English
Whatever sound one hears with the ear... whatever smell one smells with the nose... whatever taste one tastes with the tongue... whatever tangible one touches with the body... whatever mental phenomenon one cognizes with the mind, one cognizes only undesirable forms, not desirable forms, one cognizes only disagreeable forms, not agreeable forms, one cognizes only uncharming forms, not charming forms." Is there such a Sutta? Yes. Then it should be said then it should not be said— “All formations, without exception, are ashes.” Are all formations, without exception, ashes? Yes. Has it not been said by the Blessed One— “Gain for you, monks, well-obtained for you, monks, a moment obtained for you for the holy life! I have seen, monks, the six sense-sphere heavens. There, whatever form one sees with the eye, one sees only a desirable form, not an undesirable form, one sees only a lovely form, not an unlovely form, one sees only a pleasing form, not an unpleasing form. Whatever sound one hears with the ear… whatever smell one smells with the nose… whatever taste one tastes with the tongue… whatever touch one feels with the body… whatever mental phenomenon one cognizes with the mind, one cognizes only a desirable form, not an undesirable form, one cognizes only a lovely form, not an unlovely form, one cognizes only a pleasing form, not an unpleasing form”? Is there such a discourse? Yes. Then it should not be said— “All formations, without exception, are ashes.” Should it not be said— “All formations, without exception, are ashes”? Yes. Has it not been said by the Blessed One— “What is impermanent is suffering,” “All formations are impermanent”? Yes. If it has been said by the Blessed One— “What is impermanent is suffering,” “All formations are impermanent,” then indeed it should be said— “All formations, without exception, are ashes.” Are all formations, without exception, ashes? Yes. Is giving an undesirable result, an unlovely result, an unpleasing result, a result that needs to be watered, having a painful outcome, a painful ripening? It should not be said so. Is morality… the Uposatha… meditation… the holy life an undesirable result, an unlovely result, an unpleasing result, a result that needs to be watered, having a painful outcome, a painful ripening? It should not be said so. Is not giving a desirable result, a lovely result, a pleasing result, a result that does not need to be watered, having a pleasant outcome, a pleasant ripening? Yes. Yes. If giving has desirable fruit, lovely fruit, agreeable fruit, delightful fruit, with pleasant outcome, with pleasant result, then surely it should not be said – "All formations, without exception, are rubbish." Is not virtue... the Uposatha... development... the holy life with desirable fruit, lovely fruit, agreeable fruit, delightful fruit, with pleasant outcome, with pleasant result? Yes. If the holy life has desirable fruit, lovely fruit, agreeable fruit, delightful fruit, with pleasant outcome, with pleasant result, then surely it should not be said – "All formations, without exception, are rubbish." Are all formations, without exception, rubbish? Yes. Has it not been said by the Blessed One – "Happy is seclusion for the content, for one who has heard the Dhamma and sees. Non-harming is happiness in the world, restraint towards living beings. "Happy is dispassion in the world, the overcoming of sensual desires. The subduing of the conceit 'I am,' this indeed is the highest happiness. "That happiness attained through happiness, that is indeed ultimate happiness. The three knowledges attained, this indeed is the highest happiness." Is there such a Sutta? Yes. Therefore it should not be said – "All formations, without exception, are rubbish." The discourse on rubbish is concluded. 2. The Second Chapter (18) 9. The Discourse on Gradual Realization 339. Is it gradual realization? Yes. Does one gradually develop the stream-entry path? It should not be said so. Does one gradually develop the stream-entry path? Yes. Does one gradually realize the fruit of stream-entry? It should not be said so. Is it gradual realization? Yes. Does one gradually develop the once-returner path? It should not be said so. Does one gradually develop the once-returner path? Yes. Does one gradually realize the fruit of once-returning? It should not be said so. Is it gradual realization? Yes. Does one gradually develop the non-returner path? It should not be said so. Does one gradually develop the non-returner path? Yes. Does one gradually realize the fruit of non-returning? Does he weep? It should not be said thus. Is it gradual realization? Yes. Does he gradually develop the path to arahantship? It should not be said thus. Does he gradually develop the path to arahantship? Yes. Does he gradually realize the fruit of arahantship? It should not be said thus. 340. A person practicing for the realization of the fruit of stream-entry, by the perception of