{"collection":"Majjhima Nikaya","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/suttacentral_mn105/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/suttacentral_mn105","id":"suttacentral_mn105","license":"CC0","rights_basis":"suttacentral_bilara_data_cc0","source":"suttacentral","source_url":"https://suttacentral.net/mn105/en/sujato","summary":null,"tags":["Early Buddhist Texts","Majjhima Nikaya"],"text":"So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Ves\u0101l\u012b, at the Great Wood, in the hall with the peaked roof. Now at that time several mendicants had declared their enlightenment in the Buddha\u2019s presence: \u201cWe understand: \u2018Rebirth is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is nothing further for this place.\u2019\u201d Sunakkhatta the Licchavi heard about this. He went to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him, \u201cSir, I have heard that several mendicants have declared their enlightenment in the Buddha\u2019s presence. I trust they did so rightly\u2014or are there some who declared enlightenment out of overestimation?\u201d \u201cSome of them did so rightly, Sunakkhatta, while others did so out of overestimation. Now, when mendicants declare enlightenment rightly, that is their truth. But when mendicants declare enlightenment out of overestimation, the Realized One thinks: \u2018I should teach them the Dhamma.\u2019 If the Realized One thinks he should teach them the Dhamma, but then certain futile men, having carefully planned a question, approach the Realized One and ask it, then the Realized One changes his mind.\u201d \u201cNow is the time, Blessed One! Now is the time, Holy One! Let the Buddha teach the Dhamma. The mendicants will listen and remember it.\u201d \u201cWell then, Sunakkhatta, listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.\u201d \u201cYes, sir,\u201d replied Sunakkhatta. The Buddha said this: \u201cSunakkhatta, there are these five kinds of sensual stimulation. What five? Sights known by the eye, which are likable, desirable, agreeable, pleasant, sensual, and arousing. Sounds known by the ear \u2026 Smells known by the nose \u2026 Tastes known by the tongue \u2026 Touches known by the body, which are likable, desirable, agreeable, pleasant, sensual, and arousing. These are the five kinds of sensual stimulation. It\u2019s possible that a certain individual person may be intent on worldly pleasures of the flesh. Such an individual engages in pertinent conversation, thinking and considering in line with that. They associate with that kind of person, and they find it rewarding. But when talk connected with the imperturbable is going on they don\u2019t want to listen. They don\u2019t actively listen or try to understand. They don\u2019t associate with that kind of person, and they don\u2019t find it rewarding. Suppose a person had left their own village or town long ago, and they saw another person who had only recently left there. They would ask about whether their village was safe, with plenty of food and little disease, and the other person would tell them the news. What do you think, Sunakkhatta? Would that person want to listen to that other person? Would they actively listen and try to understand? Would they associate with that person, and find it rewarding?\u201d \u201cYes, sir.\u201d \u201cIn the same way, it\u2019s possible that a certain individual may be intent on worldly pleasures of the flesh. Such an individual engages in pertinent conversation, thinking and considering in line with that. They associate with that kind of person, and they find it rewarding. But when talk connected with the imperturbable is going on they don\u2019t want to listen. They don\u2019t actively listen or try to understand. They don\u2019t associate with that kind of person, and they don\u2019t find it rewarding. You should know of them: \u2018That individual is intent on pleasures of the flesh, for they\u2019re detached from things connected with the imperturbable.\u2019 It\u2019s possible that a certain individual person may be intent on the imperturbable. Such an individual engages in pertinent conversation, thinking and considering in line with that. They associate with that kind of person, and they find it rewarding. But when talk connected with worldly pleasures of the flesh is going on they don\u2019t want to listen. They don\u2019t actively listen or try to understand. They don\u2019t associate with that kind of person, and they don\u2019t find it rewarding. Suppose there was a fallen, withered leaf. It\u2019s incapable of becoming green again. In the same way, an individual intent on the imperturbable has dropped the connection with worldly pleasures of the flesh. You should know of them: \u2018That individual is intent on the imperturbable, for they\u2019re detached from things connected with pleasures of the flesh.