2.
The Discourse on the Five and Three
21. Thus have I heard - On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's park. There the Blessed One addressed the monks - "Monks." "Venerable sir," those monks assented to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this - "Monks, there are some ascetics and brahmins who theorise about the future, hold views about the future, and referring to the future, assert various doctrinal positions. 'The self is percipient and healthy after death' - thus some assert; 'The self is non-percipient and healthy after death' - thus some assert; 'The self is neither percipient nor non-percipient and healthy after death' - thus some assert; or else they proclaim the annihilation, destruction and non-existence of an existing being, or else some assert Nibbāna in the present life. Thus they proclaim the self as existing and healthy after death, or else they proclaim the annihilation, destruction and non-existence of an existing being, or else some assert Nibbāna in the present life. Thus these five become three, and three become five - this is the synopsis of the five and three.
22. "Therein, monks, as to those ascetics and brahmins who proclaim a percipient self, healthy after death, or those venerable ascetics and brahmins who proclaim a material percipient self, healthy after death, or those venerable ascetics and brahmins who proclaim an immaterial percipient self, healthy after death, or those venerable ascetics and brahmins who proclaim a both material and immaterial percipient self, healthy after death, or those venerable ascetics and brahmins who proclaim a neither material nor immaterial percipient self, healthy after death, or those venerable ascetics and brahmins who proclaim a percipient self identical in perception, healthy after death, or those venerable ascetics and brahmins who proclaim a percipient self different in perception, healthy after death, or those venerable ascetics and brahmins who proclaim a percipient self limited in perception, healthy after death, or those venerable ascetics and brahmins who proclaim a percipient self limitless in perception, healthy after death, or else some who have transcended this assert the consciousness circular meditation object as limitless and imperturbable. Monks, the Truth-finder directly knows this. Those venerable ascetics and brahmins who proclaim a percipient self, healthy after death, or those venerable ascetics and brahmins who proclaim a material percipient self, healthy after death, or those venerable ascetics and brahmins who proclaim an immaterial percipient self, healthy after death, or those venerable ascetics and brahmins who proclaim a both material and immaterial percipient self, healthy after death, or those venerable ascetics and brahmins who proclaim a neither material nor immaterial percipient self, healthy after death, or those venerable ascetics and brahmins who proclaim a percipient self identical in perception, healthy after death, or those venerable ascetics and brahmins who proclaim a percipient self different in perception, healthy after death, or those venerable ascetics and brahmins who proclaim a percipient self limited in perception, healthy after death, or those venerable ascetics and brahmins who proclaim a percipient self limitless in perception, healthy after death, or else whichever of these perceptions is declared to be pure, supreme, highest, unsurpassed - whether perceptions of material form, whether perceptions of the immaterial, whether perceptions of unity, whether perceptions of diversity. 'There is nothing' - some assert the plane of nothingness as limitless and imperturbable. 'This is conditioned, gross; but there is the cessation of activities, there is this' - thus having understood, seeing the escape from that, the Truth-finder has gone beyond it.
23. "Therein, monks, as to those ascetics and brahmins who proclaim a non-percipient self, healthy after death, or those venerable ascetics and brahmins who proclaim a material non-percipient self, healthy after death, or those venerable ascetics and brahmins who proclaim an immaterial non-percipient self, healthy after death, or those venerable ascetics and brahmins who proclaim a both material and immaterial non-percipient self, healthy after death, or those venerable ascetics and brahmins who proclaim a neither material nor immaterial non-percipient self, healthy after death. Therein, monks, as to those ascetics and brahmins who proclaim a percipient self, healthy after death, these protest against them. What is the reason for this? Perception is a disease, perception is a boil, perception is a dart; this is peaceful, this is sublime, that is to say - 'non-perception.' Monks, the Truth-finder directly knows this: those venerable ascetics and brahmins who proclaim a non-percipient self, healthy after death, or those venerable ascetics and brahmins who proclaim a material non-percipient self, healthy after death, or those venerable ascetics and brahmins who proclaim an immaterial non-percipient self, healthy after death, or those venerable ascetics and brahmins who proclaim a both material and immaterial non-percipient self, healthy after death, or those venerable ascetics and brahmins who proclaim a neither material nor immaterial non-percipient self, healthy after death. Whoever indeed, monks, whether ascetic or brahmin, should speak thus - 'I will declare the coming or going or passing away or rebirth or growth or increase or expansion of consciousness apart from matter, apart from feeling, apart from perception, apart from activities' - this is impossible. 'This is conditioned, gross; but there is the cessation of activities, there is this' - thus having understood, seeing the escape from that, the Truth-finder has gone beyond it.
