Dhātuvibhaṅgasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 140

The Analysis of the Elements · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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then furtherAthāparaṁ consciousness·onlyviññāṇaṁyeva remainsavasissati pureparisuddhaṁ bright.pariyodātaṁ.
with thatTena andca consciousnessviññāṇena what?kiṁ does one cognize?vijānāti?
'pleasure'‘Sukhan’tipi one cognizes,vijānāti, 'pain'‘dukkhan’tipi one cognizes,vijānāti, 'neutral'‘adukkhamasukhan’tipi one cognizes.vijānāti.
pleasant·to be feltSukhavedaniyaṁ, monk,bhikkhu, contactphassaṁ dependent onpaṭicca arisesuppajjati pleasantsukhā feeling.vedanā.
heSo pleasantsukhaṁ feelingvedanaṁ feelingvedayamāno 'pleasant‘sukhaṁ feelingvedanaṁ I feel'vedayāmī’ti he knows.pajānāti.
'of that very‘Tasseva pleasant·to be feltsukhavedaniyassa contactphassassa from cessationnirodhā whichyaṁ correspondingtajjaṁ feltvedayitaṁ pleasant·to be feltsukhavedaniyaṁ contactphassaṁ dependent onpaṭicca arisenuppannā pleasantsukhā feelingvedanā thatsā ceases,nirujjhati, thatsā stops'vūpasammatī’ti he knows.pajānāti.
painful·to be feltDukkhavedaniyaṁ, monk,bhikkhu, contactphassaṁ dependent onpaṭicca arisesuppajjati painfuldukkhā feeling.vedanā.
heSo painfuldukkhaṁ feelingvedanaṁ feelingvedayamāno 'painful‘dukkhaṁ feelingvedanaṁ I feel'vedayāmī’ti he knows.pajānāti.
'of that very‘Tasseva painful·to be feltdukkhavedaniyassa contactphassassa from cessationnirodhā whichyaṁ correspondingtajjaṁ feltvedayitaṁ painful·to be feltdukkhavedaniyaṁ contactphassaṁ dependent onpaṭicca arisenuppannā painfuldukkhā feelingvedanā thatsā ceases,nirujjhati, thatsā stops'vūpasammatī’ti he knows.pajānāti.
neutral·to be feltAdukkhamasukhavedaniyaṁ, monk,bhikkhu, contactphassaṁ dependent onpaṭicca arisesuppajjati neutraladukkhamasukhā feeling.vedanā.
heSo neutraladukkhamasukhaṁ feelingvedanaṁ feelingvedayamāno 'neutral‘adukkhamasukhaṁ feelingvedanaṁ I feel'vedayāmī’ti he knows.pajānāti.

What remains is sheer consciousness, pure and bright. And what does that consciousness know? It cognizes ‘pleasure’ and ‘pain’ and ‘neutral’. Pleasant feeling arises dependent on a contact to be experienced as pleasant. When they feel a pleasant feeling, they know: ‘I feel a pleasant feeling.’ They know: ‘With the cessation of that contact to be experienced as pleasant, the corresponding pleasant feeling ceases and stops.’ Painful feeling arises dependent on a contact to be experienced as painful. When they feel a painful feeling, they know: ‘I feel a painful feeling.’ They know: ‘With the cessation of that contact to be experienced as painful, the corresponding painful feeling ceases and stops.’ Neutral feeling arises dependent on a contact to be experienced as neutral. When they feel a neutral feeling, they know: ‘I feel a neutral feeling.’

that·very‘Tasseva neutral·to-be-experiencedadukkhamasukhavedaniyassa of contactphassassa from cessationnirodhā whichyaṁ correspondingtajjaṁ feltvedayitaṁ to be experienced as neutraladukkhamasukhavedaniyaṁ contactphassaṁ dependent onpaṭicca arisenuppannā neutraladukkhamasukhā feelingvedanā thatsā ceasesnirujjhati, thatsā stopsvūpasammatī’ti knowspajānāti.
just asSeyyathāpi, monkbhikkhu, of twodvinnaṁ of stickskaṭṭhānaṁ from rubbingsaṅghaṭṭā from unionsamodhānā heatusmā is generatedjāyati, firetejo is producedabhinibbattati, of those verytesaṁyeva of twodvinnaṁ of stickskaṭṭhānaṁ from separationnānābhāvā from laying asidevinikkhepā whateveryā correspondingtajjā heatusmā thatsā ceasesnirujjhati, thatsā stopsvūpasammati;
just soevameva indeedkho, monkbhikkhu, to be experienced as pleasantsukhavedaniyaṁ contactphassaṁ dependent onpaṭicca arisesuppajjati pleasantsukhā feelingvedanā.
heSo pleasantsukhaṁ feelingvedanaṁ experiencingvedayamāno pleasant‘sukhaṁ feelingvedanaṁ I experiencevedayāmī’ti knowspajānāti.
of that very‘Tasseva to be experienced as pleasantsukhavedaniyassa of contactphassassa from cessationnirodhā whichyaṁ correspondingtajjaṁ feltvedayitaṁ to be experienced as pleasantsukhavedaniyaṁ contactphassaṁ dependent onpaṭicca arisenuppannā pleasantsukhā feelingvedanā thatsā ceasesnirujjhati, thatsā stopsvūpasammatī’ti knowspajānāti.
to be experienced as painfulDukkhavedaniyaṁ, monkbhikkhu, contactphassaṁ dependent onpaṭicca arisesuppajjati painfuldukkhā feelingvedanā.
heSo painfuldukkhaṁ feelingvedanaṁ experiencingvedayamāno painful‘dukkhaṁ feelingvedanaṁ I experiencevedayāmī’ti knowspajānāti.

