Samyuktagama 267

Saṃyuktāgama 267. Second Discourse on Not Knowing

Thus have I heard. At one time the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park.

At that time the Blessed One said to the monks: “Saṃsāra is without beginning, the revolving for a long time of living beings, hindered by ignorance and bound by the fetter of craving, without understanding the origin of this dukkha.

“Monks, it is just as if a dog is bound to a post by a rope. Because the bondage is not severed, the dog turns around that post; whether standing or lying down, it is not separated from the post.

“In the same way a foolish living being who in regard to bodily form is not separated from lustful desire for it, not separated from craving for it, not separated from missing it, not separated from thirst for it, revolves around bodily form. Following after and turning around bodily form, whether standing or lying down, he is not separated from bodily form. In the same way he revolves around feeling … perception … formations … consciousness. Following after and turning around feeling … perception … formations … consciousness, whether standing or lying down, he is not separated from consciousness.

“Monks, you should well give attention to and examine the mind. Why is that? It is because for a long time the mind has been defiled by lustful desire, by anger, and by delusion. Monks, because of the mind being afflicted, living beings are afflicted; because of the mind being purified, living beings are purified.

“Monks, I do not see a single form as variegated as the spotted colours on a bird. The mind is even more variegated. Why is that? Because of the variegation of their mind, animals are of variegated colours.

“Therefore, monks, you should well give attention to and examine the mind. Monks, for a long time the mind has been defiled by lustful desire, by anger, and by delusion. Monks, you should know that because of the mind being afflicted, living beings are afflicted; because of the mind being purified, living beings are purified.

“Have you seen the variegated and different colours of a caraṇa bird?”

The monks replied: “We have seen it before, Blessed One.”

The Buddha said to the monks: “Like the variegated and different colours of a caraṇa bird, I say the mind is also variegated and different just like that. Why is that? Because of the variegation of its mind, that caraṇa bird is of variegated colours.

“Therefore you should well examine and give attention to the mind, which for a long time has been defiled by variegated lustful desires, by anger, and by delusion. Because of the mind being afflicted, living beings are afflicted; because of the mind being purified, living beings are purified.

“It is just as if a master painter or the disciple of a master painter, having well prepared an uncoloured background and being equipped with various colours, according to his wish paints variegated types of images.

“Monks, in the same way a foolish living being does not understand as it really is bodily form, the arising of bodily form, the cessation of bodily form, the gratification of bodily form, the danger in bodily form, and the escape from bodily form. Because of not understanding bodily form as it really is, he delights in and is attached to bodily form. Because of delighting in and being attached to bodily form, he further gives rise to future instances of bodily form.

“In the same way a fool does not understand as it really is feeling … perception … formation … consciousness, the arising of consciousness, the cessation of consciousness, the gratification of consciousness, the danger in consciousness, and the escape from consciousness. Because of not understanding it as it really is, he delights in and is attached to consciousness. Because of delighting in and being attached to consciousness, he further gives rise to future instances of consciousness.

“Should he be giving rise to future instances of bodily form … feeling … perception … formations … consciousness, then he will not be liberated from bodily form … feeling … perception … formations … consciousness, I say he will not be liberated from birth, old age, disease, death, worry, sorrow, vexation, and pain.

“A learned noble disciple understands as it really is bodily form, the arising of bodily form, the cessation of bodily form, the gratification of bodily form, the danger in bodily form, and the escape from bodily form. Because of understanding it as it really is, he does not delight in and is not attached to bodily form. Because of not delighting in and not being attached to it, he does not give rise to future instances of bodily form.

“He understands as it really is feeling … perception … formation … consciousness, the arising of consciousness, the cessation of consciousness, the gratification of consciousness, the danger in consciousness, and the escape from consciousness. Because of understanding it as it really is, he does not delight in and is not attached to consciousness. Because of not delighting in and not being attached to it, he does not give rise to future instances of consciousness.

“Because of not delighting in and being attached to bodily form … feeling … perception … formation … consciousness, he attains liberation from bodily form, attains liberation from feeling … perception … formation … consciousness, I say he is equally liberated from birth, old age, disease, death, worry, sorrow, vexation, and pain.”

When the Buddha had spoken this discourse, the monks, hearing what the Buddha had said, were delighted and received it respectfully.