Mahāsaḷāyatanikasutta — Reader

The Great Discourse on What Relates to the Six Sense Fields

Mahāsaḷāyatanikasutta

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants, “Mendicants!”

Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: “bhikkhavo”ti.

“Venerable sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this: “Mendicants, I shall teach you the great discourse on what relates to the six sense fields. Listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.”

“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. Bhagavā etadavoca: “mahāsaḷāyatanikaṁ vo, bhikkhave, desessāmi. Taṁ suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī”ti.

“Yes, sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this: “Mendicants, when you don’t truly know and see the eye, sights, eye consciousness, eye contact, and what is felt as pleasant, painful, or neutral that arises dependent on eye contact, you’re aroused by these things.

“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. Bhagavā etadavoca: “Cakkhuṁ, bhikkhave, ajānaṁ apassaṁ yathābhūtaṁ, rūpe ajānaṁ apassaṁ yathābhūtaṁ, cakkhuviññāṇaṁ ajānaṁ apassaṁ yathābhūtaṁ, cakkhusamphassaṁ ajānaṁ apassaṁ yathābhūtaṁ, yamidaṁ cakkhusamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṁ sukhaṁ vā dukkhaṁ vā adukkhamasukhaṁ vā tampi ajānaṁ apassaṁ yathābhūtaṁ, cakkhusmiṁ sārajjati, rūpesu sārajjati, cakkhuviññāṇe sārajjati, cakkhusamphasse sārajjati, yamidaṁ cakkhusamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṁ sukhaṁ vā dukkhaṁ vā adukkhamasukhaṁ vā tasmimpi sārajjati.

Someone who lives aroused like this—fettered, confused, concentrating on gratification—accumulates the five grasping aggregates for themselves in the future. And their craving—which leads to future lives, mixed up with relishing and greed, taking pleasure there wherever it alights—grows. Their physical and mental stress, torment,

Tassa sārattassa saṁyuttassa sammūḷhassa assādānupassino viharato āyatiṁ pañcupādānakkhandhā upacayaṁ gacchanti. Taṇhā cassa ponobbhavikā nandīrāgasahagatā tatratatrābhinandinī, sā cassa pavaḍḍhati. Tassa kāyikāpi darathā pavaḍḍhanti, cetasikāpi darathā pavaḍḍhanti; kāyikāpi santāpā pavaḍḍhanti, cetasikāpi santāpā pavaḍḍhanti;

and fever grow. And they experience physical and mental suffering. When you don’t truly know and see the ear … nose …

kāyikāpi pariḷāhā pavaḍḍhanti, cetasikāpi pariḷāhā pavaḍḍhanti. So kāyadukkhampi cetodukkhampi paṭisaṁvedeti. Sotaṁ, bhikkhave, ajānaṁ apassaṁ yathābhūtaṁ …pe… ghānaṁ, bhikkhave, ajānaṁ apassaṁ yathābhūtaṁ …pe…

tongue … body … mind, ideas, mind consciousness, mind contact, and what is felt as pleasant, painful, or neutral that arises dependent on mind contact, you’re aroused by these things.

jivhaṁ, bhikkhave, ajānaṁ apassaṁ yathābhūtaṁ …pe… kāyaṁ, bhikkhave, ajānaṁ apassaṁ yathābhūtaṁ …pe… manaṁ, bhikkhave, ajānaṁ apassaṁ yathābhūtaṁ, dhamme, bhikkhave, ajānaṁ apassaṁ yathābhūtaṁ, manoviññāṇaṁ, bhikkhave, ajānaṁ apassaṁ yathābhūtaṁ, manosamphassaṁ, bhikkhave, ajānaṁ apassaṁ yathābhūtaṁ, yamidaṁ manosamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṁ sukhaṁ vā dukkhaṁ vā adukkhamasukhaṁ vā tampi ajānaṁ apassaṁ yathābhūtaṁ, manasmiṁ sārajjati, dhammesu sārajjati, manoviññāṇe sārajjati, manosamphasse sārajjati, yamidaṁ manosamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṁ sukhaṁ vā dukkhaṁ vā adukkhamasukhaṁ vā tasmimpi sārajjati.

