5.
The Chapter on the Precipice
1.
The Discourse on Speculation about the World
1111. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrels' Feeding Ground. There the Blessed One addressed the monks - "Once upon a time, monks, a certain man, having gone out from Rājagaha, thinking 'I will speculate about the world,' approached the Sumāgadhā pond; having approached, he sat down on the bank of the Sumāgadhā pond, speculating about the world. Then, monks, that man saw on the bank of the Sumāgadhā pond a fourfold army entering into a lotus root. Having seen him, this occurred to him: 'I am indeed mad, I am indeed out of my mind! What does not exist in the world, that has been seen by me.'
"Then, monks, that man, having entered the city, reported to a great multitude of people - 'I am indeed mad, venerable sirs, I am indeed out of my mind, venerable sirs! What does not exist in the world, that has been seen by me.' "'But how are you, hey man, mad? How are you out of your mind? And what does not exist in the world that has been seen by you?' "'Here I, venerable sirs, having gone out from Rājagaha, thinking "I will speculate about the world," approached the Sumāgadhā pond; having approached, I sat down on the bank of the Sumāgadhā pond, speculating about the world. I saw, venerable sirs, on the bank of the Sumāgadhā pond a fourfold army entering into a lotus root. Thus, venerable sirs, I am mad, thus I am out of my mind. And this does not exist in the world, which has been seen by me.' "'Truly you, hey man, are mad, truly you are out of your mind. And this does not exist in the world, which has been seen by you.'
"But, monks, that man saw what was factual, not what was not factual. Once upon a time, monks, there was a battle between the gods and the titans that was fully engaged. Now in that battle, monks, the gods won, the titans were defeated. And defeated, monks, the titans, frightened, entered the titan city through a lotus root, confusing the gods.
"Therefore, monks, do not speculate about the world - 'The world is eternal' or 'the world is non-eternal' or 'the world is finite' or 'the world is infinite' or 'the soul is the same as the body' or 'the soul is one thing and the body another' or 'the Truth-finder exists after death' or 'the Truth-finder does not exist after death' or 'the Truth-finder both exists and does not exist after death' or 'the Truth-finder neither exists nor does not exist after death.' What is the reason for this? This thought, monks, is not connected with benefit, is not fundamental to the holy life, does not lead to disenchantment, to dispassion, to cessation, to peace, to direct knowledge, to highest enlightenment, to Nibbāna.
"But when thinking, monks, you should think 'This is suffering,' etc. you should think 'This is the practice leading to the cessation of suffering.' What is the reason for this? This thought, monks, is connected with benefit, this is fundamental to the holy life, this leads to disenchantment, to dispassion, to cessation, to peace, to direct knowledge, to highest enlightenment, to Nibbāna.
"Therefore, monks, exertion is to be done regarding 'This is suffering', etc. exertion is to be done regarding 'This is the practice leading to the cessation of suffering.'" The first.
2.
The Discourse on the Precipice
1112. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Rājagaha on the Vulture's Peak mountain. Then the Blessed One addressed the monks: "Come, monks, let us approach the Paṭibhāna Peak for the day residence." "Yes, venerable sir," those monks assented to the Blessed One. Then the Blessed One together with several monks approached the Paṭibhāna Peak. A certain monk saw a great precipice at the Paṭibhāna Peak. Having seen the Blessed One, he said this - "This is indeed a great precipice, venerable sir, a very frightful precipice, venerable sir. Is there indeed, venerable sir, another precipice greater and more frightful than this precipice?" "There is indeed, monk, another precipice greater and more frightful than this precipice."
"But which, venerable sir, is another precipice greater and more frightful than this precipice?" "Whatever ascetics or brahmins, monks, who do not understand as it really is 'This is suffering', who do not understand as it really is 'This is the origin of suffering', who do not understand as it really is 'This is the cessation of suffering', who do not understand as it really is 'This is the practice leading to the cessation of suffering', they delight in activities conducive to birth, they delight in activities conducive to ageing, they delight in activities conducive to death, they delight in activities conducive to sorrow, lamentation, suffering, displeasure, and anguish. They, delighting in activities conducive to birth, delighting in activities conducive to ageing, delighting in activities conducive to death, delighting in activities conducive to sorrow, lamentation, suffering, displeasure, and anguish, generate activities conducive to birth, generate activities conducive to ageing, generate activities conducive to death, generate activities conducive to sorrow, lamentation, suffering, displeasure, and anguish. They, having generated activities conducive to birth, having generated activities conducive to ageing, having generated activities conducive to death, having generated activities conducive to sorrow, lamentation, suffering, displeasure, and anguish, fall into the precipice of birth, fall into the precipice of ageing, fall into the precipice of death, fall into the precipice of sorrow, lamentation, suffering, displeasure, and anguish. They are not released from birth, from ageing, from death, from sorrows, from lamentations, from sufferings, from displeasures, from anguishes. 'They are not released from suffering', I say."
