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THE LIBRARY
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GIFT OF
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THE WORD
OF THE BUDDHA.
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An outline of the ethico-philosophical
system of the Buddha, in the words of
the Pali Canon, together with Explan-
atory Notes*
BY
BHIKKHU NYANATILOKA.
TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN
BY
SASANAVAMSA.
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" One thing only, Brothers, [do I make known
Suffering and Deliverance from Suffering.'
Rangoon, 1907.
International Buddhist Society.
Add to
GIFT
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PREFACE.
I TAKE the liberty of prefacing a few words to the present
English edition of " Das Wort des Buddha " which has
been prepared from the German edition by the late Superin-
tendent of the Buddhasasana Samagama, Mr. J. F. M'Kechnie,
now known as Sasanavarhsa.
I would wish the Reader to know that " The Word of
the Buddha" is not intended as an introduction to the
teaching of the Buddha, or as a book on Buddhism merely
to be read through and then laid aside. Its aims are, to pro-
vide a systematically arranged outline of the Buddha's doc-
trine for the benefit of such as are already acquainted with
its fundamental ideas, and to bring under a single aspect the
various parts of that doctrine which at first sight appear to
have no connection with one another, but which in fact,
when viewed from this aspect, are found all to converge
upon a single point, — Deliverance from Suffering, — as ex-
pressed by the Buddha Himself in the words I have used as
motto : — " One thing only, Brothers, do I make known : — •
Suffering and Deliverance from Suffering."
Thus it is that the teaching of the Eightfold Path leading
to the cessation of suffering constitutes the real essence of
Buddhist doctrine, and only from the standpoint of that
teaching do the different details find their due place.
I have given these expositions of Buddhist doctrine in
the Buddha's own words, having brought them together from
the five Nikayas or Collections of the Sutta-Pitaka of the
Pali Canon. They have been put together in such a way as
to form a connected whole, and thus provide, as it were, a
guiding clue to the huge labyrinth of the Sutta-Pitaka.
The notes, it may be added, are taken from the authori-
tative Pali commentaries by Buddhaghosa and from the
Abhidhamma. Very rarely have I used my own words. In
this English edition they have been considerably expanded,
and an Appendix has been added which throws light from
another direction, so to speak, upon the Eightfold Path.
Great care has been taken to render the present work an
accurate compendium of the teaching of the Buddha ; how far
that care has resulted in success, I must leave to the judg-
ment of my Readers.
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CONTENTS,
PAGE.
THE FOUR HOLY TRUTHS ... ... ... i
THE HOLY TRUTH OF SUFFERING ... ... 3
THE HOLY TRUTH OF THE CAUSE OF SUFFERING... n
THE HOLY TRUTH OF THE CESSATION OF SUFFERING 15
THE HOLY TRUTH OF THE PATH THAT LEADS TO
THE CESSATION OF SUFFERING... ... ... 17
RIGHT UNDERSTANDING ... ... ... 19
RIGHT MINDEDNESS ... ... ... ... 29
RIGHT SPEECH... ... ... ... ... 30
RIGHT ACTION... ... ... ... ... 32
RIGHT LIVING... ... ... ... ... 32
RIGHT EFFORT ... ... ... ... 33
RIGHT ATTENTIVENESS ,.. ... ... ... 35
RIGHT CONCENTRATION... ... ... ... 46
APPENDIX. — Discourse on the Great Forty-Fold Train
of Ideas. ... ... ... ... i to vii
- • .-
THE WORD
OF THE BUDDHA.
Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato,
Sammasambuddhassa !
Che Ulord of the Buddha
OR
THE FOUR H©LY TRUTHS,
THE Perfect One (Tathagata)2 Brothers, the Holy One,
the Fully Enlightened One (Buddha), at Isipatana,
in the deer-park at Benares, has established the supreme
kingdom of Truth, and none can withstand it, — neither
ascetic nor priest, nor invisible being, nor good nor evil
spirit, nor anyone whatsoever in all the world ; it is the
making known, the pointing out, the laying down, the set-
ting forth, the unveiling, the explaining, the making evident,
of the Four Holy Truths.
1. The " Buddha," The Enlightened One, is the title of honour
bestowed upon the Indian sage, Gotama, the founder of that ethico-philoso-
phical system known to Europe by the name of Buddhism. He was born
about the year six hundred before Christ, as the son of one of the princes of
Northern India, not far from the borders of modern Nepal. Up to his
twenty-ninth year — the year in which he renounced the world and exchanged
his princely life for that of a homeless mendicant — he lived with his wife,
the Princess Yasodhara, who bore him a son named Rahula, the same who
later became one of his favourite disciples.
The teaching of the Buddha, the " Dhamma" (Law, Truth) is set forth
in the three collections of the sacred writings, the Tipitaka (literally, three
baskets), named respectively The Vinaya Pitaka, The Siitta Pitaka, and The
Abhidhamma Pitaka. The Vinaya Pitaka for the most part, contains the
mere regulations that govern the life of the monk; the Doctrine of Deli-
verance, again, as set forth in the " Four Holy Truths", is treated of in the
Sutta Pitaka or " Collection of Discourses" ; whilst the Abhidhamma Pitaka
is exclusively concerned with profound psychological enquiries.
The " Sangha " (literally, Assemblage) is the order of Mendicant Monks
(Bhikkhus) founded by the Buddha, and is the oldest order of mendicants in
the world. Its most famous members in the Buddha's day were : Sariputta,
who, after the Master himself, possessed the profoundest knowledge of the
Doctrine ; — Moggallana, who had the greatest super-human powers ; —
Ananda. the favourite disciple and constant companion of the Buddha ; —
Kassapa, the president of the council held at Rajagaha immediately after the
Buddha's death ; — Anuruddha the metaphysician, and Rahula the Buddha's
own son. The Judas among the disciples was Devadatta, the Buddha's
nephew.
At the present day the total number of those who hold the Buddha in
reverence, in Burma, Siam, Ceylon, India, Japan, China, Tibet and else-
where amounts to about five hundred millions, that is to say, — to about one-
third of the human race. The threefold confession of these runs as
follows : —
Buddham saranarh gacchami.
Dhammam saranarh gacchami.
Sangham saranarh gacchami.
Expressed in English :--
I put my trust in the Buddha.
I put my trust in the Truth.
I put my trust in the Holy Brotherhood.
2. A title of Gotama Buddha. The following titles ara also used:
Bhagava, the Blessed One ; Sakyamuni, the Sage of the Tribe of the
Sakyas ; Sugata, the Welcome One. and many others.
What are these Four Holy Truths ? The Holy Truth
of Suffering, the Holy Truth of the Cause of Suffering, the
Holy Truth of the Cessation of Suffering, the Holy Truth of
the Path that leads to the Cessation of Suffering.
And the Blessed One said : So long, Brothers, as my
knowledge and insight as regards each one of these Four
Holy Truths was not quite clear, so long was I doubtful as
to whether I had won to complete insight into that know-
ledge which is unsurpassed in the heavens and upon the
earth, unexcelled among all the hosts of ascetics and priests,
of invisible beings and of men. But so soon, Brothers, as
my knowledge and insight as regards each one of these Four
Holy Truths had become perfectly clear, there arose in me
the assurance that I had won to complete comprehension of
that knowledge which is unsurpassed in the heavens and
upon the earth, unexcelled among all the hosts of ascetics
and priests, of invisible beings and of men.
And that deep knowledge have I made my own, — that
knowledge, difficult to perceive, difficult to understand, peace-
bestowing, and which cannot be gained by mere reasoning ;
which is profound and only accessible to the wise disciple.
The world however is given to pleasure, ensnared in
pleasure, enchanted with pleasure. Verily those that are
given to pleasure, ensnared in pleasure, enchanted with
pleasure will hardly understand the Law of Causation, the
conditionally of Dependent Origination (Paticcasamup-
pada) ; incomprehensible also will be to them the cessation
of all existence, the freeing one's self from every form of
Becoming, the Annihilation of Craving (tanha), the turning
away from Desire ; cessation and Nibbana.
Yet among beings there are some whose eyes are only
a little darkened with dust : they will perceive the Truth
<Dhamma).
THE FIRST TRUTH.
THE HOLY TRUTH OF SUFFERING.
The purport of What now Brothers, is the Holy Truth
the First Truth. of Suffering ?
Birth is Suffering ; decay is Suffering ; disease is Suffer-
ing ; Death is Suffering ; Sorrow, Lamentation, Pain, Grief
and Despair are Suffering ; not to get what one desires, is
Suffering ; in short, the Five Aspects of Existence are
Suffering.
What now, Brothers, is Birth ? The birth, the bearing,
the germination, the conception, the manifestation of the
Aspects of Existence of Beings belonging to this or that order
of Beings ; the arising of sense-activity ; — this, Brothers, is
called Birth.s
What now, Brothers, is Decay ? The becoming aged
and withered, decrepit, grey and wrinkled of beings belong-
ing to this or the other order of beings ; the disappearance
of the vital force, the enfeebling of the senses ; — this,
Brothers, is called Decay.
What now, Brothers, is Death ? The parting, the dis-
appearance, of Beings out of this or that Order of Beings ;
the rending asunder, the ruin, the death, the dissolution,
the end of the life-period, the disappearance of the Aspects
of Existence, the putrefaction of the corpse ; — this, Brothers,
is called Death.
What now, Brothers, is Sorrow ? What soever, Bro-
thers, through this or the other loss which one undergoes,
through this or the other misfortune which one encounters — •
is sorrow, trouble, affliction, inward distress, inward woe, —
this, Broilers, is called Sorrow.
What now, Brothers, is Lamentation ? Whatsoever,
Brothers, through this or the other loss which one under-
goes, through this or the other misfortune which one en-
counters— is plaint and lamentation, wailing and bemoan-
ing, mourning and unalloyed lamentation ;— this, Brothers ;
is called Lamentation.
3. By birth (Jati) is to be understood the entire birth-process, begin"
ning with conception and ending with parturition.
( 4 )
What now, Brothers, is Pain ? Whatsoever, Brothers,
is painful to the body, disagreeable to the body ; is felt by
bodily contact to be painful and disagreeable ; — this, Bro-
thers, is called Pain.
What now, Brothers, is Grief? Whatsoever, Brothers
is painful to the mind, disagreeable to the mind ; is felt by
mental contact to be painful and disagreeable ; — this,
Brothers, is called Grief.
What now, Brothers, is Despair ? Whatsoever, Bro-
thers, through this or the other loss which one undergoes,
through this or the other sorrow which one encounters, — is
dejection and despairing, despondency and hopelessness ; —
this, Brothers, is called Despair.
What now, Brothers, is the Suffering of not getting
what one desires ? To beings, Brothers, subject to birth,
comes the desire : " O that we were not subject to birth I
O that no birth (again) lay before us !" But that cannot be
got by mere desiring and not to get what one desires is Suf-
fering. To beings, Brothers, subject to decay, disease, death,
sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair, comes the
desire : " O that we were not subject to decay, disease, death,
sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair ! O that there
lay before us nor decay, nor disease, nor death ; neither
sorrow, nor lamentation, nor pain, neither grief nor despair !"
But this cannot be got by mere desiring ; and not to get
what one desires is Suffering.
What now, in brief, Brothers, are the Five Aspects
(Khandhas) of Existence ? They are, Mate-
The five Khan- riaj Existence (Rupa), Sensation (Vedana),
ofhExistence.eCtS Perception (Sanna), Subjective Differentia-
tions (Sarikhara, mental properties), Consci-
ousness (Vinnana).
All material existence, Brothers, whether one's own or
not one's own, whether gross or refined, lofty or low, far or
near, — this belongs to the Aspect of Material Existence
(rupa-kkhandha) ; all sensation belongs to the Aspect of
Sensation ; all perception belongs to the Aspect of Percep-
tion ; all differentiations belong to the Aspect of Subjective
( 5 )
Differentiations ; all consciousness belongs to the Aspect of
Consciousness.4
What now, Brothers, is the Aspect of Material Exis-
RiiDa-kkhandha tenCe ? lt is the F.°ur Chief Material Ele'
or the Material ments and the bodily properties dependent
Aspect. upon the Four Chief Material Elements.
What now, Brothers, are the Four Chief Material Ele-
ments ? They are the Solid Element
mints ?etemen. (Pathavi-dhatu), the Fluid Element (Apo-
tary forces.) dhatu), the Heating Element (Tejo-dhatu),
the Vibrating Element (Vayo-dhatu).5
i. What now, Brothers, is the Solid Element (Pathavi-
dhatu) ? There is the Solid Element of one's own body and
the Solid Element of other bodies. What now, Brothers, is
the Solid Element of one's own body ? Whatsoever, of one's
own body individualised, presents itself hard and solid as
the hair of the head, and the body, as the nails, teeth, skin,
flesh, sinews, bones, marrow, kidneys, heart, liver, diaphragm,
spleen, lungs, stomach, bowels, mesentery, excrement, and
whatsoever else of one's own body individualised, presents
itself hard and solid — this, Brothers, is called the Solid Ele-
ment of one's own body. Whatever there is of the Solid
Element in one's own body, and whatever there is of the
Solid Element in other bodies, this is the Solid Element ;
hence one should understand according to reality and true
4. Our individual existence is nothing more than the subjective-objec-
tive Anschauung, Nama-Rupa, produced by consciousness, the existence of
which latter again is conditioned by the contact of the six senses — the mind
being the sixth — with their corresponding objects. Material Existence con-
stitutes the objective aspect (Rupa-kkhandha), whilst the subjective aspects
(Nama-kkhandhas) consist of Sensation, Perception, Subjective Differentia
tions, and Consciousness. We shall see later on that these five Khandhas
or Aspects of Existence, whether taken collectively or apart, do not consti-
tute any kind of self-existent state or Ding an Szc/i, or anything that can be
called an ' P, in the absolute sense of the word, and that hence the belief in
the existence of such an ' P is a purely illusory belief.
5. The Four Elements, or — to speak more correctly — the Four
Elementary Forces, Pathavi-dhatu, Apo-dhatu, Tejo-dhatu, and Vayo- dhatu
may be rendered as, Inertia, Cohesion, (bandhana-lakkhana), Radiation,
and Vibration (calana-lakkhana).
All material things, according to Buddhism owe their existence to the
more or less dissimilar inter-blending of these forces. The twenty-four bodily
properties which depend upon these forces are : — i. Eye 2. Ear 3. Nose.
4. Tongue. 5. Body. 6. Form. 7. Sound. 8. Odour. 9. Taste 10. Masculinity,
ii. Feminity. 12. Vitality. 13. Heart. (European science would here say,
brain, since by heart is meant the organ of thinking.) 14. Gesture. 15. Speech.
16. Space. (/. e., cavities, as of the ear, the nose, and so forth.) 17. Agility.
18. Elasticity, 19. Adaptability. 20. Growth. 21. Duration. 22. Decay. 23.
Variability. 24. Change of substance.
(For a detailed description of the foregoing, consult the Visuddhi-
Magga.)
( 6 )
wisdom : This does not belong to me ; this am I not ; this
is no "I" (Atta).6
2. What now, Brothers, is the Fluid Element (Apo-
dhatu) ? There is the Fluid Element of one's own body and
the Fluid Element of other bodies. What now, Brothers, is
the Fluid Element of one's own body ? Whatever, indivi-
dualised presents itself fluid and watery, in one's own body,
as bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, lymph, tears, serum, spit-
tle, nasal mucus, oil of the joints, urine, and whatever else
individualised presents itself fluid and watery in one's own
body — this Brothers, is called the fluid Element in one's own
body. Whatever there is of the Fluid Element in one's own
body, and whatever there is of the Fluid Element in other
bodies, — this is the Fluid Element ; hence one should under-
stand according to reality and true wisdom : This does not
belong to me ; this am I not ; this is no ' I.'
