Pañcattayasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 102

The Five and Three · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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thereTatra, monksbhikkhave, whoye thosete ascetics and brahminssamaṇabrāhmaṇā percipientsaññiṁ selfattānaṁ assertpaññapenti healthyarogaṁ afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā they reject themtesamete rejectpaṭikkosanti.
thatTaṁ whatkissa reason?hetu?
perceptionSaññā a diseaserogo perceptionsaññā a boilgaṇḍo perceptionsaññā a dartsallaṁ, thisetaṁ is peacefulsantaṁ thisetaṁ is sublimepaṇītaṁ that is to sayyadidaṁ: non-perception‘asaññan’ti.

So they reject those who assert a self that is percipient and healthy after death. Why is that? Because they believe that perception is a disease, a boil, a dart, and that the state of non-perception is peaceful and sublime.

this + too·thisTayidaṁ, monksbhikkhave, thus·gonetathāgato higher·knowabhijānāti
whoye indeedkho thosete sirsbhonto ascetic·brahminsamaṇabrāhmaṇā not·percipientasaññiṁ a selfattānaṁ assertpaññapenti not·diseasearogaṁ afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā, as formedrūpiṁ orvā thosete sirsbhonto ascetic·brahminsamaṇabrāhmaṇā not·percipientasaññiṁ a selfattānaṁ assertpaññapenti not·diseasearogaṁ afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā, not·formarūpiṁ orvā thosete sirsbhonto ascetic·brahminsamaṇabrāhmaṇā not·percipientasaññiṁ a selfattānaṁ assertpaññapenti not·diseasearogaṁ afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā, both formedrūpiñca not·formarūpiñca orvā thosete sirsbhonto ascetic·brahminsamaṇabrāhmaṇā not·percipientasaññiṁ a selfattānaṁ assertpaññapenti not·diseasearogaṁ afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā, neither·formnevarūpiṁ nor·formnārūpiṁ orvā thosete sirsbhonto ascetic·brahminsamaṇabrāhmaṇā not·percipientasaññiṁ a selfattānaṁ assertpaññapenti not·diseasearogaṁ afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā.
whoeverYo indeedhi anykoci, monksbhikkhave, asceticsamaṇo orvā brahminbrāhmaṇo orvā thusevaṁ should sayvadeyya:
I apart from‘ahamaññatra formrūpā, apart fromaññatra feelingvedanāya, apart fromaññatra perceptionsaññāya, apart fromaññatra choicessaṅkhārehi, of consciousnessviññāṇassa toward·goingāgatiṁ orvā goinggatiṁ orvā passing awaycutiṁ orvā near·arrivalupapattiṁ orvā growthvuddhiṁ orvā increasevirūḷhiṁ orvā maturityvepullaṁ orvā I will describepaññapessāmī’ti—
this is notnetaṁ possibleṭhānaṁ is foundvijjati.

The Realized One understands this as follows. There are ascetics and brahmins who assert a self that is non-percipient and healthy after death, describing it as formed, or formless, or both formed and formless, or neither formed nor formless. But if any ascetic or brahmin should say this: ‘Apart from form, feeling, perception, and choices, I will describe the coming and going of consciousness, its passing away and reappearing, its growth, increase, and maturity.’ That is not possible.

that + indeed·this‘Tayidaṁ together·makesaṅkhataṁ coarseoḷārikaṁ there isatthi indeedkho butpana together·makesaṅkhārānaṁ down·cessationnirodho be + this·thatatthetan’ti—
thusiti having understoodviditvā of thattassa escape·seeingnissaraṇadassāvī the Realized Onetathāgato has gone beyond thattadupātivatto.

