The Middle Length Discourses 44
The Shorter Series of Questions and Answers
Thus have I heard—
At one time, the Bhagavā was dwelling at Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground.
Then Visākha the lay follower approached Dhammadinnā the bhikkhunī; having approached, he paid homage to Dhammadinnā the bhikkhunī and sat down to one side. Seated to one side, Visākha the lay follower said this to Dhammadinnā the bhikkhunī:
“‘Embodiment, embodiment,’ lady, it is said.
What, lady, has the Bhagavā called embodiment?”
“These five aggregates subject to upādāna, friend Visākha, have been called embodiment by the Bhagavā:
that is, the aggregate of form subject to upādāna [rūpupādānakkhandho], the aggregate of vedanā subject to upādāna, the aggregate of saññā subject to upādāna, the aggregate of saṅkhāras subject to upādāna, and the aggregate of viññāṇa subject to upādāna.
These five aggregates subject to upādāna, friend Visākha, have been called embodiment by the Bhagavā.”
“Sādhu, lady,” said Visākha the lay follower. Having delighted in and expressed anumodanā for what Dhammadinnā the bhikkhunī had said, he asked Dhammadinnā the bhikkhunī a further question:
“‘The arising of embodiment, the arising of embodiment,’ lady, it is said.
What, lady, has the Bhagavā called the arising of embodiment?”
“This taṇhā, friend Visākha, which leads to renewed existence, accompanied by delight and lust, delighting here and there, that is:
taṇhā for sensual pleasures, taṇhā for bhava, and taṇhā for non-bhava;
this, friend Visākha, has been called the arising of embodiment by the Bhagavā.”
“‘The cessation of embodiment, the cessation of embodiment,’ lady, it is said.
What, lady, has the Bhagavā called the cessation of embodiment?”
“The fading away without remainder and cessation of that very taṇhā, giving it up, relinquishing it, release from it, and non-reliance on it:
this, friend Visākha, has been called the cessation of embodiment by the Bhagavā.”
“‘The practice leading to the cessation of embodiment, the practice leading to the cessation of embodiment,’ lady, it is said.
What, lady, has the Bhagavā called the practice leading to the cessation of embodiment?”
“This noble eightfold path itself, friend Visākha, has been called the practice leading to the cessation of embodiment by the Bhagavā, that is:
right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right sati, and right samādhi.”
“Lady, is that upādāna the same as these five aggregates subject to upādāna, or is upādāna something apart from the five aggregates subject to upādāna?”
“Friend Visākha, that upādāna is not the same as these five aggregates subject to upādāna, nor is upādāna something apart from the five aggregates subject to upādāna.
Whatever desire and lust there is for the five aggregates subject to upādāna, friend Visākha, that is the upādāna there.”
“But how, lady, does embodiment-view come to be?”
“Here, friend Visākha, an uninstructed ordinary person, who does not see the noble ones, who is unskilled in the noble ones’ dhamma, untrained in the noble ones’ dhamma, who does not see true persons, who is unskilled in the true persons’ dhamma, untrained in the true persons’ dhamma,
regards form [rūpaṁ] as self, or self as possessing form, or form as in self, or self as in form.
Vedanā …
saññā …
saṅkhāras …
regards viññāṇa as self, or self as possessing viññāṇa, or viññāṇa as in self, or self as in viññāṇa.
In this way, friend Visākha, embodiment-view comes to be.”
“But how, lady, does embodiment-view not come to be?”
“Here, friend Visākha, an instructed noble disciple, who sees the noble ones, who is skilled in the noble ones’ dhamma, well trained in the noble ones’ dhamma, who sees true persons, who is skilled in the true persons’ dhamma, well trained in the true persons’ dhamma,
does not regard form [rūpaṁ] as self, or self as possessing form, or form as in self, or self as in form.
Not vedanā …
not saññā …
not saṅkhāras …
does not regard viññāṇa as self, or self as possessing viññāṇa, or viññāṇa as in self, or self as in viññāṇa.
In this way, friend Visākha, embodiment-view does not come to be.”
“But what, lady, is the noble eightfold path?”
“This itself, friend Visākha, is the noble eightfold path, that is:
right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right sati, and right samādhi.”
“Lady, is the noble eightfold path saṅkhata or asaṅkhata?”
“Friend Visākha, the noble eightfold path is saṅkhata.”
“Lady, are the three aggregates included in the noble eightfold path, or is the noble eightfold path included in the three aggregates?”
“Friend Visākha, the three aggregates are not included in the noble eightfold path; rather, friend Visākha, the noble eightfold path is included in the three aggregates.
Right speech, right action, and right livelihood, friend Visākha: these dhammas are included in the aggregate of virtue.
Right effort, right sati, and right samādhi: these dhammas are included in the aggregate of samādhi.
Right view and right intention: these dhammas are included in the aggregate of paññā.”
“But what, lady, is samādhi? What dhammas are the nimittas of samādhi? What dhammas are the equipment of samādhi? What is the development [bhāvanā] of samādhi?”
