MN 141
Saccavibhanga Sutta
An Analysis of the Truths
Translated from the Pali by
Thanissaro Bhikkhu
Alternate translation:PiyadassiThanissaro
PTS: M iii 248
Source: Transcribed from a file provided by the translator.
Copyright © 2005 Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
Access to Insight edition © 2005
For free distribution. This work may be republished, reformatted,
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I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Varanasi in
the Game Refuge at Isipatana. There he addressed the monks: "Monks!"
"Yes, lord," the monks responded.
The Blessed One said, "Monks, at Varanasi, in the Game Refuge at Isipatana, the
Tathagatha — the worthy one, the rightly self-awakened one — set in motion the
unexcelled Wheel of Dhamma that cannot be stopped by priest or contemplative,
deity, Mara, or Brahma or anyone at all in the cosmos: in other words, the
declaration, teaching, description, setting-forth, revelation, explanation, and
making-plain of the four noble truths. Of which four? The declaration, teaching,
description, setting-forth, revelation, explanation, and making-plain of the
noble truth of stress. The declaration, teaching, description, setting forth,
revelation, explanation, and making-plain of the noble truth of the origination
of stress... the noble truth of the cessation of stress... the noble truth of
the path of practice leading to the cessation of stress. At Varanasi, in the
Game Refuge at Isipatana, the Tathagatha — the worthy one, the rightly
self-awakened one — set in motion the unexcelled Wheel of Dhamma that cannot be
stopped by priest or contemplative, deity, Mara, or Brahma or anyone at all in
the cosmos: in other words, the declaration, teaching, description,
setting-forth, revelation, explanation, and making-plain of these four noble
truths.
"Monks, associate with Sariputta & Moggallana. Consort with Sariputta &
Moggallana. They are wise monks, sympathetic toward their fellows in the holy
life. Like the mother giving birth: That's Sariputta. Like the nurse raising a
child after it's born: That's Moggallana. Sariputta trains [others] to the fruit
of stream-entry; Moggallana, to the highest goal.1 Sariputta is capable of
declaring, teaching, describing, setting forth, revealing, explaining, and
making plain the four noble truths in detail."
That is what the Blessed One said. Having said it, he — the One Well-gone — rose
from his seat and entered his dwelling.
Then Ven. Sariputta, not long after the Blessed One had left, addressed the
monks, "Friends!"
"Yes, friend," the monks responded.
Ven. Sariputta said, "Friends, at Varanasi, in the Game Refuge at Isipatana, the
Tathagatha — the worthy one, the rightly self-awakened one — set in motion the
unexcelled Wheel of Dhamma that cannot be stopped by priest or contemplative,
deity, Mara, or Brahma or anyone at all in the cosmos: in other words, the
declaration, teaching, description, setting-forth, revelation, explanation, and
making-plain of the four noble truths. Of which four? The declaration, teaching,
description, setting-forth, revelation, explanation, and making-plain of the
noble truth of stress... the noble truth of the origination of stress... the
noble truth of the cessation of stress... the noble truth of the path of
practice leading to the cessation of stress. At Varanasi, in the Game Refuge at
Isipatana, the Tathagatha — the worthy one, the rightly self-awakened one — set
in motion the unexcelled Wheel of Dhamma that cannot be stopped by priest or
contemplative, deity, Mara, or Brahma or anyone at all in the cosmos: in other
words, the declaration, teaching, description, setting-forth, revelation,
explanation, and making-plain of these four noble truths.
"Now what, friends, is the noble truth of stress? Birth is stressful, aging is
stressful, death is stressful; sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair
are stressful; association with the unbeloved is stressful; separation from the
loved is stressful; not getting what is wanted is stressful.2 In short, the five
clinging-aggregates are stressful.
"And what is birth? Whatever birth, taking birth, descent, coming-to-be,
coming-forth, appearance of aggregates, & acquisition of [sense] spheres of the
various beings in this or that group of beings, that is called birth.
"And what is aging? Whatever aging, decrepitude, brokenness, graying, wrinkling,
decline of life-force, weakening of the faculties of the various beings in this
or that group of beings, that is called aging.
"And what is death? Whatever deceasing, passing away, breaking up,
disappearance, dying, death, completion of time, break up of the aggregates,
casting off of the body, interruption in the life faculty of the various beings
in this or that group of beings, that is called death.
"And what is sorrow? Whatever sorrow, sorrowing, sadness, inward sorrow, inward
sadness of anyone suffering from misfortune, touched by a painful thing, that is
called sorrow.
"And what is lamentation? Whatever crying, grieving, lamenting, weeping,
wailing, lamentation of anyone suffering from misfortune, touched by a painful
thing, that is called lamentation.
"And what is pain? Whatever is experienced as bodily pain, bodily discomfort,
pain or discomfort born of bodily contact, that is called pain.
"And what is distress? Whatever is experienced as mental pain, mental
discomfort, pain or discomfort born of mental contact, that is called distress.
"And what is despair? Whatever despair, despondency, desperation of anyone
suffering from misfortune, touched by a painful thing, that is called despair.
"And what is the stress of association with the unbeloved? There is the case
where undesirable, unpleasing, unattractive sights, sounds, aromas, flavors, or
tactile sensations occur to one; or one has connection, contact, relationship,
interaction with those who wish one ill, who wish for one's harm, who wish for
one's discomfort, who wish one no security from the yoke. This is called the
stress of association with the unbeloved.
