Evaṁ me sutaṁ—So I have heard. ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā ukkaṭṭhāyaṁ viharati subhagavane sālarājamūle. At one time the Buddha was staying near Ukkaṭṭhā, in the Subhaga Forest at the root of a magnificent sal tree. Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: There the Buddha addressed the bhikkhus, “bhikkhavo”ti. “Bhikkhus!”
“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. “Bhante,” they replied. Bhagavā etadavoca: The Buddha said this:
“sabbadhammamūlapariyāyaṁ vo, bhikkhave, desessāmi. “Bhikkhus, I will teach you the explanation of the root of all phenomena. *The“root” being described is not a metaphysical concept, but simply ignorance in its all-pervasiveness. The purpose of the discourse, and the reason for the extensive repetition, is to show that no experience that an ordinary person has will occur apart from the “root” of conceiving. Taṁ suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī”ti. Listen and apply your minds well, I will speak.”
“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. “Yes, Bhante,” they replied. Bhagavā etadavoca: The Buddha said this:
“Idha, bhikkhave, assutavā puthujjano ariyānaṁ adassāvī ariyadhammassa akovido ariyadhamme avinīto, sappurisānaṁ adassāvī sappurisadhammassa akovido sappurisadhamme avinīto—“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. *The “true persons” are the noble individuals, who have understood and acquired the Noble Eightfold Path (SN 45.26, SN 55.5). pathaviṁ pathavito sañjānāti; They perceive earth as earth. *[Perception is Already Ignorant](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZvqDJlxvx) pathaviṁ pathavito saññatvā pathaviṁ maññati, pathaviyā maññati, pathavito maññati, pathaviṁ meti maññati, pathaviṁ abhinandati. Having perceived earth as earth, they conceive in earth, they conceive apart from earth, they conceive ‘earth is mine’, they delight in earth. *“Perceiving”and “conceiving” here do not refer to layering concepts and notions over the “raw” experience. An experience of an “ultimate reality” that is supposedly free from concepts would be affected by the ordinary person’s conceiving just as much as any regular experience. The problem was never the content of experience, and so the solution cannot not lie there either. Taṁ kissa hetu? Why is that? ‘Apariññātaṁ tassā’ti vadāmi. Because they haven’t fully understood it, I say.
Āpaṁ āpato sañjānāti; They perceive water as water. āpaṁ āpato saññatvā āpaṁ maññati, āpasmiṁ maññati, āpato maññati, āpaṁ meti maññati, āpaṁ abhinandati. Having perceived water as water, they conceive water … Taṁ kissa hetu? Why is that? ‘Apariññātaṁ tassā’ti vadāmi. Because they haven’t fully understood it, I say.
Tejaṁ tejato sañjānāti; They perceive fire as fire. tejaṁ tejato saññatvā tejaṁ maññati, tejasmiṁ maññati, tejato maññati, tejaṁ meti maññati, tejaṁ abhinandati. Having perceived fire as fire, they conceive fire … Taṁ kissa hetu? Why is that? ‘Apariññātaṁ tassā’ti vadāmi. Because they haven’t fully understood it, I say.
Vāyaṁ vāyato sañjānāti; They perceive air as air. vāyaṁ vāyato saññatvā vāyaṁ maññati, vāyasmiṁ maññati, vāyato maññati, vāyaṁ meti maññati, vāyaṁ abhinandati. Having perceived air as air, they conceive air … Taṁ kissa hetu? Why is that? ‘Apariññātaṁ tassā’ti vadāmi. Because they haven’t fully understood it, I say.
Bhūte bhūtato sañjānāti; They perceive beings as beings. bhūte bhūtato saññatvā bhūte maññati, bhūtesu maññati, bhūtato maññati, bhūte meti maññati, bhūte abhinandati. Having perceived beings as beings, they conceive beings … Taṁ kissa hetu? Why is that? ‘Apariññātaṁ tassā’ti vadāmi. Because they haven’t fully understood it, I say.
Deve devato sañjānāti; They perceive gods as gods. deve devato saññatvā deve maññati, devesu maññati, devato maññati, deve meti maññati, deve abhinandati. Having perceived gods as gods, they conceive gods … Taṁ kissa hetu? Why is that? ‘Apariññātaṁ tassā’ti vadāmi. Because they haven’t fully understood it, I say.
