Saṁyutta Nikāya 41.6 1.

Dutiyakāmabhūsutta

Cittavagga Dutiyakāmabhūsutta Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā kāmabhū macchikāsaṇḍe viharati ambāṭakavane.

At one time, Venerable Kāmabhū was staying in the Ambātaka Forest in Macchikāsaṇḍa.

Atha kho citto gahapati yenāyasmā kāmabhū tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi.

Then, householder Citta approached Venerable Kāmabhū; having approached, he sat down to one side.

Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho citto gahapati āyasmantaṁ kāmabhuṁ etadavoca: “kati nu kho, bhante, saṅkhārā”ti?

Sitting to one side, householder Citta said to Venerable Kāmabhū: Venerable sir, how many formations are there?

“Tayo kho, gahapati, saṅkhārā— kāyasaṅkhāro, vacīsaṅkhāro, cittasaṅkhāro”ti.

There are three formations, householder: the bodily formation, the verbal formation, and the mental formation.

“Sādhu, bhante”ti kho citto gahapati āyasmato kāmabhussa bhāsitaṁ abhinanditvā anumoditvā āyasmantaṁ kāmabhuṁ uttariṁ pañhaṁ apucchi: “katamo pana, bhante, kāyasaṅkhāro, katamo vacīsaṅkhāro, katamo cittasaṅkhāro”ti?

Good, venerable sir, householder Citta rejoiced and approved of Venerable Kāmabhūs words, and then asked another question: But, venerable sir, what is the bodily formation, what is the verbal formation, and what is the mental formation?

“Assāsapassāsā kho, gahapati, kāyasaṅkhāro, vitakkavicārā vacīsaṅkhāro, saññā ca vedanā ca cittasaṅkhāro”ti.

In-breathing and out-breathing are the bodily formation; directed and sustained attention are the verbal formation; perception and feeling are the mental formation.

“Sādhu, bhante”ti kho citto gahapati …pe… uttariṁ pañhaṁ apucchi: “kasmā pana, bhante, assāsapassāsā kāyasaṅkhāro, kasmā vitakkavicārā vacīsaṅkhāro, kasmā saññā ca vedanā ca cittasaṅkhāro”ti?

Good, venerable sir, householder Citta rejoiced and approved of Venerable Kāmabhūs words, and then asked another question: But, venerable sir, why are in-breathing and out-breathing the bodily formation, why are directed and sustained attention the verbal formation, and why are perception and feeling the mental formation?

“Assāsapassāsā kho, gahapati, kāyikā.

In-breathing and out-breathing are bodily.

Ete dhammā kāyappaṭibaddhā, tasmā assāsapassāsā kāyasaṅkhāro.

These phenomena are bound up with the body, therefore in-breathing and out-breathing are the bodily formation.

Pubbe kho, gahapati, vitakketvā vicāretvā pacchā vācaṁ bhindati, tasmā vitakkavicārā vacīsaṅkhāro.

Previously having thought and pondered, one breaks into speech, therefore directed and sustained attention are the verbal formation.

Saññā ca vedanā ca cetasikā.

Perception and feeling are mental.

Ete dhammā cittappaṭibaddhā, tasmā saññā ca vedanā ca cittasaṅkhāro”ti.

These phenomena are bound up with the mind, therefore perception and feeling are the mental formation.

“Sādhu …pe… uttariṁ pañhaṁ apucchi: “kathaṁ pana, bhante, saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpatti hotī”ti? “Na kho, gahapati, saññāvedayitanirodhaṁ samāpajjantassa bhikkhuno evaṁ hoti: ‘ahaṁ saññāvedayitanirodhaṁ samāpajjissan’ti vā ‘ahaṁ saññāvedayitanirodhaṁ samāpajjāmī’ti vā ‘ahaṁ saññāvedayitanirodhaṁ samāpanno’ti vā.

