7.
The Discourse on the Analysis of the Six Sense Bases
304. 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 - "I will teach you, monks, the analysis of the six sense bases. Listen to that, pay close attention; I will speak." "Yes, venerable sir," those monks assented to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this -
"'Six internal sense bases should be known, six external sense bases should be known, six classes of consciousness should be known, six classes of contact should be known, eighteen mental examinations should be known, thirty-six positions of beings should be known, therein in dependence on this abandon this, three establishments of mindfulness which a noble one practises, which a noble one practising is worthy to instruct a group as a Teacher, he is called the unsurpassed trainer of persons to be tamed among trainers' - this is the synopsis of the analysis of the six sense bases.
305. "'Six internal sense bases should be known' - thus indeed this was said. Dependent on what was this said? 'The eye sense base, the ear sense base, the nose sense base, the tongue sense base, the body sense base, the mind sense base - six internal sense bases should be known' - thus what was said, this was said dependent on that.
"'Six external sense bases should be known' - thus indeed this was said. Dependent on what was this said? 'The visible form sense base, the sound sense base, the odour sense base, the flavour sense base, the touch sense base, the mind-object sense base - six external sense bases should be known' - thus what was said, this was said dependent on that.
"'Six classes of consciousness should be known' - thus indeed this was said. Dependent on what was this said? 'Eye-consciousness, ear-consciousness, nose-consciousness, tongue-consciousness, body-consciousness, mind-consciousness - six classes of consciousness should be known' - thus what was said, this was said dependent on that.
"'Six classes of contact should be known' - thus indeed this was said. Dependent on what was this said? 'Eye-contact, ear-contact, nose-contact, tongue-contact, body-contact, mind-contact - six classes of contact should be known' - thus what was said, this was said dependent on that.
"'Eighteen mental examinations should be known' - thus indeed this was said. Dependent on what was this said? 'Having seen a form with the eye, one explores a form that is a basis for pleasure, one explores a form that is a basis for displeasure, one explores a form that is a basis for equanimity. Having heard a sound with the ear. Etc. Having smelled an odour with the nose. Having tasted a flavour with the tongue. having touched a tangible object with the body... Having cognised a mental object with the mind, one explores a mental object that is a basis for pleasure, one explores a mental object that is a basis for displeasure, one explores a mental object that is a basis for equanimity. Thus six explorations with pleasure, six explorations with displeasure, six explorations with equanimity, eighteen mental examinations should be known' - thus what was said, this was said dependent on that.
306. "'Thirty-six positions of beings should be known' - thus indeed this was said. Dependent on what was this said? Six pleasures connected with the household life, six pleasures connected with renunciation, six displeasures connected with the household life, six displeasures connected with renunciation, six equanimities connected with the household life, six equanimities connected with renunciation. Therein, what are the six pleasures connected with the household life? When one regards as obtaining or recollects as having previously obtained forms cognizable by the eye that are desirable, lovely, agreeable, delightful, connected with worldly gains - whether obtaining them or recollecting what was previously obtained, past, ceased, changed - pleasure arises. Whatever such pleasure, this is called pleasure connected with the household life. Sounds cognizable by the ear... Odours cognizable by the nose... Flavours cognizable by the tongue... Tangible objects cognizable by the body... Mental phenomena cognizable by the mind that are desirable, lovely, agreeable... etc. pleasure. Whatever such pleasure, this is called pleasure connected with the household life. These are the six pleasures connected with the household life.
"Therein, what are the six pleasures connected with renunciation? Having understood the impermanence of forms, their change, fading away and cessation, seeing as it really is with right wisdom thus: 'Both formerly and now, all those forms are impermanent, suffering, subject to change' - pleasure arises. Whatever such pleasure, this is called pleasure connected with renunciation. Of sounds indeed... Of odours indeed... Of flavours indeed... Of tangible objects indeed... Having understood the impermanence of mental phenomena, their change, fading away and cessation, seeing as it really is with right wisdom thus: 'Both formerly and now, all those mental phenomena are impermanent, suffering, subject to change' - pleasure arises. Whatever such pleasure, this is called pleasure connected with renunciation. These are the six pleasures connected with renunciation.
307. "Therein, what are the six displeasures connected with the household life? Forms cognizable by the eye... etc. Sounds cognizable by the ear... Odours cognizable by the nose... Flavours cognizable by the tongue... Tangible objects cognizable by the body... When one regards as not obtaining mental phenomena cognizable by the mind that are desirable, lovely, agreeable, delightful, connected with worldly gains, or recollects what was previously not obtained, past, ceased, changed - displeasure arises. Whatever such displeasure, this is called displeasure connected with the household life. These are the six displeasures connected with the household life.
"Therein, what are the six displeasures connected with renunciation? Having understood the impermanence of forms, their change, fading away and cessation, seeing as it really is with right wisdom thus: 'Both formerly and now, all those forms are impermanent, suffering, subject to change' - one sets up longing for the unsurpassed deliverances - 'When indeed shall I enter and dwell in that plane which the noble ones now enter and dwell in?' Thus for one who sets up longing for the unsurpassed deliverances, displeasure arises conditioned by that longing. Whatever such displeasure, this is called displeasure connected with renunciation. Of sounds indeed... etc. Of odours indeed... Of flavours indeed... Of tangible objects indeed... Having understood the impermanence of mental phenomena, their change, fading away and cessation, seeing as it really is with right wisdom thus: 'Both formerly and now, all those mental phenomena are impermanent, suffering, subject to change' - one sets up longing for the unsurpassed deliverances - 'When indeed shall I enter and dwell in that plane which the noble ones now enter and dwell in?' Thus for one who sets up longing for the unsurpassed deliverances, displeasure arises conditioned by that longing. Whatever such displeasure, this is called displeasure connected with renunciation. These are the six displeasures connected with renunciation.
308. "There, what are the six equanimities connected with the household life? Having seen a form with the eye, equanimity arises for a foolish, confused worldling who has not conquered the limit, who has not conquered the result, who does not see the danger, an uninstructed worldling. Whatever equanimity is of such a kind, it does not go beyond form. Therefore that equanimity is called 'connected with the household life'. Having heard a sound with the ear... Having smelled an odour with the nose. Having tasted a flavour with the tongue. having touched a tangible object with the body... Having cognised a mental object with the mind, equanimity arises for a foolish, confused worldling who has not conquered the limit, who has not conquered the result, who does not see the danger, an uninstructed worldling. Whatever equanimity is of such a kind, it does not go beyond the mental object. Therefore that equanimity is called 'connected with the household life'. These are the six equanimities connected with the household life.
"There, what are the six equanimities connected with renunciation? Having understood the impermanence of forms, their change, fading away and cessation, seeing as it really is with right wisdom thus: 'Both formerly and now, all those forms are impermanent, suffering, subject to change' - equanimity arises. Whatever equanimity is of such a kind, it goes beyond form. Therefore that equanimity is called 'connected with renunciation'. Of sounds indeed... Of odours indeed... Of flavours indeed... Of tangible objects indeed... Having understood the impermanence of mental phenomena, their change, fading away and cessation, seeing as it really is with right wisdom thus: 'Both formerly and now, all those mental phenomena are impermanent, suffering, subject to change' - equanimity arises. Whatever equanimity is of such a kind, it goes beyond the mental object. Therefore that equanimity is called 'connected with renunciation'. These are the six equanimities connected with renunciation. 'Thirty-six positions of beings should be known' - thus what was said, this was said dependent on that.
309. "Therein in dependence on this abandon this" - thus indeed this was said; dependent on what was this said? Therein, monks, whatever six pleasures connected with renunciation there are, in dependence on those, having come to those, whatever six pleasures connected with the household life there are, abandon those, transcend those. Thus there is the abandoning of those, thus there is the transcendence of those.
"Therein, monks, whatever six displeasures connected with renunciation there are, in dependence on those, having come to those, whatever six displeasures connected with the household life there are, abandon those, transcend those. Thus there is the abandoning of those, thus there is the transcendence of those.
"Therein, monks, whatever six equanimities connected with renunciation there are, in dependence on those, having come to those, whatever six equanimities connected with the household life there are, abandon those, transcend those. Thus there is the abandoning of those, thus there is the transcendence of those.
"Therein, monks, whatever six pleasures connected with renunciation there are, in dependence on those, having come to those, whatever six displeasures connected with renunciation there are, abandon those, transcend those. Thus there is the abandoning of those, thus there is the transcendence of those.
"Therein, monks, whatever six equanimities connected with renunciation there are, in dependence on those, having come to those, whatever six pleasures connected with renunciation there are, abandon those, transcend those. Thus there is the abandoning of those, thus there is the transcendence of those.
310. "There is, monks, equanimity of diversity, based on diversity; there is equanimity of unity, based on unity. And what, monks, is equanimity of diversity, based on diversity? There is, monks, equanimity regarding material forms, there is regarding sounds, there is regarding odours, there is regarding flavours, there is regarding tangible objects - this, monks, is equanimity of diversity, based on diversity. And what, monks, is equanimity of unity, based on unity? There is, monks, equanimity based upon the plane of infinite space, there is based upon the plane of infinite consciousness, there is based upon the plane of nothingness, there is based upon the plane of neither-perception-nor-non-perception - this, monks, is equanimity of unity, based on unity.
"Therein, monks, that equanimity which is of unity, based on unity - in dependence on that, having come to that, that equanimity which is of diversity, based on diversity, abandon that, transcend that. Thus there is the abandoning of this, thus there is the transcendence of this.
"In dependence on non-identification, monks, having come to non-identification, that equanimity which is of unity, based on unity, abandon that, transcend that. Thus there is the abandoning of this, thus there is the transcendence of this. 'Therein in dependence on this abandon this' - thus what was said, this was said dependent on that.
311. "'Three establishments of mindfulness which a noble one practises, which a noble one practising is worthy to instruct a group as a Teacher' - thus indeed this was said; dependent on what was this said? Here, monks, the Teacher teaches the Teaching to his disciples, compassionate, seeking their welfare, out of compassion - 'This is for your welfare, this is for your happiness.' His disciples do not listen, do not lend an ear, do not apply their minds to final knowledge, and having turned aside, they conduct themselves contrary to the Teacher's instruction. There, monks, the Truth-finder is neither displeased nor does he experience displeasure, and he dwells without being affected by defilements, mindful and fully aware. This, monks, is the first establishment of mindfulness which a noble one practises, which a noble one practising is worthy to instruct a group as a Teacher.
"Furthermore, monks, the Teacher teaches the Teaching to his disciples, compassionate, seeking their welfare, out of compassion - 'This is for your welfare, this is for your happiness.' Some of his disciples do not listen, do not lend an ear, do not apply their minds to final knowledge, and having turned aside, they conduct themselves contrary to the Teacher's instruction; some disciples listen, lend an ear, apply their minds to final knowledge, and do not conduct themselves having turned aside from the Teacher's instruction. There, monks, the Truth-finder is neither displeased nor does he experience displeasure; nor is he pleased nor does he experience pleasure. Displeasure and pleasure - having avoided both of these, he dwells equanimous, mindful and fully aware. This is called, monks, the second establishment of mindfulness which a noble one practises, which a noble one practising is worthy to instruct a group as a Teacher.
"Furthermore, monks, the Teacher teaches the Teaching to his disciples, compassionate, seeking their welfare, out of compassion - 'This is for your welfare, this is for your happiness.' His disciples listen, lend an ear, apply their minds to final knowledge, and do not conduct themselves having turned aside from the Teacher's instruction. There, monks, the Truth-finder is pleased and experiences pleasure, and he dwells without being affected by defilements, mindful and fully aware. This is called, monks, the third establishment of mindfulness which a noble one practises, which a noble one practising is worthy to instruct a group as a Teacher. 'Three establishments of mindfulness which a noble one practises, which a noble one practising is worthy to instruct a group as a Teacher' - thus what was said, this was said dependent on that.
312. "'He is called the unsurpassed trainer of persons to be tamed among trainers' - thus indeed this was said. Dependent on what was this said? By an elephant tamer, monks, an elephant in training when driven runs in only one direction - eastern or western or northern or southern. By a horse trainer, monks, a horse in training when driven runs in only one direction - eastern or western or northern or southern. By an ox trainer, monks, an ox in training when driven runs in only one direction - eastern or western or northern or southern. But by the Truth-finder, monks, the Worthy One, the One Enlightened by himself, a person to be trained when driven runs through eight directions. One who is material sees forms - this is the first direction; Internally not perceiving material forms, one sees forms externally - this is the second direction; One is intent only upon the beautiful - this is the third direction; With the complete transcendence of perceptions of material form, with the passing away of perceptions of sensory impingement, with inattention to perceptions of diversity, aware that 'space is infinite,' one enters and dwells in the plane of infinite space - this is the fourth direction; With the complete transcendence of the plane of infinite space, aware that 'consciousness is infinite,' one enters and dwells in the plane of infinite consciousness - this is the fifth direction; With the complete transcendence of the plane of infinite consciousness, aware that 'there is nothing,' one enters and dwells in the plane of nothingness - this is the sixth direction; With the complete transcendence of the plane of nothingness, one enters and dwells in the plane of neither-perception-nor-non-perception - this is the seventh direction; With the complete transcendence of the plane of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, one enters and dwells in the cessation of perception and feeling - this is the eighth direction. By the Truth-finder, monks, the Worthy One, the One Enlightened by himself, a person to be trained when driven runs through these eight directions. 'He is called the unsurpassed trainer of persons to be tamed among trainers' - thus what was said, this was said dependent on that."
This is what the Blessed One said. Those monks, delighted, rejoiced in what the Blessed One had said.
The Discourse on the Analysis of the Six Sense Bases is concluded as seventh.