1.
The Discourse on Investigation
51.
Thus have I heard -
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's park.
There the Blessed One addressed the monks thus:
"Monks."
"Venerable sir," those monks assented to the Blessed One.
The Blessed One said this:
"In what way, monks, should a monk investigating investigate for the complete elimination of suffering in every respect?" "The teachings have the Blessed One as their root, venerable sir, have the Blessed One as their guide, have the Blessed One as their refuge. It would be good indeed, venerable sir, if the meaning of this statement would occur to the Blessed One himself. Having heard from the Blessed One, the monks will remember it." "Well then, monks, listen, pay close attention, I will speak." "Yes, venerable sir," those monks assented to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this:
"Here, monks, a monk investigating investigates - 'This manifold, various suffering that arises in the world - ageing and death; what is the source of this suffering, what is its origin, what gives birth to it, what is its production? When what exists does ageing and death exist, when what is absent does ageing and death not exist?' He investigating thus understands - 'This manifold, various suffering that arises in the world - ageing and death, this suffering has birth as its source, birth as its origin, birth gives birth to it, birth is its production. When birth exists, ageing and death exist; when birth is absent, ageing and death do not exist.'
"He understands ageing and death, understands the origin of ageing and death, understands the cessation of ageing and death, and understands the practice that is suitable for leading to the cessation of ageing and death; he is thus practising and living in conformity with the Teaching; this is called, monks, a monk practising for the complete elimination of suffering in every respect, for the cessation of ageing and death.
"Then further, investigating he investigates - 'But this birth, what is its source, what is its origin, what gives birth to it, what is its production? When what exists does birth exist, when what is absent does birth not exist?' He investigating thus understands - 'Birth has existence as its source, existence as its origin, existence gives birth to it, existence is its production; when existence exists, birth exists; when existence is absent, birth does not exist.'
"He understands birth, understands the origin of birth, understands the cessation of birth, and understands the practice that is suitable for leading to the cessation of birth; he is thus practising and living in conformity with the Teaching; this is called, monks, a monk practising for the complete elimination of suffering in every respect, for the cessation of birth.
"Then further, investigating he investigates - 'But this existence, what is its source?... etc. But this clinging, what is its source?... But this craving, what is its source?... feeling... contact... But these six sense bases, what is their source?... But this mentality-materiality... But this consciousness... But these activities, what is their source, what is their origin, what gives birth to them, what is their production? When what exists do activities exist, when what is absent do activities not exist?' He investigating thus understands - 'Activities have ignorance as their source, ignorance as their origin, ignorance gives birth to them, ignorance is their production; when ignorance exists, activities exist; when ignorance is absent, activities do not exist.'"
"He understands activities, understands the origin of activities, understands the cessation of activities, and understands the practice leading to the cessation of activities that is suitable for it, and he is practising accordingly, living in conformity with the Teaching; this is called, monks, a monk practising in every respect rightly for the complete elimination of suffering, for the cessation of activities.
"When, monks, a person gone to ignorance generates a meritorious volitional activity, consciousness fares on to the meritorious. If he generates a demeritorious volitional activity, consciousness fares on to the demeritorious. If he generates an imperturbable volitional activity, consciousness fares on to the imperturbable. But when, monks, for a monk ignorance has been abandoned and true knowledge has arisen, he, through the fading away of ignorance and the arising of true knowledge, neither generates meritorious volitional activity, nor generates demeritorious volitional activity, nor generates imperturbable volitional activity. Not generating, not constructing, he does not cling to anything in the world; not clinging, he is not agitated; not being agitated, he personally attains final nibbāna. He understands: 'Birth is eliminated, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming back to any state of being."
"If he feels a pleasant feeling, he understands that it is impermanent, he understands that it is not clung to, he understands that it is not delighted in. If he feels a painful feeling, he understands that it is impermanent, he understands that it is not clung to, he understands that it is not delighted in. If he feels a neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant feeling, he understands that it is impermanent, he understands that it is not clung to, he understands that it is not delighted in. If he feels a pleasant feeling, he feels it unbound. If he feels a painful feeling, he feels it unbound. If he feels a neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant feeling, he feels it unbound.
"Feeling a feeling bounded by the body, he understands: 'I feel a feeling bounded by the body'; feeling a feeling bounded by life, he understands: 'I feel a feeling bounded by life.' He understands: 'Upon the body's collapse, beyond the exhaustion of life, right here all that is felt, not delighted in, will become cool; the bodily remains will be left over.'
"Just as, monks, a man having lifted a hot pot from a potter's kiln might set it down on a level piece of ground. There whatever heat there is would be appeased right there, the potsherds would remain. So too, monks, a monk feeling a feeling bounded by the body understands: 'I feel a feeling bounded by the body'; feeling a feeling bounded by life, he understands: 'I feel a feeling bounded by life.' He understands: 'Upon the body's collapse, beyond the exhaustion of life, right here all that is felt, not delighted in, will become cool; the bodily remains will be left over.'
"What do you think, monks, would a monk who has eliminated the mental corruptions generate meritorious volitional activity or demeritorious volitional activity or imperturbable volitional activity?" "No, Venerable Sir." "Or else, with activities being altogether absent, from the cessation of activities, would consciousness be discerned?" "No, Venerable Sir." "Or else, with consciousness being altogether absent, from the cessation of consciousness, would mentality-materiality be discerned?" "No, Venerable Sir." "Or else, with mentality-materiality being altogether absent, from the cessation of mentality-materiality, would the six sense bases be discerned?" "No, Venerable Sir." "Or else, with the six sense bases being altogether absent, from the cessation of the six sense bases, would contact be discerned?" "No, Venerable Sir." "Or else, with contact being altogether absent, from the cessation of contact, would feeling be discerned?" "No, Venerable Sir." "Or else, with feeling being altogether absent, from the cessation of feeling, would craving be discerned?" "No, Venerable Sir." "Or else, with craving being altogether absent, from the cessation of craving, would clinging be discerned?" "No, Venerable Sir." "Or else, with clinging being altogether absent, from the cessation of clinging, would existence be discerned?" "No, Venerable Sir." "Or else, with existence being altogether absent, from the cessation of existence, would birth be discerned?" "No, Venerable Sir." "Or else, with birth being altogether absent, from the cessation of birth, would ageing and death be discerned?" "No, Venerable Sir."
"Good, good, monks, thus it is, monks, not otherwise. Have faith in me regarding this, monks, resolve upon it, be without uncertainty here, without doubt. This itself is the end of suffering." The first.