Saṁyutta Nikāya 24.8
Translators: sujato
Linked Discourses 24.8
1. Sotāpattivagga
1. Stream-Entry
Mahādiṭṭhisutta
The Extensive View
Sāvatthinidānaṁ.
At Sāvatthī.
“Kismiṁ nu kho, bhikkhave, sati, kiṁ upādāya, kiṁ abhinivissa evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjati:
“Mendicants, when what exists, because of grasping what and insisting on what, does the view arise:
‘sattime kāyā akaṭā, akaṭavidhā, animmitā, animmātā, vañjhā, kūṭaṭṭhā, esikaṭṭhāyiṭṭhitā;
‘There are these seven substances that are not made, not derived, not created, without a creator, barren, steady as a mountain peak, standing firm like a pillar.
te na iñjanti, na vipariṇamanti, na aññamaññaṁ byābādhenti; nālaṁ aññamaññassa sukhāya vā dukkhāya vā sukhadukkhāya vā.
They don’t move or deteriorate or obstruct each other. They’re unable to cause pleasure, pain, or both pleasure and pain to each other.
Katame satta?
What seven?
Pathavīkāyo, āpokāyo, tejokāyo, vāyokāyo, sukhe, dukkhe, jīve sattame.
The substances of earth, water, fire, air; pleasure, pain, and the soul is the seventh.
Ime satta kāyā akaṭā, akaṭavidhā, animmitā, animmātā, vañjhā, kūṭaṭṭhā esikaṭṭhāyiṭṭhitā;
These seven substances are not made, not derived, not created, without a creator, barren, steady as a mountain peak, standing firm like a pillar.
te na iñjanti, na vipariṇamanti, na aññamaññaṁ byābādhenti; nālaṁ aññamaññassa sukhāya vā dukkhāya vā sukhadukkhāya vā.
They don’t move or deteriorate or obstruct each other. They’re unable to cause pleasure, pain, or both pleasure and pain to each other.
Yopi tiṇhena satthena sīsaṁ chindati, na sopi kañci jīvitā voropeti;
If you chop off someone’s head with a sharp sword, you don’t take anyone’s life.
sattannaṁ tveva kāyānamantarena satthaṁ vivaramanupavisati.
The sword simply passes through the gap between the seven substances.
Cuddasa kho panimāni yonipamukhasatasahassāni saṭṭhi ca satāni cha ca satāni pañca ca kammuno satāni pañca ca kammāni, tīṇi ca kammāni, kamme ca aḍḍhakamme ca dvaṭṭhipaṭipadā, dvaṭṭhantarakappā, chaḷābhijātiyo, aṭṭha purisabhūmiyo, ekūnapaññāsa ājīvakasate, ekūnapaññāsa paribbājakasate, ekūnapaññāsa nāgavāsasate, vīse indriyasate, tiṁse nirayasate, chattiṁsarajodhātuyo, satta saññīgabbhā, satta asaññīgabbhā, satta nigaṇṭhigabbhā, satta devā, satta mānusā, satta pesācā, satta sarā, satta pavuṭā, satta papātā, satta ca papātasatāni, satta supinā, satta supinasatāni, cullāsīti mahākappino satasahassāni, yāni bāle ca paṇḍite ca sandhāvitvā saṁsaritvā dukkhassantaṁ karissanti.
There are 1.4 million main wombs, and 6,000, and 600. There are 500 deeds, and five, and three. There are deeds and half-deeds. There are 62 paths, 62 sub-eons, six classes of rebirth, and eight stages in a person’s life. There are 4,900 Ājīvaka ascetics, 4,900 wanderers, and 4,900 naked ascetics. There are 2,000 faculties, 3,000 hells, and 36 realms of dust. There are seven percipient embryos, seven non-percipient embryos, and seven knotless embryos. There are seven gods, seven humans, and seven goblins. There are seven lakes, seven rivers, 700 rivers, seven cliffs, and 700 cliffs. There are seven dreams and 700 dreams. There are 8.4 million great eons through which the foolish and the astute transmigrate before making an end of suffering.