3. What now, Brothers, is the Heating Element (Tejo-
dhatu)? There is the Heating Element of one's own body
and the Heating Element of other bodies. What now, Bro-
thers, is the Heating Element of one's own body ? Whatso-
ever, individualised, presents itself fiery and flame-like in
one's own body as that whereby heat and the process of
combustion arise, whereby one grows hot, whereby that
which one has eaten, drunken, or masticated or tasted, is di-
gested ; or whatever else individualised, presents itself fiery
and flame-like in one's own body, — this, Brothers, is called
the Heating Element in one's own body. Whatever now
there is of the Heating Element in one's own body and what-
ever there is of the Heating Element in other bodies, — this is
the Heating Element ; hence one should understand accord-
ing to reality and true wisdom : This does not belong to
me; this am I not; this is no ' I.'
4. What now, Brothers, is the Vibrating Element
(Vayo-dhatu) ? There is the Vibrating Element of one's own
6. Just as the word chariot is merely a designation for axle, wheels
body, shaft, and other parts put together in a certain manner,— and as, when
we proceed to investigate this particular thing we discover that in^the abso-
lute sense there is no chariot there ;— and just as the word house is nothing
more than a convenient designation for wood and other materials, which
put together, after a specific fashion, constitute an enclosed space, and yet in
the absolute sense there is no house at all there ;— in exactly the same way
that which we call a being or an individual is nothing more than the presence
of the Five Khandhas or Aspects of Existence, and when we proceed to in-
quire into the Khandhas, — each one separately by itself, — we come to the
knowledge that in the absolute sense there is nothing present that can fur-
nish any real support for such fictions as : ' I am,' or • I.'
(Visuddhi Magga.}
( 7 )
body and the Vibrating Element of other bodies. What
now, Brothers, is the Vibrating Element of one's own body ?
Whatsoever, individualised, presents itself mobile and fugi-
tive in one's own bod}', as the upward -going and the down-
ward-going vapours, the vapours of stomach and intestines,
the in-breathing and the out-breathing ; or whatsoever else
individualised, presents itself mobile and fugitive in one's
own body — this, Brothers, is called the Vibrating Element
in one's own body. Whatsoever there is of the Vibrating
Element in one's own body and whatsoever there is of the
Vibrating Element in other bodies, — this is the Vibrating
Element ; hence one should understand according to reality
and true wisdom : This does not belong to me ; this am I
not ; this is no ' I '.
Just as Brothers, one calls a house the circumscribed
space, which comes to be by means of beams and rushes,
reeds and clay ; — even so Brothers, we call body, the circum-
scribed space that arises by means of bones and sinews,
flesh and skin.
If now Brothers, one's eye is whole, and external forms
do not fall upon the field of vision, and no corresponding
conjunction takes place, then there occurs no formation of the
corresponding consciousness-impression. If one's eye is
whole and external forms do fall upon the field of vision,
and still no corresponding conjunction takes place, then also
there occurs no formation of a corresponding consciousness-
impression.
If however, Brothers, one's eye is whole, and external
forms fall upon the field of vision and a corresponding
conjunction takes place, in that case there occurs the forma-
tion of the corresponding consciousness-impressions.
Hence I say : The arising of consciousness is dependent
upon causes, and without these there is no consciousness.
Now upon whatsoever causes the arising of consciousness is
dependent, after these causes it is called.
Consciousness whose arising depends on the eye (Cak-
khu) and forms, is called eye-consciousness (Cakkhuvin
nana.)
Consciousness whose arising depends on the ear (Sota)
and sounds, is called ear-consciousness (Sotavinnana).
Consciousness whose arising depends on the nose
(Ghana) and odours, is called olfactory-consciousness (Gha-
na viniian a).
( 8 )
Consciousness whose arising depends on the tongue
ijivha) and tastes, is called tongue-consciousness (Jlvhavifi-
nana.)
Consciousness whose arising depends on the body
(Kaya) and bodily-contacts, is called body-consciousness
(Kayavinnana.)
Consciousness whose arising depends on the mind
(Mano) and ideas, is called thought-consciousness (Mano-
vinnana.)8
Whatsoever there is of material existence in the con-
sciousness that arises in each instance, — that belongs to the
Aspect of Material Existence. Whatsoever there is of sen-
sation therein, — that belongs to the Aspect of Sensation.
Whatsoever there is of perception therein, — that belongs to
the Aspect of Perception. Whatsoever there are of differen-
tiations therein, — that belongs to the Aspect of Subjective
Differentiations (mental properties). Whatsoever there is of
consciousness therein, — that belongs to the Aspect of Con-
ciousness. And it is impossible, Brothers, that any one can
explain the passing out of the existence and the entering
into a new existence, or the growth, increase and develop-
ment of consciousness, independent of Material Existence,
independent of Sensation, independent of Perception, inde-
pendent of the Subjective Differentiations.
All things, Brothers, are transient. The body is tran-
The three Cha- sient, Sensation is transient, Perception is
racteristics of transient, the Subjective Differentiations are
existence. transient, Consciousness is transient.
But that which is transient, — that is suffering ; and
whatsoever is transient , painful and subject to change, — of
that one cannot rightly say: "This belongs to me ; this
am I ; this is my * I '."
Wherefore, Brothers, whatever there be of Material Ex-
istence, whatever there be of Sensation, of Perception, of
Subjective Differentiations, or of Consciousness, whether
one's own or another's, whether gross or refined, lofty or
low, far or near, one should understand according to
reality and true wisdom : " This does not belong to me ;
this am I not ; this is no ' I ' (Atta)."
7. The objects of vision are not bodies — these latter can only be known
through the sense of bodily touch— they are forms, existing,— so to speak —
like pictures in one plane, the figures in which are dependent upon differences
of colour and of lighting.
8. Thought-consciousness, or, inward consciousness is, as it were, a
mirror in which all external consciousness-impressions,— forms, sounds, etc.,
—are reflected.
(9 )
Whoso Brothers, delights in the body, delights in Sen-
sation, delights in Perception, delights in the Differentia-
tions, delights in Consciousness,— he delights in suffering,
and whoso delights in suffering, shall not obtain release from
suffering. Thus I say.
How can you laugh, how take delight in earthly things ?
Verily you walk in darkness ! Did you never
THp ThpPG
Warnings vet see among y°u a man or a woman,
eighty, ninety, or an hundred years old?
decrepit, crooked as a gable-roof, bowed forward, supported
on a staff, staggering along with tottering steps, wretched,
youth long since fled, toothless, bleached hair hanging in
wisps over the blotched and wrinkled brow ? And did the
thought never come to you then : "I also am subject to
Decay ; by no means can I escape it " ?
Did you never see amongst you men or women who,
laden with grievous disease, twisted with pain, wallowed in
their own filth, and when they had been lifted up, were
obliged to lie down again ? And did the thought never come
to you then : " I also am subject to Disease ; by no means
can I escape it "?
Did you never see amongst you a corpse that had lain
for one, two, or three days, swollen up, blue-black in colour,
a prey to corruption ? And did the thought never come to
you then : " I also am subject to Death ; by no means can I
escape it"?
Without beginning or end, Brothers, is this Samsara.9
Samsara Unperceivable is the beginning of Beings
buried in blindness, who, seized of craving,
are ever and again brought to new birth and so hasten,
through the endless round of re-births.
What think you, Brothers ? Which is greater,— the
floods of tears which, weeping and wailing you have shed
upon this long way, ever and again hastening towards new
9. Samsara (literally, wandering) is the name by which is designated
the sea of life ever restlessly heaving up and down, the symbol of the proc
of ever again and again being born, growing old, suffering, and dying More
precisely put: Samsara is the unbroken chain of the groups of the Five
Aspects of Existence or Khandhas which, constantly changing from moment
to moment, follow continuously one upon the other through mconcen
periods of time. Of this Samsara, a single life time constitutes only a vanish
ingly tiny fraction ; hence, to be able to comprehend the First Holy Truth,
one must let his gaze rest upon Samsara, upon the apparently endless chain
of re-births, and not merely upon an insignificantly small particle
same ; for this latter, as being only a single phenomenon will of course
the less painful.
birth and new death, united to the undesired, separated from
the desired, — this, or the waters of the Four Great Seas ?
Long time, Brothers, have you suffered the death of a
mother, for long the death of a father, for long the death
of a son, for long the death of a daughter, for long the death
of brothers and sisters ; long time have ye undergone the
loss of your goods, long time have you been afflicted with
disease. And because you have experienced the death of a
mother, the death of a father, the death of a son, the death of
a daughter, the death of brothers and sisters, the loss of
goods, the pangs of disease, having been united with the un-
desired and separated from the desired, you have verily shed
more tears upon this long way, — hastening from birth to
death, from death to birth — than all the waters that are
held in the Four Great Seas.
What think you, Brothers ? Which is greater, — the
blood that through your execution, has flowed upon this
long way, whilst you have hastened ever and again to new
birth and new death, — this, or the waters of the Four Great
Seas?
Long time, Brothers, condemned as murderers, have
you by your execution, verily shed more blood than all the
waters that are held in the Four Great Seas. Long time
Brothers, arrested as robbers, have you by your execution
verily shed more blood than all the waters that are held in
the Four Great Seas. Long time, Brothers, caught in
adultery have you through your execution verily shed more
blood than all the waters that are held in the Four Great
Seas.
But how is this possible ? Without beginning or end,
Brothers, is this Samsara ; Unperceivable is the beginning
of Beings buried in blindness, who, seized of craving, are
ever and again brought to new birth and so hasten through
the endless round of re-births.
And thus, Brothers, have you long time undergone suf-
fering, undergone torment, undergone misfortune and filled
the graveyards full, — verily, Brothers, long enough to be
dissatisfied with all existence, — long enough to turn your-
selves away from all suffering, — long enough to release
yourselves from it all.
SE601VD TRUTH.
THE HOLY TRUTH OF THE CAUSE
OF SUFFERING.
What now, Brothers, is the Holy Truth of the Cause of
The threefold Sufferin§ ? ?* is that Craving (Tanha)10
Craving. which gives rise to fresh re-birth, and bound
by greed for pleasure, now here, now there,
finds^ever fresh delight. It is the Sensual Craving (Kama-
tanha), the Craving for Individual Existence (Bhava-tanha),
the Craving for temporal happiness (Vibhava-tanha.)11
10. It is no real being, no self-determined, unchangeable ' I ' that is re-
born. Moreover there is no being that remains the same even for two conse-
cutive moments, for the five Khandhas or Aspects of Existence are in a state
of perpetual change, of continual dissolution and renewal. As one thing they
disappear, and re-appear the next moment as something wholly new. Hence
it follows that there is no such thing as a real being (esse)— there is only an
endless process of change, of becoming; and this becoming, in its inner
essence is Action (Kamma), caused and causing, individualised and individu-
alising.
Just as the wave that apparently hastens over the surface of a pond, is
nothing more than a manifested effect of the continuous rising and falling of
that surface, produced by the wind : — in exactly the same way there is no
real /-unit, that hastens through the sea of repeated births, but only an effect
(Kamma) caused by Tanha (The Impulse to Life) which, according to the
character of its working (Cf. The Knowledge of Good and Evil, page 28,)
manifests itself here as a man and there as an animal or as some invisible
being, which again with their perpetually repeated being born and decaying
again, may be compared with the perpetually repeated rising and falling of
the water,
It follows that existence (Becoming) or,— otherwise expressed— Action or
Kamma, does not as it were belong to the man, but is the man himself; and
the man — as also after its own fashion, the wave — is at every moment the
exact result of all past bodily, verbal, and mental action or Kamma, and at the
same time the cause of all future action. As it is said in the Anguttara
Nikaya: — " My deed is my possession. My deed is mine inheritance. My
deed is the mother's womb that bears me. My deed is the tribe from which
I spring. My deed is my refuge."
11. Bhava-tanha is the Craving for individual existence and is in-
timately connected with spiritualistic beliefs in an absolute /-essence or
'soul ' persisting independently even after the death of the material body.
(Sassata-ditthi, Belief in Eternity.)
Vibhava-tanha is the Craving to so order this present brief existence that
it may yield as much enjoyment as possible. This craving is the direct out-
come of the delusive materialistic nation of a more or less real /-hood, ex-
isting during our lifetime but not standing in any kind of causal connection
with the time before birth and the time after death ; hence, a mere toy, ex-
isting through the pure caprice of nature. It will be clear to everyone that
such a delusive idea, once it really takes possession ot a man's thoughts and
feelings and is carried to its logical conclusion, must of necessity lead either
to the deepest abysses of moral depravity, or to a profound life-despair and
the consequent anathematization of those to whom one owes one's entry into
life. (Cf. Note 24 and the Two Extremes and the Middle Doctrine, page 40.^
( 12 )
But where, Brothers, does this Craving take its rise
and where does it spring up ? Where does it find a foothold
and where does it strike its roots ?
The eye is delightful, is pleasureable to men ; there this
. craving takes its rise, there it flourishes,
domains! there finds a foothold, there strikes its roots.
Ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind (mano)
are delightful, are pleasureable to men : there this craving
takes its rise, there it springs up, there finds a foothold,
there strikes its roots.
Forms, sounds, odours, tastes, bodily contacts and
. ideas (objects of the mind) are delightful, are
objects!* * pleasureable to men; there this craving
takes its rise, there it springs up, there finds
a foothold, there strikes its roots.
The consciousness that arises through the contact of
eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind
Consciousness. [with their appropriate objects] is delightful,
is pleasureable to men ; there this craving
takes its rise, there it springs up, there finds a foothold, there
strikes its roots.
The contact that arises through eye, ear, nose, tongue
f id body, and mind, is delightful, is pleasure-
Contact. a^e to men > there this craving takes its
rise, there it springs up, there finds a foot-
old, there strikes its roots.
The sensations that arise through seeing, hearing'
smelling, tasting, touching, and thinking'
Sensltfcn. are delightful, are pleasureable to men
there this craving takes its rise, there it
springs up, there finds a foothold, there strikes its roots.
Perception and ideation of forms, sounds, odours,
tastes, bodily contacts, ideas, are delightful,
The six-fold are pleasureable to men ; there this craving
idVatlSnT takes its rise> there it: springs up, there
finds a foothold, there strikes its roots.
The craving for forms, for sounds, for odours, for
. tastes, for bodily contact, and for ideas,
Cravfng! *s delightful, is pleasureable to men ; there
this craving takes its rise, there it springs
up, there finds a foothold, there strikes its roots.
( 13 )
Thinking and reflecting over forms, over sounds, over
odours, over tastes, over bodily contacts
The six-fold and over ideas, is delightful, is pleasureable
Reflect-in ™* to men ; t*lere ^s craving takes its rise,
there it springs up, there finds a foothold,
there strikes its roots.
Thus, Brothers, one beholds a form,12 with the eye,
hears a sound with the ear, smells an odour with the nose,
experiences a taste with the tongue, feels a contact with
the body, cognises an idea with the mind. If now the form,
sound, odour, taste, bodily contact or idea, is pleasureable,
one is seized with longing therefore, and if unpleasant, with
aversion.
Now whatever sort of sensation (Vedana) he experiences,
a pleasant sensation or an unpleasant
Becoming? '" sensation or a neutral sensation, he approves
of and cherishes the sensation and clings to
it, and whilst he approves of and cherishes the sensation and
clings to it, desire springs up in him ; but desire after sensa-
tions means Clinging to Existence (upadana) ; Clinging to
Existence causes the Process of Becoming (Bhava) ; thepro-
cess of Becoming (self-affirming action or Kamma) produces
future Birth (jati) ; Birth gives rise to decay and death,
sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair. Thus arises
the whole mass of suffering.
This, Brothers, is called the Holy Truth of the Cause
of Suffering.
