The
Sammaditthi Sutta, the Discourse on Right View, is the ninth sutta of the
Majjhima Nikaya, the Collection of Middle Length Discourses. Its
expositor is the Venerable Sariputta Thera, the Buddha's chief disciple
and the foremost of the Master's bhikkhu disciples in the exercise of the
faculty of wisdom. The Buddha declared that next to himself, it was the
Venerable Sariputta who excelled in turning the incomparable Wheel of the
Dhamma, in expounding in depth and in detail the Four Noble Truths
realized with the attainment of enlightenment. In the Sammaditthi Sutta
the great disciple bears ample testimony to the Buddha's words of praise,
bequeathing upon us a discourse that has served as a primer of Buddhist
doctrine for generations of monks in the monasteries of South and
Southeast Asia.
As its title
suggests, the subject of the Sammaditthi Sutta is right view. The
analysis of right view undertaken in the sutta brings us to the very core
of the Dhamma, since right view constitutes the correct understanding of
the central teachings of the Buddha, the teachings which confer upon the
Buddha's doctrine its own unique and distinctive stamp. Though the
practice of right mindfulness has rightly been extolled as the crest jewel
of the Buddha's teaching, it cannot be stressed strongly enough that the
practice of mindfulness, or any other approach to meditation, only becomes
an effective instrument of liberation to the extent that it is founded
upon and guided by right view. Hence, to confirm the importance of right
view, the Buddha places it at the very beginning of the Noble Eightfold
Path. Elsewhere in the Suttas the Buddha calls right view the forerunner
of the path (pubbangama), which gives direction and efficacy to the
other seven path factors.
Right view,
as explained in the commentary to the Sammaditthi Sutta, has a variety of
aspects, but it might best be considered as twofold: conceptual right
view, which is the intellectual grasp of the principles enunciated in the
Buddha's teaching, and experiential right view, which is the wisdom that
arises by direct penetration of the teaching. Conceptual right view,
also called the right view in conformity with the truths (saccanulomika-sammaditthi),
is a correct conceptual understanding of the Dhamma arrived at by study of
the Buddha's teachings and deep examination of their meaning. Such
understanding, though conceptual rather than experiential, is not dry and
sterile. When rooted in faith in the Triple Gem and driven by a keen
aspiration to realize the truth embedded in the formulated principles of
the Dhamma, it serves as a critical phase in the development of wisdom (panna),
for it provides the germ out of which experiential right view gradually
evolves.
Experiential
right view is the penetration of the truth of the teaching in one's own
immediate experience. Thus it is also called right view that penetrates
the truths (saccapativedha-sammaditthi). This type of right view
is aroused by the practice of insight meditation guided by a correct
conceptual understanding of the Dhamma. To arrive at direct penetration,
one must begin with a correct conceptual grasp of the teaching and
transform that grasp from intellectual comprehension to direct perception
by cultivating the threefold training in morality, concentration and
wisdom. If conceptual right view van be compared to a hand, a hand that
grasps the truth by way of concepts, then experiential right view can be
compared to an eye -- the eye of wisdom that sees directly into the true
nature of existence ordinarily hidden from us by our greed, aversion and
delusion.
The Discourse
on Right View is intended to elucidate the principles that are to be
comprehended by conceptual right view and penetrated by experiential right
view. The Venerable Sariputta expounds these principles under sixteen
headings: the wholesome and the unwholesome, the four nutriments of
life, the Four Noble Truths, the twelve factors of dependent arising, and
the taints as the condition for ignorance. It will be noted that from
the second section to the end of the sutta, all the expositions are framed
in accordance with the same structure, which reveals the principle of
conditionality as the scaffolding for the entire teaching. Each
phenomenon to be comprehended by right view is expounded in terms of its
individual nature, its arising, its cessation, and the way leading to its
cessation. The grasp of this principle thus makes it clear that any
entity taken for examination is not an isolated occurrence with its being
locked up in itself, but part of a web of conditionally arisen processes
that can be terminated by understanding and eliminating the cause that
gives it being.
