SN12.62 — Second Discourse on the Uninstructed Person
Dwelling at Sāvatthī.
Disciples, the uninstructed ordinary person might grow disenchanted, dispassionate, and be released in regard to this body composed of the four great elements.
Why is that?
Disciples, it is seen that this body composed of the four great elements has accumulation and dissipation, taking up and putting down.
Therefore, in this regard, the uninstructed ordinary person might grow disenchanted, dispassionate, and be released.
But in regard to what is called the mind, intellect, or consciousness, the uninstructed ordinary person is not capable of growing disenchanted, dispassionate, or being released.
Why is that?
For a long time this has been clung to, appropriated, and grasped by the uninstructed ordinary person with the view: This is mine, this I am, this is my self.
Therefore, in this regard, the uninstructed ordinary person is not capable of growing disenchanted, dispassionate, or being released.
Disciples, it would be better for the uninstructed ordinary person to regard this body composed of the four great elements as the self rather than the mind.
Why is that?
Disciples, this body composed of the four great elements may last for a year, two years, three years, four years, five years, ten years, twenty years, thirty years, forty years, fifty years, a hundred years, or even longer.
But that which is called the mind, intellect, or consciousness arises as one thing and ceases as another by night and by day.
Herein the instructed noble disciple closely and wisely attends to dependent origination itself: 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.
Disciples, pleasant feeling arises dependent on a pleasant contact. With the cessation of that very pleasant contact, the pleasant feeling that arose in dependence on that pleasant contact ceases and subsides.
Disciples, painful feeling arises dependent on a painful contact. With the cessation of that very painful contact, the painful feeling that arose in dependence on that painful contact ceases and subsides.
Disciples, neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling arises dependent on a neither-painful-nor-pleasant contact. With the cessation of that very neither-painful-nor-pleasant contact, the neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling that arose in dependence on that neither-painful-nor-pleasant contact ceases and subsides.
Just as from the friction of two sticks heat is generated and fire is produced, and with the separation and parting of those two sticks, whatever heat was generated ceases and subsides; so too pleasant feeling arises dependent on a pleasant contact... painful feeling arises dependent on a painful contact... neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling arises dependent on a neither-painful-nor-pleasant contact.
With the cessation of that very neither-painful-nor-pleasant contact, the neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling that arose in dependence on that neither-painful-nor-pleasant contact ceases and subsides.
Seeing thus the instructed noble disciple becomes disenchanted with contact, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness; being disenchanted, he becomes dispassionate; through dispassion, he is released; in release, there is the knowing that he is released.
Birth is exhausted, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming to any state of being, he understands.