\u2019 It\u2019s possible that a certain individual person may be intent on the dimension of nothingness. Such an individual engages in pertinent conversation, thinking and considering in line with that. They associate with that kind of person, and they find it rewarding. But when talk connected with the imperturbable is going on they don\u2019t want to listen. They don\u2019t actively listen or try to understand. They don\u2019t associate with that kind of person, and they don\u2019t find it rewarding. Suppose there was a broad rock that had been broken in half, so that it could not be put back together again. In the same way, an individual intent on the dimension of nothingness has broken the connection with the imperturbable. You should know of them: \u2018That individual is intent on the dimension of nothingness, for they\u2019re detached from things connected with the imperturbable.\u2019 It\u2019s possible that a certain individual person may be intent on the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception. Such an individual engages in pertinent conversation, thinking and considering in line with that. They associate with that kind of person, and they find it rewarding. But when talk connected with the dimension of nothingness is going on they don\u2019t want to listen. They don\u2019t actively listen or try to understand. They don\u2019t associate with that kind of person, and they don\u2019t find it rewarding. Suppose someone had eaten some satisfying food and thrown it up. What do you think, Sunakkhatta? Would that person want to eat that food again?\u201d \u201cNo, sir. Why is that? Because that food is deemed repulsive.\u201d \u201cIn the same way, an individual intent on the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception has vomited the connection with the dimension of nothingness. You should know of them: \u2018That individual is intent on the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, for they\u2019re detached from things connected with the dimension of nothingness.\u2019 It\u2019s possible that a certain individual person may be rightly intent on extinguishment. Such an individual engages in pertinent conversation, thinking and considering in line with that. They associate with that kind of person, and they find it rewarding. But when talk connected with the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception is going on they don\u2019t want to listen. They don\u2019t actively listen or try to understand. They don\u2019t associate with that kind of person, and they don\u2019t find it rewarding. Suppose there was a palm tree with its crown cut off. It\u2019s incapable of further growth. In the same way, an individual rightly intent on extinguishment has cut off the connection with the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception at the root, made it like a palm stump, obliterated it, so it\u2019s unable to arise in the future. You should know of them: \u2018That individual is rightly intent on extinguishment, for they\u2019re detached from things connected with the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception.\u2019 It\u2019s possible that a certain mendicant might think: \u2018The Ascetic has said that craving is a dart; and that the poison of ignorance is inflicted by desire and ill will. I have given up the dart of craving and expelled the poison of ignorance; I am rightly intent on extinguishment.\u2019 Having such conceit, though it\u2019s not based in fact, they would engage in things unconducive to extinguishment: unsuitable sights, sounds, smells, tastes, touches, and ideas. Doing so, lust infects their mind, resulting in death or deadly pain. Suppose a man was struck by an arrow thickly smeared with poison. Their friends and colleagues, relatives and kin would get a surgeon to treat them. The surgeon would cut open the wound with a scalpel, probe for the arrow, extract it, and expel the poison, leaving some residue behind. Imagining that no residue remained, the surgeon would say: \u2018My man, the dart has been extracted and the poison expelled without residue. It is still capable of harming you. Eat only suitable food. Don\u2019t eat unsuitable food, or else the wound may get infected. Regularly wash the wound and anoint the opening, or else it\u2019ll get covered with pus and blood. Don\u2019t walk too much in the wind and sun, or else dust and dirt will infect the wound. Take care of the wound, my man, heal it.\u2019 They\u2019d think: \u2018The dart has been extracted and the poison expelled with no residue. It\u2019s not capable of harming me.\u2019 They\u2019d eat unsuitable food, and the wound would get infected. And they wouldn\u2019t regularly wash and anoint the opening, so it would get covered in pus and blood. And they\u2019d walk too much in the wind and sun, so dust and dirt infected the wound. And they wouldn\u2019t take care of the wound or heal it. Then both because they did what was unsuitable, and because of the residue of unclean poison, the wound would expand, resulting in death or deadly pain. In the same way, it\u2019s possible that a certain mendicant might think: \u2018The Ascetic has said that craving is a dart; and that the poison of ignorance is inflicted by desire and ill will. I have given up the dart of craving and expelled the poison of ignorance; I am rightly intent on extinguishment.