5.
The Discourse on Sakka’s Questions
118.
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Rājagaha on the Mount Vulture Peak.
Then Sakka, the lord of the gods, approached the Blessed One;
having approached, he paid respect to the Blessed One and stood to one side.
Standing to one side, Sakka, the lord of the gods, said this to the Blessed One:
"What, venerable sir, is the cause, what is the condition, whereby some beings here do not attain final nibbāna in this very life?
But what, venerable sir, is the cause, what is the condition, whereby some beings here attain final nibbāna in this very life?"
"There are, lord of the gods, visible forms cognisable by the eye that are desirable, pleasing, agreeable, lovely, sensually arousing, and enticing. If a monk delights in that, asserts it, and remains grasping it. For him delighting in that, asserting it, remaining grasping it, consciousness becomes dependent on that, clinging to that. A monk with clinging, lord of the gods, does not attain final nibbāna. Etc.
"There are, lord of the gods, flavours cognisable by the tongue, etc. there are, lord of the gods, mental phenomena cognisable by the mind that are desirable, pleasing, agreeable, lovely, sensually arousing, and enticing. If a monk delights in that, asserts it, and remains grasping it. For him delighting in that, asserting it, remaining grasping it, consciousness becomes dependent on that, clinging to that. A monk with clinging, lord of the gods, does not attain final nibbāna. This, lord of the gods, is the cause, this is the condition, whereby some beings here do not attain final nibbāna in this very life.
"And there are, lord of the gods, visible forms cognisable by the eye that are desirable, pleasing, agreeable, lovely, sensually arousing, and enticing. If a monk does not delight in that, does not assert it, and does not remain grasping it. For him not delighting in that, not asserting it, not remaining grasping it, consciousness does not become dependent on that, does not cling to that. A monk without clinging, lord of the gods, attains final nibbāna. Etc.
"There are, lord of the gods, flavours cognisable by the tongue, etc. there are, lord of the gods, mental phenomena cognisable by the mind that are desirable, pleasing, agreeable, lovely, sensually arousing, and enticing. If a monk does not delight in that, does not assert it, and does not remain grasping it. For him not delighting in that, not asserting it, not remaining grasping it, consciousness does not become dependent on that, does not cling to that. A monk without clinging, lord of the gods, attains final nibbāna. This, lord of the gods, is the cause, this is the condition, whereby some beings here attain final nibbāna in this very life." The fifth.