MN18 — Madhupiṇḍika Sutta
Thus have I heard: At one time the Blessed One was dwelling among the Sakyans in Kapilavatthu in the Banyan Park.
Then, in the morning, the venerable Mahākaccāna approached the Blessed One and said: Venerable Sir, a group of disciples came to me and asked about the meaning of the brief statement made by the Blessed One. They said that they did not know it.
The Blessed One replied: Venerable Mahākaccāna, explain the meaning of this brief statement to them.
Venerable Mahākaccāna said: Venerable Sir, I will explain the meaning of this brief statement as follows:
Depending on the eye and forms, eye-consciousness arises; the meeting of the three is contact; with contact as a condition, there is feeling; what one feels, one perceives; what one perceives, one thinks about; what one thinks about, one proliferates. From that as a source, perceptions and notions born of proliferation beset a man regarding past, future, and present forms cognizable through the eye.
Friend, depending on sound, ear-consciousness arises …
Friend, depending on odors, nose-consciousness arises …
Friend, depending on flavors, tongue-consciousness arises …
Friend, depending on tactile objects, body-consciousness arises …
Friend, depending on mental objects, mind-consciousness arises, contact is the coming together of the three, contact conditions feeling, what one feels, one perceives, what one perceives, one thinks about, what one thinks about, one proliferates, from what one proliferates, perceptions and notions born of proliferation beset a person with respect to past, future, and present mental objects cognizable by the mind.
Thus, friend, when there is the eye, forms, and eye-consciousness, the designation of contact is possible: there is a possibility for this.
With the designation of contact, the designation of feeling is possible: there is a possibility for this.
With the designation of feeling, the designation of perception is possible: there is a possibility for this.
With the designation of perception, the designation of thought is possible: there is a possibility for this.
With the designation of thought, the designation of the proliferation of perceptions and notions is possible: there is a possibility for this.
Thus, friend, when there is the ear and sounds
when there is the nose and odors
when there is the tongue and flavors
when there is the body and tactile objects
when there is the mind, mental objects, and mind-consciousness, the designation of contact is possible: there is a possibility for this.
With the designation of contact, the designation of feeling is possible: there is a possibility for this.
With the designation of feeling, the designation of perception is possible: there is a possibility for this.
With the designation of perception, the designation of thought is possible: there is a possibility for this.
With the designation of thought, the designation of the proliferation of perceptions and notions is possible: there is a possibility for this.
Thus, friend, when there is no eye, no forms, and no eye-consciousness, the designation of contact is not possible: there is no possibility for this.
With no designation of contact, the designation of feeling is not possible: there is no possibility for this.
With no designation of feeling, the designation of perception is not possible: there is no possibility for this.
With no designation of perception, the designation of thought is not possible: there is no possibility for this.
With no designation of thought, the designation of the proliferation of perceptions and notions is not possible: there is no possibility for this.
Thus, friend, when there is no ear and no sounds
when there is no nose and no odors
when there is no tongue and no flavors
when there is no body and no tactile objects
when there is no mind, no mental objects, and no mind-consciousness, the designation of contact is not possible: there is no possibility for this.
With no designation of contact, the designation of feeling is not possible: there is no possibility for this.
With no designation of feeling, the designation of perception is not possible: there is no possibility for this.
With no designation of perception, the designation of thought is not possible: there is no possibility for this.
With no designation of thought, the designation of the proliferation of perceptions and notions is not possible: there is no possibility for this.
The Blessed One said: Venerable Mahākaccāna has explained the meaning of this brief statement to you in a clear and concise manner.
Then venerable Ānanda asked the Blessed One: Suppose, venerable sir, a man, afflicted and oppressed by hunger and weakness, came upon a honeyball. Wherever he would taste it, he would find a sweet, delectable flavor. Similarly, venerable sir, a disciple, in whatever way he develops and cultivates this discourse on the Dhamma, would find satisfaction and joy of mind. What is the name of this discourse on the Dhamma?
The Blessed One replied: Therefore, Ānanda, you should remember this discourse on the Dhamma as the Honeyball Discourse.
Venerable Ānanda was pleased and delighted in the Blessed One's words.
The Honeyball Discourse is concluded.