MN 44 (M i 299)
Cūḷavedalla Sutta
{excerpts}
— Short series of questions —
[cūḷa-vedalla]

The bhikkhuni Dhammadinnā answers a series of interesting questions asked by Visākha. Among other things, she gives the 20-fold definition of sakkāyadiṭṭhi.



Note: info·bubbles on "underdotted" English words


Pāḷi


English




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– Kathaṃ panāyye, sakkāyadiṭṭhi hotī ti?

– But, lady, how does self-identification come about?

– Idhāvuso visākha, assutavā puthujjano, ariyānaṃ adassāvī ariyadhammassa akovido ariyadhamme avinīto, sappurisānaṃ adassāvī sappurisadhammassa akovido sappurisadhamme avinīto, rūpaṃ attato samanupassati, rūpavantaṃ vā attānaṃ, attani vā rūpaṃ, rūpasmiṃ vā attānaṃ.

– There is the case, friend Visakha, where an uninstructed, run-of-the-mill person — who has no regard for noble ones, is not well-versed or disciplined in their Dhamma; who has no regard for men of integrity, is not well-versed or disciplined in their Dhamma — assumes form (the body) to be the self, or the self as possessing form, or form as in the self, or the self as in form.

– Vedanaṃ attato samanupassati, vedanāvantaṃ vā attānaṃ, attani vā vedanaṃ, vedanāya vā attānaṃ.

– He assumes feeling to be the self , or the self as possessing feeling, or feeling as in the self, or the self as in feeling.

– Saññaṃ attato samanupassati, saññā vantaṃ vā attānaṃ, attani vā saññaṃ, saññāya vā attānaṃ.

– He assumes perception to be the self , or the self as possessing perception, or perception as in the self, or the self as in perception.

– Saṅkhāre attato samanupassati, saṅkhāravantaṃ vā attānaṃ, attani vā saṅkhāre, saṅkhāresu vā attānaṃ.

– He assumes (mental) fabrications to be the self , or the self as possessing fabrications, or fabrications as in the self, or the self as in fabrications.

– Viññāṇaṃ attato samanupassati, viññāṇavantaṃ vā attānaṃ, attani vā viññāṇaṃ, viññāṇasmiṃ vā attānaṃ.

– He assumes consciousness to be the self , or the self as possessing consciousness, or consciousness as in the self, or the self as in consciousness.

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– Kati panāyye, vedanā ti?

– Now, lady, how many kinds of feeling are there?

– Tisso kho imā, āvuso visākha, vedanā: sukhā vedanā, dukkhā vedanā, adukkhamasukhā vedanā ti.

– These three kinds of feeling: pleasant feeling, painful feeling, & neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling.

– Katamā panāyye, sukhā vedanā? Katamā dukkhā vedanā? Katamā adukkhamasukhā vedanā ti?

– What is pleasant feeling? What is painful feeling? What is neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling?

– Yaṃ kho, āvuso visākha, kāyikaṃ vā cetasikaṃ vā sukhaṃ sātaṃ vedayitaṃ: ayaṃ sukhā vedanā. Yaṃ kho, āvuso visākha, kāyikaṃ vā cetasikaṃ vā dukkhaṃ asātaṃ vedayitaṃ: ayaṃ dukkhā vedanā. Yaṃ kho, āvuso visākha, kāyikaṃ vā cetasikaṃ vā neva sātaṃ nāsātaṃ vedayitaṃ: ayaṃ adukkhamasukhā vedanā ti.

– Whatever is experienced physically or mentally as pleasant & gratifying is pleasant feeling. Whatever is experienced physically or mentally as painful & hurting is painful feeling. Whatever is experienced physically or mentally as neither gratifying nor hurting is neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling.

– Sukhā panāyye, vedanā kiṃsukhā kiṃdukkhā, dukkhā vedanā kiṃsukhā kiṃdukkhā, adukkhamasukhā vedanā kiṃsukhā kiṃdukkhā ti?

– In what way is pleasant feeling pleasant, lady, and in what way painful? In what way is painful feeling pleasant, lady, and in what way painful? In what way is neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling pleasant, lady, and in what way painful?

– Sukhā kho, āvuso visākha, vedanā ṭhitisukhā vipariṇāmadukkhā; dukkhā vedanā ṭhitidukkhā vipariṇāmasukhā; adukkhamasukhā vedanā ñāṇasukhā aññāṇadukkhā ti.

Pleasant feeling is pleasant in remaining, & painful in changing, friend Visakha. Painful feeling is painful in remaining & pleasant in changing. Neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling is pleasant in occurring together with knowledge, and painful in occurring without knowledge.

– Sukhāya panāyye, vedanāya kiṃ anusayo anuseti, dukkhāya vedanāya kiṃ anusayo anuseti, adukkhamasukhāya vedanāya kiṃ anusayo anusetī ti?

– What obsession gets obsessed with pleasant feeling? What obsession gets obsessed with painful feeling? What obsession gets obsessed with neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling?

– Sukhāya kho, āvuso visākha, vedanāya rāgānusayo anuseti, dukkhāya vedanāya paṭighānusayo anuseti, adukkhamasukhāya vedanāya avijjānusayo anusetī ti.

Passion-obsession gets obsessed with pleasant feeling. Resistance-obsession gets obsessed with painful feeling. Ignorance-obsession gets obsessed with neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling.

– Sabbāya nu kho, ayye, sukhāya vedanāya rāgānusayo anuseti, sabbāya dukkhāya vedanāya paṭighānusayo anuseti, sabbāya adukkhamasukhāya vedanāya avijjānusayo anusetī’’ti?

