22.95. Bọt Nước

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā ayujjhāyaṁ viharati gaṅgāya nadiyā tīre.

Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:

“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, ayaṁ gaṅgā nadī mahantaṁ pheṇapiṇḍaṁ āvaheyya. Tamenaṁ cakkhumā puriso passeyya nijjhāyeyya yoniso upaparikkheyya. Tassa taṁ passato nijjhāyato yoniso upaparikkhato rittakaññeva khāyeyya, tucchakaññeva khāyeyya, asārakaññeva khāyeyya. Kiñhi siyā, bhikkhave, pheṇapiṇḍe sāro?

Evameva kho, bhikkhave, yaṁ kiñci rūpaṁ atītānāgatapaccuppannaṁ …pe… yaṁ dūre santike vā taṁ bhikkhu passati nijjhāyati yoniso upaparikkhati. Tassa taṁ passato nijjhāyato yoniso upaparikkhato rittakaññeva khāyati, tucchakaññeva khāyati, asārakaññeva khāyati. Kiñhi siyā, bhikkhave, rūpe sāro?

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, saradasamaye thullaphusitake deve vassante udake udakapubbuḷaṁ uppajjati ceva nirujjhati ca. Tamenaṁ cakkhumā puriso passeyya nijjhāyeyya yoniso upaparikkheyya. Tassa taṁ passato nijjhāyato yoniso upaparikkhato rittakaññeva khāyeyya, tucchakaññeva khāyeyya, asārakaññeva khāyeyya. Kiñhi siyā, bhikkhave, udakapubbuḷe sāro?

Evameva kho, bhikkhave, yā kāci vedanā atītānāgatapaccuppannā …pe… yā dūre santike vā taṁ bhikkhu passati nijjhāyati yoniso upaparikkhati. Tassa taṁ passato nijjhāyato yoniso upaparikkhato rittakaññeva khāyati, tucchakaññeva khāyati, asārakaññeva khāyati. Kiñhi siyā, bhikkhave, vedanāya sāro?

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, gimhānaṁ pacchime māse ṭhite majjhanhike kāle marīcikā phandati. Tamenaṁ cakkhumā puriso passeyya nijjhāyeyya yoniso upaparikkheyya. Tassa taṁ passato nijjhāyato yoniso upaparikkhato rittakaññeva khāyeyya, tucchakaññeva khāyeyya …pe… kiñhi siyā, bhikkhave, marīcikāya sāro?

Evameva kho, bhikkhave, yā kāci saññā …pe….

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, puriso sāratthiko sāragavesī sārapariyesanaṁ caramāno tiṇhaṁ kuṭhāriṁ ādāya vanaṁ paviseyya. So tattha passeyya mahantaṁ kadalikkhandhaṁ ujuṁ navaṁ akukkukajātaṁ. Tamenaṁ mūle chindeyya; mūle chetvā agge chindeyya, agge chetvā pattavaṭṭiṁ vinibbhujeyya. So tassa pattavaṭṭiṁ vinibbhujanto pheggumpi nādhigaccheyya, kuto sāraṁ. Tamenaṁ cakkhumā puriso passeyya nijjhāyeyya yoniso upaparikkheyya. Tassa taṁ passato nijjhāyato yoniso upaparikkhato rittakaññeva khāyeyya, tucchakaññeva khāyeyya, asārakaññeva khāyeyya. Kiñhi siyā, bhikkhave, kadalikkhandhe sāro?

Evameva kho, bhikkhave, ye keci saṅkhārā atītānāgatapaccuppannā …pe… ye dūre santike vā taṁ bhikkhu passati nijjhāyati yoniso upaparikkhati. Tassa taṁ passato nijjhāyato yoniso upaparikkhato rittakaññeva khāyati, tucchakaññeva khāyati, asārakaññeva khāyati. Kiñhi siyā, bhikkhave, saṅkhāresu sāro?

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, māyākāro vā māyākārantevāsī vā catumahāpathe māyaṁ vidaṁseyya. Tamenaṁ cakkhumā puriso passeyya nijjhāyeyya yoniso upaparikkheyya. Tassa taṁ passato nijjhāyato yoniso upaparikkhato rittakaññeva khāyeyya, tucchakaññeva khāyeyya, asārakaññeva khāyeyya. Kiñhi siyā, bhikkhave, māyāya sāro?

Evameva kho, bhikkhave, yaṁ kiñci viññāṇaṁ atītānāgatapaccuppannaṁ …pe… yaṁ dūre santike vā, taṁ bhikkhu passati nijjhāyati yoniso upaparikkhati. Tassa taṁ passato nijjhāyato yoniso upaparikkhato rittakaññeva khāyati, tucchakaññeva khāyati, asārakaññeva khāyati. Kiñhi siyā, bhikkhave, viññāṇe sāro?

Evaṁ passaṁ, bhikkhave, sutavā ariyasāvako rūpasmimpi nibbindati, vedanāyapi … saññāyapi … saṅkhāresupi … viññāṇasmimpi nibbindati.

Nibbindaṁ virajjati; virāgā vimuccati. Vimuttasmiṁ vimuttamiti ñāṇaṁ hoti …pe…

nāparaṁ itthattāyāti pajānāti”.

Idamavoca bhagavā.

Idaṁ vatvāna sugato athāparaṁ etadavoca satthā:

“Pheṇapiṇḍūpamaṁ rūpaṁ,

vedanā bubbuḷūpamā;

Marīcikūpamā saññā,

saṅkhārā kadalūpamā;

Māyūpamañca viññāṇaṁ,

desitādiccabandhunā.

