Uddesavibhaṅgasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 138

A Summary Recital and its Analysis · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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“Addhāvuso kaccāna, bhagavā jānaṁ jānāti, passaṁ passati, cakkhubhūto ñāṇabhūto dhammabhūto brahmabhūto vattā pavattā atthassa ninnetā amatassa dātā dhammassāmī tathāgato.
So ceva panetassa kālo ahosi yaṁ bhagavantaṁyeva etamatthaṁ paṭipuccheyyāma;
yathā no bhagavā byākareyya tathā naṁ dhāreyyāma.
Api cāyasmā mahākaccāno satthu ceva saṁvaṇṇito sambhāvito ca viññūnaṁ sabrahmacārīnaṁ.
Pahoti cāyasmā mahākaccāno imassa bhagavatā saṅkhittena uddesassa uddiṭṭhassa vitthārena atthaṁ avibhattassa vitthārena atthaṁ vibhajituṁ.
Vibhajatāyasmā mahākaccāno agaruṁ karitvā”ti.

“Certainly he is the Buddha, the one who knows and sees. He is vision, he is knowledge, he is the manifestation of principle, he is the manifestation of divinity. He is the preacher, the proclaimer, the elucidator of meaning, the bestower of freedom from death, the lord of truth, the Realized One. That was the time to approach the Buddha and ask about this matter. We should have remembered it in line with the Buddha’s answer. Still, Venerable Mahākaccāna is praised by the Buddha and esteemed by his sensible spiritual companions. He is capable of explaining in detail the meaning of this brief summary recital given by the Buddha. Please explain this, if it’s no trouble.”

“Tena hāvuso, suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī”ti.
“Evamāvuso”ti kho te bhikkhū āyasmato mahākaccānassa paccassosuṁ.
Āyasmā mahākaccāno etadavoca:
“Yaṁ kho no, āvuso, bhagavā saṅkhittena uddesaṁ uddisitvā vitthārena atthaṁ avibhajitvā uṭṭhāyāsanā vihāraṁ paviṭṭho:
‘tathā tathā, bhikkhave, bhikkhu upaparikkheyya, yathā yathā upaparikkhato bahiddhā cassa viññāṇaṁ avikkhittaṁ avisaṭaṁ ajjhattaṁ asaṇṭhitaṁ anupādāya na paritasseyya, bahiddhā, bhikkhave, viññāṇe avikkhitte avisaṭe sati ajjhattaṁ asaṇṭhite anupādāya aparitassato āyatiṁ jātijarāmaraṇadukkhasamudayasambhavo na hotī’ti.
Imassa kho ahaṁ, āvuso, bhagavatā saṅkhittena uddesassa uddiṭṭhassa vitthārena atthaṁ avibhattassa evaṁ vitthārena atthaṁ ājānāmi.

“Well then, reverends, listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.” “Yes, reverend,” they replied. Venerable Mahākaccāna said this: “Reverends, the Buddha gave this brief summary recital, then entered his dwelling without explaining the meaning in detail: ‘A mendicant should examine in whatever way such that, while examining, consciousness would neither be scattered nor diffused externally, nor stuck internally, and they would not be anxious because of grasping. When consciousness is neither scattered nor diffused externally, nor stuck internally, and they are not anxious because of grasping, there is no coming to be of the origin of suffering—of rebirth, old age, and death in the future.’ This is how I understand the detailed meaning of this summary recital.

Kathañcāvuso, bahiddhā viññāṇaṁ vikkhittaṁ visaṭanti vuccati?
Idhāvuso, bhikkhuno cakkhunā rūpaṁ disvā rūpanimittānusāri viññāṇaṁ hoti rūpanimittassādagadhitaṁ rūpanimittassādavinibandhaṁ rūpanimittassādasaṁyojanasaṁyuttaṁ bahiddhā viññāṇaṁ vikkhittaṁ visaṭanti vuccati.
Sotena saddaṁ sutvā …pe…
ghānena gandhaṁ ghāyitvā …
jivhāya rasaṁ sāyitvā …
kāyena phoṭṭhabbaṁ phusitvā …
manasā dhammaṁ viññāya dhammanimittānusāri viññāṇaṁ hoti; dhammanimittassādagadhitaṁ dhammanimittassādavinibandhaṁ dhammanimittassādasaṁyojanasaṁyuttaṁ bahiddhā viññāṇaṁ vikkhittaṁ visaṭanti vuccati.
Evaṁ kho, āvuso, bahiddhā viññāṇaṁ vikkhittaṁ visaṭanti vuccati.

How is consciousness said to be scattered and diffused externally? In this case, when a mendicant sees a sight with their eyes, and consciousness follows after the features of that sight—tied, attached, and fettered to gratification in its features—consciousness is said to be scattered and diffused externally. When they hear a sound with their ears … When they smell an odor with their nose … When they taste a flavor with their tongue … When they feel a touch with their body … When they know an idea with their mind, and consciousness follows after the features of that idea—tied, attached, and fettered to gratification in its features—consciousness is said to be scattered and diffused externally. That’s how consciousness is said to be scattered and diffused externally.

