Thus have I heard—At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthi, in Jeta‘s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park. There the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: “Bhikkhus!”
“Venerable sir,” the bhikkhus replied. The Blessed One said this:
“Bhikkhus, to what extent should a bhikkhu investigate thoroughly for the |complete ending of suffering::extinction of stress, complete wearing away of discontentment [dukkhakkhaya]|?”
“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 if the Blessed One would clear up the meaning of this statement. Having heard it from the Blessed One, the bhikkhus will remember it.”
“Then, bhikkhus, listen to this and pay close attention, I will speak.”
“Yes, venerable sir,” those bhikkhus replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this:
“Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu investigating thoroughly reflects: ‘What is the |source::origin, foundation [nidāna]|, what is the |arising::appearance, origination [samudaya]|, what is the |characteristic::nature, quality, type [jātika]|, and from what do the various kinds of suffering that arise in the world [headed by] aging and death |come into being::generated by [pabhava]|? When what is present do aging and death arise, and when what is absent do aging and death not arise?’ Investigating thoroughly, he understands: ‘The various kinds of suffering that arise in the world headed by aging and death, have birth as their source, birth as their arising, birth as their characteristic, and they come into being from birth. When birth is present, aging and death arise; when birth is absent, aging and death do not arise.’
Thus, he understands aging and death, the arising of aging and death, the ending of aging and death, and the way of practice that is suitable for leading to the ending of aging and death. He then practices and lives according to the |Dhamma::teachings of the Buddha that point to the nature of reality, the ultimate truth [dhamma]|. This, bhikkhus, is called a bhikkhu who has fully and rightly entered upon the path for the complete ending of suffering, for the ending of aging and death.”
Then, investigating further, he reflects: ‘What is the source of this |birth::rebirth, conception, coming into existence [jāti]|, what is its arising, what is its characteristic, and from what does this birth come into being? When what is present does birth arise, and when what is absent does birth not arise?’ Investigating thoroughly, he understands: ‘This birth has existence as its source, existence as its arising, existence as its characteristic, and it comes into being from existence. When existence is present, birth arises; when existence is absent, birth does not arise.’
Thus, he understands birth, its arising, its ending, and the way of practice that is suitable for leading to the end of birth. He then practices and lives according to the Dhamma. This, bhikkhus, is called a bhikkhu who has fully and rightly entered upon the path for the complete ending of suffering, for the ending of birth.
Then, investigating further, he reflects: ‘What is the source of this existence, what is its arising, what is its characteristic, and from what does this |existence::continued conditional existence, the karmically conditioned mode of being that leads to future rebirth [bhava]| come into being? ... What is the source of this |clinging::grasping, acquiring, appropriating, taking possession, identifying [upādāna]|? ... What is the source of this |craving::wanting, yearning, longing, attachment, lit. thirst [taṇha]|? ... What is the source of this |felt experience::pleasant, neutral, or painful sensation, feeling, second of the five aggregates [vedanā]|? ... What is the source of this |contact::sense impingement, raw experience, touch [phassa]|? ... What is the source of these |six sense bases::The six internal sense bases—eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind—are the faculties that enable sensory contact and experience. They are not the physical organs themselves, but the functional conditions that enable consciousness to meet an object [saḷāyatana]|? ... What is the source of this |name and form::mentality and materiality—the integrated structure of mental capacities (intention, attention, contact, feeling, perception) and physical form that together constitute and sustain an individual being [nāmarūpa]|? ... What is the source of this |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]|? ... What is the source of these |intentional constructs::intentions, volitions, choices; mental and bodily volitional activities; thought formations and constructed experiences (including proliferative tendencies); kamma-producing processes [saṅkhāra]|? What is their arising, what is their characteristic, and from what do they come into being? When what is present do intentional constructs arise, and when what is absent do intentional constructs not arise?’ Investigating thoroughly, he understands: ‘These intentional constructs have ignorance as their source, ignorance as their arising, ignorance as their characteristic, and they come into being from ignorance. When ignorance is present, intentional constructs arise; when ignorance is absent, intentional constructs do not arise.’
Thus, he understands intentional constructs, their arising, their ending, and the way of practice that is suitable for leading to the end of intentional constructs. He then practices and lives according to the Dhamma. This, bhikkhus, is called a bhikkhu who has fully and rightly entered upon the path for the complete ending of suffering, for the ending of intentional constructs.