Pajāpatiṁ pajāpatito sañjānāti; They perceive the Progenitor as the Progenitor. pajāpatiṁ pajāpatito saññatvā pajāpatiṁ maññati, pajāpatismiṁ maññati, pajāpatito maññati, pajāpatiṁ meti maññati, pajāpatiṁ abhinandati. Having perceived the Progenitor as the Progenitor, they conceive the Progenitor … Taṁ kissa hetu? Why is that? ‘Apariññātaṁ tassā’ti vadāmi. Because they haven’t fully understood it, I say.
Brahmaṁ brahmato sañjānāti; They perceive Brahmā as Brahmā. brahmaṁ brahmato saññatvā brahmaṁ maññati, brahmasmiṁ maññati, brahmato maññati, brahmaṁ meti maññati, brahmaṁ abhinandati. Having perceived Brahmā as Brahmā, they conceive Brahmā … Taṁ kissa hetu? Why is that? ‘Apariññātaṁ tassā’ti vadāmi. Because they haven’t fully understood it, I say.
Ābhassare ābhassarato sañjānāti; They perceive those of streaming radiance as those of streaming radiance. ābhassare ābhassarato saññatvā ābhassare maññati, ābhassaresu maññati, ābhassarato maññati, ābhassare meti maññati, ābhassare abhinandati. Having perceived those of streaming radiance as those of streaming radiance, they conceive those of streaming radiance … Taṁ kissa hetu? Why is that? ‘Apariññātaṁ tassā’ti vadāmi. Because they haven’t fully understood it, I say.
Subhakiṇhe subhakiṇhato sañjānāti; They perceive those replete with glory as those replete with glory. subhakiṇhe subhakiṇhato saññatvā subhakiṇhe maññati, subhakiṇhesu maññati, subhakiṇhato maññati, subhakiṇhe meti maññati, subhakiṇhe abhinandati. Having perceived those replete with glory as those replete with glory, they conceive those replete with glory … Taṁ kissa hetu? Why is that? ‘Apariññātaṁ tassā’ti vadāmi. Because they haven’t fully understood it, I say.
Vehapphale vehapphalato sañjānāti; They perceive those of abundant fruit as those of abundant fruit. vehapphale vehapphalato saññatvā vehapphale maññati, vehapphalesu maññati, vehapphalato maññati, vehapphale meti maññati, vehapphale abhinandati. Having perceived those of abundant fruit as those of abundant fruit, they conceive those of abundant fruit … Taṁ kissa hetu? Why is that? ‘Apariññātaṁ tassā’ti vadāmi. Because they haven’t fully understood it, I say.
Abhibhuṁ abhibhuto sañjānāti; They perceive the Conqueror as the Conqueror. abhibhuṁ abhibhuto saññatvā abhibhuṁ maññati, abhibhusmiṁ maññati, abhibhuto maññati, abhibhuṁ meti maññati, abhibhuṁ abhinandati. Having perceived the Conqueror as the Conqueror, they conceive the Conqueror … Taṁ kissa hetu? Why is that? ‘Apariññātaṁ tassā’ti vadāmi. Because they haven’t fully understood it, I say.
Ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ ākāsānañcāyatanato sañjānāti; They perceive the extent of infinite space as the extent of infinite space. ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ ākāsānañcāyatanato saññatvā ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ maññati, ākāsānañcāyatanasmiṁ maññati, ākāsānañcāyatanato maññati, ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ meti maññati, ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ abhinandati. Having perceived the extent of infinite space as the extent of infinite space, they conceive the extent of infinite space … Taṁ kissa hetu? Why is that? ‘Apariññātaṁ tassā’ti vadāmi. Because they haven’t fully understood it, I say.
Viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ viññāṇañcāyatanato sañjānāti; They perceive the extent of infinite consciousness as the extent of infinite consciousness. viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ viññāṇañcāyatanato saññatvā viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ maññati, viññāṇañcāyatanasmiṁ maññati, viññāṇañcāyatanato maññati, viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ meti maññati, viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ abhinandati. Having perceived the extent of infinite consciousness as the extent of infinite consciousness, they conceive the extent of infinite consciousness … Taṁ kissa hetu? Why is that? ‘Apariññātaṁ tassā’ti vadāmi. Because they haven’t fully understood it, I say.
Ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ ākiñcaññāyatanato sañjānāti; They perceive the extent of nothingness as the extent of nothingness. ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ ākiñcaññāyatanato saññatvā ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ maññati, ākiñcaññāyatanasmiṁ maññati, ākiñcaññāyatanato maññati, ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ meti maññati, ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ abhinandati. Having perceived the extent of nothingness as the extent of nothingness, they conceive the extent of nothingness … Taṁ kissa hetu? Why is that? ‘Apariññātaṁ tassā’ti vadāmi. Because they haven’t fully understood it, I say.
Nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ nevasaññānāsaññāyatanato sañjānāti; They perceive the extent of neither-perception-nor-non-perception as the extent of neither-perception-nor-non-perception. nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ nevasaññānāsaññāyatanato saññatvā nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ maññati, nevasaññānāsaññāyatanasmiṁ maññati, nevasaññānāsaññāyatanato maññati, nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ meti maññati, nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ abhinandati. Having perceived the extent of neither-perception-nor-non-perception as the extent of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, they conceive the extent of neither-perception-nor-non-perception … Taṁ kissa hetu? Why is that? ‘Apariññātaṁ tassā’ti vadāmi. Because they haven’t fully understood it, I say.
Diṭṭhaṁ diṭṭhato sañjānāti; They perceive the seen as the seen. diṭṭhaṁ diṭṭhato saññatvā diṭṭhaṁ maññati, diṭṭhasmiṁ maññati, diṭṭhato maññati, diṭṭhaṁ meti maññati, diṭṭhaṁ abhinandati. Having perceived the seen as the seen, they conceive the seen … Taṁ kissa hetu? Why is that? ‘Apariññātaṁ tassā’ti vadāmi. Because they haven’t fully understood it, I say.
Sutaṁ sutato sañjānāti; They perceive the heard as the heard. sutaṁ sutato saññatvā sutaṁ maññati, sutasmiṁ maññati, sutato maññati, sutaṁ meti maññati, sutaṁ abhinandati. Having perceived the heard as the heard, they conceive the heard … Taṁ kissa hetu? Why is that? ‘Apariññātaṁ tassā’ti vadāmi. Because they haven’t fully understood it, I say.
Mutaṁ mutato sañjānāti; They perceive the thought as the thought. mutaṁ mutato saññatvā mutaṁ maññati, mutasmiṁ maññati, mutato maññati, mutaṁ meti maññati, mutaṁ abhinandati. Having perceived the thought as the thought, they conceive the thought … Taṁ kissa hetu? Why is that? ‘Apariññātaṁ tassā’ti vadāmi. Because they haven’t fully understood it, I say.
Viññātaṁ viññātato sañjānāti; They perceive the known as the known. viññātaṁ viññātato saññatvā viññātaṁ maññati, viññātasmiṁ maññati, viññātato maññati, viññātaṁ meti maññati, viññātaṁ abhinandati. Having perceived the known as the known, they conceive the known … Taṁ kissa hetu? Why is that? ‘Apariññātaṁ tassā’ti vadāmi. Because they haven’t fully understood it, I say.
Ekattaṁ ekattato sañjānāti; They perceive unity as unity. ekattaṁ ekattato saññatvā ekattaṁ maññati, ekattasmiṁ maññati, ekattato maññati, ekattaṁ meti maññati, ekattaṁ abhinandati. Having perceived unity as unity, they conceive unity … Taṁ kissa hetu? Why is that? ‘Apariññātaṁ tassā’ti vadāmi. Because they haven’t fully understood it, I say.
Nānattaṁ nānattato sañjānāti; They perceive multiplicity as multiplicity. nānattaṁ nānattato saññatvā nānattaṁ maññati, nānattasmiṁ maññati, nānattato maññati, nānattaṁ meti maññati, nānattaṁ abhinandati. Having perceived multiplicity as multiplicity, they conceive multiplicity … Taṁ kissa hetu? Why is that? ‘Apariññātaṁ tassā’ti vadāmi. Because they haven’t fully understood it, I say.
