Saḷāyatanavibhaṅgasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 137

Saḷāyatanavibhaṅgasutta

The Analysis of the Six Sense Fields · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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Tattha katamāni cha gehasitāni domanassāni?
Cakkhuviññeyyānaṁ rūpānaṁ …
pe…
sotaviññeyyānaṁ saddānaṁ …
ghānaviññeyyānaṁ gandhānaṁ …
jivhāviññeyyānaṁ rasānaṁ …
kāyaviññeyyānaṁ phoṭṭhabbānaṁ …
manoviññeyyānaṁ dhammānaṁ iṭṭhānaṁ kantānaṁ manāpānaṁ manoramānaṁ lokāmisapaṭisaṁyuttānaṁ appaṭilābhaṁ vā appaṭilābhato samanupassato pubbe vā appaṭiladdhapubbaṁ atītaṁ niruddhaṁ vipariṇataṁ samanussarato uppajjati domanassaṁ.
Yaṁ evarūpaṁ domanassaṁ idaṁ vuccati gehasitaṁ domanassaṁ.
Imāni cha gehasitāni domanassāni.

And in this context what are the six kinds of domestic sadness? There are sights known by the eye, which are likable, desirable, agreeable, pleasing, connected with the worldly pleasures of the flesh. Sadness arises when you regard it as a loss to lose such sights, or when you recollect sights you formerly lost that have passed, ceased, and perished. Such sadness is called domestic sadness. There are sounds known by the ear … There are smells known by the nose … There are tastes known by the tongue … There are touches known by the body … There are ideas known by the mind, which are likable, desirable, agreeable, pleasing, connected with the worldly pleasures of the flesh. Sadness arises when you regard it as a loss to lose such ideas, or when you recollect ideas you formerly lost that have passed, ceased, and perished. Such sadness is called domestic sadness. These are the six kinds of domestic sadness.

Tattha katamāni cha nekkhammasitāni domanassāni?
Rūpānaṁ tveva aniccataṁ viditvā vipariṇāmavirāganirodhaṁ, ‘pubbe ceva rūpā etarahi ca sabbe te rūpā aniccā dukkhā vipariṇāmadhammā’ti evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya disvā anuttaresu vimokkhesu pihaṁ upaṭṭhāpeti:
‘kudāssu nāmāhaṁ tadāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharissāmi yadariyā etarahi āyatanaṁ upasampajja viharantī’ti iti anuttaresu vimokkhesu pihaṁ upaṭṭhāpayato uppajjati pihapaccayā domanassaṁ.
Yaṁ evarūpaṁ domanassaṁ idaṁ vuccati nekkhammasitaṁ domanassaṁ.
Saddānaṁ tveva …pe…
gandhānaṁ tveva …
rasānaṁ tveva …
phoṭṭhabbānaṁ tveva …
dhammānaṁ tveva aniccataṁ viditvā vipariṇāmavirāganirodhaṁ, ‘pubbe ceva dhammā etarahi ca sabbe te dhammā aniccā dukkhā vipariṇāmadhammā’ti evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya disvā anuttaresu vimokkhesu pihaṁ upaṭṭhāpeti:

And in this context what are the six kinds of renunciate sadness? When you’ve understood the impermanence of sights—their perishing, fading away, and cessation—you truly understand through right understanding that both formerly and now all those sights are impermanent, suffering, and perishable. Upon seeing this, you give rise to longing for the supreme liberations: ‘Oh, when will I enter and remain in the same dimension that the noble ones enter and remain in today?’ When you give rise to longing for the supreme liberations like this, sadness arises because of the longing. Such sadness is called renunciate sadness. When you’ve understood the impermanence of sounds … smells … tastes … touches … ideas—their perishing, fading away, and cessation—you truly understand through right understanding that both formerly and now all those ideas are impermanent, suffering, and perishable. Upon seeing this, you give rise to longing for the supreme liberations:

‘kudāssu nāmāhaṁ tadāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharissāmi yadariyā etarahi āyatanaṁ upasampajja viharantī’ti iti anuttaresu vimokkhesu pihaṁ upaṭṭhāpayato uppajjati pihapaccayā domanassaṁ.
Yaṁ evarūpaṁ domanassaṁ idaṁ vuccati nekkhammasitaṁ domanassaṁ.
Imāni cha nekkhammasitāni domanassāni.

‘Oh, when will I enter and remain in the same dimension that the noble ones enter and remain in today?’ When you give rise to longing for the supreme liberations like this, sadness arises because of the longing. Such sadness is called renunciate sadness. These are the six kinds of renunciate sadness.

