The Buddha teaches on the six sense bases regarding in search of gratification (interior), guiding disciples toward discernment of sense experience and release from clinging.

SN 35.15 In Search of Gratification (Interior)

“Cakkhussāhaṁ, bhikkhave, assādapariyesanaṁ acariṁ. Yo cakkhussa assādo tadajjhagamaṁ. Yāvatā cakkhussa assādo paññāya me so sudiṭṭho. Cakkhussāhaṁ, bhikkhave, ādīnavapariyesanaṁ acariṁ. Yo cakkhussa ādīnavo tadajjhagamaṁ. Yāvatā cakkhussa ādīnavo paññāya me so sudiṭṭho. Cakkhussāhaṁ, bhikkhave, nissaraṇapariyesanaṁ acariṁ. Yaṁ cakkhussa nissaraṇaṁ tadajjhagamaṁ. Yāvatā cakkhussa nissaraṇaṁ, paññāya me taṁ sudiṭṭhaṁ.

Sotassāhaṁ, bhikkhaveghānassāhaṁ, bhikkhavejivhāyāhaṁ bhikkhave, assādapariyesanaṁ acariṁ. Yo jivhāya assādo tadajjhagamaṁ. Yāvatā jivhāya assādo paññāya me so sudiṭṭho. Jivhāyāhaṁ, bhikkhave, ādīnavapariyesanaṁ acariṁ. Yo jivhāya ādīnavo tadajjhagamaṁ. Yāvatā jivhāya ādīnavo paññāya me so sudiṭṭho. Jivhāyāhaṁ, bhikkhave, nissaraṇapariyesanaṁ acariṁ. Yaṁ jivhāya nissaraṇaṁ tadajjhagamaṁ. Yāvatā jivhāya nissaraṇaṁ, paññāya me taṁ sudiṭṭhaṁ …pe… manassāhaṁ, bhikkhave, assādapariyesanaṁ acariṁ. Yo manassa assādo tadajjhagamaṁ. Yāvatā manassa assādo paññāya me so sudiṭṭho. Manassāhaṁ, bhikkhave, ādīnavapariyesanaṁ acariṁ. Yo manassa ādīnavo tadajjhagamaṁ. Yāvatā manassa ādīnavo paññāya me so sudiṭṭho. Manassāhaṁ, bhikkhave, nissaraṇapariyesanaṁ acariṁ. Yaṁ manassa nissaraṇaṁ tadajjhagamaṁ. Yāvatā manassa nissaraṇaṁ, paññāya me taṁ sudiṭṭhaṁ.

Yāvakīvañcāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imesaṁ channaṁ ajjhattikānaṁ āyatanānaṁ assādañca assādato, ādīnavañca ādīnavato, nissaraṇañca nissaraṇato yathābhūtaṁ nābbhaññāsiṁ …pe…

paccaññāsiṁ.

Ñāṇañca pana me dassanaṁ udapādi: ‘akuppā me vimutti, ayamantimā jāti, natthi dāni punabbhavo’”ti.

Tatiyaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Cakkhussāhaṁ, bhikkhave, assādapariyesanaṁ acariṁ.

“Mendicants, I went in search of the eye’s gratification,

Yo cakkhussa assādo tadajjhagamaṁ.

and I found it.

Yāvatā cakkhussa assādo paññāya me so sudiṭṭho.

I’ve seen clearly with wisdom the full extent of the eye’s gratification.

Cakkhussāhaṁ, bhikkhave, ādīnavapariyesanaṁ acariṁ.

I went in search of the eye’s drawback,

Yo cakkhussa ādīnavo tadajjhagamaṁ.

and I found it.

Yāvatā cakkhussa ādīnavo paññāya me so sudiṭṭho.

I’ve seen clearly with wisdom the full extent of the eye’s drawback.

Cakkhussāhaṁ, bhikkhave, nissaraṇapariyesanaṁ acariṁ.

I went in search of escape from the eye,

Yaṁ cakkhussa nissaraṇaṁ tadajjhagamaṁ.

and I found it.

