English
who are like hair-splitters, who, I think, move about shattering wrong views with wisdom, they formulate questions again and again, approach the Tathāgata, and ask hidden and concealed things. Those questions are explained and resolved by the Blessed One, with reasons pointed out. And they become like offerings to the Blessed One. Then, indeed, the Blessed One shines forth there, that is, in wisdom. Thus, the Blessed One has an open eye even with the eye of wisdom. How is the Blessed One also open-eyed with the Buddha-eye? The Blessed One, looking upon the world with the Buddha-eye, saw beings: with little dust, with much dust, with keen faculties, with dull faculties, of good disposition, of bad disposition, easy to teach, difficult to teach, some living seeing fear in faults concerning the other world, some living not seeing fear in faults concerning the other world. Just as in a lotus pond, or a water-lily pond, or a white lotus pond, some water-lilies, or lotuses, or white lotuses, born in the water, grown in the water, do not rise above the water, nourished submerged within; some water-lilies, or lotuses, or white lotuses, born in the water, grown in the water, stand even with the water; some water-lilies, or lotuses, or white lotuses, born in the water, grown in the water, rise above the water, standing unsoiled by the water; Even so, the Blessed One, looking upon the world with the Buddha-eye, saw beings: with little dust, with much dust, with keen faculties, with dull faculties, of good disposition, of bad disposition, easy to teach, difficult to teach, some living seeing fear in faults concerning the other world, some not... Living, seeing danger in subtle faults. The Blessed One knows: "This person is of lustful character, this one of hateful character, this one of deluded character, this one of speculative character, this one of faithful character, this one of knowing character." To the person of lustful character, the Blessed One speaks of impurity; to the person of hateful character, the Blessed One teaches the development of loving-kindness; to the person of deluded character, the Blessed One directs to recitation, inquiry, timely listening to Dhamma, timely discussion of Dhamma, and association with respected teachers; to the person of speculative character, the Blessed One teaches mindfulness of breathing; to the person of faithful character, the Blessed One teaches inspiring signs: the Buddha's perfect enlightenment, the Dhamma's perfect well-taughtness, the Sangha's perfect practice, and morality; to the person of knowing character, the Blessed One teaches the sign of insight: the aspect of impermanence, the aspect of suffering, the aspect of non-self. "As one standing on a mountain peak, would see the people all around; So too, O wise one, Dhamma-made, having ascended the palace, O all-seeing one; Free from sorrow, the people immersed in sorrow, look upon, overcome by birth and old age." Thus the Blessed One has an open eye, even with the Buddha-eye. How does the Blessed One have an open eye, even with the all-seeing eye? The all-seeing eye is called omniscience. The Blessed One is endowed, fully endowed, attained, fully attained, possessed, fully possessed, accomplished with omniscience. "For him, nothing here is unseen, nor unknown, nor to be unknown; All that is to be known, he has directly known, therefore, the Tathāgata is the all-seeing one." Thus the Blessed One has an open eye, even with the all-seeing eye – it is declared as the open eye. The Dhamma of direct experience removes dangers. "Dhamma of direct experience" means not by hearsay, not by tradition, not by lineage, not by scriptural collection, not by logic, not by inference, not by pondering over reasons, not by approval of a view, but Dhamma directly known by oneself, personally experienced – the visible Dhamma. They remove dangers. Dangers are of two kinds: manifest dangers and hidden dangers. What are manifest dangers? Lions, tigers, leopards, bears, hyenas, wolves, buffaloes, elephants, snakes, scorpions, centipedes, or robbers, or humans, those who have committed deeds, or those who have not committed deeds, eye disease, ear disease, nose disease, tongue disease, body disease, headache, earache, mouth disease, toothache, cough, asthma, catarrh, burning sensation, fever, stomach ache, fainting, dysentery, colic, cholera, leprosy, boils, skin discoloration, consumption, epilepsy, ringworm, itching, scabies, rashes, eczema, blood-bile, diabetes, hemorrhoids, pimples, fistulas, diseases arising from bile, diseases arising from phlegm, diseases arising from wind, diseases arising from a combination of humors, diseases arising from changes in season, diseases arising from improper care, diseases arising from external causes, diseases arising from kamma-result, cold, heat, hunger, thirst, defecation, urination, the touch of gnats, mosquitoes, wind, sun, and creeping things – these are called