24. "Therein, monks, as to those ascetics and brahmins who proclaim a neither percipient-nor-non-percipient self, healthy after death, or those venerable ascetics and brahmins who proclaim a material neither percipient-nor-non-percipient self, healthy after death, or those venerable ascetics and brahmins who proclaim an immaterial neither percipient-nor-non-percipient self, healthy after death, or those venerable ascetics and brahmins who proclaim a both material and immaterial neither percipient-nor-non-percipient self, healthy after death, or those venerable ascetics and brahmins who proclaim a neither material nor immaterial neither percipient-nor-non-percipient self, healthy after death. Therein, monks, as to those ascetics and brahmins who proclaim a percipient self, healthy after death, these protest against them, and those venerable ascetics and brahmins who proclaim a non-percipient self, healthy after death, these protest against them. What is the reason for this? Perception is a disease, perception is a boil, perception is a dart; non-perception is confusion; this is peaceful, this is sublime, that is to say - 'neither perception nor non-perception.' Monks, the Truth-finder directly knows this. Those venerable ascetics and brahmins who proclaim a neither percipient-nor-non-percipient self, healthy after death, or those venerable ascetics and brahmins who proclaim a material neither percipient-nor-non-percipient self, healthy after death, or those venerable ascetics and brahmins who proclaim an immaterial neither percipient-nor-non-percipient self, healthy after death, or those venerable ascetics and brahmins who proclaim a both material and immaterial neither percipient-nor-non-percipient self, healthy after death, or those venerable ascetics and brahmins who proclaim a neither material nor immaterial neither percipient-nor-non-percipient self, healthy after death. Whatever ascetics or brahmins, monks, who proclaim the acquisition of this plane by means of what is merely seen, heard, sensed, cognised, and activities, this, monks, is declared to be a disaster for the acquisition of this plane. Because this plane, monks, is not declared to be attainable through the attainment of activities; this plane, monks, is declared to be attainable through the attainment of the residue of activities. 'This is conditioned, gross; but there is the cessation of activities, there is this' - thus having understood, seeing the escape from that, the Truth-finder has gone beyond it.
25. "Therein, monks, as to those ascetics and brahmins who proclaim the annihilation, destruction and non-existence of an existing being, therein, monks, as to those ascetics and brahmins who proclaim a percipient self, healthy after death, these protest against them, and those venerable ascetics and brahmins who proclaim a non-percipient self, healthy after death, these protest against them, and those venerable ascetics and brahmins who proclaim a neither percipient-nor-non-percipient self, healthy after death, these protest against them. What is the reason for this? All these venerable ascetics and brahmins assert only attachment regarding the future - 'Thus after death we shall be, thus after death we shall be.' Just as a merchant going on trade thinks thus - 'From this I shall get this, by this I shall obtain this,' just so these venerable ascetics and brahmins seem to me like merchants - 'Thus after death we shall be, thus after death we shall be.' Monks, the Truth-finder directly knows this. Those venerable ascetics and brahmins who proclaim the annihilation, destruction and non-existence of an existing being, they, through fear of identity, through disgust with identity, run around and revolve around identity itself. Just as a dog bound by a leash, tied to a firm post or stake, runs around and revolves around that very post or stake; just so these venerable ascetics and brahmins, through fear of identity, through disgust with identity, run around and revolve around identity itself. 'This is conditioned, gross; but there is the cessation of activities, there is this' - thus having understood, seeing the escape from that, the Truth-finder has gone beyond it.
26. "Whatever ascetics or brahmins, monks, who theorise about the future, hold views about the future, and referring to the future, assert various doctrinal positions, all of them assert these five planes only or one or other of them.