Bhikkhus, when a person immersed in |ignorance::fundamental unawareness or misunderstanding of the true nature of reality, not experientially understanding the four noble truths [avijjā]| |constructs::formulates, fabricates, fashions, generates [abhisaṅkharoti]| a meritorious intention, their consciousness is directed towards a meritorious destination. If they construct a demeritorious intention, their consciousness is directed towards a demeritorious destination. If they construct an |imperturbable::motionless, perfectly still [āneñja]| intention, their consciousness is directed towards the imperturbable. But bhikkhus, when a bhikkhu has abandoned ignorance and aroused wisdom, then, with the fading away of ignorance and the arising of wisdom, they neither construct meritorious intention, nor demeritorious intention, nor an imperturbable intention. Not constructing, not intending, they do not cling to anything in the world. By not clinging, they remain |without agitation::without worry, untroubled, undisturbed, unshaken [aparitassa]|. Remaining without agitation, they personally attain final Nibbāna.
They understand: ‘Birth is ended, the spiritual life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming to any state of existence.’
If he experiences a pleasant feeling, he understands: ‘It is impermanent,’ he understands: ‘It is not clung to,’ he understands: ‘It is not delighted in.’ If he experiences a painful feeling, he understands: ‘It is impermanent,’ he understands: ‘It is not clung to,’ he understands: ‘It is not delighted in.’ If he experiences a |neither-painful-nor-pleasant::neutral sensation, feeling which is neither unpleasant nor pleasant, neither comfortable nor uncomfortable sensation [adukkhamasukha]| feeling, he understands: ‘It is impermanent,’ he understands: ‘It is not clung to,’ he understands: ‘It is not delighted in.’ If he experiences a pleasant feeling, he experiences it |disentangled::detached [visaṃyutta]|. If he experiences a painful feeling, he experiences it disentangled. If he experiences a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, he experiences it disentangled.
Experiencing a felt experience terminating with the body, he understands: ‘I am experiencing a felt experience terminating with the body.’ Experiencing a feeling terminating with life, he understands: ‘I am experiencing a feeling terminating with life.’ He understands: ‘With the breakup of the body, following the exhaustion of life, all that is experienced, not being delighted in, will become cool right here; merely body remains will be left.’
Suppose, bhikkhus, a person might take a hot pot from a potter’s furnace and place it on a level surface: its heat would dissipate right there and merely pottery shards would remain.
So too, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu experiencing a feeling terminating with the body understands: ‘I am experiencing a feeling terminating with the body.’ Experiencing a feeling terminating with life, he understands: ‘I am experiencing a feeling terminating with life.’ He understands: ‘With the breakup of the body, following the exhaustion of life, all that is experienced, not being delighted in, will become cool right here; merely body remains will be left.’
What do you think, bhikkhus, can a bhikkhu |whose mental defilements are ended::who is awakened through the complete exhaustion of the mental effluents, taints [khīṇāsava]| construct a meritorious intention, a demeritorious intention, or an imperturbable intention?“
”No, venerable sir.“
”Or further, when there are utterly no intentional constructs, with the ending of intentional constructs, could consciousness be discerned?“
”No, venerable sir.“
”Or further, when there is utterly no consciousness, with the ending of consciousness, could name and form be discerned?“
”No, venerable sir.“
”Or further, when there is utterly no name and form, with the ending of name and form, could the six sense bases be discerned?“
”No, venerable sir.“
”Or further, when there are utterly no six sense bases, with the ending of the six sense bases, could contact be discerned?“
”No, venerable sir.“
”Or further, when there is utterly no contact, with the ending of contact, could felt experience be discerned?“
”No, venerable sir.“
”Or further, when there is utterly no felt experience, with the ending of felt experience, could craving be discerned?“
”No, venerable sir.“
”Or further, when there is utterly no craving, with the ending of craving, could clinging be discerned?“
”No, venerable sir.“
”Or further, when there is utterly no clinging, with the ending of clinging, could existence be discerned?“
”No, venerable sir.“
”Or further, when there is utterly no existence, with the ending of existence, could birth be discerned?“
”No, venerable sir.“
”Or further, when there is utterly no birth, with the ending of birth, could aging and death be discerned?“
”No, venerable sir.“
”Good, good, bhikkhus. Thus it is, bhikkhus, it is not otherwise. Have faith in me on this, bhikkhus. Accept it with firm resolve. Be free from perplexity and doubt about this. This is the end of suffering.”