‘All that is conditioned and crude. But there is the cessation of conditions—that is real.’ Understanding this and seeing the escape from it, the Realized One has gone beyond all that.

thereTatra, o monksbhikkhave, whoye thosete ascetic·brahminsamaṇabrāhmaṇā not·or·percipient·not·percipientnevasaññīnāsaññiṁ selfattānaṁ know·forthpaññapenti healthyarogaṁ afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā, formedrūpiṁ orvā thosete sirsbhonto ascetic·brahminsamaṇabrāhmaṇā not·or·percipient·not·percipientnevasaññīnāsaññiṁ selfattānaṁ know·forthpaññapenti healthyarogaṁ afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā, not·formedarūpiṁ orvā thosete sirsbhonto ascetic·brahminsamaṇabrāhmaṇā not·or·percipient·not·percipientnevasaññīnāsaññiṁ selfattānaṁ know·forthpaññapenti healthyarogaṁ afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā, formed·andrūpiñca not·formed·andarūpiñca orvā thosete sirsbhonto ascetic·brahminsamaṇabrāhmaṇā not·or·percipient·not·percipientnevasaññīnāsaññiṁ selfattānaṁ know·forthpaññapenti healthyarogaṁ afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā, not·or·formednevarūpiṁ not·formednārūpiṁ orvā thosete sirsbhonto ascetic·brahminsamaṇabrāhmaṇā not·or·percipient·not·percipientnevasaññīnāsaññiṁ selfattānaṁ know·forthpaññapenti healthyarogaṁ afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā.

Now, the ascetics and brahmins who assert a self that is neither percipient nor non-percipient and healthy after death describe it as formed, or formless, or both formed and formless, or neither formed nor formless.

thereTatra, monksbhikkhave, whoye thosete ascetics and brahminssamaṇabrāhmaṇā percipientsaññiṁ selfattānaṁ they assertpaññapenti healthyarogaṁ afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā they reject thosetesamete they rejectpaṭikkosanti, and whoyepi thosete goodbhonto ascetics and brahminssamaṇabrāhmaṇā non-percipientasaññiṁ selfattānaṁ they assertpaññapenti healthyarogaṁ afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā they reject thosetesamete they rejectpaṭikkosanti.
thatTaṁ of whatkissa reason?hetu?
perceptionSaññā a diseaserogo perceptionsaññā a boilgaṇḍo perceptionsaññā a dartsallaṁ, non-perceptionasaññā a stuporsammoho, thisetaṁ peacefulsantaṁ thisetaṁ sublimepaṇītaṁ namelyyadidaṁ:
neither perception nor non-perception‘nevasaññānāsaññan’ti.

So they reject those who assert a self that is percipient and healthy after death, as well as those who assert a self that is non-percipient and healthy after death. Why is that? Because they believe that perception is a disease, a boil, a dart; that non-perception is a stupor; and that the state of neither perception nor non-perception is peaceful and sublime.

that + which·thisTayidaṁ, monksbhikkhave, the Realized Onetathāgato fully·knowabhijānāti.
whoYe indeedkho thosete good sirsbhonto ascetic·brahminssamaṇabrāhmaṇā not·or·percipient·not·percipientnevasaññīnāsaññiṁ selfattānaṁ assertpaññapenti healthyarogaṁ afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā, formedrūpiṁ orvā thosete good sirsbhonto ascetic·brahminssamaṇabrāhmaṇā not·or·percipient·not·percipientnevasaññīnāsaññiṁ selfattānaṁ assertpaññapenti healthyarogaṁ afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā, formlessarūpiṁ orvā thosete good sirsbhonto ascetic·brahminssamaṇabrāhmaṇā not·or·percipient·not·percipientnevasaññīnāsaññiṁ selfattānaṁ assertpaññapenti healthyarogaṁ afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā, formed·andrūpiñca formless·andarūpiñca orvā thosete good sirsbhonto ascetic·brahminssamaṇabrāhmaṇā not·or·percipient·not·percipientnevasaññīnāsaññiṁ selfattānaṁ assertpaññapenti healthyarogaṁ afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā, neither formednevarūpiṁ not·formlessnārūpiṁ orvā thosete good sirsbhonto ascetic·brahminssamaṇabrāhmaṇā not·or·percipient·not·percipientnevasaññīnāsaññiṁ selfattānaṁ assertpaññapenti healthyarogaṁ afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā.
whoYe indeedhi anykeci, monksbhikkhave, asceticssamaṇā orvā brahminsbrāhmaṇā orvā seen·heard·thought·known·conditioned phenomena merelydiṭṭhasutamutaviññātabbasaṅkhāramattena of thisetassa dimensionāyatanassa embracingupasampadaṁ assertpaññapenti, disaster + indeed·thatbyasanañhetaṁ, monksbhikkhave, is saidakkhāyati of thisetassa dimensionāyatanassa of the embracingupasampadāya.
notNa indeed·thishetaṁ, monksbhikkhave, dimensionāyatanaṁ conditioned phenomena·attainment·to be attained·not·is saidsaṅkhārasamāpattipattabbamakkhāyati;
residue of conditioned phenomena·attainment·to be attained·thissaṅkhārāvasesasamāpattipattabbametaṁ, monksbhikkhave, dimension·is saidāyatanamakkhāyati.
that + which·this‘Tayidaṁ conditionedsaṅkhataṁ crudeoḷārikaṁ there isatthi indeedkho butpana of conditionssaṅkhārānaṁ cessationnirodho that is realatthetan’ti—

