Sāvatthinidānaṁ.
At Sāvatthi.
“Anamataggoyaṁ, bhikkhave, saṁsāro. Pubbā koṭi na paññāyati avijjānīvaraṇānaṁ sattānaṁ taṇhāsaṁyojanānaṁ sandhāvataṁ saṁsarataṁ.
“Bhikkhus, this |cyclic existence::wandering from one state of existence to another, the cycle of birth and death, moving on continuously [saṁsāra]| is without a discoverable beginning. A first point is not evident of beings who, obstructed by |ignorance::fundamental unawareness or misunderstanding of the true nature of reality, not experientially understanding the four noble truths [avijjā]| and fettered by |craving::wanting, yearning, longing, attachment, lit. thirst [taṇha]|, run on and wander in this cycle of existence.
Hoti so, bhikkhave, samayo yaṁ mahāsamuddo ussussati visussati na bhavati; na tvevāhaṁ, bhikkhave, avijjānīvaraṇānaṁ sattānaṁ taṇhāsaṁyojanānaṁ sandhāvataṁ saṁsarataṁ dukkhassa antakiriyaṁ vadāmi.
There comes a time, bhikkhus, when the great ocean dries up, evaporates, and is no more; yet I do not say there is a making an end to suffering for beings who, obstructed by |ignorance::fundamental unawareness or misunderstanding of the true nature of reality, not experientially understanding the four noble truths [avijjā]| and fettered by |craving::wanting, yearning, longing, attachment, lit. thirst [taṇha]|, run on and wander in this cycle of existence.
Hoti so, bhikkhave, samayo yaṁ sineru pabbatarājā ḍayhati vinassati na bhavati; na tvevāhaṁ, bhikkhave, avijjānīvaraṇānaṁ sattānaṁ taṇhāsaṁyojanānaṁ sandhāvataṁ saṁsarataṁ dukkhassa antakiriyaṁ vadāmi.
There comes a time, bhikkhus, when |Sineru::mythical mountain at the centre of the universe [sineru]|, the king of mountains, burns up, perishes, and is no more; yet I do not say there is a making an end to suffering for beings who, obstructed by ignorance and fettered by craving, run on and wander in this cycle of existence.
Hoti so, bhikkhave, samayo yaṁ mahāpathavī ḍayhati vinassati na bhavati; na tvevāhaṁ, bhikkhave, avijjānīvaraṇānaṁ sattānaṁ taṇhāsaṁyojanānaṁ sandhāvataṁ saṁsarataṁ dukkhassa antakiriyaṁ vadāmi.
There comes a time, bhikkhus, when the great earth burns up, perishes, and is no more; yet I do not say there is a making an end to suffering for beings who, obstructed by ignorance and fettered by craving, run on and wander in this cycle of existence.
Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, sā gaddulabaddho daḷhe khīle vā thambhe vā upanibaddho tameva khīlaṁ vā thambhaṁ vā anuparidhāvati anuparivattati;
Suppose, bhikkhus, a dog tied with a leash was bound to a strong post or pillar; it would just keep running and revolving around that same post or pillar.
evameva kho, bhikkhave, assutavā puthujjano ariyānaṁ adassāvī …pe… sappurisadhamme avinīto rūpaṁ attato samanupassati …pe… vedanaṁ attato samanupassati … saññaṁ attato samanupassati … saṅkhāre attato samanupassati … viññāṇaṁ attato samanupassati, viññāṇavantaṁ vā attānaṁ; attani vā viññāṇaṁ, viññāṇasmiṁ vā attānaṁ. So rūpaññeva anuparidhāvati anuparivattati, vedanaññeva …pe… saññaññeva … saṅkhāreyeva … viññāṇaññeva anuparidhāvati anuparivattati. So rūpaṁ anuparidhāvaṁ anuparivattaṁ, vedanaṁ …pe… saññaṁ … saṅkhāre … viññāṇaṁ anuparidhāvaṁ anuparivattaṁ, na parimuccati rūpamhā, na parimuccati vedanāya, na parimuccati saññāya, na parimuccati saṅkhārehi, na parimuccati viññāṇamhā, na parimuccati jātiyā jarāmaraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi. ‘Na parimuccati dukkhasmā’ti vadāmi.
Even so, bhikkhus, an |uninstructed::uninitiated, untaught, untrained [assutavant]| ordinary person, |who has no regard for::lit. who has not seen [adassāvī]| the Noble Ones and is unskilled and untrained 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 untrained 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 ... perceives |feeling::pleasant, neutral, or painful sensation, the experience felt on contact; second of the five aggregates [vedanā]| as self ... perceives |perception::The mental process of recognizing and giving meaning to experience. It marks sensory information 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 ... perceives |intentional constructs::the constructive activity that shapes each moment of experience, expressed as bodily, verbal, and mental formations; the accumulated conditioning — patterns, tendencies, and habits — produced by prior action [saṅkhārā]| as self ... 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 [viññāṇa]| as self, or self as possessing consciousness, or consciousness as in self, or self as in consciousness. They just keep running and revolving around form, feeling ... perception ... intentional constructs ... consciousness. Running and revolving around form, feeling ... perception ... intentional constructs ... consciousness, they are not freed from form, not freed from feeling, not freed from perception, not freed from intentional constructs, not freed from consciousness; they are not freed from birth, aging and death, from sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair. ‘They are not freed from suffering,’ I say.
Sutavā ca kho, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako ariyānaṁ dassāvī …pe… sappurisadhamme suvinīto, na rūpaṁ attato samanupassati …pe… na vedanaṁ … na saññaṁ … na saṅkhāre … na viññāṇaṁ attato samanupassati, na viññāṇavantaṁ vā attānaṁ; na attani vā viññāṇaṁ, na viññāṇasmiṁ vā attānaṁ. So rūpaṁ nānuparidhāvati nānuparivattati, vedanaṁ … saññaṁ … saṅkhāre … viññāṇaṁ nānuparidhāvati nānuparivattati. So rūpaṁ ananuparidhāvaṁ ananuparivattaṁ, vedanaṁ … saññaṁ … saṅkhāre … viññāṇaṁ ananuparidhāvaṁ ananuparivattaṁ; parimuccati rūpamhā, parimuccati vedanāya, parimuccati saññāya, parimuccati saṅkhārehi, parimuccati viññāṇamhā, parimuccati jātiyā jarāmaraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi. ‘Parimuccati dukkhasmā’ti vadāmī”ti.
A learned disciple of the Noble Ones, bhikkhus, 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 ... does not perceive feeling ... perception ... intentional constructs ... consciousness as self, or self as possessing consciousness, or consciousness as in self, or self as in consciousness. They do not keep running and revolving around form, feeling ... perception ... intentional constructs ... consciousness. Not running and revolving around form, feeling ... perception ... intentional constructs ... consciousness, they are freed from form, freed from feeling, freed from perception, freed from intentional constructs, freed from consciousness; they are freed from birth, aging and death, from sorrow, lamentation, pain, dejection, and despair. ‘They are freed from suffering,’ I say.”