Thus I have heard: One time, the Buddha was staying at the Kalandaka Bamboo Grove of Rājagṛha.
It was then that the Bhagavān addressed Rāhula, “How do you know and see [49] this body of awareness … [50] the outer sense fields of forms, sounds, odors, flavors, touches, and ideas … [51] visual awareness … auditory … olfactory … gustatory … somatic … and mental awareness … [52] visual contact … auditory … olfactory … gustatory … somatic … and mental contact … [53] feelings that arise from visual contact … auditory … olfactory … gustatory … somatic … and feelings that arise from mental contact … [54] notions that arise from visual contact … auditory … olfactory … gustatory … somatic … and notions that arise from mental contact … [55] intentions that arise from visual contact … auditory … olfactory … gustatory … somatic … and intentions that arise from mental contact … [56] cravings that arise from visual contact … auditory … olfactory … gustatory … somatic … and cravings that arise from mental contact and all external signs without having any binding attachments to self, what belongs to self, and the tendency of self pride?”
Rāhula said to the Buddha, “The Bhagavān is the Dharma root, the Dharma eye, and the Dharma basis. It would be good, Bhagavān, if you would give a detailed discourse on this subject for the monks! After they hear it, the monks will accept and approve of it.”
The Buddha told Rāhula, “Good! Listen closely; I will explain it for you. Whether they are past, future, or present, internal or external, crude or fine, beautiful or ugly, distant or near, whatever eyes that exist and so on are all not self, not different than self, and neither are present in the other when truly and correctly observed. Rāhula, the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind and so on are likewise.
“Rāhula, when you know and see this conscious body and so on and all external signs in this way, binding attachments to self, what belongs to self, and the tendency of self pride won’t arise. Rāhula, such a monk goes beyond both [of these internal and external signs]. Being free of these signs, he is tranquil and liberated. Rāhula, such a monk eliminates the craving of desires, turns away from the bonds, and reaches the final end of suffering.”
After the Buddha spoke this sūtra, the monks who heard what the Buddha taught rejoiced and approved.
As with the inner senses, the outer senses … up to … cravings that arise from mental contact are also thus explained in full.