Majjhima Nikaya - Chachakka Sutta

MN 148
Chachakka Sutta
The Six Sextets
Translated from the Pali by
Thanissaro BhikkhuPTS: M iii 280



Source: Transcribed from a file provided by the translator.



Copyright © 1998 Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
Access to Insight edition © 1998
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 Savatthi in
Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika's monastery. There he addressed the monks: "Monks!"
"Yes, lord," the monks responded to him.
"Monks, I will teach you the Dhamma admirable in the beginning, admirable in the
middle, admirable in the end; I will expound the holy life both in its
particulars & in its essence, entirely complete, surpassingly pure — in other
words, the six sextets. Listen & pay close attention. I will speak."
"As you say, lord," the monks responded.
The Blessed One said: "The six internal media should be known. The six external
media should be known. The six classes of consciousness should be known. The six
classes of contact should be known. The six classes of feeling should be known.
The six classes of craving should be known.
"'The six internal media should be known.' Thus was it said. In reference to
what was it said? The eye-medium, the ear-medium, the nose-medium, the
tongue-medium, the body-medium, the intellect-medium. 'The six internal media
should be known.' Thus was it said. And in reference to this was it said. This
is the first sextet.
"'The six external media should be known.' Thus was it said. In reference to
what was it said? The form-medium, the sound-medium, the aroma-medium, the
flavor-medium, the tactile sensation-medium, the idea-medium. 'The six external
media should be known.' Thus was it said. And in reference to this was it said.
This is the second sextet.
"'The six classes of consciousness should be known.' Thus was it said. In
reference to what was it said? Dependent on the eye & forms there arises
consciousness at the eye. Dependent on the ear & sounds there arises
consciousness at the ear. Dependent on the nose & aromas there arises
consciousness at the nose. Dependent on the tongue & flavors there arises
consciousness at the tongue. Dependent on the body & tactile sensations there
arises consciousness at the body. Dependent on the intellect & ideas there
arises consciousness at the intellect. 'The six classes of consciousness should
be known.' Thus was it said. And in reference to this was it said. This is the
third sextet.
"'The six classes of contact should be known.' Thus was it said. In reference to
what was it said? Dependent on the eye & forms there arises consciousness at the
eye. The meeting of the three is contact. Dependent on the ear & sounds there
arises consciousness at the ear. The meeting of the three is contact. Dependent
on the nose & aromas there arises consciousness at the nose. The meeting of the
three is contact. Dependent on the tongue & flavors there arises consciousness
at the tongue. The meeting of the three is contact. Dependent on the body &
tactile sensations there arises consciousness at the body. The meeting of the
three is contact. Dependent on the intellect & ideas there arises consciousness
at the intellect. The meeting of the three is contact. 'The six classes of
contact should be known.' Thus was it said. And in reference to this was it
said. This is the fourth sextet.
"'The six classes of feeling should be known.' Thus was it said. In reference to
what was it said? Dependent on the eye & forms there arises consciousness at the
eye. The meeting of the three is contact. With contact as a requisite condition
there is feeling. Dependent on the ear & sounds there arises consciousness at
the ear. The meeting of the three is contact. With contact as a requisite
condition there is feeling. Dependent on the nose & aromas there arises
consciousness at the nose. The meeting of the three is contact. With contact as
a requisite condition there is feeling. Dependent on the tongue & flavors there
arises consciousness at the tongue. The meeting of the three is contact. With
contact as a requisite condition there is feeling. Dependent on the body &
tactile sensations there arises consciousness at the body. The meeting of the
three is contact. With contact as a requisite condition there is feeling.
Dependent on the intellect & ideas there arises consciousness at the intellect.
The meeting of the three is contact. With contact as a requisite condition there
is feeling. 'The six classes of feeling should be known.' Thus was it said. And
in reference to this was it said. This is the fifth sextet.
"'The six classes of craving should be known.' Thus was it said. In reference to
what was it said? Dependent on the eye & forms there arises consciousness at the
eye. The meeting of the three is contact. With contact as a requisite condition
there is feeling. With feeling as a requisite condition there is craving.
Dependent on the ear & sounds there arises consciousness at the ear. The meeting
of the three is contact. With contact as a requisite condition there is feeling.
With feeling as a requisite condition there is craving. Dependent on the nose &
aromas there arises consciousness at the nose. The meeting of the three is
contact. With contact as a requisite condition there is feeling. With feeling as
a requisite condition there is craving. Dependent on the tongue & flavors there
arises consciousness at the tongue. The meeting of the three is contact. With
contact as a requisite condition there is feeling. With feeling as a requisite
condition there is craving. Dependent on the body & tactile sensations there
arises consciousness at the body. The meeting of the three is contact. With
contact as a requisite condition there is feeling. With feeling as a requisite
condition there is craving. Dependent on the intellect & ideas there arises
consciousness at the intellect. The meeting of the three is contact. With
contact as a requisite condition there is feeling. With feeling as a requisite
condition there is craving. 'The six classes of craving should be known.' Thus
was it said. And in reference to this was it said. This is the sixth sextet.
