Thus have I heard—At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling at Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrels’ feeding ground.
Then the lay follower Visākha approached the bhikkhunī Dhammadinnā. Having approached and paid his respects to her, he sat down to one side. Once seated, the lay follower Visākha said this to the bhikkhunī Dhammadinnā:
Personal Existence
“‘|Personal existence::individual identity, embodied being, view that one is the owner of the body and mind [sakkāya]|, personal existence,’ ma’am, it is said. What is called personal existence by the Blessed One?”
“Friend Visākha, these |five aggregates that are subject to clinging::the physical and mental heaps that are appropriated, grasped at, or taken as self; the fivefold collection of form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness bound up with attachment [pañca + upādānakkhandha]| are called personal existence by the Blessed One. They are namely: the aggregate of form subject to clinging, the aggregate of feeling subject to clinging, the aggregate of perception subject to clinging, the aggregate of intentional constructs subject to clinging, and the aggregate of consciousness subject to clinging.”
“Good, ma’am,” said the lay follower Visākha, rejoicing in and approving of what was said by the bhikkhunī Dhammadinnā. Then he asked her another question:
“‘|Arising::appearance, origination [samudaya]| of personal existence, arising of personal existence,’ ma’am, it is said. What is called the arising of personal existence by the Blessed One?”
“Friend Visākha, that |craving::wanting, yearning, longing, attachment, lit. thirst [taṇha]| which leads to renewed |existence::continued conditional existence, the karmically conditioned mode of being that leads to future rebirth [bhava]|, accompanied by |delight::pleasure, enjoyment, relish [nandi]| and |passion::intense desire, strong emotion, infatuation, obsession, lust [rāga]|, i.e. |seeking delight here and there::thoroughly enjoying this and that [tatratatrābhinandī]|—namely, craving for sensual pleasure, |craving for becoming::craving for continued existence, desire for a stable identity, attachment to a future self, attainment, or experience [bhavataṇhā]|, and |craving for non-becoming::A craving to end suffering through erasure of current experience or identity, e.g. “This self is unbearable; I want out.” [vibhavataṇhā]| — that, friend Visākha, is called the arising of personal existence by the Blessed One.”
“‘Ending of personal existence, ending of personal existence,’ ma’am, it is said. What is called the ending of personal existence by the Blessed One?”
“Friend Visākha, the |complete fading away and ending::remainderless dispassion and cessation [asesavirāganirodha]| of that very craving, giving up of it, |relinquishing of it::abandoning of it, complete giving up of it [paṭinissagga]|, freedom from it, and |non-reliance on::non-attachment to [anālaya]| it — that, friend Visākha, is called the ending of personal existence by the Blessed One.”
“‘Way of practice leading to the ending of personal existence, way of practice leading to the ending of personal existence,’ ma’am, it is said. What is called the way of practice leading to the ending of personal existence by the Blessed One?”
“Friend Visākha, this Noble Eightfold Path itself is called as the way of practice leading to the ending of personal existence by the Blessed One, namely — |right view::view that is in line with the Dhamma - teachings of the Buddha that point to the nature of reality, the ultimate truth [sammādiṭṭhi]|, |right intention::intention of renunciation, goodwill, and harmlessness; the resolve to let go of craving, ill will, and cruelty, cultivating thoughts that lead to peace and liberation [sammāsaṅkappa]|, |right speech::speech that is truthful, harmonious, gentle, and meaningful; abstaining from false speech, divisive speech, harsh speech, and idle chatter [sammāvācā]|, |right action::action that upholds ethical integrity by abstaining from killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct; bodily conduct aligned with harmlessness and honesty [sammākammanta]|, |right livelihood::means of living that does not cause harm to others or oneself; earning a living ethically without deceit, exploitation, or violence [sammāājīva]|, |right effort::energy and effort directed toward abandoning unwholesome mental states and qualities, and cultivating wholesome ones [sammāvāyāma]|, |right mindfulness::mindfulness that discerns the body, feelings, mind, and mental qualities clearly, grounded in diligent, non-forgetful attention to the present moment [sammāsati]|, and |right collectedness::perfect stability of mind, correct mental composure [sammāsamādhi]|.”
