Saṁyutta Nikāya 41.6

The Related Suttas Collection 41.6

1. Cittavagga

1. With Citta

Dutiyakāmabhūsutta

With Kāmabhū (2nd)

Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā kāmabhū macchikāsaṇḍe viharati ambāṭakavane. Atha kho citto gahapati yenāyasmā kāmabhū tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho citto gahapati āyasmantaṁ kāmabhuṁ etadavoca:

At one time Venerable Kāmabhū was staying near Macchikāsaṇḍa in the Wild Mango Grove. Then Citta the householder went up to Venerable Kāmabhū, sat down to one side, and said to him:

“kati nu kho, bhante, saṅkhārā”ti?

“Sir, how many (types of) functioning patterns are there?”

“Tayo kho, gahapati, saṅkhārā—kāyasaṅkhāro, vacīsaṅkhāro, cittasaṅkhāro”ti.

“Householder, there are three (types of) functioning patterns. The habitual functioning patterns of the body, speech and mind.”

“Sādhu, bhante”ti kho citto gahapati āyasmato kāmabhussa bhāsitaṁ abhinanditvā anumoditvā āyasmantaṁ kāmabhuṁ uttariṁ pañhaṁ apucchi:

Saying “Good, sir,” Citta approved and agreed with what Kāmabhū said. Then he asked another question:

“katamo pana, bhante, kāyasaṅkhāro, katamo vacīsaṅkhāro, katamo cittasaṅkhāro”ti?

“But sir, what are the habitual functioning patterns of the body? What are the habitual functioning patterns of speech? What are the habitual functioning patterns of the mind?”

“Assāsapassāsā kho, gahapati, kāyasaṅkhāro, vitakkavicārā vacīsaṅkhāro, saññā ca vedanā ca cittasaṅkhāro”ti.

“Breathing in and breathing out are habitual functioning patterns of the body. Thougths being born and sustained analysis going on are habitual functioning patterns of the speech. Perception and feeling are the habitual functioning patterns of the mind.”

“Sādhu, bhante”ti kho citto gahapati …pe… uttariṁ pañhaṁ apucchi:

Saying “Good, sir,” he asked another question:

“kasmā pana, bhante, assāsapassāsā kāyasaṅkhāro, kasmā vitakkavicārā vacīsaṅkhāro, kasmā saññā ca vedanā ca cittasaṅkhāro”ti?

“But sir, why are breathing in and breathing out habitual functioning patterns of the body? Why are thougths being born and sustained analysis going on habitual functioning patterns of speech? Why are perception and feeling the habitual functioning patterns of the mind?”

“Assāsapassāsā kho, gahapati, kāyikā. Ete dhammā kāyappaṭibaddhā, tasmā assāsapassāsā kāyasaṅkhāro. Pubbe kho, gahapati, vitakketvā vicāretvā pacchā vācaṁ bhindati, tasmā vitakkavicārā vacīsaṅkhāro. Saññā ca vedanā ca cetasikā. Ete dhammā cittappaṭibaddhā, tasmā saññā ca vedanā ca cittasaṅkhāro”ti.

“Breathing in and out is of the body. It’s a functioning pattern tied up with the body, that’s why breathing in and out is a habitual functioning pattern of the body. First your thougths are being born and sustained analysis is going on, then you break into speech. That’s why thougths being born and sustained analysis going on are habitual functioning patterns of speech. Perception and feeling are mental. They’re tied up with the mind, that’s why perception and feeling are habitual functioning patterns of the mind.”

“Sādhu …pe… uttariṁ pañhaṁ apucchi:

Saying “Good, sir,” he asked another question:

“kathaṁ pana, bhante, saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpatti hotī”ti?

“But sir, how does someone attain the cessation of perception and feeling?”

“Na kho, gahapati, saññāvedayitanirodhaṁ samāpajjantassa bhikkhuno evaṁ hoti: ‘ahaṁ saññāvedayitanirodhaṁ samāpajjissan’ti vā ‘ahaṁ saññāvedayitanirodhaṁ samāpajjāmī’ti vā ‘ahaṁ saññāvedayitanirodhaṁ samāpanno’ti vā. Atha khvassa pubbeva tathā cittaṁ bhāvitaṁ hoti yaṁ taṁ tathattāya upanetī”ti.

“A bhikkhu who is entering such an attainment does not think: ‘I will enter the cessation of perception and feeling’ or ‘I am entering the cessation of perception and feeling’ or ‘I have entered the cessation of perception and feeling.’ Rather, their mind has been previously developed so as to lead to such a state.”

“Sādhu …pe… uttariṁ pañhaṁ apucchi:

Saying “Good, sir,” he asked another question:

“saññāvedayitanirodhaṁ samāpajjantassa pana, bhante, bhikkhuno katame dhammā paṭhamaṁ nirujjhanti, yadi vā kāyasaṅkhāro, yadi vā vacīsaṅkhāro, yadi vā cittasaṅkhāro”ti?

“But sir, which cease first for a bhikkhu who is entering the cessation of perception and feeling: the habitual functioning patterns of the body, speech or mind?”

“Saññāvedayitanirodhaṁ samāpajjantassa kho, gahapati, bhikkhuno vacīsaṅkhāro paṭhamaṁ nirujjhati, tato kāyasaṅkhāro, tato cittasaṅkhāro”ti.

“Habitual functioning patterns of the speech cease first, then those of the body, then those of the mind.”

“Sādhu …pe… uttariṁ pañhaṁ apucchi:

Saying “Good, sir,” he asked another question:

“yvāyaṁ, bhante, mato kālaṅkato, yo cāyaṁ bhikkhu saññāvedayitanirodhaṁ samāpanno, imesaṁ kiṁ nānākaraṇan”ti?

