5.
The Discourse on the Seven States
57.
At Sāvatthī.
"A monk skilled in seven bases, monks, a threefold investigator, is called in this Teaching and discipline a consummate one, one who has lived the holy life, the highest person.
And how, monks, is a monk skilled in seven bases?
Here, monks, a monk understands matter, understands the origin of matter, understands the cessation of matter, understands the practice leading to the cessation of matter;
understands the gratification of matter, understands the danger of matter, understands the escape from matter;
understands feeling...
perception...
activities...
understands consciousness, understands the origin of consciousness, understands the cessation of consciousness, understands the practice leading to the cessation of consciousness;
understands the gratification of consciousness, understands the danger of consciousness, understands the escape from consciousness.
"And what, monks, is matter? The four primary elements and the materiality derived from the four primary elements. This is called, monks, matter. From the origin of nutriment is the origin of matter; from the cessation of nutriment is the cessation of matter. It is just this noble eightfold path that is the practice leading to the cessation of matter, as follows - right view, etc. right concentration.
"Whatever happiness and pleasure arises dependent on matter - this is the gratification of matter. That matter is impermanent, suffering, subject to change - this is the danger of matter. Whatever is the removal of desire and lust, the abandoning of desire and lust regarding matter - this is the escape from matter.
"Whatever ascetics or brahmins, monks, having directly known matter thus, having directly known the origin of matter thus, having directly known the cessation of matter thus, having directly known the practice leading to the cessation of matter thus; having directly known the gratification of matter thus, having directly known the danger of matter thus, having directly known the escape from matter thus, are practising for disenchantment, dispassion, and cessation of matter, they are practising well. Those who are practising well, they gain a foothold in this Teaching and discipline.
"But whatever ascetics or brahmins, monks, having directly known matter thus, having directly known the origin of matter thus, having directly known the cessation of matter thus, having directly known the practice leading to the cessation of matter thus; having directly known the gratification of matter thus, having directly known the danger of matter thus, having directly known the escape from matter thus, through disenchantment, dispassion, and cessation of matter, are liberated by non-clinging, they are well liberated. Those who are well liberated, they are consummate ones. Those who are consummate ones, for them there is no round of rebirths to be declared.
"And what, monks, is feeling? There are, monks, these six classes of feeling - feeling born of eye-contact, etc. feeling born of mind-contact. This is called, monks, feeling. From the origin of contact is the origin of feeling; from the cessation of contact is the cessation of feeling. It is just this noble eightfold path that is the practice leading to the cessation of feeling, as follows - right view, etc. right concentration.
"Whatever happiness and pleasure arises dependent on feeling - this is the gratification in feeling. That feeling is impermanent, suffering, subject to change - this is the danger in feeling. Whatever is the removal of desire and lust, the abandoning of desire and lust regarding feeling - this is the escape from feeling.
"Whatever ascetics or brahmins, monks, having thus understood feeling, having thus understood the origin of feeling, having thus understood the cessation of feeling, having thus understood the practice leading to the cessation of feeling; having thus understood the gratification in feeling, having thus understood the danger in feeling, having thus understood the escape from feeling, are practising for disenchantment, dispassion, and cessation of feeling, they are practising well. Those who are practising well, they gain a foothold in this Teaching and discipline.
"But whatever ascetics or brahmins, monks, having thus understood feeling, etc. for them there is no round of rebirths to be declared.
"And what, monks, is perception? There are, monks, these six classes of perception - perception of visible form, perception of sound, perception of odour, perception of flavour, perception of tangible object, perception of mental phenomena. This is called, monks, perception. From the origin of contact is the origin of perception; from the cessation of contact is the cessation of perception. It is just this noble eightfold path that is the practice leading to the cessation of perception, as follows - right view, etc. right concentration, etc. for them there is no round of rebirths to be declared.
"And what, monks, are activities? There are, monks, these six classes of volition - volition regarding visible form, volition regarding sound, volition regarding odour, volition regarding flavour, volition regarding tangible object, volition regarding mental phenomena. These are called, monks, activities. From the origin of contact is the origin of activities; from the cessation of contact is the cessation of activities. It is just this noble eightfold path that is the practice leading to the cessation of activities, as follows - right view, etc. right concentration.
"Whatever happiness and pleasure arises dependent on activities - this is the gratification in activities. That activities are impermanent, suffering, subject to change - this is the danger in activities. Whatever is the removal of desire and lust, the abandoning of desire and lust regarding activities - this is the escape from activities.
"Whatever ascetics or brahmins, monks, having thus understood activities, having thus understood the origin of activities, having thus understood the cessation of activities, having thus understood the practice leading to the cessation of activities, etc. are practising for disenchantment, dispassion, and cessation of activities, they are well practising. Those who are practising well, they gain a foothold in this Teaching and discipline, etc. for them there is no round of rebirths to be declared.
"And what, monks, is consciousness? There are, monks, these six classes of consciousness - eye-consciousness, ear-consciousness, nose-consciousness, tongue-consciousness, body-consciousness, mind-consciousness. This is called, monks, consciousness. From the origin of mentality-materiality is the origin of consciousness; from the cessation of mentality-materiality is the cessation of consciousness. It is just this noble eightfold path that is the practice leading to the cessation of consciousness, as follows - right view, etc. right concentration.
"Whatever happiness and pleasure arises dependent on consciousness - this is the gratification in consciousness. That consciousness is impermanent, suffering, subject to change - this is the danger in consciousness. Whatever is the removal of desire and lust, the abandoning of desire and lust regarding consciousness - this is the escape from consciousness.
"Whatever ascetics or brahmins, monks, having understood consciousness thus, having understood the origin of consciousness thus, having understood the cessation of consciousness thus, having understood the practice leading to the cessation of consciousness thus; having understood the gratification of consciousness thus, having understood the danger of consciousness thus, having understood the escape from consciousness thus, are practising for disenchantment, dispassion, and cessation of consciousness, they are practising well. Those who are practising well, they gain a foothold in this Teaching and discipline.
"But whatever ascetics or brahmins, monks, having understood consciousness thus, having understood the origin of consciousness thus, having understood the cessation of consciousness thus, having understood the practice leading to the cessation of consciousness thus; having understood the gratification of consciousness thus, having understood the danger of consciousness thus, having understood the escape from consciousness thus, through disenchantment, dispassion, and cessation of consciousness, are liberated by non-clinging, they are well liberated. Those who are well liberated, they are consummate ones. Those who are consummate ones, for them there is no round of rebirths to be declared. Thus, monks, a monk is skilled in seven bases.
"And how, monks, is a monk one who investigates in three ways? Here, monks, a monk investigates according to elements, investigates according to sense bases, investigates according to dependent origination. Thus, monks, a monk is one who investigates in three ways. A monk skilled in seven bases, monks, one who investigates in three ways, in this Teaching and discipline is called a consummate one, one who has lived the holy life, 'the highest person'." The fifth.