“Ma’am, is |clinging::grasping, acquiring, appropriating, taking possession, identifying [upādāna]| the same as the five aggregates that are subject to clinging, or is clinging something apart from the five aggregates that are subject to clinging?”
“Friend Visākha, clinging is neither the same as the five aggregates that are subject to clinging, nor is it something apart from the five aggregates that are subject to clinging. Whatever |desire and attachment::desire-passion, sensual craving [chandarāga]| there is with regard to the five aggregates that are subject to clinging, that is the clinging there.”
Personal Existence View
“And so, ma’am, how does |personal existence view::view of having an individual identity, as an embodied being, seeing oneself as the owner of the body and mind [sakkāyadiṭṭhi]| come to be?”
“Here, friend Visākha, an uninstructed ordinary person, |who has no regard for::lit. who has not seen [adassāvī]| the Noble Ones, and is unskilled and undisciplined in the |Dhamma::teachings of the Buddha that point to the nature of reality, the ultimate truth [dhamma]| of the Noble Ones, who has no regard for the persons of integrity, and is unskilled and undisciplined in the Dhamma of the persons of integrity, perceives |form::materiality, material existence, experience of the material world, i.e. encompassing both one’s body and external objects, whether near or far, gross or subtle, deficient or refined; first of the five aggregates [rūpa]| as self, or self as possessing form, or form as in self, or self as in form; perceives |felt experience::pleasant, neutral, or painful sensation, feeling felt on contact through eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind; second of the five aggregates [vedanā]| as self, or self as possessing felt experience, or felt experience as in self, or self as in felt experience; perceives |perception::The mental process of recognizing and giving meaning to experience. It marks things by signs, labels, or associations drawn from memory and the field of contact. Perception shapes how one experiences the world; third of the five aggregates [sañña]| as self, or self as possessing perception, or perception as in self, or self as in perception; perceives |intentional constructs::intentions, volitions, choices; mental and bodily volitional activities; thought formations and constructed experiences (including proliferative tendencies); kamma-producing processes; fourth of the five aggregates [saṅkhāra]| as self, or self as possessing intentional constructs, or intentional constructs as in self, or self as in intentional constructs; perceives |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; fifth of the five aggregates [viññāṇa]| as self, or self as possessing consciousness, or consciousness as in self, or self as in consciousness. That is how, friend Visākha, personal existence view comes to be.”
“And so, ma’am, how does personal existence view not come to be?”
“Here, friend Visākha, a well-instructed disciple of the Noble Ones, who has regard for the Noble Ones, and is skilled and trained in the Dhamma of the Noble Ones, who has regard for the persons of integrity, and is skilled and trained in the Dhamma of the persons of integrity, does not perceive form as self, or self as possessing form, or form as existing in the self, or self as existing in form; does not perceive felt experience as self, or self as possessing felt experience, or felt experience as in self, or self as in felt experience; does not perceive perception as self, or self as possessing perception, or perception as in self, or self as in perception; does not perceive intentional constructs as self, or self as possessing intentional constructs, or intentional constructs as in self, or self as in intentional constructs; does not perceive consciousness as self, or self as possessing consciousness, or consciousness as in self, or self as in consciousness. That is how, friend Visākha, personal existence view does not come to be.”
Noble Eightfold Path
“What, ma’am, is the Noble Eightfold Path?”
“Friend Visākha, just this is the Noble Eightfold Path, namely — right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right collectedness.”
”And so, ma’am, is the Noble Eightfold Path |conditioned::constructed, created, fabricated [saṅkhata]| or |unconditioned::not created, unconstructed, unformed, epithet of Nibbāna [asaṅkhata]|?”
“Friend Visākha, the Noble Eightfold Path is conditioned.”
“And so, ma’am, are the |three aggregates::the word aggregate here refers to a body of training principles [tayo + khandhā]| part of the Noble Eightfold Path, or is the Noble Eightfold Path part of the three aggregates?”
“Friend Visākha, the three aggregates are not part of the Noble Eightfold Path. Rather, the Noble Eightfold Path is part of the three aggregates. Right speech, right action, and right livelihood — these qualities are part of the aggregate of |virtue::moral conduct, ethical behavior [sīla]|. Right effort, right mindfulness, and right collectedness — these qualities are part of the aggregate of |collectedness::stability of mind, stillness of mind, mental composure [samādhi]|. Right view and right intention — these qualities are part of the aggregate of |wisdom::distinctive knowledge, discernment [paññā]|.”
