SN22.56 — Upādānaparipavatta Sutta
Disciples, there are these five aggregates of clinging. What are the five? The aggregate of clinging to form, the aggregate of clinging to feeling, the aggregate of clinging to perception, the aggregate of clinging to mental formations, and the aggregate of clinging to consciousness.
As long as I did not fully understand, as they truly are, these five aggregates of clinging in their fourfold aspect, I did not claim to have attained the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment in this world with its devas, Māras, Brahmās, with its recluses and brahmins, its princes and people. But when I did fully understand, as they truly are, these five aggregates of clinging in their fourfold aspect, then I claimed to have attained the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment in this world with its devas, Māras, Brahmās, with its recluses and brahmins, its princes and people.
And what is the fourfold aspect? I understood form, the arising of form, the cessation of form, and the path leading to the cessation of form; I understood feeling, perception, mental formations, consciousness, the arising of consciousness, the cessation of consciousness, and the path leading to the cessation of consciousness.
And what is form? The four great elements and the form derived from the four great elements. This is called form. With the arising of nutriment, there is the arising of form; with the cessation of nutriment, there is the cessation of form. The Noble Eightfold Path is the path leading to the cessation of form, namely, right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.
Disciples, whoever among recluses or brahmins, having directly known form, its arising, its cessation, and the path leading to its cessation, have practiced for disillusionment, dispassion, and cessation of form, they are well-practiced. Those who are well-practiced find a footing in this doctrine and discipline. And whoever among recluses or brahmins, having directly known form, its arising, its cessation, and the path leading to its cessation, have become disillusioned, dispassionate, and have ceased clinging, they are fully liberated. Those who are fully liberated are complete. For those who are complete, there is no further designation of the cycle.
And what is 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. This is called feeling.
With the arising of contact, there is the arising of feeling; with the cessation of contact, there is the cessation of feeling. This is the noble eightfold path leading to the cessation of feeling, namely: right view ... right concentration. Whoever whether ascetics or brahmins, having fully understood feeling, its arising, its cessation, and the path leading to its cessation, have practiced for the disillusionment, dispassion, and cessation of feeling, they are well-practiced. Those who are well-practiced find a footing in this doctrine and discipline. But those ascetics or brahmins who have not fully understood feeling ... the path leading to its cessation ... there is no cycle of rebirth for them to be declared.
And what is perception? These are the six groups of perception: perception of form, perception of sound, perception of smell, perception of taste, perception of touch, perception of mental objects. This is called perception. With the arising of contact, there is the arising of perception; with the cessation of contact, there is the cessation of perception. This is the noble eightfold path leading to the cessation of perception, namely: right view ... right concentration ... there is no cycle of rebirth for them to be declared.
And what are formations? These are the six groups of volition: volition regarding form, volition regarding sound, volition regarding smell, volition regarding taste, volition regarding touch, volition regarding mental objects. These are called formations. With the arising of contact, there is the arising of formations; with the cessation of contact, there is the cessation of formations. This is the noble eightfold path leading to the cessation of formations, namely: right view ... right concentration. Whoever whether ascetics or brahmins, having fully understood formations, their arising, their cessation, and the path leading to their cessation, have practiced for the disillusionment, dispassion, and cessation of formations, they are well-practiced. Those who are well-practiced find a footing in this doctrine and discipline. But those ascetics or brahmins who have not fully understood formations ... the path leading to their cessation ... are liberated without clinging, they are fully liberated. Those who are fully liberated are complete. Those who are complete have no cycle of rebirth to be declared.
And what is consciousness? These are the six groups of consciousness:
Eye-consciousness, ear-consciousness, nose-consciousness, tongue-consciousness, body-consciousness, mind-consciousness. This is called consciousness. With the arising of name-and-form, there is the arising of consciousness; with the cessation of name-and-form, there is the cessation of consciousness. This very Noble Eightfold Path is the path leading to the cessation of consciousness, namely: right view... right concentration.
Disciples, whoever among the ascetics or brahmins, having directly known consciousness in this way, having directly known the arising of consciousness in this way, having directly known the cessation of consciousness in this way, having directly known the path leading to the cessation of consciousness in this way, have practiced for the disillusionment, dispassion, and cessation of consciousness, they are well-practiced. Those who are well-practiced find footing in this doctrine and discipline.
And disciples, whoever among the ascetics or brahmins, having directly known consciousness in this way, having directly known the arising of consciousness in this way, having directly known the cessation of consciousness in this way, having directly known the path leading to the cessation of consciousness in this way, have become disillusioned, dispassionate, and have ceased without clinging, they are fully liberated. Those who are fully liberated are complete. For those who are complete, there is no designation of the cycle.