MN9 — Right View Discourse

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

There, the venerable Sāriputta addressed the disciples:

Friends, disciples.

Friend, those disciples responded to the venerable Sāriputta.

The venerable Sāriputta said:

Right view, right view, it is said, friends. To what extent, friends, is a noble disciple endowed with right view, his view straight, equipped with unwavering confidence in the Dhamma, having arrived at this true Dhamma?

Even from afar, friend, we would come to learn the meaning of this statement in the presence of the venerable Sāriputta. It would be good if the venerable Sāriputta himself would clarify the meaning of this statement. Having heard it from the venerable Sāriputta, the disciples will remember it.

Then, friends, listen and pay close attention, I will speak, he said.

Yes, friend, those disciples responded to the venerable Sāriputta.

The venerable Sāriputta said:

When, friends, a noble disciple understands the unwholesome and its root, the wholesome and its root: by this much, friends, a noble disciple is endowed with right view, his view straight, equipped with unwavering confidence in the Dhamma, having arrived at this true Dhamma.

What, friends, is the unwholesome, what is the root of the unwholesome, what is the wholesome, what is the root of the wholesome? Killing living beings, friends, is unwholesome; taking what is not given, sexual misconduct, lying, divisive speech, harsh speech, idle chatter, covetousness, ill will, wrong view: this is called the unwholesome.

And what, friends, is the root of the unwholesome? Greed is a root of the unwholesome, hatred is a root of the unwholesome, delusion is a root of the unwholesome: this is called the root of the unwholesome.

And what, friends, is the wholesome? Abstaining from killing living beings, abstaining from taking what is not given, abstaining from sexual misconduct, abstaining from lying, abstaining from divisive speech, abstaining from harsh speech, abstaining from idle chatter, non-covetousness, non-ill will, right view: this is called the wholesome.

And what, friends, is the root of the wholesome? Non-greed is a root of the wholesome, non-hatred is a root of the wholesome, non-delusion is a root of the wholesome: this is called the root of the wholesome. When, friends, a noble disciple thus understands the unwholesome and its root, the wholesome and its root, he entirely abandons the underlying tendency to lust, dispels the underlying tendency to aversion, overcomes the underlying tendency to the view and conceit I am, and by abandoning ignorance and arousing true knowing, he here and now makes an end of suffering: by this much, friends, a noble disciple is endowed with right view, his view straight, equipped with unwavering confidence in the Dhamma, having arrived at this true Dhamma.

Good, friend, those disciples, rejoicing and approving of the venerable Sāriputtas words, asked him a further question:

Is there, friend, another method by which a noble disciple is endowed with right view, his view straight, equipped with unwavering confidence in the Dhamma, having arrived at this true Dhamma?

There is, friends.

When, friends, a noble disciple understands nutriment and its origin, the cessation of nutriment, and the path leading to the cessation of nutriment: by this much, friends, a noble disciple is endowed with right view, his view straight, equipped with unwavering confidence in the Dhamma, having arrived at this true Dhamma. What, friends, is nutriment, what is its origin, what is its cessation, and what is the path leading to its cessation?

There are these four nutriments for the maintenance of beings that have come to be and for the support of those seeking to be. What four? Physical food as coarse or fine, second is contact, third is mental volition, fourth is consciousness. The origin of nutriment is craving, the cessation of nutriment is the cessation of craving, and the path leading to the cessation of nutriment is just this Noble Eightfold Path, that is, right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.

When, friends, a noble disciple thus understands nutriment, its origin, its cessation, and the path leading to its cessation, he entirely abandons the underlying tendency to lust, dispels the underlying tendency to aversion, overcomes the underlying tendency to the view and conceit I am, and by abandoning ignorance and arousing true knowing, he here and now makes an end of suffering: by this much, friends, a noble disciple is endowed with right view, his view straight, equipped with unwavering confidence in the Dhamma, having arrived at this true Dhamma.

The noble disciple has come, having arrived at this true Dhamma, they said. Good, friends, those disciples rejoiced and were pleased with what Venerable Sariputta had said, and then they asked him further: Could there be another way, friend, for a noble disciple to be of right view, with straightened view, endowed with unwavering confidence in the Dhamma, having arrived at this true Dhamma?

Yes, friend. When, friend, a noble disciple understands suffering, the origin of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the path leading to the cessation of suffering: by this very fact, friend, a noble disciple is of right view, with straightened view, endowed with unwavering confidence in the Dhamma, having arrived at this true Dhamma. What, friend, is suffering, what is the origin of suffering, what is the cessation of suffering, and what is the path leading to the cessation of suffering?

Birth is suffering, aging is suffering, death is suffering; sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair are suffering; association with the disliked is suffering, separation from the loved is suffering, not getting what one wants is suffering; in brief, the five aggregates subject to clinging are suffering.

This, friend, is called suffering. And what, friend, is the origin of suffering? It is craving, which leads to rebirth, accompanied by delight and lust, finding delight here and there; namely, craving for sensual pleasures, craving for existence, craving for non-existence.