The right
view arrived at by penetrating any of the sixteen subjects expounded in
the sutta is discussed in terms of two aspects, both aspects of
supramundane penetration. The first is the initial penetration of the
supramundane path that transforms a person from a worldling (puthujjana)
into a stream-enterer (sotapanna), a noble disciple who has entered
irreversibly upon the stream to liberation. This aspect of right view is
indicated by the words that open each section, "(one) who has perfect
confidence in the Dhamma and has arrived at this true Dhamma." These
qualities are attributes only of the stream-enterer and those of higher
attainment along the path. The description thus applies to the trainee (sekha),
the disciple who has entered the path but has not yet reached its end.
The words signify right view as a transformative vision which has revealed
the ultimate truths underlying our existence, but which must still be
developed further to complete the full transformation it is capable of
effecting.
The second
aspect of supramundane right view is indicated by the closing words of
each section, from "he entirely abandons the underlying tendency to lust"
to "he here and now makes an end of suffering." This description is
fully applicable only to the Arahant, the liberated one, and thus
indicates that the right view conceptually grasped by the wise worldling,
and transformed into direct perception with the attainment of
stream-entry, reaches its consummation with the arrival at the teaching's
final goal, the attainment of complete emancipation from suffering.
The
translation of the Sammaditthi Sutta and its commentary presented here has
been adapted from manuscripts left behind by Bhikkhu Nanamoli. The
translation of the sutta has been adapted from Ven. Nanamoli's complete
translation of the Majjhima Nikaya. The version used has been taken from
the edition of the complete Majjhima Nikaya translation that I prepared
for publication by Wisdom Publications in the United States. This
version, tentatively scheduled for release in late 1992, employs extensive
substitution of Ven. Nanamoli's own technical terminology with my own
preferred renderings of Pali doctrinal terms.
The
commentary to the Sammaditthi Sutta is from the Papancasudani, Acariya
Buddhaghosa's complete commentary (atthakatha) to the Majjhima
Nikaya. The translation of the commentary has also been adapted from a
rendering by Ven. Nanamoli, contained in a notebook of his that was
discovered only a few years ago at Island Hermitage. The terminology
used in the notebook version suggests that it was one of Ven. Nanamoli's
earliest attempts at translation from the Pali; it certainly preceded his
translation of the Visuddhimagga, The Path of Purification, first
completed at the end of 1953. In adapting the translation, I have
naturally replaced the technical terminology used in the notebook version
with that used in the sutta. In places I also decided to translate
directly from the Pali text rather than adhere to Ven. Nanamoli's
rendering, which sometimes tended to be literal to the point of
awkwardness. A few passages from the commentary that are concerned
solely with linguistic clarification have been omitted from the
translation.
Passages in
the commentarial section enclosed in square brackets are taken from the
subcommentary to the Sammaditthi Sutta, by Acariya Dhammapala. Passages
in parenthesis are additions either by Ven. Nanamoli or by myself. The
paragraph numbering of the commentarial section follows that of the sutta.
The phrases of the sutta that are selected for comment have been set in
boldface. The backnotes are entirely my own.
Bhikkhu
Nanamoli was born in England in 1905 and graduated from Exeter College,
Oxford. In 1948 he came to Sri Lanka, where he was ordained the
following year at the Island Hermitage near Dodanduwa. During his 11
years in the Sangha Ven. Nanamoli translated into lucid English some of
the most difficult texts of Theravada Buddhism. In 1960, on one of his
rare outings from the Hermitage, he suddenly passed away due to heart
failure.
Bhikkhu Bodhi
is a Buddhist monk of American nationality, born in New York City in
1944. After completing a doctorate in philosophy at Claremont Graduate
School, he came to Sri Lanka in 1972, and was ordained the same year under
the eminent scholar-monk, Ven. Balangoda Ananda Maitreya. Since 1984 he
has been Editor for the Buddhist Publication Society, and its President
since 1988.
