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These, monks, are the three topics of conversation." Is there such a Sutta? Yes. Therefore, Indeed, a moment is perfected. The discourse on moments, instants, and durations is finished. 15. The Fifteenth Chapter (149) 5. Discourse on the Taints 724. Are the four taints untainted? Yes. Is the path, the fruit, Nibbāna, the stream-entry path, the stream-entry fruit, (etc.), the factors of awakening? It should not be said thus, (etc.). 725. It should not be said: "Are the four taints untainted?" Yes. "Are there indeed taints by which those taints become tainted?" It should not be said thus. Therefore, are the four taints untainted? The Discourse on the Taints is finished. 15. The Fifteenth Chapter (150) 6. Discourse on Old Age and Death 726. Is the old age and death of supramundane states supramundane? Yes. Is the path, the fruit, Nibbāna, the stream-entry path, the stream-entry fruit, (etc.), the factors of awakening? It should not be said thus, (etc.). Is the old age and death of the stream-entry path the stream-entry path? It should not be said thus, (etc.). Is the old age and death of the stream-entry path the stream-entry path? Yes. Is the old age and death of the stream-entry fruit the stream-entry fruit? It should not be said thus, (etc.). Of the once-returner path, (etc.), of the once-returner fruit, (etc.), of the non-returner path, (etc.), of the non-returner fruit, (etc.), is the old age and death of the Arahant path the Arahant path? It should not be said thus, (etc.). Is the old age and death of the Arahant path the Arahant path? Yes. Is the old age and death of the Arahant fruit the Arahant fruit? It should not be said thus, (etc.). Of the foundations of mindfulness, of the right efforts, of the bases of psychic power, of the faculties, of the powers, is the old age and death of the factors of awakening the factors of awakening? It should not be said thus, (etc.). 727. It should not be said: "Is the old age and death of supramundane states supramundane?" Yes. "Is it mundane?" It should not be said thus. Therefore, it is supramundane. The Discourse on Old Age and Death is finished. 15. The Fifteenth Chapter (151) 7. Discourse on the Cessation of Perception and Feeling 728. Is the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling supramundane? Yes. Is the path, the fruit, Nibbāna, the stream-entry path, the stream-entry fruit, (etc.), the factors of awakening? It should not be said thus, (etc.). It should not be said – "Is the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling supramundane?" Yes. "Is it mundane?" It should not be said thus. Therefore, it is supramundane. The discourse on perception and feeling is concluded. 15. The Fifteenth Chapter (152) 8. The Second Discourse on Perception and Feeling 730. Is the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling mundane? Yes. Is it form? It should not be said thus. Is it feeling? It should not be said thus. Is it perception? It should not be said thus. Is it mental formations? It should not be said thus. Is it consciousness? It should not be said thus. Is it of the sense-sphere? It should not be said thus. Is it of the form-sphere? It should not be said thus. Is it of the formless-sphere? It should not be said thus. 731. It should not be said – "Is the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling mundane?" Yes. "Is it supramundane?" It should not be said thus. Therefore, it is mundane. The Second Discourse on Perception and Feeling is concluded. 15. The Fifteenth Chapter (153) 9. The Third Discourse on Perception and Feeling 732. Does one who has attained the cessation of perception and feeling pass away? Yes. Is there for one who has attained the cessation of perception and feeling a contact ending in death, a feeling ending in death, a perception ending in death, an intention ending in death, a consciousness ending in death? It should not be said thus. Is there not for one who has attained the cessation of perception and feeling a contact ending in death, a feeling ending in death, a perception ending in death, an intention ending in death, a consciousness ending in death? Yes. If there is not for one who has attained the cessation of perception and feeling a contact ending in death, a feeling ending in death, a perception ending in death, an intention ending in death, a consciousness ending in death, then truly it should not be said – "One who has attained the cessation of perception and feeling passes away." Does one who has attained the cessation of perception and feeling pass away? Yes. Is there for one who has attained the cessation of perception and feeling contact, feeling, perception, intention, consciousness? It should not be said thus. Is there not for one who has attained the cessation of perception and feeling contact, feeling, perception, intention, consciousness? Yes. The passing away of one without contact, the passing away of one without feeling, the passing away of one