Kathañcāvuso, bahiddhā viññāṇaṁ avikkhittaṁ avisaṭanti vuccati?
Idhāvuso, bhikkhuno cakkhunā rūpaṁ disvā na rūpanimittānusāri viññāṇaṁ hoti, na rūpanimittassādagadhitaṁ na rūpanimittassādavinibandhaṁ na rūpanimittassādasaṁyojanasaṁyuttaṁ bahiddhā viññāṇaṁ avikkhittaṁ avisaṭanti vuccati.
Sotena saddaṁ sutvā …pe…
ghānena gandhaṁ ghāyitvā …
jivhāya rasaṁ sāyitvā …
kāyena phoṭṭhabbaṁ phusitvā …
manasā dhammaṁ viññāya na dhammanimittānusāri viññāṇaṁ hoti na dhammanimittassādagadhitaṁ na dhammanimittassādavinibandhaṁ na dhammanimittassādasaṁyojanasaṁyuttaṁ bahiddhā viññāṇaṁ avikkhittaṁ avisaṭanti vuccati.
Evaṁ kho, āvuso, bahiddhā viññāṇaṁ avikkhittaṁ avisaṭanti vuccati.

And how is consciousness said to be not scattered and diffused externally? In this case, when a mendicant sees a sight with their eyes, but consciousness does not follow after the features of that sight—not tied, attached, and fettered to gratification in its features—consciousness is said to be not scattered and diffused externally. When they hear a sound with their ears … When they smell an odor with their nose … When they taste a flavor with their tongue … When they feel a touch with their body … When they know an idea with their mind, but consciousness does not follow after the features of that idea—not tied, attached, and fettered to gratification in its features—consciousness is said to be not scattered and diffused externally. That’s how consciousness is said to be not scattered and diffused externally.

Kathañcāvuso, ajjhattaṁ saṇṭhitanti vuccati?
Idhāvuso, bhikkhu vivicceva kāmehi vivicca akusalehi dhammehi savitakkaṁ savicāraṁ vivekajaṁ pītisukhaṁ paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati.
Tassa vivekajapītisukhānusāri viññāṇaṁ hoti vivekajapītisukhassādagadhitaṁ vivekajapītisukhassādavinibandhaṁ vivekajapītisukhassādasaṁyojanasaṁyuttaṁ ajjhattaṁ cittaṁ saṇṭhitanti vuccati.

And how is it said to be stuck internally? Take a mendicant who, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskillful qualities, enters and remains in the first absorption, which has the rapture and bliss born of seclusion, while placing the mind and keeping it connected. When consciousness follows after that rapture and bliss born of seclusion—tied, attached, and fettered to gratification in that rapture and bliss born of seclusion—the mind is said to be stuck internally.

Puna caparaṁ, āvuso, bhikkhu vitakkavicārānaṁ vūpasamā ajjhattaṁ sampasādanaṁ cetaso ekodibhāvaṁ avitakkaṁ avicāraṁ samādhijaṁ pītisukhaṁ dutiyaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati.
Tassa samādhijapītisukhānusāri viññāṇaṁ hoti samādhijapītisukhassādagadhitaṁ samādhijapītisukhassādavinibandhaṁ samādhijapītisukhassādasaṁyojanasaṁyuttaṁ ajjhattaṁ cittaṁ saṇṭhitanti vuccati.

Furthermore, as the placing of the mind and keeping it connected are stilled, a mendicant enters and remains in the second absorption, which has the rapture and bliss born of immersion, with internal clarity and mind at one, without placing the mind and keeping it connected. When consciousness follows after that rapture and bliss born of immersion—tied, attached, and fettered to gratification in that rapture and bliss born of immersion—the mind is said to be stuck internally.

Puna caparaṁ, āvuso, bhikkhu pītiyā ca virāgā upekkhako ca viharati sato ca sampajāno sukhañca kāyena paṭisaṁvedeti, yaṁ taṁ ariyā ācikkhanti: ‘upekkhako satimā sukhavihārī’ti tatiyaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati.
Tassa upekkhānusāri viññāṇaṁ hoti upekkhāsukhassādagadhitaṁ upekkhāsukhassādavinibandhaṁ upekkhāsukhassādasaṁyojanasaṁyuttaṁ ajjhattaṁ cittaṁ saṇṭhitanti vuccati.

Furthermore, with the fading away of rapture, a mendicant enters and remains in the third absorption, where they meditate with equanimity, mindful and aware, experiencing for themselves the bliss of which the noble ones declare, ‘Equanimous and mindful, one meditates in bliss.’ When consciousness follows after that equanimity—tied, attached, and fettered to gratification in that bliss with equanimity—the mind is said to be stuck internally.

Puna caparaṁ, āvuso, bhikkhu sukhassa ca pahānā dukkhassa ca pahānā pubbeva somanassadomanassānaṁ atthaṅgamā adukkhamasukhaṁ upekkhāsatipārisuddhiṁ catutthaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati.
Tassa adukkhamasukhānusāri viññāṇaṁ hoti adukkhamasukhassādagadhitaṁ adukkhamasukhassādavinibandhaṁ adukkhamasukhassādasaṁyojanasaṁyuttaṁ ajjhattaṁ cittaṁ asaṇṭhitanti vuccati.
Evaṁ kho, āvuso, ajjhattaṁ saṇṭhitanti vuccati.

Furthermore, with the giving up of pleasure and pain and the disappearance of former happiness and sadness, a mendicant enters and remains in the fourth absorption, without pleasure or pain, with pure equanimity and mindfulness. When consciousness follows after that neutral feeling—tied, attached, and fettered to gratification in that neutral feeling—the mind is said to be stuck internally. That’s how it is said to be stuck internally.

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