MN 2 Sabbāsava Sutta Discourse
on All Āsavas Translated from the Pāḷi by Alternate translation: Thanissaro |
BPA: (i) Mūlapariyāya Vagga (3-15)
Source: From "Sutta Piṭaka, Majjhima
Nikāya, Medium Length Discouses Of The Buddha, Twenty-Five Suttas from Mūlapaṇṇāsa”
Copyright © 1996 Burma Piṭaka
Association Religious Publication Permission No. 450 Cover Permission No. 173 The content of this work may be reproduced
or translated with the prior permission of the Burma Piṭaka
Association. |
14. Thus have I heard:
Once the Bhagāva (the Exalted One) was staying at
the Jetavana monastery of Anāthapiṇḍika in Sāvatthi. At
that time the Bhagāva addressed the bhikkhus, saying: “Bhikkhus!” And they
answered him: “Venerable Sir!” Then the Bhagāva uttered these words:
Bhikkhus! I shall expound to you a discourse on the
restraint of all āsavas[1] (defilements that befuddle the mind). Listen
well and pay good attention. I shall speak.”
“Very well, Venerable Sir!” replied the bhikkhus to
the Bhagāva, who (then) delivered this discourse.
15. Bhikkhus, I declare (that there is) the extinction
of āsavas in one who knows and sees[2], and not in one ho does not know and see.
Bhikkhus! What is known and what is seen by one in whom I declare (that there
is) the extinction of āsavas? The right perception of phenomena[3] and the wrong perception of phenomena.
Bhikkhus! In one who has wrong perception of phenomena there arise āsavas
that have not yet arisen, and there also is an increase of āsavas that
have already arisen. Bhikkhus, in one who has right perception of phenomena
there is no arising of āsavas that have not yet arisen, and āsavas
that have already arisen are also removed.
16. Bhikkhus! There are āsavas that should be
removed through vision (i.e., perception of Nibbāna by means of Sotāpatti
magga), āsavas that should be removed through restraint, āsavas that
should be removed through proper use (of requisites), āsavas that should
be removed through forbearance, āsavas that should be removed through
avoidance, āsavas that should be removed through rejection and āsavas
that should be removed through cultivation (of the Factors of Enlightenment).
Āsavas that should be removed through vision
17. Bhikkhus! What are the āsavas that should be
removed through vision (i.e., perception of Nibbāna by means of Sotāpatti
magga)?
Bhikkhus! In the world the ignorant worldling[4], who is not in the habit of seeing[5] the Ariyas[6], who is not proficient in the dhamma of the
Ariyas and who is not trained and disciplined[7] in
the dhamma of the Ariyas, who is not in the habit of seeing the Virtuous[8], who is not proficient in the dhamma of the
Virtuous and who is not trained and disciplined in the dhamma of the Virtuous,
does not know the factors (dhammas) which should be considered attentively and
the factors which should not be considered attentively. Not discriminating the
factors which should be considered attentively from the factors which should
not be considered attentively, he considers attentively the factors which
should not be considered and does not consider attentively the factors which
should be considered.
What are the factors (dhammas) which are considered
attentively though they should not be considered?
Bhikkhus! In one who considers attentively certain
factors (which should not be considered), there arises kāmāsava[9] (the defilement of sense-pleasure) that has
not yet arisen, and there also is an increase of the kāmāsava that
has already arisen; there arises bhavāsava[10] (the
defilement of hankering after better existence) that has not yet arisen, and
there also is an increase of the bhavāsava that has already arisen; there
arises avijjāsava[11] (the defilement of ignorance) that has not
yet arisen, and there also is an increase of the avijjāsava that has
already arisen. These are the factors which are considered attentively (by an
ignorant worldling) though they should not be considered.
What are the factors (dhammas) which are not
considered attentively though they should be considered?
Bhikkhus! In one who considers attentively certain
factors (which should be considered), there does not arise kāmāsava
that has not yet arisen, and the kāmāsava also that has already
arisen is removed; there does not arise bhavāsava that has not yet arisen,
and the bhavāsava also that has already arisen is removed; there does not
arise avijjāsava that has not yet arisen, and the avijjāsava also
that has already arisen is removed. These are the factors which are not
considered attentively (by an ignorant worldling) though they should be
considered.
Because such a person considers attentively the
factors which should not be considered and does not consider attentively the
factors which should be considered, there arise in him āsavas that have
not yet arisen and there increase in him āsavas that have already arisen.