Impelled verily by sensuous Craving attracted by sensu-
ous Craving, moved by sensuous Craving,
The visible oniy out of vain Craving, kings war with
kings, princes with princes, priests with
priests, citizens with citizens ; the mother
quarrels with the son, the son with the mother, the father
with the son, the son with the father ; brother quarrels with
brother, brother with sister, sister with brother, friend with
friend. Thus given to dissension, quarrelling and fighting,
they fall upon one another with stones, sticks, and swords.
And so they hasten towards death, or deathly hurt. But this,
Brothers, is the misery of sensuous craving, is the visible
Cause of Suffering, arisen through sensuous Craving,
brought about through sensuous Craving, upheld by sensu-
ous Craving, absolutely dependent upon sensuous Craving.
12. Strictly speaking, it is the eye-consciousness that perceives forms by
means of the sensitivity of the eye ; hence the eye of itself cannot see but is
merely a means of seeing. The like holds good of ear, nose, tongue, and
body.
( 14 )
And further, Brothers, attracted by sensuous Craving,
moved by sensuous Craving, only out of vain Craving, peo-
ple break contracts, rob others of their possessions, steal,
betray, seduce married women. Then kings have such
criminals caught and condemn them to be beaten with whips,
sticks, or rods ; to have their hands, or their feet, or both
hands and feet cut off ; to be torn in pieces by dogs, to be
impaled alive, to be beheaded. And so they hasten towards
death or deathly hurt. But this, Brothers, is the misery of
sensuous Craving, is the visible Cause of Suffering arisen
through sensuous Craving, brought about through sensuous
Craving, upheld by sensuous Craving, absolutely dependent
upon sensuous Craviug.
And further, Brothers, impelled by sensuous Craving
attracted by sensuous Craving, only out of
The concealed Vain Craving, they walk the evil way in
Pnag.se deeds> the evil way in words> the evil way in
thoughts ; and walking the evil way in
deeds, the evil way in words, the evil way in thoughts, at
the dissolution of the body, after death they go downwards
to a state of suffering, they come to ruin and disaster, for it
is said : " Nor in the air, nor in the ocean's depths, nor in
the mountain caves nor anywhere in all the worlds, find'st
thou a place where thou art freed from evil deeds." (Cf. Note
10.) But this, Brothers, is the misery of sensuous Craving,
is the concealed Cause of suffering arisen through sensuous
Craving, brought about through sensuous Craving, upheld
by sensuous Craving, absolutely dependent upon sensuous
craving.
There will come a time, Brothers, when the great world-
ocean will dry up, vanish and be no more. But verily,
Brothers, there is no end to the Suffering of beings buried
in blindness, who, seized by craving are ever brought again
and again to renewed birth and hasten through the endless
round of rebirths.
There will come a time, Brothers, when the mighty earth
will be devoured by fire, perish and be no more. But,
Brothers, verily there is no end to the Suffering of beings
buried in blindness, who, seized by Craving are ever brought
again and again to renewed birth and hasten through the
endless rouud of re-births.
THIRD TRUTH.
THE HOLY TRUTH OF THE CESSATION OF
SUFFERING.
What now, Brothers, is the Holy Truth of the Cessation
of Suffering?
It is the complete extinction of this Craving, the re-
jection, dispelling, freeing, getting rid of it.
But how, Brothers, does this Craving come to disap-
pear ? Where is it dissolved ? Wherever in the world there
is the delightful and the pleasureable, there this Craving
comes to disappear ; there it is dissolved.
Thus, Brothers, released from Sensual Craving, (Kama-
tanha), released from the Craving for Ex-
The Cessation istence(Bhava-tanha), one does not return,
one does nOt enter again int° the Process of
Becoming for, it is even through the total
extinction of this Craving, that the Clinging to Existence
(Upadanam) ceases ; with the cessation of the Clinging to
Existence, the Process of Becoming ceases ; with the cessation
of the Process of Becoming,) self-affirming Action or Kamma
ceases ; with the cessation of self-affirming Action, Rebirth is
done away ; through not being reborn, decay, death, sorrow,
lamentation, suffering, grief and despair cease. Thus comes
about the cessation of the whole mass of suffering.
This, Brothers, is called the holy truth of the Cessation
of Suffering.
But this is the Peace, this is the Highest, namely the
Nibbana cessation of all existence, the freeing one's
self from every form of Becoming, the anni-
hilation of Craving, the turning away from desire, cessation
and Nibbana ; for, excited by Greed (Lobha), Brothers, furi-
ous with Anger (Dosa), blinded by Delusion, (Moha), with
mind over whelmed, with mind enslaved, men reflect upon
their own misfortune, men reflect upon the misfortune of
others, men reflect upon the misfortune of both themselves
and others, men experience mental suffering and anguish.
If however Greed and Anger and Delusion are done away,
men reflect neither upon their own misfortune, nor upon the
misfortune of others, nor upon the misfortune of both them-
selves and others, men experience no mental suffering and
anguish. Thus, Brothers, is Nibbana visible in this life and
not merely in the future ; inviting, attractive, accessible to
the wise disciple.
And the Saint (Araham) whose peace is no more disturbed
-.. by anything whatsoever in all the world,
lm> the pure one, the sorrowless, the freed from
( 16 )
Craving (Tanha), he has swum across the Ocean of Birth
and Decay.
He truly penetrates to the cause of sensations, enlight-
ened is his mind. And for a disciple so delivered, in whose
heart dwells peace, there is no longer any pondering over
what has been done, and naught more remains for him to
do. Just as a rock of one solid mass remains unshaken by
the wind, even so, neither forms, nor sounds, nor odours, nor
tastes, nor contacts of any kind ; neither the desired nor the
undesired can cause such an one to waver. Steadfast is
his mind, gained is Deliverance.
Verily, Brothers, there is a condition, where there is
neither the Solid (Pathavl), nor the Fluid
able. (AP°) neither Heat (Tejo), nor Motion
(Vayo), neither this world nor any other
world, neither sun nor moon.
This, Brothers, I call neither arising nor passing away,
neither standing still nor being born nor dying. There,
is neither substance nor development nor any basis. This
is the End of Suffering.
There is, Brothers, an unborn, an unoriginated, that
has not become, that has not been formed. If, Brothers, there
were not this unborn, this unoriginated, that has not become,
that has not been formed, escape from the world of the born
the originated, the become, the formed, would not be possible.
But since, Brothers, there is an unborn, an unoriginated,
that has not become, that has not been formed, therefore is
escape possible from the world of the born, the originated,
the become, the formed.13
13. Just as the effects produced by the wind, in its manifestations as the
rising and falling of the water, give rise to the illusion of a wave apparently
hastening over the surface of a pond, and these effects, together with the
illusion dependent upon them, come to an end soon after the wind has ceased,
— in exactly the same way, tbe effects (Kamma) produced by Tanha. (giving rise
to the illusion of an /-being apparently hastening from birth to* birth, through
its manifestations, the arising and decaying of the Khandhas) must, when
once Tanha is extinguished, themselves also shortly thereafter, become wholly
extinguished, together with the illusion dependent upon them, namely, the
so-called/. No annihilation of a personal being has taken place, no ces-
sation of an absolute existence, for that which we call existence is, as we saw,
only a continuous arising and passing away, hence, a pure unreality, an illu-
sion : and the reality, that which knows neither arising nor passing away,
neither birth nor death, — which is eternally unchangeable ; — this is precisely
the cessation, the extinction (Nibbana) ot this illusion.
There is thus an extinction (Nibbana) of Tanha (Kilesaparinibbana,
literally, extinction of passion), which takes place even during the lifetime of
the Araharh, namely at the moment of his attaining Arahatship, and an ex-
tinction of Kamma and of the Khandhas (Khandhaparinibbana), which takes
place at his death.
THE FOURTH TRUTH.
THE HOLY TRUTH OF THE PATH TKVT
LEADS TO THE CESSATION OF
SUFFERING.
To abandon one's self to Sensuality, to the base, the
common, the vulgar, the unholy, the harm-
ful, and also to abandon one's self to Self-
mortification, to the painful, the unholy, the
harmful :— both these two extremes the Per-
fect One has rejected, and found out the
Middle Path which makes one both to see and to know,
which^ leads to peace, to discernment, to enlightenment and
to extinction (Nibbana).
It is the " Eight-fold Path," the way
that leads to the cessation of suffering,
namely :
The Two Ex
tremes, (Sen-
suality, Self-mor-
tification) and
the Middle Path.
The Eight fold
Path.
(i.) Right Understanding
Sammaditthi.1'*
(2.) Right Mindedness.
Sammasarikappo.
(3.) Right Speech
Sammavaca.
(4.) Right Action,
Sammakammanto.
(5.) Right Living,
Samma-ajlvo.
(6.) Right Effort,
Sammavayamo.
(7.) Right Attentiveness,
Sammasati.
(8.) Right Concentration,
Sammasamadhi.15
I. Panna,
Enlightenment.
II. Slla, Morality.
III. Samadhi, Con-
centration.
14. All unselfish and higher endeavour is of necessity based upon a
certain degree of Right Understanding, whether this endeavour i> met with
among Buddhists, Hindus, Christians, Muhamedans, or even amongst so-
called Materialists ; this, in fact, is the very reason why Right Understanding
takes rank as the First Link of the Eight- fold Path. The order, however, in
which the different links of the Path are brought to perfection is, Sila,
Samadhi, and Panna, or, in English : Morality, Concentration, and Enligh
tenment. Right Understanding or Enlightenment is thus the Alpha and the
Omega of the entire teaching of the Buddha.
15. In every good thought (Kusala-citta) there are always present at
least four Links of the Path, namely, Right Mindedness, Right Effort, Right
Attentiveness, Right Concentration. In the same way, every evil thought
(Akusala.citta) is accompanied by Wrong Mindedness, Wrong Effort, Wrong
Attentiveness, and Wrong Concentration.
This, Brothers, is the Middle Path which the Perfect
One has found out, which makes one both to see and to know ^
which leads to peace, to discernment, to enlightenment, and
to extinction which is free from suffering, free from torment,
free from lamentation, free from pain, leading right onwards ;
and like this way there is no other way.
If you follow this way, you shall find an end of suffer-
ing. Yet seek not for any outward help, for each has to
struggle for himself; the Perfect Ones (Tathagatas) only
point out the way.
Give ear, Brothers, for the Immortal is found. I reveal,
I set forth the Truth. As I reveal it to you, so act and
you shall in no long time see face to face, realise, and win,
even in this life, to the goal of supreme holiness — that goal16
for the sake of which sons of good families forsake their
homes for the homeless life, and manifest, realise, and ob-
tain the perfection of holiness even in this life.
16. The goal is Nibbana.
THE FIRST LINK ©F THE PATH.
RIGHT UNDERSTANDING, SAMMA-DITTHI.
What now, Brothers, is Right Understanding ?
When, Brothers, the disciple understands Evil and
Understanding understands the Root of Evil; when he
of Good and Evil. understands Good and understands the Root
of Good ; this Brothers, is Right Understanding.
What now, Brothers, is Evil (Akusala) ?17
(i.) Killing, Brothers, is evil.18 ~]
(2.) Stealing is evil. ( I. Bodily (Action),.
(3.) Unlawful sexual inter- J (Kaya-kamma).
course is eviL J
(4.) Lying is evil. \
(5.) Slandering is evil. I
(6.) Using harsh language /> II. Verbal Action,
is evil. I (Vacl-kamma).
(7.) Vain talk is evil.
(8.) Covetousness is evil.19 \
(9.) Cruelty is evil.20 f III. Mental Action
(10.) Harmful views' Miccha- j (Mano-kamma).
ditthi) are evil.21 J
And what, Brothers, is the root of Evil ? Greed (Lobha)
is the Root of Evil ; anger (Dosa) is the Root of Evil ;
delusion (Moha) is the root of evil.22
17. " Akusala " every deed is called which has a pernicious effect upon
our Kamma (existence) and which, in its working manifests itself as suffering
either in this life or in future lives.
1 8. All intentional killing or hurting of living beings no matter upon
what pretext, is to be looked upon as Akusala.
19. " Whatsoever another possesses of wealth and riches, — to covet
the same, thus ; ' Ah ! If only this were mine, which belongs to that other ' '
(Commentary.)
20. "Namely, the thought: 'These beings ought to be killed, slain,
destroyed ; they ought to perish.' " (Commentary.)
21. " The views : ' Alms and gifts are a vain delusion ; there is neither
reward nor recompence of good or of evil action, and so forth.' "
(Commentary.)
22. The arising of Lobha as well as of Dosa is always accompanied by
Moha.
( 20 )
And what, Brothers, is Good (Kusala) ?
(i.) To abstain from Killing^
is good.
(2.) To abstain from Steal-
ing is good.
(3.) To abstain from Un-
I. Bodily Action
(Kaya-kamma.)
lawful sexual Inter-
course is good.
(4.) To abstain from Lying \
is good.
(5.) To abstain from Sland- I
ering is good. \ II. Verbal Action
(6.) To abstain from Harsh j (Vaci-kamma.)
Language is good.
(7.) To abstain from Vain I
Talk is good. :
(8.) To be free from Covet- \
ousness is good.
(g.) To be free from Cruelty ' III. Mental Action
is good. f (Mano-kamma.)
(10.) Right Understanding I
(Samma-ditthi) is I
good. J
And what, Brothers, is the Root of Good 1 Freedom
from Greed (Alobha) is the Root of Good ; freedom from
Anger (Adosa) is the Root of Good ; freedom from Delusion
(Amoha) is the Root of Good.
And further, Brothers, when the disciple understands
Suffering and the Cause of Suffering ; when
Understanding ne understands the Cessation of Suffering
-of the Truth of and the Path that leads to the Cessation of
Suffering. Suffering ; this, Brothers, is Right Under-
standing.23
But should anyone say : I am not willing to lead the
disciple's life under the Blessed One unless
the Blessed One first tells me whether the
world is eternal or temporal ; whether the
world is finite or infinite ; whether the personality is inden-
tical with the body, or whether the personality is one thing
23. There are two kinds of Right Understanding, namely, the mundane
(Lokya-sammaditthi), and the ultra-mundane (Lokuttara-sammaditthi). The
latter is possessed only by the members of the Four Degrees of Holy Dig-
ciples; that is, by those who have realized one of the four ultra-mundane
paths ; — that of the Sotapanna, the Sakadagami, the Anagami, or the
Araharh. (See Note 25.)
( 21 }
and the body another ; whether the Perfect One continues
to exist after death or does not continue to exist after death
such an one, Brothers, would die ere the Perfect One could
tell him all this.
It is, Brothers, as if a man were pierced through by a
poisoned arrow, and his friends, companions and near re-
latives called in a surgeon, and he should say " I will not
have this arrow pulled out until I know who the man is that
has wounded me ; whether he is of the royal caste or the
priest's caste, a citizen or a servant;" or else he should say i
" I will not have this arrow pulled out until I know who the
man is that has wounded me ; what is his name and to
what family he belongs" ; or else he should say :" I will not
have this arrow pulled out until I know who the man is
that has wounded me, whether he is tall or short, or of
medium height" ; verily, Brothers, such an one would die ere
he could sufficiently get to know all this.
O that the man who seeks his own welfare might pull
out this arrow,— this arrow of lamentation, of pain and of
sorrow ; for, whether these theses exist or not : ' The world
is eternal,' ' The world is temporal,' ' The world is finite,'
' The world is infinite,' certainly there is birth, there is decay,
there is death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, grief, and
despair, the cessation of which, attainable even in this pre-
sent life, I make known unto you.
There is for instance, Brothers, an unlearned, a common
man void of regard for holy men, without knowledge of the
teaching of holy men, untrained in the discipline of holy men,,
void of regard for the good, without knowledge of the good,
untrained in the good.
