7.
The Discourse on Khemaka
89.
On one occasion many elder monks were dwelling at Kosambī in Ghosita's park.
Now at that time the Venerable Khemaka was dwelling at the Badarika Monastery, sick, afflicted, severely ill.
Then the elder monks, in the evening, having emerged from seclusion, addressed the Venerable Dāsaka -
"Come, friend Dāsaka, go to where the monk Khemaka is;
having approached, say this to the monk Khemaka -
'The elders say this to you, friend Khemaka -
Is it bearable for you, friend, is it endurable? Are unpleasant feelings receding, not advancing; is their receding evident, not their advancing?'"
"Yes, friend," the Venerable Dāsaka, having assented to the elder monks, approached the Venerable Khemaka;
having approached, he said this to the Venerable Khemaka -
"The elders say this to you, friend Khemaka -
'Is it bearable for you, friend, etc.
not their advancing?'"
"It is not bearable for me, friend, not endurable, etc.
their advancing is evident, not their receding."
Then the Venerable Dāsaka approached the elder monks; having approached, he said this to the elder monks - "The monk Khemaka says thus, friends - 'It is not bearable for me, friend, etc. their advancing is evident, not their receding.'" "Come, friend Dāsaka, go to where the monk Khemaka is; having approached, say this to the monk Khemaka - 'The elders say this to you, friend Khemaka - These five aggregates of clinging, friend, have been spoken of by the Blessed One, as follows - the aggregate of clinging to matter, the aggregate of clinging to feeling, the aggregate of clinging to perception, the aggregate of clinging to activities, the aggregate of clinging to consciousness. Does the Venerable Khemaka regard anything as self or as what belongs to a self in these five aggregates of clinging?'"
"Yes, friend," the Venerable Dāsaka, having assented to the elder monks, approached the Venerable Khemaka; having approached, etc. The elders say this to you, friend Khemaka - "These five aggregates of clinging, friend, have been spoken of by the Blessed One, as follows - the aggregate of clinging to matter, etc. the aggregate of clinging to consciousness. Does the Venerable Khemaka regard anything as self or as what belongs to a self in these five aggregates of clinging?" "These five aggregates of clinging, friend, have been spoken of by the Blessed One, as follows - the aggregate of clinging to matter, etc. the aggregate of clinging to consciousness. In these five aggregates of clinging, friend, I do not regard anything as self or as what belongs to a self."
Then the Venerable Dāsaka approached the elder monks; having approached, he said this to the elder monks - "The monk Khemaka says thus, friends - 'These five aggregates of clinging, friends, have been spoken of by the Blessed One, as follows - the aggregate of clinging to matter, etc. the aggregate of clinging to consciousness. In these five aggregates of clinging, friends, I do not regard anything as self or what belongs to a self.'" "Come, friend Dāsaka, go to where the monk Khemaka is; having approached, say this to the monk Khemaka - 'The elders say this to you, friend Khemaka - These five aggregates of clinging, friend, have been spoken of by the Blessed One, as follows - the aggregate of clinging to matter, etc. the aggregate of clinging to consciousness. If indeed the Venerable Khemaka does not regard anything as self or what belongs to a self in these five aggregates of clinging, then the Venerable Khemaka is a Worthy One who has eliminated the mental corruptions.'"
"Yes, friends," the Venerable Dāsaka, having assented to the elder monks, approached the Venerable Khemaka, etc. The elders say this to you, friend Khemaka - "These five aggregates of clinging, friend, have been spoken of by the Blessed One, as follows - the aggregate of clinging to matter, etc. the aggregate of clinging to consciousness; if indeed the Venerable Khemaka does not regard anything as self or what belongs to a self in these five aggregates of clinging, then the Venerable Khemaka is a Worthy One who has eliminated the mental corruptions.'" "These five aggregates of clinging, friend, have been spoken of by the Blessed One, as follows - the aggregate of clinging to matter, etc. the aggregate of clinging to consciousness. In these five aggregates of clinging, friends, I do not regard anything as self or what belongs to a self, yet I am not a Worthy One who has eliminated the mental corruptions; but, friends, in the five aggregates of clinging 'I am' has been obtained by me, yet I do not regard 'I am this.'"
Then the Venerable Dāsaka approached the elder monks, etc. He said this to the elder monks - "The monk Khemaka says thus, friends - These five aggregates of clinging, friend, have been spoken of by the Blessed One, as follows - the aggregate of clinging to matter, etc. the aggregate of clinging to consciousness. In these five aggregates of clinging, friends, I do not regard anything as self or what belongs to a self, yet I am not a Worthy One who has eliminated the mental corruptions; but, friends, in the five aggregates of clinging 'I am' has been obtained by me, yet I do not regard 'I am this.'"