18. That person considers
improperly thus:
Did I exist in the past?
Did I not exist in the
past?
Who was I in the past?
How (i.e., of what
appearance) was I in the past?
In the past, who had been
I and who was I (in the subsequent existence)?
Will I exist in the
future?
Will I not exist in the
future?
Who will I be in the
future?
How (i.e., of what
appearance) will I be in the future?
In the future, having
been who, who will I be (in the subsequent existence)?
Also as regards the
present, uncertainty arises in him thus:
Do I exist?
Do I not exist?
Who am I?
How (i.e., of what
appearance) am I (i.e., is my soul)?
From where has this soul
come?
Where will this soul go?
19. In a person ho thus considers improperly there
arises one of the six (wrong) views (diṭṭhi). The view “I have atta
(Self)” arises in him really and firmly. Or, the view “I have no atta (Self)”
arises in him really and firmly. Or, the view “I perceive atta through atta”
arises in him really and firmly. Or, the view “I perceive anattā
(non-Self) through atta” arises in him really and firmly. Or, the view “I
perceive atta through anattā” arises in him really and firmly. Or, he has
the view thus: “That atta of mine speaks, knows and experiences the results of
wholesome and unwholesome actions (in terms of birth, destination, plane of
beings). That atta of mine is permanent, stable, durable, incorruptible and
will be eternal like all things permanent.”
Bhikkhus! This wrong view is called a false belief, a
jungle of false beliefs, a desert of false beliefs, a thorny spike of false
beliefs, an agitation of false beliefs and a fetter of false beliefs. Bhikkhus!
The ignorant worldling who is bound up with the fetter of false beliefs cannot
escape rebirth, ageing, death, grief, lamentation, pain, distress and despair.
I declare that he cannot escape dukkha[12].
Bhikkhus! The instructed ariya disciple, who sees the
Ariyas, who is skilled in their dhammas and who is trained and disciplined in
their dhammas, who sees the Virtuous, who is skilled in their dhammas, and who
is trained and disciplined in their dhammas, knows the factors (dhammas) which
should be considered attentively and the factors which should not be considered
attentively. Discriminating the factors which should be considered attentively
from the factors which should not be considered attentively, he does not
consider attentively the factors which should not be considered and considers
attentively the factors which should be considered.
Bhikkhus! What are the factors (dhammas) which are not
considered attentively as they should not be considered?
Bhikkhus! In one who considers attentively certain
factors (which should not be considered), there arises kāmāsava that
has not yet arisen, and there also is an increase of the kāmāsava
that has already arisen; there arises bhavāsava that has not yet arisen,
and there also is an increase of the bhavāsava that has already arisen;
there arises avijjāsava that has not yet arisen, and there also is an
increase of the avijjāsava that has already arisen. These are the factors
which are not considered attentively (by the ariya disciple) as they should not
be considered.
What are the factors (dhammas) which are considered
attentively as they should be considered?
Bhikkhus! In one who considers attentively certain
factors (which should be considered), there does not arise kāmāsava
that has not yet arisen, and the kāmāsava also that has already
arisen is removed; there does not arise bhavāsava that has not yet arisen,
and the bhavāsava also that has already arisen is removed; there does not
arise avijjāsava that has not yet arisen, and the avijjāsava also
that has already arisen is removed. These are the factors which are considered
attentively (by the ariya disciple) as they should be considered.
Because such a person does not consider attentively
the factors which should not be considered and considers attentively the
factors which should be considered, there do not arise in him āsavas that
have not yet arisen and the āsavas that have already arisen disappear.
21. He considers properly: “This is dukkha; this is
the cause of dukkha; this is the cessation of dukkha; this is the practice (the
Path) leading to cessation of dukkha.” In him who thus considers properly, the
following three fetters disappear, namely, sakkāyadiṭṭhi
(illusion of Self in regard to the manifestation of one’s khandhas or
aggregates, as: “This is mine”, “This is I” and “This is my Self”), vicikiccā
(uncertainty concerning the Buddha, etc.) and sīlabbataparāmāsa
(belief in the efficacy of mere rites and rituals as practiced outside the
Ariya Path). These are called the āsavas which should be removed through
vision (i.e., perception of Nibbāna by means of Sotāpatti magga).
Āsavas that should be removed through restraint
Bhikkhus! What are the āsavas that should be
removed through restraint[13] (of the sense-faculties)?