"But whatever ascetics or brahmins, monks, who understand as it really is 'This is suffering', etc. who understand as it really is 'This is the practice leading to the cessation of suffering', they do not delight in activities conducive to birth, they do not delight in activities conducive to ageing, they do not delight in activities conducive to death, they do not delight in activities conducive to sorrow, lamentation, suffering, displeasure, and anguish. They, not delighting in activities conducive to birth, not delighting in activities conducive to ageing, not delighting in activities conducive to death, not delighting in activities conducive to sorrow, lamentation, suffering, displeasure, and anguish, do not generate activities conducive to birth, do not generate activities conducive to ageing, do not generate activities conducive to death, do not generate activities conducive to sorrow, lamentation, suffering, displeasure, and anguish. They, not having generated activities conducive to birth, not having generated activities conducive to ageing, not having generated activities conducive to death, not having generated activities conducive to sorrow, lamentation, suffering, displeasure, and anguish, do not fall into the precipice of birth, do not fall into the precipice of ageing, do not fall into the precipice of death, do not fall into the precipice of sorrow, lamentation, suffering, displeasure, and anguish. They are released from birth, from ageing, from death, from sorrows, from lamentations, from sufferings, from displeasures, from anguishes. 'They are released from suffering', I say."
"Therefore, monks, exertion is to be done regarding 'This is suffering', etc. exertion is to be done regarding 'This is the practice leading to the cessation of suffering.'" The second.
3.
The Discourse on the Great Fever
1113. "There is, monks, a hell named 'Great Fever'. There, whatever form one sees with the eye, one sees only undesirable form, not desirable form; one sees only unpleasant form, not pleasant form; one sees only disagreeable form, not agreeable form. Whatever sound one hears with the ear, etc. whatever tangible object one touches with the body, etc. whatever mental phenomenon one cognizes with the mind, one cognizes only undesirable form, not desirable form; one cognizes only unpleasant form, not pleasant form; one cognizes only disagreeable form, not agreeable form."
When this was said, a certain monk said this to the Blessed One - "That is indeed a great fever, venerable sir, that is indeed a very great fever, venerable sir! Is there indeed, venerable sir, another fever greater and more frightful than this fever?" "There is indeed, monk, another fever greater and more frightful than this fever."
"But what, venerable sir, is that other fever greater and more frightful than this fever?" "Whatever ascetics or brahmins, monks, who do not understand as it really is 'This is suffering', etc. who do not understand as it really is 'This is the practice leading to the cessation of suffering', they delight in activities conducive to birth, etc. delighting, etc. they generate, etc. having generated, they are burnt by the fever of birth, they are burnt by the fever of ageing, they are burnt by the fever of death, they are burnt by the fever of sorrow, lamentation, suffering, displeasure, and anguish. They are not released from birth, from ageing, from death, from sorrows, from lamentations, from sufferings, from displeasures, from anguishes. 'They are not released from suffering', I say."
"But whatever ascetics or brahmins, monks, who understand as it really is 'This is suffering', etc. who understand as it really is 'This is the practice leading to the cessation of suffering'. They do not delight in activities conducive to birth, etc. not delighting, etc. they do not generate, etc. not having generated, they are not burnt by the fever of birth, they are not burnt by the fever of ageing, they are not burnt by the fever of death, they are not burnt by the fever of sorrow, lamentation, suffering, displeasure, and anguish. They are released from birth, from ageing, from death, from sorrows, from lamentations, from sufferings, from displeasures, from anguishes. 'They are released from suffering', I say."
"Therefore, monks, exertion is to be done regarding 'This is suffering', etc. exertion is to be done regarding 'This is the practice leading to the cessation of suffering.'" The third.
4.
The Discourse on the Pinnacle Building
1114. "Whoever indeed, monks, would say thus - 'Without having fully realised as it really is the noble truth of suffering, etc. without having fully realised as it really is the noble truth of the practice leading to the cessation of suffering, I will rightly make an end of suffering' - this is impossible.
"Just as, monks, if anyone were to say thus - 'Without having built the lower storey of a pinnacle building, I will erect the upper storey' - this is impossible; just so, monks, whoever would say thus - 'Without having fully realised as it really is the noble truth of suffering, etc. without having fully realised as it really is the noble truth of the practice leading to the cessation of suffering, I will rightly make an end of suffering' - this is impossible.
"But whoever, monks, would say thus - 'Having fully realised as it really is the noble truth of suffering, etc. having fully realised as it really is the noble truth of the practice leading to the cessation of suffering, I will rightly make an end of suffering' - this is possible.
"Just as, monks, if anyone were to say thus - 'Having built the lower storey of a pinnacle building, I will erect the upper storey' - this is possible; just so, monks, whoever would say thus - 'Having fully realised as it really is the noble truth of suffering, etc. having fully realised as it really is the noble truth of the practice leading to the cessation of suffering, I will rightly make an end of suffering' - this is possible.
"Therefore, monks, exertion is to be done regarding 'This is suffering', etc. exertion is to be done regarding 'This is the practice leading to the cessation of suffering.'" The fourth.
5.
The Discourse on the Hair
1115. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Vesālī in the Great Wood in the Pinnacled Hall. Then the Venerable Ānanda, having dressed in the earlier period of the day, taking his bowl and robe, entered Vesālī for almsfood. The Venerable Ānanda saw many Licchavi youths in the training hall practising archery, shooting arrows from afar through a small keyhole, fletching after fletching, without missing. Having seen him, this occurred to him: "These Licchavi youths are indeed trained, these Licchavi youths are indeed well-trained; since indeed from afar through a small keyhole they will shoot arrows, fletching after fletching, without missing."
Then the Venerable Ānanda, having walked for almsfood in Vesālī, after the meal, having returned from his alms round, approached the Blessed One; having approached, he paid respect to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Seated to one side, the Venerable Ānanda said this to the Blessed One - "Here I, venerable sir, having dressed in the earlier period of the day, taking my bowl and robe, entered Vesālī for almsfood. I saw, venerable sir, many Licchavi youths in the training hall practising archery, shooting arrows from afar through a small keyhole, fletching after fletching, without missing. Having seen him, this occurred to me: "These Licchavi youths are indeed trained, these Licchavi youths are indeed well-trained; since indeed from afar through a small keyhole they will shoot arrows, fletching after fletching, without missing."
"What do you think, Ānanda, which is more difficult to do or more difficult to attain - that one should shoot an arrow from afar through a small keyhole, fletching after fletching, without missing, or that one should pierce tip with tip of a hair split sevenfold?" "This indeed, venerable sir, is more difficult to do and more difficult to attain - that one should pierce tip with tip of a hair split sevenfold." "But, Ānanda, they penetrate what is more difficult to penetrate, those who penetrate as it really is: 'This is suffering', etc. who penetrate as it really is: 'This is the practice leading to the cessation of suffering.'"
"Therefore, Ānanda, exertion is to be done regarding 'This is suffering', etc. exertion is to be done regarding 'This is the practice leading to the cessation of suffering.'" The fifth.
6.
The Discourse on Darkness
1116. "There are, monks, world-interstices, miserable, uncovered, dark, of blinding darkness, where these moon and sun, so powerful, so mighty, do not reach with their radiance."
When this was said, a certain monk said this to the Blessed One - "That is indeed a great darkness, venerable sir, that is indeed a very great darkness, venerable sir! Is there indeed, venerable sir, another darkness greater and more frightful than this darkness?" "There is indeed, monk, another darkness greater and more frightful than this darkness."
"But what, venerable sir, is that other darkness greater and more frightful than this darkness?" "Whatever ascetics or brahmins, monk, who do not understand as it really is 'This is suffering', etc. who do not understand as it really is 'This is the practice leading to the cessation of suffering', they delight in activities conducive to birth, etc. delighting, etc. they generate, etc. having generated, they fall into the darkness of birth, they fall into the darkness of ageing, they fall into the darkness of death, they fall into the darkness of sorrow, lamentation, suffering, displeasure, and anguish. They are not released from birth, from ageing, from death, from sorrows, from lamentations, from sufferings, from displeasures, from anguishes. 'They are not released from suffering', I say."
"But whatever ascetics or brahmins, monk, who understand as it really is 'This is suffering', etc. who understand as it really is 'This is the practice leading to the cessation of suffering', they do not delight in activities conducive to birth, etc. not delighting, etc. they do not generate, etc. not having generated, they do not fall into the darkness of birth, they do not fall into the darkness of ageing, they do not fall into the darkness of death, they do not fall into the darkness of sorrow, lamentation, suffering, displeasure, and anguish. They are released from birth, from ageing, from death, from sorrows, from lamentations, from sufferings, from displeasures, from anguishes. 'They are released from suffering', I say."
"Therefore, monks, exertion is to be done regarding 'This is suffering', etc. exertion is to be done regarding 'This is the practice leading to the cessation of suffering.'" The sixth.
7.
The First Discourse on the Yoke with a Hole
1117. "Just as, monks, a man might throw a yoke with a single hole into the great ocean. There might be a blind turtle. He would emerge once every hundred years. What do you think, monks, would that blind turtle, emerging once every hundred years, insert his neck into that yoke with a single hole?" "If at all, venerable sir, only after a very long period has passed."
"More quickly, monks, would that blind turtle, emerging once every hundred years, insert his neck into that yoke with a single hole than I say would a fool who has gone once to the nether world attain human existence."
What is the reason for this? For here, monks, there is no observance of righteousness, no living in spiritual calm, no doing of wholesome deeds, no doing of meritorious deeds. Here, monks, there prevails mutual devouring, devouring of the weak. What is the reason for this? Because of not seeing, monks, the four noble truths. Which four? The noble truth of suffering, etc. the noble truth of the practice leading to the cessation of suffering.
"Therefore, monks, exertion is to be done regarding 'This is suffering', etc. exertion is to be done regarding 'This is the practice leading to the cessation of suffering.'" The seventh.
8.
The Second Discourse on the Yoke with a Hole
1118. "Just as, monks, this great earth might be covered with one mass of water. There a man might throw in a yoke with a single hole. The east wind would carry it westward, the west wind would carry it eastward, the north wind would carry it southward, the south wind would carry it northward. There might be a blind turtle. He would emerge once every hundred years. What do you think, monks, would that blind turtle, emerging once every hundred years, insert his neck into that yoke with a single hole?" "It would be by chance, venerable sir, that that blind turtle, emerging once every hundred years, would insert his neck into that yoke with a single hole."
"Just so by chance, monks, is it that one attains human existence. Just so by chance, monks, is it that a Truth-finder arises in the world, a Worthy One, a One Enlightened by himself. Just so by chance, monks, is it that the Teaching and discipline proclaimed by the Truth-finder shines in the world. For him, monks, human existence has been obtained, a Truth-finder has arisen in the world, a Worthy One, a One Enlightened by himself, and the Teaching and discipline proclaimed by the Truth-finder shines in the world.
"Therefore, monks, exertion is to be done regarding 'This is suffering', etc. exertion is to be done regarding 'This is the practice leading to the cessation of suffering.'" The eighth.
9.
The First Discourse on Sineru, the King of Mountains
1119. "Just as, monks, a man might place down seven stone pebbles the size of mung beans beside Sineru, the king of mountains. What do you think, monks, which is more - the seven stone pebbles the size of mung beans placed down, or Sineru, the king of mountains?" "This indeed, venerable sir, is more, that is to say - Sineru, the king of mountains; the seven stone pebbles the size of mung beans placed down are insignificant. They do not amount to a reckoning, they do not bear comparison, they do not amount to a fraction - the seven stone pebbles the size of mung beans placed down compared with Sineru, the king of mountains." "Just so, monks, for a noble disciple, a person accomplished in right view, one who has fully realised, this indeed is more suffering, that is to say, what has been exhausted and consumed; what remains is insignificant. It does not amount to a reckoning, it does not bear comparison, it does not amount to a fraction - compared with the former mass of suffering that has been exhausted and consumed, that is to say, having seven rebirths at the utmost; one who understands as it really is: 'This is suffering', etc. one who understands as it really is: 'This is the practice leading to the cessation of suffering.'"
"Therefore, monks, exertion is to be done regarding 'This is suffering', etc. exertion is to be done regarding 'This is the practice leading to the cessation of suffering.'" The ninth.
10.
The Second Discourse on Sineru, King of Mountains
1120. "Just as, monks, Sineru, the king of mountains, would go to utter elimination and exhaustion, except for seven stone pebbles the size of mung beans. What do you think, monks, which is more - what has been utterly eliminated and exhausted of Sineru, the king of mountains, or the seven stone pebbles the size of mung beans remaining?" "This indeed, venerable sir, is more of Sineru, the king of mountains, that is to say, what has been utterly eliminated and exhausted; the seven stone pebbles the size of mung beans remaining are insignificant. They do not amount to a reckoning, they do not bear comparison, they do not amount to a fraction - the seven stone pebbles the size of mung beans remaining compared with what has been utterly eliminated and exhausted of Sineru, the king of mountains." "Just so, monks, for a noble disciple, a person accomplished in right view, one who has fully realised, this indeed is more suffering, that is to say, what has been exhausted and consumed; what remains is insignificant. It does not amount to a reckoning, it does not bear comparison, it does not amount to a fraction - compared with the former mass of suffering that has been exhausted and consumed, that is to say, having seven rebirths at the utmost; one who understands as it really is: 'This is suffering', etc. one who understands as it really is: 'This is the practice leading to the cessation of suffering.'"
"Therefore, monks, exertion is to be done regarding 'This is suffering', etc. exertion is to be done regarding 'This is the practice leading to the cessation of suffering.'" The tenth.
The Chapter on the Precipice is the fifth.
Its summary:
And two spoken with Hole, Sineru, the other two.