Thus have I heard—At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling at Rājagaha on Vulture Peak Mountain. Then |Sakka::name of the king of the deities [sakka]|, lord of the gods, approached the Blessed One. Having drawn near, he paid homage to the Blessed One and stood to one side. Standing there, Sakka, lord of the gods, said this to the Blessed One:
“What, venerable sir, is the cause, what is the supporting condition, whereby some beings here do not attain |Nibbāna::complete cooling, letting go of everything, deathless, freedom from calamity, the non-disintegrating [nibbāna]| in this very life? And what, venerable sir, is the cause, what is the supporting condition, whereby some beings here do attain Nibbāna in this very life?”
“There are, lord of the gods, |forms::visible objects such as beautiful sights, faces, expressions, art, ornaments, possessions, status symbols, admired appearances, enticing scenery, or objects of desire and attachment [rūpe]| cognizable by the eye that are desirable, lovely, agreeable, pleasing, sensual, and |enticing::arousing, tantalizing [rajanīya]|. If a bhikkhu delight in them, welcomes them, and |remains holding to them::remains fixated on them [ajjhosāya + tiṭṭhati]|, then for that one who delights, welcomes, and clings to them, consciousness becomes dependent on that and is bound up with clinging. A bhikkhu |with clinging::with attachment, lit. with taking near [saupādāna]|, lord of the gods, does not attain final Nibbāna.
There are, lord of the gods, |sounds::auditory experiences such as speech, music, praise, blame, ambient noise, verbal expression, or melodic tones—any sound that can stir emotion, craving for praise, aesthetic delight, or attachment to communication and identity [saddā]| cognizable by the ear that are desirable, lovely, agreeable, pleasing, sensual, and enticing. If a bhikkhu delights in them, welcomes them, and remains holding to them, then for that one who delights, welcomes, and clings to them, consciousness becomes dependent on that and is bound up with clinging. A bhikkhu with clinging, lord of the gods, does not attain final Nibbāna.
There are, lord of the gods, |odors::smells and fragrances experienced through the nose, including perfumes, flowers, food aromas, earth after rain, incense, or even stench—any olfactory experience that may evoke craving, aversion, nostalgia, comfort, or sensual pleasure [gandhā]| cognizable by the nose that are desirable, lovely, agreeable, pleasing, sensual, and enticing. If a bhikkhu delights in them, welcomes them, and remains holding to them, then for that one who delights, welcomes, and clings to them, consciousness becomes dependent on that and is bound up with clinging. A bhikkhu with clinging, lord of the gods, does not attain final Nibbāna.
There are, lord of the gods, |tastes::flavors experienced through the tongue such as sweetness, bitterness, sourness, saltiness, spiciness, richness, or subtle tastes like umami or astringency—any gustatory experience that can become an object of craving, indulgence, comfort, or sensory delight [rasā]| cognizable by the tongue that are desirable, lovely, agreeable, pleasing, sensual, and enticing. If a bhikkhu delights in them, welcomes them, and remains holding to them, then for that one who delights, welcomes, and clings to them, consciousness becomes dependent on that and is bound up with clinging. A bhikkhu with clinging, lord of the gods, does not attain final Nibbāna.
There are, lord of the gods, |tangible objects::tangible contact such as the feel of skin, warmth, softness, intimacy, physical affection, or sensations like massage, breath, water, air, pressure—anything felt through the body that can become an object of desire, arousal, comfort, or emotional attachment [phoṭṭhabba]| cognizable by the body that are desirable, lovely, agreeable, pleasing, sensual, and enticing. If a bhikkhu delights in them, welcomes them, and remains holding to them, then for that one who delights, welcomes, and clings to them, consciousness becomes dependent on that and is bound up with clinging. A bhikkhu with clinging, lord of the gods, does not attain final Nibbāna.
There are, lord of the gods, |mental objects::thoughts, ideas, memories, intentions, perceptions, concepts, beliefs, mental images, or fabrications arising from past experiences and future projections [dhammā]| cognizable by the mind that are desirable, lovely, agreeable, pleasing, sensual, and enticing. If a bhikkhu delights in them, welcomes them, and remains holding to them, then for that one who delights, welcomes, and clings to them, consciousness becomes dependent on that and is bound up with clinging. A bhikkhu with clinging, lord of the gods, does not attain final Nibbāna.
And there are, lord of the gods, forms cognizable by the eye that are desirable, lovely, agreeable, pleasing, sensual, and enticing. If a bhikkhu does not delight in them, does not welcome them, and does not remain holding to them, then for that one who does not delight, does not welcome, and does not cling to them, consciousness does not become dependent on that and is not bound up with clinging. A bhikkhu |without clinging::without attachment, without grasping, lit. not taking near [anupādāna]|, lord of the gods, attains final Nibbāna.
And there are, lord of the gods, sounds cognizable by the ear that are desirable, lovely, agreeable, pleasing, sensual, and enticing. If a bhikkhu does not delight in them, does not welcome them, and does not remain holding to them, then for that one who does not delight, does not welcome, and does not cling to them, consciousness does not become dependent on that and is not bound up with clinging. A bhikkhu without clinging, lord of the gods, attains final Nibbāna.
And there are, lord of the gods, odors cognizable by the nose that are desirable, lovely, agreeable, pleasing, sensual, and enticing. If a bhikkhu does not delight in them, does not welcome them, and does not remain holding to them, then for that one who does not delight, does not welcome, and does not cling to them, consciousness does not become dependent on that and is not bound up with clinging. A bhikkhu without clinging, lord of the gods, attains final Nibbāna.
And there are, lord of the gods, tastes cognizable by the tongue that are desirable, lovely, agreeable, pleasing, sensual, and enticing. If a bhikkhu does not delight in them, does not welcome them, and does not remain holding onto them, then for that one who does not delight, does not welcome, and does not cling to them, consciousness does not become dependent on that and is not bound up with clinging. A bhikkhu without clinging, lord of the gods, attains final Nibbāna.
And there are, lord of the gods, tangibles cognizable by the body that are desirable, lovely, agreeable, pleasing, sensual, and enticing. If a bhikkhu does not delight in them, does not welcome them, and does not remain holding to them, then for that one who does not delight, does not welcome, and does not cling to them, consciousness does not become dependent on that and is not bound up with clinging. A bhikkhu without clinging, lord of the gods, attains final Nibbāna.
And there are, lord of the gods, mental objects cognizable by the mind that are desirable, lovely, agreeable, pleasing, sensual, and enticing. If a bhikkhu does not delight in them, does not welcome them, and does not remain holding to them, then for that one who does not delight, does not welcome, and does not cling to them, consciousness does not become dependent on that and is not bound up with clinging. A bhikkhu without clinging, lord of the gods, attains final Nibbāna.