Mūlapariyāyasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 1

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

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Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā ukkaṭṭhāyaṁ viharati subhagavane sālarājamūle.
Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:
“bhikkhavo”ti.
“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.
Bhagavā etadavoca:

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:

“sabbadhammamūlapariyāyaṁ vo, bhikkhave, desessāmi.
Taṁ suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī”ti.
“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.
Bhagavā etadavoca:

“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:

“Idha, bhikkhave, assutavā puthujjano ariyānaṁ adassāvī ariyadhammassa akovido ariyadhamme avinīto, sappurisānaṁ adassāvī sappurisadhammassa akovido sappurisadhamme avinīto—
pathaviṁ pathavito sañjānāti;
pathaviṁ pathavito saññatvā pathaviṁ maññati, pathaviyā maññati, pathavito maññati, pathaviṁ meti maññati, pathaviṁ abhinandati.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
‘Apariññātaṁ tassā’ti vadāmi.

“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.

Āpaṁ āpato sañjānāti;
āpaṁ āpato saññatvā āpaṁ maññati, āpasmiṁ maññati, āpato maññati, āpaṁ meti maññati, āpaṁ abhinandati.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
‘Apariññātaṁ tassā’ti vadāmi.

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.

Tejaṁ tejato sañjānāti;
tejaṁ tejato saññatvā tejaṁ maññati, tejasmiṁ maññati, tejato maññati, tejaṁ meti maññati, tejaṁ abhinandati.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
‘Apariññātaṁ tassā’ti vadāmi.

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.

Vāyaṁ vāyato sañjānāti;
vāyaṁ vāyato saññatvā vāyaṁ maññati, vāyasmiṁ maññati, vāyato maññati, vāyaṁ meti maññati, vāyaṁ abhinandati.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
‘Apariññātaṁ tassā’ti vadāmi.

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.

Bhūte bhūtato sañjānāti;
bhūte bhūtato saññatvā bhūte maññati, bhūtesu maññati, bhūtato maññati, bhūte meti maññati, bhūte abhinandati.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
‘Apariññātaṁ tassā’ti vadāmi.

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.

Deve devato sañjānāti;
deve devato saññatvā deve maññati, devesu maññati, devato maññati, deve meti maññati, deve abhinandati.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
‘Apariññātaṁ tassā’ti vadāmi.

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.

Pajāpatiṁ pajāpatito sañjānāti;
pajāpatiṁ pajāpatito saññatvā pajāpatiṁ maññati, pajāpatismiṁ maññati, pajāpatito maññati, pajāpatiṁ meti maññati, pajāpatiṁ abhinandati.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
‘Apariññātaṁ tassā’ti vadāmi.

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.

Brahmaṁ brahmato sañjānāti;
brahmaṁ brahmato saññatvā brahmaṁ maññati, brahmasmiṁ maññati, brahmato maññati, brahmaṁ meti maññati, brahmaṁ abhinandati.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
‘Apariññātaṁ tassā’ti vadāmi.

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.

Ābhassare ābhassarato sañjānāti;
ābhassare ābhassarato saññatvā ābhassare maññati, ābhassaresu maññati, ābhassarato maññati, ābhassare meti maññati, ābhassare abhinandati.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
‘Apariññātaṁ tassā’ti vadāmi.

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.

Subhakiṇhe subhakiṇhato sañjānāti;
subhakiṇhe subhakiṇhato saññatvā subhakiṇhe maññati, subhakiṇhesu maññati, subhakiṇhato maññati, subhakiṇhe meti maññati, subhakiṇhe abhinandati.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
‘Apariññātaṁ tassā’ti vadāmi.

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.

Vehapphale vehapphalato sañjānāti;
vehapphale vehapphalato saññatvā vehapphale maññati, vehapphalesu maññati, vehapphalato maññati, vehapphale meti maññati, vehapphale abhinandati.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
‘Apariññātaṁ tassā’ti vadāmi.

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.

Abhibhuṁ abhibhuto sañjānāti;
abhibhuṁ abhibhuto saññatvā abhibhuṁ maññati, abhibhusmiṁ maññati, abhibhuto maññati, abhibhuṁ meti maññati, abhibhuṁ abhinandati.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
‘Apariññātaṁ tassā’ti vadāmi.

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.

Ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ ākāsānañcāyatanato sañjānāti;
ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ ākāsānañcāyatanato saññatvā ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ maññati, ākāsānañcāyatanasmiṁ maññati, ākāsānañcāyatanato maññati, ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ meti maññati, ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ abhinandati.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
‘Apariññātaṁ tassā’ti vadāmi.

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.

Viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ viññāṇañcāyatanato sañjānāti;
viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ viññāṇañcāyatanato saññatvā viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ maññati, viññāṇañcāyatanasmiṁ maññati, viññāṇañcāyatanato maññati, viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ meti maññati, viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ abhinandati.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
‘Apariññātaṁ tassā’ti vadāmi.

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.

Ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ ākiñcaññāyatanato sañjānāti;
ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ ākiñcaññāyatanato saññatvā ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ maññati, ākiñcaññāyatanasmiṁ maññati, ākiñcaññāyatanato maññati, ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ meti maññati, ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ abhinandati.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
‘Apariññātaṁ tassā’ti vadāmi.

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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