SA 103（一〇三） 差摩

Thus have I heard:

At one time, a group of senior monks were staying at the Ghosita Monastery in the country of Kosambi.

At that time, the monk Cāma was staying at the Bhadrāvana Monastery in the country of Kosambi, suffering from a serious illness.

At that time, the monk Tāsā was attending to the sick monk. He went to the senior monks, bowed at their feet, and stood to one side.

The senior monks told the monk Tāsā, "Go to the monk Cāma and say, 'The senior monks ask if you are feeling better, if your illness is not getting worse.'"

The monk Tāsā received the instructions of the senior monks and went to the monk Cāma, saying, "The senior monks ask if your illness is gradually improving, if the suffering is not increasing."

The monk Cāma said to the monk Tāsā, "My illness is not improving, my body is not at ease, and the suffering is increasing without relief. It is like a strong man taking a weak person, tying their head with a rope, and tightly strangling their hands. The pain is extremely great. My pain now is worse than that. It is like a butcher cutting open the belly of a cow with a sharp knife and taking out its internal organs. How can the cow's belly bear the pain? My belly pain now is much worse than that cow's. It is like two strong men holding a weak person and hanging them over a fire, burning their two feet. My two feet are now hotter than that."

At that time, the monk Tāsā returned to the senior monks and fully informed them of the condition of the monk Cāma's illness.

At that time, the senior monks sent the monk Tāsā back to the monk Cāma and said to the monk Cāma, "The World-Honored One has said that there are five aggregates of grasping. What are the five? The form aggregate of grasping, the feeling, perception, formation, and consciousness aggregates of grasping. Can you, Cāma, observe these five aggregates of grasping as not-self and not mine?"

At that time, the monk Tāsā, having received the instructions of the senior monks, went to inform the monk Cāma, saying, "The senior monks tell you that the World-Honored One has spoken of the five aggregates of grasping. Can you observe them as not-self and not mine?"

The monk Cāma said to the monk Tāsā, "I can observe those five aggregates of grasping as not-self and not mine."

The monk Tāsā returned and reported to the senior monks, "The monk Cāma said, 'I can observe those five aggregates of grasping as not-self and not mine.'"

The senior monks again sent the monk Tāsā to tell the monk Cāma, "Can you observe those five aggregates of grasping as not-self and not mine, like an arhat who has exhausted the taints?"

At that time, the monk Tāsā received the instructions of the senior monks and went to where the monk Cāma was, and said to Cāma, "Can a monk who can observe the five aggregates of grasping in this way be like an arhat who has exhausted the taints?"

The monk Cāma said to the monk Tāsā, "I observe the five aggregates of grasping as not-self and not mine, but I am not an arhat who has exhausted the taints."

At that time, the monk Tāsā returned to where the senior monks were and said to the senior monks, "The monk Cāma said, 'I observe the five aggregates of grasping as not-self and not mine, but I am not an arhat who has exhausted the taints.'"

At that time, the senior monks said to the monk Tāsā, "You should go back and tell the monk Cāma, 'What you said, "I observe the five aggregates of grasping as not-self and not mine, but I am not an arhat who has exhausted the taints," contradicts your previous statement.'"

The monk Tāsā accepted the instructions of the senior monks and went to tell the monk Cāma, "What you said, 'I observe the five aggregates of grasping as not-self and not mine, but I am not an arhat who has exhausted the taints,' contradicts your previous statement."

The monk Cāma said to the monk Tāsā, "As for my observation of the five aggregates of grasping as not-self and not mine, but not being an arhat, it is because I have not yet cut off, known, separated from, and eliminated the conceit of 'I,' the desire for 'I,' and the defilement of 'I'."

The monk Tāsā returned to the senior monks and said to them, "The monk Cāma said, 'As for my observation of the five aggregates of grasping as not-self and not mine, but not being an arhat who has exhausted the taints, it is because I have not yet cut off, known, separated from, and eliminated the conceit of 'I,' the desire for 'I,' and the defilement of 'I' regarding the five aggregates of grasping'."