Collectedness
“What, ma’am, is collectedness? What qualities are the |basis::foundation, reason [nimitta]| of collectedness? What qualities are |requisites::requirements [parikkhārā]| for collectedness? What is the cultivation of collectedness?”
“|Unification of mind::one-pointedness, concentration, oneness of mind [ekaggatā]|, friend Visākha, is collectedness. The four establishments of mindfulness are the basis of collectedness. The four right efforts are the requisites for collectedness. The |diligent practicing of::repetition of [āsevanā]|, the cultivation of, and frequent practice of these same qualities is the cultivation of collectedness.”
Intentional Constructs
“Ma’am, how many |intentional constructs::intentions, volitions, and choices expressed as mental, verbal, and bodily activities; thought formations and constructed experiences (including proliferative tendencies); processes that produce kamma [saṅkhāra]| are there?”
“There are three intentional constructs, friend Visākha: the |bodily construct::bodily process associated with breathing, specifically the in-and-out breath. It encompasses the physical movements and sensations that arise from the act of breathing. [kāyasaṅkhāra]|, the |verbal construct::mental speech process, such as internal talk, thought in language, or verbal intention in the mind [vacīsaṅkhāra]|, and the |mental construct::mental activity, thought formation, perception and feeling that initiates or shapes a mental action [cittasaṅkhāra]|.”
“And so, ma’am, what is the bodily construct? What is the verbal construct? What is the mental construct?”
“|In-breath and out-breath::breathing in and out [assāsapassāsā]|, friend Visākha, are the bodily construct. |Thinking and examining::inner dialogue, thought process [vitakkavicārā]| are the verbal construct. Perception and feeling are the mental construct.”
“But, why ma’am, are in-breath and out-breath the bodily construct? Why are thinking and examining the verbal construct? Why are perception and feeling the mental construct?”
“In-breath and out-breath, friend Visākha, are bodily, these acts are tied up with the body; therefore, in-breath and out-breath are the bodily construct. First, friend Visākha, one thinks and examines, and afterwards breaks into speech; therefore, thinking and examining are the verbal construct. Perception and feeling are mental, these phenomena are tied up with the mind; therefore, perception and feeling are the mental construct.”
Attainment of Cessation of Perception and Feeling
“And how, ma’am, does the attainment of |cessation of perception and feeling::ending of recognition and felt experience, cessation of conception and what is felt [saññāvedayitanirodha]| come to be?”
“Friend Visākha, when a bhikkhu is attaining the cessation of perception and feeling, it does not occur to him: ‘I shall attain the cessation of perception and feeling,’ or ‘I am attaining the cessation of perception and feeling,’ or ‘I have attained the cessation of perception and feeling.’ Rather, his mind has previously been cultivated in such a way that it leads him to that state.”
“Ma’am, when a bhikkhu is attaining the cessation of perception and feeling, which states cease in him first—the bodily construct, the verbal construct, or the mental construct?”
“When a bhikkhu is attaining the cessation of perception and feeling, friend Visākha, first the verbal construct ceases, then the bodily construct, then the mental construct.”
“And how, ma’am, does emergence from the attainment of cessation of perception and feeling come to be?”
“When a bhikkhu is emerging from the attainment of cessation of perception and feeling, friend Visākha, it does not occur to him: ‘I shall emerge from the attainment of cessation of perception and feeling,’ or ‘I am emerging from the attainment of cessation of perception and feeling,’ or ‘I have emerged from the attainment of cessation of perception and feeling.’ Rather, his mind has previously been cultivated in such a way that it leads him to that state.”
“And ma’am, when a bhikkhu is emerging from the attainment of cessation of perception and feeling, which states arise first in him—the bodily construct, the verbal construct, or the mental construct?”
“When a bhikkhu is emerging from the attainment of cessation of perception and feeling, friend Visākha, first the mental construct arises, then the bodily construct, then the verbal construct.”
“And ma’am, when a bhikkhu has emerged from the attainment of cessation of perception and feeling, how many kinds of contact touch him?”