“What’s the difference between someone who has passed away and a bhikkhu who has attained the cessation of perception and feeling?”

“Yvāyaṁ, gahapati, mato kālaṅkato tassa kāyasaṅkhāro niruddho paṭippassaddho, vacīsaṅkhāro niruddho paṭippassaddho, cittasaṅkhāro niruddho paṭippassaddho, āyu parikkhīṇo, usmā vūpasantā, indriyāni viparibhinnāni. Yo ca khvāyaṁ, gahapati, bhikkhu saññāvedayitanirodhaṁ samāpanno, tassapi kāyasaṅkhāro niruddho paṭippassaddho, vacīsaṅkhāro niruddho paṭippassaddho, cittasaṅkhāro niruddho paṭippassaddho, āyu aparikkhīṇo, usmā avūpasantā, indriyāni vippasannāni. Yvāyaṁ, gahapati, mato kālaṅkato, yo cāyaṁ bhikkhu saññāvedayitanirodhaṁ samāpanno, idaṁ nesaṁ nānākaraṇan”ti.

“When someone dies, the habitual functioning patterns of their body, speech and mind have ceased and stilled; their vitality is spent; their warmth is dissipated; and their faculties have disintegrated. When a bhikkhu has attained the cessation of perception and feeling, the habitual functioning patterns of their body, speech and mind have ceased and stilled. But their vitality is not spent; their warmth is not dissipated; and their faculties are very clear. That’s the difference between someone who has passed away and a bhikkhu who has attained the cessation of perception and feeling.”

“Sādhu …pe… uttariṁ pañhaṁ apucchi:

Saying “Good, sir,” he asked another question:

“kathaṁ pana, bhante, saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpattiyā vuṭṭhānaṁ hotī”ti?

“But sir, how does someone emerge from the cessation of perception and feeling?”

“Na kho, gahapati, saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpattiyā vuṭṭhahantassa bhikkhuno evaṁ hoti: ‘ahaṁ saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpattiyā vuṭṭhahissan’ti vā ‘ahaṁ saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpattiyā vuṭṭhahāmī’ti vā ‘ahaṁ saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpattiyā vuṭṭhito’ti vā. Atha khvassa pubbeva tathā cittaṁ bhāvitaṁ hoti, yaṁ taṁ tathattāya upanetī”ti.

“A bhikkhu who is emerging from such an attainment does not think: ‘I will emerge from the cessation of perception and feeling’ or ‘I am emerging from the cessation of perception and feeling’ or ‘I have emerged from the cessation of perception and feeling.’ Rather, their mind has been previously developed so as to lead to such a state.”

“Sādhu, bhante …pe… uttariṁ pañhaṁ apucchi:

Saying “Good, sir,” he asked another question:

“saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpattiyā vuṭṭhahantassa pana, bhante, bhikkhuno katame dhammā paṭhamaṁ uppajjanti, yadi vā kāyasaṅkhāro, yadi vā vacīsaṅkhāro, yadi vā cittasaṅkhāro”ti?

“But sir, which arise first for a bhikkhu who is emerging from the cessation of perception and feeling: the habitual functioning patterns of their body, speech or mind?”

“Saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpattiyā vuṭṭhahantassa, gahapati, bhikkhuno cittasaṅkhāro paṭhamaṁ uppajjati, tato kāyasaṅkhāro, tato vacīsaṅkhāro”ti.

“Habitual functioning patterns of the mind arise first, then those of the body, then those of the speech.”

“Sādhu …pe… uttariṁ pañhaṁ apucchi:

Saying “Good, sir,” he asked another question:

“saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpattiyā vuṭṭhitaṁ pana, bhante, bhikkhuṁ kati phassā phusanti”?

“But sir, when a bhikkhu has emerged from the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling, how many kinds of contact do they experience?”

“Saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpattiyā vuṭṭhitaṁ kho, gahapati, bhikkhuṁ tayo phassā phusanti—suññato phasso, animitto phasso, appaṇihito phasso”ti.

“They experience three kinds of contact: emptiness, signless, and undirected contacts.”

“Sādhu …pe… uttariṁ pañhaṁ apucchi:

Saying “Good, sir,” he asked another question:

“saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpattiyā vuṭṭhitassa pana, bhante, bhikkhuno kiṁninnaṁ cittaṁ hoti, kiṁpoṇaṁ, kiṁpabbhāran”ti?

“But sir, when a bhikkhu has emerged from the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling, what does their mind slant, slope, and incline to?”

“Saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpattiyā vuṭṭhitassa kho, gahapati, bhikkhuno vivekaninnaṁ cittaṁ hoti vivekapoṇaṁ vivekapabbhāran”ti.

“Their mind slants, slopes, and inclines to seclusion.”

“Sādhu, bhante”ti kho citto gahapati āyasmato kāmabhussa bhāsitaṁ abhinanditvā anumoditvā āyasmantaṁ kāmabhuṁ uttariṁ pañhaṁ apucchi:

Saying “Good, sir,” Citta approved and agreed with what Kāmabhū said. Then he asked another question:

“saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpattiyā pana, bhante, kati dhammā bahūpakārā”ti?

“But sir, how many things are helpful for attaining the cessation of perception and feeling?”

“Addhā kho tvaṁ, gahapati, yaṁ paṭhamaṁ pucchitabbaṁ taṁ pucchasi. Api ca tyāhaṁ byākarissāmi. Saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpattiyā kho, gahapati, dve dhammā bahūpakārā—samatho ca vipassanā cā”ti.

“Well, householder, you’ve finally asked what you should have asked first! Nevertheless, I will answer you. Two things are helpful for attaining the cessation of perception and feeling: serenity and discernment.”

Chaṭṭhaṁ.