Part One
The Discourse on
Right View
(Sammaditthi
Sutta)
Majjhima
Nikaya, Sutta No. 9
1. Thus have I heard. On one
occasion the Blessed One was living at Savatthi in Jeta's
Grove, Anathapindika's Park. There the Venerable
Sariputta addressed the bhikkhus thus:
"Friends, bhikkhus." --
"Friend," they replied. The Venerable
Sariputta said this:
2. "'One of right view, one of right
view' is said, friends. In what way is a noble
disciple one of right view, whose view is straight, who has
perfect confidence in the Dhamma, and has arrived at this
true Dhamma?"
"Indeed, friend, we would come from far away to learn
from the Venerable Sariputta the meaning of this
statement. It would be good if the Venerable
Sariputta would explain the meaning of this
statement. Having heard it from him, the bhikkhus
will remember it."
"Then, friends, listen and attend closely to what I
shall say."
"Yes, friend," the bhikkhus replied.
The Venerable Sariputta said this:
The Wholesome and the Unwholesome
3. "When, friends, a noble disciple
understands the unwholesome, the root of the unwholesome, the
wholesome, and the root of the wholesome, in that way he is
one of right view, whose view is straight, who has perfect
confidence in the Dhamma, and has arrived at this true
Dhamma.
4. "And what, friends, is the
unwholesome, what is the root of the unwholesome, what is the
wholesome, what is the root of the wholesome?
Killing living beings is unwholesome; taking what is not
given is unwholesome; misconduct in sensual pleasures is
unwholesome; false speech is unwholesome; malicious speech is
unwholesome; harsh speech is unwholesome; gossip is
unwholesome; covetousness is unwholesome; ill will is
unwholesome; wrong view is unwholesome. This is
called the unwholesome.
5. "And what is the root of the
unwholesome? Greed is a root of the unwholesome;
hate is a root of the unwholesome; delusion is a root of the
unwholesome. This is called the root of the
unwholesome.
6. "And what is the
wholesome? Abstention from killing living beings
is wholesome; abstention from taking what is not given is
wholesome; abstention from misconduct in sensual pleasures is
wholesome; abstention from false speech is wholesome;
abstention from malicious speech is wholesome; abstention
from harsh speech is wholesome; abstention from gossip is
wholesome; non-covetousness is wholesome; non-ill will is
wholesome; right view is wholesome. This is
called the wholesome.
7. "And what is the root of the
wholesome? Non-greed is a root of the wholesome;
non-hate is a root of the wholesome; non-delusion is a root
of the wholesome. This is called the root of the
wholesome.
8. "When a noble disciple has thus
understood the unwholesome, the root of the unwholesome, the
wholesome, and the root of the wholesome, he entirely
abandons the underlying tendency to lust, he abolishes the
underlying tendency to aversion, he extirpates the underlying
tendency to the view and conceit 'I am,' and by abandoning
ignorance and arousing true knowledge he here and now makes
an end of suffering. In that way too a noble
disciple is one of right view, whose view is straight, who
has perfect confidence in the Dhamma and has arrived at this
true Dhamma."
Nutriment
9. Saying, "Good, friend," the
bhikkhus delighted and rejoiced in the Venerable Sariputta's
words. Then they asked him a further
question: "But, friend, might there be
another way in which a noble disciple is one of right view
. . . and has arrived at
this true Dhamma?" -- "There might be,
friends.
10. "When, friends, a noble disciple
understands nutriment, the origin of nutriment, the cessation
of nutriment, and the way leading to the cessation of
nutriment, in that way he is one of right view
. . . and has arrived at
this true Dhamma.
11. "And what is nutriment, what is the
origin of nutriment, what is the cessation of nutriment, what
is the way leading to the cessation of nutriment?
There are these four kinds of nutriment for the maintenance
of beings that already have come to be and for the support of
those seeking a new existence. What
four? They are physical food as nutriment, gross
or subtle; contact as the second; mental volition as the
third; and consciousness as the fourth. With the
arising of craving there is the arising of
nutriment. With the cessation of craving there is
the cessation of nutriment. The way leading to
the cessation of nutriment is just this Noble Eightfold Path;
that is, right view, right intention, right speech, right
action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and
right concentration.
12. "When a noble disciple has thus
understood nutriment, the origin of nutriment, the cessation
of nutriment, and the way leading to the cessation of
nutriment, he entirely abandons the underlying tendency to
greed, he abolishes the underlying tendency to aversion, he
extirpates the underlying tendency to the view and conceit 'I
am,' and by abandoning ignorance and arousing true knowledge
he here and now makes an end of suffering. In
that way too a noble disciple is one of right view, whose
view is straight, who has perfect confidence in the Dhamma
and has arrived at this true Dhamma."
The Four Noble Truths
13. Saying, "Good, friend," the
bhikkhus delighted and rejoiced in the Venerable Sariputta's
words. Then they asked him a further
question: "But, friend, might there be
another way in which a noble disciple is one of right view
. . . and has arrived at
this true Dhamma?" -- "There might be,
friends.
14. "When, friends, a noble disciple
understands suffering, the origin of suffering, the cessation
of suffering, and the way leading to the cessation of
suffering, in that way he is one of right view
. . . and has arrived at
this true Dhamma.
15. "And what is suffering, what is the
origin of suffering, what is the cessation of suffering, what
is the way leading to the cessation of suffering?
Birth is suffering; aging is suffering; sickness is
suffering; death is suffering; sorrow, lamentation, pain,
grief and despair are suffering; not to obtain what one wants
is suffering; in short, the five aggregates affected by
clinging are suffering. This is called suffering.
16. "And what is the origin of
suffering? It is craving, which brings renewal of
being, is accompanied by delight and lust, and delights in
this and that; that is, craving for sensual pleasures,
craving for being and craving for non-being. This
is called the origin of suffering.
17. "And what is the cessation of
suffering? It is the remainderless fading away
and ceasing, the giving up, relinquishing, letting go and
rejecting of that same craving. This is called
the cessation of suffering.
18. "And what is the way leading to the
cessation of suffering? It is just this Noble
Eightfold Path; that is, right view
. . . right
concentration. This is called the way leading to
the cessation of suffering.
19. "When a noble disciple has thus
understood suffering, the origin of suffering, the cessation
of suffering, and the way leading to the cessation of
suffering . . . he here and
now makes an end of suffering. In that way too a
noble disciple is one of right view
. . . and has arrived at
this true Dhamma."
Aging and Death
20. Saying, "Good, friend," the
bhikkhus delighted and rejoiced in the Venerable Sariputta's
words. Then they asked him a further
question: "But, friend, might there be
another way in which a noble disciple is one of right view
. . . and has arrived at
this true Dhamma?" -- "There might be,
friends.
21. "When, friends, a noble disciple
understands aging and death, the origin of aging and death,
the cessation of aging and death, and the way leading to the
cessation of aging and death, in that way he is one of right
view . . . and has arrived
at this true Dhamma.
22. "And what is aging and death, what is
the origin of aging and death, what is the cessation of aging
and death, what is the way leading to the cessation of aging
and death? The aging of beings in the various
orders of beings, their old age, brokenness of teeth,
grayness of hair, wrinkling of skin, decline of life,
weakness of faculties -- this is called aging.
The passing of beings out of the various orders of beings,
their passing away, dissolution, disappearance, dying,
completion of time, dissolution of the aggregates, laying
down of the body -- this is called death. So this
aging and this death are what is called aging and
death. With the arising of birth there is the
arising of aging and death. With the cessation of
birth there is the cessation of aging and death.
The way leading to the cessation of aging and death is just
this Noble Eightfold Path; that is, right view
. . . right concentration.
