1So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Vesālī, at the Great Wood, in the hall with the peaked roof.

Then Mahāli the Licchavi went up to the Buddha … and said to him:

2“Sir, Pūraṇa Kassapa says this: ‘There is no cause or condition for the corruption of sentient beings. Sentient beings are corrupted without cause or reason. There’s no cause or condition for the purification of sentient beings. Sentient beings are purified without cause or reason.’ What does the Buddha say about this?”

3“Mahāli, there is a cause and condition for the corruption of sentient beings. Sentient beings are corrupted with cause and reason. There is a cause and condition for the purification of sentient beings. Sentient beings are purified with cause and reason.”

4“But sir, what is the cause and condition for the corruption of sentient beings? How are sentient beings corrupted with cause and reason?”

5“Mahāli, if form were exclusively painful—soaked and steeped in pain and not steeped in pleasure—sentient beings wouldn’t lust after it. But because form is pleasurable—soaked and steeped in pleasure and not steeped in pain—sentient beings do lust after it. Since they lust after it, they’re caught up in it, and so they become corrupted. This is a cause and condition for the corruption of sentient beings. This is how sentient beings are corrupted with cause and reason.

6If feeling …

7perception …

choices …

8consciousness were exclusively painful—soaked and steeped in pain and not steeped in pleasure—sentient beings wouldn’t lust after it. But because consciousness is pleasurable—soaked and steeped in pleasure and not steeped in pain—sentient beings do lust after it. Since they lust after it, they’re caught up in it, and so they become corrupted. This is a cause and condition for the corruption of sentient beings. This is how sentient beings are corrupted with cause and reason.”

9“But sir, what is the cause and condition for the purification of sentient beings? How are sentient beings purified with cause and reason?”

“Mahāli, if form were exclusively pleasurable—soaked and steeped in pleasure and not steeped in pain—sentient beings wouldn’t grow disillusioned with it. But because form is painful—soaked and steeped in pain and not steeped in pleasure—sentient beings do grow disillusioned with it. Being disillusioned, desire fades away. When desire fades away they are purified. This is a cause and condition for the purification of sentient beings. This is how sentient beings are purified with cause and reason.

10If feeling …

perception …

choices …

consciousness were exclusively pleasurable—soaked and steeped in pleasure and not steeped in pain—sentient beings wouldn’t grow disillusioned with it. But because consciousness is painful—soaked and steeped in pain and not steeped in pleasure—sentient beings do grow disillusioned with it. Being disillusioned, desire fades away. When desire fades away they are purified. This is a cause and condition for the purification of sentient beings. This is how sentient beings are purified with cause and reason.”

1Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā vesāliyaṁ vihārati mahāvane kūṭāgārasālāyaṁ.

Atha kho mahāli licchavi yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami … pe … ekamantaṁ nisinno kho mahāli licchavi bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: 

2"Pūraṇo, bhante, kassapo evamāha: ‘Natthi hetu natthi paccayo sattānaṁ saṅkilesāya; ahetū appaccayā sattā saṅkilissanti. Natthi hetu natthi paccayo sattānaṁ visuddhiyā; ahetū appaccayā sattā visujjhantī’ti. Idha bhagavā kimāhā"ti?

3"Atthi, mahāli, hetu atthi paccayo sattānaṁ saṅkilesāya; sahetū sappaccayā sattā saṅkilissanti. Atthi, mahāli, hetu, atthi paccayo sattānaṁ visuddhiyā; sahetū sappaccayā sattā visujjhantī"ti.

4"Katamo pana, bhante, hetu katamo paccayo sattānaṁ saṅkilesāya; kathaṁ sahetū sappaccayā sattā saṅkilissantī"ti?

5"Rūpañca hidaṁ, mahāli, ekantadukkhaṁ abhavissa dukkhānupatitaṁ dukkhāvakkantaṁ anavakkantaṁ sukhena, nayidaṁ sattā rūpasmiṁ sārajjeyyuṁ. Yasmā ca kho, mahāli, rūpaṁ sukhaṁ sukhānupatitaṁ sukhāvakkantaṁ anavakkantaṁ dukkhena, tasmā sattā rūpasmiṁ sārajjanti; sārāgā saṁyujjanti; saṁyogā saṅkilissanti. Ayaṁ kho, mahāli, hetu, ayaṁ paccayo sattānaṁ saṅkilesāya; evaṁ sahetū sappaccayā sattā saṅkilissanti.