This, friend, is called the origin of suffering. And what, friend, is the cessation of suffering? It is the remainderless fading and cessation of that same craving, the giving up and relinquishing of it, freedom from it, non-reliance on it. This, friend, is called the cessation of suffering.

And what, friend, is the path leading to the cessation of suffering? It is this Noble Eightfold Path; that is, right view … right concentration. This, friend, is called the path leading to the cessation of suffering. When, friend, a noble disciple understands suffering, the origin of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the path leading to the cessation of suffering in this way, he abandons the underlying tendency to lust, eliminates the underlying tendency to aversion, eradicates the underlying tendency to the view and conceit I am, and by abandoning ignorance and arousing true knowing, he here and now makes an end of suffering: by this very fact, friend, a noble disciple is of right view, with straightened view, endowed with unwavering confidence in the Dhamma, having arrived at this true Dhamma, they said.

Good, friends, those disciples rejoiced and were pleased with what Venerable Sariputta had said, and then they asked him further: Could there be another way, friend, for a noble disciple to be of right view, with straightened view, endowed with unwavering confidence in the Dhamma, having arrived at this true Dhamma? Yes, friend.

When, friend, a noble disciple understands aging and death, the origin of aging and death, the cessation of aging and death, and the path leading to the cessation of aging and death: by this very fact, friend, a noble disciple is of right view, with straightened view, endowed with unwavering confidence in the Dhamma, having arrived at this true Dhamma.

What, friend, is aging and death, what is the origin of aging and death, what is the cessation of aging and death, and what is the path leading to the cessation of aging and death? Aging is the aging of various beings in their various orders of beings, their growing old, decay, breaking up of the faculties, wearing out, decline, fading away, and the waning of vitality.

This, friend, is called aging. And what, friend, is death? The passing away, dissolution, disintegration, demise, mortality, death, decease, breaking up of the aggregates, laying down of the body, cutting off of the life faculty of the various beings in their various orders of beings: this, friend, is called death. Thus, this is aging and this is death.

This, friend, is called aging and death. With the arising of birth, there is the arising of aging and death. With the cessation of birth, there is the cessation of aging and death. The very Noble Eightfold Path is the path leading to the cessation of aging and death, that is, right view … right concentration.

When, friend, a noble disciple understands aging and death, the origin of aging and death, the cessation of aging and death, and the path leading to the cessation of aging and death in this way, he abandons the underlying tendency to lust … and makes an end of suffering: by this very fact, friend, a noble disciple is of right view, with straightened view, endowed with unwavering confidence in the Dhamma, having arrived at this true Dhamma, they said.

Yes, friend. When, friend, a noble disciple understands birth, the origin of birth, the cessation of birth, and the path leading to the cessation of birth: by this very fact, friend, a noble disciple is of right view, with straightened view, endowed with unwavering confidence in the Dhamma, having arrived at this true Dhamma. What, friend, is birth,

The arising of birth, what is the cessation of birth, what is the path leading to the cessation of birth? The birth, rebirth, descent, coming-to-be, and appearance of aggregates, and the acquisition of the sense bases of the various beings in their various orders of beings: this, friends, is called birth. With the arising of becoming, there is the arising of birth; with the cessation of becoming, there is the cessation of birth.

The very noble eightfold path is the path leading to the cessation of birth, that is: right view … up to … right concentration. When, friends, a noble disciple understands birth, understands the arising of birth, understands the cessation of birth, understands the path leading to the cessation of birth, he entirely abandons the underlying tendency to lust … and makes an end of suffering: by this, friends, a noble disciple is one of right view, whose view is straight, who has unwavering confidence in the Dhamma, and has arrived at this true Dhamma. Good, friends, they asked: Is it possible, friends …? It is, friends.

When, friends, a noble disciple understands becoming, understands the arising of becoming, understands the cessation of becoming, understands the path leading to the cessation of becoming: by this, friends, a noble disciple is one of right view, whose view is straight, who has unwavering confidence in the Dhamma, and has arrived at this true Dhamma.

What, friends, is becoming, what is the arising of becoming, what is the cessation of becoming, what is the path leading to the cessation of becoming? There are these three kinds of becoming, friends: sensual becoming, form becoming, formless becoming. With the arising of clinging, there is the arising of becoming; with the cessation of clinging, there is the cessation of becoming. The very noble eightfold path is the path leading to the cessation of becoming, that is: right view … up to … right concentration.

When, friends, a noble disciple understands clinging, understands the arising of clinging, understands the cessation of clinging, understands the path leading to the cessation of clinging, he entirely abandons the underlying tendency to lust … and makes an end of suffering: by this, friends, a noble disciple is one of right view, whose view is straight, who has unwavering confidence in the Dhamma, and has arrived at this true Dhamma. Good, friends, they asked: Is it possible, friends …? It is, friends.

When, friends, a noble disciple understands craving, understands the arising of craving, understands the cessation of craving, understands the path leading to the cessation of craving: by this, friends, a noble disciple is one of right view, whose view is straight, who has unwavering confidence in the Dhamma, and has arrived at this true Dhamma.

