“Monks, if there were not this allure to the eye, beings would not become impassioned with the eye. But because there is an allure to the eye, beings become impassioned with the eye.
“If there were not these drawbacks to the eye, beings would not become disenchanted with the eye. But because there are drawbacks to the eye, beings become disenchanted with the eye.
“If there were not this escape from the eye, beings would not escape from the eye. But because there is an escape from the eye, beings escape from the eye.
“If there were not this allure to the ear…
“If there were not this allure to the nose…
“If there were not this allure to the tongue…
“If there were not this allure to the body…
“If there were not this allure to the intellect, beings would not become impassioned with the intellect. But because there is an allure to the intellect, beings become impassioned with the intellect.
“If there were not these drawbacks to the intellect, beings would not become disenchanted with the intellect. But because there are drawbacks to the intellect, beings become disenchanted with the intellect.
“If there were not this escape from the intellect, beings would not escape from the intellect. But because there is an escape from the intellect, beings escape from the intellect.
“And, monks, as long as beings don’t know as it has come to be—with regard to these six internal sense media—the allure as the allure, the drawbacks as the drawbacks, and the escape as the escape, they have not escaped from this cosmos with its devas, Māras, & Brahmās, this generation with its contemplatives & brahmans, its royalty & commonfolk, nor do they dwell disjoined from it, released from it, with unrestricted awareness.
“But when beings know as it has come to be—with regard to these six internal sense media—the allure as the allure, the drawbacks as the drawbacks, and the escape as the escape, they have escaped from this cosmos with its devas, Māras, & Brahmās, this generation with its contemplatives & brahmans, its royalty & commonfolk, and they dwell disjoined from it, released from it, with unrestricted awareness.”
Origin URL: https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/SN/SN35_17.html