Yāvatā cakkhussa nissaraṇaṁ, paññāya me taṁ sudiṭṭhaṁ.

I’ve seen clearly with wisdom the full extent of escape from the eye.

Sotassāhaṁ, bhikkhave

I went in search of the ear’s …

ghānassāhaṁ, bhikkhave

nose’s …

jivhāyāhaṁ bhikkhave, assādapariyesanaṁ acariṁ.

tongue’s …

Yo jivhāya assādo tadajjhagamaṁ.

Yāvatā jivhāya assādo paññāya me so sudiṭṭho.

Jivhāyāhaṁ, bhikkhave, ādīnavapariyesanaṁ acariṁ.

Yo jivhāya ādīnavo tadajjhagamaṁ.

Yāvatā jivhāya ādīnavo paññāya me so sudiṭṭho.

Jivhāyāhaṁ, bhikkhave, nissaraṇapariyesanaṁ acariṁ.

Yaṁ jivhāya nissaraṇaṁ tadajjhagamaṁ.

Yāvatā jivhāya nissaraṇaṁ, paññāya me taṁ sudiṭṭhaṁ …pe…

body’s …

manassāhaṁ, bhikkhave, assādapariyesanaṁ acariṁ.

mind’s gratification,

Yo manassa assādo tadajjhagamaṁ.

and I found it.

Yāvatā manassa assādo paññāya me so sudiṭṭho.

I’ve seen clearly with wisdom the full extent of the mind’s gratification.

Manassāhaṁ, bhikkhave, ādīnavapariyesanaṁ acariṁ.

I went in search of the mind’s drawback,

Yo manassa ādīnavo tadajjhagamaṁ.

and I found it.

Yāvatā manassa ādīnavo paññāya me so sudiṭṭho.

I’ve seen clearly with wisdom the full extent of the mind’s drawback.

Manassāhaṁ, bhikkhave, nissaraṇapariyesanaṁ acariṁ.

I went in search of escape from the mind,

Yaṁ manassa nissaraṇaṁ tadajjhagamaṁ.

and I found it.

Yāvatā manassa nissaraṇaṁ, paññāya me taṁ sudiṭṭhaṁ.

I’ve seen clearly with wisdom the full extent of escape from the mind.

Yāvakīvañcāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imesaṁ channaṁ ajjhattikānaṁ āyatanānaṁ assādañca assādato, ādīnavañca ādīnavato, nissaraṇañca nissaraṇato yathābhūtaṁ nābbhaññāsiṁ …pe…

As long as I didn’t truly understand these six interior sense fields’ gratification, drawback, and escape for what they are, I didn’t announce my supreme perfect awakening …

paccaññāsiṁ.

But when I did truly understand …

Ñāṇañca pana me dassanaṁ udapādi:

Knowledge and vision arose in me:

‘akuppā me vimutti, ayamantimā jāti, natthi dāni punabbhavo’”ti.

‘My freedom is unshakable; this is my last rebirth; now there’ll be no more future lives.’”

Tatiyaṁ.

Topics & Qualities:

Liberation

Liberation

Liberation can imply a temporary release of the mind, i.e. liberated from certain unwholesome mental qualities or complete liberation from all unwholesome qualities of the mind, i.e. Nibbāna.

Also known as: freedom, release, emancipation, deliverance
Pāli: vimutti, vimokkha, cetovimutti, paññāvimutti, akuppā cetovimutti
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Vision

Vision

The corrective clarity that clearly sees into the true nature of things as they actually are.

Also known as: knowledge and vision, seeing clearly, seeing things as they are, seeing the truth, seeing the dhamma
Pāli: dassana, ñāṇadassana, yathābhūtañāṇadassana
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Wisdom

Wisdom

Lived understanding and sound judgment that steers the mind away from suffering, distinct from mere accumulation of facts.

Also known as: (of a person) wise, astute, intelligent, learned, skilled, firm, stable, steadfast, an experiential understanding of the four noble truths
Pāli: paññā, medhā, dhīra, paṇḍita, asammūḷha
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Last updated on July 27, 2026