Sabbaṁ sabbato sañjānāti; They perceive the All as the All. *i.e., anything and everything. The six internal sense bases coupled with their external counterparts constitute everything, or “the All” (SN 35.23). sabbaṁ sabbato saññatvā sabbaṁ maññati, sabbasmiṁ maññati, sabbato maññati, sabbaṁ meti maññati, sabbaṁ abhinandati. Having perceived the All as the All, they conceive the All … Taṁ kissa hetu? Why is that? ‘Apariññātaṁ tassā’ti vadāmi. Because they haven’t fully understood it, I say.
Nibbānaṁ nibbānato sañjānāti; They perceive Nibbāna as Nibbāna. nibbānaṁ nibbānato saññatvā nibbānaṁ maññati, nibbānasmiṁ maññati, nibbānato maññati, nibbānaṁ meti maññati, nibbānaṁ abhinandati. Having perceived Nibbāna as Nibbāna, they conceive Nibbāna, they conceive in Nibbāna, they conceive apart from Nibbāna, they conceive ‘Nibbāna is mine’, they delight in Nibbāna. *Even a so-called “glimpse of Nibbāna”would be contaminated by the very same conceiving. It would arise from the same “root”, as it is simply another perception whose *nature* is not understood, no matter how extraordinary, groundbreaking, or revelatory it appears to be. Taṁ kissa hetu? Why is that? ‘Apariññātaṁ tassā’ti vadāmi. Because they haven’t fully understood it, I say.
Puthujjanavasena paṭhamanayabhūmiparicchedo niṭṭhito.
Yopi so, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sekkho appattamānaso anuttaraṁ yogakkhemaṁ patthayamāno viharati, sopi pathaviṁ pathavito abhijānāti; A bhikkhu who is a trainee, who hasn’t achieved his goal, but lives aspiring to the supreme safety from the yoke, comprehends earth as earth. *A “trainee” is a noble one who is not yet an Arahant (SN 48.53). “Comprehends”(_abhijānāti_) means that the noble disciple rightly knows the entire “scope” of any experience. While for an ordinary person, a tacit taking of some ill-defined part of the picture as their Self always lingers “the knower”, “the doer”, etc.—even if they fully “agree” with the doctrine of _anattā_ and deliberately refrain from labeling anything as “I” or “mine”. A trainee fully understands even that subtle “inner end” that a _puthujjana_ takes as their Self to be equally within the experience of earth, water, etc. If what *would* be taken as self is, instead of being denied, seen to fall squarely within the experience regardless of its vagueness and seeming vastness, then it is impossible to take it as an extra-spatial and extra-temporal master of the same experience. That assumed mastery is what the wrong view of self really boils down to, not to whether that which *can* be taken as the Self/master really exists or not. pathaviṁ pathavito abhiññāya pathaviṁ mā maññi, pathaviyā mā maññi, pathavito mā maññi, pathaviṁ meti mā maññi, pathaviṁ mābhinandi. Having comprehended earth as earth, let him not conceive earth, let him not conceive in earth, let him not conceive apart from earth, let him not conceive ‘earth is mine’, let him not delight in earth. *The trainee, through to their understanding, has the choice to dispel all conceiving. Persevering in that is how they would eventually become fully and irreversibly established in the Deathless. Taṁ kissa hetu? Why is that? ‘Pariññeyyaṁ tassā’ti vadāmi. So that he may completely understand it, I say.
Āpaṁ …pe… He comprehends water … tejaṁ … fire … vāyaṁ … air … bhūte … beings … deve … gods … pajāpatiṁ … the Progenitor … brahmaṁ … Brahmā … ābhassare … those of streaming radiance … subhakiṇhe … those replete with glory … vehapphale … those of abundant fruit … abhibhuṁ … the Conqueror … ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ … the extent of infinite space … viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ … the extent of infinite consciousness … ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ … the extent of nothingness … nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ … the extent of neither-perception-nor-non-perception … diṭṭhaṁ … the seen … sutaṁ … the heard … mutaṁ … the thought … viññātaṁ … the known … ekattaṁ … unity … nānattaṁ … multiplicity … sabbaṁ … the All … nibbānaṁ nibbānato abhijānāti; He comprehends Nibbāna as Nibbāna. nibbānaṁ nibbānato abhiññāya nibbānaṁ mā maññi, nibbānasmiṁ mā maññi, nibbānato mā maññi, nibbānaṁ meti mā maññi, nibbānaṁ mābhinandi. Having comprehended Nibbāna as Nibbāna, let him not conceive Nibbāna, let him not conceive in Nibbāna, let him not conceive apart from Nibbāna, let him not conceive ‘Nibbāna is mine’, let him not delight in Nibbāna. Taṁ kissa hetu? Why is that? ‘Pariññeyyaṁ tassā’ti vadāmi. So that he may completely understand it, I say.