Part One
The Discourse on Right View
(Sammaditthi Sutta)
Majjhima Nikaya, Sutta No. 9
1. Thus
have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was living at Savatthi
in Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika's Park. There the Venerable Sariputta
addressed the bhikkhus thus: "Friends, bhikkhus." -- "Friend," they
replied. The Venerable Sariputta said this:
2. "'One
of right view, one of right view' is said, friends. In what way is a
noble disciple one of right view, whose view is straight, who has
perfect confidence in the Dhamma, and has arrived at this true Dhamma?"
"Indeed,
friend, we would come from far away to learn from the Venerable
Sariputta the meaning of this statement. It would be good if the
Venerable Sariputta would explain the meaning of this statement.
Having heard it from him, the bhikkhus will remember it."
"Then,
friends, listen and attend closely to what I shall say."
"Yes,
friend," the bhikkhus replied. The Venerable Sariputta said this:
The Wholesome and the Unwholesome
3. "When,
friends, a noble disciple understands the unwholesome, the root of the
unwholesome, the wholesome, and the root of the wholesome, in that way
he is one of right view, whose view is straight, who has perfect
confidence in the Dhamma, and has arrived at this true Dhamma.
4. "And
what, friends, is the unwholesome, what is the root of the unwholesome,
what is the wholesome, what is the root of the wholesome? Killing
living beings is unwholesome; taking what is not given is unwholesome;
misconduct in sensual pleasures is unwholesome; false speech is
unwholesome; malicious speech is unwholesome; harsh speech is
unwholesome; gossip is unwholesome; covetousness is unwholesome; ill
will is unwholesome; wrong view is unwholesome. This is called the
unwholesome.
5. "And
what is the root of the unwholesome? Greed is a root of the
unwholesome; hate is a root of the unwholesome; delusion is a root of
the unwholesome. This is called the root of the unwholesome.
6. "And
what is the wholesome? Abstention from killing living beings is
wholesome; abstention from taking what is not given is wholesome;
abstention from misconduct in sensual pleasures is wholesome; abstention
from false speech is wholesome; abstention from malicious speech is
wholesome; abstention from harsh speech is wholesome; abstention from
gossip is wholesome; non-covetousness is wholesome; non-ill will is
wholesome; right view is wholesome. This is called the wholesome.
7. "And
what is the root of the wholesome? Non-greed is a root of the
wholesome; non-hate is a root of the wholesome; non-delusion is a root
of the wholesome. This is called the root of the wholesome.
8. "When
a noble disciple has thus understood the unwholesome, the root of the
unwholesome, the wholesome, and the root of the wholesome, he entirely
abandons the underlying tendency to lust, he abolishes the underlying
tendency to aversion, he extirpates the underlying tendency to the view
and conceit 'I am,' and by abandoning ignorance and arousing true
knowledge he here and now makes an end of suffering. In that way too a
noble disciple is one of right view, whose view is straight, who has
perfect confidence in the Dhamma and has arrived at this true Dhamma."
Nutriment
9.
Saying, "Good, friend," the bhikkhus delighted and rejoiced in the
Venerable Sariputta's words. Then they asked him a further question:
"But, friend, might there be another way in which a noble disciple is
one of right view . . . and has arrived at this true Dhamma?" --
"There might be, friends.
10.
"When, friends, a noble disciple understands nutriment, the origin of
nutriment, the cessation of nutriment, and the way leading to the
cessation of nutriment, in that way he is one of right view . . .
and has arrived at this true Dhamma.