manifest dangers. What are hidden dangers? Bodily misconduct, verbal misconduct, mental misconduct, the hindrance of sensual desire, the hindrance of ill-will, the hindrance of sloth and torpor, the hindrance of restlessness and remorse, the hindrance of doubt, greed, hatred, delusion, anger, resentment, denigration, contempt, envy, avarice, deceit, craftiness, stubbornness, arrogance, conceit, excessive pride, intoxication, heedlessness, all defilements, all misconducts, all anxieties, all fevers, all torments, all unwholesome volitional formations – these are called hidden dangers. Why are they called dangers (parissayā)? Because they endure (parisahanti), they are dangers. Because they lead to decline (parihānāya saṃvattanti), they are dangers. Because they are in that abode (tatrāsayā), they are dangers. How do they endure, so they are dangers? Those dangers endure, they overcome, they overpower, they overwhelm, they consume, they crush that person. Thus, they endure. They endure – dangers. How do dangers lead to decline? Those dangers lead to the obstruction and decline of wholesome states. Of which wholesome states? Of right practice, of suitable practice, of unopposed practice, of unconflicting practice, of practice in accordance with the goal, of practice in accordance with the Dhamma and its sub-principles, of fulfilling the precepts, of guarding the sense doors, of moderation in food, of devotion to wakefulness, of mindfulness and clear comprehension, of devotion to the development of the four foundations of mindfulness, of the four right exertions, of the four bases of psychic power, of the five faculties, of the five powers, of the seven factors of enlightenment, of devotion to the development of the Noble Eightfold Path – of these wholesome states they lead to obstruction and decline. Thus, they lead to decline – dangers. How do dangers reside therein? Therein arise these evil, unwholesome states, dependent on one's own being. Just as creatures residing in a hole dwell in a hole, creatures residing in water dwell in water, creatures residing in a forest dwell in a forest, creatures residing in a tree dwell in a tree; even so, therein arise these evil, unwholesome states, dependent on one's own being. Thus, they reside therein – dangers. For this was said by the Blessed One: "A monk with an apprentice, monks, a monk with a teacher, lives unhappily, uncomfortably. And how, monks, does a monk with an apprentice, a monk with a teacher, live unhappily, uncomfortably? Here, monks, when a monk sees a form with the eye, evil, unwholesome states arise, connected with desire, connected with fetters; they dwell within him, they flow into him, those evil, unwholesome states. Therefore, he is called 'with an apprentice'. They attend upon him, those evil, unwholesome states attend upon him. Therefore, he is called 'with a teacher'. "And further, monks, when a monk hears a sound with the ear... (and so on)... smells a smell with the nose... tastes with the tongue having tasted a taste… having touched a tangible object with the body… having cognized a mental object with the mind… evil unwholesome states arise, with their own intentions, binding. These evil unwholesome states dwell within him, flow into him. Therefore, he is called 'with a resident'. They frequent him, these evil unwholesome states frequent him. Therefore, he is called 'with a teacher'. Thus, indeed, monks, a monk who is 'with a resident' and 'with a teacher' dwells uncomfortably, in suffering. In this way, too, there are dangers – perils. This was said by the Blessed One: "These three, monks, are inner defilements, inner enemies, inner adversaries, inner slayers, inner foes. Which three? Greed, monks, is an inner defilement, an inner enemy, an inner adversary, an inner slayer, an inner foe; hatred, monks… delusion, monks, is an inner defilement, an inner enemy, an inner adversary, an inner slayer, an inner foe. These, indeed, monks, are the three inner defilements, inner enemies, inner adversaries, inner slayers, inner foes." Greed generates harm, greed agitates the mind; a fear born from within, that people do not discern. The greedy one knows no good, the greedy one sees no Dhamma; then there is blinding darkness, when greed overcomes a person. Hatred generates harm, hatred agitates the mind; a fear born from within, that people do not discern. The hateful one knows no good, the hateful one sees no Dhamma; then there is blinding darkness, when hatred overcomes a person. Delusion generates harm, delusion agitates the mind; a fear born from within, that people do not discern. The deluded one knows no good, the deluded one sees no Dhamma; then there is blinding darkness, when delusion overcomes a person. In this way, too, there are dangers – perils. This was said by the Blessed One: "These three states, great king, are internal to a person..." They, arising, arise for harm, for suffering, for uncomfortable living. Which three?