Introduction 3.8.11: Sallasuttaṃ – Removal of lobho, doso, moho: The Essential Distinction and Difference Between a Puthujjano and an Ariyasāvako
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa
Introduction to 3.8.11 - Sallasuttaṃ
Removal of lobho,
doso, moho - The essential Distinction and Difference between
a puthujjano and an ariyasāvako.
‘Duvidhaṃ dukkhaṃ – kāyikañca cetasikañca.
Yaṃ kāyikaṃ idaṃ dukkhaṃ, yaṃ cetasikaṃ idaṃ domanassaṃ.’1
‘Suffering is of two kinds: physical and mental.
Whatever relates to physical is dukkha, whatever relates to mental is domanassa.’
The previous sutta, the Pātālasutta2 portrayed a difference in the reaction and consequence of an ‘assutavā’ and a ‘sutavā’, who is an ‘ariasāvako’. Both, being placed in an identical situation respond differently, while the first perpetuates with his reaction the circle of dukkha, the second one manages to escape.
The current discourse of the Buddha, the Sallasutta now comes back to this difference and as an opening question the Buddha asks:
‘Ko viseso ko adhippāyosa kiṃ nānākaraṇaṃ sutavato ariyasāvakassa assutavatā puthujjanenā?’
‘Now wherein, Bhikkhus, lays the distinction, the contrast and the difference between a well instructed noble disciple and an uninstructed worldling?’
The Buddha then provides a thorough and meticulous answer particularly supportive for any meditator, especially as the reciprocal interrelation between the respective three kinds of sensations and their underlying tendencies (rāga, dosa and moha) get exposed conspicuously and eye-catchingly. For an ‘assutavā’ the process of experiencing unpleasant sensations in general results in duplication on the mental sphere, like being hit by an arrow that is directly followed by a second one:
‘so dve vedanā vedayati–kāyikañca, cetasikañca’
while for a well trained ‘sutavā’, who accepts and observes with patience whatever appears on the physical level such duplication doesn’t take place:
So ekaṃ vedanaṃ vedayati–kāyikaṃ, na cetasikaṃ.
That is why the Buddha likewise refers to the simile of a thorn, dart and arrow –salla– in his advice to his disciples in the Daṭṭhabbasutta3. He instructs to perceive the different types of sensations in the following manner which facilitates succeeding to eschew such duplication in the mental arena:
“... Sukhā, bhikkhave, vedanā dukkhato daṭṭhabbā, dukkhā vedanā sallato daṭṭhabbā, adukkhamasukhā vedanā aniccato daṭṭhabbā.
Yato kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno sukhā vedanā dukkhato diṭṭhā hoti, dukkhā vedanā sallato diṭṭhā hoti, adukkhamasukhā vedanā aniccato diṭṭhā hoti ayaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave, ‘bhikkhu sammaddaso acchecchi taṇhaṃ, vivattayi saṃyojanaṃ, sammā mānābhisamayā antamakāsi dukkhassā’”ti.
“Pleasant sensation should be understood as unpleasant, unpleasant sensation should be understood as an arrow, and neutral, neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant sensation should be understood as impermanent.
If indeed a Bhikkhu, Bhikkhus, understands pleasant sensation as unpleasant, unpleasant sensation as an arrow, and neutral, neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant sensation as impermanent, such a one, Bhikkhus, is called a Bhikkhu of perfect understanding, one who has cut off craving, one who has broken the bondages and one who has thoroughly comprehended conceit. He has thus made an end of suffering.”
When Visākha asked the Bhikkhuni Dhammadinnā4 about vedanā and their interdependence to the bases of impurity she received the following explanation5:
‘‘Sukhāya panāyye, vedanāya kiṃ anusayo anuseti, dukkhāya vedanāya kiṃ anusayo anuseti, adukkhamasukhāya vedanāya kiṃ anusayo anusetī’’ti?
“What underlying tendency underlies pleasant sensation? What underlying tendency underlies painful sensation? What underlying tendency underlies neither-painful-nor-pleasant neutral sensation?”
‘‘Sukhāya kho, āvuso visākha, vedanāya rāgānusayo anuseti, dukkhāya vedanāya paṭighānusayo anuseti, adukkhamasukhāya vedanāya avijjānusayo anusetī’’ti.
“Friend Visākha, the underlying tendency to lust underlies pleasant sensation. The underlying tendency to aversion underlies painful sensation. The underlying tendency to ignorance underlies neither-painful-nor pleasant, neutral sensation.”
