S±vatthiya½ viharati jetavane an±thapiº¹ikassa ±r±me. Tatra kho bhagav± bhikkh³ ±mantesi– “bhikkhavo”ti. “Bhadante”ti te bhikkh³ bhagavato paccassosu½. Bhagav± etadavoca–

Abiding at S±vatthi, in Jeta's grove of An±thapiº¹ika. There the Sublime One addressed the monks: “Monks!” Those monks replied: “Yes, venerable sir.” And the Sublime One said thus:

“catt±rome, bhikkhave, ±h±r± bh³t±na½ v± satt±na½ µhitiy± sambhaves²na½ v± anuggah±ya. Katame catt±ro? Kaba¼²k±ro ±h±ro o¼±riko v± sukhumo v±, phasso dutiyo, manosañcetan± tatiy±, viññ±ºa½ catuttha½. Ime kho, bhikkhave, catt±ro ±h±r± bh³t±na½ v± satt±na½ µhitiy± sambhaves²na½ v± anuggah±y±”ti.

“Monks, there are four aliments for the continuance of those beings in existence and for the support of those coming into existence. What four?...

Material food, coarse or subtle, is the first; contact is the second; directed thought is the third; and consciousness is the fourth. Monks, these are the four aliments for the continuance of those beings in existence and for the support of their coming into existence.

Eva½ vutte, ±yasm± mo¼iyaphagguno bhagavanta½ etadavoca– “ko nu kho, bhante, viññ±º±h±ra½ ±h±ret²”ti? “No kallo pañho”ti bhagav± avoca– “‘±h±ret²’ti aha½ na vad±mi. ‘¾h±ret²’ti c±ha½ vadeyya½, tatrassa kallo pañho ‘ko nu kho, bhante, ±h±ret²’ti? Eva½ c±ha½ na vad±mi. Eva½ ma½ avadanta½ yo eva½ puccheyya– ‘kissa nu kho, bhante, viññ±º±h±ro’ti, esa kallo pañho. Tatra kalla½ veyy±karaºa½ ‘viññ±º±h±ro ±yati½ punabbhav±bhinibbattiy± paccayo, tasmi½ bh³te sati sa¼±yatana½, sa¼±yatanapaccay± phasso’”ti.

Then Venerable Mo¼iya Phagguna said to the Blessed One: “Venerable sir, who takes up the aliment of consciousness?”

The Blessed One said, “That is not a proper question. I did not say ‘someone takes up’. If I had said ‘someone takes up’, then the question “Venerable sir, who takes up...?” would be a proper question. But I did not say this. The proper question should be; “Venerable sir, indeed for what purpose is the aliment of consciousness?” And the proper explanation is; the aliment of consciousness is the supportive condition of further renewed existence. When that manifests, the six extensions of sensation are stimulated and the six extensions of sensation are the supportive condition of contact.”

“Ko nu kho, bhante, phusat²”ti? “No kallo pañho”ti bhagav± avoca “‘phusat²’ti aha½ na vad±mi. ‘Phusat²’ti c±ha½ vadeyya½, tatrassa kallo pañho ‘ko nu kho, bhante, phusat²’ti? Eva½ c±ha½ na vad±mi. Eva½ ma½ avadanta½ yo eva½ puccheyya ‘ki½paccay± nu kho, bhante, phasso’ti, esa kallo pañho. Tatra kalla½ veyy±karaºa½ ‘sa¼±yatanapaccay± phasso, phassapaccay± vedan±’”ti.

“Venerable sir, for whom is contact?” The Blessed One said, “That is not a proper question. I did not say ‘someone makes contact’. If I had said ‘someone makes contact’ then the question “Venerable sir, indeed who makes contact...?” would be a proper question. But I did not say this. The proper question should be; “Venerable sir, what is contact founded on?” And the proper explanation is; the six extensions of sensation is the supportive condition for contact and contact is the supportive condition for sensations of feeling.”