"If anyone were to say, 'The eye is the self,' that wouldn't be tenable. The
arising & falling away of the eye are discerned. And when its arising & falling
away are discerned, it would follow that 'My self arises & falls away.' That's
why it wouldn't be tenable if anyone were to say, 'The eye is the self.' So the
eye is not-self. If anyone were to say, 'Forms are the self,' that wouldn't be
tenable... Thus the eye is not-self and forms are not-self. If anyone were to
say, 'Consciousness at the eye is the self,' that wouldn't be tenable... Thus
the eye is not-self, forms are not-self, consciousness at the eye is not-self.
If anyone were to say, 'Contact at the eye is the self,' that wouldn't be
tenable... Thus the eye is not-self, forms are not-self, consciousness at the
eye is not-self, contact at the eye is not-self. If anyone were to say, 'Feeling
is the self,' that wouldn't be tenable... Thus the eye is not-self, forms are
not-self, consciousness at the eye is not-self, contact at the eye is not-self,
feeling is not self. If anyone were to say, 'Craving is the self,' that wouldn't
be tenable. The arising & falling away of craving are discerned. And when its
arising & falling away are discerned, it would follow that 'My self arises &
falls away.' That's why it wouldn't be tenable if anyone were to say, 'Craving
is the self.' Thus the eye is not-self, forms are not-self, consciousness at the
eye is not-self, contact at the eye is not-self, feeling is not self, craving is
not-self.
"If anyone were to say, 'The ear is the self,' that wouldn't be tenable...
"If anyone were to say, 'The nose is the self,' that wouldn't be tenable...
"If anyone were to say, 'The tongue is the self,' that wouldn't be tenable...
"If anyone were to say, 'The body is the self,' that wouldn't be tenable...
"If anyone were to say, 'The intellect is the self,' that wouldn't be tenable.
The arising & falling away of the intellect are discerned. And when its arising
& falling away are discerned, it would follow that 'My self arises & falls
away.' That's why it wouldn't be tenable if anyone were to say, 'The intellect
is the self.' So the intellect is not-self. If anyone were to say, 'Ideas are
the self,' that wouldn't be tenable... Thus the intellect is not-self and ideas
are not-self. If anyone were to say, 'Consciousness at the intellect is the
self,' that wouldn't be tenable... Thus the intellect is not-self, ideas are
not-self, consciousness at the intellect is not-self. If anyone were to say,
'Contact at the intellect is the self,' that wouldn't be tenable... Thus the
intellect is not-self, ideas are not-self, consciousness at the intellect is
not-self, contact at the intellect is not-self. If anyone were to say, 'Feeling
is the self,' that wouldn't be tenable... Thus the intellect is not-self, ideas
are not-self, consciousness at the intellect is not-self, contact at the
intellect is not-self, feeling is not self. If anyone were to say, 'Craving is
the self,' that wouldn't be tenable. The arising & falling away of craving are
discerned. And when its arising & falling away are discerned, it would follow
that 'My self arises & falls away.' That's why it wouldn't be tenable if anyone
were to say, 'Craving is the self.' Thus the intellect is not-self, ideas are
not-self, consciousness at the intellect is not-self, contact at the intellect
is not-self, feeling is not self, craving is not-self.
"This, monks, is the path of practice leading to self-identification. One
assumes about the eye that 'This is me, this is my self, this is what I am.' One
assumes about forms... One assumes about consciousness at the eye... One assumes
about contact at the eye... One assumes about feeling... One assumes about
craving that 'This is me, this is my self, this is what I am.'
"One assumes about the ear...
"One assumes about the nose...
"One assumes about the tongue...
"One assumes about the body...
"One assumes about the intellect that 'This is me, this is my self, this is what
I am.' One assumes about ideas... One assumes about consciousness at the
intellect... One assumes about contact at the intellect... One assumes about
feeling... One assumes about craving that 'This is me, this is my self, this is
what I am.'
"Now, this is the path of practice leading to the cessation of
self-identification. One assumes about the eye that 'This is not me, this is not
my self, this is not what I am.' One assumes about forms... One assumes about
consciousness at the eye... One assumes about contact at the eye... One assumes
about feeling... One assumes about craving that 'This is not me, this is not my
self, this is not what I am.'
"One assumes about the ear...
"One assumes about the nose...
"One assumes about the tongue...
"One assumes about the body...
"One assumes about the intellect that 'This is not me, this is not my self, this
is not what I am.' One assumes about ideas... One assumes about consciousness at
the intellect... One assumes about contact at the intellect... One assumes about
feeling... One assumes about craving that 'This is not me, this is not my self,
this is not what I am.'
