English
Does one consciousness last for twenty eons? stands for thousands... stands for forty thousand eons... stands for sixty thousand eons... stands for eighty-four thousand eons? Yes. Is the moment of arising forty-two thousand eons, and the moment of passing away forty-two thousand eons? It should not be said so. Does one mind stand for a day? Yes. Do other phenomena arise and cease many times in one day? Yes. Are those phenomena more swiftly changing than the mind? It should not be said so. Are those phenomena more swiftly changing than the mind? Yes. Has it not been said by the Blessed One – "Monks, I do not see any other single phenomenon that changes so swiftly as this mind. Monks, it is not easy to find a simile for how swiftly the mind changes"? Is there such a discourse? Yes. Then it should not be said – "those phenomena are more swiftly changing than the mind." Are those phenomena more swiftly changing than the mind? Yes. Has it not been said by the Blessed One – "Monks, just as a monkey roaming in a forest thicket grasps a branch, lets it go and grasps another, lets it go and grasps another; even so, monks, what is called mind, or thought, or consciousness, that arises as one thing and ceases as another, both by night and by day"? Is there such a discourse? Yes. Then it should not be said – "those phenomena are more swiftly changing than the mind." 336. Does one mind stand for a day? Yes. Does eye-consciousness stand for a day? It should not be said so. Ear-consciousness... nose-consciousness... tongue-consciousness... body-consciousness... unwholesome mind... mind accompanied by greed... accompanied by hatred... accompanied by delusion... accompanied by conceit... accompanied by wrong view... accompanied by doubt... accompanied by sloth... accompanied by restlessness... accompanied by shamelessness... accompanied by fearlessness of wrongdoing – does such a mind stand for a day? It should not be said so... (and so on). Does one mind last for a day? Yes. With the same mind one sees forms with the eye, with the same mind one hears sounds with the ear, with the same mind one smells odors with the nose, with the same mind one tastes flavors with the tongue, with the same mind one touches tangibles with the body, with the same mind one discerns mental objects with the mind; with the same mind one discerns mental objects with the mind, with the same mind one sees forms with the eye, with the same mind one hears sounds with the ear, with the same mind one smells odors with the nose, with the same mind one tastes flavors with the tongue, with the same mind one touches tangibles with the body? It should not be said so. Does one mind last for a day? Yes. With the same mind one goes forward, with the same mind one goes back; with the same mind one goes back, with the same mind one goes forward; with the same mind one looks ahead, with the same mind one looks around; with the same mind one looks around, with the same mind one looks ahead; with the same mind one bends, with the same mind one stretches; with the same mind one stretches, with the same mind one bends? It should not be said so. 337. Does one mind of the devas who have attained the sphere of infinite space last for their whole lifespan? Yes. Does one mind of humans last for their whole lifespan? It should not be said so. Does one mind of the devas who have attained the sphere of infinite space last for their whole lifespan? Yes. Of the devas of the Four Great Kings, of the Tāvatiṃsa devas, of the Yāma devas, of the Tusita devas, of the Nimmanarati devas, of the Paranimmitavasavatti devas, of the devas of Brahmā's Retinue, of the devas of Brahmā's Ministers, of the Great Brahmā devas, of the devas of Limited Radiance, of the devas of Immeasurable Radiance, of the Abhassara devas, of the devas of Limited Glory, of the devas of Immeasurable Glory, of the Subhakiṇha devas, of the Vehapphala devas, of the Aviha devas, of the Atappa devas, of the Sudassa devas, of the Sudassī devas, of the Akaniṭṭha devas does one mind last for their whole lifespan? It should not be said so. Of those who have attained the sphere of infinite space Is the life span of those gods twenty thousand aeons? Does one mind-moment of the gods who attained infinite space last twenty thousand aeons? Yes. The life span of humans is one hundred years. Does one mind-moment of humans last one hundred years? It should not be said so. The life span of the gods who attained infinite space is twenty thousand aeons. Does one mind-moment of those gods last twenty thousand aeons? Yes. The life span of the Cātumahārājika gods is five hundred years. Does one mind-moment of the Cātumahārājika gods last five hundred years? ...last one thousand years? ...last two thousand