He is possessed by the Self-illusion (Sakkayaditthi) ;24
his heart is deluded by Scepticism, by
Faith in Ceremonialism, Lust and Anger ;
and how one can free one' s self from these Fetters, — this
he does not really know, and to him these evils become
fetters that bind him to lower existence (i.e., to the sensu-
ous universe,) because he has allowed them to become
strong and has not subdued them.
24. The Self-illusion (Sakkaya-ditthi may reveal itself as : —
(i) Materialism (Uccheda or Vibhava-ditthi, literally, the Belief in
Annihilation) or more fully stated, the belief that this visible
material existence forms an /-being which is annihilated at
the death of the material body ; or else as :
(2) Spiritualism (Sassata-or Bhava-ditthi, literally, Eternalism), that
is to say, the belief in an /-being existing independently of
the material body, and continuing to exist even after the
dissolution of the latter.
Unacquainted with the things worthy of consideration,
unacquainted with the things unworthy of consideration, he
considers the unworthy and not the worthy.
And unwisely he considers thus : " Have I been in the
past ? Or have I not been ? What have I
The Sixteen been jn the past ? From what state, and
ing PastC,p"elent into what state» did l change in the past ?
and Future. Shall I be in the future ? Or shall I not be ?
What shall I be in the future ? From what
state and into what state shall I change in the future ?"
And the present also fills him with doubt : " Am I
then ? Or am I not ? What am I ? In what way am I ?
This present being, whence has it come ? And whither will
it go ?"
And with such unwise considerations, he falls into one
or other of the Six Views : ' I have an
about the Sou?8 eterna-l self (Atta),' becomes his conviction
and his firm view, or : 'I have no eter-
nal self,' becomes his conviction and his firm view, or :
' With the absolute Self, I perceive the absolute Self (Atta) '
becomes his conviction and his firm view, or : * With the
absolute Self I perceive the relative self (Anatta),' becomes
his conviction and his firm view, or : 'With the absolute Self
I perceive the relative self (Anatta)' becomes his conviction
and his firm view, or : ' With the relative self (Anatta) I
perceive the absolute Self,' becomes his conviction and his
firm view, or he falls into the following view : ' This my
Self is to be found again when it enjoys here and there,
in this or the other place, the reward of good and evil deeds,
and this my Self is permanent, persistent, eternal, and,
not subject to change, shall thus eternally remain the same.'
Is not this, Brothers, really a doctrine of fools ? These,
Brothers, are mere views, they are snare of views, a labyrinth
of views, a puppet-show of views, a moil of views, a tangle
of views, and entangled in views, Brothers, the worldling,
ignorant of the truth, will not be freed from re-birth, from
decay and from death, from sorrow, lamentation, suffering
grief, and despair ; he will not be freed, I say, from suffering.
The holy disciple however, Brothers, who is acquainted
with the truth, has regard for holy men, knows the teaching
of holy men, is well-trained in the discipline of holy men,
has regard for the good, knows the good, is well-trained in
the good. He understands what is worthy of consideration
and understands what is unworthy of consideration. Ac-
quainted with worthy things, acquainted with unworthy
things, he has no regard for unworthy things but has regard
for the worthy. " This is Suffering," he wisely considers.
" This is the Cause of Suffering," he wisely considers.
" This is the Cessation of Suffering " he wisely considers.
" This is the Path that leads to the Cessation of Suffering,"
he wisely considers. And by such wise considerations he is re-
leased from three fetters : — Self-illusion, 2$
(Sotapatt1.ThlP Scepticism, and Faith in Ceremonialism,
and those disciples, who are freed from these
three Fetters, — all these have become " Hearers of the
Message" (Sotapanna), have for ever escaped the states of
torment and are assured of complete enlightenment. Hence
also it is said : —
" More than any earthly power,
" More than all the joys of heaven,
" More than rule o'er all the worlds,
<; Is the fruit of ' Hearership.'
If, Brothers, one should put the question : ' Does the
Master Gotama admit any view at all ?' then such an one
is to be answered thus :
" The Tathagata, Brothers, is free from any theory ; for
the Tathagata, Brothers, has seen : ' Thus
Ft*PP f yfttwi s)li
Theories. *s t^ie Body, thus it arises, thus it passes
away ; thus is Sensation, thus it arises, thus
it passes away ; thus is Perception, thus it arises, thus it
passes away ; thus are the Subjective Differentiations (mental
properties), thus they arise, thus they pass away ; thus is
consciousness, thus it arises, thus it passes away !' There-
fore, I say, the Tathagata has won complete deliverance
through the annihilation, alienation, cessation, rejection,
and getting rid of all opinions and conjectures, of all self-
hood, self-seeking and vainglory.
25. There are Ten Fetters (Safmojanas) in all. which bind beings to ex-
istence. They are : — (i) vSV^-illusion (See previous note.) (2) Doubt. (3)
Faith in Ceremonialism. (4) Sensual Craving, (Kama-raga.) (5) Anger.
(6) Craving for Existence in the sphere of pure form i.e., free from Kama or
sensuality. (7) Craving for Formless Existence. (8) Pride. (9) Restless-
ness (in concentration.) (10) Illusion (Avijja.) A Sotapanna or ' Hearer '
is one who is free from the first three Fetters. He who has overcome the
fourth and the fifth Fetters in their grosser form is called Sakadagami, or
' Once-returner ' to the sensuous sphere. Whoso is wholly freed from the
first five Fetters, which bind to existence in the sensual sphere is an Anagami
or ' Non-returner ' ; he can never again be born in the sensual sphere, since
all his sensual craving is for ever extinguished- Such an one realises Nib-
bana, reaching it directly from the Rupaloka or sphere of pure form. The
one who is free from all the ten fetters is called an Araharh or Perfectly
Holy One.
And whether, Brothers, Tathagatas appear in the
The three ™orld or whet}ler Tathagatas do not appear
Marks of Exis- 'm tne world, it still remains a fact and a
tence. fixed and necessary condition, that all things
are transient J f°r the Body is transient,
Sensation is transient, Perception is tran-
sient, the Subjective Differentiations are transient, Consci-
ousness is transient.
Whether, Brothers, Tathagatas appear in the world or
2 Suffering whether Tathagatas do not appear in the
(Ou'kkha). world, it still remains a fact and a fixed and
necessary condition, that all things are sub-
ject to suffering ; for the Body is subject to suffering, Sen-
sation is subject to suffering, "Perception is subject to suffer-
ing, the Subjective Differentiations are subject to suffering,
Consciousness is subject to suffering.
Whether, Brothers, Tathagatas appear in the world or
3. U n s u b - whether Tathagatas do not appear in the
stantiaiity. world, it still remains a fact and a fixed and
(Anatta). necessary condition, that nothing whatso-
ever constitutes an individuality (Atta) ; for, the Body is not
individual (Anatta), Sensation is not individual, Perception
is not individual, the Subjective Differentiations are not in-
dividual, Consciousness is not individual.
A body, a sensation, a perception, a subjective differen-
tiation, a consciousness, Brothers, that were permanent and
persistent, eternal and not subject to change, — this, the
wise declare, does not exist in the world. And it is not
possible that a being possessed of Right Understanding
should regard anything as an individual.
If, Brothers, someone should say : * Sensation is my
Discussions absolute Self (Atta)' he should be answered
concerning the thus : " There are, Brothers, three kinds of
Self. sensation, — pleasureable sensation, painful
sensation, and neutral sensation. Which of these three sen-
sations now, do you consider to be your absolute Self ? At
the moment when a man experiences one of these sensations,
he does not experience the other two. These three kinds of
sensation are called transient, conditioned by causes ; they
are subject to decay, to dissolution ; for their being consists
in separation, in passing'away. Whoso in experiencing one
of these three sensations should speak thus : ' This is my
Self,'-— he ought also to -ay then : ' My Self expires through
( 25 )
the disappearance of this sensation,' and doing so, he at
that moment also acknowledges his own Self to be transient
in this life.
If, Brothers, any one should say : ' Sensation is not my
absolute Self, my absolute Self is inaccessible to sensation,
he should be answered thus : " If, Brother, there were no
sensation present in you, would you then say * I am ' ? Surely
not, Brother ! " Accordingly it would be entirely absurd to
share such an opinion with him.
If, Brothers, anyone should say : *' Sensation is not my
absolute Self but it is false to maintain that my absolute
Self is inaccessible to sensation ; it is my absolute Self
that experiences sensation, for feeling is a faculty of my
absolute Self, " he should be answered thus : " If sensa-
tion Brother, should come to total annihilation, without
leaving a single trace behind, and if thus no sensation what-
ever were to be found, could you then say, following upon
the non-existence of sensation : ' I am ' ? Surely not,
Brother ! " Accordingly it would be entirely absurd to share
such an opinion with him.
' Thoughts are the absolute Self,' — such an assertion is
entirely devoid of foundation ; for, in all thinking an arising
and a passing away are seen and if an arising and a passing
away are there seen, the thesis : ' My Self arises and passes
away ' must as a consequence hold good ; hence it is not
proper to maintain 'Thoughts are the absolute Self;' accord-
ingly thoughts are not a Self.
* Thought-consciousness is the absolute Self ' — such an
assertion is entirely devoid of foundation ; for in thought-
consciousness an arising and a passing away are seen, and if
an arising and a passing away are there seen, the thesis :
' My Self arises and passes away,' must as a consequence
hold good ; hence it is not proper to maintain : ' Thought-
consciousness is the absolute Self ;' accordingly thought-con-
sciousness is not a Self.
1 The mind is the absolute Self,' — such an assertion is
entirely devoid of foundation ; for in the mind, an arising
and a passing away are seen, and if an arising and a passing
away are there seen, the thesis : ' My Self arises and passes
away,' must hold good as a consequence ; hence it is not
proper to maintain : ' The mind is the absolute Self ;' accord-
ingly the mind is not a Self.
( 26 )
Surely, Brothers, it would be more correct to say that
the body (Rupa) formed out of the four ele-
more constant rnentary powers is a self, instead of these sub-
than the Mind. jective aspects (Nama), for it is evident
that this body, built up out of the Four
Elementary Forces, lasts for a year, for two years, for three,
four, five, six, or even for seven years; but that which is
called mind, understanding, or consciousness, is found day
and night in a state of incessant change, passing away as
one thing, and returning as another thing.26
Therefore, Brothers, whatsoever there is of Material
Existence, of Sensation, of Perception, of Subjective Differen-
tiations, of Consciousness, whether one's own or another's,
gross or refined, lofty or low, far or near, there one should
recognise according to reality and true wisdom : "This does
not belong to me ; this am I not ; this is no ' I ' (Anatta)."
If now, Brothers, anyone should ask you ; ' Have you
been in the past or have you not been ?
•Future! Pl wil1 y°u be in the future °r wil1 y°u not be ?
Are you or are you not ?', you ought to say
that in one respect you have been in the past, but that yet
in another respect you had not been ; that in one respect
you will be in the future but that yet in another respect you
will not be ; that in one respect you are, but that yet in
another respect you are not.
Verily, only he who perceives Origination from Causes,
perceives the truth : and he who perceives the truth, per-
ceives Origination from Causes. For, Brothers, just as milk
comes from the cow, and cream originates from milk, butter
from cream, and cheese from butter ; — and when it is milk
it is not called cream, nor butter, nor cheese ; and when it
is cheese, the same is not designated by any other name ;
even so, Brothers, when one of the three kinds of existence
(past, present, or future existence) is represented, this is
not designated by the names of either of the other two ;
these, Brothers, are merely names, merely manners of speak-
ing, designations in common conversational use. The
Blessed One indeed, makes use of these, without however
being led astray by them.
26. " Strictly speaking, the existence of a being is extremely brief and
lasts only during the interval of a single thought. So soon as the thought
ends, the being also ends; for ; —
" The being of the future moment will live in the future, but has not
lived in the past, nor does it yet live now.
The being of the present moment lives just now, but has not lived in
the past, nor will it live in the future."
( 27 )
Verily, Brothers, if we hold the view that we are identi-
cal with our Material Existence, — in that
Extremes, case a k°ty n'fe *s not possible ; or if, Bro-
(Materiaiism - thers, we hold the view good that there is
Spiritualism) an absolute Self (The ' Soul'), independent
lle of this body,— in this case also a holy life is
not possible. (Cf. Notes n and 24.)
But these two extremes are both rejected by the Exalted
One, and there is a Middle Doctrine which teaches:
On Delusion depends self-affirming Action (i.e. bodily,
verbal and mental kusala-akusala-Kamma. See page 100.)
On self-affirming Action depends the arising of (rebirth)
Consciousness (i.e. conception in the womb of the mother.)
•On the arising of Consciousness depends the Subjective
(men \.^)- Objective (material) Aspects of Existence. On the
Subjective-Objective Aspects of Existence depends the six-
fold activity of the Senses. On the Senses depends Contact
(with the objectively perceived objects of Sense : — forms,
sounds, odours, tastes, bodily touches, ideas.) On Contact
depends the six- fold pleasant, painful or neutral Sensations.
On Sensation depends Graving (Tanha.) On Craving de-
pends Clinging to Existence. On Clinging to Existence de-
pends the Process of Becoming. On the Process of Becom-
ing (self- affirming) Action) depends (future) Birth. On
Birth depends decay and death, sorrow, lamentation, suffer-
ing, grief and despair. Thus arises the whole mass of Suf-
fering. (Cf. The Second Truth p. n.)
Through the complete fading out and cessation of
Delusion (Avijja), self-affirming Action is done away.
Through the cessation of self-affirming Action, Conscious-
ness (re-birth) is done away ; through the cessation of con-
sciousness, the Subjective-Objective Aspects of Existence are
done away ; through the cessation of the subjective-objective
aspects of existence, the six-fold activity of the Senses is done
away ; through the cessation of the six-fold activity of the
senses, Contact (of the sense-organs with the objectively per-
ceived world) is done away ; through the cessation of contact,
Sensation is done away ; through the cessation of sensation,
Craving is done away ; through the cessation of craving,
Clinging to Existence is done away ; through the cessation
of clinging to existence, the Process of Becoming is done
away ; through the cessation of the process of becoming
(self-affirming Action), Re-birth is done away ; through not
being re-born, decay and death sorrow, lamentation, suffer-
ing, grief and despair are done away. Thus ceases the whole
mass of suffering. (Cf. The Third Truth p. 15.)
Verily, Brothers, because beings buried in Delusion
seized by Craving, now here, now there,
Kamma?tll/e see^ ever ^resh delight,— therefore is it that
there comes about ever fresh Re-birth ; and
the Action (Kamma) of men, that is done out of Greed
(Lobha) Anger (Dosa), or Delusion (Moha), which springs
out of greed, anger, or delusion, which is brought about by
them, which has its origin in them, ripens wheresoever there
are men ; and wheresoever that action ripens even there does
man earn the Fruit of his Action, be it in this or in some
future life. (Cf. Note 9.)
However, Brothers through the complete fading out of
delusion, through the arising of Wisdom,
Ramma!™" through the annihilation of Craving(Tanha,)
no future birth lies any more before ; for the
Actions (Kamma)of men, Brothers, that are not dueto Greed,
Anger, or Delusion, which do not spring from greed, anger,
or delusion, which are not brought about by them, which
have not their origin in them, in as much as greed, hate,
and anger have disappeared, have been abandoned and
rooted out, such actions like a palm tree torn out of the soil
are cut off and do not lead to any further entry into exis-
tence.
In this respect, Brothers, verily one may rightly say
of me " The ascetic Gotama teaches negation, the ascetic
Gotama teaches annihilation," for certainly, Brothers, I
teach annihilation — the Annihilation namely, of Greed, the
Annihilation of Anger, the Annihilation of Delusion, as well
as the Annihilation of the manifold evil, unwholesome con-
ditions of the mind. (Cf. Note 9.)
