3.
The Discourse on the Inspired Utterance
55.
At Sāvatthī.
There the Blessed One uttered this inspired utterance -
"'It would not be, and it would not be mine; it will not be, it will not be mine' -
thus resolving, a monk would cut off the lower mental fetters."
When this was said, a certain monk said this to the Blessed One -
"In what way, venerable sir, 'It would not be, and it would not be mine; it will not be, it will not be mine' -
thus resolving, would a monk cut off the lower mental fetters?"
"Here, monk, an ignorant worldling, who does not see the noble ones... etc. who is undisciplined in the teaching of good persons, regards matter as self, or self as possessing matter; or matter as in self, or self as in matter. Feeling... perception... activities... He regards consciousness as self, or self as possessing consciousness; or consciousness as in self, or self as in consciousness.
"He does not understand as it really is impermanent matter as 'matter is impermanent', does not understand as it really is impermanent feeling as 'feeling is impermanent', does not understand as it really is impermanent perception as 'perception is impermanent', does not understand as it really is impermanent activities as 'activities are impermanent', does not understand as it really is impermanent consciousness as 'consciousness is impermanent'.
"He does not understand as it really is suffering matter as 'matter is suffering', suffering feeling... suffering perception... suffering activities... does not understand as it really is suffering consciousness as 'consciousness is suffering'.
"He does not understand as it really is non-self matter as 'matter is non-self', does not understand as it really is non-self feeling as 'feeling is non-self', does not understand as it really is non-self perception as 'perception is non-self', does not understand as it really is non-self activities as 'activities are non-self', does not understand as it really is non-self consciousness as 'consciousness is non-self'.
"He does not understand as it really is conditioned matter as 'matter is conditioned', conditioned feeling... conditioned perception... conditioned activities... does not understand as it really is conditioned consciousness as 'consciousness is conditioned'. He does not understand as it really is that matter will cease to exist. Feeling will cease to exist... perception will cease to exist... activities will cease to exist... he does not understand as it really is that consciousness will cease to exist.
"But, monk, a learned noble disciple, who sees the noble ones, who is skilled in the noble teaching, who is well disciplined in the noble teaching, who sees good persons, who is skilled in the teaching of good persons, who is well disciplined in the teaching of good persons, does not regard matter as self, etc. not feeling... not perception... not activities... he does not regard consciousness as self.
He understands impermanent matter as 'matter is impermanent' as it really is. Impermanent feeling... impermanent perception... impermanent activities... he understands impermanent consciousness as 'consciousness is impermanent' as it really is. Suffering matter, etc. suffering consciousness... Non-self matter, etc. non-self consciousness... Conditioned matter, etc. he understands conditioned consciousness as 'consciousness is conditioned' as it really is. He understands as it really is that matter will cease to exist. Feeling... perception... activities... he understands as it really is that consciousness will cease to exist.
Through the non-existence of matter, through the non-existence of feeling, through the non-existence of perception, through the non-existence of activities, through the non-existence of consciousness, thus indeed, monk, 'It would not be, and it would not be mine; it will not be, it will not be mine' - thus resolving, a monk would cut off the lower mental fetters." "Thus resolving, venerable sir, a monk might cut off the lower mental fetters."
"But how, venerable sir, for one knowing, for one seeing, is there immediate elimination of mental corruptions?" "Here, monk, an ignorant worldling falls into fear in a state where there should be no fear. This is fear, monk, for an ignorant worldling - 'It would not be, and it would not be mine; it will not be, it will not be mine.'"
"But, monk, a learned noble disciple does not fall into fear in a state where there should be no fear. This is not fear, monk, for a learned noble disciple - 'It would not be, and it would not be mine; it will not be, it will not be mine.' Or, monk, consciousness, when remaining, might remain involved with matter, with matter as its object, established upon matter, imbued with delight, it might attain growth, increase, and expansion. Or involved with feeling, monk... or involved with perception, monk... Or, monk, consciousness, when remaining, might remain involved with activities, with activities as its object, established upon activities, imbued with delight, it might attain growth, increase, and expansion.
"Whatever monk would say thus - 'I will declare the coming or going or passing away or rebirth or growth or increase or expansion of consciousness apart from matter, apart from feeling, apart from perception, apart from activities' - this is impossible.
"If, monk, a monk's lust towards the material element has been abandoned. With the abandoning of lust, the object is cut off; there is no support for consciousness. If towards the element of feeling, monk, a monk's... if towards the element of perception, monk, a monk's... if towards the element of activities, monk, a monk's... if, monk, a monk's lust towards the consciousness element has been abandoned. With the abandoning of lust, the object is cut off; there is no support for consciousness. That consciousness, unestablished, not grown, and liberated without volitional activity. Being liberated, it is stable. Being stable, it is content. Being content, he is not agitated. Not being agitated, he personally attains final nibbāna. He understands: 'Birth is eliminated, ... there is no more coming back to any state of being.' For one knowing thus, monk, and for one seeing thus, there is the proximate elimination of mental corruptions." The third.