“From where do quarrels and disputes arise,
|lamentation::wailing, crying [parideva]|, |sorrow::grief, sadness [soka]|, and |mutual envy::mutual jealousy [sahamacchara]|?
|Conceit::self-view expressed as comparison—seeing oneself as superior, inferior, or equal; the persistent “I am” conceit (asmimāna) that underlies identification and fuels rebirth [māna]| and |arrogance::egotism, haughtiness, pride [atimāna]|, with |mutual slander::back-biting each other [sahapesuṇa]|—
pray tell me, from where have these arisen?”
“Quarrels and disputes |arise from what is pleasing::(are) born from what is dear [piyappahūta]|,
as do lamentation, sorrow, and mutual envy,
conceit and arrogance along with mutual slander;
Quarrels and disputes are tied up with |selfishness::meanness, stinginess, tight-fistedness [macchera]|,
and when disputes arise, |divisive talk::back-biting, denigration, slander [pesuṇa]| follows.”
“From what do pleasing things in the world arise,
and states of |greed::a grasping mental quality of craving, possessiveness, or lustful wanting that clings to objects or experiences; it fuels attachment and obstructs renunciation and contentment [lobha]| that wander in the world?
From what do |hopes::wishes, desires, longings, expectations [āsā]| and |aims::goals, conclusions [niṭṭhā]| arise—
which a person holds concerning the |future::destiny, next life [samparāya]|?”
“Pleasing things in the world arise from |desire::intention, wish, impulse, interest [chanda]|,
as do states of greed that wander in the world;
Hopes and aims likewise arise from this—
which a person holds concerning the future.”
“From what in the world does desire arise,
and from what do |judgments::assessments, evaluations, opinions [vinicchayā]| too arise;
|Anger::rage, wrath, fury, indignation [kodha]|, |false speech::lie, untruth [mosavajja]|, and |doubt::confusion, perplexity [kathaṅkathā]|,
and those [other] things the |ascetic::recluse, holy man, epithet of the Buddha [samaṇa]| has stated?”
“When people in the world say, ‘this is |pleasant::agreeable, appealing [sāta]|, this is |unpleasant::disagreeable, unappealing [asāta]|,’
desire arises depending on that;
Having seen the |decline::loss, regress [vibhava]| and coming-to-be of |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]|,
a person forms judgment in the world.
Anger, false speech, and doubt,
these things, too, arise when that |duality::a division or contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different, dichotomy. Here, this is referring to: when people in the world say, ‘this is pleasant, this is unpleasant’ [dvaya]| exists;
One doubtful should train on the path of |insight::understanding, knowing [ñāṇa]|,
having known, the ascetic has stated these things.”
“From what does the pleasant and unpleasant arise,
when what does not exist, do these not come to be?
As to this matter of decline and coming-to-be,
tell me from what it originates.”
“The pleasant and unpleasant arise from |contact::sense impingement, raw experience, touch [phassa]|,
when contact does not exist, they do not come to be;
As to this matter of decline and coming-to-be,
I tell you that it originates from this.”
“From what in the world does contact arise,
from what do |possessions::attachments, grasping, worldly belongings [pariggaha]| too arise?
When what does not exist is there no |taking as ‘mine’::self-identification, possession [mamatta]|?
When what has |ceased::disappeared, vanished [vibhūta]| do contacts not touch one?”
“Contact arises dependent on |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]|,
Possessions spring from |wishing::desiring, wanting [icchā]|;
When wishing does not exist, there is no taking as ‘mine’;
when form has ceased, contacts do not touch one.”
“How must one attend that form may cease,
and pleasure and pain likewise come to cease?
Please tell me this, how they come to cease,
for it is my mind’s wish to understand.”
“Neither |aware of perception::recognizing concepts, percipient of conception [saññasaññī]|, nor |with deluded perception::with distorted conception; (comm) mad [visaññasaññī]|,
not |non-percipient::unaware, unconscious [asaññī]|, nor percipient of what has ceased;
For one who attends thus, form ceases,
for proliferation of concepts are based on perception.”
“You explained to us whatever we asked you,
I ask you once more, please tell me this:
Do some wise men here say that,
this is the ultimate purity of the spirit;
or do they say it is something other than this?”
“Some wise men here say that,
this is the ultimate purity of the spirit;
But some among them, claiming to be skilled,
speak of a state |with no residual clinging::with no grasping to existence, with no fuel remaining [anupādisesa]|.
Having known these to be ‘dependent,’ and,
knowing what they depend on, the sage, |inquiring::investigating, researching [vimaṁsī]|;
Having understood, is freed, and enters no dispute,
the |steadfast::firm, stable, wise [dhīra]| one does not settle upon |any state of existence::continued existence; such success and failure, gain and loss, eternity and annihilation, good and evil [bhavābhava]|.”