3-24-1 Sotāpattivaggo | Samyutta
Chapter III
24 Diṭṭhisamyutta
Connected Discourses on Views
I. Stream-Entry
1 (1) Winds
At Sāvatthī.
Bhikkhus, when what exists, by clinging to what, by adhering to what, does such a view as this arise:
- ‘The winds do not blow, the rivers do not flow, pregnant women do not give birth, the moon and sun do not rise and set but stand as steady as a pillar’?
Venerable sir, our teachings are rooted in the Blessed One….
When there is form, Bhikkhus, by clinging to form, by adhering to form, such a view as this arises:
- ‘The winds do not blow … but stand as steady as a pillar.’
When there is feeling … perception … volitional formations … consciousness, by clinging to consciousness, by adhering to consciousness, such a view as this arises:
- ‘The winds do not blow … but stand as steady as a pillar.’
What do you think, Bhikkhus, is form permanent or impermanent?… … Is consciousness permanent or impermanent?
Impermanent, venerable sir.
…
But without clinging to what is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change, could such a view as that arise?
No, venerable sir.
That which is seen, heard, sensed, cognized, attained, sought after, and ranged over by the mind: is that permanent or impermanent?
Impermanent, venerable sir.
Is what is impermanent suffering or happiness?
Suffering, venerable sir.
But without clinging to what is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change, could such a view as that arise?
No, venerable sir.
When, Bhikkhus, a noble disciple has abandoned perplexity in these 6 cases,
and when, further, he has abandoned perplexity about suffering, the origin of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the way leading to the cessation of suffering,
- he is then called a noble disciple who is a stream-enterer, no longer bound to the nether world, fixed in destiny, with enlightenment as his destination.
2 (2) This Is Mine
At Sāvatthī.
Bhikkhus, when what exists, by clinging to what, by adhering to what, does such a view as this arise:
- ‘This is mine, this I am, this is my self’?
Venerable sir, our teachings are rooted in the Blessed One….
When there is form, Bhikkhus, by clinging to form, by adhering to form, such a view as this arises:
- ‘This is mine, this I am, this is my self.’
When there is feeling … perception … volitional formations … consciousness, by clinging to consciousness, by adhering to consciousness, such a view as this arises:
- ‘This is mine, this I am, this is my self.’…
When, Bhikkhus, a noble disciple has abandoned perplexity in these 6 cases … he is then called a noble disciple who is a stream-enterer … with enlightenment as his destination.
3 (3) The Self
At Sāvatthī.
Bhikkhus, when what exists, by clinging to what, by adhering to what, does such a view as this arise:
- ‘That which is the self is the world; having passed away, that I shall be - permanent, stable, eternal, not subject to change’?
Venerable sir, our teachings are rooted in the Blessed One….
When there is form, Bhikkhus, by clinging to form, by adhering to form, such a view as this arises:
- ‘That which is the self is the world; having passed away, that I shall be - permanent, stable, eternal, not subject to change’
When there is feeling … perception … volitional formations … consciousness, by clinging to consciousness, by adhering to consciousness, such a view as this arises:
- ‘That which is the self is the world … not subject to change.’ …
When, Bhikkhus, a noble disciple has abandoned perplexity in these 6 cases … he is then called a noble disciple who is a stream-enterer … with enlightenment as his destination.
4 (4) It Might Not Be For Me
At Sāvatthī.
Bhikkhus, when what exists, by clinging to what, by adhering to what, does such a view as this arise:
- ‘I might not be, and it might not be for me; I will not be, [and] it will not be for me’?
Venerable sir, our teachings are rooted in the Blessed One….
When there is form, Bhikkhus, by clinging to form, by adhering to form, such a view as this arises:
- ‘I might not be, and it might not be for me; I will not be, [and] it will not be for me.’