Bhikkhus! In this sāsana
(Teaching), the bhikkhu, reflecting properly, abides in the restraint of his
faculty of sight. Āsavas and other destructive and burning defilements may
arise in the bhikkhu who does not abide in the restraint of his faculty of
sight with proper reflection. Those āsavas and other destructive and
burning defilements do not arise in the bhikkhu who abides in the restraint of
his faculty of sight[14] with proper reflection. Reflecting properly,
the bhikkhu abides in the restraint of his faculty of hearing …p… abides in the
restraint of his faculty of smell …p… abides in the restraint of his faculty of
taste …p… abides in the restraint of his faculty of touch …p… abides in the
restraint of his faculty of thought. Āsavas and other destructive and
burning defilements may arise in the bhikkhu who does not abide in the
restraint of his faculty of thought with proper reflection. Those āsavas
and other destructive and burning defilements do not arise in the bhikkhu who
abides in the restraint of his faculty of thought with proper reflection.
Bhikkhus! . Āsavas and other destructive and
burning defilements may arise in the bhikkhu who does not abide in the
restraint of his faculties with proper reflection. Those āsavas and other
destructive and burning defilements do not arise in the bhikkhu who abides in
the restraint of his faculties with proper reflection. Bhikkhus! These are
called the āsavas that are to be removed through restraint (of the
sense-faculties)
Āsavas that should be removed through proper use
(of requisites)
Bhikkhus! What are the āsavas that are to be
removed through proper use[15] (of requisites)?
Bhikkhus! In this sāsana, the bhikkhu wears the
robes reflecting properly. He wears the robes only for protection from cold,
heat, gadflies, mosquitoes, wind, heat of the sun, snakes, scorpions and lice,
and just to cover up his nakedness.
Reflecting properly, he takes alms-food. He does so
not for enjoyment, not for vanity (in strength), not for improvement of the
body, not for a better complexion, but only to sustain the physical body, to
have just enough nourishment for maintaining life, to appease hunger and to
carry out the Noble Practice of Purity. (He reflects thus:) ‘By this alms-food,
I shall remove the existing (lit., old) discomfort (of hunger) and shall
prevent the arising of new discomfort (for immoderate eating). I shall have
just enough nourishment to maintain life and to lead a blameless life with good
health.’
Reflecting properly, he makes use of his monastic
living place. He does so only for protection from cold, heat, gadflies,
mosquitoes, wind, heat of the sun, snakes, scorpions and lice, and inclement
weather, and for the purpose of solitary seclusion.
Reflecting properly, he makes use of medicines and
medicinal requisites for curing illness. He uses them only to remove oppressive
ailments that arise and only to be completely free from (further) ailment.
Bhikkhus! Āsavas and other destructive and
burning defilements may arise in the bhikkhu who does not use the four
requisites with proper reflection. Those āsavas and other destructive and
burning defilements do not arise in the bhikkhu who makes use of the four requisites
with proper reflection. Bhikkhus! These are called the āsavas that are to
be removed through proper use (of requisites).
Āsavas that should be removed through forbearance
24. Bhikkhus! What are the āsavas that are to be
removed through forbearance?
Bhikkhus! In this sāsana, the bhikkhu, reflecting
properly, can endure cold, heat, hunger, thirst, gadflies, mosquitoes, wind,
heat of the sun, snakes, scorpions and lice. He can endure ill-spoken and
unwholesome words. He has the nature of being able to endure severe, cruel,
excruciatingly sharp, disagreeable, unpleasant, deadly and painful sensations
which arise in the body.
Bhikkhus! Āsavas and other destructive and
burning defilements may arise in the bhikkhu who cannot endure such painful
sensations. Those āsavas and other destructive and burning defilements do
not arise in the bhikkhu who endures such painful sensations with proper
reflection. Bhikkhus! These are called the āsavas that are to be removed
through forbearance.
Āsavas that should be removed through avoidance
25. Bhikkhus! What are the āsavas that are to be
removed through avoidance?
Bhikkhus! In this sāsana, the bhikkhu, reflecting
properly, avoids a fierce elephant, a fierce horse, a fierce ox, a fierce dog,
a snake, a tree-stump, a thorny place, an abyss, a precipice, a refuse-pit and
a cesspool. If a bhikkhu dells in such an improper place, resorts to such an
improper resort and keeps company with evil friends, his wise fellow-bhikkhus
would suspect him of involving himself in evil circumstances. Reflecting
properly, he avoids improper places, improper resorts and evil friends.