THE SEeOND LINK ©F THE PHTH.
RIGHT MINDEDNESS SAMMA-SANKAPPA.
What now Brothers, is Right Mindedness ?
1. The thought of renouncing worldly
The three-fold ways.
2. The thought of bearing no ill-will.
3. The thought of abstaining from cruelty.
This, Brothers, is Right Mindedness.
Thus for example, a householder or the
ofRtheUwoi?d.0n son °f a householder, or some other man,
hears the teaching of the Perfect One.
After he has heard this teaching he is filled with con-
fidence in the Perfect One. And filled with this confidence,
he thinks : "A prison house is household life, a refuse heap :
but pilgrim-life is as the open air. Not easy is it when one
lives at home, to fulfil point by point the rules of the holy
life. How if now, with hair and beard cut off, clothed in the
yellow robe, — how if I go forth from home to the homeless
life ? " And in a short time, having given up his more or
less extensive possessions, having forsaken a smaller or
larger circle of relations, he cuts off hair and beard, puts on
the yellow robe and goes forth from home to the homeless
life. "
THE THIRD LINK OF THE PHTH.
RIGHT SPEECH, SAMMA-VACA.
What now Brothers, is Right Speech ?
i. A man, Brothers, has overcome lying and he
abstains from telling falsehood. He speaks
from Ly'mgf the truth> he is devOted to the truth, he ad-
dheres to the truth, he is worthy of confi-
dence, is not a deceiver of men. Coming now amongst
people or amongst relatives, or into a meeting, or being
brought before a judge and asked to give his testimony :'
* Come, good man tell what thou knowest ' he answers, if he
knows nothing : ' I know nothing,' and if he knows, he
answers : ' I know '; if he has seen nothing he answers : ' I
have seen nothing,' and if he has seen, he answers : ' I have
seen.' Thus he never knowingly speaks a lie, neither for
the sake of his own advantage, nor for the sake of another
person's advantage nor for the sake of any advantage what-
soever.
2. He has overcome Slandering, he abstains from abuse.
What he has heard here, he does not repeat
there so as to cause dissension there, and
what he has heard there, he does not repeat
here, so as to cause dissension here. Thus he brings together
those that are at variance ; establishes those that are united ;
concord makes him glad ; he delight in concord; it is concord
that he spreads by his words.
He has given up Harsh Language, he abstains from
Harsh Language. He speaks words that
Abstaining are free from rudeness, soothing to the ear,
loving, going to the heart, courteous, rejoi-
cing many, elevating many. He knows :
" In whom the thought dwells, ' He has slandered me, beaten
me ; he has overpowered me and robbed me,' such an one
never gets free from hate ; for hatred never ceases by hat-
red ; by love alone is it removed ; this is an eternal law."
And he remembers the worlds of the Blessed One :
" Even, Brothers, should robbers and murderers saw off
your limbs and joints, whoso gave way to anger thereat,
would not be following my advice. For thus, Brothers,
V 31 )
ought you to train yourselves : ' Undisturbed shall our mind
remain, no evil words shall escape our lips ; friendly and full of
sympathy shall we remain, with heart full of love and free
from any hidden malice ; and that person shall we penetrate
with loving thoughts, wide, deep, boundless, freed from anger
and hatred.' Thus brothers, ought you to train yourselves."
4. He has overcome vain talk and he abstains from
vain talk. He speaks at the right time,
from^ain'lalk. speaks in accordance with facts, speaks to
the point. He speaks about the Truth
(Dhamma) and the Discipline of the Order (Vinaya) ; his
speech is of real value and agrees with its object ; for he
bears in mind the injunction which says : *' In meeting one
another, Brothers, there are two things that ought to be
adhered to ; either conversation about the Truth or holy
silence."
This, Brothers, is Right Speech.
THE FOURTH LINK ©F THE PATH.
RIGHT ACTION, SAMMA-KAMMANTA.
What now Brothers, is Right Action ?
A man Brothers, has given up Killing, abstains from
Abstaining Killing. Without stick or sword, compas-
from Killing. sionate, full of sympathy, he cherishes kind-
ness and pity for all living beings.
2. He has given up Stealing, he abstains from Steal-
. ing. He takes what is given him ; he waits
from Stealing. for what is .§iven him »" free fr°m thievish
thoughts, with heart purified.
Unlawful Sexual Intercourse he has given up ; he ab-
stains from Unlawful Sexual Intercourse.
Abstaining from He has no intercourse with maidens who are
under the protection of father, mother,
elders, brother, sister, or relatives, nor with
married women nor with slaves, down to flower-decked dan-
cing girls.
This Brothers, is Right Action.
THE FIFTH LINK OF THE PHTH.
RIGHT LIVING, SAMMA-AJIVA.
What now, Brothers, is Right Living ?
When Brothers, the noble disciple, renouncing a wrong
living, gets his livelihood by a right way of living, — this,
Brothers, is Right Living.^
27. Amongst trades, there are five, which, being causes of misery to
the world, are reckoned under Wrong Living ; they are : —
(r) The trade of butchering and of dealing in butchered animals ;
(also the occupations of hunter, fisherman, soldier, etc.)
(2) Dealing in intoxicating drinks.
(3) Dealing in poisons.
(4) Dealing in arms and deadly weapons.
(5) Dealing in human beings, as slaves, prostitutes, and so forth.
To Wrong Living belong also the practices of deceit, treachery, sooth-
saying, trickery and usury.
THE SIXTH LINK OF THE PATH,
RIGHT EFFORT, SAMMA-VAYAMA.
What now, Brothers, is Right Effort ?
There are, Brothers, Four Great Efforts : The Effort
to Avoid, the Effort to Overcome, the Effort to Originate,
and the Effort to Maintain.
i.
What now, Brothers, is the Effort to Avoid ?
The disciple, Brothers, begets in himself the will not
to permit to arise evil unwholesome things
Avoid (Samvara- ^at nave not arisen, and summoning all
ppadhana.) his strength, he struggles and strives and
incites his mind.
When, Brothers, this disciple sees a form with the eye,,
hears a sound with the ear, smells an odour with the nose,
tastes a taste with the tongue feels a contact with the body,
perceives an object (idea) with the mind, he does not indulge
in the aspect of the same, neither of the whole nor of its
parts ; and he begets in himself the will to avoid that, which,
if he remained with unguarded senses, would give occasion
for the arising of evil things, of desire and discontent. And
so, watching over the senses, he succeeds in becoming master
of them. Possessed of this noble control over the senses, he
experiences inwardly a feeling of joy into which no evil thing
can enter. This, Brothers, is called the Effort to Avoid.
2. What now, Brothers, is the Effort to Overcome.
The disciple, Brothers, begets in himself the will to
, overcome evil, unwholesome things that
The Effort to have arisen, and, summoning all his
hana^ppldhanao strength, he struggles and strives and in-
cites his mind. He does not allow a
thought of Greed, Anger or Delusion that has arisen, to find
a foothold ; he suppresses it, expels it, annihilates it, causes
it to disappear. And whatsoever there is of evil, unwhole-
some things, he does not allow them to find a foothold, he
overcomes them, expels them, annihilates them, causes them
to disappear.
If, Brothers, by the dwelling upon a certain idea, there
arise in the disciple, evil, unwholesome
ofe»ell?nffhe% thouShts' of G.reed> AnSer> Delusion,— (i)
thoughts. then the disciple Out of this idea should
gain another and a wholesome idea, (2) or,,
he should dwell upon the misery of those thoughts, thus,
' There they are again, these unwholesome thoughts ; there
( 34 )
they are again, these pernicious thoughts ; there they are
again, these pain-producing thoughts.' (3) Or he should
pay no attention to them. (4) Or he should analyse them
into their constituent parts. (5) Or, with teeth clenched
and tongue pressed against the gums, he should suppress
these thoughts with his mind ; and in doing so, these evil,
unwholesome thoughts of Greed, Anger, or Delusion, will
dissolve and disappear, and the mind will become settled
and quiet, concentrated and strong.
This, Brothers, is called the Effort to Overcome.
3. What now, Brothers is the Effort to Originate ?
The disciple, Brothers, begets in himself the will to
originate wholesome things that have not
The Effort to arisen, and summoning all his strength,
SaiS"ppadhana)" he struggles and strives and incites his
mind.
And he originates the Constituent Parts of Enlighten-
ment (Bojjhanga) born of solitude, depending upon detach-
ment, connected with extinction, and leading to relinquish-
ment, — namely, Attentiveness, Penetration (Dhamma-
vicaya), Energy, Joy, Tranquility, Concentration (Samadhi)
and Equanimity.^
This, Brothers, is called the Effort to Originate.
4. What now, Brothers, is called the Effort to Main-
tain? The disciple, Brothers, begets in
himself the will to maintain wholesome
The Effort to
Maintain.
things that have arisen, the will not to per-
mit them to perish but to bring them to perfection ; and
summoning all his strength, he struggles and strives and
incites his mind.
This, Brothers, is called the Effort to Maintain.
Such a disciple, Brothers, is vigorous and alert ; his
energies are equally balanced, neither too ardent nor too
sluggish in pursuing the Middle Path. And he is filled with
the thought : ' May muscles, skin and sinews, together with
bones, flesh, and blood, shrivel together and dry up, rather
than that I should abandon my efforts while as yet I have
not attained whatsoever is attainable by human persever-
ance, energy, and endeavour.'
This, Brothers, is Right Effort
28. The Bojjhaiigas are also possessed in some degree by the Puthuj'
jana or Worldling, that is, by one, who is still outside the four Ultramun"
dane Paths (of the Sotapanna, Sakadagami, etc.)
THE SEVENTH LINK OF THE
PATH.
RIGHT ATTENTIVENESS, SAMMA-SATI.
What now, Brothers, is Right Attentiveness ?
The disciple, Brothers, lives in Contemplation of the
The Four Sati- Body, lives in Contemplation of the Sensa-
patthanas or tions, lives in Contemplation of the Mind,
Fundamentals HVes in Contemplation of Internal Pheno-
ss> mena, unweariedly, clearly conscious, with
senses awake, having overcome worldly desires and sor-
rows.
The only way, Brothers, that leads mortals to the
attainment of purity, to the overcoming of sorrow and
lamentation, to the cessation of suffering and grief, to the
entering upon the right path and the realisation of Nibbana,
is the " Four Fundamentals of Attentiveness," the Four
Satipatthanas.
i. THE CONTEMPLATION OF THE BODY,
(KAYA).29
But how, Brothers, does the disciple dwell in the Con-
templation of the Body ?
The disciple, Brothers, retires to the forest, to the
foot of a tree or to a solitary place, sits himself down with
legs crossed, body erect, and mind present and fixed.
With attentive mind he breathes in, with attentive
Anapana sati mmd he breathes out. When he takes a
or " Watching long inward breath, he knows : ' I take a
over in and Out- long inward breath '; when he makes a long
outward breath, he knows : ' I make a long
outward breath '; when he makes a short inward breath, he
knows : ' I take a short inward breath ;' when he makes a
short outward breath, he knows : ' I make a short outward
breath.' Clearly perceiving the entire breath, I will breathe
in ;' thus he trains himself; ' Clearly perceiving the entire
breath, I will breathe out ' thus he trains himself. ' Calm-
2Q. Kava— here, Rupa-kaya— constitutes the Rupa-khandha or Aspect
•of Material Existence.
( 36 )
ing the breath, I will breathe in,' thus he trains himself ;
' Calming the breath, I will breathe out,' thus he trains
himself.3°
Thus he contemplates his own Body p1 thus he con-
templates the Bodies of others ; thus he contemplates both
his own Body and the Bodies of others. He beholds how
Bodies arises ; beholds how Bodies passes away ; beholds
the arising and the passing away of Bodies. ' Bodies only
are there ':32 this clear knowledge is present to him, just
because he possesses understanding, possesses^insight, and
he lives independent, unattached to anything in the world.
Thus, Brothers, does the disciple dwell in Contemplation
of the Body.
And further, Brothers, the disciple knows in going,.
standing, sitting and lying down, how one
theSR>ur Pos°i- has to understand according to truth ' I go,'
tions of the Body. ' I stand,' 'I sit,' ' I lie down,' 'I find.
myself in this or the other position.'ss
Thus he contemplates his own Body; thus he contem-
plates the Bodies of others ; thus he contemplates both his
own Body and the Bodies of others. He beholds how
Bodies arise ; beholds how Bodies pass away ; beholds the
arising and the passing away of Bodies. ' Bodies only are
there ': this clear knowledge is present to him, just because
30. After the disciple through Watching over In and Out-breathing,
has attained the Four Jhanas or Trances (See The Eighth Link of the
Path), he considers in his mind as to what In and Out-breathing is
based upon, and he understands : ' In-and Out breathing presuppose the ex-
istence of the body.' The body however, is only a name for the Four Chief
Elements and the properties dependent upon them, namely,(Eye, Ear, Nose,
Tongue, Body, Form, Sound, Odour, Taste, etc., (See Note, 5). Depend-
ent upon the contact of these, consciousness (Vinnana) arises ; and through
consciousness there arise all the five Aspects of Existence, namely, the
Mental Aspects (Nama) : Sensation, Perception, Subjective Differentiations,
and Consciousness, and the Material Aspect (Rupa) ; all which, taken to-
gether, constitute the subjective-objective Anschauung (Nama-rupa).'
Here the disciple clearly perceives : ' There is no being present, but
only the Five Khandhas or Aspects of Existence whose arising is depend-
ent upon causes ;' and in the moment of deep Insight (Vipassana) into the
Transiency, Suffering, and Unsubstantiality (Anatta) of all that has thus
arisen, he may realise any one of the Four Ultramundane Paths ; in other
words, enter into Sotapanna-ship, Sakadagami-ship, Anagami-ship or
Arahatship. (Cf. Note, 50.)
31. " By body in this case is meant breath, the latter being a Kaya-
sankhara or bodily function." (Commentary.)
32. " This is only a material body ; it is no living being, no individual,
no woman, no man, no self, nothing that belongs to a self; neither a person
nor anything belonging to a person." (Commentary.)
33 " The disciple understands that there is no living being, no real /
that goes, stands, sits, or lies down, but that it is by a mere figure of speech,
that one says: «I go,' ' I stand,' and so forth." (Commentary.)
( 37 )
lie possesses understanding, possesses insight, and he lives
independent, unattached to anything in the world. Thus,
Brothers, does the disciple dwell in Contemplation of the
Body.
And further still, Brothers, the disciple is clearly con-
scious in his coming and going, clearly con-
Cleaif conscious- sci°us in directing his eyes towards an ob-
ness. ject and in turning away his eyes, clearly
conscious in bending and in straightening
any part of his body, clearly conscious in eating, drinking,
chewing and tasting ; clearly conscious in evacuating ex-
crement and urine ; clearly conscious in walking, standing
and sitting ; clearly conscious in falling asleep and in awaken-
ing ; clearly conscious in speaking and in keeping silence. 34
Thus he contemplates his own Body ; thus he contem-
plates the Bodies of others ; thus he contemplates both his
own Body and the Bodies of others. He beholds how Bodies
arise ; beholds how Bodies pass away ; beholds the arising,
and the passing away of Bodies. ' Bodies only are there ':
this clear knowledge is present to him, just because he pos-
sesses understanding, possesses insight, and he lives inde-
pendent, unattached to anything in the world. Thus, Bro-
thers, does the disciple dwell in Contemplation of the Body.
And further still, Brothers, the disciple contemplates
this Body up and down from the sole of the
on the^^iuml foot to the crown of the head> a skin drawn
of the Body, over it, filled with manifold impurities:
* This Body has hair on the head, is covered
with hair, has nails and teeth, skin and flesh, sinews, bones
and marrow, kidneys, heart, and liver, diaphragm, spleen,
lungs, stomach, bowels, mesentery and excrement ; has bile,
phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, lymph, tears, sperm, spittle,
nasal mucus, oil of the joints, and urine.'
