SN22.57 — Sattaṭṭhānasutta
Disciples, a disciple who is skilled in the seven bases and has thoroughly examined the threefold investigation in this doctrine and discipline is called a consummate one, one who has lived the holy life, the ultimate person.
And how is a disciple skilled in the seven bases? Here a disciple understands form, understands the arising of form, understands the cessation of form, understands the path leading to the cessation of form; understands the gratification in form, understands the danger in form, understands the escape from form; understands feeling, understands the arising of feeling, understands the cessation of feeling, understands the path leading to the cessation of feeling; understands the gratification in feeling, understands the danger in feeling, understands the escape from feeling; understands perception, understands the arising of perception, understands the cessation of perception, understands the path leading to the cessation of perception; understands the gratification in perception, understands the danger in perception, understands the escape from perception; understands formations, understands the arising of formations, understands the cessation of formations, understands the path leading to the cessation of formations; understands the gratification in formations, understands the danger in formations, understands the escape from formations; understands consciousness, understands the arising of consciousness, understands the cessation of consciousness, understands the path leading to the cessation of consciousness; understands the gratification in consciousness, understands the danger in consciousness, understands the escape from consciousness.
And what is form? The four great elements and the form derived from the four great elements. This is called form, disciples. 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. Whatever pleasure and joy arise dependent on form, that is the gratification in form. Whatever is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change in form, that is the danger in form. The removal and abandonment of desire and lust for form, that is the escape from form.
Disciples, whatever ascetics or brahmins, having directly known form in this way, having directly known the arising of form in this way, having directly known the cessation of form in this way, having directly known the path leading to the cessation of form in this way; having directly known the gratification in form in this way, having directly known the danger in form in this way, having directly known the escape from form in this way, are practicing for disenchantment, dispassion, and cessation regarding form, they are well-practiced. Those who are well-practiced gain a foothold in this doctrine and discipline.
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, disciples. With the arising of contact, there is the arising of feeling; with the cessation of contact, there is the cessation of feeling.
The Noble Eightfold Path is the path leading to the cessation of feeling, namely, right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. Whatever pleasure and joy arise dependent on feeling, that is the gratification in feeling. Whatever is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change in feeling, that is the danger in feeling. The removal and abandonment of desire and lust for feeling, that is the escape from feeling.
Disciples, whatever ascetics or brahmins, having directly known feeling in this way, having directly known the arising of feeling in this way, having directly known the cessation of feeling in this way, having directly known the path leading to the cessation of feeling in this way; having directly known the gratification in feeling in this way, having directly known the danger in feeling in this way, having directly known the escape from feeling in this way, are practicing for disenchantment, dispassion, and cessation regarding feeling, they are well-practiced. Those who are well-practiced gain a foothold in this doctrine and discipline.
And what is perception? There are these six classes of perception: perception of form, perception of sound, perception of smell, perception of taste, perception of touch, perception of mental phenomena. This is called perception, disciples. With the arising of contact, there is the arising of perception; with the cessation of contact, there is the cessation of perception. The Noble Eightfold Path is the path leading to the cessation of perception, namely, right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. Whatever pleasure and joy arise dependent on perception, that is the gratification in perception. Whatever is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change in perception, that is the danger in perception. The removal and abandonment of desire and lust for perception, that is the escape from perception.
And what are formations? There are these six classes of volitional formations: volition regarding form, volition regarding sound, volition regarding smell, volition regarding taste, volition regarding touch, volition regarding mental phenomena. These are called formations, disciples. With the arising of contact, there is the arising of formations; with the cessation of contact, there is the cessation of formations. The Noble Eightfold Path is the path leading to the cessation of formations, namely, right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. Whatever pleasure and joy arise dependent on formations, that is the gratification in formations. Whatever is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change in formations, that is the danger in formations. The removal and abandonment of desire and lust for formations, that is the escape from formations.
O Brahmins, having fully understood formations in this way, having fully understood the arising of formations in this way, having fully understood the cessation of formations in this way, having fully understood the path leading to the cessation of formations in this way... they are well-practiced for the disenchantment, dispassion, and cessation of formations. Those who are well-practiced attain confidence in this Dhamma and Discipline... there is no cycle of rebirth for them to be declared.
And what is consciousness? There are these six classes of consciousness, disciples: eye-consciousness, ear-consciousness, nose-consciousness, tongue-consciousness, body-consciousness, and mind-consciousness. This is called consciousness, disciples. 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.
Whatever happiness and joy arise dependent on consciousness, that is the gratification of consciousness. Whatever is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change in consciousness, that is the danger of consciousness. The removal of desire and lust for consciousness, the abandonment of desire and lust, that is the escape from consciousness.
Whatever ascetics or Brahmins having fully understood consciousness in this way, having fully understood the arising of consciousness in this way, having fully understood the cessation of consciousness in this way, having fully understood the path leading to the cessation of consciousness in this way; having fully understood the gratification of consciousness in this way, having fully understood the danger of consciousness in this way, having fully understood the escape from consciousness in this way, they are well-practiced for the disenchantment, dispassion, and cessation of consciousness. Those who are well-practiced attain confidence in this Dhamma and Discipline.
Whatever ascetics or Brahmins having fully understood consciousness in this way, having fully understood the arising of consciousness in this way, having fully understood the cessation of consciousness in this way, having fully understood the path leading to the cessation of consciousness in this way; having fully understood the gratification of consciousness in this way, having fully understood the danger of consciousness in this way, having fully understood the escape from consciousness in this way, they are disenchanted, dispassionate, and ceased without clinging, they are well-liberated. Those who are well-liberated are complete. Those who are complete have no cycle of rebirth to be declared.
Thus a disciple is skilled in the seven stations. And how is a disciple skilled in the threefold investigation? Here a disciple investigates by way of elements, investigates by way of sense bases, investigates by way of dependent origination. Thus a disciple is skilled in the threefold investigation.
A disciple skilled in the seven stations skilled in the threefold investigation, in this Dhamma and Discipline, is called a complete one, one who has lived the holy life, an ultimate person.