Saṁyutta Nikāya 22.60 6.

The Discourse to Mahāli

Upayavagga Mahālisutta Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā vesāliyaṁ viharati mahāvane kūṭāgārasālāyaṁ.

Thus have I heard: At one time, the Blessed One was staying in Vesālī, in the Great Wood, at the Hall with the Peaked Roof.

Atha kho mahāli licchavi yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami …pe…

Then Mahāli the Licchavi approached the Blessed One …

ekamantaṁ nisinno kho mahāli licchavi bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “Pūraṇo, bhante, kassapo evamāha: ‘natthi hetu natthi paccayo sattānaṁ saṅkilesāya; ahetū appaccayā sattā saṅkilissanti.

and, having sat down to one side, Mahāli the Licchavi said to the Blessed One:

Venerable sir, Pūraṇa Kassapa says this: There is no cause, there is no condition for the defilement of beings; beings are defiled without cause, without condition.

Natthi hetu natthi paccayo sattānaṁ visuddhiyā; ahetū appaccayā sattā visujjhantī’ti.

There is no cause, there is no condition for the purification of beings; beings are purified without cause, without condition.

Idha bhagavā kimāhā”ti?

What does the Blessed One say about this?

“Atthi, mahāli, hetu atthi paccayo sattānaṁ saṅkilesāya; sahetū sappaccayā sattā saṅkilissanti.

There is, Mahāli, a cause, there is a condition for the defilement of beings; beings are defiled with cause, with condition.

Atthi, mahāli, hetu, atthi paccayo sattānaṁ visuddhiyā; sahetū sappaccayā sattā visujjhantī”ti.

There is, Mahāli, a cause, there is a condition for the purification of beings; beings are purified with cause, with condition.

“Katamo pana, bhante, hetu katamo paccayo sattānaṁ saṅkilesāya; kathaṁ sahetū sappaccayā sattā saṅkilissantī”ti?

But what, venerable sir, is the cause, what is the condition for the defilement of beings; how are beings defiled with cause, with condition?

“Rūpañca hidaṁ, mahāli, ekantadukkhaṁ abhavissa dukkhānupatitaṁ dukkhāvakkantaṁ anavakkantaṁ sukhena, nayidaṁ sattā rūpasmiṁ sārajjeyyuṁ.

Mahāli, if form were exclusively suffering, immersed in suffering, steeped in suffering, not steeped in pleasure, beings would not become enamored with form.

Yasmā ca kho, mahāli, rūpaṁ sukhaṁ sukhānupatitaṁ sukhāvakkantaṁ anavakkantaṁ dukkhena, tasmā sattā rūpasmiṁ sārajjanti; sārāgā saṁyujjanti; saṁyogā saṅkilissanti.

But because form is pleasurable, immersed in pleasure, steeped in pleasure, not steeped in suffering, beings become enamored with form; being enamored, they are bound; being bound, they are defiled.

Ayaṁ kho, mahāli, hetu, ayaṁ paccayo sattānaṁ saṅkilesāya; evaṁ sahetū sappaccayā sattā saṅkilissanti.

This, Mahāli, is the cause, this is the condition for the defilement of beings; thus beings are defiled with cause, with condition.

Vedanā ca hidaṁ, mahāli, ekantadukkhā abhavissa dukkhānupatitā dukkhāvakkantā anavakkantā sukhena, nayidaṁ sattā vedanāya sārajjeyyuṁ.

If feeling were exclusively suffering, immersed in suffering, steeped in suffering, not steeped in pleasure, beings would not become enamored with feeling.

Yasmā ca kho, mahāli, vedanā sukhā sukhānupatitā sukhāvakkantā anavakkantā dukkhena, tasmā sattā vedanāya sārajjanti; sārāgā saṁyujjanti; saṁyogā saṅkilissanti.

But because feeling is pleasurable, immersed in pleasure, steeped in pleasure, not steeped in suffering, beings become enamored with feeling; being enamored, they are bound; being bound, they are defiled.

Ayampi kho, mahāli, hetu, ayaṁ paccayo sattānaṁ saṅkilesāya.

This too, Mahāli, is the cause, this is the condition for the defilement of beings.

Evampi sahetū sappaccayā sattā saṅkilissanti.

Thus beings are defiled with cause, with condition.

Saññā ca hidaṁ, mahāli …pe… saṅkhārā ca hidaṁ, mahāli, ekantadukkhā abhavissaṁsu dukkhānupatitā dukkhāvakkantā anavakkantā sukhena, nayidaṁ sattā saṅkhāresu sārajjeyyuṁ.

If formations were exclusively suffering, immersed in suffering, steeped in suffering, not steeped in pleasure, beings would not become enamored with formations.

Yasmā ca kho, mahāli, saṅkhārā sukhā sukhānupatitā sukhāvakkantā anavakkantā dukkhena, tasmā sattā saṅkhāresu sārajjanti; sārāgā saṁyujjanti; saṁyogā saṅkilissanti.

But because formations are pleasurable, immersed in pleasure, steeped in pleasure, not steeped in suffering, beings become enamored with formations; being enamored, they are bound; being bound, they are defiled.