years? ...last four thousand years? ...last eight thousand years? ...last sixteen thousand years? ...last a third of an aeon? ...last half an aeon? ...last one aeon? ...last two aeons? ...last four aeons? ...last eight aeons? ...last sixteen aeons? ...last thirty-two aeons? ...last sixty-four aeons? ...last five hundred aeons? ...last one thousand aeons? ...last two thousand aeons? ...last four thousand aeons? ...last eight thousand aeons? The life span of the Akaniṭṭha gods is sixteen thousand aeons. Does one mind-moment of the Akaniṭṭha gods last sixteen thousand aeons? It should not be said so. Does the mind of the gods who attained infinite space arise moment by moment and cease moment by moment? Yes. Do the gods who attained infinite space pass away moment by moment and reappear moment by moment? It should not be said so. Does one mind-moment of the gods who attained infinite space last for their entire life span? Yes. Do the gods who attained infinite space arise with the same mind-moment and pass away with that same mind-moment? It should not be said so. The discourse on the duration of mind is finished. 2. Second Chapter (17) 8. Discourse on Hot Ashes 338. Are all formations, without remainder, hot ashes? Yes. Is there not pleasant feeling, bodily pleasure, mental pleasure, divine pleasure, human pleasure, pleasure of gain, pleasure of honor, pleasure of vehicles, pleasure of beds, pleasure of sovereignty, pleasure of dominion, pleasure of a householder, pleasure of a recluse, pleasure with taints, pleasure without taints, pleasure with attachment, pleasure without attachment, carnal pleasure, spiritual pleasure, pleasure with rapture, pleasure without rapture, pleasure of jhāna, pleasure of liberation, sensual pleasure, pleasure of renunciation, pleasure of seclusion, pleasure of tranquility, pleasure of full enlightenment? Yes. If there is pleasant feeling... ...up to... ...pleasure of full enlightenment, then it should not be said: "All formations, without remainder, are hot ashes." Are all formations, without remainder, hot ashes? Yes. Are all formations painful feeling, bodily pain, mental pain, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair? It should not be said thus. Should it not be said: "All formations, without remainder, are hot ashes"? Yes. Has it not been said by the Blessed One: "All, monks, is aflame! And what, monks, is aflame? The eye, monks, is aflame, forms are aflame, eye-consciousness is aflame, eye-contact is aflame; and whatever feeling arises dependent on eye-contact, be it pleasant or painful or neither-painful-nor-pleasant, that too is aflame. By what is it aflame? 'It is aflame with the fire of lust, with the fire of hatred, with the fire of delusion, it is aflame with birth, with old age, with death, with sorrows, with lamentations, with pains, with griefs, with despairs,' I say. The ear is aflame, sounds are aflame... the nose is aflame, odors are aflame... the tongue is aflame, tastes are aflame... the body is aflame, tangibles are aflame... The mind is aflame, mental phenomena are aflame, mind-consciousness is aflame, mind-contact is aflame; and whatever feeling arises dependent on mind-contact, be it pleasant or... suffering or non-suffering-non-pleasure, that too is burning. By what is it burning? 'It is burning with the fire of lust, with the fire of hatred, with the fire of delusion, it is burning with birth, with old age, with death, with sorrows, lamentations, pains, griefs, and despairs,' I say." Is there such a Sutta? Yes. Then it should be said – "All formations, without exception, are hot ashes." "All formations, without exception, are hot ashes"? Yes. But has it not been said by the Blessed One – "Monks, there are these five strands of sensual pleasure! Which five? Forms cognizable by the eye, desirable, agreeable, charming, endearing, connected with sensual pleasure, enticing; sounds cognizable by the ear... smells cognizable by the nose... tastes cognizable by the tongue... tangibles cognizable by the body, desirable, agreeable, charming, endearing, connected with sensual pleasure, enticing. These, monks, are the five strands of sensual pleasure." Is there such a Sutta? Yes. Then it should not be said – "All formations, without exception, are hot ashes." Should it not be said – "All formations, without exception, are hot ashes"? Yes. But has it not been said by the Blessed One – "Monks, you have gained, you have well gained, you have obtained a moment for the living of the holy life! Monks, I have seen six hells called 'contact-bases'. There, whatever form one sees with the eye, one sees only undesirable forms, not desirable forms, one sees only disagreeable forms, not agreeable forms, one sees only uncharming forms, not charming forms.