1At Sāvatthī.

“Mendicants, transmigration has no known beginning. No first point is found of sentient beings roaming and transmigrating, hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving. Suppose a dog on a leash was tethered to a strong post or pillar. Whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, it stays right beside that post or pillar.

In the same way, an uneducated ordinary person regards form like this: ‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self.’ They regard feeling … perception … choices … consciousness like this: ‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self.’ When walking, they walk right beside the five grasping aggregates. When standing … sitting … lying down, they lie down right beside the five grasping aggregates.

So you should regularly check your own mind: ‘For a long time this mind has been corrupted by greed, hate, and delusion.’ Sentient beings are corrupted because the mind is corrupted. Sentient beings are purified because the mind is purified.

2Mendicants, have you seen the picture called ‘Conduct’?”

“Yes, sir.”

“That picture was elaborated by the mind, but the mind is even more elaborate than that.

So you should regularly check your own mind: ‘For a long time this mind has been corrupted by greed, hate, and delusion.’ Sentient beings are corrupted because the mind is corrupted. Sentient beings are purified because the mind is purified.

3I don’t see see any other order of beings as elaborate as the animal realm. The creatures in the animal realm were elaborated by the mind, but the mind is even more elaborate than that.

So you should regularly check your own mind: ‘For a long time this mind has been corrupted by greed, hate, and delusion.’ Sentient beings are corrupted because the mind is corrupted. Sentient beings are purified because the mind is purified.

4Suppose an artist or painter had some dye, red lac, turmeric, indigo, or rose madder. And on a polished plank or a wall or a canvas they’d create the image of a woman or a man, complete in all its various parts.

In the same way, when an uneducated ordinary person creates a future life, all they create is form, feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness.

What do you think, mendicants? Is form permanent or impermanent?”

“Impermanent, sir.”

“Is feeling … perception … choices … consciousness permanent or impermanent?” …

“So you should truly see … Seeing this … They understand: ‘… there is no return to any state of existence.’”

1Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

"Anamataggoyaṁ, bhikkhave, saṁsāro. Pubbā koṭi na paññāyati avijjānīvaraṇānaṁ sattānaṁ taṇhāsaṁyojanānaṁ sandhāvataṁ saṁsarataṁ. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, sā gaddulabaddho daḷhe khīle vā thambhe vā upanibaddho. So gacchati cepi tameva khīlaṁ vā thambhaṁ vā upagacchati; tiṭṭhati cepi tameva khīlaṁ vā thambhaṁ vā upatiṭṭhati; nisīdati cepi tameva khīlaṁ vā thambhaṁ vā upanisīdati; nipajjati cepi tameva khīlaṁ vā thambhaṁ vā upanipajjati.

Evameva kho, bhikkhave, assutavā puthujjano rūpaṁ ‘etaṁ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’ti samanupassati. vedanāṁ … saññaṁ … saṅkhāre … viññāṇaṁ ‘etaṁ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’ti samanupassati. So gacchati cepi ime pañcupādānakkhandhe upagacchati; tiṭṭhati cepi ime pañcupādānakkhandhe upatiṭṭhati; nisīdati cepi ime pañcupādānakkhandhe upanisīdati; nipajjati cepi ime pañcupādānakkhandhe upanipajjati.

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, abhikkhaṇaṁ sakaṁ cittaṁ paccavekkhitabbaṁ: ‘dīgharattamidaṁ cittaṁ saṅkiliṭṭhaṁ rāgena dosena mohenā’ti. Cittasaṅkilesā, bhikkhave, sattā saṅkilissanti; cittavodānā sattā visujjhanti.

2Diṭṭhaṁ vo, bhikkhave, caraṇaṁ nāma cittan"ti?

"Evaṁ, bhante".

"Tampi kho, bhikkhave, caraṇaṁ nāma cittaṁ citteneva cittitaṁ.

Tenapi kho, bhikkhave, caraṇena cittena cittaññeva cittataraṁ. Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, abhikkhaṇaṁ sakaṁ cittaṁ paccavekkhitabbaṁ: ‘dīgharattamidaṁ cittaṁ saṅkiliṭṭhaṁ rāgena dosena mohenā’ti. Cittasaṅkilesā, bhikkhave, sattā saṅkilissanti; cittavodānā sattā visujjhanti.

3Nāhaṁ, bhikkhave, aññaṁ ekanikāyampi samanupassāmi evaṁ cittaṁ. Yathayidaṁ, bhikkhave, tiracchānagatā pāṇā, tepi kho, bhikkhave, tiracchānagatā pāṇā citteneva cittitā, tehipi kho, bhikkhave, tiracchānagatehi pāṇehi cittaññeva cittataraṁ.

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, abhikkhaṇaṁ sakaṁ cittaṁ paccavekkhitabbaṁ: ‘dīgharattamidaṁ cittaṁ saṅkiliṭṭhaṁ rāgena dosena mohenā’ti. Cittasaṅkilesā, bhikkhave, sattā saṅkilissanti; cittavodānā sattā visujjhanti.

4Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, rajako vā cittakārako vā rajanāya vā lākhāya vā haliddiyā vā nīliyā vā mañjiṭṭhāya vā suparimaṭṭhe phalake vā bhittiyā vā dussapaṭṭe vā itthirūpaṁ vā purisarūpaṁ vā abhinimmineyya sabbaṅgapaccangiṁ;

evameva kho, bhikkhave, assutavā puthujjano rūpaññeva abhinibbattento abhinibbatteti, vedanāññeva … pe … saññaññeva … saṅkhāreyeva … viññāṇaññeva abhinibbattento abhinibbatteti.

Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave, rūpaṁ niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā"ti?

"Aniccaṁ, bhante".

"Vedanā … saññā … saṅkhārā … viññāṇaṁ … pe … "tasmātiha, bhikkhave … pe … evaṁ passaṁ … pe …

nāparaṁ itthattāyāti pajānātī"ti.

Aṭṭhamaṁ.