English
by the Great Seer, the teacher of the end of suffering. Just as fire is to fuel, as weapons are to a target, as gnats and mosquitoes are to cattle, as reapers are to a field, as village destroyers are to a village, so are the aggregates of clinging. Birth and so on, harassing the five aggregates of life themselves in various ways, like grass and creepers on the ground, like flowers, fruits, and leaves on trees, arise only in the aggregates of clinging. And of the aggregates of clinging: birth is the initial suffering, aging is the middle suffering, death is the final suffering. Sorrow is the suffering of burning with the impact of suffering leading to death. Lamentation is the suffering of wailing from not enduring that. Bodily pain is the suffering of bodily affliction from the conjunction of disagreeable tangibles, called the disturbance of elements. Mental pain is the suffering of mental affliction from the arising of irritation in ordinary people afflicted by that. Despair is the suffering of anguish, generated by the increase of sorrow and so on, and the suffering of sighing. Not getting what one wishes is the suffering of frustrated desire for those whose wishes are thwarted. Thus, when examined in various ways, the aggregates of clinging themselves are suffering. That which, when shown and spoken of one by one, cannot be fully described even in many aeons; therefore, all that suffering, like the essence of all ocean water in a single drop of water, to show it condensed in these five aggregates of clinging, the Blessed One said: "In brief, the five aggregates of clinging are suffering." This is the determination regarding the aggregates of clinging. This, for now, is the method in the exposition of suffering. Discourse on the Exposition of the Origin 553. But in the exposition of the origin, "yāyaṃ taṇhā" means "this craving." "Ponobbhavikā" means "punobbhava" is the making of renewed existence; "ponobbhavikā" is that which has renewed existence as its characteristic. "Nandīrāgasahagatā" means accompanied by delight and lust; it is said to have gone to oneness in meaning with delight and lust. "Tatra tatrābhinandinī" means wherever a self-existence arises, there it delights. "Seyyathidaṃ" is a particle, and its meaning is: "which is that?" Craving for sensual pleasures, craving for existence, craving for non-existence— these will become clear in the exposition of dependent origination. But here, these three kinds, by way of being the producer of the truth of suffering, having been brought to a single essence, are the origin of suffering, the noble It should be understood as "untrue." This is the method in the exposition of the origin. Discourse on the exposition of cessation 554. In the exposition of the cessation of suffering, the cessation of the origin is spoken of by the method beginning with "of that very craving." If it is asked, "Why is that?" By the cessation of the origin, there is the cessation of suffering. Indeed, by the cessation of the origin, suffering ceases, not otherwise. Therefore, it is said – "Just as when the root is firm and undamaged, even if the tree is cut down, it grows again; so too, if the latent tendency of craving is not uprooted, this suffering arises again and again." (Dhp. 338) Thus, because suffering ceases only by the cessation of the origin, therefore the Blessed One, when teaching the cessation of suffering, taught it only by the cessation of the origin. Indeed, the Tathāgatas speak like lions. They, ceasing suffering and teaching the cessation of suffering, proceed by way of the cause, not the result. But the sectarians speak like dogs. They, ceasing suffering and teaching the cessation of suffering, proceed by way of the result, through teachings like self-mortification, not by way of the cause. Thus, the purpose of teaching the cessation of suffering by way of the cessation of the origin should be understood. 555. But this is the meaning – "of that very craving" refers to that craving which is divided into sensual craving, etc., after saying it is "leading to renewed existence." "Dispassion" is called the path. For it is said, "Through dispassion, one is liberated." (MN 1.245; SN 3.14) Cessation through dispassion is cessation of dispassion. The complete cessation of dispassion, due to the uprooting of latent tendencies, is complete cessation of dispassion. Or, "dispassion" is called abandonment, therefore "complete dispassion" means "complete cessation" – this is how the connection here should be seen. But in meaning, all these are synonyms for Nibbāna. For in the ultimate sense, the Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering is called Nibbāna. But because craving becomes dispassionate and ceases by relying on it, therefore it is called "dispassion" and "cessation." And because by relying on that very thing, its abandonment and so on occur, and there is not even one attachment to sensual pleasures, therefore it is called "abandonment, relinquishment, liberation, non-attachment." is called. 