Pañcattayasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 102

The Five and Three · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

Parallels & more translations on SuttaCentral

Glosses: Fluent · Literal · Off
Translation: Hide · Show

Tap any word for its dictionary entry.

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 tooTayidaṁ, monksbhikkhave, the Realized Onetathāgato understandsabhijānāti
whoye indeedkho thosete sirsbhonto ascetics and brahminssamaṇabrāhmaṇā non-percipientasaññiṁ a selfattānaṁ assertpaññapenti healthyarogaṁ afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā, as formedrūpiṁ orvā thosete sirsbhonto ascetics and brahminssamaṇabrāhmaṇā non-percipientasaññiṁ a selfattānaṁ assertpaññapenti healthyarogaṁ afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā, as formlessarūpiṁ orvā thosete sirsbhonto ascetics and brahminssamaṇabrāhmaṇā non-percipientasaññiṁ a selfattānaṁ assertpaññapenti healthyarogaṁ afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā, both formedrūpiñca and formlessarūpiñca orvā thosete sirsbhonto ascetics and brahminssamaṇabrāhmaṇā non-percipientasaññiṁ a selfattānaṁ assertpaññapenti healthyarogaṁ afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā, neither formednevarūpiṁ nor formlessnārūpiṁ orvā thosete sirsbhonto ascetics and brahminssamaṇabrāhmaṇā non-percipientasaññiṁ a selfattānaṁ assertpaññapenti healthyarogaṁ 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 comingāgatiṁ orvā goinggatiṁ orvā passing awaycutiṁ orvā reappearingupapattiṁ 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 conditionedsaṅkhataṁ coarseoḷārikaṁ there isatthi indeedkho butpana of conditionssaṅkhārānaṁ cessationnirodho it is realatthetan’ti—
thusiti having understoodviditvā of thattassa seeing the escapenissaraṇadassāvī 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 ascetics and brahminssamaṇabrāhmaṇā neither percipient nor non-percipientnevasaññīnāsaññiṁ selfattānaṁ assertpaññapenti healthyarogaṁ afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā, formedrūpiṁ orvā thosete sirsbhonto ascetics and brahminssamaṇabrāhmaṇā neither percipient nor non-percipientnevasaññīnāsaññiṁ selfattānaṁ assertpaññapenti healthyarogaṁ afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā, formlessarūpiṁ orvā thosete sirsbhonto ascetics and brahminssamaṇabrāhmaṇā neither percipient nor non-percipientnevasaññīnāsaññiṁ selfattānaṁ assertpaññapenti healthyarogaṁ afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā, both formed and formlessrūpiñca formless andarūpiñca orvā thosete sirsbhonto ascetics and brahminssamaṇabrāhmaṇā neither percipient nor non-percipientnevasaññīnāsaññiṁ selfattānaṁ assertpaññapenti healthyarogaṁ afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā, neither formednevarūpiṁ nor formlessnārūpiṁ orvā thosete sirsbhonto ascetics and brahminssamaṇabrāhmaṇā neither percipient nor non-percipientnevasaññīnāsaññiṁ selfattānaṁ assertpaññapenti 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.

this, that isTayidaṁ, monksbhikkhave, the Realized Onetathāgato understandsabhijānāti.
whoYe indeedkho thosete good sirsbhonto ascetics and brahminssamaṇabrāhmaṇā neither percipient nor non-percipientnevasaññīnāsaññiṁ selfattānaṁ assertpaññapenti healthyarogaṁ afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā, formedrūpiṁ orvā thosete good sirsbhonto ascetics and brahminssamaṇabrāhmaṇā neither percipient nor non-percipientnevasaññīnāsaññiṁ selfattānaṁ assertpaññapenti healthyarogaṁ afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā, formlessarūpiṁ orvā thosete good sirsbhonto ascetics and brahminssamaṇabrāhmaṇā neither percipient nor non-percipientnevasaññīnāsaññiṁ selfattānaṁ assertpaññapenti healthyarogaṁ afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā, both formed andrūpiñca formless andarūpiñca orvā thosete good sirsbhonto ascetics and brahminssamaṇabrāhmaṇā neither percipient nor non-percipientnevasaññīnāsaññiṁ selfattānaṁ assertpaññapenti healthyarogaṁ afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā, neither formednevarūpiṁ nor formlessnārūpiṁ orvā thosete good sirsbhonto ascetics and brahminssamaṇabrāhmaṇā neither percipient nor non-percipientnevasaññīnāsaññiṁ selfattānaṁ assertpaññapenti healthyarogaṁ afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā.
whoYe indeedhi anykeci, monksbhikkhave, asceticssamaṇā orvā brahminsbrāhmaṇā orvā merely by conditioned phenomena of what ought be seen heard thought and knowndiṭṭhasutamutaviññātabbasaṅkhāramattena of thisetassa dimensionāyatanassa embracingupasampadaṁ assertpaññapenti, that is a disasterbyasanañhetaṁ, monksbhikkhave, is saidakkhāyati of thisetassa dimensionāyatanassa of the embracingupasampadāya.
notNa this, indeedhetaṁ, monksbhikkhave, dimensionāyatanaṁ not to be attained by conditioned phenomenasaṅkhārasamāpattipattabbamakkhāyati;
with a residue of conditioned phenomena it is to be attained, thissaṅkhārāvasesasamāpattipattabbametaṁ, monksbhikkhave, dimensionāyatanamakkhāyati.
this, that is‘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 having understoodviditvā of thistassa seeing the escapenissaraṇadassāvī the Realized Onetathāgato 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 ascetics and brahminssamaṇabrāhmaṇā existingsato of a beingsattassa annihilationucchedaṁ eradicationvināsaṁ nonexistencevibhavaṁ they assertpaññapenti, theretatra, monksbhikkhave, whoye thosete ascetics and brahminssamaṇabrāhmaṇā percipientsaññiṁ a selfattānaṁ they assertpaññapenti healthyarogaṁ afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā these reject thosetesamete they rejectpaṭikkosanti, whoeveryepi thosete honorablebhonto ascetics and brahminssamaṇabrāhmaṇā non-percipientasaññiṁ a selfattānaṁ they assertpaññapenti healthyarogaṁ afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā these reject thosetesamete they rejectpaṭikkosanti, whoeveryepi thosete honorablebhonto ascetics and brahminssamaṇabrāhmaṇā neither percipient nor non-percipientnevasaññīnāsaññiṁ a selfattānaṁ they assertpaññapenti healthyarogaṁ afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā these reject thosetesamete they rejectpaṭikkosanti.
thatTaṁ of whatkissa reason?hetu?
all theseSabbepime honorablebhonto ascetics and brahminssamaṇabrāhmaṇā upstreamuddhaṁ flowsaraṁ only attachmentāsattiṁyeva 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!”

Lite mode — plain HTML for e-readers and old browsers. Full version