and fever grow. And they experience physical and mental suffering. When you do truly know and see the eye, sights, eye consciousness, eye contact, and what is felt as pleasant, painful, or neutral that arises dependent on eye contact, you’re not aroused by these things.

kāyikāpi pariḷāhā pavaḍḍhanti, cetasikāpi pariḷāhā pavaḍḍhanti. So kāyadukkhampi cetodukkhampi paṭisaṁvedeti. Cakkhuñca kho, bhikkhave, jānaṁ passaṁ yathābhūtaṁ, rūpe jānaṁ passaṁ yathābhūtaṁ, cakkhuviññāṇaṁ jānaṁ passaṁ yathābhūtaṁ, cakkhusamphassaṁ jānaṁ passaṁ yathābhūtaṁ, yamidaṁ cakkhusamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṁ sukhaṁ vā dukkhaṁ vā adukkhamasukhaṁ vā tampi jānaṁ passaṁ yathābhūtaṁ, cakkhusmiṁ na sārajjati, rūpesu na sārajjati, cakkhuviññāṇe na sārajjati, cakkhusamphasse na sārajjati, yamidaṁ cakkhusamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṁ sukhaṁ vā dukkhaṁ vā adukkhamasukhaṁ vā tasmimpi na sārajjati.

Someone who lives unaroused like this—unfettered, unconfused, concentrating on drawbacks—disperses the five grasping aggregates for themselves in the future. And their craving—which leads to future lives, mixed up with relishing and greed, taking pleasure there wherever it alights—is given up. Their physical and mental stress, torment,

Tassa asārattassa asaṁyuttassa asammūḷhassa ādīnavānupassino viharato āyatiṁ pañcupādānakkhandhā apacayaṁ gacchanti. Taṇhā cassa ponobbhavikā nandīrāgasahagatā tatratatrābhinandinī, sā cassa pahīyati. Tassa kāyikāpi darathā pahīyanti, cetasikāpi darathā pahīyanti; kāyikāpi santāpā pahīyanti, cetasikāpi santāpā pahīyanti;

and fever are given up. And they experience physical and mental pleasure. The view of such a person is right view. Their intention is right intention,

kāyikāpi pariḷāhā pahīyanti, cetasikāpi pariḷāhā pahīyanti. So kāyasukhampi cetosukhampi paṭisaṁvedeti. Yā tathābhūtassa diṭṭhi sāssa hoti sammādiṭṭhi; yo tathābhūtassa saṅkappo svāssa hoti sammāsaṅkappo;

their effort is right effort, their mindfulness is right mindfulness, and their immersion is right immersion. And their actions of body and speech, and their livelihood, have already been fully purified before.

yo tathābhūtassa vāyāmo svāssa hoti sammāvāyāmo; yā tathābhūtassa sati sāssa hoti sammāsati; yo tathābhūtassa samādhi svāssa hoti sammāsamādhi. Pubbeva kho panassa kāyakammaṁ vacīkammaṁ ājīvo suparisuddho hoti.

So this noble eightfold path is fully developed. When the noble eightfold path is developed, the following are fully developed: the four kinds of mindfulness meditation, the four right efforts, the four bases of psychic power, the five faculties, the five powers, and the seven awakening factors.

Evamassāyaṁ ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo bhāvanāpāripūriṁ gacchati. Tassa evaṁ imaṁ ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bhāvayato cattāropi satipaṭṭhānā bhāvanāpāripūriṁ gacchanti, cattāropi sammappadhānā bhāvanāpāripūriṁ gacchanti, cattāropi iddhipādā bhāvanāpāripūriṁ gacchanti, pañcapi indriyāni bhāvanāpāripūriṁ gacchanti, pañcapi balāni bhāvanāpāripūriṁ gacchanti, sattapi bojjhaṅgā bhāvanāpāripūriṁ gacchanti.

And these two qualities proceed in conjunction: serenity and discernment. They completely understand by direct knowledge those things that should be completely understood by direct knowledge. They give up by direct knowledge those things that should be given up by direct knowledge.

Tassime dve dhammā yuganandhā vattanti— samatho ca vipassanā ca. So ye dhammā abhiññā pariññeyyā te dhamme abhiññā parijānāti. Ye dhammā abhiññā pahātabbā te dhamme abhiññā pajahati.