Visākha further asks:
‘‘Sukhāya panāyye, vedanāya kiṃ pahātabbaṃ, dukkhāya vedanāya kiṃ pahātabbaṃ, adukkhamasukhāya vedanāya kiṃ pahātabba’’ti?
“What should be abandoned in regard to pleasant sensation? What should be abandoned in regard to painful sensation? What should be abandoned in regard to neither-painful-nor-pleasant, neutral sensation?”
Sukhāya kho, āvuso visākha, vedanāya rāgānusayo pahātabbo, dukkhāya vedanāya paṭighānusayo pahātabbo, adukkhamasukhāya vedanāya avijjānusayo pahātabbo’’ti.
“Friend Visākha, the underlying tendency to lust should be abandoned in regard to pleasant sensation. The underlying tendency to aversion should be abandoned in regard to painful sensation. The underlying tendency to ignorance should be abandoned in regard to neither-painful-nor-pleasant, neutral sensation.”
Thus, observing with full awareness all sensations in their process of arising, staying and passing away, neutrally and without reaction will enable a meditator to comprehend their process. Analogous to that observation without reaction their respective bases –rāgānusayo, paṭighānusayo, avijjānusayo– get eradicated –pahātabbo– and gradually a mediator reaches a successive stage of purification by eliminating these roots of demerit6:
Kathaṃ pana vedanā viditā uppajjanti, viditā abbhatthaṃ7 gacchantīti? Idha bhikkhu vatthuṃ pariggaṇhāti8, ārammaṇaṃ pariggaṇhāti. Tassa pariggahitavatthārammaṇatāya9 tā vedanā ‘‘evaṃ uppajjitvā evaṃ ṭhatvā evaṃ nirujjhantī’’ti viditā uppajjanti, viditā tiṭṭhanti, viditā abbhatthaṃ gacchanti nāma.10
How are sensations known as they arise, how are they known as they vanish? Here a Bhikkhu examines the base and he examines the object. Thus by comprehending the base along with the sensations as object in this way: ‘thus they have arisen, thus they have prevailed and thus they disappear’ they are understood how they arise, how they prevail and how they disappear.
Likewise the concluding verse in the Daṭṭhabbasutta summarizes:
“Yo sukhaṃ dukkhato adda, dukkhamaddakkhi sallato;
Adukkhamasukhaṃ santaṃ, addakkhi naṃ aniccato.
Sa ve sammaddaso bhikkhu, parijānāti vedanā;
So vedanā pariññāya, diṭṭhe dhamme anāsavo.
Kāyassa bhedā dhammaṭṭho, saṅkhyaṃ nopeti vedagū”ti.
“Who perceives the pleasant as unpleasant, unpleasant as a thorn,
And perceives the peaceful state in neutral, neither unpleasant-nor-pleasant as impermanent,
Truly, such a Bhikkhu, having thus fully comprehended sensations,
Will be free from taints in this very life,
And firmly established in Dhamma,
When his life-span comes to end and his body breaks,
He attains a stage beyond all measures.
1. Vicayahāravibhaṅgo, Paṭiniddesavāro, Khuddakanikāye, Nettippakaraṇapāḷi
2. see 3.8.10 Pātālasuttaṃ – How to Endure negative Experiences and realise Proper Comprehension of Dukkha
3. Sagāthāvaggo, Vedanāsaṃyuttaṃ, Saḷāyatanavaggo, Saṃyuttanikāyo
4. For the first part of Vishaka’s question also see previous introduction - 3.8.10 Pātālasuttaṃ – How to Endure negative Experiences and realise Proper Comprehension of Dukkha
5. Cūḷavedallasuttaṃ, Cūḷayamakavaggo, Mūlapaṇṇāsapāḷi, Majjhimanikāyo
6. Samādhibhāvanāsuttavaṇṇanā, Rohitassavaggo, Catukkanipāta-aṭṭhakathā, Aṅguttaranikāye
7. abbhatthaṃ: declining, vanishing
8. pariggaṇhāti, parigaṇhāti: embrace, take hold of, examine, comprehend
9. pariggahitavatthārammaṇatāya: pariggahita + vatthu + arammaṇatāya: seized, taken + base +object
10. Saññāvitakkesupi eseva nayo: - It is the same method with perception and thoughts
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Pāli lesson (with audio) 3.8.11
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