Mūlapariyāyasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 1

The Root of All Things · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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thusEvaṁ by meme heardsutaṁ—
oneekaṁ timesamayaṁ the Blessed Onebhagavā near Ukkaṭṭhāukkaṭṭhāyaṁ apart·dwellviharati Subhaga·forestsubhagavane sal·magnificent·rootsālarājamūle.
thereTatra indeedkho the Blessed Onebhagavā the mendicantsbhikkhū addressedāmantesi:
mendicant·quotation marker“bhikkhavo”ti.
venerable sir·quotation marker“Bhadante”ti thosete mendicantsbhikkhū to the Blessed Onebhagavato repliedpaccassosuṁ.
the Blessed OneBhagavā this·saidetadavoca:

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Ukkaṭṭhā in the Subhaga Forest at the root of a magnificent sal tree. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants, “Mendicants!” “Venerable sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:

the explanation of the root of all things“sabbadhammamūlapariyāyaṁ to youvo, mendicantsbhikkhave, I will teachdesessāmi.
thatTaṁ listensuṇātha, wellsādhukaṁ apply your mindsmanasi dokarotha, I will speakbhāsissāmī”ti.
yes“Evaṁ, sirbhante”ti indeedkho thosete mendicantsbhikkhū of the Blessed Onebhagavato repliedpaccassosuṁ.
the Blessed OneBhagavā said thisetadavoca:

“Mendicants, I will teach you the explanation of the root of all things. Listen and apply your minds well, I will speak.” “Yes, sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:

here“Idha, monksbhikkhave, not·heardassutavā ordinary·personputhujjano of the noble onesariyānaṁ not·seenadassāvī noble·teachingariyadhammassa not·skilledakovido noble·teachingariyadhamme untrainedavinīto, of true personssappurisānaṁ not·seenadassāvī true person·teachingsappurisadhammassa not·skilledakovido true person·teachingsappurisadhamme untrainedavinīto—
earthpathaviṁ as earthpathavito perceivessañjānāti;
earthpathaviṁ as earthpathavito having perceivedsaññatvā earthpathaviṁ conceivesmaññati, in earthpathaviyā conceivesmaññati, as earthpathavito conceivesmaññati, earthpathaviṁ minemeti conceivesmaññati, earthpathaviṁ approvesabhinandati.
thatTaṁ whykissa reasonhetu?
not completely understood‘Apariññātaṁ ittassā’ti I sayvadāmi.

“Take an unlearned ordinary person who has not seen the noble ones, and is neither skilled nor trained in the teaching of the noble ones. They’ve not seen true persons, and are neither skilled nor trained in the teaching of the true persons. They perceive earth as earth. Having perceived earth as earth, they conceive it to be earth, they conceive it in earth, they conceive it as earth, they conceive that ‘earth is mine’, they approve earth. Why is that? Because they haven’t completely understood it, I say.

waterĀpaṁ as waterāpato they perceivesañjānāti;
waterāpaṁ as waterāpato having perceivedsaññatvā waterāpaṁ they conceivemaññati, in waterāpasmiṁ they conceivemaññati, as waterāpato they conceivemaññati, waterāpaṁ minemeti they conceivemaññati, waterāpaṁ towards·delightabhinandati.
thatTaṁ whykissa the causehetu?
not completely understood‘Apariññātaṁ by themtassā’ti I sayvadāmi.

They perceive water as water. Having perceived water as water, they conceive it to be water … Why is that? Because they haven’t completely understood it, I say.

fireTejaṁ as firetejato they perceivesañjānāti;
firetejaṁ as firetejato having perceivedsaññatvā firetejaṁ they conceivemaññati, in firetejasmiṁ they conceivemaññati, as firetejato they conceivemaññati, firetejaṁ minemeti they conceivemaññati, firetejaṁ towards·delightabhinandati.
thatTaṁ of whatkissa reasonhetu?
not completely understood‘Apariññātaṁ by them; sotassā’ti I sayvadāmi.

They perceive fire as fire. Having perceived fire as fire, they conceive it to be fire … Why is that? Because they haven’t completely understood it, I say.

airVāyaṁ as airvāyato they perceivesañjānāti;
airvāyaṁ as airvāyato having perceivedsaññatvā airvāyaṁ they conceivemaññati, in airvāyasmiṁ they conceivemaññati, from airvāyato they conceivemaññati, airvāyaṁ minemeti they conceivemaññati, airvāyaṁ towards·delightabhinandati.
thatTaṁ of whatkissa is the reasonhetu?
not completely understood‘Apariññātaṁ by themtassā’ti I sayvadāmi.