11. "And
what is nutriment, what is the origin of nutriment, what is the
cessation of nutriment, what is the way leading to the cessation of
nutriment? There are these four kinds of nutriment for the maintenance
of beings that already have come to be and for the support of those
seeking a new existence. What four? They are physical food as
nutriment, gross or subtle; contact as the second; mental volition as
the third; and consciousness as the fourth. With the arising of
craving there is the arising of nutriment. With the cessation of
craving there is the cessation of nutriment. The way leading to the
cessation of nutriment is just this Noble Eightfold Path; that is, right
view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood,
right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration.
12. "When
a noble disciple has thus understood nutriment, the origin of nutriment,
the cessation of nutriment, and the way leading to the cessation of
nutriment, he entirely abandons the underlying tendency to greed, he
abolishes the underlying tendency to aversion, he extirpates the
underlying tendency to the view and conceit 'I am,' and by abandoning
ignorance and arousing true knowledge he here and now makes an end of
suffering. In that way too a noble disciple is one of right view,
whose view is straight, who has perfect confidence in the Dhamma and has
arrived at this true Dhamma."
The Four Noble Truths
13.
Saying, "Good, friend," the bhikkhus delighted and rejoiced in the
Venerable Sariputta's words. Then they asked him a further question:
"But, friend, might there be another way in which a noble disciple is
one of right view . . . and has arrived at this true Dhamma?" --
"There might be, friends.
14.
"When, friends, a noble disciple understands suffering, the origin of
suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the way leading to the
cessation of suffering, in that way he is one of right view . . .
and has arrived at this true Dhamma.
15. "And
what is suffering, what is the origin of suffering, what is the
cessation of suffering, what is the way leading to the cessation of
suffering? Birth is suffering; aging is suffering; sickness is
suffering; death is suffering; sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and
despair are suffering; not to obtain what one wants is suffering; in
short, the five aggregates affected by clinging are suffering. This is
called suffering.
16. "And
what is the origin of suffering? It is craving, which brings renewal
of being, is accompanied by delight and lust, and delights in this and
that; that is, craving for sensual pleasures, craving for being and
craving for non-being. This is called the origin of suffering.
17. "And
what is the cessation of suffering? It is the remainderless fading
away and ceasing, the giving up, relinquishing, letting go and rejecting
of that same craving. This is called the cessation of suffering.
18. "And
what is the way leading to the cessation of suffering? It is just this
Noble Eightfold Path; that is, right view . . . right
concentration. This is called the way leading to the cessation of
suffering.
19. "When
a noble disciple has thus understood suffering, the origin of suffering,
the cessation of suffering, and the way leading to the cessation of
suffering . . . he here and now makes an end of suffering. In that
way too a noble disciple is one of right view . . . and has arrived
at this true Dhamma."
Aging and Death
20.
Saying, "Good, friend," the bhikkhus delighted and rejoiced in the
Venerable Sariputta's words. Then they asked him a further question:
"But, friend, might there be another way in which a noble disciple is
one of right view . . . and has arrived at this true Dhamma?" --
"There might be, friends.
21.
"When, friends, a noble disciple understands aging and death, the origin
of aging and death, the cessation of aging and death, and the way
leading to the cessation of aging and death, in that way he is one of
right view . . . and has arrived at this true Dhamma.
22. "And
what is aging and death, what is the origin of aging and death, what is
the cessation of aging and death, what is the way leading to the
cessation of aging and death? The aging of beings in the various
orders of beings, their old age, brokenness of teeth, grayness of hair,
wrinkling of skin, decline of life, weakness of faculties -- this is
called aging. The passing of beings out of the various orders of
beings, their passing away, dissolution, disappearance, dying,
completion of time, dissolution of the aggregates, laying down of the
body -- this is called death. So this aging and this death are what is
called aging and death. With the arising of birth there is the arising
of aging and death. With the cessation of birth there is the cessation
of aging and death. The way leading to the cessation of aging and
death is just this Noble Eightfold Path; that is, right view . . .
right concentration.
