sutta » sn » sn22 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 22.60

Mahālisutta

With Mahāli

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
So I have heard.

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā vesāliyaṁ viharati mahāvane kūṭāgārasālāyaṁ.
At one time the Buddha was staying near Vesālī, at the Great Wood, in the hall with the peaked roof.

Atha kho mahāli licchavi yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami …pe… ekamantaṁ nisinno kho mahāli licchavi bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
Then Mahāli the Licchavi went up to the Buddha … and said to him:

“Pūraṇo, bhante, kassapo evamāha:
“Sir, Pūraṇa Kassapa says this:

‘natthi hetu natthi paccayo sattānaṁ saṅkilesāya;
‘There is no cause or reason for the corruption of sentient beings.

ahetū appaccayā sattā saṅkilissanti.
Sentient beings are corrupted without cause or reason.

Natthi hetu natthi paccayo sattānaṁ visuddhiyā;
There’s no cause or reason for the purification of sentient beings.

ahetū appaccayā sattā visujjhantī’ti.
Sentient beings are purified without cause or reason.’

Idha bhagavā kimāhā”ti?
What does the Buddha say about this?”

“Atthi, mahāli, hetu atthi paccayo sattānaṁ saṅkilesāya;
“Mahāli, there is a cause and reason for the corruption of sentient beings.

sahetū sappaccayā sattā saṅkilissanti.
Sentient beings are corrupted with cause and reason.

Atthi, mahāli, hetu, atthi paccayo sattānaṁ visuddhiyā;
There is a cause and reason for the purification of sentient beings.

sahetū sappaccayā sattā visujjhantī”ti.
Sentient beings are purified with cause and reason.”

“Katamo pana, bhante, hetu katamo paccayo sattānaṁ saṅkilesāya;
“But sir, what is the cause and reason for the corruption of sentient beings?

kathaṁ sahetū sappaccayā sattā saṅkilissantī”ti?
How are sentient beings corrupted with cause and reason?”

“Rūpañca hidaṁ, mahāli, ekantadukkhaṁ abhavissa dukkhānupatitaṁ dukkhāvakkantaṁ anavakkantaṁ sukhena, nayidaṁ sattā rūpasmiṁ sārajjeyyuṁ.
“Mahāli, if form were exclusively painful—soaked and steeped in pain and not steeped in pleasure—sentient beings wouldn’t be aroused by it.

Yasmā ca kho, mahāli, rūpaṁ sukhaṁ sukhānupatitaṁ sukhāvakkantaṁ anavakkantaṁ dukkhena, tasmā sattā rūpasmiṁ sārajjanti;
But because form is pleasurable—soaked and steeped in pleasure and not steeped in pain—sentient beings are aroused by it.

sārāgā saṁyujjanti; saṁyogā saṅkilissanti.
Since they are aroused by it, they’re caught up in it, and so they become corrupted.

Ayaṁ kho, mahāli, hetu, ayaṁ paccayo sattānaṁ saṅkilesāya;
This is a cause and reason for the corruption of sentient beings.

evaṁ sahetū sappaccayā sattā saṅkilissanti.
This is how sentient beings are corrupted with cause and reason.

Vedanā ca hidaṁ, mahāli, ekantadukkhā abhavissa dukkhānupatitā dukkhāvakkantā anavakkantā sukhena, nayidaṁ sattā vedanāya sārajjeyyuṁ.
If feeling …

Yasmā ca kho, mahāli, vedanā sukhā sukhānupatitā sukhāvakkantā anavakkantā dukkhena, tasmā sattā vedanāya sārajjanti;

sārāgā saṁyujjanti;

saṁyogā saṅkilissanti.

Ayampi kho, mahāli, hetu, ayaṁ paccayo sattānaṁ saṅkilesāya.

Evampi sahetū sappaccayā sattā saṅkilissanti.

Saññā ca hidaṁ, mahāli …pe…
perception …

saṅkhārā ca hidaṁ, mahāli, ekantadukkhā abhavissaṁsu dukkhānupatitā dukkhāvakkantā anavakkantā sukhena, nayidaṁ sattā saṅkhāresu sārajjeyyuṁ.
choices …

Yasmā ca kho, mahāli, saṅkhārā sukhā sukhānupatitā sukhāvakkantā anavakkantā dukkhena, tasmā sattā saṅkhāresu sārajjanti;

sārāgā saṁyujjanti;

saṁyogā saṅkilissanti.

