{"collection":"Anguttara Nikaya","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/suttacentral_an6.61/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/suttacentral_an6.61","id":"suttacentral_an6.61","license":"CC0","rights_basis":"suttacentral_bilara_data_cc0","source":"suttacentral","source_url":"https://suttacentral.net/an6.61/en/sujato","summary":null,"tags":["Anguttara Nikaya","Early Buddhist Texts"],"text":"So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Varanasi in the deer park at Isipatana. Now at that time, after the meal, on return from almsround, several senior mendicants sat together in the pavilion and this discussion came up among them, \u201cReverends, this was said by the Buddha in \u2018The Way to the Far Shore\u2019, in \u2018The Questions of Metteyya\u2019: \u2018The thoughtful one, knowing both ends, is not stuck in the middle. He is a great man, I declare; he has escaped the seamstress here.\u2019 But what is one end? What\u2019s the second end? What\u2019s the middle? And who is the seamstress?\u201d When this was said, one of the mendicants said to the senior mendicants: \u201cContact, reverends, is one end. The origin of contact is the second end. The cessation of contact is the middle. And craving is the seamstress, for craving weaves one to being regenerated in one state of existence or another. That\u2019s how a mendicant directly knows what should be directly known and completely understands what should be completely understood. Knowing and understanding thus they make an end of suffering in this very life.\u201d When this was said, one of the mendicants said to the senior mendicants: \u201cThe past, reverends, is one end. The future is the second end. The present is the middle. And craving is the seamstress \u2026 That\u2019s how a mendicant directly knows \u2026 an end of suffering in this very life.\u201d When this was said, one of the mendicants said to the senior mendicants: \u201cPleasant feeling, reverends, is one end. Painful feeling is the second end. Neutral feeling is the middle. And craving is the seamstress \u2026 That\u2019s how a mendicant directly knows \u2026 an end of suffering in this very life.\u201d When this was said, one of the mendicants said to the senior mendicants: \u201cName, reverends, is one end. Form is the second end. Consciousness is the middle. And craving is the seamstress \u2026 That\u2019s how a mendicant directly knows \u2026 an end of suffering in this very life.\u201d When this was said, one of the mendicants said to the senior mendicants: \u201cThe six interior sense fields, reverends, are one end. The six exterior sense fields are the second end. Consciousness is the middle. And craving is the seamstress \u2026 That\u2019s how a mendicant directly knows \u2026 an end of suffering in this very life.\u201d When this was said, one of the mendicants said to the senior mendicants: \u201cSubstantial reality, reverends, is one end. The origin of substantial reality is the second end. The cessation of substantial reality is the middle. And craving is the seamstress, for craving weaves one to being regenerated in one state of existence or another. That\u2019s how a mendicant directly knows what should be directly known and completely understands what should be completely understood. Knowing and understanding thus they make an end of suffering in this very life.\u201d When this was said, one of the mendicants said to the senior mendicants: \u201cEach of us has spoken from the heart. Come, reverends, let\u2019s go to the Buddha, and inform him about this. As he answers, so we\u2019ll remember it.\u201d \u201cYes, reverend,\u201d those senior mendicants replied. Then those senior mendicants went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and informed the Buddha of all they had discussed. They asked, \u201cSir, who has spoken well?\u201d \u201cMendicants, you\u2019ve all spoken well in a way. However, this is what I was referring to in \u2018The Way to the Far Shore\u2019, in \u2018The Questions of Metteyya\u2019 when I said: \u2018The thoughtful one, knowing both ends, is not stuck in the middle. He is a great man, I declare; he has escaped the seamstress here.\u2019 Listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.\u201d \u201cYes, sir,\u201d they replied. The Buddha said this: \u201cContact, mendicants, is one end. The origin of contact is the second end. The cessation of contact is the middle. And craving is the seamstress, for craving weaves one to being regenerated in one state of existence or another. That\u2019s how a mendicant directly knows what should be directly known and completely understands what should be completely understood. Knowing and understanding thus they make an end of suffering in this very life.\u201d","title":"In the Middle","tradition":"Anguttara Nikaya","translated_text":null,"word_count":707}