Bhūmijasutta

He was staying at Sāvatthī.

Then, in the late afternoon, Venerable Bhūmija came out of retreat and went to Venerable Sāriputta. He exchanged greetings with Venerable Sāriputta and, after their pleasantries, sat down to one side.

Sitting to one side, Venerable Bhūmija said to Venerable Sāriputta: Venerable Sāriputta, there are some ascetics and brahmins who are proponents of karma, who explain pleasure and pain as created by oneself.

There are some ascetics and brahmins who are proponents of karma, who explain pleasure and pain as created by another.

There are some ascetics and brahmins who are proponents of karma, who explain pleasure and pain as created both by oneself and by another.

There are some ascetics and brahmins who are proponents of karma, who explain pleasure and pain as neither created by oneself nor by another, but as arising by chance.

In this case, Venerable Sāriputta, what does the Blessed One say? How should we answer so that we would be repeating what the Blessed One has said, and not misrepresent him with what is unfactual, answering in line with the teaching, so that no fellow follower of the teaching would have grounds for criticizing us?

Venerable, the Blessed One has said that pleasure and pain are dependently originated.

Dependent on what?

Dependent on contact.

So, saying this, you would be repeating what the Blessed One has said, and not misrepresenting him with what is unfactual, answering in line with the teaching, so that no fellow follower of the teaching would have grounds for criticizing you.

In this case, Venerable, those ascetics and brahmins who are proponents of karma, who explain pleasure and pain as created by oneself, that too is dependent on contact. And those who explain pleasure and pain as created by another, that too is dependent on contact. And those who explain pleasure and pain as created both by oneself and by another, that too is dependent on contact.

And those who explain pleasure and pain as neither created by oneself nor by another, but as arising by chance, that too is dependent on contact.

In this case, Venerable, those ascetics and brahmins who are proponents of karma, who explain pleasure and pain as created by oneself, it is not possible that they experience that without contact.

And those who explain pleasure and pain as created by another, it is not possible that they experience that without contact. And those who explain pleasure and pain as created both by oneself and by another, it is not possible that they experience that without contact.

And those who explain pleasure and pain as neither created by oneself nor by another, but as arising by chance, it is not possible that they experience that without contact.

Venerable Ānanda heard this conversation between Venerable Sāriputta and Venerable Bhūmija.

Then, the Venerable Ānanda approached the Blessed One; having approached and paid homage to the Blessed One, he sat down to one side.

While sitting to one side, the Venerable Ānanda reported to the Blessed One the entire conversation that had taken place between the Venerable Sāriputta and the Venerable Bhūmija.

Good, good, Ānanda, that Sāriputta would explain it correctly.

Conditioned by contact, Ānanda, is pleasure and pain, as I have said.

On what condition?

On the condition of contact.

Thus, saying this, I would be speaking rightly, and I would not be misrepresenting the truth, and I would be explaining in accordance with the Dhamma, and no one who is a fellow practitioner would find grounds for reproach.

There, Ānanda, those ascetics and brahmins who declare that pleasure and pain are self-made, even that is conditioned by contact.

And those...

And those...

And those ascetics and brahmins who declare that pleasure and pain are other-made, even that is conditioned by contact.

There, Ānanda, those ascetics and brahmins who declare that pleasure and pain are self-made, they would not experience it apart from contact; that is not possible.

And those...

And those...

And those ascetics and brahmins who declare that pleasure and pain are other-made, they would not experience it apart from contact; that is not possible.

In the body, Ānanda, when there is bodily volition, internal pleasure and pain arise.

In speech, Ānanda, when there is verbal volition, internal pleasure and pain arise.

In the mind, Ānanda, when there is mental volition, internal pleasure and pain arise, conditioned by ignorance.

Whether one, Ānanda, generates bodily formations oneself, due to which internal pleasure and pain arise.

Or others, Ānanda, generate bodily formations, due to which internal pleasure and pain arise.

Whether one, Ānanda, generates bodily formations knowingly, due to which internal pleasure and pain arise.

Or unknowingly, Ānanda, generates bodily formations, due to which internal pleasure and pain arise.

Whether one, Ānanda, generates verbal formations oneself, due to which internal pleasure and pain arise.

Or others, Ānanda, generate verbal formations, due to which internal pleasure and pain arise.

Whether aware or not, Ānanda, one constructs verbal formations, which, depending on the conditions, give rise to internal pleasure and pain.

Whether oneself, Ānanda, constructs mental formations, which, depending on the conditions, give rise to internal pleasure and pain.

Or others, Ānanda, construct mental formations, which, depending on the conditions, give rise to internal pleasure and pain.

Whether aware or not, Ānanda, one constructs mental formations, which, depending on the conditions, give rise to internal pleasure and pain.

In these matters, Ānanda, ignorance is involved.

With the complete fading away and cessation of ignorance, Ānanda, that body does not exist, which, depending on the conditions, gives rise to internal pleasure and pain.

That speech does not exist, which, depending on the conditions, gives rise to internal pleasure and pain.

That mind does not exist, which, depending on the conditions, gives rise to internal pleasure and pain.

That field does not exist, that base does not exist, that sense sphere does not exist, that foundation does not exist, which, depending on the conditions, gives rise to internal pleasure and pain.