When there is feeling … perception … volitional formations … consciousness, by clinging to consciousness, by adhering to consciousness, such a view as this arises:
- ‘I might not be … it will not be for me.’…
When, Bhikkhus, a noble disciple has abandoned perplexity in these 6 cases … he is then called a noble disciple who is a Stream-enterer … with enlightenment as his destination.
5 (5) There Is Not
At Sāvatthī.
Bhikkhus, when what exists, by clinging to what, by adhering to what, does such a view as this arise:
‘There is nothing given, nothing offered, nothing presented in charity; no fruit or result of good and bad actions; no this world, no other world; no mother, no father;
no beings who are reborn spontaneously; no ascetics and Brahmins faring and practising rightly in the world who, having realized this world and the other world for themselves by direct knowledge, make them known to others.
This person consists of the 4 great elements:
When one dies, earth returns to and merges with the earth-body;
water returns to and merges with the water-body;
fire returns to and merges with the fire-body;
air returns to and merges with the air- body;
the faculties are transferred to space.
[4] men with the bier as 5th carry away the corpse. The funeral orations last as far as the charnel ground; the bones whiten; burnt offerings end with ashes.
Giving is a doctrine of fools. When anyone asserts the doctrine that there is [giving and the like], it is empty, false prattle. Fools and the wise are alike cut off and perish with the breakup of the body; after death they do not exist’?
Venerable sir, our teachings are rooted in the Blessed One….
When there is form, Bhikkhus, when there is feeling … perception … volitional formations … consciousness, by clinging to consciousness, by adhering to consciousness, such a view as this arises:
- ‘There is nothing given … … after death they do not exist.’…
When, Bhikkhus, a noble disciple has abandoned perplexity in these 6 cases … he is then called a noble disciple who is a Stream-enterer … with enlightenment as his destination.
6 (6) Acting
At Sāvatthī.
Bhikkhus, when what exists, by clinging to what, by adhering to what, does such a view as this arise:
‘When one acts or makes others act, when one mutilates or makes others mutilate, when one tortures or makes others inflict torture, when one inflicts sorrow or makes others inflict sorrow,
when one oppresses or makes others inflict oppression, when one intimidates or makes others inflict intimidation, when one destroys life, takes what is not given,
breaks into houses, plunders wealth, commits burglary, ambushes highways, seduces another’s wife, utters falsehood - no evil is done by the doer.
If, with a razor-rimmed wheel, one were to make the living beings of this earth into one mass of flesh, into one heap of flesh, because of this there would be no evil and no outcome of evil.
If one where to go along the south bank of the Ganges killing and slaughtering, mutilating and making others mutilate, torturing and making others inflict torture, because of this there would be no evil and no outcome of evil.
If one where to go along the north bank of the Ganges giving gifts and making others give gifts, making offerings and making others make offerings, because of this there would be no merit and no outcome of merit.
By giving, by taming oneself, by self-control, by speaking truth, there is no merit and no outcome of merit’?
Venerable sir, our teachings are rooted in the Blessed One….
When there is form, Bhikkhus, when there is feeling … perception … volitional formations … consciousness, by clinging to consciousness, by adhering to consciousness, such a view as this arises:
‘When one acts or makes others act … there is no merit and no outcome of merit.’…
When, Bhikkhus, a noble disciple has abandoned perplexity in these 6 cases … he is then called a noble disciple who is a Stream-enterer … with enlightenment as his destination.
7 (7) Cause
At Sāvatthī.
Bhikkhus, when what exists, by clinging to what, by adhering to what, does such a view as this arise:
‘There is no cause or condition for the defilement of beings;
beings are defiled without cause or condition.
There is no cause or condition for the purification of beings;
beings are purified without cause or condition.
[There is no action by self, no action by others, no manly action.]
There is no power, no energy, no manly strength, no manly exertion.
All beings, all living beings, all creatures, all souls are without mastery, power, and energy; moulded by destiny, circumstance, and nature, they experience pleasure and pain in the 6 classes’?