suffering, what does he abandon? Self-view, doubt, adherence to rites and rituals, and a quarter of the defilements associated with them, does he abandon? A quarter is a stream-enterer, a quarter is not a stream-enterer, a quarter has attained, acquired, realized, and dwells having entered the fruit of stream-entry, dwells having touched it with the body, a quarter does not dwell having touched it with the body, a quarter is one who will be reborn at most seven times, a family-to-family attainer, a one-seeder, endowed with unwavering faith in the Buddha, in the Dhamma... (etc.) in the Sangha... (etc.) endowed with virtues dear to the noble ones, a quarter is not endowed with virtues dear to the noble ones? It should not be said thus. By the perception of origin... (etc.) by the perception of cessation... (etc.) by the perception of the path, what does he abandon? Self-view, doubt, adherence to rites and rituals, and a quarter of the defilements associated with them, does he abandon? A quarter is a stream-enterer, a quarter is not a stream-enterer, a quarter has attained, acquired, realized, and dwells having entered the fruit of stream-entry, dwells having touched it with the body, a quarter does not dwell having touched it with the body, a quarter is one who will be reborn at most seven times, a family-to-family attainer, a one-seeder, endowed with unwavering faith in the Buddha, in the Dhamma... (etc.) in the Sangha... (etc.) endowed with virtues dear to the noble ones, a quarter is not endowed with virtues dear to the noble ones? It should not be said thus... (etc.) 341. A person practicing for the realization of the fruit of once-returning, by the perception of suffering, what does he abandon? Gross sensual desire, gross ill-will, and a quarter of the defilements associated with them, does he abandon? A quarter is a once-returner, a quarter is not a once-returner, a quarter is a once- Having attained the fruit of once-returning, obtained, reached, realized, he dwells having entered it, he dwells having touched it with the body, does he dwell not having touched a quarter with the body? It should not be said thus... (etc.) By the seeing of origin, by the seeing of cessation, by the seeing of the path, what does he abandon? Gross sensual desire, gross ill-will, and defilements associated with them, he abandons a quarter. Is a quarter a once-returner, a quarter not a once-returner, a quarter having attained the fruit of once-returning, obtained, reached, realized, he dwells having entered it, he dwells having touched it with the body, does he dwell not having touched a quarter with the body? It should not be said thus... (etc.) 342. A person practicing for the realization of the fruit of non-returning, by the seeing of suffering, what does he abandon? Subtle sensual desire, subtle ill-will, and defilements associated with them, he abandons a quarter. Is a quarter a non-returner, a quarter not a non-returner, a quarter having attained the fruit of non-returning, obtained, reached, realized, he dwells having entered it, he dwells having touched it with the body, does he dwell not having touched a quarter with the body, is a quarter one who attains Nibbāna in the interim, one who attains Nibbāna by reducing his lifespan, one who attains Nibbāna without exertion, one who attains Nibbāna with exertion, one who goes upstream to the Akaniṭṭha realm, is a quarter not one who goes upstream, not one who goes to the Akaniṭṭha realm? It should not be said thus... (etc.) By the seeing of origin, by the seeing of cessation, by the seeing of the path, what does he abandon? Subtle sensual desire, subtle ill-will, and defilements associated with them, he abandons a quarter. Is a quarter a non-returner, a quarter not a non-returner, a quarter having attained the fruit of non-returning, obtained, reached, realized, he dwells having entered it, he dwells having touched it with the body, does he dwell not having touched a quarter with the body, is a quarter one who attains Nibbāna in the interim, one who attains Nibbāna by reducing his lifespan, one who attains Nibbāna without exertion, one who attains Nibbāna with exertion, one who goes upstream to the Akaniṭṭha realm, is a quarter not one who goes upstream? "Does he go to the Akaniṭṭha realm?" "It should not be said thus..." 343. "What does a person who has entered upon the realization of Arahantship abandon by the vision of suffering?" "He abandons material passion, immaterial passion, conceit, restlessness, ignorance, and the defilements associated with them, by one-fourth." "By one-fourth, he is an Arahant, by one-fourth, he is not an Arahant, by one-fourth, having attained Arahantship, having gained, having reached, having realized, he dwells having entered upon it, he dwells having touched it with the body, by one-fourth, he dwells not having touched it with the body, by one-fourth, he is free from passion... free from hatred... free from delusion...