115. Discourse on the manifold elements

115. DISCOURSE ON THE MANIFOLD ELEMENTS

(Bahudhatukasutta)

Thus have I heard:' At one time the Lord was staying near Savatthi in the Jeta Grove in Anathapi4dika's monastery. While he was there the Lord addressed the monks, saying, " Monks." "Revered One," those monks answered the Lord in assent. The Lord spoke thus:

"Whatever fears arise, monks, all arise for the fool, not the wise man. Whatever troubles arise, all arise for the fool, not the wise man. Whatever misfortunes arise, all arise for the fool, not the wise man. Monks, as a spark of fire from a house thatched with rushes or a house thatched with grass sets fire to gabled houses that are smeared inside and out, protected from the wind, with bolts that are fastened, windows that are closed,' even so, monks, whatever fears ... troubles ... misfortunes arise, all arise for the fool, not the wise man. Thus, monks, it is the fool who is beset by fear, the wise man is not beset by fear; the fool has trouble, the wise man does not have trouble; the fool has misfortune, the wise man does not have misfortune. Monks, there is not fear, trouble, misfortune for the wise man. Wherefore, monks, thinking, `Investigating, we will become wise,' this is how you must train yourselves, monks."

When this had been said, the venerable Ananda spoke thus to the Lord: "What is the stage at which it suffices to say, revered sir: ' Investigating, the monk is wise' ?"

"Ananda, as soon as a monk is skilled in the elements and skilled in the (sense-)fields and skilled in dependent arising and skilled in the possible and the impossible, it is at this stage, Ananda, that it suffices to say, `Investigating, the monk is wise.' "

"But, revered sir, at what stage does it suffice to say, 'The monk is skilled in the elements' ?"

" There are these eighteen elements, Amanda: the element of eye, the element of material shape, the element of visual consciousness; the element of ear, the element of sound, the element of auditory-consciousness; the element of nose, the element of smell, the element of olfactory consciousness; the element of tongue, the element of taste, the element of gustatory consciousness; the element of body, the element of touch, the element of bodily consciousness; the element of mind, the element of mental states, the element of mental consciousness. When, Ananda, he knows and sees these eighteen elements, it is at this stage that it suffices to say, `The monk is skilled in the elements.'"

"Might there be another way also, revered sir, according to which it suffices to say, 'The monk is skilled in the elements' ?"

"There might be, Ananda. There are these six elements, Ananda: the element of extension, the element of cohesion, the element of radiation, the element of mobility, the element of space, the element of consciousness . When, Ananda, he knows and sees these six elements, it is at this stage that it suffices to say, `The monk is skilled in the elements.' "

"Might there be another way also, revered sir, according to which it suffices to say, `The monk is skilled in the elements' ?"

"There might be, Ananda. There are these six elements, Ananda: the element of happiness, the element of anguish, the element of gladness, the element of sorrowing, the element of equanimity, the element of ignorance.' When, Ananda, he knows and sees these six elements, it is at this stage that it suffices to say, `The monk is skilled in the elements.' "

"Might there be another way also, revered sir, according to which it suffices to say, `The monk is skilled in the elements' ?"

"There might be, Ananda. There are these six elements, Ananda: the element of sensuous pleasures, the element of renunciation, the element of malice, the element of non-malice, the element of harming, the element of non-harming. When, Ananda, he knows and sees these six elements, it is at this stage that it suffices to say, 'The monk is skilled in the elements.'

" Might there be another way also, revered sir, according to which it suffices to say, `The monk is skilled in the elements' ?"

" There might be, Ananda. There are these three elements, Ananda: the element of sensuous pleasures, the element of fine-materiality, the element of non-materiality. When, Ananda, he knows and sees these three elements, it is at this stage that it suffices to say, ` The monk is skilled in the elements.'"

" Might there be another way, revered sir, according to which it suffices to say, `The monk is skilled in the elements' ?"

" There might be, Ananda. There are these two elements, Ananda: the element that is constructed and the element that is unconstructed. When, Ananda, he knows and sees these two elements, it is at this stage that it suffices to say, 'The monk is skilled in the elements.' "

"At what stage, revered sir, does it suffice to say, `The monk is skilled in the (sense-)fields ' ?"

"These six (sense-)fields, Ananda, are internal-external: the eye as well as material shape; the ear as well as sound; the nose as well as smell; the tongue as well as taste; the body as well as touch; the mind as well as mental states. When, Ananda, he knows and sees these six internal-external (sense-)fields, it is at this stage that it suffices to say, `The monk is skilled in the (sense-)fields.' "

" And at what stage, revered sir, does it suffice to say, 'The monk is skilled in dependent arising' ?"

" As to this, Ananda, a monk knows thus: 'If this is, that comes to be; from the arising of this, that arises; if this is not, that does not come to be; from the stopping of this, that is stopped. That is to say: Conditioned by ignorance are the (karma-)formations;) conditioned by the (karma-)formations is consciousness; conditioned by consciousness is name-and-shape; conditioned by name-and-shape is the field of the six (senses); conditioned by the field of the six (senses) is (sensory) impingement; conditioned by (sensory) impingement is feeling; conditioned by feeling is craving; conditioned by craving is grasping; conditioned by grasping [64] is becoming; conditioned by becoming is birth; conditioned by birth there come into being old age and dying, grief, sorrow, suffering, lamentation and despair. Thus is the origin of this whole mass of anguish. But from the utter fading away and stopping of this very ignorance is the stopping of the (karma-)formations; from the stopping of the (karma-)formations is the stopping of consciousness; from the stopping of consciousness is the stopping of name-and-shape; from the stopping of name-and-shape is the stopping of the field of the six (senses); from the stopping of the field of the six (senses) is the stopping of (sensory) impingement; from the stopping of (sensory) impingement is the stopping of feeling; from the stopping of feeling is the stopping of craving; from the stopping of craving is the stopping of grasping; from the stopping of grasping is the stopping of becoming; from the stopping of becoming is the stopping of birth; from the stopping of birth, old age and dying, grief, sorrow, suffering, lamentation and despair are stopped. Thus is the stopping of this whole mass of anguish.' It is at that stage, Ananda, that it suffices to say, `The monk is skilled in dependent arising.' "

" And at what stage, revered sir, does it suffice to say, ' The monk is skilled in the possible and the impossible' ?"

