Ādittapariyāyasutta — Reader

The Exposition on Burning

Ādittapariyāyasutta

“Mendicants, I will teach you an exposition of the teaching on burning. Listen … And what is the exposition of the teaching on burning? You’d be better off mutilating your eye faculty with a red-hot iron nail, burning, blazing, and glowing, than getting caught up in the features by way of the details in sights known by the eye.

“Ādittapariyāyaṁ vo, bhikkhave, dhammapariyāyaṁ desessāmi. Taṁ suṇātha. Katamo ca, bhikkhave, ādittapariyāyo, dhammapariyāyo? Varaṁ, bhikkhave, tattāya ayosalākāya ādittāya sampajjalitāya sajotibhūtāya cakkhundriyaṁ sampalimaṭṭhaṁ, na tveva cakkhuviññeyyesu rūpesu anubyañjanaso nimittaggāho.

Should consciousness tied to gratification in the features or details continue to remain, and you were to die at that time, it’s possible you would go to one of two destinations: hell or the animal realm. I speak having seen this drawback. You’d be better off mutilating your ear faculty with a sharp iron spike …

Nimittassādagathitaṁ vā, bhikkhave, viññāṇaṁ tiṭṭhamānaṁ tiṭṭheyya, anubyañjanassādagathitaṁ vā tasmiñce samaye kālaṁ kareyya, ṭhānametaṁ vijjati, yaṁ dvinnaṁ gatīnaṁ aññataraṁ gatiṁ gaccheyya— nirayaṁ vā, tiracchānayoniṁ vā. Imaṁ khvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, ādīnavaṁ disvā evaṁ vadāmi. Varaṁ, bhikkhave, tiṇhena ayosaṅkunā ādittena sampajjalitena sajotibhūtena sotindriyaṁ sampalimaṭṭhaṁ, na tveva sotaviññeyyesu saddesu anubyañjanaso nimittaggāho.

You’d be better off mutilating your nose faculty with a sharp nail cutter …

Nimittassādagathitaṁ vā, bhikkhave, viññāṇaṁ tiṭṭhamānaṁ tiṭṭheyya, anubyañjanassādagathitaṁ vā tasmiñce samaye kālaṁ kareyya, ṭhānametaṁ vijjati, yaṁ dvinnaṁ gatīnaṁ aññataraṁ gatiṁ gaccheyya— nirayaṁ vā tiracchānayoniṁ vā. Imaṁ khvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, ādīnavaṁ disvā evaṁ vadāmi. Varaṁ, bhikkhave, tiṇhena nakhacchedanena ādittena sampajjalitena sajotibhūtena ghānindriyaṁ sampalimaṭṭhaṁ, na tveva ghānaviññeyyesu gandhesu anubyañjanaso nimittaggāho.

Nimittassādagathitaṁ vā, bhikkhave, viññāṇaṁ tiṭṭhamānaṁ tiṭṭheyya, anubyañjanassādagathitaṁ vā tasmiñce samaye kālaṁ kareyya. Ṭhānametaṁ vijjati, yaṁ dvinnaṁ gatīnaṁ aññataraṁ gatiṁ gaccheyya— nirayaṁ vā tiracchānayoniṁ vā. Imaṁ khvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, ādīnavaṁ disvā evaṁ vadāmi.

You’d be better off mutilating your tongue faculty with a sharp razor …

Varaṁ, bhikkhave, tiṇhena khurena ādittena sampajjalitena sajotibhūtena jivhindriyaṁ sampalimaṭṭhaṁ, na tveva jivhāviññeyyesu rasesu anubyañjanaso nimittaggāho. Nimittassādagathitaṁ vā, bhikkhave, viññāṇaṁ tiṭṭhamānaṁ tiṭṭheyya, anubyañjanassādagathitaṁ vā tasmiñce samaye kālaṁ kareyya.

You’d be better off mutilating your body faculty with a sharp spear, burning, blazing, and glowing, than getting caught up in the features by way of the details in touches known by the body.

Ṭhānametaṁ vijjati, yaṁ dvinnaṁ gatīnaṁ aññataraṁ gatiṁ gaccheyya— nirayaṁ vā tiracchānayoniṁ vā. Imaṁ khvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, ādīnavaṁ disvā evaṁ vadāmi. Varaṁ, bhikkhave, tiṇhāya sattiyā ādittāya sampajjalitāya sajotibhūtāya kāyindriyaṁ sampalimaṭṭhaṁ, na tveva kāyaviññeyyesu phoṭṭhabbesu anubyañjanaso nimittaggāho.

You’d be better off sleeping. For I say that sleep is useless, fruitless, and folly for the living. But while you’re asleep you won’t fall under the sway of such thoughts that would make you create a schism in the Saṅgha. I speak having seen this drawback.

Varaṁ, bhikkhave, sottaṁ. Sottaṁ kho panāhaṁ, bhikkhave, vañjhaṁ jīvitānaṁ vadāmi, aphalaṁ jīvitānaṁ vadāmi, momūhaṁ jīvitānaṁ vadāmi, na tveva tathārūpe vitakke vitakkeyya yathārūpānaṁ vitakkānaṁ vasaṁ gato saṅghaṁ bhindeyya. Imaṁ khvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, vañjhaṁ jīvitānaṁ ādīnavaṁ disvā evaṁ vadāmi.

A learned noble disciple reflects on this: ‘Forget mutilating the eye faculty with a red-hot iron nail, burning, blazing, and glowing! I’d better focus on the fact that the eye, sights, eye consciousness, and eye contact are impermanent. And the painful, pleasant, or neutral feeling that arises dependent on eye contact is also impermanent.