“Oneness of mind [cittassa ekaggatā], friend Visākha: this is samādhi.
The four satipaṭṭhānas are the nimittas of samādhi.
The four right efforts are the equipment of samādhi.
The cultivation, development [bhāvanā], and repeated practice of these very dhammas: this here is the development of samādhi.”
“But how many saṅkhāras are there, lady?”
“There are these three saṅkhāras, friend Visākha:
the bodily saṅkhāra, the verbal saṅkhāra, and the mental saṅkhāra.”
“But what, lady, is the bodily saṅkhāra, what is the verbal saṅkhāra, and what is the mental saṅkhāra?”
“In-breathing and out-breathing, friend Visākha, are the bodily saṅkhāra; thought and examination are the verbal saṅkhāra; saññā and vedanā are the mental saṅkhāra.”
“But why, lady, are in-breathing and out-breathing the bodily saṅkhāra? Why are thought and examination the verbal saṅkhāra? Why are saññā and vedanā the mental saṅkhāra?”
“In-breathing and out-breathing, friend Visākha, are bodily; these dhammas are bound up with the body. Therefore in-breathing and out-breathing are the bodily saṅkhāra.
First, friend Visākha, one thinks and examines; afterward one breaks into speech. Therefore thought and examination are the verbal saṅkhāra.
Saññā and vedanā, friend Visākha, are mental; these dhammas are bound up with citta. Therefore saññā and vedanā are the mental saṅkhāra.”
“But how, lady, does the attainment of the cessation of saññā and what is felt come to be?”
“For a bhikkhu attaining the cessation of saññā and what is felt, friend Visākha, it does not occur:
‘I will attain the cessation of saññā and what is felt,’ or ‘I am attaining the cessation of saññā and what is felt,’ or ‘I have attained the cessation of saññā and what is felt.’
Rather, his citta has already been developed [bhāvitaṁ] in such a way that it leads him to that state.”
“But for a bhikkhu attaining the cessation of saññā and what is felt, lady, which dhammas cease first: the bodily saṅkhāra, the verbal saṅkhāra, or the mental saṅkhāra?”
“For a bhikkhu attaining the cessation of saññā and what is felt, friend Visākha, the verbal saṅkhāra ceases first, then the bodily saṅkhāra, then the mental saṅkhāra.”
“But how, lady, does emergence from the attainment of the cessation of saññā and what is felt come to be?”
“For a bhikkhu emerging from the attainment of the cessation of saññā and what is felt, friend Visākha, it does not occur:
‘I will emerge from the attainment of the cessation of saññā and what is felt,’ or ‘I am emerging from the attainment of the cessation of saññā and what is felt,’ or ‘I have emerged from the attainment of the cessation of saññā and what is felt.’
Rather, his citta has already been developed [bhāvitaṁ] in such a way that it leads him to that state.”
“But for a bhikkhu emerging from the attainment of the cessation of saññā and what is felt, lady, which dhammas arise first: the bodily saṅkhāra, the verbal saṅkhāra, or the mental saṅkhāra?”
“For a bhikkhu emerging from the attainment of the cessation of saññā and what is felt, friend Visākha, the mental saṅkhāra arises first, then the bodily saṅkhāra, then the verbal saṅkhāra.”
“But when a bhikkhu has emerged from the attainment of the cessation of saññā and what is felt, lady, how many contacts touch him?”
“When a bhikkhu has emerged from the attainment of the cessation of saññā and what is felt, friend Visākha, three contacts touch him: empty contact, signless contact, and undirected contact.”
“But when a bhikkhu has emerged from the attainment of the cessation of saññā and what is felt, lady, toward what does his citta incline, toward what does it slope, toward what does it lean?”
“When a bhikkhu has emerged from the attainment of the cessation of saññā and what is felt, friend Visākha, his citta inclines toward seclusion [viveka], slopes toward seclusion, leans toward seclusion.”
“But how many vedanās are there, lady?”
“There are these three vedanās, friend Visākha:
pleasant vedanā, painful vedanā, and neither-painful-nor-pleasant vedanā.”
“But what, lady, is pleasant vedanā, what is painful vedanā, and what is neither-painful-nor-pleasant vedanā?”
“Whatever bodily or mental sukha, gratification, is felt, friend Visākha:
this is pleasant vedanā.
Whatever bodily or mental dukkha, distress, is felt, friend Visākha:
this is painful vedanā.
Whatever bodily or mental feeling that is neither gratifying nor distressing is felt, friend Visākha:
this is neither-painful-nor-pleasant vedanā.”
“But pleasant vedanā, lady, is pleasant in what way and painful in what way? Painful vedanā is pleasant in what way and painful in what way? Neither-painful-nor-pleasant vedanā is pleasant in what way and painful in what way?”
“Pleasant vedanā, friend Visākha, is pleasant when it persists and painful when it changes.
Painful vedanā is painful when it persists and pleasant when it changes.
Neither-painful-nor-pleasant vedanā is pleasant when there is knowledge and painful when there is ignorance.”
