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- Majjhima Nikaya 2
- Sabbasava Sutta
- All the Fermentations
- For free distribution only, as a gift of Dhamma
I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying at Savatthi,
in Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika's monastery. There he addressed the
monks: "Monks!"
"Yes, lord," the monks replied.
The Blessed One said, "Monks, the ending of the fermentations
is for one who knows & sees, I tell you, not for one who does not know & does not
see. For one who knows what & sees what? Appropriate attention & inappropriate
attention. When a monk attends inappropriately, unarisen fermentations arise, and arisen
fermentations increase. When a monk attends appropriately, unarisen fermentations do not
arise, and arisen fermentations are abandoned. There are fermentations to be abandoned by
seeing, those to be abandoned by restraining, those to be abandoned by using, those to be
abandoned by tolerating, those to be abandoned by avoiding, those to be abandoned by
destroying, and those to be abandoned by developing.
"[1] And what are the fermentations to be abandoned by
seeing? There is the case where an uninstructed, run-of-the-mill person -- who has no
regard for noble ones, is not well-versed or disciplined in their Dhamma; who has no
regard for men of integrity, is not well-versed or disciplined in their Dhamma -- does not
discern what ideas are fit for attention or what ideas are unfit for attention. This being
so, he does not attend to ideas fit for attention and attends [instead] to ideas unfit for
attention.
"And what are the ideas unfit for attention that he attends to? Whatever ideas
such that, when he attends to them, the unarisen fermentation of sensuality arises in him,
and the arisen fermentation of sensuality increases; the unarisen fermentation of becoming
arises in him, and arisen fermentation of becoming increases; the unarisen fermentation of
ignorance arises in him, and the arisen fermentation of ignorance increases. These are the
ideas unfit for attention that he attends to.
"And what are the ideas fit for attention that he does not attend to? Whatever
ideas such that, when he attends to them, the unarisen fermentation of sensuality does not
arise in him, and the arisen fermentation of sensuality is abandoned; the unarisen
fermentation of becoming does not arise in him, and arisen fermentation of becoming is
abandoned; the unarisen fermentation of ignorance does not arise in him, and the arisen
fermentation of ignorance is abandoned. These are the ideas fit for attention that he does
not attend to. Through his attending to ideas unfit for attention and through his not
attending to ideas fit for attention, both unarisen fermentations arise in him, and arisen
fermentations increase.
"This is how he attends inappropriately: 'Was I in the past? Was I not in the
past? What was I in the past? How was I in the past? Having been what, what was I in the
past? Shall I be in the future? Shall I not be in the future? What shall I be in the
future? How shall I be in the future? Having been what, what shall I be in the future?' Or
else he is inwardly perplexed about the immediate present: 'Am I? Am I not? What am I? How
am I? Where has this being come from? Where is it bound?'
"As he attends inappropriately in this way, one of six kinds of view arises in
him: The view I have a self arises in him as true & established, or the view
I have no self ...or the view It is precisely by means of self that I perceive self
...or the view It is precisely by means of self that I perceive not-self ...or
the view It is precisely by means of not-self that I perceive self arises in him as
true & established, or else he has a view like this: This very self of mine -- the
knower that is sensitive here & there to the ripening of good & bad actions -- is
the self of mine that is constant, everlasting, eternal, not subject to change, and will
endure as long as eternity. This is called a thicket of views, a wilderness of views,
a contortion of views, a writhing of views, a fetter of views. Bound by a fetter of views,
the uninstructed run-of-the-mill person is not freed from birth, aging, & death, from
sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair. He is not freed, I tell you, from
suffering & stress.
"The well-instructed noble disciple -- who has regard for noble ones, is
well-versed & disciplined in their Dhamma; who has regard for men of integrity, is
well-versed & disciplined in their Dhamma -- discerns what ideas are fit for attention
and what ideas are unfit for attention. This being so, he does not attend to ideas unfit
for attention and attends [instead] to ideas fit for attention.
"And what are the ideas unfit for attention that he does not attend to? Whatever
ideas such that, when he attends to them, the unarisen fermentation of sensuality arises
in him, and the arisen fermentation of sensuality increases; the unarisen fermentation of
becoming arises in him, and arisen fermentation of becoming increases; the unarisen
fermentation of ignorance arises in him, and the arisen fermentation of ignorance
increases. These are the ideas unfit for attention that he does not attends to.
"And what are the ideas fit for attention that he does attend to? Whatever ideas
such that, when he attends to them, the unarisen fermentation of sensuality does not arise
in him, and the arisen fermentation of sensuality is abandoned; the unarisen fermentation
of becoming does not arise in him, and the arisen fermentation of becoming is abandoned;
the unarisen fermentation of ignorance does not arise in him, and the arisen fermentation
of ignorance is abandoned. These are the ideas fit for attention that he does attend to.
Through his not attending to ideas unfit for attention and through his attending to ideas
fit for attention, unarisen fermentations do not arise in him, and arisen fermentations
are abandoned.
"He attends appropriately, This is stress...This is the origination of
stress...This is the cessation of stress...This is the way leading to the cessation of
stress. As he attends appropriately in this way, three fetters are abandoned in him:
identity-view, doubt, and grasping at precepts & practices. These are called the
fermentations to be abandoned by seeing.