Yathā yathā nijjhāyati,

yoniso upaparikkhati;

Rittakaṁ tucchakaṁ hoti,

yo naṁ passati yoniso.

Imañca kāyaṁ ārabbha,

bhūripaññena desitaṁ;

Pahānaṁ tiṇṇaṁ dhammānaṁ,

rūpaṁ passatha chaḍḍitaṁ.

Āyu usmā ca viññāṇaṁ,

yadā kāyaṁ jahantimaṁ;

Apaviddho tadā seti,

parabhattaṁ acetanaṁ.

Etādisāyaṁ santāno,

māyāyaṁ bālalāpinī;

Vadhako esa akkhāto,

sāro ettha na vijjati.

Evaṁ khandhe avekkheyya,

bhikkhu āraddhavīriyo;

Divā vā yadi vā rattiṁ,

sampajāno paṭissato.

Jaheyya sabbasaṁyogaṁ,

kareyya saraṇattano;

Careyyādittasīsova,

patthayaṁ accutaṁ padan”ti.

Tatiyaṁ.

SC 1On one occasion the Blessed One was living at Ayujjhā, on the bank of the Ganges river. There he addressed the monks:

SC 2“Monks, a large lump of foam could be carried along by the Ganges river. A person with eyesight could see it, consider it, and examine it. By seeing it, considering it, and examining it, that person could determine that it was insubstantial, hollow, and essenceless¹. Monks, what essence can there be in a lump of foam? Monks, in exactly the same way, a monk sees, considers, and examines any physical form – whether past, present, or future, internal or external, coarse or subtle, inferior or superior, far or near. By seeing it, considering it, and examining it, one determines that it is insubstantial, hollow, and essenceless. Monks, what essence can there be in physical forms?

SC 3“Monks, when it is raining in autumn and large raindrops are falling on the water, a water-bubble might arise and vanish. A person with eyesight could see it, consider it, and examine it. By seeing it, considering it, and examining it, that person could determine that it was insubstantial, hollow, and essenceless. Monks, what essence could there be in a water-bubble? Monks, in exactly the same way, a monk sees, considers, and examines any feeling – whether past, present, or future, internal or external, coarse or subtle, inferior or superior, far or near. By seeing it, considering it, and examining it, one determines that it is insubstantial, hollow, and essenceless. Monks, what essence can there be in feelings?

SC 4“Monks, in the last month of summer, a wavering mirage might appear at midday. A person with eyesight could see it, consider it, and examine it. By seeing it, considering it, and examining it, that person could determine that it was insubstantial, hollow, and essenceless. Monks, what essence could there be in a mirage? Monks, in exactly the same way, a monk sees, considers, and examines any perception – whether past, present, or future, internal or external, coarse or subtle, inferior or superior, far or near. By seeing it, considering it, and examining it, one determines that it is insubstantial, hollow, and essenceless. Monks, what essence can there be in perceptions?

SC 5“Monks, a person who needs heartwood², who is seeking heartwood, who is searching for heartwood might take a sharp axe and enter a forest. There he might see a large plantain tree – straight, fresh, and tall. He could cut it down at the base, cut off the crown, and peel off the leaves. While peeling off the leaves he would not even find sapwood, let alone heartwood. A person with eyesight could see it, consider it, and examine it. By seeing it, considering it, and examining it, that person could determine that it was insubstantial, hollow, and essenceless. Monks, what essence could there be in a plantain tree? Monks, in exactly the same way, a monk sees, considers, and examines any mental formation – whether past, present, or future, internal or external, coarse or subtle, inferior or superior, far or near. By seeing it, considering it, and examining it, one determines that it is insubstantial, hollow, and essenceless. Monks, what essence can there be in mental formations?

SC 6“Monks, an illusionist or an apprentice illusionist could display an illusion at a crossroads. A person with eyesight could see it, consider it, and examine it. By seeing it, considering it, and examining it, that person could determine that it was insubstantial, hollow, and essenceless. Monks, what essence could there be in an illusion? Monks, in exactly the same way, a monk sees, considers, and examines any form of consciousness – whether past, present, or future, internal or external, coarse or subtle, inferior or superior, far or near. By seeing it, considering it, and examining it, one determines that it is insubstantial, hollow, and essenceless. Monks, what essence can there be in consciousness?

SC 7“Monks, when a learned disciple of the noble ones sees in this way, he becomes disenchanted with physical form, disenchanted with feeling, disenchanted with perception, disenchanted with mental formations, disenchanted with consciousness. Being disenchanted, he becomes dispassionate; dispassion liberates. When there is liberation, one knows, ‘Liberated.’ One understands, ‘Birth has been eliminated, the spiritual life has been completed, what was to be done has been done, there will be no further existence here.’”

SC 8This is what the Blessed One said. When this was said, the Sublime One, the Teacher, further said this:

SC 9“Form is like a lump of foam, feelings are like water-bubbles,
Perception is like a mirage, mental formations are like plantain-trees,
Consciousness is like an illusion – this is what was said by the Kinsman of the Sun.

SC 10“One who considers in this way and wisely examines,
Sees that it is insubstantial and hollow.

SC 11“Referring to this body, it was taught by the One of Abundant Wisdom,
That when three things are lost, one sees the body abandoned:

SC 12“Vitality, heat, and consciousness: When the body has lost these things,
Then it lies discarded and insentient, food for other beings.

SC 13“This is the continuity – this illusion, which deceives the foolish,
It is called a murderer, and here no essence can be found.

SC 14“Regarding these components in this way, an energetic monk
Is clearly aware and mindful, whether it is day or night.

SC 15“One should abandon all the fetters, and make a refuge for oneself,
Live as though your head is on fire – intent upon the path to the Deathless.”