Thus have I heard—At one time, the Blessed One was staying in the Deer Park at Isipatana near Varanasi.
Now at that time, a number of elder bhikkhus, having returned from their alms round after the meal, were seated and assembled together in the round pavilion. Then this discussion arose among them: “Friends, this was said by the Blessed One to ‘Metteyya’s Questions’ in the |Way to the Far Shore [SnP 5]::last chapter of the Sutta Nipāta; lit. going beyond. Browse its discourses over [here](/snp5) [pārāyana]|:
‘Having known |both ends::a pair of boundary points or conditions [ubhonte]|,
through wisdom, he does not get |entangled::smeared, stuck [lippati]| in the middle;
I call him a great man—
he has gone beyond stitching [existence].’”
“Friends, what is the first end? What is the second end? What is the middle? And what is meant by stitching?” When this was said, one of the elder bhikkhus said to the other bhikkhus:
“|Contact::sense impingement, raw experience, touch [phassa]|, friends is the first end, the |arising of contact::coming into being of contact, origination of contact [phassasamudaya]| is the second end, and the |ending of contact::cessation of contact, ending of sense impingement [phassanirodha]| is the middle. Stitching is a metaphor for craving, for craving stitches into production this or that state of existence. It is in this way that a bhikkhu directly knows what should be directly known, completely comprehends what should be completely comprehended; and by doing so, in this very life, he makes an end of |suffering::discomfort, unpleasantness, discontentment, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, i.e. mild or intense suffering [dukkha]|.”
When this was said, another elder bhikkhu said to the other bhikkhus:
“The past, friends, is the first end; the future is the second end, and the present is the middle. Stitching is a metaphor for craving, for craving stitches into production this or that state of existence. It is in this way that a bhikkhu directly knows what should be directly known, completely comprehends what should be completely comprehended; and by doing so, in this very life, he makes an end of suffering.”
When this was said, another elder bhikkhu said to the other bhikkhus:
“Pleasant feeling, friends, is the first end; painful feeling is the second end, and neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling is the middle. Stitching is a metaphor for craving, for craving stitches into production this or that state of existence. It is in this way that a bhikkhu directly knows what should be directly known, completely comprehends what should be completely comprehended; and by doing so, in this very life, he makes an end of suffering.”
When this was said, another elder bhikkhu said to the other bhikkhus:
“|Mentality::name; mental objects of consciousness, mentality, factors of feeling, perception, intention, contact and attention [nāma]|, friends, is the first end, |materiality::form, matter, physical form, body [rūpa]| is the second end, and |consciousness::quality of awareness — distinctive knowing that arises in dependence on the meeting of eye and form, ear and sound, nose and odor, tongue and taste, body and tangible object, mind and mind object [viññāṇa]| is the middle. Stitching is a metaphor for craving, for craving stitches into production this or that state of existence. It is in this way that a bhikkhu directly knows what should be directly known, completely comprehends what should be completely comprehended; and by doing so, in this very life, he makes an end of suffering.”
When this was said, another elder bhikkhu said to the other bhikkhus:
“The six internal sense bases, friends, are the first end, the six external sense bases are the second end, and consciousness is the middle. Stitching is a metaphor for craving, for craving stitches into production this or that state of existence. It is in this way that a bhikkhu directly knows what should be directly known, completely comprehends what should be completely comprehended; and by doing so, in this very life, he makes an end of suffering.”
When this was said, another elder bhikkhu said to the other bhikkhus:
“|Personal existence::individual identity, embodied being, view that one is the owner of the body and mind [sakkāya]|, friends, is the first end, the arising of personal existence is the second end, and the ending of personal existence is the middle. Stitching is a metaphor for craving, for craving stitches into production this or that state of existence. It is in this way that a bhikkhu directly knows what should be directly known, completely comprehends what should be completely comprehended; and by doing so, in this very life, he makes an end of suffering.”
When this was said, another elder bhikkhu said to the other bhikkhus:
“Friends, we have each given an explanation according to our own |intuition::intelligence, wit, ingenuity [paṭibhāna]|. Let us go to the Blessed One and present this matter to him. In whatever way the Blessed One will explain it, that is how we should remember it.”
“Yes, friend,” the elder bhikkhus replied in agreement to that bhikkhu. Then the elder bhikkhus approached the Blessed One, and having drawn near, they paid homage and sat down to one side. Seated to one side, the elder bhikkhus reported to the Blessed One the entire conversation they had shared together. “Venerable sir, whose words were well spoken?”
“All of you, bhikkhus, have spoken well in your own way. However, it was this that I had in mind when I spoke in the Pārāyana, in ‘Metteyya’s Questions’:
‘Being wise and having known both ends,
he does not get entangled in the middle;
I call him a great man—
he has gone beyond stitching [existence].’
Listen to this and pay close attention, I will speak.”
“Yes, venerable sir,” the elder bhikkhus replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this:
“Contact, bhikkhus, is the first end; the arising of contact is the second end, and the ending of contact is the middle. Stitching is a metaphor for craving, for craving stitches into production this or that state of existence. It is in this way that a bhikkhu directly knows what should be directly known, completely comprehends what should be completely comprehended; and by doing so, in this very life, he makes an end of suffering.”