3.

The Chapter on the All

1.

The Discourse on the All

23. At Sāvatthī. "I will teach you, monks, the all. Listen to that. And what, monks, is the all? The eye and visible forms, the ear and sounds, the nose and odours, the tongue and flavours, the body and tangible objects, the mind and mind-objects. This is called, monks, the all. Whoever, monks, would say thus - 'Having rejected this all, I will declare another all,' for him it would be mere words; and if questioned he would not be able to explain, and furthermore he would fall into vexation. What is the reason for this? Because, monks, it is not within his domain." The first.

2.

The Discourse on Abandoning

24. "I will expound to you, monks, the Teaching for abandoning the all. Listen to that. And what, monks, is the teaching for abandoning the all? The eye, monks, is to be abandoned, visible forms are to be abandoned, eye-consciousness is to be abandoned, eye-contact is to be abandoned, whatever feeling arises with eye-contact as condition - whether pleasant or unpleasant or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant - that too is to be abandoned. ... whatever feeling arises with ear-contact as condition - whether pleasant or unpleasant or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant - that too is to be abandoned. whatever feeling arises with nose-contact as condition - whether pleasant or unpleasant or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant - that too is to be abandoned. The tongue is to be abandoned, flavours are to be abandoned, tongue-consciousness is to be abandoned, tongue-contact is to be abandoned, whatever feeling arises with tongue-contact as condition - whether pleasant or unpleasant or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant - that too is to be abandoned. The body is to be abandoned... The mind is to be abandoned, mind-objects are to be abandoned , mind-consciousness is to be abandoned, mind-contact is to be abandoned, whatever feeling arises with mind-contact as condition - whether pleasant or unpleasant or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant - that too is to be abandoned. This, monks, is the teaching for abandoning the all." The second.

3.

The Discourse on Direct Knowledge, Full Understanding, and Abandoning

25. "I will expound to you, monks, the Teaching for abandoning the all through direct knowledge and full understanding. Listen to that. And what, monks, is the teaching for abandoning the all through direct knowledge and full understanding? The eye, monks, is to be abandoned through direct knowledge and full understanding, visible forms are to be abandoned through direct knowledge and full understanding, eye-consciousness is to be abandoned through direct knowledge and full understanding, eye-contact is to be abandoned through direct knowledge and full understanding, whatever feeling arises with eye-contact as condition - whether pleasant or unpleasant or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant - that too is to be abandoned through direct knowledge and full understanding. ... The tongue is to be abandoned through direct knowledge and full understanding, flavours are to be abandoned through direct knowledge and full understanding, tongue-consciousness is to be abandoned through direct knowledge and full understanding, tongue-contact is to be abandoned through direct knowledge and full understanding, whatever feeling arises with tongue-contact as condition - whether pleasant or unpleasant or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant - that too is to be abandoned through direct knowledge and full understanding. The body is to be abandoned through direct knowledge and full understanding... The mind is to be abandoned through direct knowledge and full understanding, mind-objects are to be abandoned through direct knowledge and full understanding, mind-consciousness is to be abandoned through direct knowledge and full understanding, mind-contact is to be abandoned through direct knowledge and full understanding, whatever feeling arises with mind-contact as condition - whether pleasant or unpleasant or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant - that too is to be abandoned through direct knowledge and full understanding. This, monks, is the teaching for abandoning the all through direct knowledge and full understanding." The third.

4.