"[2] And what are the fermentations to be abandoned by
restraining? There is the case where a monk, reflecting appropriately, dwells restrained
with the restraint of the eye-faculty. The fermentations, vexation, or fever that would
arise if he were to dwell unrestrained with the restraint of the eye-faculty do not arise
for him when he dwells restrained with the restraint of the eye-faculty.
Reflecting appropriately, he dwells restrained with the restraint of the ear-faculty...
Reflecting appropriately, he dwells restrained with the restraint of the
nose-faculty...
Reflecting appropriately, he dwells restrained with the restraint of the
tongue-faculty...
Reflecting appropriately, he dwells restrained with the restraint of the
body-faculty...
Reflecting appropriately, he dwells restrained with the restraint of the
intellect-faculty. The fermentations, vexation, or fever that would arise if he were to
dwell unrestrained with the restraint of the intellect-faculty do not arise for him when
he dwells restrained with the restraint of the intellect-faculty. These are called the
fermentations to be abandoned by restraining.
"[3] And what are the fermentations to be abandoned by
using? There is the case where a monk, reflecting appropriately, uses the robe simply to
counteract cold, to counteract heat, to counteract the touch of flies, mosquitoes, wind,
sun, & reptiles; simply for the purpose of covering the parts of the body that cause
shame.
"Reflecting appropriately, he uses almsfood, not playfully, nor for intoxication,
nor for putting on bulk, nor for beautification; but simply for the survival &
continuance of this body, for ending its afflictions, for the support of the holy life,
thinking, 'Thus will I destroy old feelings [of hunger] and not create new feelings [from
overeating]. I will maintain myself, be blameless, & live in comfort.'
"Reflecting appropriately, he uses lodging simply to counteract cold, to
counteract heat, to counteract the touch of flies, mosquitoes, wind, sun, & reptiles;
simply for protection from the inclemencies of weather and for the enjoyment of seclusion.
"Reflecting appropriately, he uses medicinal requisites that are used for curing
the sick simply to counteract any pains of illness that have arisen and for maximum
freedom from disease.
"The fermentations, vexation, or fever that would arise if he were not to use
these things [in this way] do not arise for him when he uses them [in this way]. These are
called the fermentations to be abandoned by using.
"[4] And what are the fermentations to be abandoned by
tolerating? There is the case where a monk, reflecting appropriately, endures. He
tolerates cold, heat, hunger, & thirst; the touch of flies, mosquitoes, wind, sun,
& reptiles; ill-spoken, unwelcome words & bodily feelings that, when they arise,
are painful, racking, sharp, piercing, disagreeable, displeasing, & menacing to life.
The fermentations, vexation, or fever that would arise if he were not to tolerate these
things do not arise for him when he tolerates them. These are called the fermentations to
be abandoned by tolerating.
"[5] And what are the fermentations to be abandoned by
avoiding? There is the case where a monk, reflecting appropriately, avoids a wild
elephant, a wild horse, a wild bull, a wild dog, a snake, a stump, a bramble patch, a
chasm, a cliff, a cesspool, an open sewer. Reflecting appropriately, he avoids sitting in
the sorts of unsuitable seats, wandering to the sorts of unsuitable habitats, and
associating with the sorts of bad friends that would make his knowledgeable friends in the
holy life suspect him of evil conduct. The fermentations, vexation, or fever that would
arise if he were not to avoid these things do not arise for him when he avoids them. These
are called the fermentations to be abandoned by avoiding.
"[6] And what are the fermentations to be abandoned by
destroying? There is the case where a monk, reflecting appropriately, does not tolerate an
arisen thought of sensuality. He abandons it, destroys it, dispels it, & wipes it out
of existence.
Reflecting appropriately, he does not tolerate an arisen thought of ill will ...
Reflecting appropriately, he does not tolerate an arisen thought of cruelty...
Reflecting appropriately, he does not tolerate arisen evil, unskillful mental
qualities. He abandons them, destroys them, dispels them, & wipes them out of
existence. The fermentations, vexation, or fever that would arise if he were not to
destroy these things do not arise for him when he destroys them. These are called the
fermentations to be abandoned by destroying.
"[7] And what are the fermentations to be abandoned by
developing? There is the case where a monk, reflecting appropriately, develops mindfulness
as a factor of awakening dependent on seclusion...dispassion...cessation, resulting in
letting go. He develops analysis of qualities as a factor of awakening...persistence
as a factor of awakening...rapture as a factor of awakening...serenity as a
factor of awakening...concentration as a factor of awakening...equanimity as
a factor of awakening dependent on seclusion...dispassion...cessation, resulting in
letting go. The fermentations, vexation, or fever that would arise if he were not to
develop these qualities do not arise for him when he develops them. These are called the
fermentations to be abandoned by developing.
"When a monk's fermentations that should be abandoned by seeing have been
abandoned by seeing, his fermentations that should be abandoned by restraining have been
abandoned by restraining, his fermentations that should be abandoned by using have been
abandoned by using, his fermentations that should be abandoned by tolerating have been
abandoned by tolerating, his fermentations that should be abandoned by avoiding have been
abandoned by avoiding, his fermentations that should be abandoned by destroying have been
abandoned by destroying, his fermentations that should be abandoned by developing have
been abandoned by developing, then he is called a monk who dwells restrained with the
restraint of all the fermentations. He has severed craving, thrown off the fetters, and --
through the right penetration of conceit -- has made an end of suffering &
stress."
That is what the Blessed One said. Gratified, the monks delighted in the Blessed One's
words.
See also: AN V.140