23. "When a noble disciple has thus
understood aging and death, the origin of aging and death,
the cessation of aging and death, and the way leading to the
cessation of aging and death
. . . he here and now makes
an end of suffering. In that way too a noble
disciple is one of right view
. . . and has arrived at
this true Dhamma."
Birth
24. Saying, "Good, friend," the
bhikkhus delighted and rejoiced in the Venerable Sariputta's
words. Then they asked him a further
question: "But, friend, might there be
another way in which a noble disciple is one of right view
. . . and has arrived at
this true Dhamma?" -- "There might be,
friends.
25. "When, friends, a noble disciple
understands birth, the origin of birth, the cessation of
birth, and the way leading to the cessation of birth, in that
way he is one of right view
. . . and has arrived at
this true Dhamma.
26. "And what is birth, what is the
origin of birth, what is the cessation of birth, what is the
way leading to the cessation of birth? The birth
of beings into the various orders of beings, their coming to
birth, precipitation (in a womb), generation, manifestation
of the aggregates, obtaining the bases for contact -- this is
called birth. With the arising of being there is
the arising of birth. With the cessation of being
there is the cessation of birth. The way leading
to the cessation of birth is just this Noble Eightfold Path;
that is, right view . . .
right concentration.
27. "When a noble disciple has thus
understood birth, the origin of birth, the cessation of
birth, and the way leading to the cessation of birth
. . . he here and now makes
an end of suffering. In that way too a noble
disciple is one of right view
. . . and has arrived at
this true Dhamma."
Being
28. Saying, "Good, friend," the
bhikkhus delighted and rejoiced in the Venerable Sariputta's
words. Then they asked him a further
question: "But, friend, might there be
another way in which a noble disciple is one of right view
. . . and has arrived at
this true Dhamma?" -- "There might be,
friends.
29. "When, friends, a noble disciple
understands being, the origin of being, the cessation of
being, and the way leading to the cessation of being, in that
way he is one of right view
. . . and has arrived at
this true Dhamma.
30. "And what is being, what is the
origin of being, what is the cessation of being, what is the
way leading to the cessation of being? There are
these three kinds of being: sense-sphere being,
fine-material being and immaterial being. With
the arising of clinging there is the arising of
being. With the cessation of clinging there is
the cessation of being. The way leading to the
cessation of being is just this Noble Eightfold Path; that
is, right view . . . right
concentration.
31. "When a noble disciple has thus
understood being, the origin of being, the cessation of
being, and the way leading to the cessation of being
. . . he here and now makes
an end of suffering. In that way too a noble
disciple is one of right view
. . . and has arrived at
this true Dhamma."
Clinging
32. Saying, "Good, friend," the
bhikkhus delighted and rejoiced in the Venerable Sariputta's
words. Then they asked him a further
question: "But, friend, might there be
another way in which a noble disciple is one of right view
. . . and has arrived at
this true Dhamma?" -- "There might be,
friends.
33. "When, friends, a noble disciple
understands clinging, the origin of clinging, the cessation
of clinging, and the way leading to the cessation of
clinging, in that way he is one of right view
. . . and has arrived at
this true Dhamma.
34. "And what is clinging, what is the
origin of clinging, what is the cessation of clinging, what
is the way leading to the cessation of clinging?
There are these four kinds of clinging: clinging
to sensual pleasures, clinging to views, clinging to rituals
and observances, and clinging to a doctrine of
self. With the arising of craving there is the
arising of clinging. With the cessation of
craving there is the cessation of clinging. The
way leading to the cessation of clinging is just this Noble
Eightfold Path; that is, right view
. . . right concentration.
35. "When a noble disciple has thus
understood clinging, the origin of clinging, the cessation of
clinging, and the way leading to the cessation of clinging
. . . he here and now makes
an end of suffering. In that way too a noble
disciple is one of right view
. . . and has arrived at
this true Dhamma."
Craving
36. Saying, "Good, friend," the
bhikkhus delighted and rejoiced in the Venerable Sariputta's
words. Then they asked him a further
question: "But, friend, might there be
another way in which a noble disciple is one of right view
. . . and has arrived at
this true Dhamma?" -- "There might be,
friends.