“When a bhikkhu has emerged from the attainment of cessation of perception and feeling, friend Visākha, three kinds of contact touch him—|emptiness::voidness, essencelessness [suññata]| contact, |signless::featureless, free of mental images, without any sign of trouble [animitta]| contact, |undirected::unguided, without intent [appaṇihita]| contact.”
“Having emerged from the attainment of cessation of perception and feeling, ma’am, to what does a bhikkhu’s mind incline, to what does it lean, to what does it tend?”
“Having emerged from the attainment of cessation of perception and feeling, friend Visākha, a bhikkhu’s mind inclines towards |seclusion::solitude, detachment [viveka]|, leans towards seclusion, tends towards seclusion.”
Felt Experience
“Ma’am, how many kinds of felt experience are there?”
“Friend Visākha, there are three kinds of felt experience—pleasant felt experience, painful felt experience, and neither-painful-nor-pleasant felt experience.”
“And ma’am, what is a pleasant felt experience? What is a painful felt experience? And what is neither-painful-nor-pleasant felt experience?”
“Whatever, friend Visākha, is bodily or mentally felt as comfortable and agreeable is a pleasant felt experience. Whatever, friend Visākha, is bodily or mentally felt as uncomfortable and disagreeable is a painful felt experience. Whatever, friend Visākha, is bodily or mentally felt as neither agreeable nor disagreeable is a neither-painful-nor-pleasant felt experience.”
“Ma’am, what is pleasant and what is painful in regard to pleasant felt experience? What is painful and what is pleasant in regard to painful felt experience? What is pleasant and what is painful in regard to neither-painful-nor-pleasant felt experience?”
“Friend Visākha, a pleasant felt experience is pleasant while it persists and painful when it |changes::alters, transforms [vipariṇāma]|. A painful felt experience is painful while it persists and pleasant when it changes. A neither-painful-nor-pleasant felt experience is pleasant when known and unpleasant when not known.”
Underlying Tendencies
“Ma’am, what underlying tendency underlies pleasant felt experience? What underlying tendency underlies painful felt experience? What underlying tendency underlies neither-painful-nor-pleasant felt experience?”
“Friend Visākha, the |underlying tendency towards desire::latent disposition towards sensuality [rāgānusaya]| underlies pleasant felt experience. The |underlying tendency to aversion::inherent inclination towards resistence [paṭighānusaya]| underlies painful felt experience. The |underlying tendency to ignorance::inherent inclination towards not understanding [avijjānusaya]| underlies neither-painful-nor-pleasant felt experience.”
“Ma’am, does the underlying tendency towards desire underlie all pleasant felt experience? Does the underlying tendency to aversion underlie all painful felt experience? Does the underlying tendency to ignorance underlie all neither-painful-nor-pleasant felt experience?”
“Friend Visākha, the underlying tendency towards desire does not underlie all pleasant felt experience. The underlying tendency to aversion does not underlie all painful felt experience. The underlying tendency to ignorance does not underlie all neither-painful-nor-pleasant felt experience.”
“Ma’am, what should be abandoned in regard to pleasant felt experience? What should be abandoned in regard to painful felt experience? What should be abandoned in regard to neither-painful-nor-pleasant felt experience?”
“Friend Visākha, the underlying tendency towards desire should be abandoned in regard to pleasant felt experience. The underlying tendency towards aversion should be abandoned in regard to painful felt experience. The underlying tendency towards ignorance should be abandoned in regard to neither-painful-nor-pleasant felt experience.”
“Ma’am, does the underlying tendency towards desire have to be abandoned in regard to all pleasant felt experience? Does the underlying tendency towards desire have to be abandoned in regard to all painful felt experience? Does the underlying tendency towards desire have to be abandoned in regard to all neither-painful-nor-pleasant felt experience?”
“Friend Visākha, the underlying tendency towards desire does not have to be abandoned in regard to all pleasant felt experience. The underlying tendency towards aversion does not have to be abandoned in regard to all painful felt experience. The underlying tendency towards ignorance does not have to be abandoned in regard to all neither-painful-nor-pleasant felt experience.
