It Ends! It Ends!
Develop serenity and the appreciation of solitude, my friends —
It is through developing serenity and the appreciation of solitude
that one comes to know things as they really are.
What things?
The arising in the appearance of self of form
and the ending of form;
the arising in the appearance of self of sense-experience,
and the ending of sense-experience;
the arising in the appearance of self of sense-perception,
and the ending of sense-perception,
the arising in the appearance of self of own-making,
and the ending of own-making;
the arising in the appearance of self of sense-consciousness,
and the ending of sense-consciousness.
Taking pleasure in form one is tied down,
taking pleasure in sense-experience one is tied down,
taking pleasure in sense-perception one is tied down,
taking pleasure in own-making one is tied down,
taking pleasure in sense-consciousness one is tied down.
Regarding forms, sense-experiences, sense-perceptions, own-making and sense-consciousness as self,
or the self as having forms, sense-experiences, sense-perceptions, own-making and sense-consciousness,
or forms, sense-experiences, sense-perceptions, own-making and sense-consciousness as having self,
or self as being in forms, sense-experiences, sense-perceptions, own-making and sense-consciousness,
upon the alteration and change of forms, sense-experiences, sense-perceptions, own-making and sense-consciousness there is experience anxiety and fear.
Taking pleasure or experiencing anxiety and fear concerning forms, sense-experiences, sense-perceptions, own-making and sense-consciousness,
one obsesses about forms, sense-experiences, sense-perceptions, own-making and sense-consciousness,
forms intentions with regard to forms, sense-experiences, sense-perceptions, own-making and sense-consciousness.
Obsession and forming intentions are the fuel that drives existence.
The counterpart of existence is birth.
The counterpart of birth is aging and death,
grief and lamentation,
pain and misery,
and despair.
This was the case in the past,
this will be the case in the future,
and this is the case in what we see arising in front of us as self right now.
This is what one sees in the serenity of solitude.
■
Forms, sense-experiences, sense-perceptions, own-making and sense-consciousness are unstable.
Being tied down to,
taking pleasure in,
experiencing anxiety and fear concerning
that which is unstable is the experience of pain.
That which is painful is not wanted,
experience of that which is not wanted is something that is not under one's control.
Something that is not under one's control
is not reasonably to be seen as:
"This is mine."
"I am this."
"This is my self."
That on which forms, sense-experiences, sense-perceptions, own-making and sense-consciousness depend,
that which is the fuel which supports their existence,
the driving force of their existence,
is unstable, painful, and not-self.
How could that which is dependent on,
fueled and supported by,
driven by,
the unstable, painful, and not-self
be stable, pleasant and self?
Such a thing o b,
can no be.
So seeing, one is repelled by forms, sense-experiences, sense-perceptions, own-making and sense-consciousness.
Repelled, one is not tied down to forms, sense-experiences, sense-perceptions, own-making and sense-consciousness;
one does not experience anxiety and fear at the instability of forms, sense-experiences, sense-perceptions, own-making and sense-consciousness.
Not taking pleasure or experiencing anxiety and fear concerning forms, sense-experiences, sense-perceptions, own-making and sense-consciousness,
one does not obsess about forms, sense-experiences, sense-perceptions, own-making and sense-consciousness,
one does not form intentions with regard to forms, sense-experiences, sense-perceptions, own-making and sense-consciousness.
Not obsessing and forming intentions,
there is no fuel to drive existence.
Without existence there is no birth.
Without birth there is no aging and death,
grief and lamentation,
pain and misery
and despair.
This is what one sees in the serenity of solitude.
Develop serenity and the appreciation of solitude, my friends —
It is through developing serenity and the appreciation of solitude
that one comes to know things as they really are.
References:
SN 3.22.21
The Buddha explains to Ānanda that the saying of seers of old 'Its Ending! Its Ending!' points to the perception that form, sense-experience, sense-perception, own-making and sense-consiousness are ending things.