37. "When, friends, a noble disciple
understands craving, the origin of craving, the cessation of
craving, and the way leading to the cessation of craving, in
that way he is one of right view
. . . and has arrived at
this true Dhamma.
38. "And what is craving, what is the
origin of craving, what is the cessation of craving, what is
the way leading to the cessation of craving?
There are these six classes of craving: craving
for forms, craving for sounds, craving for odors, craving for
flavors, craving for tangibles, craving for
mind-objects. With the arising of feeling there
is the arising of craving. With the cessation of
feeling there is the cessation of craving. The
way leading to the cessation of craving is just this Noble
Eightfold Path; that is, right view
. . . right concentration.
39. "When a noble disciple has thus
understood craving, the origin of craving, the cessation of
craving, and the way leading to the cessation of craving
. . . he here and now makes
an end of suffering. In that way too a noble
disciple is one of right view
. . . and has arrived at
this true Dhamma."
Feeling
40. Saying, "Good, friend," the
bhikkhus delighted and rejoiced in the Venerable Sariputta's
words. Then they asked him a further
question: "But, friend, might there be
another way in which a noble disciple is one of right view
. . . and has arrived at
this true Dhamma?" -- "There might be,
friends.
41. "When, friends, a noble disciple
understands feeling, the origin of feeling, the cessation of
feeling, and the way leading to the cessation of feeling, in
that way he is one of right view
. . . and has arrived at
this true Dhamma.
42. "And what is feeling, what is the
origin of feeling, what is the cessation of feeling, what is
the way leading to the cessation of feeling?
There are these six classes 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
mind-contact. With the arising of contact there
is the arising of feeling. With the cessation of
contact there is the cessation of feeling. The
way leading to the cessation of feeling is just this Noble
Eightfold Path; that is, right view
. . . right concentration.
43. "When a noble disciple has thus
understood feeling, the origin of feeling, the cessation of
feeling, and the way leading to the cessation of feeling
. . . he here and now makes
an end of suffering. In that way too a noble
disciple is one of right view
. . . and has arrived at
this true Dhamma."
Contact
44. Saying, "Good, friend," the
bhikkhus delighted and rejoiced in the Venerable Sariputta's
words. Then they asked him a further
question: "But, friend, might there be
another way in which a noble disciple is one of right view
. . . and has arrived at
this true Dhamma?" -- "There might be,
friends.
45. "When, friends, a noble disciple
understands contact, the origin of contact, the cessation of
contact, and the way leading to the cessation of contact, in
that way he is one of right view
. . . and has arrived at
this true Dhamma.
46. "And what is contact, what is the
origin of contact, what is the cessation of contact, what is
the way leading to the cessation of contact?
There are these six classes of contact:
eye-contact, ear-contact, nose-contact, tongue-contact,
body-contact, mind-contact. With the arising of
the sixfold base there is the arising of contact.
With the cessation of the sixfold base there is the cessation
of contact. The way leading to the cessation of
contact is just this Noble Eightfold Path; that is, right
view . . . right
concentration.
47. "When a noble disciple has thus
understood contact, the origin of contact, the cessation of
contact, and the way leading to the cessation of contact
. . . he here and now makes
an end of suffering. In that way too a noble
disciple is one of right view
. . . and has arrived at
this true Dhamma."
The Sixfold Base
48. Saying, "Good, friend," the
bhikkhus delighted and rejoiced in the Venerable Sariputta's
words. Then they asked him a further
question: "But, friend, might there be
another way in which a noble disciple is one of right view
. . . and has arrived at
this true Dhamma?" -- "There might be,
friends.
49. "When, friends, a noble disciple
understands the sixfold base, the origin of the sixfold base,
the cessation of the sixfold base, and the way leading to the
cessation of the sixfold base, he is one of right view
. . . and has arrived at
this true Dhamma.