6Vedanā ca hidaṁ, mahāli, ekantadukkhā abhavissa dukkhānupatitā dukkhāvakkantā anavakkantā sukhena, nayidaṁ sattā vedanāya sārajjeyyuṁ. Yasmā ca kho, mahāli, vedanā sukhā sukhānupatitā sukhāvakkantā anavakkantā dukkhena, tasmā sattā vedanāya sārajjanti; sārāgā saṁyujjanti; saṁyogā saṅkilissanti. Ayampi kho, mahāli, hetu, ayaṁ paccayo sattānaṁ saṅkilesāya. Evampi sahetū sappaccayā sattā saṅkilissanti.

7Saññā ca hidaṁ, mahāli … pe …

saṅkhārā ca hidaṁ, mahāli, ekantadukkhā abhavissaṁsu dukkhānupatitā dukkhāvakkantā anavakkantā sukhena, nayidaṁ sattā saṅkhāresu sārajjeyyuṁ. Yasmā ca kho, mahāli, saṅkhārā sukhā sukhānupatitā sukhāvakkantā anavakkantā dukkhena, tasmā sattā saṅkhāresu sārajjanti; sārāgā saṁyujjanti; saṁyogā saṅkilissanti. Ayampi kho, mahāli, hetu, ayaṁ paccayo sattānaṁ saṅkilesāya. Evampi sahetū sappaccayā sattā saṅkilissanti.

8Viññāṇañca hidaṁ, mahāli, ekantadukkhaṁ abhavissa dukkhānupatitaṁ dukkhāvakkantaṁ anavakkantaṁ sukhena, nayidaṁ sattā viññāṇasmiṁ sārajjeyyuṁ. Yasmā ca kho, mahāli, viññāṇaṁ sukhaṁ sukhānupatitaṁ sukhāvakkantaṁ anavakkantaṁ dukkhena, tasmā sattā viññāṇasmiṁ sārajjanti; sārāgā saṁyujjanti; saṁyogā saṅkilissanti. Ayampi kho, mahāli, hetu ayaṁ paccayo sattānaṁ saṅkilesāya. Evampi sahetū sappaccayā sattā saṅkilissantī"ti.

9"Katamo pana, bhante, hetu katamo paccayo sattānaṁ visuddhiyā; kathaṁ sahetū sappaccayā sattā visujjhantī"ti?

"Rūpañca hidaṁ, mahāli, ekantasukhaṁ abhavissa sukhānupatitaṁ sukhāvakkantaṁ anavakkantaṁ dukkhena, nayidaṁ sattā rūpasmiṁ nibbindeyyuṁ. Yasmā ca kho, mahāli, rūpaṁ dukkhaṁ dukkhānupatitaṁ dukkhāvakkantaṁ anavakkantaṁ sukhena, tasmā sattā rūpasmiṁ nibbindanti; nibbindaṁ virajjanti; virāgā visujjhanti. Ayaṁ kho, mahāli, hetu, ayaṁ paccayo, sattānaṁ visuddhiyā. Evaṁ sahetū sappaccayā sattā visujjhanti.

10Vedanā ca hidaṁ, mahāli, ekantasukhā abhavissa … pe …

saññā ca hidaṁ, mahāli … pe …

saṅkhārā ca hidaṁ, mahāli, ekantasukhā abhavissaṁsu … pe …

viññāṇañca hidaṁ, mahāli, ekantasukhaṁ abhavissa sukhānupatitaṁ sukhāvakkantaṁ anavakkantaṁ dukkhena, nayidaṁ sattā viññāṇasmiṁ nibbindeyyuṁ. Yasmā ca kho, mahāli, viññāṇaṁ dukkhaṁ dukkhānupatitaṁ dukkhāvakkantaṁ anavakkantaṁ sukhena, tasmā sattā viññāṇasmiṁ nibbindanti; nibbindaṁ virajjanti; virāgā visujjhanti. Ayaṁ kho, mahāli, hetu, ayaṁ paccayo, sattānaṁ visuddhiyā. Evampi sahetū sappaccayā sattā visujjhantī"ti.

Aṭṭhamaṁ.