Venerable sir, our teachings are rooted in the Blessed One….
When there is form, Bhikkhus, when there is feeling … perception … volitional formations … consciousness, by clinging to consciousness, by adhering to consciousness, such a view as this arises:
- ‘There is no cause or condition for the defilement of beings … they experience pleasure and pain in the 6 classes.’…
When, Bhikkhus, a noble disciple has abandoned perplexity in these 6 cases … … he is then called a noble disciple who is a Stream-enterer … with enlightenment as his destination.
8 (8) The Great View
At Sāvatthī.
Bhikkhus, when what exists, by clinging to what, by adhering to what, does such a view as this arise:
‘There are these 7 bodies that are unmade, not brought forth, uncreated, without a creator, barren, steady as mountain peaks, steady as pillars.
They do not move or change or obstruct each other. None is able to cause pleasure or pain or pleasure-and-pain to others.
What are the 7?
They are: the earth-body, the water-body, the fire-body, the air-body, pleasure, pain, and the soul as the 7th. These 7 bodies are unmade….
[Herein, there is no killer, no slaughterer, no hearer, no speaker, no knower, no intimater.]
Even one who cuts off another’s head with a sharp sword does not deprive anyone of life; the sword merely passes through the space between the 7 bodies.
There are 1 400 000 principal modes of generation, and 6000, and 600; there are 500 kinds of kamma, and 5 kinds of kamma, and 3 kinds of kamma, and full kamma, and half-kamma;
there are 62 pathways, 62 sub-aeons, 6 classes, 8 stages in the life of man, 4900 kinds of Ājīvakas, 4900 kinds of wanderers, 4900 abodes of Nāgas, 2000 faculties, 3000 hells, 36 realms of dust,
7 spheres of percipient beings, 7 spheres of non-percipient beings, 7 spheres of knotless ones, 7 kinds of devas, 7 kinds of human beings, 7 kinds of demons,
7 great lakes, 7 kinds of knots, 7 hundred [other] kinds of knots, 7 precipices, 7 hundred [other] precipices, 7 kinds of dreams, 7 hundred [other] kinds of dreams,
84 hundred thousand great aeons through which the foolish and the wise roam and wander, after which they will alike make an end to suffering.
There is none of this:
By this virtue or vow or austerity or holy life I will make unripened kamma ripen or eradicate ripened kamma by repeatedly experiencing it
- not so!
Pleasure and pain are meted out; Saṁsāra’s limits are fixed; there is no shortening it or extending it, no advancing forward or falling back.
Just as, when a ball of string is thrown, it runs away unwinding, so too the foolish and the wise, by unwinding, flee from pleasure and pain’?
Venerable sir, our teachings are rooted in the Blessed One….
When there is form, Bhikkhus, when there is feeling … perception … volitional formations … consciousness, by clinging to consciousness, by adhering to consciousness, such a view as this arises:
- ‘There are these 7 bodies that are unmade … the foolish and the wise, by unwinding, flee from pleasure and pain.’… …
When, Bhikkhus, a noble disciple has abandoned perplexity in these 6 cases … he is then called a noble disciple who is a Stream-enterer … with enlightenment as his destination.
9 (9) The World Is Eternal
At Sāvatthī.
Bhikkhus, when what exists, by clinging to what, by adhering to what, does such a view as this arise: ‘The world is eternal’?
Venerable sir, our teachings are rooted in the Blessed One….
When there is form, Bhikkhus, when there is feeling … perception … volitional formations … consciousness, by clinging to consciousness, by adhering to consciousness, such a view as this arises:
- ‘The world is eternal.’… …
When, Bhikkhus, a noble disciple has abandoned perplexity in these 6 cases … he is then called a noble disciple who is a Stream-enterer … with enlightenment as his destination.
10 (10) The World Is Not Eternal
At Sāvatthī.
Bhikkhus, when what exists, by clinging to what, by adhering to what, does such a view as this arise: ‘The world is not eternal’?
