3.
The Greater Discourse on Series of Questions and Answers
449. Thus have I heard - On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's park. Then the Venerable Mahākoṭṭhika, in the evening, having emerged from seclusion, approached the Venerable Sāriputta; having approached, he exchanged friendly greetings with the Venerable Sāriputta. Having concluded the pleasant and memorable talk, he sat down to one side. Seated to one side, the Venerable Mahākoṭṭhika said this to the Venerable Sāriputta -
"'Unwise, unwise', friend, is said. In what respect, friend, is one said to be unwise?"
"'He does not understand, he does not understand', friend, therefore one is said to be unwise.
"And what does he not understand? He does not understand: 'This is suffering'; he does not understand: 'This is the origin of suffering'; he does not understand: 'This is the cessation of suffering'; he does not understand: 'This is the practice leading to the cessation of suffering.' 'He does not understand, he does not understand', friend, therefore one is said to be unwise."
"Good, friend," the Venerable Mahākoṭṭhika, having delighted in and given thanks for the Venerable Sāriputta's saying, asked the Venerable Sāriputta a further question -
"'Wise, wise', friend, is said. In what respect, friend, is one said to be wise?"
"'He understands, he understands', friend, therefore one is said to be wise.
"And what does he understand? He understands: 'This is suffering'; he understands: 'This is the origin of suffering'; he understands: 'This is the cessation of suffering'; he understands: 'This is the practice leading to the cessation of suffering.' 'He understands, he understands', friend, therefore one is said to be wise."
"'Consciousness, consciousness', friend, is said. In what respect, friend, is it said to be consciousness?"
"'It cognizes, it cognizes', friend, therefore it is said to be consciousness.
"And what does it cognize? It cognizes pleasure, it cognizes pain, it cognizes neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant. 'It cognizes, it cognizes', friend, therefore it is said to be consciousness."
"Friend, wisdom and consciousness - are these mental states conjoined or disconnected? And is it possible, having separated these mental states again and again, to declare their difference?" "Friend, wisdom and consciousness - these mental states are conjoined, not disconnected. And it is not possible, having separated these mental states again and again, to declare their difference. For, friend, what one understands, that one cognizes; what one cognizes, that one understands. Therefore these mental states are conjoined, not disconnected. And it is not possible, having separated these mental states again and again, to declare their difference."
"Friend, wisdom and consciousness - of these mental states that are conjoined, not disconnected, what is the difference?" "Friend, wisdom and consciousness - of these mental states that are conjoined, not disconnected, wisdom is to be developed, consciousness is to be fully understood. This is their difference."
450. "'Feeling, feeling', friend, is said. In what respect, friend, is it said to be feeling?"
"'It feels, it feels', friend, therefore it is said to be feeling.
"And what does it feel? It feels pleasure, it feels pain, it feels neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant. 'It feels, it feels', friend, therefore it is said to be feeling."
"'Perception, perception', friend, is said. In what respect, friend, is it said to be perception?"
"'It perceives, it perceives', friend, therefore it is said to be perception.
"And what does it perceive? It perceives blue, it perceives yellow, it perceives red, it perceives white. 'It perceives, it perceives', friend, therefore it is said to be perception."
"Friend, feeling and perception and consciousness - are these mental states conjoined or disconnected? And is it possible, having separated these mental states again and again, to declare their difference?" "Friend, feeling and perception and consciousness - these mental states are conjoined, not disconnected. And it is not possible, having separated these mental states again and again, to declare their difference. For, friend, what one feels, that one perceives; what one perceives, that one cognizes. Therefore these mental states are conjoined, not disconnected. And it is not possible, having separated these mental states again and again, to declare their difference."
451. "With mind-consciousness that has been released from the five faculties and is pure, friend, what is to be understood?"
"With mind-consciousness that has been released from the five faculties and is pure, friend, aware that 'space is infinite,' the plane of infinite space is to be understood; aware that 'consciousness is infinite,' the plane of infinite consciousness is to be understood; aware that 'there is nothing,' the plane of nothingness is to be understood."
"But, friend, by what does one understand a phenomenon that is to be understood?"
"Indeed, friend, one understands a phenomenon that is to be understood by the eye of wisdom."
"But, friend, what is the purpose of wisdom?"
"Indeed, friend, wisdom is for the purpose of direct knowledge, for the purpose of full understanding, for the purpose of abandoning."
452. "But, friends, how many conditions are there for the arising of right view?"
"There are, friends, two conditions for the arising of right view - the utterance of another and wise attention. These, friends, are the two conditions for the arising of right view."
"But, friends, by how many factors supported does right view have liberation of mind as its fruit and liberation of mind as its benefit, and have liberation by wisdom as its fruit and liberation by wisdom as its benefit?"
"Friends, supported by five factors, right view has liberation of mind as its fruit and liberation of mind as its benefit, and has liberation by wisdom as its fruit and liberation by wisdom as its benefit. Here, friends, right view is supported by morality, supported by learning, supported by discussion, supported by serenity, and supported by insight. Supported by these five factors, friends, right view has liberation of mind as its fruit and liberation of mind as its benefit, and has liberation by wisdom as its fruit and liberation by wisdom as its benefit."