The First Discourse on Not Fully Understanding

26. "Monks, without directly knowing and fully understanding the all, without becoming dispassionate towards it and abandoning it, one is incapable of eliminating suffering. And what, monks, is that all which, without directly knowing and fully understanding, without becoming dispassionate towards and abandoning, one is incapable of eliminating suffering? Monks, without directly knowing and fully understanding the eye, without becoming dispassionate towards it and abandoning it, one is incapable of eliminating suffering. Without directly knowing and fully understanding visible forms, without becoming dispassionate towards them and abandoning them, one is incapable of eliminating suffering. Without directly knowing and fully understanding eye-consciousness, without becoming dispassionate towards it and abandoning it, one is incapable of eliminating suffering. Without directly knowing and fully understanding eye-contact, without becoming dispassionate towards it and abandoning it, one is incapable of eliminating suffering. Whatever feeling arises with eye-contact as condition - whether pleasant or unpleasant or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant - that too, without directly knowing and fully understanding it, without becoming dispassionate towards it and abandoning it, one is incapable of eliminating suffering. ... Without directly knowing and fully understanding the tongue, without becoming dispassionate towards it and abandoning it, one is incapable of eliminating suffering. Flavours... Tongue-consciousness... Tongue-contact... Whatever feeling arises with tongue-contact as condition - whether pleasant or unpleasant or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant - that too, without directly knowing and fully understanding it, without becoming dispassionate towards it and abandoning it, one is incapable of eliminating suffering. The body... Without directly knowing and fully understanding the mind, without becoming dispassionate towards it and abandoning it, one is incapable of eliminating suffering. Mind-objects... Mind-consciousness... Mind-contact... Whatever feeling arises with mind-contact as condition - whether pleasant or unpleasant or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant - that too, without directly knowing and fully understanding it, without becoming dispassionate towards it and abandoning it, one is incapable of eliminating suffering. This, monks, is the all which, without directly knowing and fully understanding, without becoming dispassionate towards and abandoning, one is incapable of eliminating suffering.

"But, monks, by directly knowing and fully understanding the all, by becoming dispassionate towards it and abandoning it, one is capable of eliminating suffering. And what, monks, is that all which, by directly knowing and fully understanding, by becoming dispassionate towards it and abandoning it, one is capable of eliminating suffering? Monks, by directly knowing and fully understanding the eye, by becoming dispassionate towards it and abandoning it, one is capable of eliminating suffering. By directly knowing and fully understanding visible forms, by becoming dispassionate towards them and abandoning them, one is capable of eliminating suffering. By directly knowing and fully understanding eye-consciousness, by becoming dispassionate towards it and abandoning it, one is capable of eliminating suffering. By directly knowing and fully understanding eye-contact, by becoming dispassionate towards it and abandoning it, one is capable of eliminating suffering. Whatever feeling arises with eye-contact as condition - whether pleasant or unpleasant or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant - that too, by directly knowing and fully understanding it, by becoming dispassionate towards it and abandoning it, one is capable of eliminating suffering. ... By directly knowing and fully understanding the tongue, by becoming dispassionate towards it and abandoning it, one is capable of eliminating suffering. Flavours... Tongue-consciousness... Tongue-contact... Whatever feeling arises with tongue-contact as condition - whether pleasant or unpleasant or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant - that too, by directly knowing and fully understanding it, by becoming dispassionate towards it and abandoning it, one is capable of eliminating suffering. The body... By directly knowing and fully understanding the mind, by becoming dispassionate towards it and abandoning it, one is capable of eliminating suffering. Mind-objects... Mind-consciousness... Mind-contact... Whatever feeling arises with mind-contact as condition - whether pleasant or unpleasant or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant - that too, by directly knowing and fully understanding it, by becoming dispassionate towards it and abandoning it, one is capable of eliminating suffering. This, monks, is the all which, by directly knowing and fully understanding, by becoming dispassionate towards and abandoning, one is capable of eliminating suffering." The fourth.

5.

The Second Discourse on Not Fully Understanding

27. "Monks, without directly knowing and fully understanding the all, without becoming dispassionate towards it and abandoning it, one is incapable of eliminating suffering. And what, monks, is that all which, without directly knowing and fully understanding, without becoming dispassionate towards and abandoning, one is incapable of eliminating suffering? The eye, monks, and material forms, eye-consciousness and things to be cognised by eye-consciousness... etc. the tongue and flavours, tongue-consciousness and things to be cognised by tongue-consciousness; the body and tangible objects, body-consciousness and things to be cognised by body-consciousness; the mind and mind-objects, mind-consciousness and things to be cognised by mind-consciousness - this, monks, is the all which, without directly knowing and fully understanding, without becoming dispassionate towards and abandoning, one is incapable of eliminating suffering.

"Monks, by directly knowing and fully understanding the all, by becoming dispassionate towards it and abandoning it, one is capable of eliminating suffering. And what, monks, is that all which, by directly knowing and fully understanding, by becoming dispassionate towards it and abandoning it, one is capable of eliminating suffering? The eye, monks, and forms, eye-consciousness and things to be cognised by eye-consciousness... etc. the tongue and flavours, tongue-consciousness and things to be cognised by tongue-consciousness; the body and tangible objects, body-consciousness and things to be cognised by body-consciousness; the mind and mind-objects, mind-consciousness and things to be cognised by mind-consciousness - - this, monks, is the all which, by directly knowing and fully understanding, by becoming dispassionate towards and abandoning, one is capable of eliminating suffering." The fifth.

6.

The Discourse on Being Ablaze

28. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Gayā, at Gayāsīsa, together with a thousand monks. There the Blessed One addressed the monks thus: "Monks, all is burning. And what, monks, is the all that is burning? The eye, monks, is burning, visible forms are burning, eye-consciousness is burning, eye-contact is burning. Whatever feeling arises with eye-contact as condition - whether pleasant or unpleasant or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant - that too is burning. Burning with what? Burning with the fire of lust, with the fire of hate, with the fire of delusion, burning with birth, ageing, and death; with sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and anguish, I say. ... The tongue is burning, flavours are burning, tongue-consciousness is burning, tongue-contact is burning. Whatever feeling arises with tongue-contact as condition - whether pleasant or unpleasant or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant - that too is burning. Burning with what? Burning with the fire of lust, with the fire of hate, with the fire of delusion, burning with birth, ageing, and death; with sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and anguish, I say. ... The mind is burning, mind-objects are burning, mind-consciousness is burning, mind-contact is burning. Whatever feeling arises with mind-contact as condition - whether pleasant or unpleasant or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant - that too is burning. Burning with what? Burning with the fire of lust, with the fire of hate, with the fire of delusion, burning with birth, ageing, and death; with sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and anguish, I say. Seeing thus, monks, a learned noble disciple becomes disenchanted with the eye, becomes disenchanted with forms, becomes disenchanted with eye-consciousness, becomes disenchanted with eye-contact, becomes disenchanted with whatever feeling arises with eye-contact as condition - whether pleasant or unpleasant or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant. Etc. becomes disenchanted with whatever feeling arises with mind-contact as condition - whether pleasant or unpleasant or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant. Being disenchanted, he becomes dispassionate; through dispassion, he becomes liberated; when liberated, there is the knowledge: 'Liberated.' He understands: 'Birth is eliminated, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming back to any state of being.'" This is what the Blessed One said. Pleased, those monks delighted in the Blessed One’s statement. And while this explanation was being spoken, the minds of that thousand monks were liberated from the mental corruptions by non-clinging. The sixth.

7.

The Discourse on What Has Come to Be Over Time

29. Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrels' Feeding Ground. There the Blessed One addressed the monks thus: "The all, monks, is oppressed. And what, monks, is the all that is oppressed? The eye, monks, is oppressed, material forms are oppressed, eye-consciousness is oppressed, eye-contact is oppressed, whatever feeling arises with eye-contact as condition - whether pleasant or unpleasant or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant - that too is oppressed. Oppressed by what? 'Oppressed by birth, by ageing, by death, by sorrows, by lamentations, by sufferings, by displeasures, by anguishes,' I say. Etc. The tongue is oppressed, flavours are oppressed, tongue-consciousness is oppressed, tongue-contact is oppressed, whatever feeling arises with tongue-contact as condition - whether pleasant or unpleasant or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant - that too is oppressed. Oppressed by what? 'Oppressed by birth, by ageing, by death, by sorrows, by lamentations, by sufferings, by displeasures, by anguishes,' I say. The body is oppressed. Etc. The mind is oppressed, mental phenomena are oppressed, mind-consciousness is oppressed, mind-contact is oppressed, whatever feeling arises with mind-contact as condition - whether pleasant or unpleasant or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant - that too is oppressed. Oppressed by what? 'Oppressed by birth, by ageing, by death, by sorrows, by lamentations, by sufferings, by displeasures, by anguishes,' I say. Seeing thus, monks, a learned noble disciple becomes disenchanted with the eye, becomes disenchanted with material forms, becomes disenchanted with eye-consciousness, becomes disenchanted with eye-contact. Etc. becomes disenchanted with whatever feeling arises with mind-contact as condition - whether pleasant or unpleasant or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant. Being disenchanted, he becomes dispassionate; through dispassion, he becomes liberated; when liberated, there is the knowledge: 'Liberated.' He understands: 'Birth is eliminated, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming back to any state of being.'" The seventh.

8.

The Discourse on What is Suitable for Uprooting

30. "I will teach you, monks, the practice suitable for the uprooting of all imagining. Listen to that, pay close attention; I will speak." And what, monks, is that practice suitable for the uprooting of all imagining? Here, monks, a monk does not imagine the eye, does not imagine in the eye, does not imagine from the eye, does not imagine 'the eye is mine'. He does not imagine forms, does not imagine in forms, does not imagine from forms, does not imagine 'forms are mine'. He does not imagine eye-consciousness, does not imagine in eye-consciousness, does not imagine from eye-consciousness, does not imagine 'eye-consciousness is mine'. He does not imagine eye-contact, does not imagine in eye-contact, does not imagine from eye-contact, does not imagine 'eye-contact is mine'. Whatever feeling arises with eye-contact as condition - whether pleasant or unpleasant or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant - that too he does not imagine, in that too he does not imagine, from that too he does not imagine, he does not imagine 'that is mine'. Etc. He does not imagine the tongue, does not imagine in the tongue, does not imagine from the tongue, does not imagine 'the tongue is mine'. He does not imagine flavours, does not imagine in flavours, does not imagine from flavours, does not imagine 'flavours are mine'. He does not imagine tongue-consciousness, does not imagine in tongue-consciousness, does not imagine from tongue-consciousness, does not imagine 'tongue-consciousness is mine'. He does not imagine tongue-contact, does not imagine in tongue-contact, does not imagine from tongue-contact, does not imagine 'tongue-contact is mine'. Whatever feeling arises with tongue-contact as condition - whether pleasant or unpleasant or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant - that too he does not imagine, in that too he does not imagine, from that too he does not imagine, he does not imagine 'that is mine'. Etc. He does not imagine the mind, does not imagine in the mind, does not imagine from the mind, does not imagine 'the mind is mine'. He does not imagine mental phenomena, does not imagine in mental phenomena, does not imagine from mental phenomena, does not imagine 'mental phenomena are mine'. He does not imagine mind-consciousness, does not imagine in mind-consciousness, does not imagine from mind-consciousness, does not imagine 'mind-consciousness is mine'. He does not imagine mind-contact, does not imagine in mind-contact, does not imagine from mind-contact, does not imagine 'mind-contact is mine'. Whatever feeling arises with mind-contact as condition - whether pleasant or unpleasant or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant - that too he does not imagine, in that too he does not imagine, from that too he does not imagine, he does not imagine 'that is mine'. He does not imagine all, does not imagine in all, does not imagine from all, does not imagine 'all is mine'. He, thus not imagining, does not cling to anything in the world. Not clinging, he is not agitated. Not being agitated, he personally attains final nibbāna. He understands: 'Birth is eliminated, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming back to any state of being.' This, monks, is that practice suitable for the uprooting of all imagining. The eighth.

9.

The Discourse on What is Suitable for Uprooting (First)

