Saṁyutta Nikāya 12.62 7.

Second Discourse on the Uninstructed Person

Mahāvagga Dutiyaassutavāsutta Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati. “Assutavā, bhikkhave, puthujjano imasmiṁ cātumahābhūtikasmiṁ kāyasmiṁ nibbindeyyapi virajjeyyapi vimucceyyapi.

Dwelling at Sāvatthī. Disciples, the uninstructed ordinary person might grow disenchanted, dispassionate, and be released in regard to this body composed of the four great elements.

Taṁ kissa hetu?

Why is that?

Dissati, bhikkhave, imassa cātumahābhūtikassa kāyassa ācayopi apacayopi ādānampi nikkhepanampi.

Disciples, it is seen that this body composed of the four great elements has accumulation and dissipation, taking up and putting down.

Tasmā tatrāssutavā puthujjano nibbindeyyapi virajjeyyapi vimucceyyapi.

Therefore, in this regard, the uninstructed ordinary person might grow disenchanted, dispassionate, and be released.

Yañca kho etaṁ, bhikkhave, vuccati cittaṁ itipi, mano itipi, viññāṇaṁ itipi, tatrāssutavā puthujjano nālaṁ nibbindituṁ nālaṁ virajjituṁ nālaṁ vimuccituṁ.

But in regard to what is called the mind, intellect, or consciousness, the uninstructed ordinary person is not capable of growing disenchanted, dispassionate, or being released.

Taṁ kissa hetu?

Why is that?

Dīgharattañhetaṁ, bhikkhave, assutavato puthujjanassa ajjhositaṁ mamāyitaṁ parāmaṭṭhaṁ: ‘etaṁ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’ti.

For a long time this has been clung to, appropriated, and grasped by the uninstructed ordinary person with the view: This is mine, this I am, this is my self.

Tasmā tatrāssutavā puthujjano nālaṁ nibbindituṁ nālaṁ virajjituṁ nālaṁ vimuccituṁ. Varaṁ, bhikkhave, assutavā puthujjano imaṁ cātumahābhūtikaṁ kāyaṁ attato upagaccheyya, na tveva cittaṁ. Taṁ kissa hetu? Dissatāyaṁ, bhikkhave, cātumahābhūtiko kāyo ekampi vassaṁ tiṭṭhamāno dvepi vassāni tiṭṭhamāno tīṇipi vassāni tiṭṭhamāno cattāripi vassāni tiṭṭhamāno pañcapi vassāni tiṭṭhamāno dasapi vassāni tiṭṭhamāno vīsatipi vassāni tiṭṭhamāno tiṁsampi vassāni tiṭṭhamāno cattārīsampi vassāni tiṭṭhamāno paññāsampi vassāni tiṭṭhamāno vassasatampi tiṭṭhamāno, bhiyyopi tiṭṭhamāno.

Therefore, in this regard, the uninstructed ordinary person is not capable of growing disenchanted, dispassionate, or being released.

Disciples, it would be better for the uninstructed ordinary person to regard this body composed of the four great elements as the self rather than the mind. Why is that? Disciples, this body composed of the four great elements may last for a year, two years, three years, four years, five years, ten years, twenty years, thirty years, forty years, fifty years, a hundred years, or even longer.

Yañca kho etaṁ, bhikkhave, vuccati cittaṁ itipi, mano itipi, viññāṇaṁ itipi, taṁ rattiyā ca divasassa ca aññadeva uppajjati aññaṁ nirujjhati.

But that which is called the mind, intellect, or consciousness arises as one thing and ceases as another by night and by day.

Tatra, bhikkhave, sutavā ariyasāvako paṭiccasamuppādaṁyeva sādhukaṁ yoniso manasi karoti: ‘iti imasmiṁ sati idaṁ hoti, imassuppādā idaṁ uppajjati; imasmiṁ asati idaṁ na hoti, imassa nirodhā idaṁ nirujjhatī’ti.

Herein the instructed noble disciple closely and wisely attends to dependent origination itself: When this exists, that comes to be; with the arising of this, that arises; when this does not exist, that does not come to be; with the cessation of this, that ceases.