"As to this, Ananda, a monk comprehends: 'It is impossible, it cannot come to pass that a man possessed of (right) view should go to any construction" as permanent—this situation does not occur.' He comprehends: `But this situation occurs when an average man might go to some construction as permanent—this situation occurs.'

He comprehends: 'It is impossible, it cannot come to pass that a man possessed of (right) view should go to any construction as happy—this situation does not occur. He comprehends: `But this situation occurs when an average man might go to some construction as happy—this situation occurs.'

He comprehends: 'It is impossible, it cannot come to pass that a man possessed of (right) view should go to any dhamma as self—this situation does not occur.' He comprehends: `But this situation occurs when an average man might go to some dhamma as self—this situation occurs.'

He comprehends: 'It is impossible, it cannot come to pass that a man possessed of (right) view should deprive his mother of life—this situation does not occur.' He comprehends: `But this situation occurs when an average man might deprive his mother of life—this situation occurs.'

He comprehends: 'It is impossible, it cannot come to pass that a man possessed of (right) view should deprive his father of life ... should deprive one perfected of life ... but this situation occurs when an average man might deprive his father ... one perfected of life—this situation occurs.'

He comprehends: 'It is impossible, it cannot come to pass that a man possessed of (right) view should, with murderous intent, draw a Tathagata's blood—this situation does not occur.' He comprehends: `But this situation occurs when an average man might, with murderous intent, draw a Tathagata's blood—this situation occurs.'

He comprehends: 'It is impossible, it cannot come to pass that a man possessed of (right) view should cause a schism in the Order ... should proclaim another Teacher this situation does not occur.' He comprehends: `But this situation occurs when an average man might cause a schism in the Order... might proclaim another Teacher—this situation occurs.'

He comprehends: 'It is impossible, it cannot come to pass that in one world-system two perfected ones who are Fully Self-Awakened Ones should arise simultaneously—this situation does not occur.' He comprehends: `But this situation occurs when in one world-system one perfected one who is a Fully Self-Awakened One might arise—this situation occurs.'

He comprehends: 'It is impossible, it cannot come to pass that in one world-system two wheel-turning kings should arise simultaneously ... but this situation occurs when in one world-system one wheel-turning king might arise—this situation occurs.'

He comprehends: 'It is impossible, it cannot come to pass that a woman who is a perfected one could be a Fully Self-Awakened One.. . but the situation occurs when a man who is a perfected one could be a Fully Self-Awakened One—this situation occurs.'

He comprehends: 'It is impossible, it cannot come to pass that a woman should be a wheel-turning king ... but a man could be a wheel-turning king—this situation occurs.' He comprehends: 'It is impossible, it cannot come to pass that a woman could be a Sakka ... a Mara ... a Brahma ... but this situation occurs when a man might be a Sakka ... a Mara ... a Brahma—this situation occurs.'

He comprehends: ' It is impossible, it cannot come to pass that from wrong conduct in body. . . speech ... thought there could result a fruit that was agreeable, pleasant, liked ... but the situation occurs when from wrong conduct in body ... speech ... thought there might result a fruit that was disagreeable, unpleasant, not liked—this situation occurs.'

He comprehends: 'It is impossible, it cannot come to pass that from right conduct in body ... speech ... thought there might result a fruit that was disagreeable, unpleasant, not liked ... but the situation occurs when from -right conduct in body ... speech ... thought there might result a fruit that was agreeable, pleasant, liked—this situation occurs.'

He comprehends: ' It is impossible, it cannot come to pass that one who is addicted to wrong conduct in body. . . speech ... thought should, from that source, from that condition arise, on the breaking up of the body after dying, in a good bourn, a heaven world ... but this situation occurs when one who is addicted to wrong conduct in body ... speech ... thought might, from that source, from that condition arise, on the breaking up of the body after dying, in the sorrowful ways, a bad bourn, the downfall, Niraya Hell—this situation occurs.'

He comprehends: 'It is impossible, it cannot come to pass that one who is addicted to right conduct in body ... speech ... thought should, from that source, from that condition arise, on the breaking up of the body after dying, in the sorrowful ways, a bad bourn, the downfall, Niraya Hell—this situation does not occur.' He comprehends: 'But this situation occurs when one who is addicted to right conduct in body ... speech ... thought might, from that source, from that condition arise, on the breaking up of the body after dying, in a good bourn, a heaven world—this situation occurs.' It is at this stage, Ananda, that it suffices to say: `The monk is skilled in the possible and the impossible.'"

When this had been said the venerable Ananda spoke thus to the Lord: "It is wonderful, revered sir, it is marvellous, revered sir. What, revered sir, is the name of this disquisition on dhamma ?"

" Wherefore do you, Ananda, remember this disquisition on dhamma as the Manifold Elements, and remember it as the Fourfold Circle,' and remember it as the Mirror of Dhamma, and remember it as the Drum of Deathlessness, and remember it as the Incomparable Victory in the Battle."

Thus spoke the Lord. Delighted, the venerable Ananda rejoiced in what the Lord had said.