“Sace, bhikkhave, aññatitthiyā paribbājakā evaṁ puccheyyuṁ: ‘tayome, āvuso, dhammā. Katame tayo? Rāgo, doso, moho— ime kho, āvuso, tayo dhammā. Imesaṁ, āvuso, tiṇṇaṁ dhammānaṁ ko viseso ko adhippayāso kiṁ nānākaraṇan’ti? Evaṁ puṭṭhā tumhe, bhikkhave, tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ kinti byākareyyāthā”ti?
“If|, bhikkhus,::::| wanderers of other sects should ask you thus: ‘Friends, there are these three things. What three? |Passion::intense desire, strong emotion, infatuation, obsession, lust [rāga]|, |aversion::hatred, hostility, mental attitude of rejection, fault-finding, resentful disapproval [dosa]|, |delusion::illusion, misperception, erroneous belief, false idea, misapprehension; a fundamental distortion of reality that sustains confusion, clouds discernment, and fuels further doubt [moha]|—these, friends, are the three things. What, friends, is the distinction, what is the disparity, what is the difference between these three things?’ Being asked thus, |bhikkhus,::::| how would you answer those wanderers of other sects?”
“Bhagavaṁmūlakā no, bhante, dhammā bhagavaṁnettikā bhagavaṁpaṭisaraṇā. Sādhu vata, bhante, bhagavantaṁyeva paṭibhātu etassa bhāsitassa attho. Bhagavato sutvā bhikkhū dhāressantī”ti.
“Venerable sir, our teachings are rooted in the Blessed One, guided by the Blessed One, and have the Blessed One as their refuge. It would be good, venerable sir, if the Blessed One himself would clarify the meaning of this statement. Having heard it from the Blessed One, the bhikkhus will remember it.”
“Tena hi, bhikkhave, suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī”ti.
“Then listen to this|, bhikkhus,::::| and pay close attention; I will speak.”
“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. Bhagavā etadavoca:
“Yes, venerable sir,” the bhikkhus replied. The Blessed One said this:
“Sace, bhikkhave, aññatitthiyā paribbājakā evaṁ puccheyyuṁ: ‘tayome, āvuso, dhammā. Katame tayo? Rāgo, doso, moho— ime kho, āvuso, tayo dhammā; imesaṁ, āvuso, tiṇṇaṁ dhammānaṁ ko viseso ko adhippayāso kiṁ nānākaraṇan’ti? Evaṁ puṭṭhā tumhe, bhikkhave, tesaṁ aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānaṁ evaṁ byākareyyātha: ‘rāgo kho, āvuso, appasāvajjo dandhavirāgī, doso mahāsāvajjo khippavirāgī, moho mahāsāvajjo dandhavirāgī’ti.
“If|, bhikkhus,::::| wanderers of other sects should ask you thus: ‘Friends, there are these three things. What three? Passion, aversion, delusion—these, friends, are the three things. What, friends, is the distinction, what is the disparity, what is the difference between these three things?’ Being asked thus, |bhikkhus,::::| you should answer those wanderers of other sects like this: ‘Friends, passion is slightly blameworthy but slow to fade away; aversion is highly blameworthy but quick to fade away; delusion is highly blameworthy and slow to fade away.’
Superficial Attention
‘Ko panāvuso, hetu ko paccayo yena anuppanno vā rāgo uppajjati uppanno vā rāgo bhiyyobhāvāya vepullāya saṁvattatī’ti? ‘“Subhanimittan”tissa vacanīyaṁ. Tassa subhanimittaṁ ayoniso manasi karoto anuppanno vā rāgo uppajjati uppanno vā rāgo bhiyyobhāvāya vepullāya saṁvattati. Ayaṁ kho, āvuso, hetu ayaṁ paccayo yena anuppanno vā rāgo uppajjati uppanno vā rāgo bhiyyobhāvāya vepullāya saṁvattatī’ti.
‘But what, friends, is the cause, what is the reason why unarisen passion arises, and arisen passion increases and expands?’ ‘“|The sign of the beautiful::a beautiful mental image, an attractive object that is the basis for lust [subhanimitta]|,” you should answer. For one |attending superficially::attending unwisely, attending peripherally, content-bound reflection; lit. attention not from the source [ayonisomanasikāra]| to the sign of the beautiful, unarisen passion arises, and arisen passion increases and expands. This, friends, is the cause, this is the reason why unarisen passion arises, and arisen passion increases and expands.’
