1.
The Discourse on the Uninstructed
61.
Thus have I heard -
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's park... etc.
"An ignorant worldling, monks, might become disenchanted with this body made of the four primary elements, might become dispassionate, might become liberated.
What is the reason for this?
There is seen, monks, the accumulation and diminution, the taking up and the laying down of this body made of the four primary elements.
Therefore therein an ignorant worldling might become disenchanted, might become dispassionate, might become liberated.
"But that which is called mind, or mentality, or consciousness - therein an ignorant worldling is not able to become disenchanted, not able to become dispassionate, not able to become liberated. What is the reason for this? For a long time, monks, this has been clung to, appropriated, and adhered to by the ignorant worldling - 'This is mine, this I am, this is my self.' Therefore therein an ignorant worldling is not able to become disenchanted, not able to become dispassionate, not able to become liberated.
"It would be better, monks, for an ignorant worldling to approach this body made of the four primary elements as self rather than the mind. What is the reason for this? This body made of the four primary elements is seen lasting for one year, lasting for two years, lasting for three years, lasting for four years, lasting for five years, lasting for ten years, lasting for twenty years, lasting for thirty years, lasting for forty years, lasting for fifty years, lasting for a hundred years, and even longer.
"But that which is called mind, or mentality, or consciousness - by night and by day one thing arises and another ceases. Just as, monks, a monkey roaming through the forest wilds seizes a branch, and having released that, seizes another, and having released that, seizes another; so too, monks, that which is called mind, or mentality, or consciousness - by night and by day one thing arises and another ceases.
"Therein, monks, a learned noble disciple attends wisely to dependent origination itself - 'Thus when this exists, that comes to be; from the arising of this, that arises; when this is absent, that does not exist; from the cessation of this, that ceases - that is to say, with ignorance as condition, activities; with activities as condition, consciousness; etc. Thus is the origin of this whole mass of suffering. But from the complete fading away and cessation of ignorance comes the cessation of activities; from the cessation of activities comes the cessation of consciousness; etc. Thus is the cessation of this whole mass of suffering.'"
"Seeing thus, monks, a learned noble disciple becomes disenchanted with materiality, becomes disenchanted with feeling, becomes disenchanted with perception, becomes disenchanted with activities, becomes disenchanted with consciousness; being disenchanted, he becomes dispassionate; through dispassion, he becomes liberated; when liberated, there is the knowledge: 'Liberated.' He understands: 'Birth is eliminated, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming back to any state of being.'" The first.