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- Samyutta Nikaya XXII.56
- Parivatta Sutta
- The (Fourfold) Round
- For free distribution only, as a gift of Dhamma
At Savatthi. There the Blessed One said, "Monks, there are
these five aggregates of clinging/sustenance. Which five? Form as an aggregate of
clinging/sustenance, feeling as an aggregate of clinging/sustenance, perception as an
aggregate of clinging/sustenance, fabrications as an aggregate of clinging/sustenance,
consciousness as an aggregate of clinging/sustenance.
"Now, as long as I did not have direct knowledge of the fourfold round with regard
to these five aggregates of clinging/sustenance, I did not claim to have directly awakened
to the unexcelled right self-awakening in this cosmos with its devas, Maras, &
Brahmas, in this generation with its priests & contemplatives, its royalty &
common folk. But when I did have direct knowledge of the fourfold round with regard to
these five aggregates of clinging/sustenance, then I did claim to have directly awakened
to the unexcelled right self-awakening in this cosmos with its devas, Maras, &
Brahmas, in this generation with its priests & contemplatives, its royalty &
common folk.
"The fourfold round in what way? I had direct knowledge of form...of the
origination of form...of the cessation of form...of the path of practice leading to the
cessation of form.
"I had direct knowledge of feeling...
"I had direct knowledge of perception...
"I had direct knowledge of fabrications...
"I had direct knowledge of consciousness...of the origination of
consciousness...of the cessation of consciousness...of the path of practice leading to the
cessation of consciousness.
"And what is form? The four great existents [the earth property, the liquid
property, the fire property, & the wind property] and the form derived from them: this
is called form. From the origination of nutriment comes the origination of form. From the
cessation of nutriment comes the cessation of form. And just this noble
eightfold path is the path of practice leading to the cessation of form, i.e., right view,
right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right
mindfulness, right concentration.
"For any priests or contemplatives who by directly knowing form in this way,
directly knowing the origination of form in this way, directly knowing the cessation of
form in this way, directly knowing the path of practice leading to the cessation of form
in this way, are practicing for disenchantment -- dispassion -- cessation with regard to
form, they are practicing rightly. Those who are practicing rightly are firmly based in
this doctrine & discipline. And any priests or contemplatives who by directly knowing
form in this way, directly knowing the origination of form in this way, directly knowing
the cessation of form in this way, directly knowing the path of practice leading to the
cessation of form in this way, are -- from disenchantment, dispassion, cessation, lack of
clinging/sustenance with regard to form -- released, they are well-released. Those who are
well-released are fully accomplished. And with those who are fully accomplished, there is
no cycle for the sake of describing them.
"And what is feeling? These six bodies of feeling -- feeling
born of eye-contact, feeling born of ear-contact, feeling born of nose-contact, feeling
born of tongue-contact, feeling born of body-contact, feeling born of intellect-contact:
this is called feeling. From the origination of contact comes the origination of feeling.
From the cessation of contact comes the cessation of feeling. And just this noble
eightfold path is the path of practice leading to the cessation of feeling...
"And what is perception? These six bodies of perception -- perception of form,
perception of sound, perception of smell, perception of taste, perception of tactile
sensation, perception of ideas: this is called perception. From the origination of contact
comes the origination of perception. From the cessation of contact comes the cessation of
perception. And just this noble eightfold path is the path of practice leading to the
cessation of perception...
"And what are fabrications? These six bodies of intention -- intention with regard
to form, intention with regard to sound, intention with regard to smell, intention with
regard to taste, intention with regard to tactile sensation, intention with regard to
ideas: these are called fabrications. From the origination of contact comes the
origination of fabrications. From the cessation of contact comes the cessation of
fabrications. And just this noble eightfold path is the path of practice leading to the
cessation of fabrications...
"And what is consciousness? These six bodies of consciousness --
eye-consciousness, ear-consciousness, nose-consciousness, tongue-consciousness,
body-consciousness, intellect-consciousness: this is called consciousness. From the
origination of name-&-form comes the origination of consciousness. From the cessation
of name-&-form comes the cessation of consciousness. And just this noble eightfold
path is the path of practice leading to the cessation of consciousness, i.e., right view,
right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right
mindfulness, right concentration.
"For any priests or contemplatives who by directly knowing consciousness in this
way, directly knowing the origination of consciousness in this way, directly knowing the
cessation of consciousness in this way, directly knowing the path of practice leading to
the cessation of consciousness in this way, are practicing for disenchantment --
dispassion -- cessation with regard to consciousness, they are practicing rightly. Those
who are practicing rightly are firmly based in this doctrine & discipline. And any
priests or contemplatives who by directly knowing consciousness in this way, directly
knowing the origination of consciousness in this way, directly knowing the cessation of
consciousness in this way, directly knowing the path of practice leading to the cessation
of consciousness in this way, are -- from disenchantment, dispassion, cessation, lack of
clinging/sustenance with regard to consciousness -- released, they are well-released.
Those who are well-released are fully accomplished. And with those who are fully
accomplished, there is no cycle for the sake of describing them."