Majjhima Nikāya
III. Upari Paṇṇāsa
5. Saḷāyatana Vagga
Sutta 149
Mahā Saḷ-Āyatanika Suttaṃ
The Great Six Sense-media Discourse
Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
Proofed against and modified in accordance with the revised edition at dhammatalks.org
Provenance, terms and conditons
[1][chlm][pts][ntbb][upal] I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's Monastery.
There he addressed the monks: "Monks!"
"Yes, lord," the monks responded to him.
"Monks, I will teach you the great six sense-media (discourse).
Listen and pay close attention.
I will speak."
"As you say, lord," the monks responded to him.
The Blessed One said:
"Not knowing, not seeing the eye as it has come to be; not knowing, not seeing forms... consciousness at the eye... contact at the eye as they have come to be; not knowing, not seeing whatever arises conditioned through contact at the eye — experienced as pleasure, pain, or neither-pleasure-nor-pain — as it has come to be, one is infatuated with the eye... forms... consciousness at the eye... contact at the eye... whatever arises conditioned by contact at the eye and is experienced as pleasure, pain, or neither-pleasure-nor-pain.
"For him — infatuated, attached, confused, not remaining focused on their drawbacks — the five clinging-aggregates head toward future accumulation.
The craving that makes for further becoming — accompanied by passion and delight, relishing now here and now there — grows within him.
His bodily disturbances and mental disturbances grow.
His bodily torments and mental torments grow.
His bodily distresses and mental distresses grow.
He is sensitive both to bodily stress and mental stress.
"Not knowing, not seeing the ear....
Not knowing, not seeing the nose....
Not knowing, not seeing the tongue....
Not knowing, not seeing the body....
"Not knowing, not seeing the intellect as it has come to be; not knowing, not seeing ideas... consciousness at the intellect... contact at the intellect as they have come to be; not knowing, not seeing whatever arises conditioned through intellect-contact — experienced as pleasure, pain, or neither-pleasure-nor-pain — as it has come to be, one is infatuated with the intellect... ideas... consciousness at the intellect... contact at the intellect... whatever arises conditioned by contact at the intellect and is experienced as pleasure, pain, or neither-pleasure-nor-pain.
"For him — infatuated, attached, confused, not remaining focused on their drawbacks — the five clinging-aggregates head toward future accumulation.
The craving that makes for further becoming — accompanied by passion and delight, relishing now here and now there — grows within him.
His bodily disturbances and mental disturbances grow.
His bodily torments and mental torments grow.
His bodily distresses and mental distresses grow.
He is sensitive both to bodily stress and mental stress.
"However, knowing and seeing the eye as it has come to be, knowing and seeing forms... consciousness at the eye... contact at the eye as they have come to be, knowing and seeing whatever arises conditioned through contact at the eye — experienced as pleasure, pain, or neither-pleasure-nor-pain — as it has come to be, one is not infatuated with the eye... forms... consciousness at the eye... contact at the eye... whatever arises conditioned by contact at the eye and is experienced as pleasure, pain, or neither-pleasure-nor-pain.
"For him — uninfatuated, unattached, unconfused, remaining focused on their drawbacks — the five clinging-aggregates head toward future diminution.
The craving that makes for further becoming — accompanied by passion and delight, relishing now here and now there — is abandoned by him.
His bodily disturbances and mental disturbances are abandoned.
His bodily torments and mental torments are abandoned.
His bodily distresses and mental distresses are abandoned.
He is sensitive both to ease of body and ease of awareness.
"Any view belonging to one who has come to be like this is his right view.
Any resolve, his right resolve.
Any effort, his right effort.
Any mindfulness, his right mindfulness.
Any concentration, his right concentration: just as earlier his actions, speech, and livelihood were already well-purified.
Thus for him, having thus developed the noble eightfold path, the four establishings of mindfulness go to the culmination of their development.
The four right exertions... the four bases of power... the five faculties... the five strengths... the seven factors for awakening go to the culmination of their development.[1]
(And) for him these two qualities occur in tandem: tranquility and insight.
"He comprehends through direct knowledge whatever qualities are to be comprehended through direct knowledge, abandons through direct knowledge whatever qualities are to be abandoned through direct knowledge, develops through direct knowledge whatever qualities are to be developed through direct knowledge, and realizes through direct knowledge whatever qualities are to be realized through direct knowledge.