Good, venerable sir, householder Citta rejoiced and approved of Venerable Kāmabhūs words, and then asked another question: But, venerable sir, how does the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling come about? It is not that a disciple who is attaining the cessation of perception and feeling thinks: 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.

Atha khvassa pubbeva tathā cittaṁ bhāvitaṁ hoti yaṁ taṁ tathattāya upanetī”ti.

But rather, his mind has been previously developed in such a way that it leads him to that state.

“Sādhu …pe… uttariṁ pañhaṁ apucchi: “saññāvedayitanirodhaṁ samāpajjantassa pana, bhante, bhikkhuno katame dhammā paṭhamaṁ nirujjhanti, yadi vā kāyasaṅkhāro, yadi vā vacīsaṅkhāro, yadi vā cittasaṅkhāro”ti?

Good, venerable sir, householder Citta rejoiced and approved of Venerable Kāmabhūs words, and then asked another question: But, venerable sir, for a disciple who is attaining the cessation of perception and feeling, which phenomena cease first, whether the bodily formation, the verbal formation, or the mental formation?

“Saññāvedayitanirodhaṁ samāpajjantassa kho, gahapati, bhikkhuno vacīsaṅkhāro paṭhamaṁ nirujjhati, tato kāyasaṅkhāro, tato cittasaṅkhāro”ti. “Sādhu …pe… uttariṁ pañhaṁ apucchi: “yvāyaṁ, bhante, mato kālaṅkato, yo cāyaṁ bhikkhu saññāvedayitanirodhaṁ samāpanno, imesaṁ kiṁ nānākaraṇan”ti?

For a disciple who is attaining the cessation of perception and feeling the verbal formation ceases first, then the bodily formation, then the mental formation.

Good, venerable sir, householder Citta rejoiced and approved of Venerable Kāmabhūs words, and then asked another question: Venerable sir, what is the difference between one who is dead and has passed away, and a disciple who has attained the cessation of perception and feeling?

“Yvāyaṁ, gahapati, mato kālaṅkato tassa kāyasaṅkhāro niruddho paṭippassaddho, vacīsaṅkhāro niruddho paṭippassaddho, cittasaṅkhāro niruddho paṭippassaddho, āyu parikkhīṇo, usmā vūpasantā, indriyāni viparibhinnāni.

Householder, for one who is dead and has passed away, the bodily formation has ceased and subsided, the verbal formation has ceased and subsided, the mental formation has ceased and subsided, life has ended, heat has dissipated, and the faculties are broken up.

Yo ca khvāyaṁ, gahapati, bhikkhu saññāvedayitanirodhaṁ samāpanno, tassapi kāyasaṅkhāro niruddho paṭippassaddho, vacīsaṅkhāro niruddho paṭippassaddho, cittasaṅkhāro niruddho paṭippassaddho, āyu aparikkhīṇo, usmā avūpasantā, indriyāni vippasannāni. Yvāyaṁ, gahapati, mato kālaṅkato, yo cāyaṁ bhikkhu saññāvedayitanirodhaṁ samāpanno, idaṁ nesaṁ nānākaraṇan”ti. “Sādhu …pe… uttariṁ pañhaṁ apucchi: “kathaṁ pana, bhante, saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpattiyā vuṭṭhānaṁ hotī”ti?

But for a disciple who has attained the cessation of perception and feeling, the bodily formation has ceased and subsided, the verbal formation has ceased and subsided, the mental formation has ceased and subsided, life has not ended, heat has not dissipated, and the faculties are clear. This is the difference between one who is dead and has passed away, and a disciple who has attained the cessation of perception and feeling.

Good, venerable sir, householder Citta rejoiced and approved of Venerable Kāmabhūs words, and then asked another question: But, venerable sir, how does the emergence from the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling come about?

“Na kho, gahapati, saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpattiyā vuṭṭhahantassa bhikkhuno evaṁ hoti: ‘ahaṁ saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpattiyā vuṭṭhahissan’ti vā ‘ahaṁ saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpattiyā vuṭṭhahāmī’ti vā ‘ahaṁ saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpattiyā vuṭṭhito’ti vā.