The Realized One understands this as follows. There are ascetics and brahmins who assert a self that is neither percipient nor non-percipient and healthy after death, describing it as formed, or formless, or both formed and formless, or neither formed nor formless. Some ascetics or brahmins assert the embracing of that dimension merely through the conditioned phenomena of what ought be seen, heard, thought, and known. But that is said to be a disastrous approach. For that dimension is said to be not attainable by means of conditioned phenomena, but only with a residue of conditioned phenomena. ‘All that is conditioned and crude. But there is the cessation of conditions—that is real.’

thusiti thoroughly·knowviditvā of thistassa escape·seeingnissaraṇadassāvī thus·gonetathāgato has gone beyond all thattadupātivatto.

Understanding this and seeing the escape from it, the Realized One has gone beyond all that.

thereTatra, monksbhikkhave, whoye thosete ascetic·brahminsamaṇabrāhmaṇā existingsato of a beingsattassa annihilationucchedaṁ apart·destroyvināsaṁ apart·existvibhavaṁ they assertpaññapenti, theretatra, monksbhikkhave, whoye thosete ascetic·brahminsamaṇabrāhmaṇā percipientsaññiṁ a selfattānaṁ they assertpaññapenti not·diseasearogaṁ afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā of those·thesetesamete they rejectpaṭikkosanti, who·alsoyepi thosete honorablebhonto ascetic·brahminsamaṇabrāhmaṇā not·percipientasaññiṁ a selfattānaṁ they assertpaññapenti not·diseasearogaṁ afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā of those·thesetesamete they rejectpaṭikkosanti, who·alsoyepi thosete honorablebhonto ascetic·brahminsamaṇabrāhmaṇā neither·percipient·non-percipientnevasaññīnāsaññiṁ a selfattānaṁ they assertpaññapenti not·diseasearogaṁ afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā of those·thesetesamete they rejectpaṭikkosanti.
thatTaṁ of whatkissa reason?hetu?
all·also·theseSabbepime honorablebhonto ascetic·brahminsamaṇabrāhmaṇā upstreamuddhaṁ flowsaraṁ attachment·onlyāsattiṁyeva they proposeabhivadanti:
thus‘iti after deathpecca we shall bebhavissāma, thusiti after deathpecca we shall bebhavissāmā’ti.

Now, the ascetics and brahmins who assert the annihilation, eradication, and nonexistence of an existing being reject those who assert a self that is healthy after death, whether percipient or non-percipient or neither percipient nor non-percipient. Why is that? Because they think: ‘All of those ascetics and brahmins only propose their attachment to heading upstream: “After death we shall be like this! After death we shall be like that!”

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