27. "Monks, there are some ascetics and brahmins who theorise about the past, hold views about the past, and referring to the past, assert various doctrinal positions. 'The self and the world are eternal, only this is the truth, anything else is vain' - thus some assert; 'The self and the world are non-eternal, only this is the truth, anything else is vain' - thus some assert; 'The self and the world are both eternal and non-eternal, only this is the truth, anything else is vain' - thus some assert; 'The self and the world are neither eternal nor non-eternal, only this is the truth, anything else is vain' - thus some assert; 'The self and the world are finite, only this is the truth, anything else is vain' - thus some assert; 'The self and the world are infinite, only this is the truth, anything else is vain' - thus some assert; 'The self and the world are both finite and infinite, only this is the truth, anything else is vain' - thus some assert; 'The self and the world are neither finite nor infinite, only this is the truth, anything else is vain' - thus some assert; 'The self and the world have unified perception, only this is the truth, anything else is vain' - thus some assert; 'The self and the world have diverse perception, only this is the truth, anything else is vain' - thus some assert; 'The self and the world have limited perception, only this is the truth, anything else is vain' - thus some assert; 'The self and the world have measureless perception, only this is the truth, anything else is vain' - thus some assert; 'The self and the world are exclusively happy, only this is the truth, anything else is vain' - thus some assert; 'The self and the world are exclusively suffering, only this is the truth, anything else is vain' - thus some assert; 'The self and the world experience both happiness and suffering, only this is the truth, anything else is vain' - thus some assert; 'The self and the world experience neither suffering nor happiness, only this is the truth, anything else is vain' - thus some assert.
28. "Therein, monks, as to those ascetics and brahmins who hold such views and such opinions - 'The self and the world are eternal, only this is the truth, anything else is vain,' that they will have knowledge individually, pure and bright, apart from faith, apart from personal preference, apart from oral tradition, apart from reflection on appearances, apart from acceptance of a view after pondering it - this is impossible. But, monks, when there is no knowledge individually that is pure and bright, whatever portion of knowledge those venerable ascetics and brahmins purify therein, that too is declared to be clinging for those venerable ascetics and brahmins. 'This is conditioned, gross; but there is the cessation of activities, there is this' - thus having understood, seeing the escape from that, the Truth-finder has gone beyond it.
29. "Therein, monks, as to those ascetics and brahmins who hold such views and such opinions - 'The self and the world are non-eternal, only this is the truth, anything else is vain,' etc. The self and the world are both eternal and non-eternal, The self and the world are neither eternal nor non-eternal, The self and the world are finite, The self and the world are infinite, The self and the world are both finite and infinite, The self and the world are neither finite nor infinite, The self and the world have unified perception, The self and the world have diverse perception, The self and the world have limited perception, The self and the world have measureless perception, The self and the world are exclusively happy, The self and the world are exclusively suffering, The self and the world experience both happiness and suffering, The self and the world experience neither suffering nor happiness, only this is the truth, anything else is vain, that they will have knowledge individually, pure and bright, apart from faith, apart from personal preference, apart from oral tradition, apart from reflection on appearances, apart from acceptance of a view after pondering it - this is impossible. But, monks, when there is no knowledge individually that is pure and bright, whatever portion of knowledge those venerable ascetics and brahmins purify therein, that too is declared to be clinging for those venerable ascetics and brahmins. 'This is conditioned, gross; but there is the cessation of activities, there is this' - thus having understood, seeing the escape from that, the Truth-finder has gone beyond it.
30. "Here, monks, some ascetic or brahmin, through the relinquishment of views about the past and through the relinquishment of views about the future, through altogether not taking a stand on the mental fetters of sensuality, having attained the rapture of solitude, dwells - 'This is peaceful, this is sublime, that is to say, I dwell having attained the rapture of solitude.' That rapture of solitude of his ceases. With the cessation of the rapture of solitude, displeasure arises; with the cessation of displeasure, the rapture of solitude arises. Just as, monks, what the shade leaves, the sunshine pervades; what the sunshine leaves, the shade pervades; just so, monks, with the cessation of the rapture of solitude, displeasure arises; with the cessation of displeasure, the rapture of solitude arises. Monks, the Truth-finder directly knows this. This venerable ascetic or brahmin, through the relinquishment of views about the past and through the relinquishment of views about the future, through altogether not taking a stand on the mental fetters of sensuality, having attained the rapture of solitude, dwells - 'This is peaceful, this is sublime, that is to say, I dwell having attained the rapture of solitude.' That rapture of solitude of his ceases. With the cessation of the rapture of solitude, displeasure arises; with the cessation of displeasure, the rapture of solitude arises. 'This is conditioned, gross; but there is the cessation of activities, there is this' - thus having understood, seeing the escape from that, the Truth-finder has gone beyond it.
