Saḷāyatanavibhaṅgasutta

Thus have I heard: At one time, the Blessed One was staying at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.

There the Blessed One addressed the disciples: Disciples.

Venerable Sir, those disciples replied to the Blessed One.

The Blessed One said this:

Disciples, I will teach you the analysis of the six sense bases.

Listen to it, pay close attention, and I will speak.

Yes, Venerable Sir, those disciples replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this:

Disciples, six internal sense bases should be known, six external sense bases should be known, six classes of consciousness should be known, six classes of contact should be known, eighteen kinds of mental exploration should be known, thirty-six states of being should be known.

Based on this, abandon that. There are three foundations of mindfulness that the noble one cultivates, and by cultivating them, the teacher is able to instruct the group. He is called the unsurpassed trainer of persons to be tamed.

This is the summary of the analysis of the six sense bases.

Six internal sense bases should be known: Thus it was said.

And in reference to what was this said?

The eye base, the ear base, the nose base, the tongue base, the body base, the mind base: These are the six internal sense bases that should be known: Thus it was said, and in reference to this was it said.

Six external sense bases should be known: Thus it was said.

And in reference to what was this said?

The form base, the sound base, the odor base, the flavor base, the tangible base, the mental object base: These are the six external sense bases that should be known: Thus it was said, and in reference to this was it said.

Six classes of consciousness should be known: Thus it was said.

And in reference to what was this said?

The eye consciousness, the ear consciousness, the nose consciousness, the tongue consciousness, the body consciousness, the mind consciousness: These are the six classes of consciousness that should be known: Thus it was said, and in reference to this was it said.

Six classes of contact should be known: Thus it was said.

And in reference to what was this said?

The eye contact, the ear contact, the nose contact, the tongue contact, the body contact, the mind contact: These are the six classes of contact that should be known: Thus it was said, and in reference to this was it said.

Eighteen kinds of mental exploration should be known: Thus it was said.

And in reference to what was this said?

Having seen a form with the eye, one explores a form that is a basis for joy, one explores a form that is a basis for sorrow, one explores a form that is a basis for equanimity.

Hearing a sound with the ear …

Smelling a scent with the nose …

Tasting a flavor with the tongue …

Touching a tangible object with the body …

Cognizing a mental object with the mind, one investigates a mental object that is a basis for joy, a basis for sorrow, or a basis for equanimity.

Thus, there are six investigations of joy, six investigations of sorrow, and six investigations of equanimity, making eighteen mental investigations to be known. This is what was said, and this is the reason it was said.

Thirty-six states to be known: This was also said.

What is the reason for this?

Six kinds of joy connected with the household life, six kinds of joy connected with renunciation, six kinds of sorrow connected with the household life, six kinds of sorrow connected with renunciation, six kinds of equanimity connected with the household life, and six kinds of equanimity connected with renunciation. What are the six kinds of joy connected with the household life? When one perceives the acquisition of desirable, lovely, agreeable, pleasing, and worldly objects seen by the eye, or recalls their past acquisition, joy arises.

This kind of joy is called joy connected with the household life.

When one perceives desirable sounds heard by the ear …

desirable scents smelled by the nose …

desirable flavors tasted by the tongue …

desirable tangibles felt by the body …

desirable mental objects cognized by the mind, joy arises.

This kind of joy is called joy connected with the household life. These are the six kinds of joy connected with the household life.

What are the six kinds of joy connected with renunciation?

When one perceives the impermanence, change, fading away, and cessation of forms, and sees with right wisdom that all forms, past and present, are impermanent, suffering, and subject to change, joy arises.

This kind of joy is called joy connected with renunciation.

When one perceives the impermanence of sounds …

the impermanence of scents …

the impermanence of flavors …

the impermanence of tangibles … the impermanence of mental objects, and sees with right wisdom that all mental objects, past and present, are impermanent, suffering, and subject to change, joy arises.

This kind of joy is called joy connected with renunciation.

These are the six kinds of joy connected with renunciation.

What are the six household sorrows?

For visible forms cognizable by the eye...

For sounds cognizable by the ear...