Venerable sir, our teachings are rooted in the Blessed One….
When, Bhikkhus, a noble disciple … with enlightenment as his destination.
11 (11) The World is Finite
At Sāvatthī.
Bhikkhus, when what exists, by clinging to what, by adhering to what, does such a view as this arise: ‘The world is finite’?
Venerable sir, our teachings are rooted in the Blessed One….
When, Bhikkhus, a noble disciple … with enlightenment as his destination.
12 (12) The World Is Infinite
At Sāvatthī.
Bhikkhus, when what exists, by clinging to what, by adhering to what, does such a view as this arise: ‘The world is infinite’?
Venerable sir, our teachings are rooted in the Blessed One….
When, Bhikkhus, a noble disciple … with enlightenment as his destination.
13 (13) Soul and Body Are the Same
At Sāvatthī.
Bhikkhus, when what exists, by clinging to what, by adhering to what, does such a view as this arise: ‘The soul and the body are the same’?
Venerable sir, our teachings are rooted in the Blessed One….
When, Bhikkhus, a noble disciple … with enlightenment as his destination.
14 (14) Soul and Body Are Different
At Sāvatthī.
Bhikkhus, when what exists, by clinging to what, by adhering to what, does such a view as this arise: ‘The soul is one thing, the body another’?
Venerable sir, our teachings are rooted in the Blessed One….
When, Bhikkhus, a noble disciple … with enlightenment as his destination.
15 (15) The Tathāgata Exists
At Sāvatthī.
Bhikkhus, when what exists, by clinging to what, by adhering to what, does such a view as this arise: ‘The Tathāgata exists after death’?
Venerable sir, our teachings are rooted in the Blessed One….
When, Bhikkhus, a noble disciple … with enlightenment as his destination.
16 (16) The Tathāgata Does Not Exist
At Sāvatthī.
Bhikkhus, when what exists, by clinging to what, by adhering to what, does such a view as this arise: ‘The Tathāgata does not exist after death’?
Venerable sir, our teachings are rooted in the Blessed One….
When, Bhikkhus, a noble disciple … with enlightenment as his destination.
17 (17) The Tathāgata Both Exists and Does Not Exist
At Sāvatthī.
Bhikkhus, when what exists, by clinging to what, by adhering to what, does such a view as this arise: ‘The Tathāgata both exists and does not exist after death’?
Venerable sir, our teachings are rooted in the Blessed One….
When, Bhikkhus, a noble disciple … with enlightenment as his destination.
18 (18) The Tathāgata Neither Exists Nor Does Not Exist
At Sāvatthī.
Bhikkhus, when what exists, by clinging to what, by adhering to what, does such a view as this arise: ‘The Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist after death’?
Venerable sir, our teachings are rooted in the Blessed One….
When there is form, Bhikkhus, by clinging to form, by adhering to form, such a view as this arises:
- ‘The Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist after death.’
When there is feeling … perception … volitional formations … consciousness, by clinging to consciousness, by adhering to consciousness, such a view as this arises:
- ‘The Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist after death.’
What do you think, Bhikkhus, is form … consciousness permanent or impermanent?
Impermanent, venerable sir.
…
But without clinging to what is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change, could such a view as that arise?
No, venerable sir.
That which is seen, heard, sensed, cognized, attained, sought after, and ranged over by the mind: is that permanent or impermanent?
Impermanent, venerable sir.
Is what is impermanent suffering or happiness?
Suffering, venerable sir.
But without clinging to what is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change, could such a view as that arise?
No, venerable sir.
When, Bhikkhus, a noble disciple has abandoned perplexity in these 6 cases,
and when, further, he has abandoned perplexity about suffering, the origin of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the way leading to the cessation of suffering,
- he is then called a noble disciple who is a Stream-enterer, no longer bound to the nether world, fixed in destiny, with enlightenment as his destination.