7.
The Great Discourse on the Six Sense Bases
428. 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 great discourse on 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 -
429. "Monks, not knowing, not seeing the eye as it really is, not knowing, not seeing material forms as they really are, not knowing, not seeing eye-consciousness as it really is, not knowing, not seeing eye-contact as it really is, not knowing, not seeing as it really is whatever feeling arises with eye-contact as condition - whether pleasant or unpleasant or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant - one is attached to the eye, is attached to material forms, is attached to eye-consciousness, is attached to eye-contact, is attached to whatever feeling arises with eye-contact as condition - whether pleasant or unpleasant or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant.
"For one who is filled with lust, connected, deluded, dwelling observing gratification, in the future the five aggregates of clinging go to production. And his craving which leads to rebirth, accompanied by delight and lust, finding delight here and there, that increases. His bodily disturbances increase, and mental disturbances increase; bodily torments increase, and mental torments increase; bodily fevers increase, and mental fevers increase. He experiences both bodily suffering and mental suffering.
"Monks, not knowing, not seeing the ear as it really is... etc. Monks, not knowing, not seeing the nose as it really is... etc. Monks, not knowing, not seeing the tongue as it really is... etc. Monks, not knowing, not seeing the body as it really is... etc. Monks, not knowing, not seeing the mind as it really is, monks, not knowing, not seeing mental phenomena as they really are, monks, not knowing, not seeing mind-consciousness as it really is, monks, not knowing, not seeing mind-contact as it really is, not knowing, not seeing as it really is whatever feeling arises with mind-contact as condition - whether pleasant or unpleasant or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant - one is attached to the mind, is attached to mental phenomena, is attached to mind-consciousness, is attached to mind-contact, is attached to whatever feeling arises with mind-contact as condition - whether pleasant or unpleasant or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant.
"For one who is filled with lust, connected, deluded, dwelling observing gratification, in the future the five aggregates of clinging go to production. And his craving which leads to rebirth, accompanied by delight and lust, finding delight here and there, that increases. His bodily disturbances increase, and mental disturbances increase; bodily torments increase, and mental torments increase; bodily fevers increase, and mental fevers increase. He experiences both bodily suffering and mental suffering.
430. "Monks, knowing and seeing the eye as it really is, knowing and seeing material forms as they really are, knowing and seeing eye-consciousness as it really is, knowing and seeing eye-contact as it really is, knowing and seeing as it really is whatever feeling arises with eye-contact as condition - whether pleasant or unpleasant or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant - one is not attached to the eye, is not attached to material forms, is not attached to eye-consciousness, is not attached to eye-contact, is not attached to whatever feeling arises with eye-contact as condition - whether pleasant or unpleasant or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant.
"For one who is not filled with lust, not connected, not deluded, dwelling observing danger, in the future the five aggregates of clinging go to diminution. And his craving which leads to rebirth, accompanied by delight and lust, finding delight here and there, that is abandoned. His bodily disturbances are abandoned, and mental disturbances are abandoned; bodily torments are abandoned, and mental torments are abandoned; bodily fevers are abandoned, and mental fevers are abandoned. He experiences bodily happiness and mental happiness.
431. Whatever view there is of one so constituted, that is his right view; whatever thought there is of one so constituted, that is his right thought; whatever effort there is of one so constituted, that is his right effort; whatever mindfulness there is of one so constituted, that is his right mindfulness; whatever concentration there is of one so constituted, that is his right concentration. But already his bodily action, verbal action, and livelihood are well purified. Thus this noble eightfold path goes to fulfilment through development for him.
For him thus developing this noble eightfold path, the four establishments of mindfulness also go to fulfilment through development, the four right strivings also go to fulfilment through development, the four bases for spiritual power also go to fulfilment through development, the five faculties also go to fulfilment through development, the five powers also go to fulfilment through development, the seven factors of enlightenment also go to fulfilment through development.
For him these two mental states proceed in conjunction - serenity and insight. He, through direct knowledge, fully understands those mental states that are to be fully understood through direct knowledge. He, through direct knowledge, abandons those mental states that are to be abandoned through direct knowledge. He, through direct knowledge, develops those mental states that are to be developed through direct knowledge. He, through direct knowledge, realizes those mental states that are to be realized through direct knowledge.
And what, monks, are the mental states to be fully understood through direct knowledge? 'The five aggregates of clinging' should be said, 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 are the mental states to be fully understood through direct knowledge.
And what, monks, are the mental states to be abandoned through direct knowledge? Ignorance and craving for existence - these are the mental states to be abandoned through direct knowledge.
And what, monks, are the mental states to be developed through direct knowledge? Serenity and insight - these are the mental states to be developed through direct knowledge.
What, monks, are the mental states to be realized through direct knowledge? True knowledge and liberation - these are the mental states to be realized through direct knowledge.
432. "Monks, knowing and seeing the ear as it really is... etc... Monks, knowing and seeing the nose as it really is... etc... Monks, knowing and seeing the tongue as it really is... Monks, knowing and seeing the body as it really is... Monks, knowing and seeing the mind as it really is, knowing and seeing mental phenomena as they really are, knowing and seeing mind-consciousness as it really is, knowing and seeing mind-contact as it really is, knowing and seeing as it really is whatever feeling arises with mind-contact as condition - whether pleasant or unpleasant or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant - one is not attached to the mind, is not attached to mental phenomena, is not attached to mind-consciousness, is not attached to mind-contact, is not attached to whatever feeling arises with mind-contact as condition - whether pleasant or unpleasant or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant.
"For one who is not filled with lust, not connected, not deluded, dwelling observing danger, in the future the five aggregates of clinging go to diminution. And his craving which leads to rebirth, accompanied by delight and lust, finding delight here and there, that is abandoned. His bodily disturbances are abandoned, and mental disturbances are abandoned; bodily torments are abandoned, and mental torments are abandoned; bodily fevers are abandoned, and mental fevers are abandoned. He experiences bodily happiness and mental happiness.
433. Whatever view there is of one so constituted, that is his right view; whatever thought there is of one so constituted, that is his right thought; whatever effort there is of one so constituted, that is his right effort; whatever mindfulness there is of one so constituted, that is his right mindfulness; whatever concentration there is of one so constituted, that is his right concentration. But already his bodily action, verbal action, and livelihood are well purified. Thus this noble eightfold path goes to fulfilment through development for him.
For him thus developing this noble eightfold path, the four establishments of mindfulness also go to fulfilment through development, the four right strivings also go to fulfilment through development, the four bases for spiritual power also go to fulfilment through development, the five faculties also go to fulfilment through development, the five powers also go to fulfilment through development, the seven factors of enlightenment also go to fulfilment through development.
For him these two mental states proceed in conjunction - serenity and insight. He, through direct knowledge, fully understands those mental states that are to be fully understood through direct knowledge. He, through direct knowledge, abandons those mental states that are to be abandoned through direct knowledge. He, through direct knowledge, develops those mental states that are to be developed through direct knowledge. He, through direct knowledge, realizes those mental states that are to be realized through direct knowledge.
And what, monks, are the mental states to be fully understood through direct knowledge? 'The five aggregates of clinging' should be said, 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 are the mental states to be fully understood through direct knowledge.
And what, monks, are the mental states to be abandoned through direct knowledge? Ignorance and craving for existence - these are the mental states to be abandoned through direct knowledge.
And what, monks, are the mental states to be developed through direct knowledge? Serenity and insight - these are the mental states to be developed through direct knowledge.
And what, monks, are the mental states to be realized through direct knowledge? True knowledge and liberation - these are the mental states to be realized through direct knowledge.
This is what the Blessed One said. Those monks, delighted, rejoiced in what the Blessed One had said.
The Greater Discourse on the One Having Six Sense Bases is concluded as seventh.