"Dependent on the eye & forms there arises consciousness at the eye. The meeting
of the three is contact. With contact as a requisite condition, there arises
what is felt either as pleasure, pain, or neither pleasure nor pain. If, when
touched by a feeling of pleasure, one relishes it, welcomes it, or remains
fastened to it, then one's passion-obsession gets obsessed. If, when touched by
a feeling of pain, one sorrows, grieves, & laments, beats one's breast, becomes
distraught, then one's resistance-obsession gets obsessed. If, when touched by a
feeling of neither pleasure nor pain, one does not discern, as it actually is
present, the origination, passing away, allure, drawback, or escape from that
feeling, then one's ignorance-obsession gets obsessed. That a person — without
abandoning passion-obsession with regard to a feeling of pleasure, without
abolishing resistance-obsession with regard to a feeling of pain, without
uprooting ignorance-obsession with regard to a feeling of neither pleasure nor
pain, without abandoning ignorance and giving rise to clear knowing — would put
an end to suffering & stress in the here & now: such a thing isn't possible.
"Dependent on the ear & sounds...
"Dependent on the nose & aromas...
"Dependent on the tongue & flavors...
"Dependent on the body & tactile sensations...
"Dependent on the intellect & ideas there arises consciousness at the intellect.
The meeting of the three is contact. With contact as a requisite condition,
there arises what is felt either as pleasure, pain, or neither pleasure nor
pain. If, when touched by a feeling of pleasure, one relishes it, welcomes it,
or remains fastened to it, then one's passion-obsession gets obsessed. If, when
touched by a feeling of pain, one sorrows, grieves, & laments, beats one's
breast, becomes distraught, then one's resistance-obsession gets obsessed. If,
when touched by a feeling of neither pleasure nor pain, one does not discern, as
it actually is present, the origination, passing away, allure, drawback, or
escape from that feeling, then one's ignorance-obsession gets obsessed. That a
person — without abandoning passion-obsession with regard to a feeling of
pleasure, without abolishing resistance-obsession with regard to a feeling of
pain, without uprooting ignorance-obsession with regard to a feeling of neither
pleasure nor pain, without abandoning ignorance and giving rise to clear knowing
— would put an end to suffering & stress in the here & now: such a thing isn't
possible.
"Dependent on the eye & forms there arises consciousness at the eye. The meeting
of the three is contact. With contact as a requisite condition, there arises
what is felt either as pleasure, pain, or neither pleasure nor pain. If, when
touched by a feeling of pleasure, one does not relish it, welcome it, or remain
fastened to it, then one's passion-obsession doesn't get obsessed. If, when
touched by a feeling of pain, one does not sorrow, grieve, or lament, beat one's
breast or become distraught, then one's resistance obsession doesn't get
obsessed. If, when touched by a feeling of neither pleasure nor pain, one
discerns, as it actually is present, the origination, passing away, allure,
drawback, & escape from that feeling, then one's ignorance-obsession doesn't get
obsessed. That a person — through abandoning passion-obsession with regard to a
feeling of pleasure, through abolishing resistance-obsession with regard to a
feeling of pain, through uprooting ignorance-obsession with regard to a feeling
of neither pleasure nor pain, through abandoning ignorance and giving rise to
clear knowing — would put an end to suffering & stress in the here & now: such a
thing is possible.
"Dependent on the ear & sounds...
"Dependent on the nose & aromas...
"Dependent on the tongue & flavors...
"Dependent on the body & tactile sensations...
"Dependent on the intellect & ideas there arises consciousness at the intellect.
The meeting of the three is contact. With contact as a requisite condition,
there arises what is felt either as pleasure, pain, or neither pleasure nor
pain. If, when touched by a feeling of pleasure, one does not relish it, welcome
it, or remain fastened to it, then one's passion-obsession doesn't get obsessed.
If, when touched by a feeling of pain, one does not sorrow, grieve, or lament,
beat one's breast or become distraught, then one's resistance obsession doesn't
get obsessed. If, when touched by a feeling of neither pleasure nor pain, one
discerns, as it actually is present, the origination, passing away, allure,
drawback, & escape from that feeling, then one's ignorance-obsession doesn't get
obsessed. That a person — through abandoning passion-obsession with regard to a
feeling of pleasure, through abolishing resistance-obsession with regard to a
feeling of pain, through uprooting ignorance-obsession with regard to a feeling
of neither pleasure nor pain, through abandoning ignorance and giving rise to
clear knowing — would put an end to suffering & stress in the here & now: such a
thing is possible.
"Seeing thus, the well-instructed disciple of the noble ones grows disenchanted
with the eye, disenchanted with forms, disenchanted with consciousness at the
eye, disenchanted with contact at the eye, disenchanted with feeling,
disenchanted with craving.
"He grows disenchanted with the ear...
"He grows disenchanted with the nose...
"He grows disenchanted with the tongue...
"He grows disenchanted with the body...
"He grows disenchanted with the intellect, disenchanted with ideas, disenchanted
with consciousness at the intellect, disenchanted with contact at the intellect,
disenchanted with feeling, disenchanted with craving. Disenchanted, he becomes
dispassionate. Through dispassion, he is fully released. With full release,
there is the knowledge, 'Fully released.' He discerns that 'Birth is ended, the
holy life fulfilled, the task done. There is nothing further for this world.'"
That is what the Blessed One said. Gratified, the monks delighted at his words.
And while this explanation was being given, the hearts of 60 monks, through no
clinging,1 were fully released from fermentation/effluents.



Notes
1. I.e., clinging not being sustained.