Sabbāsavasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 2

All the Defilements · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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Sutavā ca kho, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako—
ariyānaṁ dassāvī ariyadhammassa kovido ariyadhamme suvinīto, sappurisānaṁ dassāvī sappurisadhammassa kovido sappurisadhamme suvinīto—
manasikaraṇīye dhamme pajānāti amanasikaraṇīye dhamme pajānāti.
So manasikaraṇīye dhamme pajānanto amanasikaraṇīye dhamme pajānanto ye dhammā na manasikaraṇīyā te dhamme na manasi karoti, ye dhammā manasikaraṇīyā te dhamme manasi karoti.

But take a learned noble disciple who has seen the noble ones, and is skilled and trained in the teaching of the noble ones. They’ve seen true persons, and are skilled and trained in the teaching of the true persons. They understand to which things they should apply the mind and to which things they should not apply the mind. So they apply the mind to things they should and don’t apply the mind to things they shouldn’t.

Katame ca, bhikkhave, dhammā na manasikaraṇīyā ye dhamme na manasi karoti?
Yassa, bhikkhave, dhamme manasikaroto anuppanno vā kāmāsavo uppajjati, uppanno vā kāmāsavo pavaḍḍhati;
anuppanno vā bhavāsavo uppajjati, uppanno vā bhavāsavo pavaḍḍhati;
anuppanno vā avijjāsavo uppajjati, uppanno vā avijjāsavo pavaḍḍhati—
ime dhammā na manasikaraṇīyā, ye dhamme na manasi karoti.
Katame ca, bhikkhave, dhammā manasikaraṇīyā ye dhamme manasi karoti?
Yassa, bhikkhave, dhamme manasikaroto anuppanno vā kāmāsavo na uppajjati, uppanno vā kāmāsavo pahīyati;
anuppanno vā bhavāsavo na uppajjati, uppanno vā bhavāsavo pahīyati;
anuppanno vā avijjāsavo na uppajjati, uppanno vā avijjāsavo pahīyati—
ime dhammā manasikaraṇīyā ye dhamme manasi karoti.
Tassa amanasikaraṇīyānaṁ dhammānaṁ amanasikārā manasikaraṇīyānaṁ dhammānaṁ manasikārā anuppannā ceva āsavā na uppajjanti, uppannā ca āsavā pahīyanti.

And what are the things to which they don’t apply the mind and should not? They are the things that, when the mind is applied to them, give rise to unarisen defilements and make arisen defilements grow: the defilements of sensual desire, desire to be reborn, and ignorance. These are the things to which they don’t apply the mind and should not. And what are the things to which they do apply the mind and should? They are the things that, when the mind is applied to them, do not give rise to unarisen defilements and give up arisen defilements: the defilements of sensual desire, desire to be reborn, and ignorance. These are the things to which they do apply the mind and should. Because of not applying the mind to what they should not and applying the mind to what they should, unarisen defilements don’t arise and arisen defilements are given up.

So ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yoniso manasi karoti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhasamudayo’ti yoniso manasi karoti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodho’ti yoniso manasi karoti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yoniso manasi karoti.
Tassa evaṁ yoniso manasikaroto tīṇi saṁyojanāni pahīyanti—
sakkāyadiṭṭhi, vicikicchā, sīlabbataparāmāso.
Ime vuccanti, bhikkhave, āsavā dassanā pahātabbā.

They rationally apply the mind: ‘This is suffering’ … ‘This is the origin of suffering’ … ‘This is the cessation of suffering’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering’. And as they do so, they give up three fetters: substantialist view, doubt, and misapprehension of precepts and observances. These are called the defilements that should be given up by seeing.

Saṁvarāpahātabbaāsava

2. Defilements Given Up by Restraint

Katame ca, bhikkhave, āsavā saṁvarā pahātabbā?
Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu paṭisaṅkhā yoniso cakkhundriyasaṁvarasaṁvuto viharati.
Yañhissa, bhikkhave, cakkhundriyasaṁvaraṁ asaṁvutassa viharato uppajjeyyuṁ āsavā vighātapariḷāhā, cakkhundriyasaṁvaraṁ saṁvutassa viharato evaṁsa te āsavā vighātapariḷāhā na honti.
Paṭisaṅkhā yoniso sotindriyasaṁvarasaṁvuto viharati …pe…
ghānindriyasaṁvarasaṁvuto viharati …pe…
jivhindriyasaṁvarasaṁvuto viharati …pe…
kāyindriyasaṁvarasaṁvuto viharati …pe…
manindriyasaṁvarasaṁvuto viharati.
Yañhissa, bhikkhave, manindriyasaṁvaraṁ asaṁvutassa viharato uppajjeyyuṁ āsavā vighātapariḷāhā, manindriyasaṁvaraṁ saṁvutassa viharato evaṁsa te āsavā vighātapariḷāhā na honti.
Yañhissa, bhikkhave, saṁvaraṁ asaṁvutassa viharato uppajjeyyuṁ āsavā vighātapariḷāhā, saṁvaraṁ saṁvutassa viharato evaṁsa te āsavā vighātapariḷāhā na honti.
Ime vuccanti, bhikkhave, āsavā saṁvarā pahātabbā.