Just, Brothers, as if there were a sack, tied up at
both ends, filled with all kinds of grain, — with rice, beans,
sesamum, — and a man not blind opened it and investigated
its contents, thus : ' That is rice these are beans, this is
sesamum ' : — just so Brothers, does the disciple consider
this body from the sole of the feet to the crown of the head,
skin drawn over it, filled with manifold impurities.
34. "In all that the disciple is doing he is clearly conscious: (i) o*
his Intention, (2) of his Advantage, (3) of his D uty, 4) of the Reality."
(Commentary,)
And further still, Brothers, the disciple contemplates on
this Body as it goes and stands, as analysed
into its Elements : 'This Body is put to-
gether out of the Solid Element (Pathavi-
dhatu), the Liquid Element (Apo-dhatu), the Heating Ele-
ment (Tejo-dhatti), and the Vibrating Element (Vayo-dhatu).
(Cf. ' The Four Chief Elements.' Page, 5.)
Exactly Brothers, as a skilled butcher or butcher's ap-
prentice might slaughter a cow, bring it to market, divide
it into separate portions, and sit himself down ; just so Bro-
thers, does the disciple contemplate on this Body as ana-
lysed into its Elements.
Thus he contemplates his own Body ; thus he contem-
plates the Bodies of others ; thus he contemplates both his
own Body and the Bodies of others. He beholds how Bodies
arise ; beholds how Bodies pass away ; beholds the arising
and the passing away of Bodies. ' Bodies only are there ' :
this clear knowledge is present to him, just because he
possesses understanding, possesses insight, and he lives in-
dependent, unattached to anything in the world. Thus,
Brothers, does the disciple dwell in Contemplation of the
Body.
1. And further still, Brothers ; just as if the disciple
should see a corpse lying in the burial-
M Jditathuis.etery ground, one day dead, or two or three days
dead, swollen up, blue-black in colour, a
prey to corruption, — he concludes as regards himself, ' And
my Body also shall so become, has a like destiny, cannot
escape it.'
2. And further still, Brothers, just as if the disciple
should see a corpse lying in the burial-ground, picked to
pieces by crows, or ravens, or vultures, stripped of its flesh
by dogs or jackals, or gnawed by all kinds of worms, — he
concludes as regards himself, ' And my Body also shall so
become, has a like destiny, cannot escape it.'
3. And further still, Brothers, just as if the disciple
should see a corpse lying in the burial-ground, a framework
of bones, flesh hanging from it, bespattered with blood, held
together by the sinews, or,
4. — a framework of bones, stripped of flesh, bespattered
with blood, held together by the sinews, or,
5. — a framework of bones, without flesh, without blood,
held together by its sinews or,
( 39 )
6. — the bones, without the sinews, scattered hither and
thither ; here a bone of the hand, there a bone of the foot,
there a shin bone, there a thigh bone, there the pelvis, there
the spine, there the skull, — when he beholds this, he con-
cludes as regards himself: 'And my body also shall so be-
come, has a like destiny, cannot escape it.'
7. And further still, Brothers, the disciple should see
a corpse lying in the burial-ground, bones white and of the
colour of shells, or,
8. — bones, heaped together after the lapse of a year, or,.
9. — bones, weathered away, and crumbled to dust,—
he concludes as regards himself: ' And my Body also shall
so become, has a like destiny, cannot escape it.'
Thus he contemplates his own Body ; thus he contem-
plates the Bodies of others ; thus he contemplates both his
own Body and the Bodies of others. He beholds how Bodies
arise ; beholds how Bodies pass away ; beholds the arising and
the passing away of Bodies. * Bodies only are there ' : this
clear knowledge is present to him, just because he possesses
understanding, possesses insight, and he lives independent,
unattached to anything in the world. Thus, Brothers, does
the disciple dwell in Contemplation of the Body.35
If, Brothers, one has carried out and practised this
The Fruits Contemplation of the Body, applied himself
attained by the to it, realised it, penetrated it deeply and
Contemplation brought it to perfection one may gain ten
useful qualities.
Over Discontent one has mastery ; one does not allow
one's self to be overcome by discontent ; one subdues and
masters what discontent may have arisen.
One conquers Fear and Anxiety ; one does not allow
one's self to be overcome by fear and anxiety ; one subdues
and masters fear and anxiety that may have arisen.
One endures cold and heat, hunger and thirst, wind and
weather, flies and wasps and noxious creeping creatures,
wicked and malicious speech ; bodily pains and sensations
that attack one, severe, sharp, piercing, unpleasant, danger-
ous to life, — these one patiently endures.
85. Of the Contemplations of the Body, ' Insight into the Four Posi-
tions of the Body,' ' The Four-fold Cleat Consciousness,' and the « Analysis
of the Body,' properly ^constitute part of the teaching of Parma. The
4 Cemetery Meditations ' belong partly to Parma and partly to Samadhi.
(Cf. Sila, Samadhi, Parma, page, 17.)
( 40 )
The 'Four Jhanas or Trances, the mind-purifying,
bestowing happiness even here, — these one can enjoy at will
without difficulty, without effort.
AWhnnafs36 One is enabled to produce Magical
or the Six-fold Effects.37 Up to the Brahma worlds one
Knowledge : has the body in his power.
1. The Magical With the Heavenly Ear, the purified,
Powers (Iddhi). the supra-human one hears both kinds of
|V2EaTrhe Heaven" sounds, the heavenly and the earthly, the
distant and the near.
3. The Know- AT7. . , . ,
iedge of the With the mind one sees into the Hearts
Mind of other of Other Beings, of other persons.
beings.
One remembers many previous Forms
4. The Memory of Existence ; first one life, then two lives,
t^len manv ^ves> wi*h their characteristic
signs, with their specific connections.
With the Heavenly Eye, the purified, the supra-human,
one sees beings disappear and reappear, the
base and the noble> the beautiful and the
ugly, the fortunate and the unfortunate ;
one perceives how beings return according to their deeds.
One can put an end to Illusion and manifest, realise,
and attain, even in this life, the stainless
Deliverance of the Mind, the Deliverance
through Wisdom.s8
2. CONTEMPLATION OF THE SENSATIONS
(VEDANA.)
But how, Brothers, does the disciple dwell in Contem-
plation of the Sensations ?
In experiencing Sensations397 Brothers, the disciple
understands according to truth the Agreeable Sensation,
36. It is only after the attainment of the four Jhanas that one may
succeed in reaching the first five Abhiilnas.
37. The ' Four Iddhipadas ' or Bases for the Obtaining of Magical
Powers are : Concentration of Will, of Effort, of Mind, and of Investiga-
tion.
38. The first five Abhifinas are Mundane (lokiya) Conditions ; the
sixth Abhinfia however, is Ultramundane (lokuttara) and identical with
Kilesaparinibbana or Arahatship. (See Note, 13.)
39. Mental and bodily sensations may be agreeable, disagreeable, or
neutral.
The sensations however which accompany eye-consciousness, ear-con-
sciousness, olfactory-consciousness, and tongue-consciousness, are always
neutral sensations.
the Disagreeable Sensation, or the Neutral Sensation ; he
understands according to truth, the mundane or the ultra-
mundane Agreeable Sensation, the mundane or the ultra-
mundane Disagreeable Sensation, the mundane or the ultra-
mundane Neutral Sensation.^
Thus he contemplates his own Sensations ; thus he con-
templates the Sensation of others ; thus he contemplates both
his own Sensations and the Sensations of others. He be-
holds how Sensations arise ; beholds how they pass away ;
beholds the arising and the passing away of Sensations.
' Sensations only are there ' : this clear knowledge is present
to him just because he possesses understanding, possesses
insight, and he lives independent, unattached to anything
in the world. Thus, Brothers, does the disciple dwell in
Contemplation of the Sensations.
CONTEMPLATION OF THE THOUGHTS
(CITTA).4x
But how, Brothers, does the disciple dwell in Contem-
plation of the Thoughts ?
The disciple, Brothers, perceives as Thoughts arise —
the thoughts of Greed, and the thoughts free from Greed,
the thoughts of Anger, and the thoughts free from Anger ; the
thoughts of Delusion, and the thoughts free from Delusion ;
the concentrated thoughts, and the scattered thoughts ; the
low thoughts, and the lofty thoughts ; the base thoughts, and
the noble thoughts ; the concentrated thoughts, and the
fickle thoughts ; the freed thoughts, and the fettered thoughts.
Thus, he contemplates his own Thoughts ; thus he con-
templates the Thoughts of others ; thus he contemplates
both his own Thoughts and the Thoughts of others. He
beholds how Thoughts arise ; beholds how Thoughts pass
away ; beholds the arising and the passing away of Thoughts.
' Thoughts only are there ' : this clear knowledge is present
to him, just because he possesses understanding, possesses
insight, and he lives independent, unattached to anything in
the world.
Thus, Brothers, does the disciple dwell in Contem-
plation of the Thoughts.
40. " The disciple understands that the expression ' I feel ' has no
validity except as a figure of common speech ; he understands that in the
absolute sense there is no being or individual present who experiences the
sensation." (Commentary.)
41. The thoughts belong to the Vinnana-kkhandha or the Aspect of
Consciousness.
( 42 )
4- CONTEMPLATION OF INTERNAL
PHENOMENA (DHAMMA.)'2
But how, Brothers, does the disciple dwell in Contem-
_. plation of Internal Phenomena ?
The Five Hm-
raUas68 or Niva" The disciple, Brothers, dwells in Con-
templation of Internal Phenomena, namely
of the ' Five Hindrances.^
1. The disciple, Brothers, knows, when there is Lust
in him, ' In me is Lust ;' he knows, when there is no Lust in
him, ' In me is no Lust.' He knows how Lust comes to
arise ; knows how the Lust is overcome ; knows where the
Lust that is overcome, disappears for ever.**
2. He knows, when there is Anger in him, ' In me is
Anger ;' he knows when there is no Anger in him, ' In me is
no Anger.' He knows how Anger comes to arise ; he knows
how Anger is overcome ; knows where the Anger that is over-
come disappears for ever.
3. He knows, when there is Laxness in him, ' In me is
laxness ;' he knows when there is no laxness in him, ' In me
is no Laxness.' He knows how Laxness comes to arise ;
knows how Laxness is overcome ; knows where the Laxness
that is overcome disappears for ever.
4. He knows when there is Restless Brooding
(Uddhacca-kukkucca) in him, ' In me is Restless Brooding ;'
knows when there is no Restless Brooding in him, ' In me is
no Restless Brooding.' He knows how Restless Brooding
comes to arise ; knows how Restless Brooding is overcome ;
42. The Dhammas (Objects of the Mind : perceptions, ideas) belong to
the Sanna-kkhandha and the Sankhara-kkhandha. or the Aspects of Per-
ception and of the Subjective Differentiations. Hence the Four Contempla-
tions of the Seventh Link include the Five Aspects of Existence. The
first Contemplation relates to Material Existence; the Second, to Sensa-
tion ; the Third, to Consciousness ; and the Fourth to Perception and to
the Subjective Differentiations.
43. Sensuous Craving, Anger, Laxness, Restless Brooding, and Doubtv
are called Hindrances because their presence at the time hinders entrance
into the Jhanas or Trances.
44. Sensuous Craving (Kama-cchanda) arises through unwise think-
ing on the agreeable and delightful, and may be suppressed by the follow-
ing six methods : Fixing the mind upon an idea that arouses disgust ; Medi-
tation upon the impurities of the body (Asubha-bhavana) ; Watching over
the six doors of the senses ; Moderation in eating ; Cultivating friendship
with the good; and right Instruction. Sensuous Craving is for ever des-
troyed upon entrance into Anagamiship. (See Note, 25.)
(After the Commentary >
( 43 )
knows where Restless Brooding that is overcome disappears
for everts
5. He knows, when there are Doubts in him, ' In me
are Doubts,' he knows when there are no Doubts in him, ' In
me are no Doubts.' He knows how Doubts come to arise ;
knows how Doubts are overcome ; knows where Doubts that
are overcome, disappear for ever.46
Thus he contemplates Internal Phenomena in himself ;
thus he contemplates Internal Phenomena in others;
thus he contemplates Internal Phenomena both in himself
and in others. He perceives how Internal Phenomena arise ;
perceives how Internal Phenomena pass away ; perceives
the arising and the passing away of Internal Phenomena.
' Internal Phenomena only are there' ; this clear knowledge
is present to him, just because he possesses understanding,
possesses insight, and he lives independent, unattached to
anything in the world. Thus, Brothers, does the disciple
dwell in Contemplation of Internal Phenomena, namely,
of the Five Hindrances.
And further still, Brothers, the disciple dwells in Con-
templation of Internal Phenomena, namely
Five Khan- of the ' Five Aspects of Existence.' He
of Existence. knOws : Thus is the ?ody (RaPa) '» thus
does it arise ; thus does it pass away. Thus
is Sensation (Vedana) ; thus does it arise ; thus does it pass
away. Thus is Perception (Sanna) ; thus does it arise, thus
does it pass away. Thus are the Subjective Differentia-
tions (Sankharas) ; thus do they arise ; thus do they pass
away. Thus is Consciousness (Vinnana) ; thus does it arise,
thus does it pass away.
And further still, Brothers, the disciple dwells in Con-
templation of Internal Phenomena, namely,
jectivVoUjecSve of the ' Six Subjective- Objective Sense-Do-
Sense-Domains, mains.'
The disciple, Brother, knows the eye and knows forms ;
and the fetter that arises in dependence on them, this also
he knows. He knows how the fetter comes to arise, knows
how the fetter is overcome and where it disappears for ever.
46. " Uddhacca (Restlessness in Concentration) is destroyed upon
entrance into Arahatship ; Kukkucca (Remorse, Scruples) upon entrance
into Anagamiship." (Commentary.)
46. tl Doubts are destroyed upon entrance into Hearership,"
(Commentary.),
( 44 )
He knows ear and sounds, nose and odours, tongue
and tastes, body and touches, mind and ideas ; and the fetter
that arises in dependence on them, — this also he knows. He
knows how the fetter comes to arise, knows how the fetter is
overcome, and where it disappears for ever 47
And further still, Brothers, the disciple dwells in Con-
templation of Internal Phenomena, namely,
jhangaseVorCo°nI of the ' Seven Constituent Parts of En-
stituent Parts of lightenment.
Enlightenment.
The disciple, Brothers, knows when
there is Attentiveness in him, when there is Penetration in
him, when there is Energy in him, when there is Joy in
him, when there is Tranquillity in him, when there is Con-
centration in him, when there is Equanimity in him : * In
me exists this quality ;' and when they are not in him : ' In
me this quality does not exist.' He knows how the Consti-
tuent Parts of Enlightenment come to arise *8 and how they
come to full perfection.
And further still, Brothers, the disciple lives in Contem-
plation of Internal Phenomena, namely, of
Holy Truths. the ' Four Holy Truths'. The disciple,
Brothers, perceives according to truth ' This
•(*. 0., The Five Khandhas) is Suffering' ; perceives accord-
ing to truth : ' This (z. <?., Tanha) is the Cause of Suffer-
ing'; perceives according to truth: * This(z. e., Nibbana)
is the Cessation of Suffering ; perceives according to truth :
' This (i. e., the Eight-fold Path) is the Path that leads to
.the Cessation of Suffering.'
Thus he contemplates Internal Phenomena in himself;
-thus he contemplates Internal Phenomena in others ; thus
he contemplates Internal Phenomena both in himself and in
others. He perceives how Internal Phenomena arise ; per-
ceives how Internal Phenomena pass away ; perceives the
arising and the passing away of Internal Phenomena. ' In-
ternal Phenomena only are there ' : this clear knowledge is
present to him just because he possesses understanding, pos-
sesses insight, and he lives independent, unattached to any-
thing in the world. Thus, Brothers, does the disciple dwell
in Contemplation of Internal Phenomena.
