘Whatever this person experiences, be it pleasure or pain, or neither-pain-nor-pleasure, all that is due to creation by a divine being.’ There are, monks, some ascetics and brahmins who hold this view, who say this: ‘Whatever this person experiences, be it pleasure or pain, or neither-pain-nor-pleasure, all that is without cause and without condition.’” “Among these, monks, those ascetics and brahmins who hold this view, who say this: ‘Whatever this person experiences, be it pleasure or pain, or neither-pain-nor-pleasure, all that is due to past deeds’— I approach them and say this: ‘Is it true, venerable sirs, that you hold this view, that you say this: “Whatever this person experiences, be it pleasure or pain, or neither-pain-nor-pleasure, all that is due to past deeds”?’ And when I question them thus, they acknowledge: ‘Yes.’ Then I say to them: ‘Then, venerable sirs, you will be killers of living beings due to past deeds; you will be takers of what is not given due to past deeds; you will be unchaste due to past deeds; you will be liars due to past deeds; you will be slanderers due to past deeds; you will be harsh speakers due to past deeds; you will be frivolous talkers due to past deeds; you will be covetous due to past deeds; will be malicious-minded due to past deeds, will be of wrong view due to past deeds.’” “For those, bhikkhus, who hold past deeds as essential, there is no desire or effort, saying, ‘This should be done,’ or ‘This should not be done.’ Thus, when what should and should not be done is not truly and firmly found, for those who dwell with lost mindfulness and unguarded, there is no righteous monastic teaching for themselves. This, bhikkhus, is my first righteous refutation of those recluses and brahmins who speak and hold such views. “There, bhikkhus, those recluses and brahmins who speak and hold such views: ‘Whatever this person experiences— whether pleasure or pain or neither-pleasure-nor-pain— all that is due to creation by a divine being,’ I approach them and say: ‘Is it true, venerable sirs, that you speak and hold such views: whatever this person experiences— whether pleasure or pain or neither-pleasure-nor-pain— all that is due to creation by a divine being?’ And when asked thus, they acknowledge, ‘Yes.’ Then I say to them: ‘Then, venerable sirs, you will be killers of living beings due to creation by a divine being, you will be takers of what is not given due to creation by a divine being, you will be unchaste due to creation by a divine being, you will be liars due to creation by a divine being, you will be slanderers due to creation by a divine being, you will be harsh speakers due to creation by a divine being, you will be frivolous talkers due to creation by a divine being, you will be covetous due to creation by a divine being, you will be malicious-minded due to creation by a divine being, you will be of wrong view due to creation by a divine being.’” “For those, bhikkhus, who hold creation by a divine being as essential, there is no desire or effort, saying, ‘This should be done,’ or ‘This should not be done.’ Thus, when what should and should not be done is not truly and firmly found, for those who dwell with lost mindfulness and unguarded, personally, the recluse's teaching in accordance with the Dhamma is not pleasing. This, indeed, bhikkhus, is my second refutation in accordance with the Dhamma of those recluses and brahmins who speak thus, who hold such views. "There, bhikkhus, those recluses and brahmins who speak thus, who hold such views: 'Whatever this person experiences— whether pleasure or pain or neither-pain-nor-pleasure— all that is without cause or condition.' I approach them and say this: 'Is it true, venerable sirs, that you speak thus, that you hold such views: whatever this person experiences— whether pleasure or pain or neither-pain-nor-pleasure— all that is without cause or condition?' And when thus asked by me, they acknowledge, 'Yes.' I then say this: 'Then, venerable sirs, you will be killers of living beings without cause or condition... and so on... you will be wrong-viewed without cause or condition.'" "But, bhikkhus, for those who truly hold to 'without cause or condition', there is no desire or effort, thinking 'this should be done' or 'this should not be done'. Thus, when what should be done and what should not be done are not truly and firmly found, for those who dwell with lost mindfulness, unguarded, there is no recluse's teaching in accordance with the Dhamma that is personally agreeable. This, indeed, bhikkhus, is my third refutation in accordance with the Dhamma of those recluses and brahmins who speak thus, who hold such views. "These, indeed, bhikkhus, are the three sectarian views, which, when questioned by the wise, when investigated, when discussed, lead to inaction, even to the extreme. "But this Dhamma, bhikkhus, taught by me, is unrefuted, unblemished, unblameworthy, and unrepudiated by wise recluses and brahmins. And what, bhikkhus, is the Dhamma taught by me that is unrefuted, unblemished, unblameworthy, and unrepudiated by wise recluses and brahmins? 