Light/Dark

Saṁyutta Nikāya — The Connected Discourses

SN35: Connected Discourses on the Six Sense Bases

SN35:136 Delight in Forms[n.140] Ee wrongly entitles this sutta Agayha, and runs it together with the next (beginning at IV 128,8). Thus from 35:137 on my count exceeds Ee's by one. Be entitles 35:136 Paṭhamarūpārāma and 35:137 Dutiya-rūpārāma, while in Se they are called Sagayha and Gayha respectively. The latter, it seems, should be amended to Agayha, as the distinction between them is the inclusion of verses in the former and their absence in the latter.

Tatiyaṁ.

1"Bhikkhus, devas and humans delight in forms, take delight in forms, rejoice in forms. With the change, fading away, and cessation of forms, devas and humans dwell in suffering. Devas and humans delight in sounds … delight in odours … delight in tastes … delight in tactile objects … delight in mental phenomena, sn.iv.127 take delight in mental phenomena, rejoice in mental phenomena. With the change, fading away, and cessation of mental phenomena, devas and humans dwell in suffering.

1"Rūpārāmā, bhikkhave, devamanussā rūparatā rūpasammuditā. Rūpavipariṇāmavirāganirodhā dukkhā, bhikkhave, devamanussā vihāranti. Saddārāmā, bhikkhave, devamanussā saddaratā saddasammuditā. Saddavipariṇāmavirāganirodhā dukkhā, bhikkhave, devamanussā vihāranti. Gandhārāmā … rasārāmā … phoṭṭhabbārāmā … dhammārāmā, bhikkhave, devamanussā dhammaratā dhammasammuditā. Dhammavipariṇāmavirāganirodhā dukkhā, bhikkhave, devamanussā vihāranti.

"But, bhikkhus, the Tathāgata, the Arahant, the Fully Enlightened One, has understood as they really are the origin and the passing away, the gratification, the danger, and the escape in the case of forms. He does not delight in forms, does not take delight in forms, does not rejoice in forms. With the change, fading away, and cessation of forms, the Tathāgata dwells happily.

Tathāgato ca kho, bhikkhave, arahaṁ sammāsambuddho rūpānaṁ samudayañca atthaṅgamañca assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṁ viditvā na rūpārāmo na rūparato na rūpasammudito. Rūpavipariṇāmavirāganirodhā sukho, bhikkhave, tathāgato vihārati.

"He has understood as they really are the origin and the passing away, the gratification, the danger, and the escape in the case of sounds … odours … tastes … tactile objects … mental phenomena. He does not delight in mental phenomena, does not take delight in mental phenomena, does not rejoice in mental phenomena. With the change, fading away, and cessation of mental phenomena, the Tathāgata dwells happily."

Saddānaṁ … gandhānaṁ … rasānaṁ … phoṭṭhabbānaṁ … dhammānaṁ samudayañca atthaṅgamañca assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṁ viditvā na dhammārāmo, na dhammarato, na dhammasammudito. Dhammavipariṇāmavirāganirodhā sukho, bhikkhave, tathāgato vihārati". Idamavoca bhagavā.

This is what the Blessed One said. Having said this, the Fortunate One, the Teacher, further said this:[n.141] The verses = Snp 765-772. The following corrections should be made in Ee (at IV 127–28): v. 5a read: Passa dhammaṃ durājānaṃ; 6cd: santike na vijānanti, magā dhammass’ akovidā; 8b: buddhuṁ. At 3b, Be and Ee have sakkāyassa nirodhanaṃ, Se sakkāyass’ uparodhanaṁ; the meaning is the same. I read 3d with Be and Se as passataṁ, though Ee dassanaṁ is supported by some mss, and Spk can be read as leaning towards either alternative (see following note).

Idaṁ vatvāna sugato athāparaṁ etadavoca satthā: 



2"Forms, sounds, odours, tastes,
Tactiles and all objects of mind—
Desirable, lovely, agreeable,
So long as it's said: ‘They are.’

2"Rūpā saddā rasā gandhā,
phassā dhammā ca kevalā;
Iṭṭhā kantā manāpā ca,
yāvatatthīti vuccati.

3"These are considered happiness
By the world with its devas;
But where these cease,
That they consider suffering.

3Sadevakassa lokassa,
ete vo sukhasammatā;
Yattha cete nirujjhanti,
taṁ tesaṁ dukkhasammataṁ.

4"The noble ones have seen as happiness
The ceasing of identity.
This view of those who clearly see
Runs counter to the entire world.[n.142] Spk: This view of the wise who see (idaṁ passantānaṃ paṇḍitānaṃ dassanaṃ) runs counter (paccanīkaṇ), contrary, to the entire world. For the world conceives the five aggregates as permanent, happiness, self, and beautiful, while to the wise they are impermanent, suffering, nonself, and foul.

4Sukhaṁ diṭṭhamariyebhi,
sakkāyassa nirodhanaṁ;
Paccanīkamidaṁ hoti,
sabbalokena passataṁ.

5"What others speak of as happiness,
That the noble ones say is suffering;
What others speak of as suffering,
That the noble ones know as bliss.

5Yaṁ pare sukhato āhu,
tadariyā āhu dukkhato;
Yaṁ pare dukkhato āhu,
tadariyā sukhato vidū.

6"Behold this Dhamma hard to comprehend:
Here the foolish are bewildered.
For those with blocked minds it is obscure,
Sheer darkness for those who do not see. sn.iv.128

6Passa dhammaṁ durājānaṁ,
sammūḷhettha aviddasu;
Nivutānaṁ tamo hoti,
andhakāro apassataṁ.

7"But for the good it is disclosed,
It is light here for those who see.
The dullards unskilled in the Dhamma
Don’t understand it in its presence.

7Satañca vivaṭaṁ hoti,
āloko passatāmiva;
Santike na vijānanti,
maggā dhammassa akovidā.

8"This Dhamma isn’t easily understood
By those afflicted with lust for existence,
Who flow along in the stream of existence,
Deeply mired in Māra's realm.

8Bhavarāgaparetebhi,
bhavarāgānusārībhi;
Māradheyyānupannehi,
nāyaṁ dhammo susambudho.

9"Who else apart from the noble ones
Are able to understand this state?
When they have rightly known that state,
The taintless ones are fully quenched."[n.143] Spk: Who else except the noble ones are able to know that state of Nibbāna (Nibbānapadaṁ)? Having known it rightly by the wisdom of arahantship, they immediately become taintless and are fully quenched by the quenching of the defilements (kilesaparinibb̄nena parinibbanti). Or else, having become taintless by rightly knowing, in the end they are fully quenched by the quenching of the aggregates (khandhaparinibbānena parinibbanti).

9Ko nu aññatra mariyebhi,
Padaṁ sambuddhumarahati;
Yaṁ padaṁ sammadaññāya,
Parinibbanti anāsavā"ti.