SA 294（二九四） 愚痴点慧

Thus have I heard:

At one time the Buddha was staying at the Kalandaka Bamboo Grove in Rājagṛha.

At that time, the World-Honored One told the bhikṣus, "Ignorant and unlearned ordinary people, covered by ignorance and bound by the conditions of craving, obtain this body of consciousness. Internally, there is this body of consciousness, externally there are name and form, and these two conditions give rise to contact. Touched by these six sense bases, ignorant and unlearned ordinary people experience various feelings of pleasure and pain. What are the six? The sense base of eye contact, the sense bases of ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind contact. If the wise are covered by ignorance and bound by the conditions of craving, they obtain this body of consciousness. Thus, internally there is a body of consciousness, externally there are name and form, and these two conditions give rise to the six sense bases. Because of being touched by the six sense bases, the wise experience various feelings of pleasure and pain. What are the six? The sense base of eye contact, the sense bases of ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind contact. What is the difference between the ignorant and the wise in cultivating the brahman way with me?"

The bhikṣus said to the Buddha, "The World-Honored One is the root of the Dharma, the eye of the Dharma, and the reliance of the Dharma. Excellent! World-Honored One! Please explain. When the bhikṣus hear it, they will accept and uphold it."

At that time, the World-Honored One told the bhikṣus, "Listen carefully and contemplate well, I will explain for you. Bhikṣus! Those ignorant and unlearned ordinary people, covered by ignorance and bound by the conditions of craving, obtain this body of consciousness. If their ignorance is not eliminated and the conditions of craving are not exhausted, when their bodies perish and their lives end, they will again take on a body. Because they take on a body again, they do not attain liberation from birth, old age, sickness, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, and distress. Why is this? Because these ignorant ordinary people have not cultivated the brahman way in the past, heading towards the complete exhaustion of suffering and the ultimate end of suffering. Therefore, when their bodies perish and their lives end, they will again take on a body. Because they take on a body again, they do not attain liberation from birth, old age, sickness, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, and distress.

If the wise and intelligent ones are covered by ignorance and bound by the conditions of craving, and obtain this body of consciousness, then their ignorance is eliminated and the conditions of craving are exhausted. Because their ignorance is eliminated and the conditions of craving are exhausted, when their bodies perish and their lives end, they will not take on a body again. Because they do not take on a body again, they attain liberation from birth, old age, sickness, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, and distress. Why is this? Because they have previously cultivated the brahman way, heading towards the complete exhaustion of suffering and the ultimate end of suffering. Therefore, when their bodies perish and their lives end, they will not take on a body again. Because they do not take on a body again, they attain liberation from birth, old age, sickness, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, and distress. This is called the various distinctions in the cultivation of the brahman way by ordinary people and the wise and intelligent ones in relation to me.

After the Buddha had spoken this sūtra, the bhikṣus heard what the Buddha had said and joyfully practiced it.