556. This is characterized by peace, by the flavor of immutability, or by the flavor of giving comfort, by the manifestation of signlessness, or by the manifestation of non-proliferation. Nibbāna Discourse 557. If it is said, “Nibbāna does not exist, being unobtainable like a hare’s horn”? No, because it is obtainable by means. For it is obtained by means consisting of the appropriate practice, like the supramundane mind of others by the knowledge of penetration of others’ minds. Therefore, it should not be said, “It does not exist because it is unobtainable.” For it should not be said, “That which foolish ordinary people do not obtain, does not exist.” 558. Moreover, it should not be said that Nibbāna does not exist. Why? Because practice would become barren. For if Nibbāna did not exist, the right practice, preceded by right view, and comprising the three aggregates of virtue and so on, would become barren. But this practice is not barren, because it leads to Nibbāna. If it is said, “Practice does not become barren, because it leads to non-existence”? No, because Nibbāna is not attained even in the non-existence of past and future. If it is said, “Nibbāna is the non-existence of even the present”? No, because their non-existence is impossible, and in non-existence, they would become non-present. And there is the fault of the non-arising of the Nibbāna element with residue remaining at the moment of the path dependent on the present aggregates. If it is said, “There is no fault because defilements are not present then”? No, because the Noble Path would become meaningless. For if this were so, defilements would not exist even before the moment of the Noble Path, and the Noble Path would become meaningless. Therefore, this is not a valid reason. 559. If it is said, “Extinction is Nibbāna,” from the saying, “Friends, the extinction of lust…” (Saṃ. Ni. 4.315)? No, because even Arahantship would become mere extinction. For that too is described in the manner of, “Friends, the extinction of lust…” (Saṃ. Ni. 4.315). And what is more, there is the fault of Nibbāna attaining a temporary state and so on. For if this were so, Nibbāna would become temporary, characterized by conditionedness, and attainable without reliance on right effort. And because it is characterized by conditionedness, it would be included in the conditioned, and would be Being encompassed by destruction, It is aflame with the fires of lust and so on, Being aflame, it also leads to suffering. If it is said that since from cessation onwards there is no more becoming, Therefore, there is no fault in its being Nibbāna. No, because such cessation does not exist. Even if it did exist, it would not overcome the faults of the aforementioned kind, And the Noble Path would become Nibbāna. For the Noble Path eradicates defilements, Therefore, it is called cessation. And from that point onwards, there is no more arising of defilements. However, because the cessation called non-arising Is indirectly a supporting condition for cessation, That which is its supporting condition is metaphorically called "cessation". If it is asked why it is not spoken of in its own nature, It is because of its extreme subtlety. And its extreme subtlety is proven by the fact that the Blessed One Did not exert himself to explain it, And it is to be seen by the noble eye. 560. This (Nibbāna) is unique, As it is to be attained by one endowed with the path. It is without origin, Because it has no prior limit. If it is said that it is not without origin Because it exists when the path exists, No, because it is not produced by the path. Indeed, it is to be attained by the path, Not to be produced. Therefore, it is truly without origin. Being without origin, it is ageless and deathless. Being without origin, aging, and death, it is eternal. If it is said that atoms and so on Also become eternal, just like Nibbāna, No, because there is no cause (for that). If it is said that because Nibbāna is eternal, They (atoms) are eternal, No, because the characteristic of a cause is not applicable. If it is said that they are eternal Because of the absence of arising and so on, like Nibbāna, No, because atoms and so on are not established (as such). 561. However, because of the existence of the aforementioned reasoning, Only this (Nibbāna) is eternal. It is formless, Because it transcends the nature of form. There is only one ultimate goal, Because there is no difference in the ultimate goal for Buddhas and others. That which is attained by development, Is the calming of defilements for that person, And because it is to be designated by taking the remaining aggregates as a basis, It is designated with the remaining aggregates, thus "with remaining aggregates". And that which, by the abandoning of its origin, Has destroyed the future results of kamma, And from the last thought onwards, There is no arising of the continuing aggregates,