Tripiṭaka 7. Mahāvagga
7. The Great Chapter
Tip — double-click any Pāli word to look it up in the dictionary.
“Assutavā, bhikkhave, puthujjano imasmiṁ cātumahābhūtikasmiṁ kāyasmiṁ nibbindeyyapi virajjeyyapi vimucceyyapi.
“Mendicants, an unlearned ordinary person might become disillusioned, dispassionate, and freed from this body made up of the four principal states.
Dissati, bhikkhave, imassa cātumahābhūtikassa kāyassa ācayopi apacayopi ādānampi nikkhepanampi.
This body made up of the four principal states is seen to accumulate and disperse, to be taken up and laid to rest.
Tasmā tatrāssutavā puthujjano nibbindeyyapi virajjeyyapi vimucceyyapi.
That’s why an unlearned ordinary person might become disillusioned, dispassionate, and freed from it.
Yañca kho etaṁ, bhikkhave, vuccati cittaṁ itipi, mano itipi, viññāṇaṁ itipi, tatrāssutavā puthujjano nālaṁ nibbindituṁ nālaṁ virajjituṁ nālaṁ vimuccituṁ.
But an unlearned ordinary person is unable to become disillusioned, dispassionate, or freed from that which is called ‘mind’ and also ‘sentience’ and also ‘consciousness’.
Dīgharattañhetaṁ, bhikkhave, assutavato puthujjanassa ajjhositaṁ mamāyitaṁ parāmaṭṭhaṁ:
Because for a long time they’ve been attached to it, thought of it as their own, and mistaken it:
Tasmā tatrāssutavā puthujjano nālaṁ nibbindituṁ nālaṁ virajjituṁ nālaṁ vimuccituṁ.
That’s why an unlearned ordinary person is unable to become disillusioned, dispassionate, or freed from it.
Varaṁ, bhikkhave, assutavā puthujjano imaṁ cātumahābhūtikaṁ kāyaṁ attato upagaccheyya, na tveva cittaṁ.
But an unlearned ordinary person would be better off taking this body made up of the four principal states to be their self, rather than the mind.
Dissatāyaṁ, bhikkhave, cātumahābhūtiko kāyo ekampi vassaṁ tiṭṭhamāno dvepi vassāni tiṭṭhamāno tīṇipi vassāni tiṭṭhamāno cattāripi vassāni tiṭṭhamāno pañcapi vassāni tiṭṭhamāno dasapi vassāni tiṭṭhamāno vīsatipi vassāni tiṭṭhamāno tiṁsampi vassāni tiṭṭhamāno cattārīsampi vassāni tiṭṭhamāno paññāsampi vassāni tiṭṭhamāno vassasatampi tiṭṭhamāno, bhiyyopi tiṭṭhamāno.
This body made up of the four principal states is seen to last for a year, or for two, three, four, five, ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, or a hundred years, or even longer.
Yañca kho etaṁ, bhikkhave, vuccati cittaṁ itipi, mano itipi, viññāṇaṁ itipi, taṁ rattiyā ca divasassa ca aññadeva uppajjati aññaṁ nirujjhati.
But that which is called ‘mind’ and also ‘sentience’ and also ‘consciousness’ arises as one thing and ceases as another all day and all night.
Tatra, bhikkhave, sutavā ariyasāvako paṭiccasamuppādaṁyeva sādhukaṁ yoniso manasi karoti:
In this case, a learned noble disciple carefully and rationally applies the mind to dependent origination itself:
‘iti imasmiṁ sati idaṁ hoti, imassuppādā idaṁ uppajjati;
‘When this exists, this comes to be; due to the arising of this, this arises.
imasmiṁ asati idaṁ na hoti, imassa nirodhā idaṁ nirujjhatī’ti.
When this doesn’t exist, this doesn’t come to be; due to the cessation of this, this ceases.’
Sukhavedaniyaṁ, bhikkhave, phassaṁ paṭicca uppajjati sukhavedanā.
Pleasant feeling arises dependent on a contact to be experienced as pleasant.
Tasseva sukhavedaniyassa phassassa nirodhā yaṁ tajjaṁ vedayitaṁ sukhavedaniyaṁ phassaṁ paṭicca uppannā sukhavedanā sā nirujjhati sā vūpasammati.
With the cessation of that contact to be experienced as pleasant, the corresponding pleasant feeling ceases and stops.
Dukkhavedaniyaṁ, bhikkhave, phassaṁ paṭicca uppajjati dukkhavedanā.
Painful feeling arises dependent on a contact to be experienced as painful.
Tasseva dukkhavedaniyassa phassassa nirodhā yaṁ tajjaṁ vedayitaṁ dukkhavedaniyaṁ phassaṁ paṭicca uppannā dukkhavedanā sā nirujjhati sā vūpasammati.
With the cessation of that contact to be experienced as painful, the corresponding painful feeling ceases and stops.
Adukkhamasukhavedaniyaṁ, bhikkhave, phassaṁ paṭicca uppajjati adukkhamasukhavedanā.
Neutral feeling arises dependent on a contact to be experienced as neutral.
Tasseva adukkhamasukhavedaniyassa phassassa nirodhā yaṁ tajjaṁ vedayitaṁ adukkhamasukhavedaniyaṁ phassaṁ paṭicca uppannā adukkhamasukhavedanā sā nirujjhati sā vūpasammati.
With the cessation of that contact to be experienced as neutral, the corresponding neutral feeling ceases and stops.
Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, dvinnaṁ kaṭṭhānaṁ saṅghaṭṭanasamodhānā usmā jāyati tejo abhinibbattati. Tesaṁyeva dvinnaṁ kaṭṭhānaṁ nānākatavinibbhogā yā tajjā usmā sā nirujjhati sā vūpasammati;
When you rub two sticks together, heat is generated and fire is produced. But when you part the sticks and lay them aside, any corresponding heat ceases and stops.
evameva kho, bhikkhave, sukhavedaniyaṁ phassaṁ paṭicca uppajjati sukhavedanā.
In the same way, pleasant feeling arises dependent on a contact to be experienced as pleasant.
Tasseva sukhavedaniyassa phassassa nirodhā yaṁ tajjaṁ vedayitaṁ sukhavedaniyaṁ phassaṁ paṭicca uppannā sukhavedanā sā nirujjhati sā vūpasammati …pe…
With the cessation of that contact to be experienced as pleasant, the corresponding pleasant feeling ceases and stops.
adukkhamasukhavedaniyaṁ phassaṁ paṭicca uppajjati adukkhamasukhavedanā.
Neutral feeling arises dependent on a contact to be experienced as neutral.
Tasseva adukkhamasukhavedaniyassa phassassa nirodhā yaṁ tajjaṁ vedayitaṁ adukkhamasukhavedaniyaṁ phassaṁ paṭicca uppannā adukkhamasukhavedanā sā nirujjhati sā vūpasammati.
With the cessation of that contact to be experienced as neutral, the corresponding neutral feeling ceases and stops.
Evaṁ passaṁ, bhikkhave, sutavā ariyasāvako phassepi nibbindati, vedanāyapi nibbindati, saññāyapi nibbindati, saṅkhāresupi nibbindati, viññāṇasmimpi nibbindati;
Seeing this, a learned noble disciple grows disillusioned with contact, feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness.
nibbindaṁ virajjati, virāgā vimuccati, vimuttasmiṁ vimuttamiti ñāṇaṁ hoti.
Being disillusioned, desire fades away. When desire fades away they’re freed. When they’re freed, they know they’re freed.
‘Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā’ti pajānātī”ti.
They understand: ‘Rebirth is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is nothing further for this place.’”
Dutiyaṁ.