“But with pleasant vedanā, lady, what underlying tendency lies latent? With painful vedanā, what underlying tendency lies latent? With neither-painful-nor-pleasant vedanā, what underlying tendency lies latent?”
“With pleasant vedanā, friend Visākha, the underlying tendency to lust lies latent; with painful vedanā, the underlying tendency to aversion lies latent; with neither-painful-nor-pleasant vedanā, the underlying tendency to ignorance lies latent.”
“Lady, does the underlying tendency to lust lie latent with every pleasant vedanā? Does the underlying tendency to aversion lie latent with every painful vedanā? Does the underlying tendency to ignorance lie latent with every neither-painful-nor-pleasant vedanā?”
“Friend Visākha, the underlying tendency to lust does not lie latent with every pleasant vedanā; the underlying tendency to aversion does not lie latent with every painful vedanā; the underlying tendency to ignorance does not lie latent with every neither-painful-nor-pleasant vedanā.”
“But with pleasant vedanā, lady, what should be abandoned? With painful vedanā, what should be abandoned? With neither-painful-nor-pleasant vedanā, what should be abandoned?”
“With pleasant vedanā, friend Visākha, the underlying tendency to lust should be abandoned; with painful vedanā, the underlying tendency to aversion should be abandoned; with neither-painful-nor-pleasant vedanā, the underlying tendency to ignorance should be abandoned.”
“Lady, should the underlying tendency to lust be abandoned with every pleasant vedanā? Should the underlying tendency to aversion be abandoned with every painful vedanā? Should the underlying tendency to ignorance be abandoned with every neither-painful-nor-pleasant vedanā?”
“Friend Visākha, the underlying tendency to lust should not be abandoned with every pleasant vedanā; the underlying tendency to aversion should not be abandoned with every painful vedanā; the underlying tendency to ignorance should not be abandoned with every neither-painful-nor-pleasant vedanā.
Here, friend Visākha, quite secluded [vivicceva] from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskillful dhammas, a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the first jhāna, which has thought and examination, and pīti and sukha born of seclusion [vivekajaṁ].
By means of that he abandons lust, and the underlying tendency to lust does not lie latent there.
Here, friend Visākha, a bhikkhu reflects thus:
‘When, indeed, will I enter and dwell in that dimension [āyatanaṁ] in which the noble ones now enter and dwell?’
As he establishes longing for the unsurpassed liberations, grief arises because of longing.
By means of that he abandons aversion, and the underlying tendency to aversion does not lie latent there.
Here, friend Visākha, with the abandoning of sukha and the abandoning of dukkha, and with the previous disappearance of joy and grief, a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the fourth jhāna, which is neither-painful-nor-pleasant, with purity of sati due to upekkhā.
By means of that he abandons ignorance, and the underlying tendency to ignorance does not lie latent there.”
“But what, lady, is the counterpart of pleasant vedanā?”
“Painful vedanā, friend Visākha, is the counterpart of pleasant vedanā.”
“But what, lady, is the counterpart of painful vedanā?”
“Pleasant vedanā, friend Visākha, is the counterpart of painful vedanā.”
“But what, lady, is the counterpart of neither-painful-nor-pleasant vedanā?”
“Ignorance, friend Visākha, is the counterpart of neither-painful-nor-pleasant vedanā.”
“But what, lady, is the counterpart of ignorance?”
“Knowledge, friend Visākha, is the counterpart of ignorance.”
“But what, lady, is the counterpart of knowledge?”
“Liberation, friend Visākha, is the counterpart of knowledge.”
“But what, lady, is the counterpart of liberation?”
“Nibbāna, friend Visākha, is the counterpart of liberation.”
“But what, lady, is the counterpart of nibbāna?”
“You have gone too far with the question, friend Visākha; you could not grasp the limit of questions.
For the holy life, friend Visākha, is grounded in nibbāna, has nibbāna as its destination, and nibbāna as its conclusion.
And if you wish, friend Visākha, you may approach the Bhagavā and ask him about this matter; and as the Bhagavā answers you, so you should remember it.”
Then Visākha the lay follower, having delighted in and expressed anumodanā for what Dhammadinnā the bhikkhunī had said, rose from his seat, paid homage to Dhammadinnā the bhikkhunī, circumambulated her keeping her to his right, and approached the Bhagavā. Having approached, he paid homage to the Bhagavā and sat down to one side.
Seated to one side, Visākha the lay follower reported to the Bhagavā the entire discussion he had had with Dhammadinnā the bhikkhunī.
When this was said, the Bhagavā said this to Visākha the lay follower:
“Dhammadinnā the bhikkhunī is wise, Visākha; Dhammadinnā the bhikkhunī has great paññā, Visākha.
If you had asked me about this matter, Visākha, I would have answered it in exactly the same way as Dhammadinnā the bhikkhunī answered it.
This indeed is the meaning of it. And so you should remember it.”
The Bhagavā said this.
Satisfied, Visākha the lay follower delighted in what the Bhagavā had said.
The Shorter Series of Questions and Answers is finished, the fourth.