47. " Dependent upon Eye and Forms arise Ten Fetters. Dependent
upon agreeable forms, the Fetter of Sensuous-Craving arises. Dependent
upon disagreeable forms the Fetter of 111 humour arises, etc."
(Commentary.)
48. " Joy is aroused by contemplation upon the Buddha, the Truth
the Holy Brotherhood, Virtue, Liberality, and so forth."
(Commentary.)
( 45 )
The only way, Brothers, that leads mortals to the at-
tainment of purity, to the overcoming of sorrow and lamen-
tation, to the cessation of suffering and grief, to the enter-
ing upon the right path, to the realisation of Nibbana, is the
* Four Fundamentals of Attentiveness.'
Just, Brothers, as the elephant hunter drives a huge
stake into the ground and chains the wild elephant to it by
the neck, so as to drive out of him his wonted forest ways,
so as to drive out of him his wonted forest desires, so as to
drive out of him his wonted forest unruliness, obstinacy, and
violence, and to accustom him to the environment of the
village, and to teach him such good behaviour as is required
among men ; — in like manner also, Brothers, the holy disciple
has to fix his mind firmly to these ' Four Fundamentals of
Attentiveness,' so that he may drive out of himself his wonted
worldly ways, so that he may drive out of himself wonted
worldly desires, so that he may drive out of himself his
wonted worldly unruliness, obstinacy, and violence and win
to the true, and realise Nibbana.
THE EIGHTH LINK OF THE PflTH,
RIGHT CONCENTRATION, SAMMA-SAMADHI.^
One-pointedness of mind (Citt'ekagatta),
Concentration? Brothers,— this is Samadhi or Concentra-
tion, so
The ' Four Fundamentals of Attentive-
CoTnhcentrltioSn.0f ness ' or Satipatthanas (Cf. Seventh Link),
— these are the Objects of Concentration.
The Requisites The ' Four Great Efforts ' (Cf. Sixth
•Son. Concentra" Link),— these are the means necessary for
Concentration.
The practicing, cultivating and developing of these
things is called Bhavana or the Culture of
Concentration.
If, Brothers, the disciple is living a holy life of virtue,
is possessed of mastery over the senses and filled with clear
consciousness, he seeks out a dwelling in a solitary place, in
the forest, at the foot of a tree or under a rock, in a grotto,
or a mountain cave ; in a burial-ground or in a thicket in
the woods or upon a couch of straw in the open plain.
At midday, when he has partaken of the food that he
has begged, he sits himself down with legs crossed, body
erect, mind present and fixed.
4g. Samma-samadhi in its widest sense is that concentration, which
is present in every good thought (Kusala-citta). Miccha-samadhi (Wrong
Concentration) is that which is present in every evil thought (Akusala-
citta) and hence is only possible in the sensuou? sphere not in the Trances.
The Abhidhamma even speaks of a Kamavacara-kusala-jhana and of a
Kamavacara-akusala-jhana ; that is, of absorption in good or in evil thought
belonging to the sensuous sphere. Samadhi used alone, always stands for
Samma-samadhi.
50. Samma-samadhi has two degrees of perfection, the weaker degree
being called Upacara-samadhi (Neighbourhood Concentration) and the more
powerful, Appana-samadhi (Full Concentration), which latter is the con-
centration that accompanies the Four Jhanas. The attainment of the
Jhanas however is not a requisite for the realisation of the Four Paths and
Nibbana and neither Upacara-samadhi nor Appana-samadhi, as such, in
any way possess the power of conferring entry into the Four Ultra-
mundane Paths; (See Note, 22) hence they really have no power to free
one permanently from evil things The realisation ot the Four Paths is only
possible at the moment of deep Insight (Vipassana) into the Transiency,
Suffering, and Unsubstantially of all Five Aspects of Existence. This
Vipassana however is attainable only during Upacara-samadhi ; therefore,
one who has entered the Jhanas must return to Upacara-samadhi in order,
through deep Vipassana, to reach Arahatship, /. e., the entrance into Kiles-
aparinibbana, or the complete extinction of passions. (See Note, 9.)
The Arahan who has realised Nibbana without having ever entered
the Jhanas, is called Sukkhavipassaka ; literally, one whose passions, as it
were, sre dried up by Vipassana. The Arahan again, who has taken
Samatha, the unshakable inward tranquillity won through the Jhanas, as
his vehicle (Yana) — he is called, Samathayanaka.
( 47 )
He has cast away Lust ; he dwells with thoughts free
from Lust ; from Lust he cleanses his heart.
Absence of the , ...
Five Hindrances. He has cast away Anger ; he dwells in
thoughts free from Anger , cherishing love
and compassion toward all living beings, he cleanses his
heart from Anger.
He has cast away Laxness, he dwells free from Lax-
ness ; loving the light, with watchful mind, with clear con-
sciousness, he cleanses his mind from Laxness.
He has cast away Restless Brooding ; he dwells with
mind undisturbed, with heart full of peace, he cleanses his
mind from Restless Brooding.
He has cast away Doubt ; he dwells free from Doubt ;
full of confidence in the good, he cleanses his heart from
Doubt.
He has put aside these ' Five Hindrances ' and learnt
to know the paralysing corruptions of the mind.
1. Far from the impressions that allure the senses,
far from evil things, but still Reasoning
and Reflecting, he enters into the First
Trance that is full of the Joy and Happiness
that is born of Concentration.
The First Trance, Brothers, is free from five things ;
and there are five things present. If, Brothers, the disciple
•enters into the First Trance, Lust is suppressed, Anger is
suppressed, Laxness is suppressed, Restless Brooding is
suppressed, Doubts are suppressed, and there are present,
Reasoning, Reflection, 5I Joy, Happiness, and Concentra-
tion.
2. And further, Brothers, after the suppression of Rea-
soning and Reflecting, whilst still retaining Joy and Happi-
ness, the disciple, free from Reasoning and Reflecting, ob-
tains the inward peace and Oneness of mind that is born of
Concentration, — he gains the Second Trance.52
3. And further, Brothers ; after the paling of Joy the
disciple, dwells in equanimity, with sense alert, clearly con-
scious, and experiences in his heart that feeling of which
holy men say : ' Happy lives the man of equanimity and
thoughtful mind,' — thus he enters the Third Trance.53
51. Vitakka and Vicara (the laying hold of an abstract thought, and'
continued abstract thinking) are verbal functions (Vaci-sarikhara).
52. The Second Trance consists of Plti. Sukha, and Citt'ekaggata
{ Samadhi) ; or, Joy, Happiness, and Concentration.
53. The Third Trance consists of Sukha and Citt'ekaggata ; or, (tran-
quil) Happiness, and Concentration.
4. And further, Brothers ; when the disciple has thus
rejected pleasure and pain, and has renounced previous joy
and sorrow, then he enters into a state of Equanimity, free
from pleasure and free from pain, into the neutral, clear-
minded state of the Fourth Trance.54
This, Brothers, is called Right Concentration.55
Suppose, Brothers, that the disciple has reached the
First Trance; none the less whatsoever
yanaka. ^ere is of Form, of Sensation, of Percep-
tion, of Subjective Differentiations, of Con-
sciousness,— he regards all these phenomena as Transient
(Anicca), as Painful (Dukkha), as empty and void of sub-
stantiality (Anatta) and turning himself away from these
things, he directs his mind towards the abiding, thus :
* This is the peace, this is the sublime goal, namely the
cessation of all existence, the getting rid of every form of
becoming, the annihilation of Craving (Tanha), the turning
away from greed, — cessation and Nibbana,' and in this state
he realises Nibbana (as Samathayanaka Araharh, See Note,
50).
But even should he fail to reach Nibbana, yet because
he has desire for the truth, because he finds delight in the
truth, after the annihilation of the Five Fetters (See Note,..
25) that bind to the lower existence (World of the five
senses, Kama-loka), he will be objectified in a higher sphere56
whence he returns no more (Anagami) but enters Nibbana(as
Samathayanaka Anagami, Cf. Note, 50).
Or suppose that he has reached the Second, or the
Third, or the Fourth Trance. None the less whatsoever there
is of Form, of Sensation, of Perception, of Subjective Dif-
ferentiations, of Consciousness, — he regards all these pheno-
mena as transient (Anicca), as painful (Dukkha), as
54. The Fourth Trance consists of Upekkha and Citt'ekaggata ; or,
Equanimity and Concentration.
55. All four Jhanas or Trances may be obtained by means of ' Anapa-
nasati ' or, Watching over In and Out-breathing, as well as through the
Meditation of Equanimity (Upekkha-bhavana).
The three Sublime Meditations of Good-will (Metta-bhavana), of Com-
passion (Karuna bhavana), and of Sympathy (Mudita-bhavana), may lead to
the attainment of the first three Jhanas. The ' Cemetery Meditations,' as
also the Meditation upon the Impurities of the Body (Asubha-bhavana) ,
can at best, only produce the first Jhana.
The Analysis of the Body and the Contemplations upon the Buddha,
the Truth, the Holy Brotherhood, Virtue, Liberality, and so forth, can only
produce Upacara-samadhi. (See Ncte, 50.)
56. Beings in the Sphere of Pure Form (Rupa — loka), that is, — free
from sensuality (Kama), and beings in the Formless-Sphere (Arupa-loka),.
are objectified without the instrumentality of parents.
( 49 ;
empty and void of substantiality (Anatta), and turning him-
self away from these things, he directs his mind towards
the abiding, thus : ' This is the peace, this is the sublime
goal, namely, the cessation of all existence, the getting rid
of every form of becoming, the annihilation of Craving
(TaTiha), the turning away from greed,— cessation, and
Nibbana,' and in this state he realises Nibbana.
But even should he fail to reach Nibbana, yet, because
he has desire for the truth, because he finds delight in the
truth, after the annihilation of the Five Fetters that bind to
the lower existence he will be objectified in a higher sphere
whence he returns no more, but enters Nibbana.
Or again, Brothers, suppose that with heart full of
Love, one penetrates, one direction, then
lime Meditations! a second> then a third» tnen a fourth,
1. Metta-bhava- above and below, and round about in
na, or the Medita- every quarter, and identifying himself
with all, penetrates the entire world with
2. K a r u n a- heart of Love, grown great, wide, deep,
faSSfcomTat boundless, free from wrath and anger; or
sion. suppose that he penetrates the entire
3. Mudita-bha- world with heart full of Compassion,— or
thy" with heart full of Joy, or with heart full
4. Upekkha- of Equanimity. Whatsoever there is of
bhavana or the Form, of Sensation, of Perception, of
Subjective Differentiations, of Conscious-
ness, — all these phenomena he regards as
transient (Anicca), as Painful (Dukkha), as empty and
void of substantiality (Anatta), and turning himself away
from these things, he directs his mind toward the abiding,
thus : ' This is the peace, this is the sublime goal, namely,
the cessation of all existence, the getting rid of every form
of becoming, the annihilation of Craving, the turning away
from greed,— cessation and Nibbana,' and in this state he
realises Nibbana.
But even should he fail to reach Nibbana, yet, because
he has desire for the truth, because he finds delight in the
truth, after the annihilation of the Five Fetters that bind to
the lower existence, he will be objectified in a higher sphere
whence he returns no more, but enters Nibbana.
4
( 50 )
i. But suppose, Brothers, after the complete suppres-
sion of form-perceptions,57 after the an-
The Four nihilation of reflex- perceptions-^ through
^r PFormTens3S not reflecting upon the idea of multiplicity,*
Realms. having the idea, * boundless is space, ' that
he enters the Sphere of Boundless Space —
or suppose that after the complete suppression of the Sphere
of Boundless Space, having the idea, ' Boundless is Consci-
ousness,' he enters the Sphere of Boundless Consciousness
or suppose that after the complete suppression of the
Sphere of Boundless Consciousness, having the idea, ' Noth-
ing is there ' he enters the Sphere of Nothingness. Never-
theless, whatsoever there is of Sensation, of Perception, of
Subjective Differentiations, of Consciousness, 6° — all these
phenomena he regards as transient (Anicca), as painful
(Dukkha), as empty and void of substantiality, (Anatta,
and turning himself away from these things, he directs his
mind towards the abiding, rhus : ' This is the peace, this is
the sublime goal, the cessation of all existence, the getting
rid of every form of becoming, the annihilation of Craving
(Tanha), the turning away from greed, — cessation and Nib-
bana,' and in this state he realises Nibbana.
But even should he fail to reach Nibbana, yet, because
he has desire for the truth, because he finds delight in the
truth, after the annihilation of the Five Fetters that bind to
the lower existence, he will be objectified in a higher sphere
whence he returns no more, but enter Nibbana.
Or, Brothers, after the complete suppression of the
Nirodha-Sama- Sphere of Nothingness, the disciple reaches
patti. the Sphere of Semi — Perception.61
57. That is after the suppression of the phenomena that belong to the
Sphere of Pure Form ; as, for example, of the purely Mental Reflex (Pa tib-
haga-Nimitta, in appearance like a glowing star, which in certain Medita-
tions accompanies the Four Jhanas.
58. That is after the suppression of the perception of sense-objects,
such as forms, sounds, odours, tastes, and bodily contacts.
59. In other words : — When the perception of sense-objects which re-
appear in pure Thought-Consciousness, is suppressed.
60. The Aspect of Material Existence (Rupa) disappears upon en-
trance into the Arupayatanas cr Formless Realms.
61. It is said in the Abhidhamma that the Four Arupayatanas or
Formless Realms, sometimes called Arupajjhanas, are to be understood as
being supplementary to the Fourth Jhana or Trance in the Form Sphere.
(See Note, 54.) All eight states however as such are mundane (lokya) con-
ditions and may therefore he obtained even by a Puthujjana or Worldling.
They may produce temporary conditions of mundane happiness and may
also be useful as a means of calming the mind, preparatory, to practising
Vipassana, but they are powerless to produce the Four Ultramundane
(lokuttai. i Paths />. to free one permanently from evil qualities. (See Note,
5°-)
( 5i
After the complete suppression of the sphere of Semi-
perception, the disciple reaches the 'Cessation of Percep-
tion and Sensation.'62
Verily, Brothers, this is the highest, this is the holiest
wisdom ; namely, to know that all Suffering
The Goal. ^^ vanished away. He has found the true
deliverance that lies beyond the reach of any change.
This, Brothers, is verily the highest, this is the holiest
truth ; namely, that which is real and true : Nibbana.
This, Brothers, is verily the highest, this is the holiest
renunciation ; namely, to separate one's self from all attach-
ments.
This, Brothers, is verily the highest, this is the holiest
peace ; namely, to be released from Greed, Anger, and
Delusion.
' I am,' Brothers, is a vain thought ; ' I am not ' is a vain
thought ; ' I shall be ' is a vain thought ;
Thinker? ' ' l sha11 not be ' is a vain thought ; ' I shall
have a form' is a vain thought ; ' I shall
be formless ' is a vain thought ; ' I shall be conscious ' is a
vain thought ; ' I shall be unconscious ' is a vain thought ;
' I shall be neither conscious nor unconscious ' is a vain
thought. To have vain thoughts, Brothers, is to be ill ; to
have vain thoughts is to suffer pain ; if however, Brothers,
all vain thoughts are overcome, one is called a ' Silent
ThinkerJ- And the thinker, Brothers, the silent one, does
not arise, does not pass away, does not die, does not trem-
ble, does not desire. For, Brothers, there is nothing in him,
that he should arise. Because he does not arise, how should
he pass away 1 Because he does not pass away, how should
he die ? Because he does not die, how should he tremble ?
