Atha kho āyasmā upavāṇo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami …pe… Then Venerable Upavāna went up to the Buddha … ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā upavāṇo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: and said to him:
“‘sandiṭṭhiko dhammo, sandiṭṭhiko dhammo’ti, bhante, vuccati. “Bhante, it is said that the Dhamma is presently evident. Kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, sandiṭṭhiko dhammo hoti, akāliko ehipassiko opaneyyiko paccattaṁ veditabbo viññūhī”ti? In what way is the Dhamma presently evident, not involving time, verifiable, and goading-on, to be experienced by sensible people for themselves?”
“Idha pana, upavāṇa, bhikkhu cakkhunā rūpaṁ disvā rūpappaṭisaṁvedī ca hoti rūparāgappaṭisaṁvedī ca. “Upavāna, take a bhikkhu who sees a sight with the eye. He feels both the sight and passion for the sight. Santañca ajjhattaṁ rūpesu rāgaṁ ‘atthi me ajjhattaṁ rūpesu rāgo’ti pajānāti. There being passion for sights internally, he understands: ‘There is passion for sights internally for me’. Yaṁ taṁ, upavāṇa, bhikkhu cakkhunā rūpaṁ disvā rūpappaṭisaṁvedī ca hoti rūparāgappaṭisaṁvedī ca. This is how Santañca ajjhattaṁ rūpesu rāgaṁ ‘atthi me ajjhattaṁ rūpesu rāgo’ti pajānāti. Evampi kho, upavāṇa, sandiṭṭhiko dhammo hoti akāliko ehipassiko opaneyyiko paccattaṁ veditabbo viññūhi …pe…. the Dhamma is presently evident, not involving time, verifiable, and goading-on, to be experienced by sensible people for themselves.
Puna caparaṁ, upavāṇa, bhikkhu jivhāya rasaṁ sāyitvā rasappaṭisaṁvedī ca hoti rasarāgappaṭisaṁvedī ca. Take a bhikkhu who hears … smells … tastes … touches … Santañca ajjhattaṁ rasesu rāgaṁ ‘atthi me ajjhattaṁ rasesu rāgo’ti pajānāti. Yaṁ taṁ, upavāṇa, bhikkhu jivhāya rasaṁ sāyitvā rasappaṭisaṁvedī ca hoti rasarāgappaṭisaṁvedī ca. Santañca ajjhattaṁ rasesu rāgaṁ ‘atthi me ajjhattaṁ rasesu rāgo’ti pajānāti. Evampi kho, upavāṇa, sandiṭṭhiko dhammo hoti akāliko ehipassiko opaneyyiko paccattaṁ veditabbo viññūhi …pe….
Puna caparaṁ, upavāṇa, bhikkhu manasā dhammaṁ viññāya dhammappaṭisaṁvedī ca hoti dhammarāgappaṭisaṁvedī ca. Take a bhikkhu who cognizes a phenomenon with the mental faculty. He feels both the phenomenon and passion for the phenomenon. Santañca ajjhattaṁ dhammesu rāgaṁ ‘atthi me ajjhattaṁ dhammesu rāgo’ti pajānāti. There being passion for phenomena internally, he understands: ‘There is passion for phenomena internally for me’. Yaṁ taṁ, upavāṇa, bhikkhu manasā dhammaṁ viññāya dhammappaṭisaṁvedī ca hoti dhammarāgappaṭisaṁvedī ca. This is how Santañca ajjhattaṁ dhammesu rāgaṁ ‘atthi me ajjhattaṁ dhammesu rāgo’ti pajānāti. Evampi kho, upavāṇa, sandiṭṭhiko dhammo hoti …pe… paccattaṁ veditabbo viññūhi …pe…. the Dhamma is presently evident, not involving time, verifiable, and goading-on, to be experienced by sensible people for themselves.
Idha pana, upavāṇa, bhikkhu cakkhunā rūpaṁ disvā rūpappaṭisaṁvedī ca hoti, no ca rūparāgappaṭisaṁvedī. Now, take a bhikkhu who sees a sight with the eye. He feels the sight, but no passion for the sight. *Passion and any other defilement cannot be “in” the perceptions and feelings associated with sense objects. It is rather an intentional attitude superimposed over them: a vague *impulse towards action*, either by body, speech, or thought, simultaneous to feelings and perceptions. Asantañca ajjhattaṁ rūpesu rāgaṁ ‘natthi me ajjhattaṁ rūpesu rāgo’ti pajānāti. There being no passion for sights internally, he understands: ‘There is no passion for sights internally for me’. *“Internally” there is no passion even when intense feelings arise in relation to sights if there is no inclination to act. See AN 6.55 and SN 35.228. In this sense, one's own feelings and moods are seen as “external”, no matter how intimate and personal they feel. Hence the destruction of the defilements [hinges solely on the presence of understanding](https://suttas.hillsidehermitage.org/?q=sn22.81), as ignorance is the fundamental root of all, and has nothing to do with the content of experience. Yaṁ taṁ, upavāṇa, bhikkhu cakkhunā rūpaṁ disvā rūpappaṭisaṁvedīhi kho hoti, no ca rūparāgappaṭisaṁvedī. This is how Asantañca ajjhattaṁ rūpesu rāgaṁ ‘natthi me ajjhattaṁ rūpesu rāgo’ti pajānāti. Evampi kho, upavāṇa, sandiṭṭhiko dhammo hoti, akāliko ehipassiko opaneyyiko paccattaṁ veditabbo viññūhi …pe…. the Dhamma is presently evident, not involving time, verifiable, and goading-on, to be experienced by sensible people for themselves.
Puna caparaṁ, upavāṇa, bhikkhu jivhāya rasaṁ sāyitvā rasappaṭisaṁvedīhi kho hoti, no ca rasarāgappaṭisaṁvedī. Asantañca ajjhattaṁ rasesu rāgaṁ ‘natthi me ajjhattaṁ rasesu rāgo’ti pajānāti …pe…. Take a bhikkhu who hears … smells … tastes … touches …
Puna caparaṁ, upavāṇa, bhikkhu manasā dhammaṁ viññāya dhammappaṭisaṁvedīhi kho hoti, no ca dhammarāgappaṭisaṁvedī. Asantañca ajjhattaṁ dhammesu rāgaṁ ‘natthi me ajjhattaṁ dhammesu rāgo’ti pajānāti. Yaṁ taṁ, upavāṇa, bhikkhu manasā dhammaṁ viññāya dhammappaṭisaṁvedīhi kho hoti, no ca dhammarāgappaṭisaṁvedī. Take a bhikkhu who cognizes a phenomenon with the mental faculty. He feels the phenomenon, but no passion for the phenomenon. Asantañca ajjhattaṁ dhammesu rāgaṁ ‘natthi me ajjhattaṁ dhammesu rāgo’ti pajānāti. There being no passion for phenomena internally, he understands: ‘There is no passion for phenomena internally for me’. Evampi kho, upavāṇa, sandiṭṭhiko dhammo hoti, akāliko ehipassiko opaneyyiko paccattaṁ veditabbo viññūhī”ti. This is how, Upavāna, the Dhamma is presently evident, not involving time, verifiable, and goading-on, to be experienced by sensible people for themselves.
Aṭṭhamaṁ.
Origin URL: https://suttas.hillsidehermitage.org/?q=sn35.70