23. "When
a noble disciple has thus understood aging and death, the origin of
aging and death, the cessation of aging and death, and the way leading
to the cessation of aging and death . . . he here and now makes an
end of suffering. In that way too a noble disciple is one of right
view . . . and has arrived at this true Dhamma."
Birth
24.
Saying, "Good, friend," the bhikkhus delighted and rejoiced in the
Venerable Sariputta's words. Then they asked him a further question:
"But, friend, might there be another way in which a noble disciple is
one of right view . . . and has arrived at this true Dhamma?" --
"There might be, friends.
25.
"When, friends, a noble disciple understands birth, the origin of birth,
the cessation of birth, and the way leading to the cessation of birth,
in that way he is one of right view . . . and has arrived at this
true Dhamma.
26. "And
what is birth, what is the origin of birth, what is the cessation of
birth, what is the way leading to the cessation of birth? The birth of
beings into the various orders of beings, their coming to birth,
precipitation (in a womb), generation, manifestation of the aggregates,
obtaining the bases for contact -- this is called birth. With the
arising of being there is the arising of birth. With the cessation of
being there is the cessation of birth. The way leading to the
cessation of birth is just this Noble Eightfold Path; that is, right
view . . . right concentration.
27. "When
a noble disciple has thus understood birth, the origin of birth, the
cessation of birth, and the way leading to the cessation of birth
. . . he here and now makes an end of suffering. In that way too a
noble disciple is one of right view . . . and has arrived at this
true Dhamma."
Being
28.
Saying, "Good, friend," the bhikkhus delighted and rejoiced in the
Venerable Sariputta's words. Then they asked him a further question:
"But, friend, might there be another way in which a noble disciple is
one of right view . . . and has arrived at this true Dhamma?" --
"There might be, friends.
29.
"When, friends, a noble disciple understands being, the origin of being,
the cessation of being, and the way leading to the cessation of being,
in that way he is one of right view . . . and has arrived at this
true Dhamma.
30. "And
what is being, what is the origin of being, what is the cessation of
being, what is the way leading to the cessation of being? There are
these three kinds of being: sense-sphere being, fine-material being
and immaterial being. With the arising of clinging there is the
arising of being. With the cessation of clinging there is the
cessation of being. The way leading to the cessation of being is just
this Noble Eightfold Path; that is, right view . . . right
concentration.
31. "When
a noble disciple has thus understood being, the origin of being, the
cessation of being, and the way leading to the cessation of being
. . . he here and now makes an end of suffering. In that way too a
noble disciple is one of right view . . . and has arrived at this
true Dhamma."
Clinging
32.
Saying, "Good, friend," the bhikkhus delighted and rejoiced in the
Venerable Sariputta's words. Then they asked him a further question:
"But, friend, might there be another way in which a noble disciple is
one of right view . . . and has arrived at this true Dhamma?" --
"There might be, friends.
33.
"When, friends, a noble disciple understands clinging, the origin of
clinging, the cessation of clinging, and the way leading to the
cessation of clinging, in that way he is one of right view . . . and
has arrived at this true Dhamma.
34. "And
what is clinging, what is the origin of clinging, what is the cessation
of clinging, what is the way leading to the cessation of clinging?
There are these four kinds of clinging: clinging to sensual pleasures,
clinging to views, clinging to rituals and observances, and clinging to
a doctrine of self. With the arising of craving there is the arising
of clinging. With the cessation of craving there is the cessation of
clinging. The way leading to the cessation of clinging is just this
Noble Eightfold Path; that is, right view . . . right concentration.
35. "When
a noble disciple has thus understood clinging, the origin of clinging,
the cessation of clinging, and the way leading to the cessation of
clinging . . . he here and now makes an end of suffering. In that
way too a noble disciple is one of right view . . . and has arrived
at this true Dhamma."
Craving
36.
Saying, "Good, friend," the bhikkhus delighted and rejoiced in the
Venerable Sariputta's words. Then they asked him a further question:
"But, friend, might there be another way in which a noble disciple is
one of right view . . . and has arrived at this true Dhamma?" --
"There might be, friends.
