8.
The Discourse to Mahāli
60.
Thus have I heard -
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Vesālī in the Great Wood in the Pinnacled Hall.
Then Mahāli the Licchavi approached the Blessed One, etc.
Seated to one side, Mahāli the Licchavi said this to the Blessed One -
"Pūraṇa Kassapa, venerable sir, says thus - 'There is no cause, there is no condition for the defilement of beings; without cause, without condition, beings become defiled. There is no cause, there is no condition for the purification of beings; without cause, without condition, beings become purified.' What does the Blessed One say about this?"
"There is, Mahāli, a cause, there is a condition for the defilement of beings; with cause, with condition, beings become defiled. There is, Mahāli, a cause, there is a condition for the purification of beings; with cause, with condition, beings become purified."
"But what, venerable sir, is the cause, what is the condition for the defilement of beings; how do beings with cause, with condition, become defiled?"
"If, Mahāli, matter were exclusively painful, affected with pain, overwhelmed by pain, not touched by pleasure, beings would not become attached to matter. But because, Mahāli, matter is pleasant, affected with pleasure, overwhelmed by pleasure, not touched by pain, therefore beings become attached to matter; through attachment they become bound; through bondage they become defiled. This, Mahāli, is the cause, this is the condition for the defilement of beings; thus with cause, with condition, beings become defiled.
"If, Mahāli, feeling were exclusively painful, affected with pain, overwhelmed by pain, not touched by pleasure, beings would not become attached to feeling. But because, Mahāli, feeling is pleasant, affected with pleasure, overwhelmed by pleasure, not touched by pain, therefore beings become attached to feeling; through attachment they become bound; through bondage they become defiled. This too, Mahāli, is the cause, this is the condition for the defilement of beings. Thus too with cause, with condition, beings become defiled.
"If perception, Mahāli, etc. If, Mahāli, activities were exclusively painful, affected with pain, overwhelmed by pain, not touched by pleasure, beings would not become attached to activities. But because, Mahāli, activities are pleasant, affected with pleasure, overwhelmed by pleasure, not touched by pain, therefore beings become attached to activities; through attachment they become bound; through bondage they become defiled. This too, Mahāli, is the cause, this is the condition for the defilement of beings. Thus too with cause, with condition, beings become defiled.
"If, Mahāli, consciousness were exclusively painful, affected with pain, overwhelmed by pain, not touched by pleasure, beings would not become attached to consciousness. But because, Mahāli, consciousness is pleasant, affected with pleasure, overwhelmed by pleasure, not touched by pain, therefore beings become attached to consciousness; through attachment they become bound; through bondage they become defiled. This too, Mahāli, is the cause, this is the condition for the defilement of beings. Thus too, with cause, with condition, beings become defiled."
"But what, venerable sir, is the cause, what is the condition for the purification of beings; how, with cause, with condition, do beings become purified?" "If, Mahāli, matter were exclusively pleasant, affected with pleasure, overwhelmed by pleasure, not touched by pain, beings would not become disenchanted with matter. But because, Mahāli, matter is painful, affected with pain, overwhelmed by pain, not touched by pleasure, therefore beings become disenchanted with matter; being disenchanted, they become dispassionate; through dispassion, they become purified. This, Mahāli, is the cause, this is the condition for the purification of beings. Thus, with cause, with condition, beings become purified."
"If, Mahāli, feeling were exclusively pleasant, etc. If, Mahāli, perception, etc. If, Mahāli, activities were exclusively pleasant, etc. If, Mahāli, consciousness were exclusively pleasant, affected with pleasure, overwhelmed by pleasure, not touched by pain, beings would not become disenchanted with consciousness. But because, Mahāli, consciousness is painful, affected with pain, overwhelmed by pain, not touched by pleasure, therefore beings become disenchanted with consciousness; being disenchanted, they become dispassionate; through dispassion, they become purified. This, Mahāli, is the cause, this is the condition for the purification of beings. Thus too, with cause, with condition, beings become purified." The eighth.