9.
The Greater Discourse on the Full-Moon Night
85. Thus have I heard - On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in the Eastern Park, in Migāramātā's mansion. Now at that time, on the uposatha day, the fifteenth, on the full moon night of the full moon, the Blessed One was seated in the open air surrounded by the Community of monks. Then a certain monk, having risen from his seat, having arranged his robe on one shoulder, having extended joined palms in salutation towards the Blessed One, said this to the Blessed One -
"I would ask the Blessed One a certain point, venerable sir, if the Blessed One gives me permission for the answering of a question." "If so, monk, having sat down on your own seat, ask whatever you wish."
86. Then that monk, having sat down on his own seat, said this to the Blessed One - "Are these, venerable sir, the five aggregates of clinging, as follows - the aggregate of clinging to matter, the aggregate of clinging to feeling, the aggregate of clinging to perception, the aggregate of clinging to activities, the aggregate of clinging to consciousness?" "These, monk, are the five aggregates of clinging, as follows - the aggregate of clinging to matter, the aggregate of clinging to feeling, the aggregate of clinging to perception, the aggregate of clinging to activities, the aggregate of clinging to consciousness."
"Good, venerable sir," that monk, having delighted in and given thanks for what the Blessed One had said, asked the Blessed One a further question - "But, venerable sir, what is the root of these five aggregates of clinging?" "These five aggregates of clinging, monk, have desire as their root." "Is that clinging the same as those five aggregates of clinging, venerable sir, or is clinging something apart from the five aggregates of clinging?" "That clinging, monk, is not the same as those five aggregates of clinging, nor is clinging something apart from the five aggregates of clinging. Whatever desire and lust there is in the five aggregates of clinging, that is the clinging therein."
"But could there be, venerable sir, diversity of desire and lust in the five aggregates of clinging?" "There could be, monk" - the Blessed One said - "Here, monk, someone thinks thus - 'May I be of such matter in the future period of time, may I be of such feeling in the future period of time, may I be of such perception in the future period of time, may I be of such activities in the future period of time, may I be of such consciousness in the future period of time.' Thus, monk, there could be diversity of desire and lust in the five aggregates of clinging."
"But to what extent, venerable sir, is there the designation 'aggregate' for the aggregates?" "Whatever matter, monk - past, future, or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, inferior or superior, whether far or near - this is the aggregate of matter. Whatever feeling - past, future, or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, inferior or superior, whether far or near - this is the aggregate of feeling. Whatever perception - past, future, or present, etc. whether far or near - this is the aggregate of perception. Whatever activities - past, future, or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, inferior or superior, whether far or near - this is the aggregate of activities. Whatever consciousness - past, future, or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, inferior or superior, whether far or near - this is the aggregate of consciousness. To this extent, monk, is there the designation 'aggregate' for the aggregates."
"What, venerable sir, is the cause, what is the condition for the manifestation of the aggregate of material body? What is the cause, what is the condition for the manifestation of the aggregate of feeling? What is the cause, what is the condition for the manifestation of the aggregate of perception? What is the cause, what is the condition for the manifestation of the aggregate of mental activities? What is the cause, what is the condition for the manifestation of the aggregate of consciousness?"
"The four primary elements, monk, are the cause, the four primary elements are the condition for the manifestation of the aggregate of material body. Contact is the cause, contact is the condition for the manifestation of the aggregate of feeling. Contact is the cause, contact is the condition for the manifestation of the aggregate of perception. Contact is the cause, contact is the condition for the manifestation of the aggregate of mental activities. Mentality-materiality, monk, is the cause, mentality-materiality is the condition for the manifestation of the aggregate of consciousness."
87. "But how, venerable sir, does identity view exist?" "Here, monk, an ignorant worldling, who does not see the noble ones, who is not skilled in the noble teaching, who is undisciplined in the noble teaching, who does not see good persons, who is not skilled in the teaching of good persons, who is undisciplined in the teaching of good persons, regards matter as self, or self as possessing matter, or matter as in self, or self as in matter; he regards feeling as self, or self as possessing feeling, or feeling as in self, or self as in feeling; he regards perception as self, or self as possessing perception, or perception as in self, or self as in perception; he regards activities as self, or self as possessing activities, or activities as in self, or self as in activities; he regards consciousness as self, or self as possessing consciousness, or consciousness as in self, or self as in consciousness. Thus, monk, identity view exists."
"But how, venerable sir, does identity view not exist?" "Here, monk, a learned noble disciple, who sees the noble ones, who is skilled in the noble teaching, who is well disciplined in the noble teaching, who sees good persons, who is skilled in the teaching of good persons, who is well disciplined in the teaching of good persons, does not regard matter as self, nor self as possessing matter, nor matter as in self, nor self as in matter; he does not regard feeling as self, nor self as possessing feeling, nor feeling as in self, nor self as in feeling; he does not regard perception as self, nor self as possessing perception, nor perception as in self, nor self as in perception; he does not regard activities as self, nor self as possessing activities, nor activities as in self, nor self as in activities; he does not regard consciousness as self, nor self as possessing consciousness, nor consciousness as in self, nor self as in consciousness. Thus, monk, identity view does not exist."
88. "What, venerable sir, is the gratification in materiality, what is the danger, what is the escape? What is the gratification in feeling, what is the danger, what is the escape? What is the gratification in perception, what is the danger, what is the escape? What is the gratification in activities, what is the danger, what is the escape? What is the gratification in consciousness, what is the danger, what is the escape?" "Whatever happiness and pleasure arises dependent on materiality, monk, this is the gratification in materiality. That materiality is impermanent, suffering, subject to change, this is the danger in materiality. Whatever is the removal of desire and lust, the abandoning of desire and lust regarding materiality, this is the escape from materiality. Whatever, monk, dependent on feeling... dependent on perception... dependent on activities... dependent on consciousness, happiness and pleasure arises, this is the gratification in consciousness. That consciousness is impermanent, suffering, subject to change, this is the danger in consciousness. Whatever is the removal of desire and lust, the abandoning of desire and lust regarding consciousness, this is the escape from consciousness."
89. "But how, venerable sir, for one knowing, for one seeing, do the underlying tendencies to I-making, mine-making, and conceit not exist in regard to this conscious body and externally in regard to all signs?" "Whatever matter, monk - past, future, or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, inferior or superior, whether far or near - all matter - 'This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self' - thus he sees this as it really is with right wisdom. Whatever feeling... whatever perception... whatever activities... whatever consciousness - past, future, or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, inferior or superior, whether far or near - all consciousness - 'This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self' - thus he sees this as it really is with right wisdom. Thus, monk, for one knowing thus, for one seeing thus, the underlying tendencies to I-making, mine-making, and conceit do not exist in regard to this conscious body and externally in regard to all signs."
90. Then this reflection arose in the mind of a certain monk: "Thus indeed, friend, materiality is non-self, feeling is non-self, perception is non-self, activities are non-self, consciousness is non-self; actions done by a non-self, upon which self will they touch?" Then the Blessed One, having known with his mind the reflection in the mind of that monk, addressed the monks: "There is the possibility, monks, that here some foolish man, not knowing, gone to ignorance, with a mind dominated by craving, might think that the Teacher's instruction should be overstepped: 'Thus indeed, friend, materiality is non-self, feeling is non-self, perception is non-self, activities are non-self, consciousness is non-self; actions done by a non-self, upon which self will they touch?' You have been disciplined by me, monks, in various teachings."
"What do you think, monks, is materiality 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." "What do you think, monks, is feeling... perception... activities... consciousness 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." "Therefore, monks, whatever materiality, past, future, or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, inferior or superior, whether far or near, all materiality - 'This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self' - thus this should be seen as it really is with right wisdom. Whatever feeling... whatever perception... whatever activities... whatever consciousness, past, future, or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, inferior or superior, whether far or near, all consciousness - 'This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self' - thus this should be seen as it really is with right wisdom. Seeing thus, monks, a learned noble disciple becomes disenchanted with materiality, becomes disenchanted with feeling, becomes disenchanted with perception, becomes disenchanted with activities, becomes disenchanted with consciousness; 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 was to be done has been done, there is no more of this state of being.'"
This is what the Blessed One said. Those monks, delighted, rejoiced in what the Blessed One had said. And while this explanation was being spoken, the minds of sixty monks were liberated from the mental corruptions by non-clinging.
The Greater Discourse on the Full Moon Night is concluded as ninth.