It is not that a disciple who is emerging from the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling thinks: I will emerge from the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling, or I am emerging from the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling, or I have emerged from the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling.

Atha khvassa pubbeva tathā cittaṁ bhāvitaṁ hoti, yaṁ taṁ tathattāya upanetī”ti.

But rather, his mind has been previously developed in such a way that it leads him to that state.

“Sādhu, bhante …pe… uttariṁ pañhaṁ apucchi: “saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpattiyā vuṭṭhahantassa pana, bhante, bhikkhuno katame dhammā paṭhamaṁ uppajjanti, yadi vā kāyasaṅkhāro, yadi vā vacīsaṅkhāro, yadi vā cittasaṅkhāro”ti?

Good, venerable sir, householder Citta rejoiced and approved of Venerable Kāmabhūs words, and then asked another question: But, venerable sir, for a disciple who is emerging from the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling, which phenomena arise first, whether the bodily formation, the verbal formation, or the mental formation?

“Saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpattiyā vuṭṭhahantassa, gahapati, bhikkhuno cittasaṅkhāro paṭhamaṁ uppajjati, tato kāyasaṅkhāro, tato vacīsaṅkhāro”ti. “Sādhu …pe… uttariṁ pañhaṁ apucchi: “saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpattiyā vuṭṭhitaṁ pana, bhante, bhikkhuṁ kati phassā phusanti”?

For a disciple who is emerging from the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling the mental formation arises first, then the bodily formation, then the verbal formation.

Good, venerable sir, householder Citta rejoiced and approved of Venerable Kāmabhūs words, and then asked another question: But, venerable sir, how many contacts touch a disciple who has emerged from the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling?

“Saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpattiyā vuṭṭhitaṁ kho, gahapati, bhikkhuṁ tayo phassā phusanti— suññato phasso, animitto phasso, appaṇihito phasso”ti.

Householder, three contacts touch a disciple who has emerged from the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling: the contact of emptiness, the contact of the signless, and the contact of the undirected.

“Sādhu …pe… uttariṁ pañhaṁ apucchi: “saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpattiyā vuṭṭhitassa pana, bhante, bhikkhuno kiṁninnaṁ cittaṁ hoti, kiṁpoṇaṁ, kiṁpabbhāran”ti? “Saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpattiyā vuṭṭhitassa kho, gahapati, bhikkhuno vivekaninnaṁ cittaṁ hoti vivekapoṇaṁ vivekapabbhāran”ti.

Good, venerable sir, householder Citta rejoiced and approved of Venerable Kāmabhūs words, and then asked another question: But, venerable sir, for a disciple who has emerged from the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling, where is his mind inclined, where is it directed, where is it leaning? For a disciple who has emerged from the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling his mind is inclined towards...

“Sādhu, bhante”ti kho citto gahapati āyasmato kāmabhussa bhāsitaṁ abhinanditvā anumoditvā āyasmantaṁ kāmabhuṁ uttariṁ pañhaṁ apucchi: “saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpattiyā pana, bhante, kati dhammā bahūpakārā”ti? “Addhā kho tvaṁ, gahapati, yaṁ paṭhamaṁ pucchitabbaṁ taṁ pucchasi.

The mind inclined towards seclusion becomes seclusion-oriented and leans towards seclusion.

Good, venerable sir, said the householder Citta, rejoicing and approving of what the venerable Kāmabhū had said, and then he asked the venerable Kāmabhū another question: But, venerable sir, how many factors are greatly helpful for the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling?

Api ca tyāhaṁ byākarissāmi.

Indeed you are asking what should be asked first.

Saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpattiyā kho, gahapati, dve dhammā bahūpakārā— samatho ca vipassanā cā”ti. Chaṭṭhaṁ.

However, I will explain it to you. For the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling two factors are greatly helpful: calm and insight.