Sekkhavasena dutiyanayabhūmiparicchedo niṭṭhito.
Yopi so, bhikkhave, bhikkhu arahaṁ khīṇāsavo vusitavā katakaraṇīyo ohitabhāro anuppattasadattho parikkhīṇabhavasaṁyojano sammadaññāvimutto, sopi pathaviṁ pathavito abhijānāti; A bhikkhu who is an Arahant—with influxes destroyed, who is consummate, has done what had to be done, laid down the burden, achieved the highest goal, utterly destroyed the fetter of being, and is liberated through the right, ultimate knowledge—comprehends earth as earth. pathaviṁ pathavito abhiññāya pathaviṁ na maññati, pathaviyā na maññati, pathavito na maññati, pathaviṁ meti na maññati, pathaviṁ nābhinandati. Having comprehended earth as earth, he does not conceive earth, he does not conceive in earth, he does not conceive apart from earth, he does not conceive ‘earth is mine’, he does not delight in earth. Taṁ kissa hetu? Why is that? ‘Pariññātaṁ tassā’ti vadāmi. Because he has fully understood it, I say.
Āpaṁ …pe… He comprehends water … tejaṁ … fire … vāyaṁ … air … bhūte … beings … deve … gods … pajāpatiṁ … the Progenitor … brahmaṁ … Brahmā … ābhassare … those of streaming radiance … subhakiṇhe … those replete with glory … vehapphale … those of abundant fruit … abhibhuṁ … the Conqueror … ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ … the extent of infinite space … viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ … the extent of infinite consciousness … ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ … the extent of nothingness … nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ … the extent of neither-perception-nor-non-perception … diṭṭhaṁ … the seen … sutaṁ … the heard … mutaṁ … the thought … viññātaṁ … the known … ekattaṁ … unity … nānattaṁ … multiplicity … sabbaṁ … the All … nibbānaṁ nibbānato abhijānāti; He comprehends Nibbāna as Nibbāna. nibbānaṁ nibbānato abhiññāya nibbānaṁ na maññati, nibbānasmiṁ na maññati, nibbānato na maññati, nibbānaṁ meti na maññati, nibbānaṁ nābhinandati. Having comprehended Nibbāna as Nibbāna, he does not conceive Nibbāna, he does not conceive in Nibbāna, he does not conceive apart from Nibbāna, he does not conceive ‘Nibbāna is mine’, he does not delight in Nibbāna. Taṁ kissa hetu? Why is that? ‘Pariññātaṁ tassā’ti vadāmi. Because he has fully understood it, I say.
Khīṇāsavavasena tatiyanayabhūmiparicchedo niṭṭhito.
Yopi so, bhikkhave, bhikkhu arahaṁ khīṇāsavo vusitavā katakaraṇīyo ohitabhāro anuppattasadattho parikkhīṇabhavasaṁyojano sammadaññā vimutto, sopi pathaviṁ pathavito abhijānāti; A bhikkhu who is an Arahant—with influxes destroyed, who is consummate, has done what had to be done, laid down the burden, achieved the highest goal, utterly destroyed the fetter of being, and is liberated through the right, ultimate knowledge—comprehends earth as earth. pathaviṁ pathavito abhiññāya pathaviṁ na maññati, pathaviyā na maññati, pathavito na maññati, pathaviṁ meti na maññati, pathaviṁ nābhinandati. Having comprehended earth as earth, he does not conceive earth, he does not conceive in earth, he does not conceive apart from earth, he does not conceive ‘earth is mine’, he does not delight in earth. Taṁ kissa hetu? Why is that? Khayā rāgassa, vītarāgattā. Because of the destruction of passion, the absence of passion. *Passion = _rāga_. “Greed” is _lobha_, which is coarser and oriented more towards external things, whereas “lust” has sexual connotations. _Rāga_, on the other hand, is very general, including even the _arūparāga_ still present in a non-returner, who is by definition already free from greed and lust.
