5.
The Shorter Discourse of Advice to Rāhula
416. Thus have I heard - On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's park. Then, when the Blessed One had gone to a private place and was in seclusion, this reflection arose in his mind: "Indeed, the mental states that ripen liberation have matured in Rāhula. What if I were to train Rāhula further in the elimination of mental corruptions?" Then the Blessed One, having dressed in the earlier period of the day, taking his bowl and robe, entered Sāvatthī for almsfood. Having walked for almsfood in Sāvatthī, after the meal, having returned from his alms round, he addressed the Venerable Rāhula - "Take the sitting cloth, Rāhula; let us approach the Blind Men's Grove for the day residence." "Yes, venerable sir," the Venerable Rāhula replied to the Blessed One, and taking the sitting cloth, he followed closely behind the Blessed One.
Now at that time many thousands of deities were following the Blessed One - "Today the Blessed One will train the Venerable Rāhula further in the elimination of mental corruptions." Then the Blessed One, having plunged into the Blind Men's Grove, sat down on the prepared seat at the foot of a certain tree. The Venerable Rāhula also, having paid respect to the Blessed One, sat down to one side. To the Venerable Rāhula seated to one side, the Blessed One said this -
417. "What do you think, Rāhula, is the eye 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, Rāhula, are forms 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, Rāhula, is eye-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." "What do you think, Rāhula, is eye-contact 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, Rāhula, that which arises with eye-contact as condition - pertaining to feeling, pertaining to perception, pertaining to activities, pertaining to consciousness - is that too 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."
418. "What do you think, Rāhula, is the ear permanent or impermanent?" "Impermanent, venerable sir. Etc. Is the nose permanent or impermanent?" "Impermanent, venerable sir. Etc. Is the tongue permanent or impermanent?" "Impermanent, venerable sir." Etc. Is the body permanent or impermanent?" "Impermanent, venerable sir." Etc. Is the mind 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, Rāhula, are mental phenomena 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, Rāhula, is mind-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." "What do you think, Rāhula, is mind-contact 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, Rāhula, that which arises with mind-contact as condition - pertaining to feeling, pertaining to perception, pertaining to activities, pertaining to consciousness - is that too 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."
419. "Seeing thus, Rāhula, a learned noble disciple becomes disenchanted with the eye, becomes disenchanted with material forms, becomes disenchanted with eye-consciousness, becomes disenchanted with eye-contact, whatever arises with eye-contact as condition - pertaining to feeling, pertaining to perception, pertaining to activities, pertaining to consciousness - he becomes disenchanted with that too. He becomes disenchanted with the ear, becomes disenchanted with sounds... etc. He becomes disenchanted with the nose, becomes disenchanted with odours... He becomes disenchanted with the tongue, becomes disenchanted with flavours... He becomes disenchanted with the body, becomes disenchanted with tangible objects... He becomes disenchanted with the mind, becomes disenchanted with mental phenomena, becomes disenchanted with mind-consciousness, becomes disenchanted with mind-contact, whatever arises with mind-contact as condition - pertaining to feeling, pertaining to perception, pertaining to activities, pertaining to consciousness - he becomes disenchanted with that too. 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. Delighted, the Venerable Rāhula rejoiced in what the Blessed One had said. And while this explanation was being spoken, the mind of the Venerable Rāhula was liberated from the mental corruptions by non-clinging. And in those many thousands of deities, the stainless, spotless eye of the Teaching arose - "Whatever has the nature of arising, all that has the nature of cessation."
The Shorter Discourse on the Exhortation to Rāhula is concluded as fifth.