They perceive air as air. Having perceived air as air, they conceive it to be air … Why is that? Because they haven’t completely understood it, I say.

creaturesBhūte as creaturesbhūtato together·knowsañjānāti;
creaturesbhūte as creaturesbhūtato together·knowsaññatvā creaturesbhūte conceivemaññati, in creaturesbhūtesu conceivemaññati, as creaturesbhūtato conceivemaññati, creaturesbhūte minemeti conceivemaññati, creaturesbhūte towards·rejoiceabhinandati.
thatTaṁ whykissa reasonhetu?
not completely understood‘Apariññātaṁ by themtassā’ti I sayvadāmi.

They perceive creatures as creatures. Having perceived creatures as creatures, they conceive them to be creatures … Why is that? Because they haven’t completely understood it, I say.

godsDeve as godsdevato they perceivesañjānāti;
godsdeve as godsdevato having perceivedsaññatvā godsdeve they conceivemaññati, in godsdevesu they conceivemaññati, as godsdevato they conceivemaññati, godsdeve minemeti they conceivemaññati, godsdeve towards·delightabhinandati.
thatTaṁ of whatkissa reasonhetu?
'not completely understood‘Apariññātaṁ by them'tassā’ti I sayvadāmi.

They perceive gods as gods. Having perceived gods as gods, they conceive them to be gods … Why is that? Because they haven’t completely understood it, I say.

They perceive the Progenitor as the Progenitor. Having perceived the Progenitor as the Progenitor, they conceive him to be the Progenitor … Why is that? Because they haven’t completely understood it, I say.

the DivinityBrahmaṁ as the Divinitybrahmato they perceivesañjānāti;
the Divinitybrahmaṁ as the Divinitybrahmato having perceivedsaññatvā the Divinitybrahmaṁ they conceivemaññati, in the Divinitybrahmasmiṁ they conceivemaññati, from the Divinitybrahmato they conceivemaññati, the Divinitybrahmaṁ minemeti they conceivemaññati, the Divinitybrahmaṁ towards·delightabhinandati.
ThatTaṁ whatkissa is the reason?hetu?
not completely understood‘Apariññātaṁ by themtassā’ti I sayvadāmi.

They perceive the Divinity as the Divinity. Having perceived the Divinity as the Divinity, they conceive him to be the Divinity … Why is that? Because they haven’t completely understood it, I say.

They perceive those of sublime luminosity as those of sublime luminosity. Having perceived those of sublime luminosity as those of sublime luminosity, they conceive them to be those of sublime luminosity … Why is that? Because they haven’t completely understood it, I say.

those of universal beautySubhakiṇhe universal beauty·assubhakiṇhato together·knowsañjānāti;
those of universal beautysubhakiṇhe universal beauty·assubhakiṇhato together·knowsaññatvā those of universal beautysubhakiṇhe they conceivemaññati, in those of universal beautysubhakiṇhesu they conceivemaññati, universal beauty·assubhakiṇhato they conceivemaññati, those of universal beautysubhakiṇhe minemeti they conceivemaññati, those of universal beautysubhakiṇhe towards·delightabhinandati.
thatTaṁ whykissa is the causehetu?
not completely understood‘Apariññātaṁ of that, I saytassā’ti I sayvadāmi.

They perceive those of universal beauty as those of universal beauty. But then they conceive them to be those of universal beauty … Why is that? Because they haven’t completely understood it, I say.

in the Vehapphala realmVehapphale as the Vehapphala realmvehapphalato they perceivesañjānāti;
in the Vehapphala realmvehapphale as the Vehapphala realmvehapphalato having perceivedsaññatvā in the Vehapphala realmvehapphale they conceivemaññati, in the Vehapphala realmsvehapphalesu they conceivemaññati, as the Vehapphala realmvehapphalato they conceivemaññati, in the Vehapphala realmvehapphale mine·quotationmeti they conceivemaññati, in the Vehapphala realmvehapphale fully·delightabhinandati.
thatTaṁ of whatkissa is the cause?hetu?
not fully understood‘Apariññātaṁ by themtassā’ti I sayvadāmi.

They perceive those of abundant fruit as those of abundant fruit. Having perceived those of abundant fruit as those of abundant fruit, they conceive them to be those of abundant fruit … Why is that? Because they haven’t completely understood it, I say.

They perceive the Vanquisher as the Vanquisher. Having perceived the Vanquisher as the Vanquisher, they conceive him to be the Vanquisher … Why is that? Because they haven’t completely understood it, I say.

They perceive the dimension of infinite space as the dimension of infinite space. Having perceived the dimension of infinite space as the dimension of infinite space, they conceive it to be the dimension of infinite space … Why is that? Because they haven’t completely understood it, I say.

They perceive the dimension of infinite consciousness as the dimension of infinite consciousness. Having perceived the dimension of infinite consciousness as the dimension of infinite consciousness, they conceive it to be the dimension of infinite consciousness … Why is that? Because they haven’t completely understood it, I say.

They perceive the dimension of nothingness as the dimension of nothingness. Having perceived the dimension of nothingness as the dimension of nothingness, they conceive it to be the dimension of nothingness … Why is that? Because they haven’t completely understood it, I say.

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