SN22.89 — The Discourse to Khemaka
At one time, several elder disciples were dwelling at Kosambi in Ghosita's Park. At that time, the Venerable Khemaka was residing in the Badarika Monastery, afflicted, suffering, and gravely ill. Then, in the evening, the elder disciples, having emerged from seclusion, addressed the Venerable Dasaka: Come, friend Dasaka, go to the disciple Khemaka and say to him: The elders send their regards to you, friend Khemaka, asking whether you are bearing up, whether you are enduring, whether your painful feelings are subsiding or increasing, and whether there is a sign of their subsiding or not.
Yes, friend, the Venerable Dasaka replied to the elder disciples, and he went to the Venerable Khemaka. Having approached, he said to the Venerable Khemaka: The elders send their regards to you, friend Khemaka, asking whether you are bearing up, whether you are enduring, whether your painful feelings are subsiding or increasing, and whether there is a sign of their subsiding or not.
Friend, I am not bearing up, I am not enduring... there is no sign of their subsiding, only of increasing, Khemaka replied.
Then the Venerable Dasaka returned to the elder disciples and reported: Friend, the disciple Khemaka said, I am not bearing up, I am not enduring... there is no sign of their subsiding, only of increasing.
Come, friend Dasaka, go to the disciple Khemaka and say to him: The elders say this to you, friend Khemaka: The Blessed One has spoken of these five aggregates subject to clinging: namely, the form aggregate subject to clinging, the feeling aggregate subject to clinging, the perception aggregate subject to clinging, the formations aggregate subject to clinging, and the consciousness aggregate subject to clinging. Does the Venerable Khemaka see anything in these five aggregates subject to clinging that is self or belonging to self?
Yes, friend, the Venerable Dasaka replied to the elder disciples, and he went to the Venerable Khemaka. Having approached, he said: The elders say this to you, friend Khemaka: The Blessed One has spoken of these five aggregates subject to clinging: namely, the form aggregate subject to clinging... the consciousness aggregate subject to clinging. Does the Venerable Khemaka see anything in these five aggregates subject to clinging that is self or belonging to self?
The Blessed One has spoken of these five aggregates subject to clinging: namely, the form aggregate subject to clinging... the consciousness aggregate subject to clinging.
In these five aggregates subject to clinging, friends, I do not see anything that is self or belonging to self. Then the Venerable Dāsaka approached the elder disciples; having approached, he said to the elder disciples, Friends, the disciple Khemaka said thus: Friends, the Blessed One has spoken of these five aggregates subject to clinging, namely, the aggregate of clinging to form ... up to ... the aggregate of clinging to consciousness. In these five aggregates subject to clinging, friends, I do not see anything that is self or belonging to self.
Come, friend Dāsaka, approach the disciple Khemaka; having approached, say to the disciple Khemaka: Friends, the elder disciples have said thus: The Blessed One has spoken of these five aggregates subject to clinging, namely, the aggregate of clinging to form ... up to ... the aggregate of clinging to consciousness. If the Venerable Khemaka does not see anything that is self or belonging to self in these five aggregates subject to clinging, then the Venerable Khemaka is an arahant, one whose taints are destroyed.
Yes, friends, replied the Venerable Dāsaka to the elder disciples, and he approached the Venerable Khemaka ... up to ... the elder disciples said thus: Friends, the Blessed One has spoken of these five aggregates subject to clinging, namely, the aggregate of clinging to form ... up to ... the aggregate of clinging to consciousness. If the Venerable Khemaka does not see anything that is self or belonging to self in these five aggregates subject to clinging, then the Venerable Khemaka is an arahant, one whose taints are destroyed.
Friends, the Blessed One has spoken of these five aggregates subject to clinging, namely, the aggregate of clinging to form ... up to ... the aggregate of clinging to consciousness. In these five aggregates subject to clinging, friends, I do not see anything that is self or belonging to self, nor am I an arahant, one whose taints are destroyed; however, friends, in these five aggregates subject to clinging, the notion I am is understood, but I do not see I am this.
Then the Venerable Dāsaka approached the elder disciples ... up to ... he said to the elder disciples: Friends, the disciple Khemaka said thus: Friends, the Blessed One has spoken of these five aggregates subject to clinging, namely, the aggregate of clinging to form ... up to ... the aggregate of clinging to consciousness. In these five aggregates subject to clinging, friends, I do not see anything that is self or belonging to self, nor am I an arahant, one whose taints are destroyed; however, friends, in these five aggregates subject to clinging, the notion I am is understood, but I do not see I am this.
Come, friend Dāsaka, approach the disciple Khemaka; having approached, say to the disciple Khemaka: The elders, friend Khemaka, have said thus: What is it, friend Khemaka, that you say I am? What is it that you say I am? Do you say I am with regard to form, or apart from form do you say I am? Do you say I am with regard to feeling, or apart from feeling do you say I am? Do you say I am with regard to perception, or apart from perception do you say I am? Do you say I am with regard to formations, or apart from formations do you say I am? Do you say I am with regard to consciousness, or apart from consciousness do you say I am? What is it, friend Khemaka, that you say I am?