50. "And what is the sixfold base, what
is the origin of the sixfold base, what is the cessation of
the sixfold base, what is the way leading to the cessation of
the sixfold base? There are these six
bases: the eye-base, the ear-base, the nose-base,
the tongue-base, the body-base, the mind-base.
With the arising of mentality-materiality there is the
arising of the sixfold base. With the cessation
of mentality-materiality there is the cessation of the
sixfold base. The way leading to the cessation of
the sixfold base is just this Noble Eightfold Path; that is,
right view . . . right
concentration.
51. "When a noble disciple has thus
understood the sixfold base, the origin of the sixfold base,
the cessation of the sixfold base, and the way leading to the
cessation of the sixfold base
. . . he here and now makes
an end of suffering. In that way too a noble
disciple is one of right view
. . . and has arrived at
this true Dhamma."
Mentality-Materiality
52. Saying, "Good, friend," the
bhikkhus delighted and rejoiced in the Venerable Sariputta's
words. Then they asked him a further
question: "But, friend, might there be
another way in which a noble disciple is one of right view
. . . and has arrived at
this true Dhamma?" -- "There might be,
friends.
53. "When, friends, a noble disciple
understands mentality-materiality, the origin of
mentality-materiality, the cessation of
mentality-materiality, and the way leading to the cessation
of mentality-materiality, in that way he is one of right view
. . . and has arrived at
this true Dhamma.
54. "And what is mentality-materiality,
what is the origin of mentality-materiality, what is the
cessation of mentality-materiality, what is the way leading
to the cessation of mentality-materiality?
Feeling, perception, volition, contact and attention -- these
are called mentality. The four great elements and
the material form derived from the four great elements --
these are called materiality. So this mentality
and this materiality are what is called
mentality-materiality. With the arising of
consciousness there is the arising of
mentality-materiality. With the cessation of
consciousness there is the cessation of
mentality-materiality. The way leading to the
cessation of mentality-materiality is just this Noble
Eightfold Path; that is, right view
. . . right concentration.
55. "When a noble disciple has thus
understood mentality-materiality, the origin of
mentality-materiality, the cessation of
mentality-materiality, and the way leading to the cessation
of mentality-materiality
. . . he here and now makes
an end of suffering. In that way too a noble
disciple is one of right view
. . . and has arrived at
this true Dhamma."
Consciousness
56. Saying, "Good, friend," the
bhikkhus delighted and rejoiced in the Venerable Sariputta's
words. Then they asked him a further
question: "But, friend, might there be
another way in which a noble disciple is one of right view
. . . and has arrived at
this true Dhamma?" -- "There might be,
friends.
57. "When, friends, a noble disciple
understands consciousness, the origin of consciousness, the
cessation of consciousness, and the way leading to the
cessation of consciousness, in that way he is one of right
view . . . and has arrived
at this true Dhamma.
58. "And what is consciousness, what is
the origin of consciousness, what is the cessation of
consciousness, what is the way leading to the cessation of
consciousness? There are these six classes of
consciousness: eye-consciousness,
ear-consciousness, nose-consciousness, tongue-consciousness,
body-consciousness, mind-consciousness. With the
arising of formations there is the arising of
consciousness. With the cessation of formations
there is the cessation of consciousness. The way
leading to the cessation of consciousness is just this Noble
Eightfold Path; that is, right view
. . . right concentration.
59. "When a noble disciple has thus
understood consciousness, the origin of consciousness, the
cessation of consciousness, and the way leading to the
cessation of consciousness
. . . he here and now makes
an end of suffering. In that way too a noble
disciple is one of right view
. . . and has arrived at
this true Dhamma."
Formations
60. Saying, "Good friend," the
bhikkhus delighted and rejoiced in the Venerable Sariputta's
words. Then they asked him a further
question: "But, friend, might there be
another way in which a noble disciple is one of right view
. . . and has arrived at
this true Dhamma?" -- "There might be,
friends.