37.
"When, friends, a noble disciple understands craving, the origin of
craving, the cessation of craving, and the way leading to the cessation
of craving, in that way he is one of right view . . . and has
arrived at this true Dhamma.
38. "And
what is craving, what is the origin of craving, what is the cessation of
craving, what is the way leading to the cessation of craving? There
are these six classes of craving: craving for forms, craving for
sounds, craving for odors, craving for flavors, craving for tangibles,
craving for mind-objects. With the arising of feeling there is the
arising of craving. With the cessation of feeling there is the
cessation of craving. The way leading to the cessation of craving is
just this Noble Eightfold Path; that is, right view . . . right
concentration.
39. "When
a noble disciple has thus understood craving, the origin of craving, the
cessation of craving, and the way leading to the cessation of craving
. . . he here and now makes an end of suffering. In that way too a
noble disciple is one of right view . . . and has arrived at this
true Dhamma."
Feeling
40.
Saying, "Good, friend," the bhikkhus delighted and rejoiced in the
Venerable Sariputta's words. Then they asked him a further question:
"But, friend, might there be another way in which a noble disciple is
one of right view . . . and has arrived at this true Dhamma?" --
"There might be, friends.
41.
"When, friends, a noble disciple understands feeling, the origin of
feeling, the cessation of feeling, and the way leading to the cessation
of feeling, in that way he is one of right view . . . and has
arrived at this true Dhamma.
42. "And
what is feeling, what is the origin of feeling, what is the cessation of
feeling, what is the way leading to the cessation of feeling? There
are these six classes of feeling: feeling born of eye-contact, feeling
born of ear-contact, feeling born of nose-contact, feeling born of
tongue-contact, feeling born of body-contact, feeling born of
mind-contact. With the arising of contact there is the arising of
feeling. With the cessation of contact there is the cessation of
feeling. The way leading to the cessation of feeling is just this
Noble Eightfold Path; that is, right view . . . right concentration.
43. "When
a noble disciple has thus understood feeling, the origin of feeling, the
cessation of feeling, and the way leading to the cessation of feeling
. . . he here and now makes an end of suffering. In that way too a
noble disciple is one of right view . . . and has arrived at this
true Dhamma."
Contact
44.
Saying, "Good, friend," the bhikkhus delighted and rejoiced in the
Venerable Sariputta's words. Then they asked him a further question:
"But, friend, might there be another way in which a noble disciple is
one of right view . . . and has arrived at this true Dhamma?" --
"There might be, friends.
45.
"When, friends, a noble disciple understands contact, the origin of
contact, the cessation of contact, and the way leading to the cessation
of contact, in that way he is one of right view . . . and has
arrived at this true Dhamma.
46. "And
what is contact, what is the origin of contact, what is the cessation of
contact, what is the way leading to the cessation of contact? There
are these six classes of contact: eye-contact, ear-contact,
nose-contact, tongue-contact, body-contact, mind-contact. With the
arising of the sixfold base there is the arising of contact. With the
cessation of the sixfold base there is the cessation of contact. The
way leading to the cessation of contact is just this Noble Eightfold
Path; that is, right view . . . right concentration.
47. "When
a noble disciple has thus understood contact, the origin of contact, the
cessation of contact, and the way leading to the cessation of contact
. . . he here and now makes an end of suffering. In that way too a
noble disciple is one of right view . . . and has arrived at this
true Dhamma."
The Sixfold Base
48.
Saying, "Good, friend," the bhikkhus delighted and rejoiced in the
Venerable Sariputta's words. Then they asked him a further question:
"But, friend, might there be another way in which a noble disciple is
one of right view . . . and has arrived at this true Dhamma?" --
"There might be, friends.
49.
"When, friends, a noble disciple understands the sixfold base, the
origin of the sixfold base, the cessation of the sixfold base, and the
way leading to the cessation of the sixfold base, he is one of right
view . . . and has arrived at this true Dhamma.
50. "And
what is the sixfold base, what is the origin of the sixfold base, what
is the cessation of the sixfold base, what is the way leading to the
cessation of the sixfold base? There are these six bases: the
eye-base, the ear-base, the nose-base, the tongue-base, the body-base,
the mind-base. With the arising of mentality-materiality there is the
arising of the sixfold base. With the cessation of
mentality-materiality there is the cessation of the sixfold base. The
way leading to the cessation of the sixfold base is just this Noble
Eightfold Path; that is, right view . . . right concentration.
51. "When
a noble disciple has thus understood the sixfold base, the origin of the
sixfold base, the cessation of the sixfold base, and the way leading to
the cessation of the sixfold base . . . he here and now makes an end
of suffering. In that way too a noble disciple is one of right view
. . . and has arrived at this true Dhamma."
Mentality-Materiality
52.
Saying, "Good, friend," the bhikkhus delighted and rejoiced in the
Venerable Sariputta's words. Then they asked him a further question:
"But, friend, might there be another way in which a noble disciple is
one of right view . . . and has arrived at this true Dhamma?" --
"There might be, friends.
53.
"When, friends, a noble disciple understands mentality-materiality, the
origin of mentality-materiality, the cessation of mentality-materiality,
and the way leading to the cessation of mentality-materiality, in that
way he is one of right view . . . and has arrived at this true
Dhamma.
54. "And
what is mentality-materiality, what is the origin of
mentality-materiality, what is the cessation of mentality-materiality,
what is the way leading to the cessation of mentality-materiality?
Feeling, perception, volition, contact and attention -- these are called
mentality. The four great elements and the material form derived from
the four great elements -- these are called materiality. So this
mentality and this materiality are what is called
mentality-materiality. With the arising of consciousness there is the
arising of mentality-materiality. With the cessation of consciousness
there is the cessation of mentality-materiality. The way leading to
the cessation of mentality-materiality is just this Noble Eightfold
Path; that is, right view . . . right concentration.
55. "When
a noble disciple has thus understood mentality-materiality, the origin
of mentality-materiality, the cessation of mentality-materiality, and
the way leading to the cessation of mentality-materiality . . . he
here and now makes an end of suffering. In that way too a noble
disciple is one of right view . . . and has arrived at this true
Dhamma."
Consciousness
56.
Saying, "Good, friend," the bhikkhus delighted and rejoiced in the
Venerable Sariputta's words. Then they asked him a further question:
"But, friend, might there be another way in which a noble disciple is
one of right view . . . and has arrived at this true Dhamma?" --
"There might be, friends.
57.
"When, friends, a noble disciple understands consciousness, the origin
of consciousness, the cessation of consciousness, and the way leading to
the cessation of consciousness, in that way he is one of right view
. . . and has arrived at this true Dhamma.
58. "And
what is consciousness, what is the origin of consciousness, what is the
cessation of consciousness, what is the way leading to the cessation of
consciousness? There are these six classes of consciousness:
eye-consciousness, ear-consciousness, nose-consciousness,
tongue-consciousness, body-consciousness, mind-consciousness. With the
arising of formations there is the arising of consciousness. With the
cessation of formations there is the cessation of consciousness. The
way leading to the cessation of consciousness is just this Noble
Eightfold Path; that is, right view . . . right concentration.
59. "When
a noble disciple has thus understood consciousness, the origin of
consciousness, the cessation of consciousness, and the way leading to
the cessation of consciousness . . . he here and now makes an end of
suffering. In that way too a noble disciple is one of right view
. . . and has arrived at this true Dhamma."
Formations
60.
Saying, "Good friend," the bhikkhus delighted and rejoiced in the
Venerable Sariputta's words. Then they asked him a further question:
"But, friend, might there be another way in which a noble disciple is
one of right view . . . and has arrived at this true Dhamma?" --
"There might be, friends.
