S±vatthinid±na½. “Ye hi keci, bhikkhave, samaº± v± br±hmaº± v± anekavihita½ att±na½ samanupassam±n± samanupassanti, sabbete pañcup±d±nakkhandhe samanupassanti, etesa½ v± aññatara½. Katame pañca? Idha, bhikkhave, assutav± puthujjano ariy±na½ adass±v² ariyadhammassa akovido ariyadhamme avin²to, sappuris±na½ adass±v² sappurisadhammassa akovido sappurisadhamme avin²to r³pa½ attato samanupassati, r³pavanta½ v± att±na½; attani v± r³pa½, r³pasmi½ v± att±na½. Vedana½… sañña½… saªkh±re… viññ±ºa½ attato samanupassati, viññ±ºavanta½ v± att±na½; attani v± viññ±ºa½, viññ±ºasmi½ v± att±na½”.

At S±vatthi. “Monks, there are ascetics and Brahmins who hold to the conceited viewpoint of a ‘Self’, in various and particular ways, all of which pertain to the five-bases of conditionality subject to be identified with. Which five?”

“Monks, there is an untaught-commoner who does not take notice of the Wise Ones, who is not trained in the Doctrines of the Wise Ones nor is he possessed of the wisdom of the Doctrines of the Wise Ones - who does not take notice of Refined Persons, who is not trained in the Doctrines of the Refined Persons nor is he possessed of the wisdom of the Doctrines of the Refined Persons, He is of the viewpoint that materiality is ‘Self’, or ‘Self’ possesses materiality, or materiality is in ‘Self’, or ‘Self’ is in materiality. He is of the viewpoint that sensations of feeling are ‘Self’, or ‘Self’ possesses sensations of feeling, or sensations of feeling are in ‘Self’, or ‘Self’ is in sensations of feeling. He is of the viewpoint that sense-awareness is ‘Self’, or ‘Self’ possesses sense-awareness, or sense-awareness is in ‘Self’, or ‘Self’ is in sense-awareness. He is of the viewpoint that volitional-cognition is ‘Self’, or ‘Self’ possesses volitional-cognition, or volitional-cognition is in ‘Self’, or ‘Self’ is in volitional-cognition. He is of the viewpoint that consciousness is ‘Self’, or ‘Self’ possesses consciousness, or consciousness is in ‘Self’, or ‘Self’ is in consciousness.

“Iti ayañceva samanupassan± ‘asm²’ti cassa avigata½ hoti. ‘Asm²’ti kho pana, bhikkhave, avigate pañcanna½ indriy±na½ avakkanti hoti– cakkhundriyassa sotindriyassa gh±nindriyassa jivhindriyassa k±yindriyassa. Atthi, bhikkhave, mano, atthi dhamm±, atthi avijj±dh±tu. Avijj±samphassajena, bhikkhave, vedayitena phuµµhassa assutavato puthujjanassa ‘asm²’tipissa hoti; ‘ayamahamasm²’tipissa hoti; ‘bhavissan’tipissa hoti; ‘na bhavissan’tipissa hoti; ‘r³p² bhavissan’tipissa hoti; ‘ar³p² bhavissan’tipissa hoti; ‘saññ² bhavissan’tipissa hoti; ‘asaññ² bhavissan’tipissa hoti; ‘nevasaññ²n±saññ² bhavissan’tipissa hoti”.

“Therefore because of these viewpoints this ‘I am’ has not vanished. Therefore, monks, because this ‘I am’ has not vanished, he is beset with these five characteristics; the eye characteristic, the ear characteristic, the nose characteristic, the tongue characteristic and the body characteristic. There exists, monks, the mind; there exists its phenomena and there exists the factor of ignorance. Born of ignorant contact, monks, the untaught-commoner is influenced by sensations; thus it occurs to him ‘I am’, thus it occurs to him ‘I am this’, thus it occurs to him ‘I exist’, thus it occurs to him ‘I shall not exist’, thus it occurs to him ‘I shall be composed of materiality’, thus it occurs to him ‘I shall not be composed of materiality’, thus it occurs to him ‘I shall be composed of sense-awareness’, thus it occurs to him ‘I shall not be composed of sense-awareness’, thus it occurs to him ‘I shall consist of neither sense-awareness nor not of sense-awareness’.

“Tiµµhanteva kho, bhikkhave, tattheva pañcindriy±ni. Athettha sutavato ariyas±vakassa avijj± pah²yati, vijj± uppajjati. Tassa avijj±vir±g± vijjupp±d± ‘asm²’tipissa na hoti; ‘ayamahamasm²’tipissa na hoti; ‘bhavissan’ti… ‘na bhavissan’ti… r³p²… ar³p² saññ²… asaññ²… ‘nevasaññ²n±saññ² bhavissan’tipissa na hot²”ti. Pañcama½.

“Monks, the five characteristics exist right there, although for the learned noble disciple; ignorance has been abandoned and knowledge has arisen. Therefore with the fading away of ignorance and the arising of knowledge; thus it does not occur to him ‘I am’, thus it does not occur to him ‘I am this’, thus it does not occur to him ‘I exist’, thus it does not occur to him ‘I shall not exist’, thus it does not occur to him ‘I shall be composed of materiality’, thus it does not occur to him ‘I shall not be composed of materiality’, thus it does not occur to him ‘I shall be composed of sense-awareness’, thus it does not occur to him ‘I shall not be composed of sense-awareness’, thus it does not occur to him ‘I shall consist of neither sense-awareness nor not of sense-awareness’.

~~~

[Khantijayo Bhikkhu]