61. "When, friends, a noble disciple
understands formations, the origin of formations, the
cessation of formations, and the way leading to the cessation
of formations, in that way he is one of right view
. . . and has arrived at
this true Dhamma.
62. "And what are formations, what is the
origin of formations, what is the cessation of formations,
what is the way leading to the cessation of
formations? There are these three kinds of
formations: the bodily formation, the verbal
formation, the mental formation. With the arising
of ignorance there is the arising of formations.
With the cessation of ignorance there is the cessation of
formations. The way leading to the cessation of
formations is just this Noble Eightfold Path; that is, right
view . . . right
concentration.
63. "When a noble disciple has thus
understood formations, the origin of formations, the
cessation of formations, and the way leading to the cessation
of formations . . . he here
and now makes an end of suffering. In that way
too a noble disciple is one of right view
. . . and has arrived at
this true Dhamma."
Ignorance
64. Saying, "Good friend," the
bhikkhus delighted and rejoiced in the Venerable Sariputta's
words. Then they asked him a further
question: "But, friend, might there be
another way in which a noble disciple is one of right view
. . . and has arrived at
this true Dhamma?" -- "There might be,
friends.
65. "When, friends, a noble disciple
understands ignorance, the origin of ignorance, the cessation
of ignorance, and the way leading to the cessation of
ignorance, in that way he is one of right view
. . . and has arrived at
this true Dhamma.
66. "And what is ignorance, what is the
origin of ignorance, what is the cessation of ignorance, what
is the way leading to the cessation of ignorance?
Not knowing about suffering, not knowing about the origin of
suffering, not knowing about the cessation of suffering, not
knowing about the way leading to the cessation of suffering
-- this is called ignorance. With the arising of
the taints there is the arising of ignorance.
With the cessation of the taints there is the cessation of
ignorance. The way leading to the cessation of
ignorance is just this Noble Eightfold Path; that is, right
view . . . right
concentration.
67. "When a noble disciple has thus
understood ignorance, the origin of ignorance, the cessation
of ignorance, and the way leading to the cessation of
ignorance . . . he here and
now makes an end of suffering. In that way too a
noble disciple is one of right view
. . . and has arrived at
this true Dhamma."
Taints
68. Saying, "Good, friend," the
bhikkhus delighted and rejoiced in the Venerable Sariputta's
words. Then they asked him a further
question: "But, friend, might there be
another way in which a noble disciple is one of right view,
whose view is straight, who has perfect confidence in the
Dhamma and has arrived at this true Dhamma?"
-- "There might be, friends.
69. "When, friends, a noble disciple
understands the taints, the origin of the taints, the
cessation of the taints, and the way leading to the cessation
of the taints, in that way he is one of right view, whose
view is straight, who has perfect confidence in the Dhamma
and has arrived at this true Dhamma.
70. "And what are the taints, what is the
origin of the taints, what is the cessation of the taints,
what is the way leading to the cessation of the
taints? There are three taints: the
taint of sensual desire, the taint of being and the taint of
ignorance. With the arising of ignorance there is
the arising of the taints. With the cessation of
ignorance there is the cessation of the taints.
The way leading to the cessation of the taints is just this
Noble Eightfold Path; that is, right view, right intention,
right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort,
right mindfulness and right concentration.
71. "When a noble disciple has thus
understood the taints, the origin of the taints, the
cessation of the taints, and the way leading to the cessation
of the taints, he entirely abandons the underlying tendency
to lust, he abolishes the underlying tendency to aversion, he
extirpates the underlying tendency to the view and conceit 'I
am,' and by abandoning ignorance and arousing true knowledge
he here and now makes an end of suffering. In
that way too a noble disciple is one of right view, whose
view is straight, who has perfect confidence in the Dhamma
and has arrived at this true Dhamma."
That is what the Venerable Sariputta said. The
bhikkhus were satisfied and delighted in the Venerable
Sariputta's words.