Bhikkhus! Āsavas and other destructive and
burning defilements may arise in the bhikkhu who does not avoid such
improprieties with proper reflection. Those āsavas and other destructive
and burning defilements do not arise in the bhikkhu who avoids such
improprieties with proper reflection. Bhikkhus! These are called the āsavas
that are to be removed through avoidance.
Āsavas that should be removed through rejection
26. Bhikkhus! What are the āsavas that are to be
removed through rejection[16]?
Bhikkhus! In this sāsana, the bhikkhu, reflecting
properly, does not tolerate, but forsakes, rejects, gets rid of and prevents
the repeated arising in him of the arisen kāmavittaka, sensual thoughts; …p… the arisen byāpādavittaka,
thoughts of malice; …p… the arisen vihiṃsāvittaka, thoughts of
injuring another; does not tolerate, but forsakes, rejects, gets rid of and
prevents the repeated arising in him of evil and demeritorious thoughts
whenever they arise
Bhikkhus! Āsavas and other destructive and
burning defilements may arise in the bhikkhu who does not reject such
demeritorious thoughts with proper reflection. Those āsavas and other
destructive and burning defilements do not arise in the bhikkhu who rejects
such demeritorious thoughts with proper reflection. Bhikkhus! These are called
the āsavas that are to be removed through rejection.
Āsavas that should be removed through cultivation
(of the Factors of Enlightenment)
27. Bhikkhus! What are the āsavas that are to be
removed through cultivation (of the Factors of Enlightenment)?
Bhikkhus! In this sāsana, the bhikkhu, reflecting
properly, cultivates the enlightenment-factor of mindfulness (sati sambojjhaṅga)
that is directed to detachment (viveka) from defilements, freedom from
attachment (virāga), cessation (nirodha) of defilements, and that promotes
and develops the uprooting of defilements and speedy attainment of Nibbāna
(vossagga).
Reflecting properly, he cultivates the
enlightenment-factor of investigative knowledge of phenomena (dhammavicaya
sambojjhaṅga) …p… cultivates the enlightenment-factor of effort (vīriya
sambojjhaṅga) …p… cultivates the enlightenment-factor of delightful
satisfaction (pīti sambojjhaṅga) …p… cultivates the
enlightenment-factor of serenity (passaddhi sambojjhaṅga) …p… cultivates
the enlightenment-factor of concentration (samādhi sambojjhaṅga) …p…
he cultivates the enlightenment-factor of equanimity (upekkhā sambojjhaṅga)
that is directed to detachment from defilements, freedom from attachment,
cessation of defilements, and that promotes and develops the uprooting of
defilements and speedy attainment of Nibbāna[17].
Bhikkhus! Āsavas and other destructive and
burning defilements may arise in the bhikkhu who does not cultivate these Seven
Factors of Enlightenment. Those āsavas and other destructive and burning
defilements do not arise in the bhikkhu who cultivates them with proper
reflection. Bhikkhus! These are called the āsavas that are to be removed
through cultivation (of the Factors of Enlightenment).
28. Bhikkhus! If a bhikkhu, has removed through vision
the āsavas that should be removed through vision, has removed through
restraint the āsavas that should be removed through restraint, has removed
through proper use of requisites the āsavas that should be removed through
proper use of requisites, has removed through forbearance the āsavas that
should be removed through forbearance, has removed through avoidance the āsavas
that should be removed through avoidance, has removed through rejection the āsavas
savas that should be removed through rejection, has removed through cultivation
(of the Factors of Enlightenment) the āsavas that should be removed
through cultivation (of the Factors of Enlightenment), he is said to be one ho
abides in the restraint of all āsavas. He has cut off craving, shaken off
fetters and having become fully aware of (the nature of) self-conceit (māna)
has made an end of dukkha.
Thus the Bhagavā said. Delighted, the bhikkhus
rejoiced at the words of the Bhagavā.
[1] Āsavas: defilements that befuddle the mind: They are
like liquor long fermented. They convey the idea of something flowing out that
intoxicates or befuddles the mind. Āsavas are usually classified into four
categories: (I) kāmāsava or
gross attachment to and craving for the five sense-objects; (II) bhavāsava
or craving for better existence, such as the rūpa and arūpa planes of
existence in the belief that they are permanent, stable and constant; this
craving occurs together with sassata diṭṭhi (belief in eternalism);
(III) avijjāsava or the defilement of lack of comprehension of the Four
Ariya Truths through Magga Insight; (IV) diṭṭhāsava or the
defilement that is false belief.