What, friends, is craving, what is the arising of craving, what is the cessation of craving, what is the path leading to the cessation of craving? There are these six classes of craving, friends: craving for forms, craving for sounds, craving for odors, craving for tastes, craving for tactile sensations, craving for mental phenomena. With the arising of feeling, there is the arising of craving; with the cessation of feeling, there is the cessation of craving.

The very noble eightfold path is the path leading to the cessation of craving, that is: right view … up to … right concentration. When, friends, a noble disciple understands craving, understands the arising of craving, understands the cessation of craving, understands the path leading to the cessation of craving, he entirely abandons the underlying tendency to lust … and makes an end of suffering: by this, friends, a noble disciple is one of right view, whose view is straight, who has unwavering confidence in the Dhamma, and has arrived at this true Dhamma. Good, friends, they asked: Is it possible, friends …? It is, friends. When, friends, a noble disciple understands feeling …

One understands the arising of feeling, the cessation of feeling, and the path leading to the cessation of feeling:

By this much, friend, a noble disciple is of right view, his view is straight, endowed with unwavering confidence in the Dhamma, having arrived at this true Dhamma.

But what, friend, is feeling, what is the arising of feeling, what is the cessation of feeling, what is the path leading to the cessation of feeling?

There are these six classes of feeling:

Feeling born of eye contact, feeling born of ear contact, feeling born of nose contact, feeling born of tongue contact, feeling born of body contact, feeling born of mind contact.

The arising of feeling is dependent on contact, the cessation of feeling is dependent on the cessation of contact, and just this Noble Eightfold Path is the path leading to the cessation of feeling, that is:

right view … etc. … right concentration.

When, friend, a noble disciple understands feeling, understands the arising of feeling, understands the cessation of feeling, understands the path leading to the cessation of feeling, he entirely abandons the underlying tendency to lust … etc. … and makes an end of suffering:

By this much, friend, a noble disciple is of right view, his view is straight, endowed with unwavering confidence in the Dhamma, having arrived at this true Dhamma.

Good, friend, they asked:

But what, friend, is contact, what is the arising of contact, what is the cessation of contact, what is the path leading to the cessation of contact?

There are these six classes of contact:

Eye contact, ear contact, nose contact, tongue contact, body contact, mind contact.

The arising of contact is dependent on the six sense bases, the cessation of contact is dependent on the cessation of the six sense bases, and just this Noble Eightfold Path is the path leading to the cessation of contact, that is: right view … etc. … right concentration.

When, friend, a noble disciple understands contact, understands the arising of contact, understands the cessation of contact, understands the path leading to the cessation of contact, he entirely abandons the underlying tendency to lust … etc. … and makes an end of suffering:

By this much, friend, a noble disciple is of right view, his view is straight, endowed with unwavering confidence in the Dhamma, having arrived at this true Dhamma.

Good, friend, they asked:

But what, friend, are the six sense bases, what is the arising of the six sense bases, what is the cessation of the six sense bases, what is the path leading to the cessation of the six sense bases?

There are these six sense bases:

The eye base, the ear base, the nose base, the tongue base, the body base, the mind base.

The arising of the six sense bases is dependent on name-and-form, the cessation of the six sense bases is dependent on the cessation of name-and-form, and just this Noble Eightfold Path is the path leading to the cessation of the six sense bases, that is:

right view … etc. … right concentration.

When, friend, a noble disciple understands the six sense bases, understands the arising of the six sense bases, understands the cessation of the six sense bases, understands the path leading to the cessation of the six sense bases, he entirely abandons the underlying tendency to lust … etc. … and makes an end of suffering:

By this much, friend, a noble disciple is of right view, his view is straight, endowed with unwavering confidence in the Dhamma, having arrived at this true Dhamma.

Good, friend, they asked:

But what, friend, is name-and-form, what is the arising of name-and-form, what is the cessation of name-and-form, what is the path leading to the cessation of name-and-form?

Feeling, perception, intention, contact, attention:

This is called, friend, name;

The four great elements and the form derived from the four great elements:

This is called, friend, form.

Thus, this name and this form:

This is called, friend, name-and-form.

The arising of name-and-form is dependent on consciousness, the cessation of name-and-form is dependent on the cessation of consciousness, and just this Noble Eightfold Path is the path leading to the cessation of name-and-form, that is: right view … etc. … right concentration.

When, friend, a noble disciple understands name-and-form, understands the arising of name-and-form, understands the cessation of name-and-form, understands the path leading to the cessation of name-and-form, he entirely abandons the underlying tendency to lust … etc. … and makes an end of suffering:

By this much, friend, a noble disciple is of right view, his view is straight, endowed with unwavering confidence in the Dhamma, having arrived at this true Dhamma.

The arising of formlessness, with the cessation of consciousness, there is the cessation of name and form. This very Noble Eightfold Path is the way leading to the cessation of name and form, namely: right view … up to … right concentration. When, friend, a noble disciple thus understands name and form, understands the arising of name and form, understands the cessation of name and form, understands the way leading to the cessation of name and form, he entirely abandons the underlying tendency to lust … and makes an end of suffering: