雜阿含經 32: 38 (32). Śroṇa (3)
The Connected Discourses (selected sūtras) 32
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38 (32). Śroṇa (3)
32.p1
Thus I have heard: The Buddha was staying at the Squirrels’ Bamboo Grove of Rājagṛha. Venerable Śāriputra was on Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa at the time.
32.p2
There was then a prominent man’s son named Śroṇa who went for walks every day. When he arrived at Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa, Śroṇa visited Venerable Śāriputra there, bowing at his feet and withdrawing to sit to one side.
32.p3
Śāriputra addressed Śroṇa, “Suppose ascetics or brahmins don’t truly know form, don’t truly know the formation of form, don’t truly know the cessation of form, don’t truly know the enjoyment of form, don’t truly know the trouble of form, and don’t truly know the escape from form. [Śroṇa, you should know that these ascetics or brahmins] aren’t capable of going beyond form. Suppose ascetics or brahmins don’t truly know feeling … conception … volition … awareness, don’t truly know the formation of awareness, don’t truly know the cessation of awareness, don’t truly know the enjoyment of awareness, don’t truly know the trouble of awareness, and don’t truly know the escape from awareness. These ascetics or brahmins aren’t capable of going beyond awareness.
32.p4
“Suppose ascetics or brahmins do truly know form … the formation of form … the cessation of form … the enjoyment of form … the trouble of form … the escape from form. These ascetics or brahmins are capable of going beyond form. Suppose ascetics or brahmins do truly know feeling … conception … volition … awareness … the formation of awareness … the cessation of awareness … the enjoyment of awareness … the trouble of awareness … the escape from awareness. These ascetics or brahmins are capable of going beyond awareness.
32.p5
“Śroṇa, what do you think? Is form permanent or impermanent?”
32.p6
He replied, “Impermanent.”
32.p7
“If something is impermanent, is that painful?”
32.p8
He replied, “It’s painful.”
32.p9
“Śroṇa, if form is impermanent and painful, it’s subject to change. Could a noble disciple rather that be self, different from self, or that either is present in the other?”
32.p10
He replied, “No.”
32.p11
“Śroṇa what do you think? Is feeling … conception … volition … awareness permanent or impermanent?”
32.p12
He replied, “Impermanent.”
32.p13
“If something is impermanent, is it painful?”
32.p14
He replied, “It’s painful.”
32.p15
“Śroṇa, if [awareness] is impermanent and painful, it’s subject to change. Could a noble disciple rather that be self, different from self, or that either is present in the other?”
32.p16
He replied, “No.”
32.p17
“Śroṇa, you should know that whatever forms there are, whether past, future, or present, internal or external, crude or fine, beautiful or ugly, or distant or near, all those forms are not self, not different from self, and neither is present in the other. This is called truly knowing them.
32.p18
“Śroṇa, whatever feelings … conceptions … volitions … instances of awareness there are, whether past, future, or present, internal or external, crude or fine, beautiful or ugly, or distant or near, all those instances of awareness are not self, not different from self, and neither is present in the other. This is called truly knowing them.
32.p19
“Śroṇa, a noble disciple correctly observes these five acquired aggregates as not self and not belonging to self. Correctly observing them in this way, they gather nothing from the world. Someone who gathers nothing isn’t attached to anything. Someone who isn’t attached to anything attains nirvāṇa themselves: ‘My births have been ended, the religious practice has been established, and the task has been accomplished.’ They themselves know they won’t be subject to another existence.”
32.p20
When Śroṇa heard what Śāriputra taught, he rejoiced and celebrated. He then bowed and departed.
32.p21
End of Fascicle 1 of the Related Discourses
Linked texts (1)
- 雜阿含經 — Classical Chinese