And what are the defilements that should be given up by restraint? Take a mendicant who, reflecting rationally, lives restraining the eye faculty. For the distressing and feverish defilements that might arise in someone who lives without restraint of the eye faculty do not arise when there is such restraint. Reflecting rationally, they live restraining the ear faculty … the nose faculty … the tongue faculty … the body faculty … the mind faculty. For the distressing and feverish defilements that might arise in someone who lives without restraint of the mind faculty do not arise when there is such restraint. For the distressing and feverish defilements that might arise in someone who lives without restraint do not arise when there is such restraint. These are called the defilements that should be given up by restraint.

Paṭisevanāpahātabbaāsava

3. Defilements Given Up by Using

Katame ca, bhikkhave, āsavā paṭisevanā pahātabbā?
Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu paṭisaṅkhā yoniso cīvaraṁ paṭisevati:
‘yāvadeva sītassa paṭighātāya, uṇhassa paṭighātāya, ḍaṁsamakasavātātapasarīsapasamphassānaṁ paṭighātāya, yāvadeva hirikopīnappaṭicchādanatthaṁ’.

And what are the defilements that should be given up by using? Take a mendicant who, reflecting rationally, makes use of robes: ‘Only for the sake of warding off cold and heat; for warding off the touch of flies, mosquitoes, wind, sun, and reptiles; and for covering up the private parts.’

Paṭisaṅkhā yoniso piṇḍapātaṁ paṭisevati:
‘neva davāya, na madāya, na maṇḍanāya, na vibhūsanāya, yāvadeva imassa kāyassa ṭhitiyā yāpanāya, vihiṁsūparatiyā, brahmacariyānuggahāya, iti purāṇañca vedanaṁ paṭihaṅkhāmi navañca vedanaṁ na uppādessāmi, yātrā ca me bhavissati anavajjatā ca phāsuvihāro ca’.

Reflecting rationally, they make use of almsfood: ‘Not for fun, indulgence, adornment, or decoration, but only to sustain this body, to avoid harm, and to support spiritual practice. In this way, I shall put an end to old discomfort and not give rise to new discomfort, and I will have the means to keep going, blamelessness, and a comfortable abiding.’

Paṭisaṅkhā yoniso senāsanaṁ paṭisevati:
‘yāvadeva sītassa paṭighātāya, uṇhassa paṭighātāya, ḍaṁsamakasavātātapasarīsapasamphassānaṁ paṭighātāya, yāvadeva utuparissayavinodanapaṭisallānārāmatthaṁ’.

Reflecting rationally, they make use of lodgings: ‘Only for the sake of warding off cold and heat; for warding off the touch of flies, mosquitoes, wind, sun, and reptiles; to shelter from harsh weather and to enjoy retreat.’

Paṭisaṅkhā yoniso gilānappaccayabhesajjaparikkhāraṁ paṭisevati:
‘yāvadeva uppannānaṁ veyyābādhikānaṁ vedanānaṁ paṭighātāya, abyābajjhaparamatāya’.

Reflecting rationally, they make use of medicines and supplies for the sick: ‘Only for the sake of warding off the pains of illness and to promote good health.’

Yañhissa, bhikkhave, appaṭisevato uppajjeyyuṁ āsavā vighātapariḷāhā, paṭisevato evaṁsa te āsavā vighātapariḷāhā na honti.
Ime vuccanti, bhikkhave, āsavā paṭisevanā pahātabbā.

For the distressing and feverish defilements that might arise in someone who lives without using these things do not arise when they are used. These are called the defilements that should be given up by using.

Adhivāsanāpahātabbaāsava

4. Defilements Given Up by Enduring

Katame ca, bhikkhave, āsavā adhivāsanā pahātabbā?
Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu paṭisaṅkhā yoniso khamo hoti sītassa uṇhassa, jighacchāya pipāsāya. Ḍaṁsamakasavātātapasarīsapasamphassānaṁ, duruttānaṁ durāgatānaṁ vacanapathānaṁ, uppannānaṁ sārīrikānaṁ vedanānaṁ dukkhānaṁ tibbānaṁ kharānaṁ kaṭukānaṁ asātānaṁ amanāpānaṁ pāṇaharānaṁ adhivāsakajātiko hoti.
Yañhissa, bhikkhave, anadhivāsayato uppajjeyyuṁ āsavā vighātapariḷāhā, adhivāsayato evaṁsa te āsavā vighātapariḷāhā na honti.
Ime vuccanti, bhikkhave, āsavā adhivāsanā pahātabbā.

And what are the defilements that should be given up by enduring? Take a mendicant who, reflecting rationally, endures cold, heat, hunger, and thirst. They endure the touch of flies, mosquitoes, wind, sun, and reptiles. They endure rude and unwelcome criticism. And they put up with physical pain—sharp, severe, acute, unpleasant, disagreeable, and life-threatening. For the distressing and feverish defilements that might arise in someone who lives without enduring these things do not arise when they are endured. These are called the defilements that should be given up by enduring.

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