“Ko nu kho, bhante, vedayat²”ti? “No kallo pañho”ti bhagav± avoca “‘vedayat²’ti aha½ na vad±mi. ‘Vedayat²’ti c±ha½ vadeyya½, tatrassa kallo pañho– ‘ko nu kho, bhante, vedayat²’ti? Eva½ c±ha½ na vad±mi. Eva½ ma½ avadanta½ yo eva½ puccheyya– ‘ki½paccay± nu kho, bhante, vedan±’ti, esa kallo pañho. Tatra kalla½ veyy±karaºa½ ‘phassapaccay± vedan±, vedan±paccay± taºh±’”ti.

“Venerable sir, for whom are sensations of feeling?” The Blessed One said, “That is not a proper question. I did not say ‘someone feels sensations of feeling’, if I had said ‘someone feels sensations of feeling’ then the question “Venerable sir, for whom are sensations of feeling...?” would be a proper question. But I did not say this. The proper question should be; “Venerable sir, what are sensations of feeling founded on?” And the proper explanation is; contact is the supportive condition of the feeling of sensations and the feeling of sensations is the supportive condition of craving.”

“Ko nu kho, bhante, tasat²”ti? “No kallo pañho”ti bhagav± avoca “‘tasat²’ti aha½ na vad±mi. ‘Tasat²’ti c±ha½ vadeyya½, tatrassa kallo pañho ‘ko nu kho, bhante, tasat²’ti? Eva½ c±ha½ na vad±mi. Eva½ ma½ avadanta½ yo eva½ puccheyya ‘ki½paccay± nu kho, bhante, taºh±’ti, esa kallo pañho. Tatra kalla½ veyy±karaºa½ ‘vedan±paccay± taºh±, taºh±paccay± up±d±nan’”ti.

“Venerable sir, for whom is craving?” The Blessed One said, “That is not a proper question. I did not say ‘someone craves’, if I had said ‘someone craves’, then the question “Venerable sir, who craves...?” would be a proper question. But I did not say this. The proper question should be; “Venerable sir, what is craving founded on?” And the proper explanation is; the feeling of sensations is the supportive condition of craving and craving is the supportive condition of inedtification.”

“Ko nu kho, bhante, up±diyat²”ti? “No kallo pañho”ti bhagav± avoca “‘up±diyat²’ti aha½ na vad±mi. ‘Up±diyat²’ti c±ha½ vadeyya½, tatrassa kallo pañho ‘ko nu kho, bhante, up±diyat²’ti? Eva½ c±ha½ na vad±mi. Eva½ ma½ avadanta½ yo eva½ puccheyya– ‘ki½paccay± nu kho, bhante, up±d±nan’ti, esa kallo pañho. Tatra kalla½ veyy±karaºa½ ‘taºh±paccay± up±d±na½; up±d±napaccay± bhavo’ti bhavapaccay± j±ti; j±tipaccay± jar±maraºa½ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassup±y±s± sambhavanti. evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti.

“Venerable sir, for whom is identification?” The Blessed One said, “That is not a proper question. I did not say ‘someone identifies’, if I had said ‘someone identifies’ then the question “Venerable sir, who identifies...?” would be a proper question. But I did not say this. The proper question should be; “Venerable sir, what is identification founded on?” And the proper explanation is; craving is the supportive condition for identification. Identification is the supportive condition for becoming. Becoming is the supportive condition for birth. And birth is the supportive condition for the arising of aging and death, sorrow, weeping, affliction and mental distress.

Such is the genesis of this entire mass of suffering.

“Channa½ tveva, phagguna, phass±yatan±na½ asesavir±ganirodh± phassanirodho; phassanirodh± vedan±nirodho; vedan±nirodh± taºh±nirodho; taºh±nirodh± up±d±nanirodho; up±d±nanirodh± bhavanirodho; bhavanirodh± j±tinirodho; j±tinirodh± jar±maraºa½ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassup±y±s± nirujjhanti. Evametassakevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hot²”ti. Dutiya½.

“Phagguna, with the fading and cessation without remainder of contact at the six extensions of sensation, contact ceases; with the cessation of contact the sensations of feeling cease; with the cessation of sensations of feeling, craving ceases; with the cessation of craving, identification ceases; with the cessation of identification, becoming ceases; with the cessation of becoming, birth ceases; and with the cessation of birth is the cessation of aging and death, sorrow, weeping, affliction and mental distress.

Such is the cessation of this entire mass of suffering.”

~~~

[Khantijayo Bhikkhu]