'These six elements,' bhikkhus, by me..." The Dhamma taught is not censured, uncorrupted, unblamable, not scorned by recluses, brahmins, and the wise. "These six bases for contact," monks, "the Dhamma taught by me is not censured, uncorrupted, unblamable, not scorned by recluses, brahmins, and the wise." "These eighteen mental investigations," monks, "the Dhamma taught by me is not censured, uncorrupted, unblamable, not scorned by recluses, brahmins, and the wise." "These four noble truths," monks, "the Dhamma taught by me is not censured, uncorrupted, unblamable, not scorned by recluses, brahmins, and the wise." "These six elements," monks, "the Dhamma taught by me is not censured, uncorrupted, unblamable, not scorned by recluses, brahmins, and the wise." So indeed it was said. And what was this said in reference to? These six elements, monks, are: the earth element, the water element, the fire element, the wind element, the space element, the consciousness element. "These six elements," monks, "the Dhamma taught by me is not censured, uncorrupted, unblamable, not scorned by recluses, brahmins, and the wise." That which was said, it was said with reference to this. "These six bases for contact," monks, "the Dhamma taught by me is not censured, uncorrupted, unblamable, not scorned by recluses, brahmins, and the wise." So indeed it was said. And what was this said in reference to? These six bases for contact, monks, are: the eye base for contact, the ear base for contact, the nose base for contact, the tongue base for contact, the body base for contact, the mind base for contact. "These six bases for contact," monks, "the Dhamma taught by me is not censured, uncorrupted, unblamable, not scorned by recluses, brahmins, and the wise." That which was said, it was said with reference to this. "These eighteen mental investigations," monks, "the Dhamma taught by me is not censured, uncorrupted, unblamable, not scorned by recluses, brahmins, and the wise." by ascetics, brahmins, and the wise. Thus it was said. What was it said in reference to? Having seen a form with the eye, one dwells upon a form that leads to joy, one dwells upon a form that leads to sorrow, one dwells upon a form that leads to equanimity. Having heard a sound with the ear… Having smelled a smell with the nose… Having tasted a taste with the tongue… Having touched a tangible with the body… Having cognized a mental object with the mind, one dwells upon a mental object that leads to joy, one dwells upon a mental object that leads to sorrow, one dwells upon a mental object that leads to equanimity. "These eighteen mental explorations, monks, is a Dhamma taught by me, unreproached, unblemished, unblamable, unreviled by ascetics, brahmins, and the wise." Thus it was said, and it was said in reference to this. "These four noble truths, monks, is a Dhamma taught by me, unreproached, unblemished, unblamable, unreviled by ascetics, brahmins, and the wise." Thus it was said. What was it said in reference to? Based on the six elements, monks, there is the descent into the womb; with the descent, there is name-and-form; with name-and-form as condition, there are the six sense bases; with the six sense bases as condition, there is contact; with contact as condition, there is feeling. To one who feels, monks, I declare this as suffering, I declare this as the origin of suffering, I declare this as the cessation of suffering, I declare this as the path leading to the cessation of suffering. And what, monks, is the noble truth of suffering? Birth is suffering, old age is suffering, sickness is suffering, death is suffering, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair are suffering, association with the disliked is suffering, separation from the liked is suffering, not getting what one wants is also suffering. In brief, the five aggregates of clinging are suffering. This, monks, is called the noble truth of suffering. And what And what, monks, is the noble truth of the origin of suffering? With ignorance as condition, volitional formations; with volitional formations as condition, consciousness; with consciousness as condition, name-and-form; with name-and-form as condition, the six sense bases; with the six sense bases as condition, contact; with contact as condition, feeling;