"And which qualities are to be comprehended through direct knowledge?
'The five clinging-aggregates,' should be the reply.
Which five?
The form clinging-aggregate, the feeling clinging-aggregate, the perception clinging-aggregate, the fabrications clinging-aggregate, the consciousness clinging-aggregate:
These are the qualities that are to be comprehended through direct knowledge.
"And which qualities are to be abandoned through direct knowledge?
Ignorance and craving for becoming:
These are the qualities that are to be abandoned through direct knowledge.
"And which qualities are to be developed through direct knowledge?
Tranquility and insight:
These are the qualities that are to be developed through direct knowledge.
"And which qualities are to be realized through direct knowledge?
Clear knowing and release:
These are the qualities that are to be realized through direct knowledge.[2]
"Knowing and seeing the ear....
"Knowing and seeing the nose....
"Knowing and seeing the tongue....
"Knowing and seeing the body....
"Knowing and seeing the intellect as it has come to be, knowing and seeing ideas... consciousness at the intellect... contact at the intellect as they have come to be, knowing and seeing whatever arises conditioned through contact at the intellect — experienced as pleasure, pain, or neither-pleasure-nor-pain — as it has come to be, one is not infatuated with the intellect... ideas... consciousness at the intellect... contact at the intellect... whatever arises conditioned by contact at the intellect and is experienced as pleasure, pain, or neither-pleasure-nor-pain.
"For him — uninfatuated, unattached, unconfused, remaining focused on their drawbacks — the five clinging-aggregates head toward future diminution.
The craving that makes for further becoming — accompanied by passion and delight, relishing now here and now there — is abandoned by him.
His bodily disturbances and mental disturbances are abandoned.
His bodily torments and mental torments are abandoned.
His bodily distresses and mental distresses are abandoned.
He is sensitive both to ease of body and ease of awareness.
"Any view belonging to one who has come to be like this is his right view.
Any resolve, his right resolve.
Any effort, his right effort.
Any mindfulness, his right mindfulness.
Any concentration, his right concentration: just as earlier his actions, speech, and livelihood were already well-purified.
Thus for him, having thus developed the noble eightfold path, the four establishings of mindfulness go to the culmination of their development.
The four right exertions... the four bases of power... the five faculties... the five strengths... the seven factors for awakening go to the culmination of their development.
(And) for him these two qualities occur in tandem: tranquility and insight.
"He comprehends through direct knowledge whatever qualities are to be comprehended through direct knowledge, abandons through direct knowledge whatever qualities are to be abandoned through direct knowledge, develops through direct knowledge whatever qualities are to be developed through direct knowledge, and realizes through direct knowledge whatever qualities are to be realized through direct knowledge.
"And which qualities are to be comprehended through direct knowledge?
'The five clinging-aggregates,' should be the reply.
Which five?
The form clinging-aggregate, the feeling clinging-aggregate, the perception clinging-aggregate, the fabrications clinging-aggregate, the consciousness clinging-aggregate:
These are the qualities that are to be comprehended through direct knowledge.
"And which qualities are to be abandoned through direct knowledge?
Ignorance and craving for becoming:
These are the qualities that are to be abandoned through direct knowledge.
"And which qualities are to be developed through direct knowledge?
Tranquility and insight:
These are the qualities that are to be developed through direct knowledge.
"And which qualities are to be realized through direct knowledge?
Clear knowing and release:
These are the qualities that are to be realized through direct knowledge."
That is what the Blessed One said.
Gratified, the monks delighted in the Blessed One's words.
[1] The four establishings of mindfulness, the four right exertions, the four bases of power, the five faculties, the five strengths, the seven factors for awakening, and the noble eightfold path are termed the Wings to awakening (bodhi-pakkhiya-dhamma). DN 16 reports that toward the end of his life, the Buddha recommended these qualities as the essence of his teaching. See The Wings to awakening for more details.
[2] The duties outlined in this section parallel the duties appropriate to the four noble truths, as outlined in the "wheel" of the Buddha's first sermon. See SN 56:11.
Of Related Interest:
SN 22:23;
SN 35:204;
SN 38:14;
AN 2:29;
AN 4:41;
AN 4:94;
AN 4:170
