MN149 — The Great Sixfold Base Discourse
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 disciples:
Disciples.
Venerable Sir, those disciples replied to the Blessed One.
The Blessed One said this:
I will teach you the discourse on the great sixfold base. Listen to it, pay close attention, and I will speak.
Yes, Venerable Sir, those disciples replied to the Blessed One.
The Blessed One said this:
Disciples, not understanding and not seeing the eye as it really is, not understanding and not seeing forms as they really are, not understanding and not seeing eye-consciousness as it really is, not understanding and not seeing eye-contact as it really is, not understanding and not seeing the feeling that arises with eye-contact as condition: whether pleasant, painful, or neither-painful-nor-pleasant: as it really is, one becomes attached to the eye, attached to forms, attached to eye-consciousness, attached to eye-contact, attached to the feeling that arises with eye-contact as condition: whether pleasant, painful, or neither-painful-nor-pleasant.
For one who is attached, fettered, and deluded, who dwells seeing gratification, the five aggregates subject to clinging go on to future accumulation. Craving, which leads to renewed existence, accompanied by delight and lust, seeking delight here and there, grows in him.
His bodily and mental troubles increase; his bodily and mental torments increase; his bodily and mental fires increase. He experiences bodily and mental suffering.
Not understanding and not seeing the ear as it really is... (and so on for the nose, tongue, body, and mind).
Not understanding and not seeing the mind as it really is, not understanding and not seeing mental phenomena as they really are, not understanding and not seeing mind-consciousness as it really is, not understanding and not seeing mind-contact as it really is, not understanding and not seeing the feeling that arises with mind-contact as condition: whether pleasant, painful, or neither-painful-nor-pleasant: as it really is, one becomes attached to the mind, attached to mental phenomena, attached to mind-consciousness, attached to mind-contact, attached to the feeling that arises with mind-contact as condition: whether pleasant, painful, or neither-painful-nor-pleasant.
For one who is attached, entangled, and confused, who dwells perceiving gratification, the five aggregates subject to clinging increase in the future. His craving, which leads to renewed existence, accompanied by delight and lust, relishing this and that, grows. His physical and mental distress increase; his physical and mental suffering increase; his physical and mental fever increase. He experiences bodily and mental pain.
But when one knows and sees the eye as it really is, knows and sees forms as they really are, knows and sees eye-consciousness as it really is, knows and sees eye-contact as it really is, and whatever feeling arises with eye-contact as condition, whether pleasant, painful, or neither-painful-nor-pleasant, knows and sees that as it really is, he is not attached to the eye, not attached to forms, not attached to eye-consciousness, not attached to eye-contact, and not attached to whatever feeling arises with eye-contact as condition, whether pleasant, painful, or neither-painful-nor-pleasant.
For one who is unattached, disentangled, and unconfused, who dwells perceiving danger, the five aggregates subject to clinging decrease in the future. His craving, which leads to renewed existence, accompanied by delight and lust, relishing this and that, is abandoned. His physical and mental distress are abandoned; his physical and mental suffering are abandoned; his physical and mental fever are abandoned. He experiences bodily and mental pleasure.
The view of one who sees thus is right view; the intention of one who sees thus is right intention; the effort of one who sees thus is right effort; the mindfulness of one who sees thus is right mindfulness; the concentration of one who sees thus is right concentration.
Moreover, his bodily conduct, verbal conduct, and livelihood are purified beforehand. Thus, for him, this Noble Eightfold Path comes to fulfillment through development.
As he develops this Noble Eightfold Path, the four establishments of mindfulness come to fulfillment through development, the four right efforts come to fulfillment through development, the four bases of spiritual power come to fulfillment through development, the five faculties come to fulfillment through development, the five powers come to fulfillment through development, and the seven factors of enlightenment come to fulfillment through development.
Two things are conjoined and proceed together:
calm and insight.
He fully understands the things that should be fully understood.
He abandons the things that should be abandoned.
He develops the things that should be developed.
He realizes the things that should be realized.
And what are the things that should be fully understood?
The five aggregates of clinging should be said, namely:
the form aggregate of clinging, the feeling aggregate of clinging, the perception aggregate of clinging, the formations aggregate of clinging, the consciousness aggregate of clinging.
These are the things that should be fully understood.
And what are the things that should be abandoned?
Ignorance and craving for becoming:
these are the things that should be abandoned.
And what are the things that should be developed?
Calm and insight:
these are the things that should be developed.
And what are the things that should be realized?
Knowledge and liberation:
these are the things that should be realized.
Knowing and seeing the ear as it really is …
knowing and seeing the nose as it really is …
knowing and seeing the tongue as it really is …
knowing and seeing the body as it really is …
knowing and seeing the mind as it really is, knowing and seeing phenomena as they really are, knowing and seeing mind-consciousness as it really is, knowing and seeing mental contact as it really is, knowing and seeing the feeling that arises dependent on mental contact, whether pleasant, painful, or neither-painful-nor-pleasant, as it really is, he does not become attached to the mind, does not become attached to phenomena, does not become attached to mind-consciousness, does not become attached to mental contact, does not become attached to the feeling that arises dependent on mental contact, whether pleasant, painful, or neither-painful-nor-pleasant.
For one who is unattached, unbound, and not deluded, contemplating the danger, the five aggregates of clinging diminish in the future.
His craving for rebirth, accompanied by delight and attachment, delighting here and there, is abandoned.
His bodily torments are abandoned, his mental torments are abandoned;
his bodily distress is abandoned, his mental distress is abandoned;
his bodily fever is abandoned, his mental fever is abandoned.
He experiences both bodily pleasure and mental pleasure.
The view of one who has become thus is right view;
the intention of one who has become thus is right intention;
the effort of one who has become thus is right effort;
the mindfulness of one who has become thus is right mindfulness;
the concentration of one who has become thus is right concentration.
However, his bodily actions, verbal actions, and livelihood are already purified.
Thus, this Noble Eightfold Path reaches fulfillment in him.
As he develops this Noble Eightfold Path, the four foundations of mindfulness reach fulfillment, the four right efforts reach fulfillment, the four bases of spiritual power reach fulfillment, the five faculties reach fulfillment, the five powers reach fulfillment, and the seven factors of enlightenment reach fulfillment.
These two qualities occur together for him:
calm and insight.
He fully understands with direct knowing those things that should be fully understood with direct knowing.
He abandons with direct knowing those things that should be abandoned with direct knowing.
He develops with direct knowing those things that should be developed with direct knowing.
He realizes with direct knowing those things that should be realized with direct knowing.
And what are the things that should be fully understood with direct knowing?
The five aggregates subject to clinging should be mentioned, namely:
the form aggregate subject to clinging, the feeling aggregate subject to clinging, the perception aggregate subject to clinging, the formations aggregate subject to clinging, the consciousness aggregate subject to clinging.
These are the things that should be fully understood with direct knowing.
And what are the things that should be abandoned with direct knowing?
Ignorance and craving for existence:
these are the things that should be abandoned with direct knowing.
And what are the things that should be developed with direct knowing?
Calm and insight:
these are the things that should be developed with direct knowing.
And what are the things that should be realized with direct knowing?
Knowledge and liberation:
these are the things that should be realized with direct knowing.
Thus spoke the Blessed One.
The disciples were satisfied and delighted in the Blessed One's words.
The Great Sixfold Base Discourse is completed.