– Does passion-obsession get obsessed with all pleasant feeling? Does resistance-obsession get obsessed with all painful feeling? Does ignorance-obsession get obsessed with all neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling?

– Na kho, āvuso visākha, sabbāya sukhāya vedanāya rāgānusayo anuseti, na sabbāya dukkhāya vedanāya paṭighānusayo anuseti, na sabbāya adukkhamasukhāya vedanāya avijjānusayo anusetī ti.

Passion-obsession does not get obsessed with all pleasant feeling. Resistance-obsession does not get obsessed with all painful feeling. Ignorance-obsession does not get obsessed with all neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling.

– Sukhāya panāyye, vedanāya kiṃ pahātabbaṃ, dukkhāya vedanāya kiṃ pahātabbaṃ, adukkhamasukhāya vedanāya kiṃ pahātabban ti?

– But what is to be abandoned with regard to pleasant feeling? What is to be abandoned with regard to painful feeling? What is to be abandoned with regard to neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling?

– Sukhāya kho, āvuso visākha, vedanāya rāgānusayo pahātabbo, dukkhāya vedanāya paṭighānusayo pahātabbo, adukkhamasukhāya vedanāya avijjānusayo pahātabbo ti.

Passion-obsession is to be abandoned with regard to pleasant feeling. Resistance-obsession is to be abandoned with regard to painful feeling. Ignorance-obsession is to be abandoned with regard to neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling.

– Sabbāya nu kho, ayye, sukhāya vedanāya rāgānusayo pahātabbo, sabbāya dukkhāya vedanāya paṭighānusayo pahātabbo, sabbāya adukkhamasukhāya vedanāya avijjānusayo pahātabbo ti?

– Is passion-obsession to be abandoned with regard to all pleasant feeling? Is resistance-obsession to be abandoned with regard to all painful feeling? Is ignorance-obsession to be abandoned with regard to all neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling?

– Na kho, āvuso visākha, sabbāya sukhāya vedanāya rāgānusayo pahātabbo, na sabbāya dukkhāya vedanāya paṭighānusayo pahātabbo, na sabbāya adukkhamasukhāya vedanāya avijjānusayo pahātabbo. Idhāvuso visākha, bhikkhu vivicceva kāmehi vivicca akusalehi dhammehi savitakkaṃ savicāraṃ vivekajaṃ pītisukhaṃ paṭhamaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja viharati. Rāgaṃ tena pajahati, na tattha rāgānusayo anuseti.

Passion-obsession is not to be abandoned with regard to all pleasant feeling. Resistance-obsession is not to be abandoned with regard to all painful feeling. Ignorance-obsession is not to be abandoned with regard to all neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling. There is the case where a monk — quite withdrawn from sensuality, withdrawn from unskillful qualities — enters & remains in the first jhana: rapture & pleasure born from withdrawal, accompanied by directed thought & evaluation. With that he abandons passion. No passion-obsession gets obsessed there.

Idhāvuso visākha, bhikkhu iti paṭisañcikkhati: ‘kudāssu nāmāhaṃ tadāyatanaṃ upasampajja viharissāmi yadariyā etarahi āyatanaṃ upasampajja viharantī’ti? Iti anuttaresu vimokkhesu pihaṃ upaṭṭhāpayato uppajjati pihāppaccayā domanassaṃ. Paṭighaṃ tena pajahati, na tattha paṭighānusayo anuseti.

There is the case where a monk considers, 'O when will I enter & remain in the dimension that those who are noble now enter & remain in?' And as he thus nurses this yearning for the unexcelled liberations, there arises within him sorrow based on that yearning. With that he abandons resistance. No resistance-obsession gets obsessed there.

Idhāvuso visākha, bhikkhu sukhassa ca pahānā, dukkhassa ca pahānā, pubbeva somanassadomanassānaṃ atthaṅgamā, adukkhamasukhaṃ upekkhāsatipārisuddhiṃ catutthaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja viharati. Avijjaṃ tena pajahati, na tattha avijjānusayo anusetī ti.

There is the case where a monk, with the abandoning of pleasure & pain — as with the earlier disappearance of elation & distress — enters & remains in the fourth jhana: purity of equanimity & mindfulness, neither pleasure nor pain. With that he abandons ignorance. No ignorance-obsession gets obsessed there.

– Sukhāya panāyye, vedanāya kiṃ paṭibhāgo ti?

– Now what, lady, lies on the other side of pleasant feeling?

– Sukhāya kho, āvuso visākha, vedanāya rāgo paṭibhāgo ti. (or: Sukhāya kho, āvuso visākha, vedanāyadukkhā vedanā paṭibhāgo ti.)

Passion lies on the other side of pleasant feeling. (or: painful feeling lies on the other side of pleasant feeling.)

– Dukkhāya pannāyye, vedanāya kiṃ paṭibhāgo ti?

– And what lies on the other side of painful feeling?

– Dukkhāya kho, āvuso visākha, vedanāya paṭigho paṭibhāgoti. (or: Dukkhāya kho, āvuso visākha, vedanāya sukhā vedanā paṭibhāgo ti.)

Resistance lies on the other side of painful feeling. (or: pleasant feeling lies on the other side of painful feeling.)

– Adukkhamasukhāya panāyye, vedanāya kiṃ paṭibhāgo ti?

– What lies on the other side of neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling?

– Adukkhamasukhāya kho, āvuso visākha, vedanāya avijjā paṭibhāgo ti.

Ignorance lies on the other side of neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling.

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Bodhi leaf



Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
Access to Insight, 13 June 2010.

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