Tattha katamā cha gehasitā upekkhā?
Cakkhunā rūpaṁ disvā uppajjati upekkhā bālassa mūḷhassa puthujjanassa anodhijinassa avipākajinassa anādīnavadassāvino assutavato puthujjanassa.
Yā evarūpā upekkhā, rūpaṁ sā nātivattati.
Tasmā sā upekkhā ‘gehasitā’ti vuccati.
Sotena saddaṁ sutvā …
ghānena gandhaṁ ghāyitvā …
jivhāya rasaṁ sāyitvā …
kāyena phoṭṭhabbaṁ phusitvā …
manasā dhammaṁ viññāya uppajjati upekkhā bālassa mūḷhassa puthujjanassa anodhijinassa avipākajinassa anādīnavadassāvino assutavato puthujjanassa.
Yā evarūpā upekkhā, dhammaṁ sā nātivattati.
Tasmā sā upekkhā ‘gehasitā’ti vuccati.
Imā cha gehasitā upekkhā.

And in this context what are the six kinds of domestic equanimity? When seeing a sight with their eyes, equanimity arises for the unlearned ordinary person—a foolish ordinary person who has not overcome their limitations and the results of deeds, and is blind to the drawbacks. Such equanimity does not transcend the sight. That’s why it’s called domestic equanimity. When hearing a sound with their ears … When smelling an odor with their nose … When tasting a flavor with their tongue … When encountering a touch with their body … When knowing an idea with their mind, equanimity arises for the unlearned ordinary person—a foolish ordinary person who has not overcome their limitations and the results of deeds, and is blind to the drawbacks. Such equanimity does not transcend the idea. That’s why it’s called domestic equanimity. These are the six kinds of domestic equanimity.

Tattha katamā cha nekkhammasitā upekkhā?
Rūpānaṁ tveva aniccataṁ viditvā vipariṇāmavirāganirodhaṁ, ‘pubbe ceva rūpā etarahi ca sabbe te rūpā aniccā dukkhā vipariṇāmadhammā’ti evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya passato uppajjati upekkhā.
Yā evarūpā upekkhā, rūpaṁ sā ativattati.
Tasmā sā upekkhā ‘nekkhammasitā’ti vuccati.
Saddānaṁ tveva …
gandhānaṁ tveva …
rasānaṁ tveva …
phoṭṭhabbānaṁ tveva …
dhammānaṁ tveva aniccataṁ viditvā vipariṇāmavirāganirodhaṁ, ‘pubbe ceva dhammā etarahi ca sabbe te dhammā aniccā dukkhā vipariṇāmadhammā’ti evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya passato uppajjati upekkhā.
Yā evarūpā upekkhā, dhammaṁ sā ativattati.
Tasmā sā upekkhā ‘nekkhammasitā’ti vuccati.
Imā cha nekkhammasitā upekkhā.
‘Chattiṁsa sattapadā veditabbā’ti—
iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ idametaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ.

And in this context what are the six kinds of renunciate equanimity? When you’ve understood the impermanence of sights—their perishing, fading away, and cessation—equanimity arises as you truly understand through right understanding that both formerly and now all those sights are impermanent, suffering, and perishable. Such equanimity transcends the sight. That’s why it’s called renunciate equanimity. When you’ve understood the impermanence of sounds … smells … tastes … touches … ideas—their perishing, fading away, and cessation—equanimity arises as you truly understand through right understanding that both formerly and now all those ideas are impermanent, suffering, and perishable. Such equanimity transcends the idea. That’s why it’s called renunciate equanimity. These are the six kinds of renunciate equanimity. ‘The thirty-six positions of sentient beings should be understood.’ That’s what I said, and this is why I said it.

‘Tatra idaṁ nissāya idaṁ pajahathā’ti—
iti kho panetaṁ vuttaṁ; Kiñcetaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ?
Tatra, bhikkhave, yāni cha nekkhammasitāni somanassāni tāni nissāya tāni āgamma yāni cha gehasitāni somanassāni tāni pajahatha, tāni samatikkamatha.
Evametesaṁ pahānaṁ hoti, evametesaṁ samatikkamo hoti.
Tatra, bhikkhave, yāni cha nekkhammasitāni domanassāni tāni nissāya tāni āgamma yāni cha gehasitāni domanassāni tāni pajahatha, tāni samatikkamatha.
Evametesaṁ pahānaṁ hoti, evametesaṁ samatikkamo hoti.
Tatra, bhikkhave, yā cha nekkhammasitā upekkhā tā nissāya tā āgamma, yā cha gehasitā upekkhā tā pajahatha tā samatikkamatha.
Evametāsaṁ pahānaṁ hoti, evametāsaṁ samatikkamo hoti.

‘Therein, relying on this, give up that.’ That’s what I said, but why did I say it? Therein, by relying and depending on the six kinds of renunciate happiness, give up and go beyond the six kinds of domestic happiness. That’s how they are given up. Therein, by relying on the six kinds of renunciate sadness, give up the six kinds of domestic sadness. That’s how they are given up. Therein, by relying on the six kinds of renunciate equanimity, give up the six kinds of domestic equanimity. That’s how they are given up.

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