Saṃyutta Nikāya
3. Khandha Vagga
22. Khandha Saṃyutta
3. Bhāra Vagga
Sutta 26
Assāda Sutta Suttaṃ
Allure
Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
Sourced from dhammatalks.org
For free distribution only.
"Monks, before my self-awakening, when I was still just an unawakened bodhisatta, the thought occurred to me: 'What is the allure of form? What is its drawback? What is its escape?
"'What is the allure of feeling? What is its drawback? What is its escape?
"'What is the allure of perception? What is its drawback? What is its escape?
"'What is the allure of fabrications? What is their drawback? What is their escape?
"'What is the allure of consciousness? What is its drawback? What is its escape?'
"Then the thought occurred to me, 'Whatever pleasure and joy arises dependent on form: That is the allure of form. The fact that form is inconstant, stressful, subject to change: That is the drawback of form. The subduing of desire and passion, the abandoning of desire and passion for form: That is the escape from form.
[Similarly with feeling, perception, fabrications, and consciousness.]
"Monks, as long as I did not have direct knowledge, as it had come to be, of the allure as allure, of the drawback as drawback, and of the escape as escape, with regard to these five clinging-aggregates, I did not claim to have directly awakened to the right self-awakening unexcelled in the cosmos with its devas, Māras, and Brahmās, in this generation with its contemplatives and brahmans, its royalty and common people.
"But when I did have direct knowledge, as it had come to be, of the allure as allure, the drawback as drawback, and the escape as escape, with regard to these five clinging-aggregates, then I did claim to have directly awakened to the right self-awakening unexcelled in the cosmos with its devas, Māras, and Brahmās, in this generation with its contemplatives and brahmans, its royalty and common people.
"Knowledge and vision arose in me: 'Unprovoked is my release. This is the last birth. There is now no further-becoming.'"
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