Āpaṁ …pe… He comprehends water … tejaṁ … fire … vāyaṁ … air … bhūte … beings … deve … gods … pajāpatiṁ … the Progenitor … brahmaṁ … Brahmā … ābhassare … those of streaming radiance … subhakiṇhe … those replete with glory … vehapphale … those of abundant fruit … abhibhuṁ … the Conqueror … ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ … the extent of infinite space … viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ … the extent of infinite consciousness … ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ … the extent of nothingness … nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ … the extent of neither-perception-nor-non-perception … diṭṭhaṁ … the seen … sutaṁ … the heard … mutaṁ … the thought … viññātaṁ … the known … ekattaṁ … unity … nānattaṁ … multiplicity … sabbaṁ … the All … nibbānaṁ nibbānato abhijānāti; He comprehends Nibbāna as Nibbāna. nibbānaṁ nibbānato abhiññāya nibbānaṁ na maññati, nibbānasmiṁ na maññati, nibbānato na maññati, nibbānaṁ meti na maññati, nibbānaṁ nābhinandati. Having comprehended Nibbāna as Nibbāna, he does not conceive Nibbāna, he does not conceive in Nibbāna, he does not conceive apart from Nibbāna, he does not conceive ‘Nibbāna is mine’, he does not delight in Nibbāna. Taṁ kissa hetu? Why is that? Khayā rāgassa, vītarāgattā. Because of the destruction of passion, the absence of passion.
Khīṇāsavavasena catutthanayabhūmiparicchedo niṭṭhito.
Yopi so, bhikkhave, bhikkhu arahaṁ khīṇāsavo vusitavā katakaraṇīyo ohitabhāro anuppattasadattho parikkhīṇabhavasaṁyojano sammadaññāvimutto, sopi pathaviṁ pathavito abhijānāti; A bhikkhu who is an Arahant—with influxes destroyed, who is consummate, has done what had to be done, laid down the burden, achieved the highest goal, utterly destroyed the fetter of being, and is liberated through the right, ultimate knowledge—comprehends earth as earth. pathaviṁ pathavito abhiññāya pathaviṁ na maññati, pathaviyā na maññati, pathavito na maññati, pathaviṁ meti na maññati, pathaviṁ nābhinandati. Having comprehended earth as earth, he does not conceive earth, he does not conceive in earth, he does not conceive apart from earth, he does not conceive ‘earth is mine’, he does not delight in earth. Taṁ kissa hetu? Why is that? Khayā dosassa, vītadosattā. Because of the destruction of aversion, the absence of aversion.
Āpaṁ …pe… He comprehends water … tejaṁ … fire … vāyaṁ … air … bhūte … beings … deve … gods … pajāpatiṁ … the Progenitor … brahmaṁ … Brahmā … ābhassare … those of streaming radiance … subhakiṇhe … those replete with glory … vehapphale … those of abundant fruit … abhibhuṁ … the Conqueror … ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ … the extent of infinite space … viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ … the extent of infinite consciousness … ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ … the extent of nothingness … nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ … the extent of neither-perception-nor-non-perception … diṭṭhaṁ … the seen … sutaṁ … the heard … mutaṁ … the thought … viññātaṁ … the known … ekattaṁ … unity … nānattaṁ … multiplicity … sabbaṁ … the All … nibbānaṁ nibbānato abhijānāti; He comprehends Nibbāna as Nibbāna. nibbānaṁ nibbānato abhiññāya nibbānaṁ na maññati, nibbānasmiṁ na maññati, nibbānato na maññati, nibbānaṁ meti na maññati, nibbānaṁ nābhinandati. Having comprehended Nibbāna as Nibbāna, he does not conceive Nibbāna, he does not conceive in Nibbāna, he does not conceive apart from Nibbāna, he does not conceive ‘Nibbāna is mine’, he does not delight in Nibbāna. Taṁ kissa hetu? Why is that? Khayā dosassa, vītadosattā. Because of the destruction of aversion, the absence of aversion.
Khīṇāsavavasena pañcamanayabhūmiparicchedo niṭṭhito.