Tattha, bhikkhave, sutavā ariyasāvako iti paṭisañcikkhati: ‘tiṭṭhatu tāva tattāya ayosalākāya ādittāya sampajjalitāya sajotibhūtāya cakkhundriyaṁ sampalimaṭṭhaṁ. Handāhaṁ idameva manasi karomi— iti cakkhu aniccaṁ, rūpā aniccā, cakkhuviññāṇaṁ aniccaṁ, cakkhusamphasso anicco, yampidaṁ cakkhusamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṁ sukhaṁ vā dukkhaṁ vā adukkhamasukhaṁ vā tampi aniccaṁ’.

Forget mutilating the ear faculty with a sharp iron spike, burning, blazing, and glowing! I’d better focus on the fact that the ear, sounds, ear consciousness, and ear contact are impermanent. And the painful, pleasant, or neutral feeling that arises dependent on ear contact is also impermanent.

Tiṭṭhatu tāva tiṇhena ayosaṅkunā ādittena sampajjalitena sajotibhūtena sotindriyaṁ sampalimaṭṭhaṁ. Handāhaṁ idameva manasi karomi— iti sotaṁ aniccaṁ, saddā aniccā, sotaviññāṇaṁ aniccaṁ, sotasamphasso anicco, yampidaṁ sotasamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṁ sukhaṁ vā dukkhaṁ vā adukkhamasukhaṁ vā tampi aniccaṁ.

Forget mutilating the nose faculty with a sharp nail cutter, burning, blazing, and glowing! I’d better focus on the fact that the nose, smells, nose consciousness, and nose contact are impermanent. And the painful, pleasant, or neutral feeling that arises dependent on nose contact is also impermanent.

Tiṭṭhatu tāva tiṇhena nakhacchedanena ādittena sampajjalitena sajotibhūtena ghānindriyaṁ sampalimaṭṭhaṁ. Handāhaṁ idameva manasi karomi— iti ghānaṁ aniccaṁ, gandhā aniccā, ghānaviññāṇaṁ aniccaṁ, ghānasamphasso anicco, yampidaṁ ghānasamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṁ …pe… tampi aniccaṁ.

Forget mutilating the tongue faculty with a sharp razor, burning, blazing, and glowing! I’d better focus on the fact that the tongue, tastes, tongue consciousness, and tongue contact are impermanent. And the painful, pleasant, or neutral feeling that arises dependent on tongue contact is also impermanent. Forget mutilating the body faculty with a sharp spear, burning, blazing, and glowing!

Tiṭṭhatu tāva tiṇhena khurena ādittena sampajjalitena sajotibhūtena jivhindriyaṁ sampalimaṭṭhaṁ. Handāhaṁ idameva manasi karomi— iti jivhā aniccā, rasā aniccā, jivhāviññāṇaṁ aniccaṁ, jivhāsamphasso anicco, yampidaṁ jivhāsamphassapaccayā uppajjati …pe… tampi aniccaṁ. Tiṭṭhatu tāva tiṇhāya sattiyā ādittāya sampajjalitāya sajotibhūtāya kāyindriyaṁ sampalimaṭṭhaṁ.

I’d better focus on the fact that the body, touches, body consciousness, and body contact are impermanent. And the painful, pleasant, or neutral feeling that arises dependent on body contact is also impermanent. Forget sleeping! I’d better focus on the fact that

Handāhaṁ idameva manasi karomi— iti kāyo anicco, phoṭṭhabbā aniccā, kāyaviññāṇaṁ aniccaṁ, kāyasamphasso anicco, yampidaṁ kāyasamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṁ …pe… tampi aniccaṁ. Tiṭṭhatu tāva sottaṁ. Handāhaṁ idameva manasi karomi—

the mind, ideas, mind consciousness, and mind contact are impermanent. And the painful, pleasant, or neutral feeling that arises dependent on mind contact is also impermanent.’ Seeing this, a learned noble disciple grows disillusioned with the eye, sights, eye consciousness, and eye contact. And they grow disillusioned with the painful, pleasant, or neutral feeling that arises conditioned by eye contact.

iti mano anicco, dhammā aniccā, manoviññāṇaṁ aniccaṁ, manosamphasso anicco, yampidaṁ manosamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṁ sukhaṁ vā dukkhaṁ vā adukkhamasukhaṁ vā tampi aniccaṁ’. Evaṁ passaṁ, bhikkhave, sutavā ariyasāvako cakkhusmimpi nibbindati, rūpesupi nibbindati, cakkhuviññāṇepi nibbindati, cakkhusamphassepi nibbindati …pe…

They grow disillusioned with the ear … nose … tongue … body … mind … painful, pleasant, or neutral feeling that arises dependent on mind contact. Being disillusioned, desire fades away. When desire fades away they’re freed. When they’re freed, they know they’re freed. 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.’ This is the exposition of the teaching on burning.”

yampidaṁ manosamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṁ sukhaṁ vā dukkhaṁ vā adukkhamasukhaṁ vā tasmimpi nibbindati. Nibbindaṁ virajjati; virāgā vimuccati; vimuttasmiṁ vimuttamiti ñāṇaṁ hoti. ‘Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā’ti pajānāti. Ayaṁ kho, bhikkhave, ādittapariyāyo, dhammapariyāyo”ti.

Aṭṭhamaṁ.