without perception, the passing away of one without intention, the passing away of one without consciousness. What is dying? It should not be said thus... Is not dying for one with contact... ...dying for one with consciousness? Yes. If dying is for one with contact... ...dying is for one with consciousness, then indeed it should not be said: "One who has attained the cessation of perception and feeling dies." Does one who has attained the cessation of perception and feeling die? Yes. Would poison penetrate the body of one who has attained the cessation of perception and feeling, would a weapon penetrate, would fire penetrate? It should not be said thus... Would poison not penetrate the body of one who has attained the cessation of perception and feeling, would a weapon not penetrate, would fire not penetrate? Yes. If poison would not penetrate the body of one who has attained the cessation of perception and feeling, a weapon would not penetrate, fire would not penetrate, then indeed it should not be said: "One who has attained the cessation of perception and feeling dies." Does one who has attained the cessation of perception and feeling die? Yes. Would poison penetrate the body of one who has attained the cessation of perception and feeling, would a weapon penetrate, would fire penetrate? Yes. Is he not one who has attained cessation? It should not be said thus... 733. Does one who has attained the cessation of perception and feeling not die? Yes. Is there a rule by which it is certain that one who has attained the cessation of perception and feeling does not die? No. If there is no such rule by which it is certain that one who has attained the cessation of perception and feeling does not die, then indeed it should not be said: "One who has attained the cessation of perception and feeling does not die." 734. Does one endowed with eye-consciousness not die? Yes. Is there a rule by which it is certain that one endowed with eye-consciousness does not die? No. If there is no such rule by which it is certain that one endowed with eye-consciousness does not die, then indeed it should not be said: "One endowed with eye-consciousness does not die." The Third Discourse on Perception and Feeling is finished. 15. The Fifteenth Chapter (154) 1 The Discourse on What is Like the Realm of Non-Percipient Beings 735. Is the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling like the realm of non-percipient beings? Yes. For one who has attained the cessation of perception and feeling, is there non-greed as a root of skillfulness, non-hatred as a root of skillfulness, non-delusion as a root of skillfulness, faith, energy, mindfulness, concentration, wisdom? It should not be said so. ... Is there not for one who has attained the cessation of perception and feeling: non-greed as a root of skillfulness, non-hatred as a root of skillfulness, ... wisdom? Yes. If for one who has attained the cessation of perception and feeling, there is no non-greed as a root of skillfulness, no non-hatred as a root of skillfulness, no non-delusion as a root of skillfulness, no faith, no energy, no mindfulness, no concentration, no wisdom, then indeed it should not be said: "The attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling is like the realm of non-percipient beings." Is the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling like the realm of non-percipient beings? Yes. For one who has attained the cessation of perception and feeling, is there contact, feeling, perception, volition, consciousness? It should not be said so. ... Is there not for one who has attained the cessation of perception and feeling: contact, feeling, perception, volition, consciousness? Yes. Is the development of the path for one without contact ... for one without consciousness? It should not be said so. ... Is not the development of the path for one with contact ... for one with consciousness? Yes. If the development of the path is for one with contact ... for one with consciousness, then indeed it should not be said: "The attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling is like the realm of non-percipient beings." Is the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling like the realm of non-percipient beings? Yes. All those who attain the cessation of perception and feeling, are they all like the non-percipient beings? It should not be said so. ... 736. Should it not be said: "The attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling is like the realm of non-percipient beings"? Yes. Is it not that here too there is no perception, and there too there is no perception? Yes. If here too there is no perception, and there too there is no perception, then indeed it should be said: "The attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling is like the realm of non-percipient beings." The Discourse on What is Like the Realm of Non-Percipient Beings is concluded. 15. The Fifteenth Chapter (155) 11. The Discourse on the Accumulation of Kamma 737.