11.
The Third Discourse on the Six Sense Bases of Contact
73.
"Monks, whatever monk does not understand as they really are the origin, passing away, gratification, danger, and escape regarding the six sense bases of contact.
The holy life has not been lived by him, he is far from this Teaching and discipline."
When this was said, a certain monk said this to the Blessed One - "Here I, venerable sir, am lost, utterly lost. For I, venerable sir, do not understand as they really are the origin, passing away, gratification, danger, and escape regarding the six sense bases of contact."
"What do you think, monk, is the eye permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, venerable sir."
"But what is impermanent, is that suffering or happiness?"
"Suffering, venerable sir."
"But what is impermanent, suffering, subject to change, is it proper to regard that - 'This is mine, this I am, this is my self'?"
"No, Venerable Sir."
"The ear... the nose... The tongue... The body... Is the mind permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, venerable sir."
"But what is impermanent, is that suffering or happiness?"
"Suffering, venerable sir."
"But what is impermanent, suffering, subject to change, is it proper to regard that - 'This is mine, this I am, this is my self'?"
"No, Venerable Sir."
"Seeing thus, monk, a learned noble disciple becomes disenchanted with the eye, becomes disenchanted with the ear, becomes disenchanted with the nose, becomes disenchanted with the tongue, becomes disenchanted with the body, becomes disenchanted with the mind. 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 eleventh.