3.
The Chapter on the Burden
1.
The Discourse on the Burden
22. At Sāvatthī... There... "I will teach you, monks, the burden, the burden-bearer, the taking up of the burden, and the laying down of the burden. Listen to that. And what, monks, is the burden? 'The five aggregates of clinging' should be said. Which five? 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; this is called, monks, the burden."
"And what, monks, is the burden-bearer? 'The person' should be said. This venerable one of such a name and such a clan; this is called, monks, the burden-bearer.
"And what, monks, is the taking up of the burden? It is this craving which leads to rebirth, accompanied by delight and lust, finding delight here and there, as follows - sensual craving, craving for existence, craving for non-existence. This is called, monks, the taking up of the burden.
"And what, monks, is the laying down of the burden? That which is the complete fading away and cessation of that very craving without remainder, the giving up, the relinquishment, the freedom, the non-attachment. This is called, monks, the laying down of the burden."
This is what the Blessed One said. Having said this, the Fortunate One, the Teacher, further said this -
Taking up the burden is suffering in the world, laying down the burden is happiness.
Having uprooted craving with its root, one is without hunger, attained final Nibbāna." The first.
2.
The Discourse on Full Understanding
23. At Sāvatthī. "I will teach you, monks, the phenomena to be fully understood and full understanding. Listen to that. And what, monks, are the phenomena to be fully understood? Materiality, monks, is a phenomenon to be fully understood, feeling is a phenomenon to be fully understood, perception is a phenomenon to be fully understood, activities are a phenomenon to be fully understood, consciousness is a phenomenon to be fully understood. These are called, monks, the phenomena to be fully understood. And what, monks, is full understanding? That which, monks, is the elimination of lust, the elimination of hate, the elimination of delusion. This is called, monks, full understanding." The second.
3.
The Discourse on Directly Knowing
24. At Sāvatthī. "Materiality, monks, not directly knowing, not fully understanding, not becoming dispassionate towards, not abandoning, one is incapable of the destruction of suffering; feeling, not directly knowing, not fully understanding, not becoming dispassionate towards, not abandoning, one is incapable of the destruction of suffering; perception, not directly knowing... activities, not directly knowing, not fully understanding, not becoming dispassionate towards, not abandoning, one is incapable of the destruction of suffering; consciousness, not directly knowing, not fully understanding, not becoming dispassionate towards, not abandoning, one is incapable of the destruction of suffering. But materiality, monks, directly knowing, fully understanding, becoming dispassionate towards, abandoning, one is capable of the destruction of suffering; feeling, directly knowing... perception... activities... consciousness, directly knowing, fully understanding, becoming dispassionate towards, abandoning, one is capable of the destruction of suffering." The third.
4.
The Discourse on Desire and Lust
25. At Sāvatthī. "Whatever desire and lust, monks, there is for matter, abandon that. Thus that matter will be abandoned, its root cut off, made like a palm stump, brought to obliteration, subject to non-arising in the future. Whatever desire and lust there is for feeling, abandon that. Thus that feeling will be abandoned, its root cut off, made like a palm stump, brought to obliteration, subject to non-arising in the future. Whatever desire and lust there is for perception, abandon that. Thus that perception will be abandoned, its root cut off, made like a palm stump, brought to obliteration, subject to non-arising in the future. Whatever desire and lust there is for activities, abandon that. Thus those activities will be abandoned, their root cut off, made like a palm stump, brought to obliteration, subject to non-arising in the future. Whatever desire and lust there is for consciousness, abandon that. Thus that consciousness will be abandoned, its root cut off, made like a palm stump, brought to obliteration, subject to non-arising in the future." The fourth.
5.
The Discourse on Gratification
26. At Sāvatthī. "Before the enlightenment, monks, while still unenlightened, being just a Bodhisatta, this occurred to me - 'What indeed is the gratification in matter, 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?' This occurred to me, monks - 'Whatever happiness and pleasure arises dependent on matter, this is the gratification in matter. That matter is impermanent, suffering, subject to change, this is the danger in matter. Whatever is the removal of desire and lust, the abandoning of desire and lust regarding matter, this is the escape from matter. Whatever happiness and pleasure arises dependent on feeling, this is the gratification in feeling. That feeling is impermanent, suffering, subject to change, this is the danger in feeling. Whatever is the removal of desire and lust, the abandoning of desire and lust regarding feeling, this is the escape from feeling. Whatever happiness and pleasure arises dependent on perception, etc. Whatever happiness and pleasure arises dependent on activities, this is the gratification in activities. That activities are impermanent, suffering, subject to change, this is the danger in activities. Whatever is the removal of desire and lust, the abandoning of desire and lust regarding activities, this is the escape from activities. Whatever happiness and pleasure arises dependent on consciousness, 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.'
"As long as I, monks, did not directly know as it really is the gratification of these five aggregates of clinging as gratification, the danger as danger, and the escape as escape, I did not acknowledge, monks, in the world with its gods, with its Māras, with its Brahmās, among the generation with its ascetics and brahmins, with its gods and humans, that I had fully awakened to the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment. But when I, monks, directly knew as it really is the gratification of these five aggregates of clinging as gratification, the danger as danger, and the escape as escape; then I acknowledged, monks, in the world with its gods, with its Māras, with its Brahmās, among the generation with its ascetics and brahmins, with its gods and humans, that I had fully awakened to the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment. And knowledge and vision arose in me - 'Unshakable is my liberation; this is the last birth; there is now no more rebirth.'" The fifth.
6.
The Second Discourse on Gratification
27. At Sāvatthī. "I, monks, pursued the quest for gratification in matter. Whatever gratification there is in matter I attained. As far as there is gratification in matter that has been well seen by me through wisdom. I, monks, pursued the quest for danger in matter. Whatever danger there is in matter I attained. As far as there is danger in matter that has been well seen by me through wisdom. I, monks, pursued the quest for escape from matter. Whatever escape there is from matter I attained. As far as there is escape from matter that has been well seen by me through wisdom. I, monks, in feeling... I, monks, in perception... I, monks, in activities... I, monks, pursued the quest for gratification in consciousness. Whatever gratification there is in consciousness I attained. As far as there is gratification in consciousness that has been well seen by me through wisdom. I, monks, pursued the quest for danger in consciousness. Whatever danger there is in consciousness I attained. As far as there is danger in consciousness that has been well seen by me through wisdom. I, monks, pursued the quest for escape from consciousness. Whatever escape there is from consciousness I attained. As far as there is escape from consciousness that has been well seen by me through wisdom. As long as I, monks, did not directly know as it really is the gratification of these five aggregates of clinging as gratification, the danger as danger, and the escape as escape, etc. I directly knew. And knowledge and vision arose in me - 'Unshakable is my liberation; this is the last birth; there is now no more rebirth.'" The sixth.
7.
The Third Discourse on Gratification
28. At Sāvatthī. "If, monks, there were no gratification in matter, beings would not become attached to matter. But because, monks, there is gratification in matter, therefore beings become attached to matter. If, monks, there were no danger in matter, beings would not become disenchanted with matter. But because, monks, there is danger in matter, therefore beings become disenchanted with matter. If, monks, there were no escape from matter, beings would not escape from matter. But because, monks, there is escape from matter, therefore beings escape from matter. If, monks, there were no gratification in feeling, etc. If, monks, there were no gratification in perception, If, monks, there were no escape from activities, beings would not escape from activities. But because, monks, there is escape from activities, therefore beings escape from activities. If, monks, there were no gratification in consciousness, beings would not become attached to consciousness. But because, monks, there is gratification in consciousness, therefore beings become attached to consciousness. If, monks, there were no danger in consciousness, beings would not become disenchanted with consciousness. But because, monks, there is danger in consciousness, therefore beings become disenchanted with consciousness. If, monks, there were no escape from consciousness, beings would not escape from consciousness. But because, monks, there is escape from consciousness, therefore beings escape from consciousness.
"As long as, monks, beings did not directly know as it really is the gratification of these five aggregates of clinging as gratification, the danger as danger, and the escape as escape; for so long, monks, beings from the world with its gods, with its Māras, with its Brahmās, from the generation with its ascetics and brahmins, with its gods and humans, did not dwell escaped, unbound, free, with a mind rid of barriers. But when, monks, beings directly knew as it really is the gratification of these five aggregates of clinging as gratification, the danger as danger, and the escape as escape; then, monks, beings from the world with its gods, with its Māras, with its Brahmās, from the generation with its ascetics and brahmins, with its gods and humans, dwell escaped, unbound, free, with a mind rid of barriers." The seventh.
8.
The Discourse on Rejoicing
29. At Sāvatthī. "Whoever, monks, delights in matter, delights in suffering. Whoever delights in suffering, he is not released from suffering, I say. Whoever delights in feeling... whoever delights in perception... whoever delights in activities... whoever delights in consciousness, delights in suffering. Whoever delights in suffering, he is not released from suffering, I say. But whoever, monks, does not delight in matter, does not delight in suffering. Whoever does not delight in suffering, he is released from suffering, I say. Whoever does not delight in feeling... whoever does not delight in perception... whoever does not delight in activities... whoever does not delight in consciousness, does not delight in suffering. Whoever does not delight in suffering, he is released from suffering, I say." The eighth.
9.
The Discourse on Arising
30. At Sāvatthī. "Whatever, monks, is the arising, presence, production, manifestation of matter, this is the arising of suffering, the presence of diseases, the manifestation of ageing and death. Whatever of feeling, etc. whatever of perception, etc. whatever of activities, etc. Whatever is the arising, presence, production, manifestation of consciousness, this is the arising of suffering, the presence of diseases, the manifestation of ageing and death. But whatever, monks, is the cessation, appeasement, passing away of matter, this is the cessation of suffering, the appeasement of diseases, the passing away of ageing and death. Whatever of feeling, etc. whatever of perception, whatever of activities, Whatever is the cessation, appeasement, passing away of consciousness, this is the cessation of suffering, the appeasement of diseases, the passing away of ageing and death." The ninth.
10.
The Discourse on the Root of Misery
31. At Sāvatthī. "I will teach you, monks, misery and the root of misery. Listen to that. And what, monks, is misery? Materiality, monks, is misery, feeling is misery, perception is misery, activities are misery, consciousness is misery. This is called, monks, misery. And what, monks, is the root of misery? It is this craving which leads to rebirth, accompanied by delight and lust, finding delight here and there; as follows - sensual craving, craving for existence, craving for non-existence. This is called, monks, the root of misery." The tenth.
11.
The Discourse on the Perishable
32. At Sāvatthī. "I will teach you, monks, the perishable and the imperishable. Listen to that. And what, monks, is perishable, what is imperishable? Materiality, monks, is perishable. Whatever is its cessation, appeasement, passing away, this is imperishable. Feeling is perishable. Whatever is its cessation, appeasement, passing away, this is imperishable. Perception is perishable... activities are perishable. Whatever is their cessation, appeasement, passing away, this is imperishable. Consciousness is perishable. Whatever is its cessation, appeasement, passing away, this is imperishable." The eleventh.
The Chapter on the Burden is the third.
Its summary:
And three on gratification are spoken of, delight the eighth;
Arising and root of misery, the eleventh is perishable.