"Come, friend Dāsaka, go to where the monk Khemaka is; having approached, say this to the monk Khemaka - 'The elders say this to you, friend Khemaka - When you say "I am," friend Khemaka, what is this "I am" that you say? Do you say "I am" is matter, or do you say "I am" apart from matter? Feeling... perception... activities... Do you say "I am" is consciousness, or do you say "I am" apart from consciousness? When you say "I am," friend Khemaka, what is this "I am" that you say?'"
"Yes, friend," the Venerable Dāsaka, having assented to the elder monks, approached the Venerable Khemaka; having approached, he said this to the Venerable Khemaka - The elders say this to you, friend Khemaka - 'When you say "I am," friend Khemaka, what is this "I am" that you say? Do you say "I am" is matter, or do you say "I am" apart from matter? Feeling... perception... activities... Do you say "I am" is consciousness, or do you say "I am" apart from consciousness? When you say "I am," friend Khemaka, what is this "I am" that you say?'" "Enough, friend Dāsaka, what is the use of this running back and forth! Bring me a staff, friend; I myself will approach the elder monks."
Then the Venerable Khemaka, leaning on a staff, approached the elder monks; having approached, he exchanged friendly greetings with the elder monks. Having concluded the pleasant and memorable talk, he sat down to one side. To the Venerable Khemaka seated to one side, the elder monks said this: 'When you say "I am," friend Khemaka, what is this "I am" that you say? Do you say 'I am' is matter, or do you say 'I am' apart from matter? Feeling... perception... activities... Do you say 'I am' is consciousness, or do you say 'I am' apart from consciousness? When you say 'I am,' friend Khemaka, what is this 'I am' that you say?" "I do not say, friends, that matter is 'I am'; nor do I say 'I am' apart from matter. Not feeling... not perception... not activities... I do not say that consciousness is 'I am'; nor do I say 'I am' apart from consciousness. But, friends, in the five aggregates of clinging 'I am' has been found by me, yet I do not perceive 'this I am.'"
"Just as, friend, the odour of a water lily or a lotus or a white lotus. If someone were to say thus - 'It is the odour of the petal' or 'it is the odour of the colour' or 'it is the odour of the filament' - would he, speaking thus, speak rightly?" "No indeed, friend." "But in what way, friend, answering rightly would one answer?" "'It is the odour of the flower', friend, answering rightly one would answer." "So too, friend, I do not say 'I am' as matter, nor do I say 'I am' apart from matter. Not feeling... not perception... not activities... not consciousness do I say 'I am', nor do I say 'I am' apart from consciousness. But, friends, in the five aggregates of clinging 'I am' has been found by me, yet I do not perceive 'this I am.'"
"Although, friend, for a noble disciple the five lower mental fetters have been abandoned, yet there remains for him - whatever residual conceit 'I am', desire 'I am', underlying tendency 'I am' in the five aggregates of clinging, not uprooted. He at a later time dwells observing the rise and fall in the five aggregates of clinging - such is matter, such is the origin of matter, such is the passing away of matter; such is feeling... such is perception... such are activities... such is consciousness, such is the origin of consciousness, such is the passing away of consciousness.' For him dwelling observing the rise and fall in these five aggregates of clinging, whatever residual conceit 'I am', desire 'I am', underlying tendency 'I am' in the five aggregates of clinging, not uprooted, that too goes to uprooting.
"Just as, friend, a cloth that is defiled and stained. The owners might give it to a washerman. The washerman, having rubbed it with salt or lye or cow-dung, would rinse it in clear water. Although that cloth becomes pure and bright, yet there remains a residual odour of salt or odour of lye or odour of cow-dung, not uprooted. The washerman gives it to the owners. The owners place it in a casket perfumed with fragrance. Whatever residual odour of salt or odour of lye or odour of cow-dung, not uprooted, that too goes to uprooting. So too, friend, although for a noble disciple the five lower mental fetters have been abandoned, yet there remains for him a residual conceit 'I am', desire 'I am', underlying tendency 'I am' in the five aggregates of clinging, not uprooted. He at a later time dwells observing the rise and fall in the five aggregates of clinging. 'Such is matter, such is the origin of matter, such is the passing away of matter; such is feeling... such is perception... such are activities... such is consciousness, such is the origin of consciousness, such is the passing away of consciousness.' For him dwelling observing the rise and fall in these five aggregates of clinging, whatever residual conceit 'I am', desire 'I am', underlying tendency 'I am' in the five aggregates of clinging, not uprooted, that too goes to uprooting."
When this was said, the elder monks said this to the Venerable Khemaka - "We did not ask the Venerable Khemaka with the intention of harming, but the Venerable Khemaka is able to declare, teach, describe, establish, reveal, analyse, and make manifest the teaching of that Blessed One in detail. This teaching of that Blessed One has been declared, taught, described, established, revealed, analysed, and made manifest in detail by the Venerable Khemaka."
This the Venerable Khemaka said. Delighted, the elder monks rejoiced in what the Venerable Khemaka had said. And while this explanation was being spoken, the minds of about sixty elder monks were liberated from the mental corruptions by non-clinging, and so too was the Venerable Khemaka's. The seventh.