Yes, friend, replied the Venerable Dāsaka to the elder disciples, and he approached the Venerable Khemaka. Having approached, he said to the Venerable Khemaka: The elders, friend Khemaka, have said thus: What is it, friend Khemaka, that you say I am? What is it that you say I am? Do you say I am with regard to form, or apart from form do you say I am? Do you say I am with regard to feeling, or apart from feeling do you say I am? Do you say I am with regard to perception, or apart from perception do you say I am? Do you say I am with regard to formations, or apart from formations do you say I am? Do you say I am with regard to consciousness, or apart from consciousness do you say I am? What is it, friend Khemaka, that you say I am?
Enough, friend Dāsaka, what is the use of this running about? Bring me a staff; I myself will approach the elder disciples.
Then the Venerable Khemaka, taking a staff, approached the elder disciples. Having approached, he exchanged greetings with the elder disciples. After exchanging greetings and cordial talk, he sat down to one side. When he was seated to one side, the elder disciples said to the Venerable Khemaka: What is it, friend Khemaka, that you say I am? What is it that you say I am? Do you say I am with regard to form, or apart from form do you say I am? Do you say I am with regard to feeling, or apart from feeling do you say I am? Do you say I am with regard to perception, or apart from perception do you say I am? Do you say I am with regard to formations, or apart from formations do you say I am? Do you say I am with regard to consciousness, or apart from consciousness do you say I am? What is it, friend Khemaka, that you say I am?
Friends, I do not say I am with regard to form, nor apart from form do I say I am. I do not say I am with regard to feeling, nor apart from feeling do I say I am. I do not say I am with regard to perception, nor apart from perception do I say I am. I do not say I am with regard to formations, nor apart from formations do I say I am. I do not say I am with regard to consciousness, nor apart from consciousness do I say I am. However, friends, in the five aggregates subject to clinging, I am is understood, but I do not see it as This I am.
Just as, friends, the scent of a blue lotus, a red lotus, or a white lotus... If someone were to say, No, friend. How then, friend, would one rightly explain it?
“The scent of a flower, friend, is how one should correctly explain it.”
“In the same way, friend, I do not say I am with regard to form, nor do I say I am apart from form. I do not say I am with regard to feeling, nor apart from feeling. I do not say I am with regard to perception, nor apart from perception. I do not say I am with regard to formations, nor apart from formations. I do not say I am with regard to consciousness, nor apart from consciousness. However, friend, in the five aggregates subject to clinging, the notion I am is understood, but I do not regard it as This I am.
Even though, friend, a noble disciple has abandoned the five lower fetters, there still remains in him the latent tendency of I am, the conceit I am, the desire I am, which is not yet uprooted. At a later time, he dwells contemplating the rise and fall in the five aggregates subject to clinging: Such is form, such is the arising of form, such is the passing away of form; such is feeling, such is the arising of feeling, such is the passing away of feeling; such is perception, such is the arising of perception, such is the passing away of perception; such are formations, such is the arising of formations, such is the passing away of formations; such is consciousness, such is the arising of consciousness, such is the passing away of consciousness.
As he dwells contemplating the rise and fall in the five aggregates subject to clinging, the latent tendency of I am, the conceit I am, the desire I am, which is not yet uprooted, is also eradicated.
Just as, friend, a cloth that is soiled and stained is taken by the owner to a washerman. The washerman cleans it with lye, ash, or cow dung, and rinses it in clean water. Even though the cloth becomes clean and bright, there still remains a residual smell of lye, ash, or cow dung, which is not yet removed. The washerman returns it to the owner, who places it in a box scented with fragrance. The residual smell of lye, ash, or cow dung, which is not yet removed, is also eradicated.
In the same way, friend, even though a noble disciple has abandoned the five lower fetters, there still remains in him the latent tendency of I am, the conceit I am, the desire I am, which is not yet uprooted. At a later time, he dwells contemplating the rise and fall in the five aggregates subject to clinging: Such is form, such is the arising of form, such is the passing away of form; such is feeling, such is the arising of feeling, such is the passing away of feeling; such is perception, such is the arising of perception, such is the passing away of perception; such are formations, such is the arising of formations, such is the passing away of formations; such is consciousness, such is the arising of consciousness, such is the passing away of consciousness.”
While he dwells contemplating the arising and passing away in these five aggregates of clinging, whatever conceit, desire, or latent tendency of I am that remains in him, it too is uprooted.
When this was said, the elder disciples spoke to the Venerable Khemaka: We did not question the Venerable Khemaka with the intention of troubling him, but rather because the Venerable Khemaka is capable of explaining, teaching, declaring, establishing, opening, analyzing, and making clear the teaching of the Blessed One in detail.
And indeed, the Venerable Khemaka explained, taught, declared, established, opened, analyzed, and made clear the teaching of the Blessed One in detail.
The Venerable Khemaka said this. The elder disciples were delighted with the words of the Venerable Khemaka.
And while this explanation was being given, the minds of sixty elder disciples, along with that of the Venerable Khemaka, were liberated from the taints without clinging.