31. "I will teach you, monks, the practice suitable for the uprooting of all imagining. Listen to that. And what, monks, is that practice suitable for the uprooting of all imagining? Here, monks, a monk does not imagine the eye, does not imagine in the eye, does not imagine from the eye, does not imagine 'the eye is mine'. He does not imagine forms, etc. He does not imagine eye-consciousness, does not imagine eye-contact, whatever feeling arises with eye-contact as condition - whether pleasant or unpleasant or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant - that too he does not imagine, in that too he does not imagine, from that too he does not imagine, he does not imagine 'that is mine'. For, monks, whatever one imagines, in whatever one imagines, from whatever one imagines, whatever one imagines as 'mine', thereby it becomes otherwise. The world, becoming otherwise, attached to existence, delights only in existence, etc. He does not imagine the tongue, does not imagine in the tongue, does not imagine from the tongue, does not imagine 'the tongue is mine'. He does not imagine flavours, etc. He does not imagine tongue-consciousness, does not imagine tongue-contact. Whatever feeling arises with tongue-contact as condition - whether pleasant or unpleasant or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant - that too he does not imagine, in that too he does not imagine, from that too he does not imagine, he does not imagine 'that is mine'. For, monks, whatever one imagines, in whatever one imagines, from whatever one imagines, whatever one imagines as 'mine', thereby it becomes otherwise. The world, becoming otherwise, attached to existence, delights only in existence, etc. He does not imagine the mind, does not imagine in the mind, does not imagine from the mind, does not imagine 'the mind is mine'. He does not imagine mental phenomena, etc. He does not imagine mind-consciousness, does not imagine mind-contact. Whatever feeling arises with mind-contact as condition - whether pleasant or unpleasant or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant - that too he does not imagine, in that too he does not imagine, from that too he does not imagine, he does not imagine 'that is mine'. For, monks, whatever one imagines, in whatever one imagines, from whatever one imagines, whatever one imagines as 'mine', thereby it becomes otherwise. The world, becoming otherwise, attached to existence, delights only in existence. As far as, monks, there are aggregates, elements, and sense bases, that too he does not imagine, in that too he does not imagine, from that too he does not imagine, he does not imagine 'that is mine'. He, thus not imagining, does not cling to anything in the world. Not clinging, he is not agitated. Not being agitated, he personally attains final nibbāna. He understands: 'Birth is eliminated, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming back to any state of being.' This, monks, is that practice suitable for the uprooting of all imagining." The ninth.

10.

The Discourse on What is Suitable for Uprooting (Second)

32. "I will teach you, monks, the practice suitable for the uprooting of all imagining. Listen to that. And what, monks, is that practice suitable for the uprooting of all imagining?

"What do you think, monks, is the eye permanent or impermanent?"

"Impermanent, venerable sir."

"But what is impermanent, is that suffering or happiness?"

"Suffering, venerable sir."

"But what is impermanent, suffering, subject to change, is it proper to regard that - 'This is mine, this I am, this is my self'?"

"No indeed, venerable sir."

"Forms... etc. eye-consciousness... is eye-contact permanent or impermanent?"

"Impermanent, venerable sir." Etc.

"Whatever feeling arises with eye-contact as condition - whether pleasant or unpleasant or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant - is that too permanent or impermanent?"

"Impermanent, venerable sir."

"But what is impermanent, is that suffering or happiness?"

"Suffering, venerable sir."

"But what is impermanent, suffering, subject to change, is it proper to regard that - 'This is mine, this I am, this is my self'?"

"No indeed, Venerable Sir." Etc.

"Is the tongue permanent or impermanent?"

"Impermanent, venerable sir." Etc.

"Flavours... tongue-consciousness... tongue-contact... etc. whatever feeling arises with tongue-contact as condition - whether pleasant or unpleasant or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant - is that too permanent or impermanent?"

"Impermanent, venerable sir." Etc. Mental phenomena... Mind-consciousness... is mind-contact permanent or impermanent?

"Impermanent, venerable sir."

"Whatever feeling arises with mind-contact as condition - whether pleasant or unpleasant or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant - is that too permanent or impermanent?"

"Impermanent, venerable sir."

"But what is impermanent, is that suffering or happiness?"

"Suffering, venerable sir."

"But what is impermanent, suffering, subject to change, is it proper to regard that - 'This is mine, this I am, this is my self'?"

"No, Venerable Sir."

"Seeing thus, monks, a learned noble disciple becomes disenchanted with the eye, becomes disenchanted with forms, becomes disenchanted with eye-consciousness, becomes disenchanted with eye-contact. He becomes disenchanted with whatever feeling arises with eye-contact as condition - whether pleasant or unpleasant or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant. Etc. He becomes disenchanted with the tongue, becomes disenchanted with flavours, etc. He becomes disenchanted with whatever feeling arises with tongue-contact as condition - whether pleasant or unpleasant or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant. He becomes disenchanted with the mind, becomes disenchanted with mental phenomena, becomes disenchanted with mind-consciousness, becomes disenchanted with mind-contact. He becomes disenchanted with whatever feeling arises with mind-contact as condition - whether pleasant or unpleasant or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant. Being disenchanted, he becomes dispassionate; through dispassion, he becomes liberated; when liberated, there is the knowledge: 'Liberated.' He understands: 'Birth is eliminated, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming back to any state of being.' This, monks, is that practice suitable for the uprooting of all imagining." The tenth.

The Chapter on All is the third.

Its summary: