2.
The Discourse on Tissa
84.
At Sāvatthī.
Now at that time the Venerable Tissa, the Blessed One's paternal aunt's son, announced thus to several monks -
"Friends, my body has become as if weak and stiff;
the directions are not clear to me;
the teachings do not occur to me;
and sloth and torpor remains obsessing my mind;
and I live the holy life without delight;
and I have sceptical doubt regarding the teachings."
Then several monks approached the Blessed One; having approached, they paid respect to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Seated to one side, those monks said this to the Blessed One - "The Venerable Tissa, venerable sir, the Blessed One's paternal aunt's son, announces thus to several monks - 'Friends, my body has become as if weak and stiff; the directions are not clear to me; the teachings do not occur to me; and sloth and torpor remains obsessing my mind; and I live the holy life without delight; and I have sceptical doubt regarding the teachings.'"
Then the Blessed One addressed a certain monk - "Come, monk, in my name address the monk Tissa." "Yes, venerable sir," that monk, having assented to the Blessed One, approached the Venerable Tissa; having approached, he said this to the Venerable Tissa - "The Teacher calls you, friend Tissa." "Yes, friend," the Venerable Tissa, having assented to that monk, approached the Blessed One; having approached, he paid respect to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. To the Venerable Tissa seated to one side, the Blessed One said this: "Is it true, Tissa, that you announced thus to several monks - 'Friends, my body has become as if weak and stiff, etc. and I have sceptical doubt regarding the teachings'?" "Yes, venerable sir." "What do you think, Tissa, for one whose lust regarding matter has not departed, whose desire has not departed, whose affection has not departed, whose thirst has not departed, whose fever has not departed, whose craving has not departed, from the change and alteration of that matter do there arise sorrow, lamentation, suffering, displeasure and anguish?" "Yes, venerable sir."
"Good, good, Tissa! For this is so, Tissa. Just as for one whose lust regarding matter has not departed... in feeling, etc. in perception, in activities, for one whose lust has not departed, etc. from the change and alteration of those activities there arise sorrow, lamentation, suffering, displeasure and anguish?" "Yes, venerable sir."
"Good, good, Tissa! For this is so, Tissa. Just as for one whose lust regarding consciousness has not departed, whose desire has not departed, whose affection has not departed, whose thirst has not departed, whose fever has not departed, whose craving has not departed, from the change and alteration of that consciousness there arise sorrow, lamentation, suffering, displeasure and anguish?" "Yes, venerable sir."
"Good, good, Tissa! For this is so, Tissa. Just as for one whose lust regarding consciousness has not departed. What do you think, Tissa, for one whose lust regarding matter has departed, whose desire has departed, whose affection has departed, whose thirst has departed, whose fever has departed, whose craving has departed, from the change and alteration of that matter do there arise sorrow, lamentation, suffering, displeasure and anguish?" "No, Venerable Sir."
"Good, good, Tissa! For this is so, Tissa. Just as for one whose lust regarding matter has departed... in feeling, etc. in perception, for one whose lust regarding activities has departed... for one whose lust regarding consciousness has departed, whose desire has departed, whose affection has departed, whose thirst has departed, whose fever has departed, whose craving has departed, from the change and alteration of that consciousness do there arise sorrow, lamentation, suffering, displeasure and anguish?" "No, Venerable Sir."
"Good, good, Tissa! For this is so, Tissa. Just as for one whose lust regarding consciousness has departed. What do you think, Tissa, is matter permanent or impermanent?" "Impermanent, venerable sir." "Feeling... perception... activities... consciousness permanent or impermanent?" "Impermanent, venerable sir." Therefore here... etc. Seeing thus... etc. He understands: ... there is no more coming back to any state of being.'"
"Just as, Tissa, there are two men - one man who does not know the road well, one man who knows the road well. That man who does not know the road well might ask that man who knows the road well about the road. He might speak thus - 'Come, good man, this is the road. Go along it for a while. Having gone along it for a while, you will see a crossroad; there, leaving the left, take the right. Go along it for a while. Having gone along it for a while, you will see a dense jungle thicket. Go along it for a while. Having gone along it for a while, you will see a great sloping lake. Go along it for a while. Having gone along it for a while, you will see a pit and a precipice. Go along it for a while. Having gone along it for a while, you will see a delightful level piece of ground.'
"This simile, Tissa, has been made by me for the purpose of conveying the meaning. And here this is the meaning - 'The man who does not know the road well', Tissa, is a designation for the worldling. 'The man who knows the road well', Tissa, is a designation for the Truth-finder, the Worthy One, the Perfectly Enlightened One. 'The crossroad', Tissa, is a designation for sceptical doubt. 'The left path', Tissa, is a designation for the eightfold wrong path, as follows - wrong view, etc. wrong concentration. 'The right path', Tissa, is a designation for the noble eightfold path, as follows - right view, etc. right concentration. 'The dense jungle thicket', Tissa, is a designation for ignorance. 'The great sloping lake', Tissa, is a designation for sensual pleasures. 'The pit and precipice', Tissa, is a designation for wrath and anguish. 'The delightful level piece of ground', Tissa, is a designation for Nibbāna. Enjoy yourself, Tissa, enjoy yourself, Tissa! I am here with exhortation, I am here with assistance, I am here with instruction."
This is what the Blessed One said. Delighted, the Venerable Tissa rejoiced in what the Blessed One had said. The second.