31. "Here again, monks, some ascetic or brahmin, through the relinquishment of views about the past and through the relinquishment of views about the future, through altogether not taking a stand on the mental fetters of sensuality, through the transcendence of the rapture of solitude, having attained spiritual happiness, dwells - 'This is peaceful, this is sublime, that is to say, I dwell having attained spiritual happiness.' That spiritual happiness of his ceases. With the cessation of spiritual happiness, the rapture of solitude arises; with the cessation of the rapture of solitude, spiritual happiness arises. Just as, monks, what the shade leaves, the sunshine pervades; what the sunshine leaves, the shade pervades; just so, monks, with the cessation of spiritual happiness, the rapture of solitude arises; with the cessation of the rapture of solitude, spiritual happiness arises. Monks, the Truth-finder directly knows this. This venerable ascetic or brahmin, through the relinquishment of views about the past and through the relinquishment of views about the future, through altogether not taking a stand on the mental fetters of sensuality, through the transcendence of the rapture of solitude, having attained spiritual happiness, dwells - 'This is peaceful, this is sublime, that is to say, I dwell having attained spiritual happiness.' That spiritual happiness of his ceases. With the cessation of spiritual happiness, the rapture of solitude arises; with the cessation of the rapture of solitude, spiritual happiness arises. 'This is conditioned, gross; but there is the cessation of activities, there is this' - thus having understood, seeing the escape from that, the Truth-finder has gone beyond it.
32. "Here again, monks, some ascetic or brahmin, through the relinquishment of views about the past and through the relinquishment of views about the future, through altogether not taking a stand on the mental fetters of sensuality, through the transcendence of the rapture of solitude, through the transcendence of spiritual happiness, having attained neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant feeling, dwells - 'This is peaceful, this is sublime, that is to say, I dwell having attained neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant feeling.' That neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant feeling of his ceases. With the cessation of neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant feeling, spiritual happiness arises; with the cessation of spiritual happiness, neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant feeling arises. Just as, monks, what the shade leaves, the sunshine pervades; what the sunshine leaves, the shade pervades; just so, monks, with the cessation of neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant feeling, spiritual happiness arises; with the cessation of spiritual happiness, neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant feeling arises. Monks, the Truth-finder directly knows this. This venerable ascetic or brahmin, through the relinquishment of views about the past and through the relinquishment of views about the future, through altogether not taking a stand on the mental fetters of sensuality, through the transcendence of the rapture of solitude, through the transcendence of spiritual happiness, having attained neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant feeling, dwells - 'This is peaceful, this is sublime, that is to say, I dwell having attained neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant feeling.' That neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant feeling of his ceases. With the cessation of neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant feeling, spiritual happiness arises; with the cessation of spiritual happiness, neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant feeling arises. 'This is conditioned, gross; but there is the cessation of activities, there is this' - thus having understood, seeing the escape from that, the Truth-finder has gone beyond it.
33. "Here again, monks, some ascetic or brahmin, through the relinquishment of views about the past and through the relinquishment of views about the future, through altogether not taking a stand on the mental fetters of sensuality, through the transcendence of the rapture of solitude, through the transcendence of spiritual happiness, through the transcendence of neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant feeling - regards thus: 'I am peaceful, I am quenched, I am without clinging.' Monks, the Truth-finder directly knows this. This venerable ascetic or brahmin, through the relinquishment of views about the past and through the relinquishment of views about the future, through altogether not taking a stand on the mental fetters of sensuality, through the transcendence of the rapture of solitude, through the transcendence of spiritual happiness, through the transcendence of neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant feeling - regards thus: 'I am peaceful, I am quenched, I am without clinging'; certainly this venerable one asserts a practice suitable for Nibbāna. And yet this venerable ascetic or brahmin, clinging, clings to a view about the past, or clinging, clings to a view about the future, or clinging, clings to a mental fetter of sensuality, or clinging, clings to the rapture of solitude, or clinging, clings to spiritual happiness, or clinging, clings to neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant feeling. And whatever this venerable one - regards thus: 'I am peaceful, I am quenched, I am without clinging' - that too is declared to be clinging for this venerable ascetic or brahmin. 'This is conditioned, gross; but there is the cessation of activities, there is this' - thus having understood, seeing the escape from that, the Truth-finder has gone beyond it.
"But this, monks, is the unsurpassed state of supreme peace that has been fully awakened to by the Truth-finder, that is to say - having understood as they really are the origin, passing away, gratification, danger, and escape regarding the six sense bases of contact, deliverance through non-clinging."
This is what the Blessed One said. Those monks, delighted, rejoiced in what the Blessed One had said.
The Discourse on the Five and Three is concluded as second.