‘Ko panāvuso, hetu ko paccayo yena anuppanno vā doso uppajjati uppanno vā doso bhiyyobhāvāya vepullāya saṁvattatī’ti? ‘“Paṭighanimittan”tissa vacanīyaṁ. Tassa paṭighanimittaṁ ayoniso manasi karoto anuppanno vā doso uppajjati uppanno vā doso bhiyyobhāvāya vepullāya saṁvattati. Ayaṁ kho, āvuso, hetu ayaṁ paccayo yena anuppanno vā doso uppajjati uppanno vā doso bhiyyobhāvāya vepullāya saṁvattatī’ti.
‘But what, friends, is the cause, what is the reason why unarisen aversion arises, and arisen aversion increases and expands?’ ‘“An |aversive mental image::sign of resistance, mental image which agitates or disturbs one [paṭighanimitta]|,” you should answer. For one attending superficially to an aversive mental image, unarisen aversion arises, and arisen aversion increases and expands. This, friends, is the cause, this is the reason why unarisen aversion arises, and arisen aversion increases and expands.’
‘Ko panāvuso, hetu ko paccayo yena anuppanno vā moho uppajjati uppanno vā moho bhiyyobhāvāya vepullāya saṁvattatī’ti? ‘“Ayoniso manasikāro”tissa vacanīyaṁ. Tassa ayoniso manasi karoto anuppanno vā moho uppajjati uppanno vā moho bhiyyobhāvāya vepullāya saṁvattati. Ayaṁ kho, āvuso, hetu ayaṁ paccayo yena anuppanno vā moho uppajjati uppanno vā moho bhiyyobhāvāya vepullāya saṁvattatī’ti.
‘But what, friends, is the cause, what is the reason why unarisen delusion arises, and arisen delusion increases and expands?’ ‘“Superficial attention,” you should answer. For one attending superficially, unarisen delusion arises, and arisen delusion increases and expands. This, friends, is the cause, this is the reason why unarisen delusion arises, and arisen delusion increases and expands.’
Radical Attention
‘Ko panāvuso, hetu ko paccayo yena anuppanno ceva rāgo nuppajjati uppanno ca rāgo pahīyatī’ti? ‘“Asubhanimittan”tissa vacanīyaṁ. Tassa asubhanimittaṁ yoniso manasi karoto anuppanno ceva rāgo nuppajjati uppanno ca rāgo pahīyati. Ayaṁ kho, āvuso, hetu ayaṁ paccayo yena anuppanno ceva rāgo nuppajjati uppanno ca rāgo pahīyatī’ti.
‘But what, friends, is the cause, what is the reason why unarisen passion does not arise, and arisen passion is abandoned?’ ‘“An |unattractive mental image::sign of the unattractive, repulsive mental image, unattractive appearance [asubhanimitta]|,” you should answer. For one |attending radically::wisely attending, attending to the structural source, contextually reflecting; lit. attending from the source [yoniso + manasi + karoti]| to an unattractive mental image, unarisen passion does not arise, and arisen passion is abandoned. This, friends, is the cause, this is the reason why unarisen passion does not arise, and arisen passion is abandoned.’
‘Ko panāvuso, hetu ko paccayo yena anuppanno ceva doso nuppajjati uppanno ca doso pahīyatī’ti? ‘“Mettā cetovimuttī”tissa vacanīyaṁ. Tassa mettaṁ cetovimuttiṁ yoniso manasi karoto anuppanno ceva doso nuppajjati uppanno ca doso pahīyati. Ayaṁ kho, āvuso, hetu ayaṁ paccayo yena anuppanno ceva doso nuppajjati uppanno ca doso pahīyatī’ti.
‘But what, friends, is the cause, what is the reason why unarisen aversion does not arise, and arisen aversion is abandoned?’ ‘“The |liberation of mind::emancipated by mind/heart, samādhi obtained from fruition [cetovimutti]| through |loving-kindness::goodwill, friendliness, benevolence [metta]|,” you should answer. For one attending radically to the liberation of mind through loving-kindness, unarisen aversion does not arise, and arisen aversion is abandoned. This, friends, is the cause, this is the reason why unarisen aversion does not arise, and arisen aversion is abandoned.’
‘Ko panāvuso, hetu ko paccayo yena anuppanno ceva moho nuppajjati uppanno ca moho pahīyatī’ti? ‘“Yonisomanasikāro”tissa vacanīyaṁ. Tassa yoniso manasi karoto anuppanno ceva moho nuppajjati uppanno ca moho pahīyati. Ayaṁ kho, āvuso, hetu ayaṁ paccayo yena anuppanno vā moho nuppajjati uppanno ca moho pahīyatī’”ti.
‘But what, friends, is the cause, what is the reason why unarisen delusion does not arise, and arisen delusion is abandoned?’ ‘“Radical attention,” you should answer. For one attending radically, unarisen delusion does not arise, and arisen delusion is abandoned. This, friends, is the cause, this is the reason why unarisen delusion does not arise, and arisen delusion is abandoned.’”