In this Sutta,
however, the last is not mentioned. It may be taken as part of bhavāsava.
Although the āsavas
are variously classified, they are basically only lobha (greed, desire), diṭṭhi
(false belief) and moha (ignorance or bewilderment).
[2] By “one ho knows and
sees” is meant one ho knows and sees with right perception of phenomena.
With the use of this expression and on the basis of what is meant by knowing and
seeing, the Buddha refers to the person (who knows and sees). This Sutta is a
discourse taught with reference to the person and not the dhamma. [What is
briefly said in this paragraph (15) is that the one who knows and sees with
right perception of phenomena is able to rid himself of the āsavas while
the āsavas proliferate, for the one who does not know and see with right
perception of phenomena.]
[3] right perception of
phenomena: yonisomanasikāra:
lit., proper attention; proper consideration. Right perception of phenomena
means perceiving all phenomena as impermanent, unpleasurable soulless and
unpleasant.
[4] “the ignorant worldling” means one who has not studied, who has not enquired
into and who has not conned the Pāḷi scriptures concerning khandha, āyatana
etc., and who has not achieved through practice the dhammas that he should
achieve.
[5] who is not in the habit
of seeing: What is meant here is
seeing by means of the eye of wisdom and not seeing by means of the physical or
by means of the divine eye (dibbacakkhu).
[6] The Buddha,
Paccekabuddhas, and the Disciples of the Buddha who have attained one of the
four maggas are termed Ariyas.
[7] “who is not trained and disciplined” means one who has not yet been discipled in
the five kinds of restraint, who has not yet been taught and who has not yet
cultivated the five kinds of removal of the defilements and who has not yet
removed the defilements.
[8] By
“the Virtuous” (Sappurisa) is meant the Buddha, Paccekabuddhas and the
Ariya Disciples of the Buddha.
[9] Kāmāsava: a gross attachment to and craving for the
five sense-objects.
[10] Bhavāsava: craving for rūpa and arūpa planes
of existence in the belief that they are permanent, stable and constant. This
craving occurs together with sassata diṭṭhi (belief in eternalism);
[11] Avijjāsava: the defilements of ignorance (of the Four
Ariya Truths).
[12] Both these paragraphs (18
& 19) teach at length the attending to of those dhammas which are not
worthy of attention and the arising of the 16 kinds of uncertainty (vicikicchā)
and of the 6 kinds of atta- diṭṭhi.
[13] Restraint; saṃvara: the prevention through mindfulness of the
arising of āsavas.
[14] Faculty of sight: lit, eye-faculty; so with the other
sense-faculties
[15]
Proper use: using four requisites of a bhikkhu with due reflection.
What is taught
here is the mode of using the four requisites in such a manner that arising of
the āsavas is inhibited.
[16] Rejection: vinodana:
dispelling with effort such arising thoughts (vitakkas) as kāmavittaka. It does not mean total eradication
through magga.
[17] The most crucial point in
¶ 27 is the practice of the four Satipaṭṭhānas. It is the one
and only ay for the attainment of maggas and phalas and also for the
realization of Nibbāna. As a matter of fact, the Seven Bojjhaṅgas
cannot take place without the practice of the four Satipaṭṭhānas.
When a yogī
practices the Satipaṭṭhānas, he will achieve, first of all,
mental concentration. When it becomes sufficiently strong, he will achieve,
stage by stage, 13 vipassanā ñāṇas (insights), which
will enable him to perceive the true nature of mind and body before he achieves
maggas.
Bojjhaṅgas
are the factors of enlightenment which one must have while he is passing
through these 13 vipassanā ñāṇas.
Sati means
mindfulness.
Dhammavicaya
means mindfulness of nāma (mind) and rūpa (body) and their appearance
and disappearance.
Vīriya means
diligence.
Pīti means
the emotion of joy.
Passadhi means
composure.
Samādhi
means mental concentration.
Upekkhā
means equanimity.
Briefly speaking,
in the course of the practice of the Satipaṭṭhānas, if one
knos he has the bojjhaṅgas hen he has them and knows he does not have
them hen they disappear, and if he knows why he has them when he has them and
why he does not have them when he has lost them, he is deemed to be a person
who is endowed with these seven factors of enlightenment. And the Buddha taught
that such a person is one who will pass through the vipassanā ñāṇas
and achieve maggas speedily.