Ayampi kho, mahāli, hetu, ayaṁ paccayo sattānaṁ saṅkilesāya.

This too, Mahāli, is the cause, this is the condition for the defilement of beings.

Evampi sahetū sappaccayā sattā saṅkilissanti.

Thus beings are defiled with cause, with condition.

Viññāṇañca hidaṁ, mahāli, ekantadukkhaṁ abhavissa dukkhānupatitaṁ dukkhāvakkantaṁ anavakkantaṁ sukhena, nayidaṁ sattā viññāṇasmiṁ sārajjeyyuṁ.

If consciousness were exclusively suffering, immersed in suffering, steeped in suffering, not steeped in pleasure, beings would not become enamored with consciousness.

Yasmā ca kho, mahāli, viññāṇaṁ sukhaṁ sukhānupatitaṁ sukhāvakkantaṁ anavakkantaṁ dukkhena, tasmā sattā viññāṇasmiṁ sārajjanti; sārāgā saṁyujjanti; saṁyogā saṅkilissanti.

But because consciousness is pleasurable, immersed in pleasure, steeped in pleasure, not steeped in suffering, beings become enamored with consciousness; being enamored, they are bound; being bound, they are defiled.

Ayampi kho, mahāli, hetu ayaṁ paccayo sattānaṁ saṅkilesāya.

This too, Mahāli, is the cause, this is the condition for the defilement of beings.

Evampi sahetū sappaccayā sattā saṅkilissantī”ti.

Thus beings are defiled with cause, with condition.

“Katamo pana, bhante, hetu katamo paccayo sattānaṁ visuddhiyā; kathaṁ sahetū sappaccayā sattā visujjhantī”ti?

But what, venerable sir, is the cause, what is the condition for the purification of beings; how are beings purified with cause, with condition?

“Rūpañca hidaṁ, mahāli, ekantasukhaṁ abhavissa sukhānupatitaṁ sukhāvakkantaṁ anavakkantaṁ dukkhena, nayidaṁ sattā rūpasmiṁ nibbindeyyuṁ.

Mahāli, if form were exclusively pleasurable, immersed in pleasure, steeped in pleasure, not steeped in suffering, beings would not become disenchanted with form.

Yasmā ca kho, mahāli, rūpaṁ dukkhaṁ dukkhānupatitaṁ dukkhāvakkantaṁ anavakkantaṁ sukhena, tasmā sattā rūpasmiṁ nibbindanti; nibbindaṁ virajjanti; virāgā visujjhanti.

But because form is suffering, immersed in suffering, steeped in suffering, not steeped in pleasure, beings become disenchanted with form; being disenchanted, they become dispassionate; being dispassionate, they are purified.

Ayaṁ kho, mahāli, hetu, ayaṁ paccayo, sattānaṁ visuddhiyā.

This, Mahāli, is the cause, this is the condition for the purification of beings.

Evaṁ sahetū sappaccayā sattā visujjhanti.

Thus beings are purified with cause, with condition.

Vedanā ca hidaṁ, mahāli, ekantasukhā abhavissa …pe…

If feeling were exclusively pleasurable …

saññā ca hidaṁ, mahāli …pe…

If perception were exclusively pleasurable …

If formations were exclusively pleasurable, immersed in pleasure, steeped in pleasure, not steeped in suffering, beings would not become disenchanted with formations.

But because formations are suffering, immersed in suffering, steeped in suffering, not steeped in pleasure, beings become disenchanted with formations; being disenchanted, they become dispassionate; being dispassionate, they are purified.

saṅkhārā ca hidaṁ, mahāli, ekantasukhā abhavissaṁsu …pe…

This too, Mahāli, is the cause, this is the condition for the purification of beings.

viññāṇañca hidaṁ, mahāli, ekantasukhaṁ abhavissa sukhānupatitaṁ sukhāvakkantaṁ anavakkantaṁ dukkhena, nayidaṁ sattā viññāṇasmiṁ nibbindeyyuṁ.

Thus beings are purified with cause, with condition.

If consciousness were exclusively pleasurable, immersed in pleasure, steeped in pleasure, not steeped in suffering, beings would not become disenchanted with consciousness.

Yasmā ca kho, mahāli, viññāṇaṁ dukkhaṁ dukkhānupatitaṁ dukkhāvakkantaṁ anavakkantaṁ sukhena, tasmā sattā viññāṇasmiṁ nibbindanti; nibbindaṁ virajjanti; virāgā visujjhanti.

But because consciousness is suffering, immersed in suffering, steeped in suffering, not steeped in pleasure, beings become disenchanted with consciousness; being disenchanted, they become dispassionate; being dispassionate, they are purified.

Ayaṁ kho, mahāli, hetu, ayaṁ paccayo, sattānaṁ visuddhiyā.

This too, Mahāli, is the cause, this is the condition for the purification of beings.

Evampi sahetū sappaccayā sattā visujjhantī”ti. Aṭṭhamaṁ.

Thus beings are purified with cause, with condition.