Tattha natthi imināhaṁ sīlena vā vatena vā tapena vā brahmacariyena vā aparipakkaṁ vā kammaṁ paripācessāmi;
And here there is no such thing as this: “By this precept or observance or fervent austerity or spiritual life I shall force unripened deeds to bear their fruit, or eliminate old deeds by experiencing their results little by little”—for that cannot be.
paripakkaṁ vā kammaṁ phussa phussa byantīkarissāmīti hevaṁ natthi doṇamite sukhadukkhe pariyantakate saṁsāre, natthi hāyanavaḍḍhane, natthi ukkaṁsāvakaṁse.
Pleasure and pain are allotted. Transmigration lasts only for a limited period, so there’s no increase or decrease, no getting better or worse.
Seyyathāpi nāma suttaguḷe khitte nibbeṭhiyamānameva paleti;
It’s like how, when you toss a ball of string, it rolls away unraveling.
evameva bāle ca paṇḍite ca nibbeṭhiyamānā sukhadukkhaṁ palentī’”ti?
In the same way, after transmigrating the foolish and the astute will make an end of suffering’?”
“Bhagavaṁmūlakā no, bhante, dhammā …pe…
“Our teachings are rooted in the Buddha. …”
“Rūpe kho, bhikkhave, sati, rūpaṁ upādāya, rūpaṁ abhinivissa evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjati:
“When form exists, because of grasping form and insisting on form, the view arises:
‘sattime kāyā akaṭā, akaṭavidhā …pe…
‘There are these seven substances that are not made …
sukhadukkhaṁ palentī’ti.
the foolish and the astute will make an end of suffering.’
Vedanāya sati …pe…
When feeling …
saññāya sati …
perception …
saṅkhāresu sati …
choices …
viññāṇe sati, viññāṇaṁ upādāya, viññāṇaṁ abhinivissa evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjati:
consciousness exists, because of grasping consciousness and insisting on consciousness, the view arises:
‘sattime kāyā akaṭā, akaṭavidhā …pe…
‘There are these seven substances that are not made …
sukhadukkhaṁ palentī’ti.
the foolish and the astute will make an end of suffering.’
Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave,
What do you think, mendicants?
rūpaṁ niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā”ti?
Is form permanent or impermanent?”
“Aniccaṁ, bhante” …pe…
“Impermanent, sir.” …
“yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāmadhammaṁ, api nu taṁ anupādāya evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjeyya:
‘sattime kāyā akaṭā akaṭavidhā …pe…
sukhadukkhaṁ palentī’”ti?
“No hetaṁ, bhante”.
“Yampidaṁ diṭṭhaṁ sutaṁ mutaṁ viññātaṁ pattaṁ pariyesitaṁ anuvicaritaṁ manasā tampi niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā”ti?
“That which is seen, heard, thought, known, attained, sought, and explored by the mind: is that permanent or impermanent?”
“Aniccaṁ, bhante …pe…
“Impermanent, sir.” …
api nu taṁ anupādāya evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjeyya:
“But by not grasping what’s impermanent, suffering, and perishable, would such a view arise?”
‘sattime kāyā akaṭā akaṭavidhā …pe…
nibbeṭhiyamānā sukhadukkhaṁ palentī’”ti?
“No hetaṁ, bhante”.
“No, sir.”
“Yato kho, bhikkhave, ariyasāvakassa imesu ca ṭhānesu kaṅkhā pahīnā hoti, dukkhepissa kaṅkhā pahīnā hoti …pe… dukkhanirodhagāminiyā paṭipadāyapissa kaṅkhā pahīnā hoti—
“When a noble disciple has given up doubt in these six cases, and has given up doubt in suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the practice that leads to its cessation,
ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako sotāpanno avinipātadhammo niyato sambodhiparāyano”ti.
they’re called a noble disciple who is a stream-enterer, not liable to be reborn in the underworld, bound for awakening.”
Aṭṭhamaṁ.