The senior monks again sent the monk Tāsā to tell the monk Cāma, "You say there is a self. Where is this self? Is form the self, or is the self different from form? Are feeling, perception, volition, and consciousness the self, or is the self different from consciousness?"

The monk Cāma said to the monk Tāsā, "I do not say that form is the self, or that the self is different from form; that feeling, perception, volition, and consciousness are the self, or that the self is different from consciousness. However, regarding the five aggregates of grasping, I have not yet cut off, known, separated from, and eliminated the conceit of 'I,' the desire for 'I,' and the defilement of 'I'."

The monk Cāma said to the monk Tāsā, "Why bother sending you back and forth? Take a staff and I will support it myself. I will go to the senior monks and ask for the staff." The monk Cāma then supported the staff himself and went to the senior monks.

At that time, the senior monks saw from afar that the monk Cāma was coming with a staff, and they themselves spread out seats, set up footstools, went out to greet him, took his robes and bowl, and ordered him to take a seat. After exchanging greetings, they said to the monk Cāma, "You say you have conceit of 'I.' What do you see as the self? Is form the self, or is the self different from form? Are feeling, perception, volition, and consciousness the self, or is the self different from consciousness?"

The monk Cāma replied, "Form is not the self, nor is the self different from form. Feeling, perception, volition, and consciousness are not the self, nor is the self different from consciousness. I have not yet cut off, known, separated from, or eliminated the conceit of 'I,' the desire for 'I,' and the defilement of 'I' in regard to the five aggregates of clinging. It is like the fragrance of blue lotus, red lotus, white lotus, and jasmine flowers. Is the fragrance the root, or is the fragrance different from the root? Is the fragrance the stem, leaves, anthers, or the fine and coarse parts, or is the fragrance different from the fine and coarse parts? Can you explain this equally?"

The senior monks replied, "No, monk Cāma! The root of the blue lotus, red lotus, white lotus, and jasmine flowers is not the fragrance, nor is the fragrance different from the root. The stem, leaves, anthers, and fine and coarse parts are not the fragrance, nor is the fragrance different from the fine and coarse parts."

Monk Cāma asked again, "What kind of fragrance is it?"

The senior monks replied, "It is the fragrance of the flowers."

Monk Cāma said again, "It is the same for me. I am not form, yet I am not apart from form; I am not feeling, perception, formation, or consciousness, yet I am not apart from consciousness. However, I see the five aggregates of clinging as not being me or mine, yet I have not yet abandoned, known, separated from, or eliminated the conceit of 'I', the desire for 'I', and the defilements of 'I'. Senior monks, please allow me to give an analogy. The wise understand through analogies. It is like a wet nurse's garment given to a laundryman. It is washed with various ash and lye, but still has a lingering smell. It must be scented with various fragrances to eliminate the smell. In the same way, the learned noble disciple, having abandoned the five aggregates of clinging, correctly observes them as not being me or mine, yet is unable to abandon, know, separate from, or eliminate the conceit of 'I', the desire for 'I', and the defilements of 'I'. Only then, with regard to the five aggregates of clinging, does he progress in contemplation, observing their arising and ceasing. This is form, this is the arising of form, this is the cessation of form. This is feeling, perception, formation, and consciousness. This is the arising of consciousness, this is the cessation of consciousness. Having observed in this way the arising and ceasing of the five aggregates of clinging, he completely eliminates the conceit of 'I', the desire for 'I', and the defilements of 'I'. This is called true correct observation."

When monk Cāma spoke this Dharma, those senior monks became free from defilements and attained the purity of the Dharma eye. Monk Cāma, without any further defilements, attained liberation of the mind. Due to the joy and benefit of the Dharma, his physical illness was completely cured.

At that time, the senior monks said to monk Cāma, "We have already understood and delighted in what you said earlier. The reason we asked is to elicit your subtle eloquence, not to disturb you. You are indeed capable of expounding the Dharma of the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the Perfectly Enlightened One.

At that time, the senior monks, having heard what monk Cāma said, joyfully accepted and practiced it.