Sukhavedaniyaṁ, bhikkhave, phassaṁ paṭicca uppajjati sukhavedanā.

Disciples, pleasant feeling arises dependent on a pleasant contact.

Tasseva sukhavedaniyassa phassassa nirodhā yaṁ tajjaṁ vedayitaṁ sukhavedaniyaṁ phassaṁ paṭicca uppannā sukhavedanā sā nirujjhati sā vūpasammati.

With the cessation of that very pleasant contact, the pleasant feeling that arose in dependence on that pleasant contact ceases and subsides.

Dukkhavedaniyaṁ, bhikkhave, phassaṁ paṭicca uppajjati dukkhavedanā.

Disciples, painful feeling arises dependent on a painful contact.

Tasseva dukkhavedaniyassa phassassa nirodhā yaṁ tajjaṁ vedayitaṁ dukkhavedaniyaṁ phassaṁ paṭicca uppannā dukkhavedanā sā nirujjhati sā vūpasammati.

With the cessation of that very painful contact, the painful feeling that arose in dependence on that painful contact ceases and subsides.

Adukkhamasukhavedaniyaṁ, bhikkhave, phassaṁ paṭicca uppajjati adukkhamasukhavedanā.

Disciples, neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling arises dependent on a neither-painful-nor-pleasant contact.

Tasseva adukkhamasukhavedaniyassa phassassa nirodhā yaṁ tajjaṁ vedayitaṁ adukkhamasukhavedaniyaṁ phassaṁ paṭicca uppannā adukkhamasukhavedanā sā nirujjhati sā vūpasammati.

With the cessation of that very neither-painful-nor-pleasant contact, the neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling that arose in dependence on that neither-painful-nor-pleasant contact ceases and subsides.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, dvinnaṁ kaṭṭhānaṁ saṅghaṭṭanasamodhānā usmā jāyati tejo abhinibbattati. Tesaṁyeva dvinnaṁ kaṭṭhānaṁ nānākatavinibbhogā yā tajjā usmā sā nirujjhati sā vūpasammati; evameva kho, bhikkhave, sukhavedaniyaṁ phassaṁ paṭicca uppajjati sukhavedanā.

Just as from the friction of two sticks heat is generated and fire is produced, and with the separation and parting of those two sticks, whatever heat was generated ceases and subsides; so too pleasant feeling arises dependent on a pleasant contact...

Tasseva sukhavedaniyassa phassassa nirodhā yaṁ tajjaṁ vedayitaṁ sukhavedaniyaṁ phassaṁ paṭicca uppannā sukhavedanā sā nirujjhati sā vūpasammati …pe… dukkhavedaniyaṁ phassaṁ paṭicca …

painful feeling arises dependent on a painful contact...

adukkhamasukhavedaniyaṁ phassaṁ paṭicca uppajjati adukkhamasukhavedanā.

neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling arises dependent on a neither-painful-nor-pleasant contact.

Tasseva adukkhamasukhavedaniyassa phassassa nirodhā yaṁ tajjaṁ vedayitaṁ adukkhamasukhavedaniyaṁ phassaṁ paṭicca uppannā adukkhamasukhavedanā sā nirujjhati sā vūpasammati.

With the cessation of that very neither-painful-nor-pleasant contact, the neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling that arose in dependence on that neither-painful-nor-pleasant contact ceases and subsides.

Evaṁ passaṁ, bhikkhave, sutavā ariyasāvako phassepi nibbindati, vedanāyapi nibbindati, saññāyapi nibbindati, saṅkhāresupi nibbindati, viññāṇasmimpi nibbindati; nibbindaṁ virajjati, virāgā vimuccati, vimuttasmiṁ vimuttamiti ñāṇaṁ hoti.

Seeing thus the instructed noble disciple becomes disenchanted with contact, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness; being disenchanted, he becomes dispassionate; through dispassion, he is released; in release, there is the knowing that he is released.

‘Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā’ti pajānātī”ti. Dutiyaṁ.

Birth is exhausted, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming to any state of being, he knows.