Yopi so, bhikkhave, bhikkhu arahaṁ khīṇāsavo vusitavā katakaraṇīyo ohitabhāro anuppattasadattho parikkhīṇabhavasaṁyojano sammadaññāvimutto, sopi pathaviṁ pathavito abhijānāti; A bhikkhu who is an Arahant—with influxes destroyed, who is consummate, has done what had to be done, laid down the burden, achieved the true goal, utterly destroyed the fetter of being, and is liberated through the right, ultimate knowledge—comprehends earth as earth. pathaviṁ pathavito abhiññāya pathaviṁ na maññati, pathaviyā na maññati, pathavito na maññati, pathaviṁ meti na maññati, pathaviṁ nābhinandati. Having comprehended earth as earth, he does not conceive earth, he does not conceive in earth, he does not conceive apart from earth, he does not conceive ‘earth is mine’, he does not delight in earth. Taṁ kissa hetu? Why is that? Khayā mohassa, vītamohattā. Because of the destruction of muddledness, the absence of muddledness. * “Muddledness” corresponds better to _moha_ than “delusion”, which tends to signify an incorrect belief regarding a specific state of affairs. “Delusion” in the context of Dhamma (meaning crudely wrong beliefs like eternalism) is more of a side effect of the lack of clarity (muddledness) regarding the nature of one’s experience, which is why simply being told the way things truly are and accepting the right views intellectually, thereby ceasing to be “deluded”, is not enough to remove _moha_.
Āpaṁ …pe… He comprehends water… tejaṁ … fire … vāyaṁ … air … bhūte … beings … deve … gods … pajāpatiṁ … the Progenitor … brahmaṁ … Brahmā … ābhassare … those of streaming radiance … subhakiṇhe … those replete with glory … vehapphale … those of abundant fruit … abhibhuṁ … the Conqueror … ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ … the extent of infinite space … viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ … the extent of infinite consciousness … ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ … the extent of nothingness … nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ … the extent of neither-perception-nor-non-perception … diṭṭhaṁ … the seen … sutaṁ … the heard … mutaṁ … the thought … viññātaṁ … the known … ekattaṁ … unity … nānattaṁ … multiplicity … sabbaṁ … the All … nibbānaṁ nibbānato abhijānāti; He comprehends Nibbāna as Nibbāna. nibbānaṁ nibbānato abhiññāya nibbānaṁ na maññati, nibbānasmiṁ na maññati, nibbānato na maññati, nibbānaṁ meti na maññati, nibbānaṁ nābhinandati. Having comprehended Nibbāna as Nibbāna, he does not conceive Nibbāna, he does not conceive in Nibbāna, he does not conceive apart from Nibbāna, he does not conceive ‘Nibbāna is mine’, he does not delight in Nibbāna. Taṁ kissa hetu? Why is that? Khayā mohassa, vītamohattā. Because of the destruction of muddledness, the absence of muddledness.
Khīṇāsavavasena chaṭṭhanayabhūmiparicchedo niṭṭhito.
Tathāgatopi, bhikkhave, arahaṁ sammāsambuddho pathaviṁ pathavito abhijānāti; The Realized One, the Arahant, the fully awakened Buddha, comprehends earth as earth. pathaviṁ pathavito abhiññāya pathaviṁ na maññati, pathaviyā na maññati, pathavito na maññati, pathaviṁ meti na maññati, pathaviṁ nābhinandati. Having comprehended earth as earth, he does not conceive earth, he does not conceive in earth, he does not conceive apart from earth, he does not conceive ‘earth is mine’, he does not delight in earth. Taṁ kissa hetu? Why is that? ‘Pariññātantaṁ tathāgatassā’ti vadāmi. Because the Realized One has fully understood it to the end, I say. *All Arahants fully understand their experience to the extent necessary to be completely free from suffering, but the Buddha understands the nature of things even beyond that point.