\u2019 Having such conceit, though it\u2019s not based in fact, they would engage in things unconducive to extinguishment: unsuitable sights, sounds, smells, tastes, touches, and ideas. Doing so, lust infects their mind, resulting in death or deadly pain. For it is death in the training of the Noble One to resign the training and return to a lesser life. And it is deadly pain to commit one of the corrupt offenses. It\u2019s possible that a certain mendicant might think: \u2018The Ascetic has said that craving is a dart; and that the poison of ignorance is inflicted by desire and ill will. I have given up the dart of craving and expelled the poison of ignorance; I am rightly intent on extinguishment.\u2019 Being rightly intent on extinguishment, they wouldn\u2019t engage in things unconducive to extinguishment: unsuitable sights, sounds, smells, tastes, touches, and ideas. Doing so, lust wouldn\u2019t infect their mind, so no death or deadly pain would result. Suppose a man was struck by an arrow thickly smeared with poison. Their friends and colleagues, relatives and kin would get a surgeon to treat them. The surgeon would cut open the wound with a scalpel, probe for the arrow, extract it, and expel the poison, leaving no residue behind. Knowing that no residue remained, the surgeon would say: \u2018My man, the dart has been extracted and the poison expelled with no residue. It\u2019s not capable of harming you. Eat only suitable food. Don\u2019t eat unsuitable food, or else the wound may get infected. Regularly wash the wound and anoint the opening, or else it\u2019ll get covered with pus and blood. Don\u2019t walk too much in the wind and sun, or else dust and dirt will infect the wound. Take care of the wound, my man, heal it.\u2019 They\u2019d think: \u2018The dart has been extracted and the poison expelled with no residue. It\u2019s not capable of harming me.\u2019 They\u2019d eat suitable food, and the wound wouldn\u2019t get infected. And they\u2019d regularly wash and anoint the opening, so it wouldn\u2019t get covered in pus and blood. And they wouldn\u2019t walk too much in the wind and sun, so dust and dirt wouldn\u2019t infect the wound. And they\u2019d take care of the wound and heal it. Then both because they did what was suitable, and the unclean poison had left no residue, the wound would heal, and no death or deadly pain would result. In the same way, it\u2019s possible that a certain mendicant might think: \u2018The Ascetic has said that craving is a dart; and that the poison of ignorance is inflicted by desire and ill will. I have given up the dart of craving and expelled the poison of ignorance; I am rightly intent on extinguishment.\u2019 Being rightly intent on extinguishment, they wouldn\u2019t engage in things unconducive to extinguishment: unsuitable sights, sounds, smells, tastes, touches, and ideas. Doing so, lust wouldn\u2019t infect their mind, so no death or deadly pain would result. I\u2019ve made up this simile to make a point. And this is the point: \u2018Wound\u2019 is a term for the six interior sense fields. \u2018Poison\u2019 is a term for ignorance. \u2018Dart\u2019 is a term for craving. \u2018Probing\u2019 is a term for mindfulness. \u2018Scalpel\u2019 is a term for noble wisdom. \u2018Surgeon\u2019 is a term for the Realized One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha. Truly, Sunakkhatta, that mendicant practices restraint regarding the six fields of contact. Understanding that attachment is the root of suffering, they are freed with the ending of attachments. It\u2019s not possible that they would apply their body or interest their mind in any attachment. Suppose there was a bronze goblet of beverage that had a nice color, aroma, and flavor. But it was mixed with poison. Then a person would come along who wants to live and doesn\u2019t want to die, who wants to be happy and recoils from pain. What do you think, Sunakkhatta? Would that person drink that beverage if they knew that it would result in death or deadly suffering?\u201d \u201cNo, sir.\u201d \u201cIn the same way, Sunakkhatta, that mendicant practices restraint regarding the six fields of contact. Understanding that attachment is the root of suffering, they are freed with the ending of attachments. It\u2019s not possible that they would apply their body or interest their mind in any attachment. Suppose there was a lethal viper. Then a person would come along who wants to live and doesn\u2019t want to die, who wants to be happy and recoils from pain. What do you think, Sunakkhatta? Would that person give that lethal viper their hand or finger if they knew that it would result in death or deadly suffering?\u201d \u201cNo, sir.\u201d \u201cIn the same way, Sunakkhatta, that mendicant practices restraint regarding the six fields of contact. Understanding that attachment is the root of suffering, they are freed with the ending of attachments. It\u2019s not possible that they would apply their body or interest their mind in any attachment.\u201d That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, Sunakkhatta of the Licchavi clan approved what the Buddha said.","title":"With Sunakkhatta","tradition":"Majjhima Nikaya","translated_text":null,"word_count":2401}