Ayampi kho, mahāli, hetu, ayaṁ paccayo sattānaṁ saṅkilesāya.

Evampi sahetū sappaccayā sattā saṅkilissanti.

Viññāṇañca hidaṁ, mahāli, ekantadukkhaṁ abhavissa dukkhānupatitaṁ dukkhāvakkantaṁ anavakkantaṁ sukhena, nayidaṁ sattā viññāṇasmiṁ sārajjeyyuṁ.
consciousness were exclusively painful—soaked and steeped in pain and not steeped in pleasure—sentient beings wouldn’t be aroused by it.

Yasmā ca kho, mahāli, viññāṇaṁ sukhaṁ sukhānupatitaṁ sukhāvakkantaṁ anavakkantaṁ dukkhena, tasmā sattā viññāṇasmiṁ sārajjanti;
But because consciousness is pleasurable—soaked and steeped in pleasure and not steeped in pain—sentient beings are aroused by it.

sārāgā saṁyujjanti; saṁyogā saṅkilissanti.
Since they are aroused by it, they’re caught up in it, and so they become corrupted.

Ayampi kho, mahāli, hetu ayaṁ paccayo sattānaṁ saṅkilesāya.
This is a cause and reason for the corruption of sentient beings.

Evampi sahetū sappaccayā sattā saṅkilissantī”ti.
This is how sentient beings are corrupted with cause and reason.”

“Katamo pana, bhante, hetu katamo paccayo sattānaṁ visuddhiyā;
“But sir, what is the cause and reason for the purification of sentient beings?

kathaṁ sahetū sappaccayā sattā visujjhantī”ti?
How are sentient beings purified with cause and reason?”

“Rūpañca hidaṁ, mahāli, ekantasukhaṁ abhavissa sukhānupatitaṁ sukhāvakkantaṁ anavakkantaṁ dukkhena, nayidaṁ sattā rūpasmiṁ nibbindeyyuṁ.
“Mahāli, if form were exclusively pleasurable—soaked and steeped in pleasure and not steeped in pain—sentient beings wouldn’t grow disillusioned with it.

Yasmā ca kho, mahāli, rūpaṁ dukkhaṁ dukkhānupatitaṁ dukkhāvakkantaṁ anavakkantaṁ sukhena, tasmā sattā rūpasmiṁ nibbindanti;
But because form is painful—soaked and steeped in pain and not steeped in pleasure—sentient beings do grow disillusioned with it.

nibbindaṁ virajjanti; virāgā visujjhanti.
Being disillusioned, desire fades away. When desire fades away they are purified.

Ayaṁ kho, mahāli, hetu, ayaṁ paccayo, sattānaṁ visuddhiyā.
This is a cause and reason for the purification of sentient beings.

Evaṁ sahetū sappaccayā sattā visujjhanti.
This is how sentient beings are purified with cause and reason.

Vedanā ca hidaṁ, mahāli, ekantasukhā abhavissa …pe…
If feeling …

saññā ca hidaṁ, mahāli …pe…
perception …

saṅkhārā ca hidaṁ, mahāli, ekantasukhā abhavissaṁsu …pe…
choices …

viññāṇañca hidaṁ, mahāli, ekantasukhaṁ abhavissa sukhānupatitaṁ sukhāvakkantaṁ anavakkantaṁ dukkhena, nayidaṁ sattā viññāṇasmiṁ nibbindeyyuṁ.
consciousness were exclusively pleasurable—soaked and steeped in pleasure and not steeped in pain—sentient beings wouldn’t grow disillusioned with it.

Yasmā ca kho, mahāli, viññāṇaṁ dukkhaṁ dukkhānupatitaṁ dukkhāvakkantaṁ anavakkantaṁ sukhena, tasmā sattā viññāṇasmiṁ nibbindanti;
But because consciousness is painful—soaked and steeped in pain and not steeped in pleasure—sentient beings do grow disillusioned with it.

nibbindaṁ virajjanti; virāgā visujjhanti.
Being disillusioned, desire fades away. When desire fades away they are purified.

Ayaṁ kho, mahāli, hetu, ayaṁ paccayo, sattānaṁ visuddhiyā.
This is a cause and reason for the purification of sentient beings.

Evampi sahetū sappaccayā sattā visujjhantī”ti.
This is how sentient beings are purified with cause and reason.”

Aṭṭhamaṁ.