They know: ‘With the cessation of that contact to be experienced as neutral, the corresponding neutral feeling ceases and stops.’ When you rub two sticks together, heat is generated and fire is produced. But when you part the sticks and lay them aside, any corresponding heat ceases and stops. In the same way, pleasant feeling arises dependent on a contact to be experienced as pleasant. …

that·very‘Tasseva pain·to-be-experienceddukkhavedaniyassa of contactphassassa from cessationnirodhā whichyaṁ correspondingtajjaṁ feltvedayitaṁ pain·to-be-experienceddukkhavedaniyaṁ contactphassaṁ dependent onpaṭicca arisenuppannā painfuldukkhā feelingvedanā thatsā ceasesnirujjhati, thatsā it stopsvūpasammatī’ti they knowpajānāti.
neutral·to-be-experiencedAdukkhamasukhavedaniyaṁ, monkbhikkhu, contactphassaṁ dependent onpaṭicca arisesuppajjati neutraladukkhamasukhā feelingvedanā.
heSo neutraladukkhamasukhaṁ feelingvedanaṁ experiencingvedayamāno neutral‘adukkhamasukhaṁ feelingvedanaṁ I experiencevedayāmī’ti they knowpajānāti.
that·very‘Tasseva neutral·to-be-experiencedadukkhamasukhavedaniyassa of contactphassassa from cessationnirodhā whichyaṁ correspondingtajjaṁ feltvedayitaṁ neutral·to-be-experiencedadukkhamasukhavedaniyaṁ contactphassaṁ dependent onpaṭicca arisenuppannā neutraladukkhamasukhā feelingvedanā thatsā ceasesnirujjhati, thatsā it stopsvūpasammatī’ti they knowpajānāti.

They know: ‘With the cessation of that contact to be experienced as neutral, the corresponding neutral feeling ceases and stops.’

then furtherAthāparaṁ equanimity + onlyupekkhāyeva down·remainavasissati completely·pureparisuddhā completely·brightpariyodātā pliablemudu andca work + ablekammaññā andca forth·radiantpabhassarā and.ca.
just as,Seyyathāpi, monk,bhikkhu, deftdakkho gold·makersuvaṇṇakāro orvā goldsmith's apprenticesuvaṇṇakārantevāsī orvā forgeukkaṁ prepares,bandheyya, forgeukkaṁ having preparedbandhitvā forge + mouthukkāmukhaṁ fires,ālimpeyya, forge + mouthukkāmukhaṁ having firedālimpetvā with tongssaṇḍāsena native + goldjātarūpaṁ having picked upgahetvā forge + mouthukkāmukhe puts,pakkhipeyya, that ittamenaṁ from time to timekālena timekālaṁ fans,abhidhameyya, from time to timekālena timekālaṁ with waterudakena sprinkles,paripphoseyya, from time to timekālena timekālaṁ just watches over,ajjhupekkheyya, thattaṁ becomeshoti native + goldjātarūpaṁ well + smeltedsudhantaṁ down + refinedniddhantaṁ out + extractednīhaṭaṁ down + removed + impurityninnītakasāvaṁ pliablemudu andca and workablekammaññañca and radiant,pabhassarañca, whateveryassā whateveryassā andca ornament + kindpiḷandhanavikatiyā wants—ifākaṅkhati—yadi a braceletpaṭṭikāya ifyadi earringskuṇḍalāya ifyadi a necklacegīveyyakāya ifyadi gold + garlandsuvaṇṇamālāya that + and for himtañcassa purposeatthaṁ serves;anubhoti;
just soevameva indeed,kho, monk,bhikkhu, then furtherathāparaṁ equanimity + onlyupekkhāyeva down·remainavasissati completely·pureparisuddhā completely·brightpariyodātā pliablemudu andca work + ablekammaññā andca forth·radiantpabhassarā and.ca.

There remains only equanimity, pure, bright, pliable, workable, and radiant. It’s like when a deft goldsmith or a goldsmith’s apprentice prepares a forge, fires the crucible, picks up some native gold with tongs and puts it in the crucible. From time to time they fan it, from time to time they sprinkle water on it, and from time to time they just watch over it. That native gold becomes pliable, workable, and radiant, not brittle, and is ready to be worked. Then the goldsmith can successfully create any kind of ornament they want, whether a bracelet, earrings, a necklace, or a golden garland. In the same way, there remains only equanimity, pure, bright, pliable, workable, and radiant.

They understand: ‘If I were to apply this equanimity, so pure and bright, to the dimension of infinite space, and develop my mind accordingly, this equanimity of mine, relying on that and grasping it, would remain for a very long time. If I were to apply this equanimity, so pure and bright, to the dimension of infinite consciousness, and develop my mind accordingly, this equanimity of mine, relying on that and grasping it, would remain for a very long time. If I were to apply this equanimity, so pure and bright, to the dimension of nothingness, and develop my mind accordingly, this equanimity of mine, relying on that and grasping it, would remain for a very long time. If I were to apply this equanimity, so pure and bright, to the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, and develop my mind accordingly, this equanimity of mine, relying on that and grasping it, would remain for a very long time.’

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