For odors cognizable by the nose...

For tastes cognizable by the tongue...

For tangibles cognizable by the body...

For mental objects cognizable by the mind, when one does not obtain or recollects not obtaining desirable, lovely, agreeable, pleasing, and delightful worldly objects, sorrow arises.

Such sorrow is called household sorrow.

These are the six household sorrows.

What are the six renunciation sorrows?

Having known the impermanence, change, fading away, and cessation of forms, and seeing with right wisdom that all forms, past and present, are impermanent, suffering, and subject to change, one aspires for the unsurpassed liberations, thinking, When shall I attain and dwell in that state which the noble ones now attain and dwell in?

Thus, while aspiring for the unsurpassed liberations, sorrow arises due to that aspiration.

For sounds...

For odors...

For tastes...

For tangibles...

Having known the impermanence, change, fading away, and cessation of mental objects, and seeing with right wisdom that all mental objects, past and present, are impermanent, suffering, and subject to change, one aspires for the unsurpassed liberations, thinking, When shall I attain and dwell in that state which the noble ones now attain and dwell in? Thus, while aspiring for the unsurpassed liberations, sorrow arises due to that aspiration.

Such sorrow is called renunciation sorrow.

These are the six renunciation sorrows.

What are the six household equanimities?

Seeing a form with the eye, equanimity arises in an unlearned, ordinary person who is not free from passion, not free from the results of passion, not seeing danger, and unlearned.

Such equanimity does not transcend the form.

Therefore, that equanimity is called household equanimity.

Hearing a sound with the ear...

Smelling an odor with the nose...

Tasting a taste with the tongue...

Touching a tangible with the body...

Cognizing a mental object with the mind, equanimity arises in an unlearned, ordinary person who is not free from passion, not free from the results of passion, not seeing danger, and unlearned.

Such equanimity does not transcend the Dhamma.

Therefore, such equanimity is called household equanimity.

These are the six types of household equanimity.

What are the six types of renunciation equanimity?

Having known the impermanence of forms, their change, fading away, and cessation, and seeing with right wisdom that both previously and now, all these forms are impermanent, suffering, and subject to change, equanimity arises. Such equanimity transcends form. Therefore, such equanimity is called renunciation equanimity.

Having known the impermanence of sounds...

Having known the impermanence of smells...

Having known the impermanence of tastes...

Having known the impermanence of tangibles...

Having known the impermanence of mental objects, their change, fading away, and cessation, and seeing with right wisdom that both previously and now, all these mental objects are impermanent, suffering, and subject to change, equanimity arises.

Such equanimity transcends mental objects.

Therefore, such equanimity is called renunciation equanimity.

These are the six types of renunciation equanimity.

Thirty-six states should be known: Thus, what was said is said because of this.

Relying on this, abandon that: Thus, it was said; but why was this said?

There relying on the six types of renunciation joy, and having approached them, abandon and transcend the six types of household joy.

Thus, their abandonment occurs, thus their transcendence occurs.

There relying on the six types of renunciation sorrow, and having approached them, abandon and transcend the six types of household sorrow.

Thus, their abandonment occurs, thus their transcendence occurs.

There relying on the renunciation equanimity, and having approached it, abandon and transcend the household equanimity.

Thus, its abandonment occurs, thus its transcendence occurs.

There relying on the six types of renunciation joy, and having approached them, abandon and transcend the six types of renunciation sorrow.

Thus, their abandonment occurs, thus their transcendence occurs.

There relying on the renunciation equanimity, and having approached it, abandon and transcend the six types of renunciation joy. Thus, their abandonment occurs, thus their transcendence occurs.

This is the way to abandon them, this is the way to overcome them.

There is equanimity that is diverse, dependent on diversity, and there is equanimity that is unified, dependent on unity.

And what is equanimity that is diverse, dependent on diversity?

There is equanimity regarding forms, equanimity regarding sounds, equanimity regarding smells, equanimity regarding tastes, equanimity regarding tactile sensations: this is equanimity that is diverse, dependent on diversity.

And what is equanimity that is unified, dependent on unity?