"And what is the stress of separation from the loved? There is the case where
desirable, pleasing, attractive sights, sounds, aromas, flavors, or tactile
sensations do not occur to one; or one has no connection, no contact, no
relationship, no interaction with those who wish one well, who wish for one's
benefit, who wish for one's comfort, who wish one security from the yoke, nor
with one's mother, father, brother, sister, friends, companions, or relatives.
This is called the stress of separation from the loved.
"And what is the stress of not getting what is wanted? In beings subject to
birth, the wish arises, 'O, may we not be subject to birth, and may birth not
come to us.' But this is not to be achieved by wanting. This is the stress of
not getting what is wanted. In beings subject to aging... illness... death...
sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair, the wish arises, 'O, may we not
be subject to aging... illness... death... sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress,
& despair, and may aging... illness... death... sorrow, lamentation, pain,
distress, & despair not come to us.' But this is not to be achieved by wanting.
This is the stress of not getting what is wanted.
"And what are the five clinging-aggregates that, in short, are stressful? The
clinging-aggregate of form, the clinging-aggregate of feeling, the
clinging-aggregate of perception, the clinging-aggregate of fabrications, the
clinging-aggregate of consciousness: These are called the five
clinging-aggregates that, in short, are stressful.
"This, friends, is called the noble truth of stress.
"And what, friends, is the noble truth of the origination of stress? The craving
that makes for further becoming — accompanied by passion & delight, relishing
now here & now there — i.e., craving for sensuality, craving for becoming,
craving for non-becoming.
"This is called the noble truth of the origination of stress.
"And what, friends, is the noble truth of the cessation of stress? The
remainderless fading & cessation, renunciation, relinquishment, release, &
letting go of that very craving.
"This is called the noble truth of the cessation of stress.
"And what, friends, is the noble truth of the path of practice leading to the
cessation of stress? Just this very noble eightfold path: right view, right
resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right
mindfulness, right concentration.
"And what is right view? Knowledge with reference to stress, knowledge with
reference to the origination of stress, knowledge with reference to the
cessation of stress, knowledge with reference to the way of practice leading to
the cessation of stress: This is called right view.
And what is right resolve? The resolve for renunciation, for freedom from ill
will, for harmlessness: This is called right resolve.
"And what is right speech? Abstaining from lying, from divisive speech, from
abusive speech, & from idle chatter: This is called right speech.
"And what is right action? Abstaining from taking life, from stealing, & from
sexual misconduct: This is called right action.
"And what is right livelihood? There is the case where a disciple of the noble
ones, having abandoned dishonest livelihood, keeps his life going with right
livelihood: This is called right livelihood.
"And what is right effort? There is the case where a monk generates desire,
endeavors, arouses persistence, upholds & exerts his intent for the sake of the
non-arising of evil, unskillful qualities that have not yet arisen... for the
sake of the abandoning of evil, unskillful qualities that have arisen... for the
sake of the arising of skillful qualities that have not yet arisen... (and) for
the maintenance, non-confusion, increase, plenitude, development, & culmination
of skillful qualities that have arisen: This is called right effort.
"And what is right mindfulness? There is the case where a monk remains focused
on the body in & of itself — ardent, alert, & mindful — putting aside greed &
distress with reference to the world. He remains focused on feelings in & of
themselves... the mind in & of itself... mental qualities in & of themselves —
ardent, alert, & mindful — putting aside greed & distress with reference to the
world. This is called right mindfulness.
"And what is right concentration? There is the case where a monk — quite
withdrawn from sensuality, withdrawn from unskillful (mental) qualities — enters
& remains in the first jhana: rapture & pleasure born from withdrawal,
accompanied by directed thought & evaluation. With the stilling of directed
thoughts & evaluations, he enters & remains in the second jhana: rapture &
pleasure born of composure, unification of awareness free from directed thought
& evaluation — internal assurance. With the fading of rapture, he remains in
equanimity, is mindful & alert, and senses pleasure with the body. He enters &
remains in the third jhana, of which the Noble Ones declare, 'Equanimous &
mindful, he has a pleasurable abiding.' With the abandoning of pleasure & pain —
as with the earlier disappearance of elation & distress — he enters & remains in
the fourth jhana: purity of equanimity & mindfulness, neither pleasure nor pain.
This is called right concentration.
"This is called the noble truth of the path of practice leading to the cessation
of stress.
"Friends, at Varanasi, in the Game Refuge at Isipatana, the Tathagatha — the
worthy one, the rightly self-awakened one — set in motion the unexcelled Wheel
of Dhamma that cannot be stopped by priest or contemplative, deity, Mara, or
Brahma or anyone at all in the cosmos: in other words, the declaration,
teaching, description, setting-forth, revelation, explanation, and making-plain
of these four noble truths."
That is what Ven. Sariputta said. Gratified, the monks delighted in Ven.
Sariputta's words.
Notes
1. The Buddha declared Sariputta to be foremost among his disciples in terms of
discernment; Moggallana, foremost in terms of psychic powers. It might seem
strange, then, that Sariputta takes on what seems to be a lower job, but as many
Buddhist teachers have commented, it is much harder to train an ordinary person
to enter the stream than it is to train a stream-winner to reach the highest
goal.
2. In passages where the Buddha defines stress, (e.g., SN 56.11, DN 22), he
includes the statements, "association with the unbeloved is stressful;
separation from the loved is stressful," prior to "not getting what one wants is
stressful." For some reason, in passages where Ven. Sariputta defines stress
(here and at MN 9 and MN 28), he drops these statements from the definition.
See also: DN 22; SN 12.20; SN 56.11; AN 3.134.
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