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- Samyutta Nikaya XII.48
- Lokayatika Sutta
- The Cosmologist
- For free distribution only, as a gift of Dhamma
Staying at Savatthi. Then a brahmin cosmologist [1] went to
the Blessed One and, on arrival, exchanged courteous greetings with him. After an exchange
of friendly greetings & courtesies, he sat to one side. As he was sitting there, he
said to the Blessed One, "Now, then, Master Gotama, does everything [2] exist?"
"'Everything exists' is the senior form of cosmology, brahmin."
"Then, Master Gotama, does everything not exist?"
"'Everything does not exist' is the second form of cosmology, brahmin."
"Then is everything a Oneness?"
"'Everything is a Oneness' is the third form of cosmology, brahmin."
"Then is everything a Manyness?"
"'Everything is a Manyness' is the fourth form of cosmology,
brahmin. Avoiding these two extremes, the Tathagata teaches the Dhamma via the middle:
From ignorance as a requisite condition come fabrications.
From fabrications as a requisite condition comes consciousness.
From consciousness as a requisite condition comes name-&-form.
From name-&-form as a requisite condition come the six sense media.
From the six sense media as a requisite condition comes contact.
From contact as a requisite condition comes feeling.
From feeling as a requisite condition comes craving.
From craving as a requisite condition comes clinging/sustenance.
From clinging/sustenance as a requisite condition comes becoming.
From becoming as a requisite condition comes birth.
From birth as a requisite condition, then aging & death, sorrow, lamentation, pain,
distress, & despair come into play. Such is the origination of this entire mass of
stress & suffering.
"Now from the remainderless fading & cessation of that very ignorance comes
the cessation of fabrications. From the cessation of fabrications comes the cessation of
consciousness. From the cessation of consciousness comes the cessation of name-&-form.
From the cessation of name-&-form comes the cessation of the six sense media. From the
cessation of the six sense media comes the cessation of contact. From the cessation of
contact comes the cessation of feeling. From the cessation of feeling comes the cessation
of craving. From the cessation of craving comes the cessation of clinging/ sustenance.
From the cessation of clinging/sustenance comes the cessation of becoming. From the
cessation of becoming comes the cessation of birth. From the cessation of birth, then
aging & death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair all cease. Such is
the cessation of this entire mass of stress & suffering."
"Magnificent, Master Gotama! Magnificent! Just as if he were
to place upright what had been overturned, were to reveal what was hidden, were to show
the way to one who was lost, or were to hold up a lamp in the dark so that those with eyes
could see shapes, in the same way Master Gotama has -- through many lines of reasoning --
made the Dhamma clear. I go to Master Gotama for refuge, to the Dhamma, and to the Sangha
of monks. May Master Gotama remember me as a lay follower who has gone to him for refuge,
from this day forward, for life."
Notes
1. The cosmologist (lokayata) schools of thought
reasoned from what they saw as the basic principles of the physical cosmos in formulating
their teachings on how life should be lived. In modern times, they would correspond to
those who base their philosophies on principles drawn from the physical sciences, such as
evolutionary biology or quantum physics. Although the cosmologists of India in the
Buddha's time differed on first principles, they tended to be more unanimous in using
their first principles -- whatever they were -- to argue for hedonism as the best approach
to life. [Go back]
2. "Everything" may also be translated as "the
All." Concerning this term, SN XXXV.23 says, "What is the All? Simply the eye
& forms, ear & sounds, nose & aromas, tongue & flavors, body & tactile
sensations, intellect & ideas. This is termed the All. Anyone who would say,
'Repudiating this All, I will describe another,' if questioned on what exactly might be
the grounds for his assertion, would be unable to explain, and furthermore would be put to
grief. Why is that? Because it lies beyond range." For more on this topic, see The Mind Like Fire Unbound, Chapter 1.
[Go back]