Āpaṁ …pe… He comprehends water … tejaṁ … fire … vāyaṁ … air … bhūte … beings … deve … gods … pajāpatiṁ … the Progenitor … brahmaṁ … Brahmā … ābhassare … those of streaming radiance … subhakiṇhe … those replete with glory … vehapphale … those of abundant fruit … abhibhuṁ … the Conqueror … ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ … the extent of infinite space … viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ … the extent of infinite consciousness … ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ … the extent of nothingness … nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ … the extent of neither-perception-nor-non-perception … diṭṭhaṁ … the seen … sutaṁ … the heard … mutaṁ … the thought … viññātaṁ … the known … ekattaṁ … unity … nānattaṁ … multiplicity … sabbaṁ … the All … nibbānaṁ nibbānato abhijānāti; He comprehends Nibbāna as Nibbāna. nibbānaṁ nibbānato abhiññāya nibbānaṁ na maññati, nibbānasmiṁ na maññati, nibbānato na maññati, nibbānaṁ meti na maññati, nibbānaṁ nābhinandati. Having comprehended Nibbāna as Nibbāna, he does not conceive Nibbāna, he does not conceive in Nibbāna, he does not conceive apart from Nibbāna, he does not conceive ‘Nibbāna is mine’, he does not delight in Nibbāna. Taṁ kissa hetu? Why is that? ‘Pariññātantaṁ tathāgatassā’ti vadāmi. Because the Realized One has fully understood it to the end, I say.
Tathāgatavasena sattamanayabhūmiparicchedo niṭṭhito.
Tathāgatopi, bhikkhave, arahaṁ sammāsambuddho pathaviṁ pathavito abhijānāti; The Realized One, the Arahant, the fully awakened Buddha, comprehends earth as earth. pathaviṁ pathavito abhiññāya pathaviṁ na maññati, pathaviyā na maññati, pathavito na maññati, pathaviṁ meti na maññati, pathaviṁ nābhinandati. Having comprehended earth as earth, he does not conceive earth, he does not conceive in earth, he does not conceive apart from earth, he does not conceive ‘earth is mine’, he does not delight in earth. Taṁ kissa hetu? Why is that? ‘Nandī dukkhassa mūlan’ti—Because he has understood that delight is the root of suffering, iti viditvā ‘bhavā jāti bhūtassa jarāmaraṇan’ti. and that with being there is birth; whatever exists gets old and dies. Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, ‘tathāgato sabbaso taṇhānaṁ khayā virāgā nirodhā cāgā paṭinissaggā anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhiṁ abhisambuddho’ti vadāmi. 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.
Āpaṁ …pe… He comprehends water … tejaṁ … fire … vāyaṁ … air … bhūte … beings … deve … gods … pajāpatiṁ … the Progenitor … brahmaṁ … Brahmā … ābhassare … those of streaming radiance … subhakiṇhe … those replete with glory … vehapphale … those of abundant fruit … abhibhuṁ … the Conqueror … ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ … the extent of infinite space … viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ … the extent of infinite consciousness … ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ … the extent of nothingness … nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ … the extent of neither-perception-nor-non-perception … diṭṭhaṁ … the seen … sutaṁ … the heard … mutaṁ … the thought … viññātaṁ … the known … ekattaṁ … unity … nānattaṁ … multiplicity … sabbaṁ … the All … nibbānaṁ nibbānato abhijānāti; He comprehends Nibbāna as Nibbāna. nibbānaṁ nibbānato abhiññāya nibbānaṁ na maññati, nibbānasmiṁ na maññati, nibbānato na maññati, nibbānaṁ meti na maññati, nibbānaṁ nābhinandati. Having comprehended Nibbāna as Nibbāna, he does not conceive Nibbāna, he does not conceive in Nibbāna, he does not conceive apart from Nibbāna, he does not conceive ‘Nibbāna is mine’, he does not delight in Nibbāna. Taṁ kissa hetu? Why is that? ‘Nandī dukkhassa mūlan’ti—Because he has understood that delight is the root of suffering, iti viditvā ‘bhavā jāti bhūtassa jarāmaraṇan’ti. and that with being there is birth; whatever exists gets old and dies. Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, ‘tathāgato sabbaso taṇhānaṁ khayā virāgā nirodhā cāgā paṭinissaggā anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhiṁ abhisambuddho’ti vadāmī”ti. 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.”
Tathāgatavasena aṭṭhamanayabhūmiparicchedo niṭṭhito.
Idamavoca bhagavā. That is what the Buddha said. Na te bhikkhū bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandunti. But the bhikkhus did not delight in what the Buddha said.
Mūlapariyāyasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ paṭhamaṁ.
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