There is equanimity dependent on the realm of infinite space, equanimity dependent on the realm of infinite consciousness, equanimity dependent on the realm of nothingness, equanimity dependent on the realm of neither-perception-nor-non-perception: this is equanimity that is unified, dependent on unity.

Therefore relying on and approaching the equanimity that is unified, dependent on unity, abandon and overcome the equanimity that is diverse, dependent on diversity.

This is the way to abandon it, this is the way to overcome it.

Relying on non-identification, approaching non-identification, abandon and overcome the equanimity that is unified, dependent on unity.

This is the way to abandon it, this is the way to overcome it.

Here, relying on this, abandon this: thus it is said, and this is the reason it is said.

The three foundations of mindfulness that the noble one cultivates, and by cultivating which the teacher is worthy of instructing the group: thus it is said; and what is the reason it is said?

Here the teacher teaches the Dhamma to the disciples out of compassion, seeking their welfare, out of compassion saying, This is for your benefit, this is for your happiness.

But the disciples do not listen, do not lend an ear, do not apply their minds to know, and turn away from the teachers instruction.

There the Tathagata is neither displeased nor experiences displeasure, and he dwells untroubled, mindful, and fully aware.

This is the first foundation of mindfulness that the noble one cultivates, and by cultivating which the teacher is worthy of instructing the group.

Again the teacher teaches the Dhamma to the disciples out of compassion, seeking their welfare, out of compassion saying, This is for your benefit, this is for your happiness.

Some of the disciples do not listen, do not lend an ear, do not apply their minds to know, and turn away from the teachers instruction; some of the disciples listen, lend an ear, apply their minds to know, and do not turn away from the teachers instruction.

There the Tathagata is neither displeased nor experiences displeasure; nor is he pleased nor experiences pleasure.

Displeasure and pleasure: having avoided both, he dwells with equanimity, mindful and fully aware.

This is called the second establishment of mindfulness which the noble one cultivates, and by cultivating which, the teacher is worthy of instructing the group.

Again the teacher teaches the Dhamma to the disciples out of compassion, seeking their welfare, with the thought, This is for your benefit, this is for your happiness.

The disciples listen, lend an ear, and establish their minds in profound knowing, and they do not turn away from the teacher's instruction.

There the Tathagata is pleased and experiences pleasure, and he dwells untroubled, mindful and fully aware.

This is called the third establishment of mindfulness which the noble one cultivates, and by cultivating which, the teacher is worthy of instructing the group.

The three establishments of mindfulness which the noble one cultivates, and by cultivating which, the teacher is worthy of instructing the group: this is what was said, and this is the reason for it.

He is called the unsurpassed trainer of persons to be tamed: this is what was said.

And why was this said?

When an elephant trainer trains an elephant, it runs in one direction only: east, west, north, or south. When a horse trainer trains a horse, it runs in one direction only: east, west, north, or south. When a cow trainer trains a cow, it runs in one direction only: east, west, north, or south.

But when the Tathagata, the Arahant, the Fully Enlightened One trains a person, he runs in eight directions.

One with form sees forms: this is one direction; internally perceiving the formless, he sees forms externally: this is the second direction; he is intent on the beautiful: this is the third direction; having completely transcended perceptions of form, the disappearance of perceptions of resistance, and non-attention to perceptions of diversity, thinking Infinite space, he enters and dwells in the realm of infinite space: this is the fourth direction; having completely transcended the realm of infinite space, thinking Infinite consciousness, he enters and dwells in the realm of infinite consciousness: this is the fifth direction. Having completely transcended the sphere of infinite consciousness, he enters and dwells in the sphere of nothingness: This is the sixth direction;

Having completely transcended the sphere of nothingness, he enters and dwells in the sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception: This is the seventh direction; Having completely transcended the sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, he enters and dwells in the cessation of perception and feeling: This is the eighth direction.

Thus the Tathagata, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One, has pointed out the way for a person to reach these eight directions.

It is said: This was said in reference to that.

The Blessed One said this.

Satisfied, those disciples delighted in the Blessed One's words.

The Discourse on the Analysis of the Sixfold Base is finished.