The History of Buddhist Thought c16.37

c16.37

There is a sutta called the Burden-sutta (Saṃy., iii, 25) which has been held to support the doctrine. “The burden, O monks, I will teach you, the taking of the burden, the grasping of the burden, and the laying down of the burden.” It is then explained that the five khandhas are the load. “The burden-taking is the individual; any elder of such a name and such a clan.” The grasping of the burden is “that craving which tends to re-birth, accompanied by delight and passion, taking delight here and there, namely the craving for sensual pleasure, for existence, for non-existence”. The laying down of the burden is the cessation of craving without a trace, its relinquishment, and release. Then follow two stanzas which are the real sutta, for the preceding prose is only a comment on it :