SN35_70: Upavāṇasandiṭṭhikasutta

Upavāṇasandiṭṭhikasutta - translated by Bhikkhu Bodhi

Then the Venerable Upavaṇa approached the Blessed One … and said to him: “Venerable sir, it is said, ‘the directly visible Dhamma, the directly visible Dhamma.’ In what way, venerable sir, is the Dhamma directly visible, immediate, inviting one to come and see, applicable, to be personally experienced by the wise?”

“Here, Upavaṇa, having seen a form with the eye, a bhikkhu experiences the form as well as lust for the form. He understands that lust for forms exists internally thus: ‘There is in me lust for forms internally.’ Since that is so, Upavaṇa, the Dhamma is directly visible, immediate, inviting one to come and see, applicable, to be personally experienced by the wise. sn.iv.42

“Further, Upavaṇa, having heard a sound with the ear … having cognized a mental phenomenon with the mind, a bhikkhu experiences the mental phenomenon as well as lust for the mental phenomenon. He understands that lust for mental phenomena exists internally thus: ‘There is in me lust for mental phenomena internally.’ Since that is so, Upavaṇa, the Dhamma is directly visible, immediate, inviting one to come and see, applicable, to be personally experienced by the wise.

“But here, Upavaṇa, having seen a form with the eye, a bhikkhu experiences the form without experiencing lust for the form. He understands that lust for forms does not exist internally thus: ‘There is in me no lust for forms internally.’ Since that is so, Upavaṇa, the Dhamma is directly visible, immediate, inviting one to come and see, applicable, to be personally experienced by the wise.

“Further, Upavaṇa, having heard a sound with the ear … sn.iv.43 … having cognized a mental phenomenon with the mind, a bhikkhu experiences the mental phenomenon without experiencing lust for the mental phenomenon. He understands that lust for mental phenomena does not exist internally thus: ‘There is in me no lust for mental phenomena internally.’ Since that is so, Upavaṇa, the Dhamma is directly visible, immediate, inviting one to come and see, applicable, to be personally experienced by the wise.”

© Bhikkhu Bodhi, The Connected Discourses of the Buddha (Wisdom Publications, 2000)

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