title: SN12.51 — This is what I heard:
SN12.51 — This is what I heard:
At one time, the Blessed One was staying in Savatthi, in Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika's Park.
There, the Blessed One addressed the disciples: Disciples. Venerable Sir, the disciples replied.
The Blessed One said: To what extent should a disciple examine things thoroughly for the complete understanding of suffering?
Venerable Sir, our teachings are rooted in the Blessed One, guided by the Blessed One, with the Blessed One as our refuge. It would be good if the Blessed One would clarify the meaning of this statement. We will listen and remember it.
Then listen and pay close attention, I will speak. Yes, venerable sir, the disciples replied. The Blessed One said:
Here a disciple examines thoroughly: What is the cause, origin, birth, and condition of the various kinds of suffering that arise in the world, including aging and death? When what exists does aging and death come to be, and when what does not exist does aging and death not come to be?
Through examination, he understands: The various kinds of suffering that arise in the world, including aging and death, are caused, originated, born, and conditioned by birth. With birth as condition, aging and death come to be; without birth, aging and death do not come to be. He understands aging and death, their origin, cessation, and the path leading to their cessation, and practices accordingly, living in accordance with the Dhamma.
This is called a disciple who is fully practicing for the complete understanding of suffering, for the cessation of aging and death.
Then, examining further, he understands: Birth is caused, originated, born, and conditioned by existence. With existence as condition, birth comes to be; without existence, birth does not come to be.
He understands birth, its origin, cessation, and the path leading to its cessation, and practices accordingly, living in accordance with the Dhamma. This is called a disciple who is fully practicing for the complete understanding of suffering, for the cessation of birth.
Further examining, he understands the cause, origin, birth, and condition of existence, clinging, craving, feeling, contact, the six sense bases, name-and-form, consciousness, and formations.
He understands that formations are caused, originated, born, and conditioned by ignorance. With ignorance as condition, formations come to be; without ignorance, formations do not come to be.
He understands formations, their origin, cessation, and the path leading to their cessation, and practices accordingly, living in accordance with the Dhamma.
This is called a disciple who is fully practicing for the complete understanding of suffering, for the cessation of formations. When a person, influenced by ignorance, generates meritorious, demeritorious, or imperturbable formations, consciousness follows accordingly. But when a disciple has abandoned ignorance and gained knowing, he does not generate meritorious, demeritorious, or imperturbable formations.
Not generating formations, not intending, he does not grasp at anything in the world. Not grasping, he is not agitated; not agitated, he personally attains Nibbana. He understands: Birth is ended, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming to any state of being. When he feels a pleasant, painful, or neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, he understands it as impermanent, not to be delighted in, not to be welcomed. Thus, when feeling a pleasant, painful, or neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, he feels it detached.
Thus, experiencing a sensation that is limited to the body, one understands I experience a sensation limited to the body; experiencing a sensation that is limited to life, one understands I experience a sensation limited to life. After the breakup of the body, upon the exhaustion of life, right here all sensations will become cool, not delighted in, while the corpse will remain.
Just as a person might remove a hot clay pot from the potter's kiln and set it aside on a smooth ground. There, whatever heat there is would cool down right there, and the potsherds would remain. In the same way experiencing a sensation limited to the body, one understands I experience a sensation limited to the body; experiencing a sensation limited to life, one understands I experience a sensation limited to life.
After the breakup of the body, upon the exhaustion of life, right here all sensations will become cool, not delighted in, the corpse will remain.
What do you think would a disciple who has eliminated the contaminants generate a meritorious formation, or a demeritorious formation, or an imperturbable formation?
No, venerable sir. Completely without formations, with the cessation of formations, would consciousness be discerned? No, venerable sir.
Completely without consciousness, with the cessation of consciousness, would name-and-form be discerned? No, venerable sir.
Completely without name-and-form, with the cessation of name-and-form, would the six sense bases be discerned? No, venerable sir.
Completely without the six sense bases, with the cessation of the six sense bases, would contact be discerned? No, venerable sir.
Completely without contact, with the cessation of contact, would sensation be discerned? No, venerable sir.
Completely without sensation, with the cessation of sensation, would craving be discerned? No, venerable sir.
Completely without craving, with the cessation of craving, would clinging be discerned? No, venerable sir.
Completely without clinging, with the cessation of clinging, would existence be discerned? No, venerable sir.
Completely without existence, with the cessation of existence, would birth be discerned? No, venerable sir.
Completely without birth, with the cessation of birth, would aging and death be discerned? No, venerable sir.
Good, good thus it is and not otherwise.
Believe me on this be resolved, have no doubts about this, be free from perplexity.
This is the end of suffering.