Cūḷavedalla Sutta - The Shorter Series of Questions and Answers

Thus have I heard:

On one occasion, the Blessed One was residing at Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, at the Squirrel Sanctuary.

Then, the lay disciple Visākha approached the nun Dhammadinnā; having approached, he bowed to the nun Dhammadinnā and sat down to one side.

Sitting there, the lay disciple Visākha spoke to the nun Dhammadinnā:

‘Identity, identity, it is said, venerable lady.

In what way, venerable lady, has identity been stated by the Blessed One?

Friend Visākha, the Blessed One has stated the five aggregates subject to clinging as identity: namely, the form aggregate subject to clinging, the feeling aggregate subject to clinging, the perception aggregate subject to clinging, the formations aggregate subject to clinging, and the consciousness aggregate subject to clinging.

These, friend Visākha, are the five aggregates subject to clinging that have been declared by the Blessed One as identity.

Well spoken, venerable lady, acknowledged the lay disciple Visākha, rejoicing and approving of what was said by the nun Dhammadinnā, he further questioned her on a related matter:

‘The origin of identity, the origin of identity, it is said, venerable lady.

In what way, venerable lady, has the origin of identity been defined by the Blessed One?

Friend Visākha, it is this craving that brings renewal of being, is accompanied by delight and passion, and seeks delight in this and that; namely, craving for sensual pleasures, craving for being, and craving for non-being. This, friend Visākha, is what the Blessed One has declared as the origin of identity.

‘The cessation of identity, the cessation of identity, it is said, venerable lady.

In what way, venerable lady, has the cessation of identity been explained by the Blessed One?

Friend Visākha, it is the remainderless fading away and cessation of that very craving, the giving up and relinquishing of it, freedom from it, non-reliance on it. This, friend Visākha, is the cessation of identity as declared by the Blessed One.

‘The way leading to the cessation of identity, the way leading to the cessation of identity, it is said, venerable lady.

In what way, venerable lady, has the path leading to the cessation of identity been described by the Blessed One?

Friend Visākha, the very Noble Eightfold Path has been declared by the Blessed One as the path leading to the cessation of identity; namely, right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.

Venerable lady, is it the case that these very aggregates subject to clinging are the clinging, or is clinging separate from these five aggregates subject to clinging?

Friend Visākha, it is not that the aggregates themselves are the clinging, nor is clinging something other than the five aggregates subject to clinging.

Indeed, friend Visākha, the desire and attachment towards the five aggregates of clinging is what is considered clinging there.

But how, venerable sir, does identity view arise?

Here, friend Visākha, an uninstructed ordinary person, lacking the vision of the noble ones, unskilled in the noble doctrine, untrained in the noble discipline, lacking the vision of the true persons, unskilled in the true doctrine, untrained in the true discipline, regards form as self, or self as possessing form, or form as in self, or self as in form.

The same applies to feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness, regarding them as self, or self as possessing them, or as being in self, or self as being in them.

Thus, friend Visākha, identity view arises.

But how, venerable sir, does identity view not arise?

Here, friend Visākha, a learned noble disciple, with vision of the noble ones, skilled in the noble doctrine, well-trained in the noble discipline, with vision of the true persons, skilled in the true doctrine, well-trained in the true discipline, does not regard form as self, nor self as possessing form, nor form as in self, nor self as in form.

The same applies to feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness, not regarding them as self, nor self as possessing them, nor as being in self, nor self as being in them.

Thus, friend Visākha, identity view does not arise.

What, venerable sir, is the Noble Eightfold Path?

This, indeed, friend Visākha, is the Noble Eightfold Path, namely: right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.

Is the noble, venerable sir, the Eightfold Path constructed or unconstructed?

The noble, friend Visākha, Eightfold Path is constructed.

Venerable sir, by means of the noble Eightfold Path, are the three aggregates encompassed, or is the noble Eightfold Path encompassed by the three aggregates?

It is not, friend Visākha, that the three aggregates are encompassed by the noble Eightfold Path; rather, friend Visākha, it is the noble Eightfold Path that is encompassed by the three aggregates.

Right speech, right action, and right livelihood are encompassed within the aggregate of virtue.

Right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration are encompassed within the aggregate of concentration.

Right view and right intention are encompassed within the aggregate of wisdom.

Disciples, what is concentration? What factors are signs of concentration? What are the requisites of concentration? What is the development of concentration?

Friend Visakha, the unification of the mind is concentration; the four dwellings of mindfulness are the signs of concentration; the four right efforts are the requisites of concentration.

The cultivation, development, and frequent practice of these very factors: this is the development of concentration.

And how many are the formations, friend?

There are three formations, friend Visakha: bodily formation, verbal formation, and mental formation.

What is the bodily formation, what is the verbal formation, and what is the mental formation, friend?

The in-breath and out-breath, friend Visakha, are the bodily formation; thinking and pondering are the verbal formation; perception and feeling are the mental formation.

Why are the in-breath and out-breath the bodily formation, why are thinking and pondering the verbal formation, why are perception and feeling the mental formation?

The in-breath and out-breath, friend Visakha, are bodily phenomena linked with the body; therefore, the in-breath and out-breath are the bodily formation.

Before speaking, one thinks and ponders, and then breaks into speech; therefore, thinking and pondering are the verbal formation.

Perception and feeling are mental phenomena linked with the mind; therefore, perception and feeling are the mental formation.

And how is the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling, friend?

Friend Visakha, it’s not that for a disciple attaining the cessation of perception and feeling there is this thought: I will attain the cessation of perception and feeling, or I am attaining the cessation of perception and feeling, or I have attained the cessation of perception and feeling.

But rather, his mind has been previously trained to that state which leads to such attainment.

For a disciple attaining the cessation of perception and feeling, friend, which formations are the first to cease: the bodily formation, the verbal formation, or the mental formation?

For a disciple attaining the cessation of perception and feeling, friend Visakha, the verbal formation ceases first, then the bodily formation, and finally the mental formation.

And how is the emergence from the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling, friend?

Friend Visakha, it’s not that for a disciple emerging from the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling there is this thought:

‘I shall arise from the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling, or ‘I have arisen from the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling.

Indeed, beforehand, the mind has already been so developed that it leads to such a state.

When a disciple emerges from the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling, what things first arise in him:bodily formation, verbal formation, or mental formation?

Friend Visākha, when a disciple emerges from the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling, the mental formation first arises, then the bodily formation, then the verbal formation.

When a disciple has emerged from the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling, how many contacts touch him?

Friend Visākha, when a disciple has emerged from the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling, three contacts touch him:the contact with emptiness, the contact with the signless, the contact with the undirected.

When a disciple has emerged from the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling, towards what is his mind inclined, towards what is it directed, towards what is it slanted?

Friend Visākha, when a disciple has emerged from the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling, his mind is inclined towards seclusion, directed towards seclusion, slanted towards seclusion.

How many types of feeling are there, friend?

Friend Visākha, there are three types of feeling pleasant feeling, painful feeling, neither pleasant nor painful feeling.

What is pleasant feeling, what is painful feeling, what is neither pleasant nor painful feeling?

Friend Visākha, whatever bodily or mental pleasant, agreeable, felt sensation:

this is pleasant feeling.

Friend Visākha, whatever bodily or mental painful, disagreeable, felt sensation:

this is painful feeling.

Friend Visākha, whatever bodily or mental neither agreeable nor disagreeable felt sensation:

this is neither pleasant nor painful feeling.

Friend, what pleasure, what pain belongs to pleasant feeling?

What pleasure, what pain belongs to painful feeling?

What pleasure, what pain belongs to feeling that is neither pleasant nor painful?

Friend Visākha, the pleasure of pleasant feeling is the pleasure of stability, and its pain is the pain of change;

the pain of painful feeling is the pain of stability, and its pleasure is the pleasure of change;

the pleasure of neither pleasant nor painful feeling is the pleasure of knowing, and its pain is the pain of ignorance.

Friend, what underlying tendency accompanies pleasant feeling, what underlying tendency accompanies painful feeling, what underlying tendency accompanies feeling that is neither pleasant nor painful?

For pleasant feelings, friend Visakha, the underlying tendency of greed persists; for painful feelings, the underlying tendency of aversion persists; for neither-painful-nor-pleasant feelings, the underlying tendency of ignorance persists.

Is it with all pleasant feelings, venerable, that the underlying tendency of greed persists?

Is it with all painful feelings that the underlying tendency of aversion persists? Is it with all neither-painful-nor-pleasant feelings that the underlying tendency of ignorance persists?

No, friend Visakha, it is not with all pleasant feelings that the underlying tendency of greed persists, nor with all painful feelings the underlying tendency of aversion, nor with all neither-painful-nor-pleasant feelings the underlying tendency of ignorance.

What then, venerable, should be abandoned with pleasant feelings, with painful feelings, with neither-painful-nor-pleasant feelings?

For pleasant feelings, friend Visakha, the underlying tendency of greed should be abandoned; for painful feelings, the underlying tendency of aversion should be abandoned; for neither-painful-nor-pleasant feelings, the underlying tendency of ignorance should be abandoned.

Is it with all pleasant feelings, venerable, that the underlying tendency of greed should be abandoned? Is it with all painful feelings that the underlying tendency of aversion should be abandoned?

Is it with all neither-painful-nor-pleasant feelings that the underlying tendency of ignorance should be abandoned?

No, friend Visakha, it is not with all pleasant feelings that the underlying tendency of greed should be abandoned, nor with all painful feelings the underlying tendency of aversion, nor with all neither-painful-nor-pleasant feelings the underlying tendency of ignorance.

Here, friend Visakha, a disciple, secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, enters and dwells in the first jhāna, which is accompanied by directed and sustained attention, born of seclusion, filled with pīti and joy.

By this he abandons greed, and there is no underlying tendency of greed that remains.

Here, friend Visakha, a disciple considers thus: When shall I enter and dwell in that sphere that the noble ones now enter and dwell in?

Thus, as he desires to reach the utmost liberation, desire arises because of which mental pain arises.

By this, he abandons aversion, and there is no underlying tendency of aversion that remains.

Here, friend Visakha, a disciple, with the abandoning of joy, with the abandoning of pain, and with the previous disappearance of pleasure and displeasure, he enters and dwells in the fourth jhāna, without pain or pleasure, with the purity of equanimity and mindfulness.

Through this, he abandons ignorance, and there is no underlying tendency of ignorance that remains.

What, venerable, is the counterpart of pleasant feelings?

Pleasant feelings, friend Visakha, have painful feelings as their counterpart.

With regard to painful feeling, Visākhā, what counterpart is there?

For painful feeling, friend Visākhā, the counterpart is pleasant feeling.

And what counterpart is there for neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling?

For neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, friend Visākhā, the counterpart is ignorance.

And what counterpart is there for ignorance?

For ignorance, friend Visākhā, the counterpart is knowing.

And what counterpart is there for knowing?

For knowing, friend Visākhā, the counterpart is liberation.

And what counterpart is there for liberation?

For liberation, friend Visākhā, the counterpart is Nibbāna.

And what counterpart is there for Nibbāna?

You have gone beyond, friend Visākhā, the question, unable to encompass the limit of the questions.

For the holy life, friend Visākhā, is grounded in Nibbāna, has Nibbāna as its destination, and culminates in Nibbāna.

If you wish, friend Visākhā, you should approach the Blessed One and ask him about this matter, and as the Blessed One may explain it to you, so should you hold it.

Then Visākhā, the lay disciple, having rejoiced and approved of what Bhikkhunī Dhammadinnā said, rose from his seat, paid homage to Bhikkhunī Dhammadinnā, and, keeping her to his right, went to where the Blessed One was. After approaching, he paid homage to the Blessed One and sat down to one side.

While sitting to one side, Visākhā the lay disciple reported to the Blessed One his entire conversation with Bhikkhunī Dhammadinnā.

Having been spoken thus, the Blessed One said to Visākhā the lay disciple: Bhikkhunī Dhammadinnā is wise, Visākhā, she is of great wisdom, Visākhā.

Even if you were to ask me about this matter, I would answer you in the same way as Bhikkhunī Dhammadinnā has explained it.

This is indeed the meaning, and so should you remember it.

The Blessed One said this.

Pleased, Visākhā the lay disciple rejoiced in the Blessed One's words.

Thus ends the Cūḷavedalla Sutta.