They develop by direct knowledge those things that should be developed by direct knowledge. They realize by direct knowledge those things that should be realized by direct knowledge. And what are the things that should be completely understood by direct knowledge? You should say: ‘The five grasping aggregates.’

Ye dhammā abhiññā bhāvetabbā te dhamme abhiññā bhāveti. Ye dhammā abhiññā sacchikātabbā te dhamme abhiññā sacchikaroti. Katame ca, bhikkhave, dhammā abhiññā pariññeyyā? ‘Pañcupādānakkhandhā’ tissa vacanīyaṁ,

That is: form, feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness. These are the things that should be completely understood by direct knowledge. And what are the things that should be given up by direct knowledge? Ignorance and craving for continued existence.

seyyathidaṁ—rūpupādānakkhandho, vedanupādānakkhandho, saññupādānakkhandho, saṅkhārupādānakkhandho, viññāṇupādānakkhandho. Ime dhammā abhiññā pariññeyyā. Katame ca, bhikkhave, dhammā abhiññā pahātabbā? Avijjā ca bhavataṇhā ca—

These are the things that should be given up by direct knowledge. And what are the things that should be developed by direct knowledge? Serenity and discernment. These are the things that should be developed by direct knowledge.

ime dhammā abhiññā pahātabbā. Katame ca, bhikkhave, dhammā abhiññā bhāvetabbā? Samatho ca vipassanā ca— ime dhammā abhiññā bhāvetabbā.

And what are the things that should be realized by direct knowledge? Knowledge and freedom. These are the things that should be realized by direct knowledge. When you truly know and see the ear …

Katame ca, bhikkhave, dhammā abhiññā sacchikātabbā? Vijjā ca vimutti ca— ime dhammā abhiññā sacchikātabbā. Sotaṁ, bhikkhave, jānaṁ passaṁ yathābhūtaṁ …pe…

nose … tongue … body … mind, ideas, mind consciousness, mind contact, and what is felt as pleasant, painful, or neutral that arises dependent on mind contact, you are not aroused by these things. …

ghānaṁ bhikkhave, jānaṁ passaṁ yathābhūtaṁ …pe… jivhaṁ, bhikkhave, jānaṁ passaṁ yathābhūtaṁ …pe… kāyaṁ, bhikkhave, jānaṁ passaṁ yathābhūtaṁ …pe… manaṁ, bhikkhave, jānaṁ passaṁ yathābhūtaṁ, dhamme jānaṁ passaṁ yathābhūtaṁ, manoviññāṇaṁ jānaṁ passaṁ yathābhūtaṁ, manosamphassaṁ jānaṁ passaṁ yathābhūtaṁ, yamidaṁ manosamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṁ sukhaṁ vā dukkhaṁ vā adukkhamasukhaṁ vā tampi jānaṁ passaṁ yathābhūtaṁ, manasmiṁ na sārajjati, dhammesu na sārajjati, manoviññāṇe na sārajjati, manosamphasse na sārajjati, yamidaṁ manosamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṁ sukhaṁ vā dukkhaṁ vā adukkhamasukhaṁ vā tasmimpi na sārajjati.

rūpupādānakkhandho, vedanupādānakkhandho, saññupādānakkhandho, saṅkhārupādānakkhandho, viññāṇupādānakkhandho. Ime dhammā abhiññā pariññeyyā. Katame ca, bhikkhave, dhammā abhiññā pahātabbā? Avijjā ca bhavataṇhā ca—

ime dhammā abhiññā pahātabbā. Katame ca, bhikkhave, dhammā abhiññā bhāvetabbā? Samatho ca vipassanā ca— ime dhammā abhiññā bhāvetabbā.

These are the things that should be realized by direct knowledge.” That is what the Buddha said.

Katame ca, bhikkhave, dhammā abhiññā sacchikātabbā? Vijjā ca vimutti ca— ime dhammā abhiññā sacchikātabbā”ti. Idamavoca bhagavā.

Satisfied, the mendicants approved what the Buddha said.

Attamanā te bhikkhū bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandunti. Mahāsaḷāyatanikasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ sattamaṁ.