Here, friend Visākha, quite secluded from sensual pleasures and |unwholesome::unhealthy, unskillful, unbeneficial, or karmically unprofitable [akusala]| mental states, enters and dwells in the first jhāna, which is |accompanied by reflection::with thinking [savitakka]| and |examination::with investigation, evaluation [savicāra]|, |born of seclusion::secluded from the defilements [vivekaja]|, and is |imbued with joyful pleasure::imbued with joy and happiness, with delight and ease, sometimes experienced as an intense joy or pleasure, rapture [pītisukha]|. With that, he abandons |passion::intense desire, strong emotion, infatuation, obsession, lust [rāga]|, and the underlying tendency towards desire does not underlie that.
Here, friend Visākha, a bhikkhu considers thus: ‘When will I enter upon and dwell in |that base::that domain, that dimension [tadāyatana]| which the noble ones now enter upon and dwell in?’ In one who thus generates a |longing::wanting, yearning [pihā]| for the unsurpassed liberations, |mental distress::dejection, depression, unhappiness, grief, negative state of mind [domanassa]| arises due to that longing. With that he abandons |aversion::mental resistance, irritation, conflict [paṭigha]|, and the underlying tendency towards aversion does not underlie that.
Here, friend Visākha, with the abandoning of pleasure and pain, and with the settling down of |joy and sorrow::craving and aversion, pleasure and displeasure, satisfaction and dissatisfaction, gladness and dejection, positive state of mind and negative state of mind [somanassadomanassa]|, a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the fourth jhāna, which is characterized by purification of |mindfulness::full awareness and recollection of the body, feelings, mind, and mental qualities, observing them clearly with sustained attention, free from craving and distress [sati]| through |equanimity::mental poise, mental balance, equipoise, non-reactivity, composure [upekkhā]|, experiencing a feeling which is neither-painful-nor-pleasant. With that he abandons |ignorance::fundamental unawareness or misunderstanding of the true nature of reality, not experientially understanding the four noble truths [avijjā]|, and the underlying tendency to ignorance does not underlie that.”
Counterparts
“What ma’am, is the counterpart of pleasant felt experience?”
“Friend Visākha, painful felt experience is te counterpart of pleasant felt experience.”
“And so ma’am, what is the counterpart of painful felt experience?”
“Pleasant felt experience, friend Visākha, is the counterpart of painful felt experience.”
“And what ma’am, is the counterpart of neither-painful-nor-pleasant felt experience?”
“Ignorance, friend Visākha, is the counterpart of neither-painful-nor-pleasant felt experience.”
“And so ma’am, what is the counterpart of ignorance?”
“|True knowledge::wisdom, the direct realization of truth [vijjā]|, friend Visākha, is the counterpart of ignorance.”
“And what ma’am, is the counterpart of true knowledge?”
“|Liberation::release, deliverance, freedom, emancipation [vimutti]|, friend Visākha, is the counterpart of true knowledge.”
“And what ma’am, is the counterpart of liberation?”
“|Nibbāna::complete cooling, letting go of everything, deathless, freedom from calamity, the non-disintegrating [nibbāna]|, friend Visākha, is the counterpart of liberation.”
“And what ma’am, is the counterpart of Nibbāna?”
“Friend Visākha, you have pushed the line of questioning too far; you were unable to grasp the limit of questions. For the |spiritual life::a life of celibacy, contemplation, and ethical discipline lived for the sake of liberation; oriented toward inner development rather than sensual pleasures [brahmacariya]|, friend Visākha, is grounded upon Nibbāna, culminates in Nibbāna, and has Nibbāna as its end. And if you wish, friend Visākha, you may go directly to the Blessed One and ask him about this matter. As the Blessed One explains it to you, so you should remember it.”
Then the lay follower Visākha, having delighted and rejoiced in the bhikkhunī Dhammadinnā’s words, rose from his seat, and after paying his respects to her, keeping her on his right, he went to the Blessed One. After paying having bowed down to him, he sat down at one side and told the Blessed One his entire conversation with the bhikkhunī Dhammadinnā.
When he had finished speaking, the Blessed One told him: “The bhikkhunī Dhammadinnā is wise, Visākha, the bhikkhunī Dhammadinnā has great wisdom. If you had asked me the meaning of this, I would have explained it to you in the same way that the bhikkhunī Dhammadinnā has explained it. Such is its meaning, and so you should remember it.”
The Blessed One said this. The lay follower Visākha was satisfied and rejoiced in the Blessed One’s words.