61.
"When, friends, a noble disciple understands formations, the origin of
formations, the cessation of formations, and the way leading to the
cessation of formations, in that way he is one of right view . . .
and has arrived at this true Dhamma.
62. "And
what are formations, what is the origin of formations, what is the
cessation of formations, what is the way leading to the cessation of
formations? There are these three kinds of formations: the bodily
formation, the verbal formation, the mental formation. With the
arising of ignorance there is the arising of formations. With the
cessation of ignorance there is the cessation of formations. The way
leading to the cessation of formations is just this Noble Eightfold
Path; that is, right view . . . right concentration.
63. "When
a noble disciple has thus understood formations, the origin of
formations, the cessation of formations, and the way leading to the
cessation of formations . . . he here and now makes an end of
suffering. In that way too a noble disciple is one of right view
. . . and has arrived at this true Dhamma."
Ignorance
64.
Saying, "Good friend," the bhikkhus delighted and rejoiced in the
Venerable Sariputta's words. Then they asked him a further question:
"But, friend, might there be another way in which a noble disciple is
one of right view . . . and has arrived at this true Dhamma?" --
"There might be, friends.
65.
"When, friends, a noble disciple understands ignorance, the origin of
ignorance, the cessation of ignorance, and the way leading to the
cessation of ignorance, in that way he is one of right view . . .
and has arrived at this true Dhamma.
66. "And
what is ignorance, what is the origin of ignorance, what is the
cessation of ignorance, what is the way leading to the cessation of
ignorance? Not knowing about suffering, not knowing about the origin
of suffering, not knowing about the cessation of suffering, not knowing
about the way leading to the cessation of suffering -- this is called
ignorance. With the arising of the taints there is the arising of
ignorance. With the cessation of the taints there is the cessation of
ignorance. The way leading to the cessation of ignorance is just this
Noble Eightfold Path; that is, right view . . . right concentration.
67. "When
a noble disciple has thus understood ignorance, the origin of ignorance,
the cessation of ignorance, and the way leading to the cessation of
ignorance . . . he here and now makes an end of suffering. In that
way too a noble disciple is one of right view . . . and has arrived
at this true Dhamma."
Taints
68.
Saying, "Good, friend," the bhikkhus delighted and rejoiced in the
Venerable Sariputta's words. Then they asked him a further question:
"But, friend, might there be another way in which a noble disciple is
one of right view, whose view is straight, who has perfect confidence in
the Dhamma and has arrived at this true Dhamma?" -- "There might be,
friends.
69.
"When, friends, a noble disciple understands the taints, the origin of
the taints, the cessation of the taints, and the way leading to the
cessation of the taints, in that way he is one of right view, whose view
is straight, who has perfect confidence in the Dhamma and has arrived at
this true Dhamma.
70. "And
what are the taints, what is the origin of the taints, what is the
cessation of the taints, what is the way leading to the cessation of the
taints? There are three taints: the taint of sensual desire, the
taint of being and the taint of ignorance. With the arising of
ignorance there is the arising of the taints. With the cessation of
ignorance there is the cessation of the taints. The way leading to the
cessation of the taints is just this Noble Eightfold Path; that is,
right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right
livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration.
71. "When
a noble disciple has thus understood the taints, the origin of the
taints, the cessation of the taints, and the way leading to the
cessation of the taints, he entirely abandons the underlying tendency to
lust, he abolishes the underlying tendency to aversion, he extirpates
the underlying tendency to the view and conceit 'I am,' and by
abandoning ignorance and arousing true knowledge he here and now makes
an end of suffering. In that way too a noble disciple is one of right
view, whose view is straight, who has perfect confidence in the Dhamma
and has arrived at this true Dhamma."
That is
what the Venerable Sariputta said. The bhikkhus were satisfied and
delighted in the Venerable Sariputta's words.