Exploring the Path - Pāli Course

At one time the Bhagavā was staying in the large forest at Vesāli at the Kūṭāgārasālā. There, late afternoon, the Bhagavā arose from his seclusion and approached the sick ward. Having approached there he sat down on a prepared seat. Having seated he addressed the Bhikkhus thus:

“A Bhikkhu, Bhikkhus, should remain with awareness and constant thorough understanding of impermanence and allow the time to ripen. This is my teaching to you!

And how, Bhikkhus, does a Bhikkhu remain aware?

Here, Bhikkhus, a Bhikkhu dwells ardent with awareness and constant thorough understanding of impermanence, observing body in body, having removed craving and aversion towards the world of mind and matter; he dwells ardent with awareness and constant thorough understanding of impermanence, observing sensations in sensations, having removed craving and aversion towards the world of mind and matter; he dwells ardent with awareness and constant thorough understanding of impermanence, observing mind in mind, having removed craving and aversion towards the world of mind and matter; he dwells ardent with awareness and constant thorough understanding of impermanence, observing mental contents in mental contents, having removed craving and aversion towards the world of mind and matter. This, Bhikkhus, is how a Bhikkhu remains with awareness.

And how, Bhikkhus, is a Bhikkhu constantly and thoroughly understanding impermanence?

Here, Bhikkhus, a Bhikkhu, while going forward or backward, he does so with constant thorough understanding of impermanence, whether he is looking straight ahead or looking sideways, he does so with constant thorough understanding of impermanence; while he is bending or stretching, he does so with constant thorough understanding of impermanence; whether wearing his robes or carrying his bowl, he does so with constant thorough understanding of impermanence; whether he is eating, drinking, chewing or savouring, he does so with constant thorough understanding of impermanence; while attending to the calls of nature, he does so with constant thorough understanding of impermanence; whether he is walking, standing, sitting, sleeping or waking, speaking or in silence, he does so with constant thorough understanding of impermanence. This is, Bhikkhus, how a Bhikkhu is constantly and thoroughly understanding impermanence.

Bhikkhus, a Bhikkhu should remain with awareness and constant thorough understanding of impermanence and allow the time to ripen. This is my teaching to you!

If, Bhikkhus, a Bhikkhu is thus aware and with constant thorough understanding of impermanence, ardent, earnest and determined, and a pleasant sensation arises in him, he understands: ‘Now a pleasant sensation has arisen in me. It is conditioned, not unconditioned. How is it conditioned?

It is dependent on contact.

But truly this contact is impermanent, compounded, dependently arisen. But if this pleasant sensation that has arisen is dependent on contact which is impermanent, compounded and dependently arisen; how could such a pleasant sensation be permanent?’

In regard to both contact and pleasant sensation he dwells observing impermanence, dwells observing the passing away, dwells contemplating dispassion, he dwells contemplating elimination and dwells contemplating rejection.

And in him who dwells thus, observing impermanence in regard to both contact and pleasant sensation, dwells observing the passing away, dwells contemplating dispassion, he dwells contemplating elimination and dwells contemplating rejection the underlying tendency to craving in regard to body and pleasant sensation vanishes.

If, Bhikkhus, a Bhikkhu is thus aware and with constant thorough understanding of impermanence, ardent, earnest and determined, and an unpleasant sensation arises in him, he understands: ‘Now an unpleasant sensation has arisen in me. It is conditioned, not unconditioned. How is it conditioned?

It is dependent on contact.

But truly this contact is impermanent, compounded, dependently arisen. But if this unpleasant sensation that has arisen is dependent on contact which is impermanent, compounded and dependently arisen; how could such an unpleasant sensation be permanent?’

In regard to both, body and unpleasant sensation he dwells observing impermanence, dwells observing the passing away, dwells contemplating dispassion, he dwells contemplating elimination and dwells contemplating rejection.

And in him who dwells thus, observing impermanence in regard to both, contact and unpleasant sensation, observing the passing away, dwells contemplating dispassion, dwells contemplating elimination and dwells contemplating rejection the underlying tendency to aversion in regard to contact and unpleasant sensation vanishes.

If, Bhikkhus, a Bhikkhu is thus aware and with constant thorough understanding of impermanence, ardent, earnest and determined, and a neutral, neither pleasant nor unpleasant sensation arises in him, he understands: ‘Now a neutral, neither pleasant nor unpleasant sensation has arisen in me. It is conditioned, not unconditioned. How is it conditioned?

It is dependent on contact.

But truly this contact is impermanent, compounded, dependently arisen. But if this neutral, neither pleasant nor unpleasant sensation that has arisen is dependent on contact which is impermanent, compounded and dependently arisen; how could such a neutral, neither pleasant nor unpleasant sensation be permanent?’

In regard to both, contact and neutral, neither pleasant nor unpleasant sensation he dwells observing impermanence, dwells observing the passing away, dwells contemplating dispassion, he dwells contemplating elimination and dwells contemplating rejection. And in him who thus dwells, the underlying tendency to ignorance in regard to both, contact and neutral, neither pleasant nor unpleasant sensation vanishes.

If he experiences a pleasant sensation, he understands properly: “It is impermanent!”; he understands properly: “It should not be clung to!” and he understands properly: “It should not be relished!” If he experiences an unpleasant sensation, he understands properly: “It is impermanent!”; he understands properly: “It should not be clung to!” and he understands properly: “It should not be relished!” If he experiences a neutral sensation, he understands properly: “It is impermanent!” he understands properly: “It should not be clung to!” and he understands properly: “It should not be relished!”

If he experiences a pleasant sensation, he feels it as one unfettered by it. If he experiences a unpleasant sensation, he feels it as one unfettered by it. If he experiences a neutral, neither pleasant nor unpleasant sensation, he feels it as one unfettered by it.

When experiencing a sensation that is endangering the body, he understands properly: “I am experiencing a sensation that is endangering the body.” When experiencing a sensation that is jeopardizing life, he understands properly: “I am experiencing a sensation that is jeopardizing life!”

And he understands properly: “At the dissolution of the body, at the termination of life, all these sensations if unrelished will become finally tranquil, even right here.”

Bhikkhus, just like a lamp that burns by means of oil and wick and that oil and wick come to an end, the flame will be extinguished through lack of nourishment, in the same very way, Bhikkhus, a Bhikkhus understands properly: When experiencing a sensation that is endangering the body, he understands properly: “I am experiencing a sensation that is endangering the body.” When experiencing a sensation that is jeopardizing life, he understands properly: “I am experiencing a sensation that is jeopardizing life!”

And he understands properly: “At the dissolution of the body based on the termination of life, all these sensations if unrelished will become finally tranquil, even right here.”

^*Dutiyagelaññasuttaṃ: Dutiya + gelañña + suttaṃ — second + sickness + sutta