Because he does not tremble, how should he desire 1
62. This unconscious, — as it were — cataleptic state, (in. Pali, Nirodha-
saoiapatti) as well as any of the Jhanas, may last for a period of iully seven
days.
In the Mahaveddalla-Sutta (Majjhima-Nikaya, 43) it is said, that the
state of Nirodha-Samapatti differs from death in that it is a temporary and
not a total cessation of the bodily, verbal and mental functions ; death how-
ever, means in addition, the cessation of Ayu (Vitality) and of Usma (Heat.)
In the Abhidhamma it is said that Nirodha-Samapatti is only attained
by a few Anagamis and Arahans and that it is neither mundane (lokyaj since
the Kama, Rupa and Arupa worlds are tor the time being extinguished — nor
yet ultra-mundane (lokuttara) and therefore, notwithstanding that manv
think to the contrary, it is in no way identical with Nibbana. (See Note, 13.)
( 52 )
Hence, Brothers, the reward of asceticism is neither
alms, nor honour, nor fame, nor the virtues
True Coal. that appertajn to the Order, nor the rap-
ture of concentration, nor clear wisdom. That Unshakable
Deliverance of the Mind, however, Brothers, — that verily is
the object, that is Arahatship, that is the heart of asceticism,
that is its Goal.
And those, Brothers, who formerly in the past were
Blessed Ones, Perfectly Enlightened Ones (Buddhas).—
These also have pointed out to their disciples the self-same
goal as has been pointed out by me to my disciples. And
those, Brothers, who afterwards, in the future shall become
Blessed Ones, Perfectly Enlightened Ones — these Blessed
Ones also shall point out to their disciples the self-same
goal as has been pointed out by me to my disciples.
Verily, Brothers, whatsoever a master owes to his dis-
ciples, impelled by love and sympathy,
Command^ moved by compassion, — that have you
received from me. Here, trees invite ; there,
lonely solitudes. Devote yourselves to contemplation, Bro-
thers, that sloth may not come over you, that later you
may not have to repent you. Hold this as our command !
All life is transient. By diligence attain your Goal !
APPENDIX.
DISCOURSE ON THE GREAT FORTY-FOLD
TRAIN OF IDEAS.
Thus have I heard. The Blessed One once dwelt in
the Jeta-wood near Savatthl, at x^nathapindika's hermitage.
There the Blessed One addressed the mendicant monks.
" Brothers," he said. " Lord !" replied those monks to the
Blessed One. And the Blessed One said : " Holy and
Right Concentration,1 Brothers, let me point out to you,
with its necessary endowments, with its accompaniments.
Wherefore hearken and give good heed to my words."
" Yea Lord !" replied those monks to the Blessed One.
And the Blessed One said.
" But what, Brothers, is Holy and Right Concentration,
with its necessary endowments, with its accompaniments ?
One-pointedness of mind, Brothers, which is accompanied
by seven things, namely, — by Right Understanding, Right
Mindedness, Right Speech, Right Action, • Right Living,
Right Effort, Right Attentiveness, — this, Brothers, is called
Holy and Right Concentration with its necessary endow-
ments, with its accompaniments.
Now, Right Understanding, Brothers, takes the first
place. But how, Brothers does Right Understanding take
the first place ? When one knows evil views as evil views
and right understanding as right understanding, then one
has Right Understanding, but what, Brothers, are evil
views ? ' Alms," gifts, and the making of offerings are all
useless. There is no fruit, no result, either of good or of
evil actions. There are no such things as this life and the
next life. Father and mother, as also purely spiritual beings,
are mere words. There are no ascetics and holy men in
the world who are spotless and perfect, who can explain
i. That is, — the concentration (for the two degree of concentration,
See iSote 50), which is possessed by the Holy Disciples (Ariya-savaka), i.e.
those that have attained to one or the other of the Four Ultramundane
(lokuttara) Paths, the Sotapanna, the Sakadagami, the Anagami, the
Araharh.
The Eightfold Path which they practise is called the Holy Eightfold
Path to distinguish it from the Eightfold Path of the Puthujjana or World-
ling.
this life and the next life which they themselves have per-
ceived.' These, Brothers, are evil views.
But what, Brothers, is Right Understanding ? Right
Understanding, Brothers, let me tell you, is of two kinds.
There is, Brothers, a Right Understanding which is of the
world, yields worldly fruits and brings good results ; and
there is, Brothers, a Holy and Right Understanding which
not of the world but is ultramundane (lokuttara) and con-
joined with the Path.
But what, Brothers, is Right Understanding which is
of the world, yields worldly fruits and brings good results ?
' Alms, gifts and the making of offerings are useful. There
is fruit, there is result, both of good and of evil actions.
There are such things as this life and the next life. Father
and mother, as also purely spiritual beings, are not mere
words. There are in the world ascetics and holy men who
are spotless and perfect, who can explain this life and the
next life, which they themselves have perceived.' This
Brothers, is Right Understanding which is of the world,
yields worldly fruits, and brings good results.
But what, Brothers, is Holy and Right Understanding
which is not of the world, but is ultramundane and conjoined
with the Path ?
Whatsoever there is of wisdom, of the faculty of wisdom,
of the power of wisdom, of penetration, of right understand-
ing, conjoined with the Path, — the mind being holy, being
turned away from the world and conjoined with the Path,
the holy Path being pursued, — this, Brothers, is called Holy
and Right Understanding, which is not of the world, but is
ultramundane and conjoined with the Path. Now, in
making efforts to overcome evil views, to arouse Right
Understanding, one practises Right Effort, and in overcom-
ing evil views with attentive mind and dwelling with atten-
tive mind in possession of Right Understanding, one prac-
tises Right Attentiveness. Hence there are three things
that accompany and follow upon Right Understanding,
namely, — Right Understanding, Right Effort, and Right
Attentiveness.
Now, Right Understanding, Brothers, takes the first
place. But how, Brothers does right understanding take
the first place ? When one knows evil mindedness as evil
mindedness and Right Mindedness as Right Mindedness,—
then one has Right Understanding. But what, Brothers, is
evil mindedness. Sensuous thoughts, malevolent thoughts,
cruel thoughts, — this, Brothers, is called evil mindedness.
But what, Brothers, is Right Mindedness ? Right Minded-
ness, Brothers, let me tell you, is of two kinds. There is,
Brothers, a Right Mindedness which is of the world, yields
worldly fruits and brings good results, and there is, Brothers,
a Right Mindedness which is not of the world but is ultra-
mundane and conjoined with the Path.
But what, Brothers, is Right Mindedness which is of
the world, yields worldly fruits and brings good results ?
The thought of renouncing worldly ways ; the thought of
bearing no ill will ; the thought of abstaining from cruelty,
— this, Brothers, is Right Mindedness which is of the world,
yields worldly fruits and brings good results.
But what, Brothers, is Holy and Right Mindedness
which is not of the world but is ultramundane and conjoined
with the Path ? Whatsoever there is of thinking, consider-
ing, reasoning, thought, ratiocination, application, — the
mind being holy, being turned away from the world and con-
joined with the Path, the holy Path being pursued, — these
verbal operations of the mind, Brothers, are called Holy and
Right Mindedness, which is not of the world, but is ultra-
mundane and conjoined with the Path. Now in making
efforts to overcome evil mindedness, to arouse Right Minded-
ness, one practises Right Effort, and in overcoming evil
mindedness with attentive mind and dwelling with attentive
mind in possession of Right Mindedness, one practises Right
Attentiveness. Hence there are three things that accompany
and follow upon Right Mindedness, namely, — Right Under-
standing, Right Effort, and Right Attentiveness.
Now, Right Understanding, Brothers, takes the first
place. But how, Brothers does Right Understanding take
the first place ? When one knows evil speech as evil speech
and Right Speech as Right Speech,— then one has right
Understanding. But what, Brothers, is evil speech ? Lying,
slandering, using harsh language, vain talk, — this, Brothers,
is evil speech.
But what, Brothers, is Right Speech ? Right speech,
Brothers, let me tell you, is of two kinds. There is,
Brothers, a Right Speech which is of the world, yields
worldly fruits and brings good results and there is, Brothers,
a Holy and Right Speech which is not of the world but is
ultramundane and conjoined with the Path.
But what, Brothers, is Right Speech which is of the
world, yields worldly fruits and brings good results ? Abstain-
ing from Lying, abstaining from Slandering, abstaining from
Harsh Language, abstaining from Vain Talk,— this, Bro-
thers, is Right Speech which is of the world, yields wordly
fruits and brings good results.
But what, Brothers, is Holy and Right Speech which
is not of the world, but is ultramundane and conjoined w ith
the Path ? The abhorrence of the practice of the four-fold
evil speech, the abstaining, withholding, refraining there-
from, the mind being holy, being turned away from the world
and conjoined with the Path, the holy Path being pursued,
—this, Brothers, is called Holy and Right speech, which is
not of the world, but is ultramundane and conjoined with
the Path. Now in making efforts to overcome evil speech,
to arouse Right Speech, one practises Right Effort, and in
overcoming evil speech with attentive mind and dwelling
with attentive mind in possession of Right Speech, one prac-
tises Right Attentiveness. Hence there are three things that
accompany and follow upon Right Speech, namely,— Right
Understanding, Right Effort, and Right Attentiveness.
Now, Right Understanding, Brothers, takes the first
place. But how, Brothers does Right Understanding take
the first place ? When one knows evil action as evil action
and Right Action as Right Action, — 'then one has Right
Understanding. But what, Brothers, is evil action ? Killing,
Stealing, Indulging in unlawful Sexual Intercourse, — this,
Brothers, is evil action.
But what, Brothers, is Right Action ? Right Action,
Brothers, let me tell you, is of two kinds. There is, Brothers,
a Right Action which is of the world, yields worldly fruits
and brings good results ; and there is, Brothers, a Holy and
Right Action which is not of the world but is ultramundane
and conjoined with the Path.
But what, Brothers, is Right Action which is of the
world, yields worldly fruits and brings good results ? Abstain-
ing from Killing, abstaining from Stealing, abstaining from
Indulgence in Unlawful Sexual Intercourse — this, Brothers,
is Right Action which is of the world, yields worldly fruits
and brings good results.
But what, Brothers, is Holy and Right Action which is
not of the world, but is ultramundane and conjoined with
the Path ? The abhorrence of the practice of the three-fold
evil action the abstaining, withholding, refraining there-
from, the mind being holy, being turned away from the
world and conjoined with the Path, the holy Path being
pursued, — this, Brothers, is called Holy and Right Action,
which is not of the world, but is ultramundane and conjoined
with the Path. Now, in making efforts to overcome evil
action, to arouse Right Action, one practises Right Effort,
and in overcoming evil action with attentive mind and dwel-
ling with attentive mind in possession of Right Action, one
practises Right Attentiveness. Hence there are three things
that accompany and follow upon Right Action, namely, —
Right Understanding, Right Effort, and Right Attentiveness.
Now, Right Understanding, Brothers, takes the first
place. But how, Brothers, does Right Understanding take
the first place ? When one knows evil living as evil living
and Right Living as Right Living,— then one has Right
Understanding. But what, Brothers, is evil living ? To
practise deceit, treachery, soothsaying, trickery, usury, —
this, Brothers, is evil living.
But what, Brothers, is Right Living ? Right Living,
Brothers, let me tell you, is of two kinds. There is, Brothers,
a Right Living which is of the world, yields worldly fruits
and brings good results and there is, Brothers, a Holy and
Righ Living which is not of the world but is ultramundane
and conjoined with the Path.
But what, Brothers, is Right Living which is of the
world, yields worldly fruits and brings good results ? When
the noble disciple, having given up evil living, gets • his
livelihood by a right way of living, — this, Brothers, is
Right Living which is of the world, yields worldly fruits and
brings good results.
But what, Brothers, is Holy and Right Living, which
is not of the world, but is ultramundane and conjoined with
the Path ? The abhorrence of evil living, the abstaining,
withholding, refraining therefrom, — the mind being holy,
being turned away from the world and conjoined with the
Path, the holy Path being pursued, — this, Brothers, is called
Holy and Right Living, which is not of the world, but is
ultramundane and conjoined with the Path. Now in making
•efforts to overcome evil living, to arouse Right Living, one
practises Right Effort, and in overcoming evil living with at-
tentive mind and dwelling with attentive mind in possession
of Right Living, one practises Right Attentiveness. Hence
there are three things that accompany and follow upon Right
Living, namely, — Right Understanding, Right Effort, and
Right Attentiveness.
Now, Right Understanding Brothers takes the first
place. But how, Brothers, does Right Understanding take
the first place ? Whoso, Brothers, has Right Understand-
ing, has Right Mindedness. Whoso has Right Minded-
•ness, has Right Speech. Whoso has Right Speech, has
Right Action. Whoso has Right Action, has Right Living.
Whoso has Right Living, has Right Effort. Whoso has
Right Effort, has Right Attentiveness. Whoso has Right
Attentiveness, has Right Concentration. Whoso has Right
Concentration has Right Knowledge. Whoso has Right
Knowledge, has found the true Deliverance.
Thus, Brothers, the eight-fold equipped Striver for Holi-
ness (Sekho) realises the Ten Constituents of Arahatship.
Now, Right Understanding, Brothers, takes the first
place. But how, Brothers, does Right Understanding take
the first place ? For him, Brothers, who is possessed of
Right Understanding, evil views have ceased, and the vari-
ous evil, unwholesome things which may arise through evil
views, — these also have ceased ; and through Right Under-
standing the various wholesome things attain to full per-
fection. For him, Brothers, who is possessed of Right
Mindedness, possessed of Right Speech, of Right Action,.
Right Living, Right Effort, Right Attentiveness, Right
Concentration, Right Knowledge, and true Deliverance,—
evil mindedness has ceased, evil speech has ceased, evil
action has ceased, evil living, evil effort, evil attentiveness,
evil concentration, evil knowledge, and false deliverance,
have ceased ; and the various evil and unwholesome things
which may arise through false deliverance, — these also have
ceased ; and through True Deliverance the various whole-
some things attain to full perfection.
Thus, Brothers, is set before your a Great Forty-fold
Train of Ideas, with twenty wholesome parts, with twenty
unwholesome parts, and none can gainsay it, — neither asce-
tics nor priests, nor invisible beings, nor God nor Devil, nor
anyone whatsoever in all the wrolds. For, whosoever,
Brothers, of ascetics or priests should deem it fitting to dis-
parage, to vilify this Great Forty-fold Train of Ideas, the
reproaches of such an one concerning these ten points,
even in this present life would turn to his own reproach.
For, if such an one disparages Right Understanding, then
he honours and exalts those ascetics and priests of evil
views ; if he disparages Right Mindedness, Right Speech,
Right Action, Right Living, Right Effort, Right Attentive-
ness, Right Concentration, Right Knowledge, and True
Deliverance, — then he honours and exalts those ascetics
and priests of Evil Mindedness, Evil Speech, Evil Action,
Evil Living, Evil Effort, Evil Attentiveness, .Evil Concen-
tration, Evil Knowledge, and False Deliverance. For who-
soever, Brothers, of ascetics or priests should deem it fit-
ting to disparage, to vilify this Great Forty-fold Train of
( vii )
Ideas, the reproaches of such an one concerning these ten
points, even in this present life would turn to his own re-
proach.
Even, Brothers, the teachers of fatalism or those who
deny the result of action, or those who believe nothing —
even these do not deem it fitting to disparage, to vilify
this Great Forty-fold Train of Ideas. And why ? Even
through fear of incurring blame ; through fear of arousing
opposition and annoyance.
Thus spake the Blessed One : and pleased and delighted,
those monks applauded the words of the Blessed One.
Sutta No. 77, Majjhima Nikaya.
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The word of the Buddha; an outline of the ethico-philosophical system of the Buddha in the words of the Pali canon, together with explanatory notes
Nyanatiloka, Bhikkhu