Saṃyutta Nikāya
4. Saḷāyatana Vagga
35. Saḷāyatana Saṃyutta
§ I: Mūla-Paññāsa
2. Yamaka Vagga
The Book of the Kindred Sayings
4. The Book Called the Khandhā-Vagga
Containing Kindred Sayings on the 'Six-Fold Sphere' of Sense and Other Subjects
35. Kindred Sayings the Sixfold Sphere of Sense
§ I: The First Fifty Suttas
2. The Second Chapter on the Pairs[1]
Sutta 13
Sambodha Suttaṃ
By Enlightenment
Translated by F. L. Woodward
Edited by Mrs. Rhys Davids
Copyright The Pali Text Society
Commercial Rights Reserved
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The Exalted One was once staying near Sāvatthī, at Jeta Grove, in Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.
Then the Exalted One addressed the brethren, saying:
"Brethren."
"Lord," responded those brethren to the Exalted One.
The Exalted One said:
"Before my enlightenment, brethren,
while I was yet unenlightened and a Bodhisat,
I had this thought:[2]
'Now what is the satisfaction,
what is the misery of the eye?
What is the way of escape from the eye?
Now what is the satisfaction,
what is the misery of the ear?
What is the way of escape from the ear?
Now what is the satisfaction,
what is the misery of the nose?
What is the way of escape from the nose?
Now what is the satisfaction,
what is the misery of the tongue?
What is the way of escape from the tongue?
Now what is the satisfaction,
what is the misery of the body?
What is the way of escape from the body?
Now what is the satisfaction,
what is the misery of the mind?
What is the way of escape from the mind?'
§
Then, brethren, I thought thus:
'That ease,
that pleasure
that arises owing to the eye, -
that is the satisfaction of the eye.
That impermanence,
that ill,
that instability
which is the eye, -
that is the misery of the eye.
That restraint of desire and lust,
that renouncing of desire and lust
which are in the eye, -
that is the way of escape from the eye.
■
That ease,
that pleasure
that arises owing to the ear, -
that is the satisfaction of the ear.
That impermanence,
that ill,
that instability
which is the ear, -
that is the misery of the ear.
That restraint of desire and lust,
that renouncing of desire and lust
which are in the ear, -
that is the way of escape from the ear.
■
That ease,
that pleasure
that arises owing to the nose, -
that is the satisfaction of the nose.
That impermanence,
that ill,
that instability
which is the nose, -
that is the misery of the nose.
That restraint of desire and lust,
that renouncing of desire and lust
which are in the nose, -
that is the way of escape from the nose.
■
That ease,
that pleasure
that arises owing to the tongue, -
that is the satisfaction of the tongue.
That impermanence,
that ill,
that instability
which is the tongue, -
that is the misery of the tongue.
That restraint of desire and lust,
that renouncing of desire and lust
which are in the tongue, -
that is the way of escape from the tongue.
■
That ease,
that pleasure
that arises owing to the body, -
that is the satisfaction of the body.
That impermanence,
that ill,
that instability
which is the body, -
that is the misery of the body.
That restraint of desire and lust,
that renouncing of desire and lust
which are in the body, -
that is the way of escape from the body.
■
That ease,
that pleasure
that arises owing to the mind, -
that is the satisfaction of the mind.
That impermanence,
that ill,
that instability
which is the mind, -
that is the misery of the mind.
That restraint of desire and lust,
that renouncing of desire and lust
which are in the mind, -
that is the way of escape from the mind.'
§
[5] Now so long, brethren, as I did not thoroughly understand,
as they really are,
the satisfaction of this sixfold internal[3] sphere of sense as such,
the misery of it as such,
the way of escape from it as such, -
so long, brethren, was I doubtful
whether I was enlightened
with that supreme enlightenment,
unsurpassed in the world
with its devas,
its Māras,
its Brahmas,
among the host of recluses and brahmins
and of devas and men.
But as soon, brethren, as I did thoroughly understand,
as they really are,
the satisfaction of this sixfold internal sphere of sense as such,
the misery of it as such,
the way of escape from it as such, -
no longer, brethren, was I doubtful
whether I was enlightened
with that supreme enlightenment,
unsurpassed in the world
with its devas,
its Māras,
its Brahmas,
among the host of recluses and brahmins
and of devas and men.[ed1]
Then indeed the knowledge arose in me
and insight arose in me:
'Sure is my release.
This is my last birth.
There is no more rebirth for me now.'"
[1] Yamaka-vagga. There are two sayings on each subject in this section.
[2] Sambodhena. Cf. Dialogues, i, 193 n.
[3] Cf. K.S. iii, 27. Here Comy. likens the personal passions to the inside of a house, the externals to the approach to it. When the house is full of children, wives, wealth, grain, etc., and the passions are very strong, they allow of no approach to anyone. Even if they hear the rattle of a pot, they ask, 'What is that?'
[ed1] This paragraph Woodward omits to translate or indicate that it is abridged.
