Axial Commons
fire …
Buddhism
Majjhima Nikāya (Middle-Length Discourses)
The Root of All Things
air …
creatures …
gods …
the Progenitor …
the Divinity …
those of sublime luminosity …
those replete with glory …
those of abundant fruit …
the Vanquisher …
the dimension of infinite space …
the dimension of infinite consciousness …
the dimension of nothingness …
the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception …
the seen …
the heard …
the thought …
the known …
oneness …
diversity …
all …
They directly know extinguishment as extinguishment. Having directly known extinguishment as extinguishment, they do not conceive it to be extinguishment, they do not conceive it in extinguishment, they do not conceive it as extinguishment, they do not conceive that ‘extinguishment is mine’, they do not approve extinguishment. Why is that? Because they’re free of hate due to the ending of hate.
A mendicant who is perfected—with defilements ended, who has completed the spiritual journey, done what had to be done, laid down the burden, achieved their heart’s goal, utterly ended the fetter of continued existence, and is rightly freed through enlightenment—directly knows earth as earth. Having directly known earth as earth, they do not conceive it to be earth, they do not conceive it in earth, they do not conceive it as earth, they do not conceive that ‘earth is mine’, they do not approve earth. Why is that? Because they’re free of delusion due to the ending of delusion.
They directly know water …
fire …
air …
creatures …
gods …
the Progenitor …
the Divinity …
those of sublime luminosity …
those replete with glory …
those of abundant fruit …
the Vanquisher …
the dimension of infinite space …
the dimension of infinite consciousness …
the dimension of nothingness …
the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception …
the seen …
the heard …
the thought …
the known …
oneness …
diversity …
all …
They directly know extinguishment as extinguishment. Having directly known extinguishment as extinguishment, they do not conceive it to be extinguishment, they do not conceive it in extinguishment, they do not conceive it as extinguishment, they do not conceive that ‘extinguishment is mine’, they do not approve extinguishment. Why is that? Because they’re free of delusion due to the ending of delusion.
The Realized One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha directly knows earth as earth. Having directly known earth as earth, he does not conceive it to be earth, he does not conceive it in earth, he does not conceive it as earth, he does not conceive that ‘earth is mine’, he does not approve earth. Why is that? Because the Realized One has completely understood it to the end, I say.
He directly knows water …
fire …
air …
creatures …
gods …
the Progenitor …
the Divinity …
those of sublime luminosity …
those replete with glory …
those of abundant fruit …
the Vanquisher …
the dimension of infinite space …
the dimension of infinite consciousness …
the dimension of nothingness …
the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception …
the seen …
the heard …
the thought …
the known …
oneness …
diversity …
all …
He directly knows extinguishment as extinguishment. Having directly known extinguishment as extinguishment, he does not conceive it to be extinguishment, he does not conceive it in extinguishment, he does not conceive it as extinguishment, he does not conceive that ‘extinguishment is mine’, he does not approve extinguishment. Why is that? Because the Realized One has completely understood it to the end, I say.
The Realized One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha directly knows earth as earth. Having directly known earth as earth, he does not conceive it to be earth, he does not conceive it in earth, he does not conceive it as earth, he does not conceive that ‘earth is mine’, he does not approve earth. Why is that? Because he has understood that approval is the root of suffering, and that rebirth comes from continued existence; whoever has come to be gets old and dies. That’s why the Realized One—with the ending, fading away, cessation, giving up, and letting go of all cravings—has awakened to the supreme perfect awakening, I say.
He directly knows water …
fire …
air …
creatures …
gods …
the Progenitor …
the Divinity …
those of sublime luminosity …
those replete with glory …
those of abundant fruit …
the Vanquisher …
the dimension of infinite space …
the dimension of infinite consciousness …
the dimension of nothingness …
the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception …
the seen …
the heard …
the thought …
the known …
oneness …
diversity …
all …
He directly knows extinguishment as extinguishment. Having directly known extinguishment as extinguishment, he does not conceive it to be extinguishment, he does not conceive it in extinguishment, he does not conceive it as extinguishment, he does not conceive that ‘extinguishment is mine’, he does not approve extinguishment. Why is that? Because he has understood that approval is the root of suffering, and that rebirth comes from continued existence; whoever has come to be gets old and dies. That’s why the Realized One—with the ending, fading away, cessation, giving up, and letting go of all cravings—has awakened to the supreme perfect Awakening, I say.” That is what the Buddha said. But the mendicants did not approve what the Buddha said.
All the Defilements
So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants, “Mendicants!” “Venerable sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:
“Mendicants, I will teach you the explanation of the restraint of all defilements. Listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.” “Yes, sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:
“Mendicants, I say that the ending of defilements is for one who knows and sees, not for one who does not know or see. For one who knows and sees what? Rational application of mind and irrational application of mind. When you apply the mind irrationally, defilements arise, and once arisen they grow. When you apply the mind rationally, defilements don’t arise, and those that have already arisen are given up.
Some defilements should be given up by seeing, some by restraint, some by using, some by enduring, some by avoiding, some by dispelling, and some by developing.
1. Defilements Given Up by Seeing And what are the defilements that should be given up by seeing? Take an unlearned ordinary person who has not seen the noble ones, and is neither skilled nor trained in the teaching of the noble ones. They’ve not seen true persons, and are neither skilled nor trained in the teaching of the true persons. They don’t understand to which things they should apply the mind and to which things they should not apply the mind. So they apply the mind to things they shouldn’t and don’t apply the mind to things they should.
And what are the things to which they apply the mind but should not? They are the things that, when the mind is applied to them, give rise to unarisen defilements and make arisen defilements grow: the defilements of sensual desire, desire to be reborn, and ignorance. These are the things to which they apply the mind but should not. And what are the things to which they do not apply the mind but should? They are the things that, when the mind is applied to them, do not give rise to unarisen defilements and give up arisen defilements: the defilements of sensual desire, desire to be reborn, and ignorance. These are the things to which they do not apply the mind but should.