453. "But, friends, how many existences are there?"
"There are these three existences, friends - sensual existence, fine-material existence, immaterial existence."
"But, friends, how does the production of rebirth occur in the future?"
"For beings hindered by ignorance, friends, fettered by craving, there is delight here and there - thus the production of rebirth occurs in the future."
"But, friends, how does the production of rebirth not occur in the future?"
"Through the fading away of ignorance, friends, through the arising of true knowledge, through the cessation of craving - thus the production of rebirth does not occur in the future."
454. "But what, friends, is the first meditative absorption?"
"Here, friends, a monk, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome mental states, enters and dwells in the first meditative absorption, which is accompanied by applied thought and sustained thought, with rapture and happiness born of seclusion - this is called, friends, the first meditative absorption."
"But how many factors does the first meditative absorption have, friends?"
"The first meditative absorption, friends, has five factors. Here, friends, for a monk who has attained the first meditative absorption, applied thought occurs, and sustained thought, and rapture, and happiness, and unified focus of mind. The first meditative absorption, friends, thus has five factors."
"But how many factors have been abandoned in the first meditative absorption, and how many factors is it endowed with, friends?"
"The first meditative absorption, friends, has five factors abandoned and is endowed with five factors. Here, friends, for a monk who has attained the first meditative absorption, sensual desire has been abandoned, anger has been abandoned, sloth and torpor have been abandoned, restlessness and remorse have been abandoned, sceptical doubt has been abandoned; and applied thought occurs, and sustained thought, and rapture, and happiness, and unified focus of mind. The first meditative absorption, friends, thus has five factors abandoned and is endowed with five factors."
455. "These five faculties, friend, have different domains and different ranges, and do not experience each other's range and domain, as follows - the eye-faculty, the ear-faculty, the nose-faculty, the tongue-faculty, the body-faculty. Now, friend, for these five faculties having different domains and different ranges, not experiencing each other's range and domain, what is their refuge, and who experiences their range and domain?"
"These five faculties, friend, have different domains and different ranges, and do not experience each other's range and domain, as follows - the eye-faculty, the ear-faculty, the nose-faculty, the tongue-faculty, the body-faculty. Now, friend, for these five faculties having different domains and different ranges, not experiencing each other's range and domain, mind is their refuge, and mind experiences their range and domain."
456. "There are these five faculties, friend, as follows - the eye-faculty, the ear-faculty, the nose-faculty, the tongue-faculty, the body-faculty. Dependent on what do these five faculties remain?"
"There are these five faculties, friend, as follows - the eye-faculty, the ear-faculty, the nose-faculty, the tongue-faculty, the body-faculty. These five faculties, friend, remain dependent on life."
"But, friend, dependent on what does life remain?"
"Life remains dependent on heat."
"But, friend, dependent on what does heat remain?"
"Heat remains dependent on life."
"Just now we understand the Venerable Sāriputta's statement thus, friend - 'Life remains dependent on heat.' But just now we also understand the Venerable Sāriputta's statement thus, friend - 'Heat remains dependent on life.'
But in what way, friend, is the meaning of this statement to be seen?"
"If so, friend, I will make a simile for you; by means of a simile some wise men here understand the meaning of what is said. Just as, friend, when an oil lamp is burning, dependent on the flame radiance appears, and dependent on the radiance the flame appears; just so, friend, life remains dependent on heat, and heat remains dependent on life."
457. "Are the vital principles the same as the states that can be experienced, friend, or are the vital principles one thing and the states that can be experienced another?" "No indeed, friend, the vital principles are not the same as the states that can be experienced. If, friend, the vital principles were the same as the states that can be experienced, then emergence from the cessation of perception and feeling would not be discerned for a monk who has attained it. But because, friend, the vital principles are one thing and the states that can be experienced are another, therefore emergence from the cessation of perception and feeling is discerned for a monk who has attained it."
"When, friend, how many factors give up this body; then this body lies cast away, thrown aside, like a senseless piece of wood?"
"When, friend, three factors give up this body - vitality, heat, and consciousness; then this body lies cast away, thrown aside, like a senseless piece of wood."
"This one, friend, who is dead, deceased, and this monk who has attained the cessation of perception and feeling - what is the difference between them?"
"This one, friend, who is dead, deceased - his bodily activity has ceased and calmed, his verbal activity has ceased and calmed, his mental activity has ceased and calmed, his vitality is exhausted, his heat has subsided, his faculties are destroyed. But this monk who has attained the cessation of perception and feeling - his bodily activity too has ceased and calmed, his verbal activity has ceased and calmed, his mental activity has ceased and calmed, but his vitality is not exhausted, his heat has not subsided, his faculties are very clear. This one, friend, who is dead, deceased, and this monk who has attained the cessation of perception and feeling - this is their difference."
458. "But, friends, how many conditions are there for the attainment of the neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant liberation of mind?"
"There are, friends, four conditions for the attainment of the neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant liberation of mind. Here, friends, a monk, with the abandoning of pleasure and with the abandoning of pain, and with the previous disappearance of joy and displeasure, enters and dwells in the fourth meditative absorption, which has neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant and purity of mindfulness due to equanimity. These, friends, are the four conditions for the attainment of the neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant liberation of mind."
"But, friends, how many conditions are there for the attainment of the signless liberation of mind?"
"There are, friends, two conditions for the attainment of the signless liberation of mind - inattention to all signs, and attention to the signless element. These, friends, are the two conditions for the attainment of the signless liberation of mind."
"But, friends, how many conditions are there for the duration of the signless liberation of mind?"
"There are, friends, three conditions for the duration of the signless liberation of mind - inattention to all signs, attention to the signless element, and prior volitional activity. These, friends, are the three conditions for the duration of the signless liberation of mind."
"But, friends, how many conditions are there for the emergence from the signless liberation of mind?"
"There are, friends, two conditions for the emergence from the signless liberation of mind - attention to all signs, and inattention to the signless element. These, friends, are the two conditions for the emergence from the signless liberation of mind."
459. "This limitless liberation of mind, friend, and this liberation of mind through nothingness, and this liberation of mind through emptiness, and this signless liberation of mind - are these phenomena different in meaning and different in phrasing, or are they one in meaning and only different in phrasing?"
"This limitless liberation of mind, friend, and this liberation of mind through nothingness, and this liberation of mind through emptiness, and this signless liberation of mind - there is indeed, friend, a method by which method these phenomena are different in meaning and different in phrasing; and there is indeed, friend, a method by which method these phenomena are one in meaning, only different in phrasing."
"And what, friend, is the method by which method these phenomena are different in meaning and different in phrasing?"
"Here, friend, a monk dwells having pervaded one direction with a mind accompanied by friendliness, likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth. Thus above, below, across, everywhere, and in every respect, he dwells having pervaded the entire world with a mind accompanied by friendliness, extensive, exalted, limitless, without enmity, without ill-will. With a mind accompanied by compassion... etc. with a mind accompanied by altruistic joy... He dwells having pervaded one direction with a mind accompanied by equanimity, likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth. Thus above, below, across, everywhere, and in every respect, he dwells having pervaded the entire world with a mind accompanied by equanimity, extensive, exalted, limitless, without enmity, without ill-will. This is called, friend, the limitless liberation of mind."
"And what, friend, is the liberation of mind through nothingness?"
"Here, friend, with the complete transcendence of the plane of infinite consciousness, aware that 'there is nothing,' a monk enters and dwells in the plane of nothingness. This is called, friend, the liberation of mind through nothingness."
"And what, friend, is the liberation of mind through emptiness?"
"Here, friend, a monk, having gone to the forest, or having gone to the root of a tree, or having gone to an empty house, considers thus: 'This is empty of a self or of what belongs to a self.' This is called, friend, the liberation of mind through emptiness."
"And what, friend, is the signless liberation of mind?"
"Here, friend, through inattention to all signs, a monk enters and dwells in the signless concentration of mind. This is called, friend, the signless liberation of mind. This, friend, is the method by which method these phenomena are different in meaning and different in phrasing."
"And what, friend, is the method by which method these phenomena are one in meaning, only different in phrasing?"
"Lust, friend, is a maker of measure, hate is a maker of measure, delusion is a maker of measure. For a monk who has eliminated the mental corruptions, these have been abandoned, their root cut off, made like a palm stump, brought to obliteration, subject to non-arising in the future. As far as, friend, there are limitless liberations of mind, the unshakeable liberation of mind is declared the foremost among them. Now that unshakeable liberation of mind is empty of lust, empty of hate, empty of delusion. Lust, friend, is a possession, hate is a possession, delusion is a possession. For a monk who has eliminated the mental corruptions, these have been abandoned, their root cut off, made like a palm stump, brought to obliteration, subject to non-arising in the future. As far as, friend, there are liberations of mind through nothingness, the unshakeable liberation of mind is declared the foremost among them. Now that unshakeable liberation of mind is empty of lust, empty of hate, empty of delusion. Lust, friend, is a maker of signs, hate is a maker of signs, delusion is a maker of signs. For a monk who has eliminated the mental corruptions, these have been abandoned, their root cut off, made like a palm stump, brought to obliteration, subject to non-arising in the future. As far as, friend, there are signless liberations of mind, the unshakeable liberation of mind is declared the foremost among them. Now that unshakeable liberation of mind is empty of lust, empty of hate, empty of delusion. This, friend, is the method by which method these phenomena are one in meaning, only different in phrasing."
This the Venerable Sāriputta said. Delighted, the Venerable Mahākoṭṭhika rejoiced in what the Venerable Sāriputta had said.
The Discourse on the Greater Series of Questions and Answers is concluded as third.