Saṁyutta Nikāya 12.61 7.

The Discourse on the Uninstructed

Mahāvagga Assutavāsutta Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme …

Thus have I heard: At one time the Blessed One was staying in Sāvatthī, in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's Park...

“assutavā, bhikkhave, puthujjano imasmiṁ cātumahābhūtikasmiṁ kāyasmiṁ nibbindeyyapi virajjeyyapi vimucceyyapi.

Disciples, an uninstructed ordinary person might become disenchanted with, might become dispassionate towards, might become liberated from this body composed of the four great elements.

Taṁ kissa hetu?

What is the reason for that?

Dissati, bhikkhave, imassa cātumahābhūtikassa kāyassa ācayopi apacayopi ādānampi nikkhepanampi.

Disciples, it is because the growth and decline, the taking up and putting down of this body composed of the four great elements is seen.

Tasmā tatrāssutavā puthujjano nibbindeyyapi virajjeyyapi vimucceyyapi.

Therefore, an uninstructed ordinary person might become disenchanted with, might become dispassionate towards, might become liberated from it.

Yañca kho etaṁ, bhikkhave, vuccati cittaṁ itipi, mano itipi, viññāṇaṁ itipi, tatrāssutavā puthujjano nālaṁ nibbindituṁ nālaṁ virajjituṁ nālaṁ vimuccituṁ.

But as for what is called the mind, or the heart, or consciousness, an uninstructed ordinary person is not capable of becoming disenchanted with it, not capable of becoming dispassionate towards it, not capable of becoming liberated from it.

Taṁ kissa hetu?

What is the reason for that?

Dīgharattañhetaṁ, bhikkhave, assutavato puthujjanassa ajjhositaṁ mamāyitaṁ parāmaṭṭhaṁ: ‘etaṁ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’ti.

Disciples, it is because for a long time this has been clung to, appropriated, and grasped by the uninstructed ordinary person as: This is mine, I am this, this is my self.

Tasmā tatrāssutavā puthujjano nālaṁ nibbindituṁ nālaṁ virajjituṁ nālaṁ vimuccituṁ. Varaṁ, bhikkhave, assutavā puthujjano imaṁ cātumahābhūtikaṁ kāyaṁ attato upagaccheyya, na tveva cittaṁ.

Therefore, an uninstructed ordinary person is not capable of becoming disenchanted with it, not capable of becoming dispassionate towards it, not capable of becoming liberated from it.

Taṁ kissa hetu? Dissatāyaṁ, bhikkhave, cātumahābhūtiko kāyo ekampi vassaṁ tiṭṭhamāno dvepi vassāni tiṭṭhamāno tīṇipi vassāni tiṭṭhamāno cattāripi vassāni tiṭṭhamāno pañcapi vassāni tiṭṭhamāno dasapi vassāni tiṭṭhamāno vīsatipi vassāni tiṭṭhamāno tiṁsampi vassāni tiṭṭhamāno cattārīsampi vassāni tiṭṭhamāno paññāsampi vassāni tiṭṭhamāno vassasatampi tiṭṭhamāno, bhiyyopi tiṭṭhamāno.

Disciples, it would be better for an uninstructed ordinary person to regard this body composed of the four great elements as self rather than the mind. What is the reason for that? Disciples, it is because this body composed of the four great elements is seen to last for one year, for two years, for three years, for four years, for five years, for ten years, for twenty years, for thirty years, for forty years, for fifty years, for a hundred years, or even longer.

Yañca kho etaṁ, bhikkhave, vuccati cittaṁ itipi, mano itipi, viññāṇaṁ itipi, taṁ rattiyā ca divasassa ca aññadeva uppajjati aññaṁ nirujjhati.

But as for what is called the mind, or the heart, or consciousness, it arises as one thing and ceases as another by day and by night.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, makkaṭo araññe pavane caramāno sākhaṁ gaṇhati, taṁ muñcitvā aññaṁ gaṇhati, taṁ muñcitvā aññaṁ gaṇhati; evameva kho, bhikkhave, yamidaṁ vuccati cittaṁ itipi, mano itipi, viññāṇaṁ itipi, taṁ rattiyā ca divasassa ca aññadeva uppajjati aññaṁ nirujjhati.

Just as a monkey roaming through the forest grabs hold of one branch, lets it go, and grabs another; then lets that go and grabs yet another; so too what is called the mind, or the heart, or consciousness, arises as one thing and ceases as another by day and by night.

There a well-instructed noble disciple carefully and thoroughly attends to dependent origination:

Tatra, bhikkhave, sutavā ariyasāvako paṭiccasamuppādaṁyeva sādhukaṁ yoniso manasi karoti: ‘iti imasmiṁ sati idaṁ hoti, imassuppādā idaṁ uppajjati; imasmiṁ asati idaṁ na hoti, imassa nirodhā idaṁ nirujjhati— yadidaṁ avijjāpaccayā saṅkhārā; saṅkhārapaccayā viññāṇaṁ …pe…

When this exists, that comes to be; with the arising of this, that arises. When this does not exist, that does not come to be; with the cessation of this, that ceases: that is, with ignorance as condition, volitional formations; with volitional formations as condition, consciousness... Thus is the origin of this whole mass of suffering.

evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti. Avijjāya tveva asesavirāganirodhā saṅkhāranirodho; saṅkhāranirodhā viññāṇanirodho …pe…

But with the remainderless fading away and cessation of ignorance comes the cessation of volitional formations; with the cessation of volitional formations, the cessation of consciousness...

evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hotī’ti.

Thus is the cessation of this whole mass of suffering.

Evaṁ passaṁ, bhikkhave, sutavā ariyasāvako rūpasmimpi nibbindati, vedanāyapi nibbindati, saññāyapi nibbindati, saṅkhāresupi nibbindati, viññāṇasmimpi nibbindati; nibbindaṁ virajjati, virāgā vimuccati, vimuttasmiṁ vimuttamiti ñāṇaṁ hoti.

Seeing thus a well-instructed noble disciple becomes disenchanted with form, becomes disenchanted with feeling, becomes disenchanted with perception, becomes disenchanted with volitional formations, becomes disenchanted with consciousness; becoming disenchanted, he becomes dispassionate; through dispassion, he is liberated; when liberated, there is knowing that he is liberated.

‘Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā’ti pajānātī”ti. Paṭhamaṁ.

He knows: Birth is destroyed, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming to any state of being.