The penetrative exposition of the Dhamma

 Penetrative

“Bhikkhus, I will teach you a penetrative exposition of the Dhamma. Listen and attend closely. I will speak.”

“Yes, Bhante,” those bhikkhus replied. The Blessed One said this:

“And what, bhikkhus, is that penetrative exposition of the Dhamma?

(1) “Sensual pleasures should be understood; the source and origin of sensual pleasures should be understood; the diversity of sensual pleasures should be understood; the result of sensual pleasures should be understood; the cessation of sensual pleasures should be understood; the way leading to the cessation of sensual pleasures should be understood.

(2) “Feelings should be understood; the source and origin of feelings should be understood; the diversity of feelings should be understood; the result of feelings should be understood; the cessation of feelings should be understood; the way leading to the cessation of feelings should be understood.

(3) “Perceptions should be understood; the source and origin of perceptions should be understood; the diversity of perceptions should be understood; the result of perceptions should be understood; the cessation of perceptions should be understood; the way leading to the cessation of perceptions should be understood.

(4) “The taints should be understood; the source and origin of the taints should be understood; the diversity of the taints should be understood; the result of the taints should be understood; the cessation of the taints should be understood; the way leading to the cessation of the taints should be understood. 

(5) “Action should be understood; the source and origin of action should be understood; the diversity of action should be understood; the result of action should be understood; the cessation of action should be understood; the way leading to the cessation of action should be understood.

(6) “Suffering should be understood; the source and origin of suffering should be understood; the diversity of suffering should be understood; the result of suffering should be understood; the cessation of suffering should be understood; the way leading to the cessation of suffering should be understood.

(1) “When it was said: ‘Sensual pleasures should be understood; the source and origin of sensual pleasures should be understood; the diversity of sensual pleasures should be understood; the result of sensual pleasures should be understood; the cessation of sensual pleasures should be understood; the way leading to the cessation of sensual pleasures should be understood,’ for what reason was this said?

“There are, bhikkhus, these five objects of sensual pleasure: forms cognizable by the eye that are wished for, desired, agreeable, pleasing, connected with sensual pleasure, tantalizing; sounds cognizable by the ear … odors cognizable by the nose … tastes cognizable by the tongue … tactile objects cognizable by the body that are wished for, desired, agreeable, pleasing, connected with sensual pleasure, tantalizing. However, these are not sensual pleasures; in the Noble One’s discipline, these are called ‘objects of sensual pleasure.’ A person’s sensual pleasure is lustful intention.

“They are not sensual pleasures, the pretty things in the world:

a person’s sensual pleasure is lustful intention;

the pretty things remain just as they are in the world,

but the wise remove the desire for them.

“And what, bhikkhus, is the source and origin of sensual pleasures? Contact is their source and origin.

“And what is the diversity of sensual pleasures? Sensual desire for forms is one thing, sensual desire for sounds is another, sensual desire for odors still another, sensual desire for tastes still another, and sensual desire for tactile objects still another. This is called the diversity of sensual pleasures.

“And what is the result of sensual pleasures? One produces an individual existence that corresponds with whatever [sense pleasures] one desires and which may be the consequence either of merit or demerit. This is called the result of sensual pleasures.

“And what is the cessation of sensual pleasures? With the cessation of contact there is cessation of sensual pleasures.

“This noble eightfold path is the way leading to the cessation of sensual pleasures, namely, right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.

“When, bhikkhus, a noble disciple thus understands sensual pleasures, the source and origin of sensual pleasures, the diversity of sensual pleasures, the result of sensual pleasures, the cessation of sensual pleasures, and the way leading to the cessation of sensual pleasures, he understands this penetrative spiritual life to be the cessation of sensual pleasures.“When it was said: ‘Sensual pleasures should be understood … the way leading to the cessation of sensual pleasures should be understood,’ it is because of this that this was said.

(2) “When it was said: ‘Feelings should be understood … the way leading to the cessation of feelings should be understood,’ for what reason was this said?

“There are, bhikkhus, these three feelings: pleasant feeling, painful feeling, and neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling.

“And what is the source and origin of feelings? Contact is their source and origin.

“And what is the diversity of feelings? There is worldly pleasant feeling,1415 there is spiritual pleasant feeling; there is worldly painful feeling, there is spiritual painful feeling; there is worldly neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, there is spiritual neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling. This is called the diversity of feelings.

“And what is the result of feelings? One produces an individual existence that corresponds with whatever [feelings] one experiences and which may be the consequence either of merit or demerit. This is called the result of feelings.

“And what is the cessation of feelings? With the cessation of contact there is cessation of feelings.

“This noble eightfold path is the way leading to the cessation of feelings, namely, right view … right concentration.

“When, bhikkhus, a noble disciple thus understands feeling, the source and origin of feelings, the diversity of feelings, the result of feelings, the cessation of feelings, and the way leading to the cessation of feelings, he understands this penetrative spiritual life to be the cessation of feelings.

“When it was said: ‘Feelings should be understood … the way leading to the cessation of feelings should be understood,’ it is because of this that this was said.

(3) “When it was said: ‘Perceptions should be understood … the way leading to the cessation of perceptions should be understood,’ for what reason was this said?

“There are, bhikkhus, these six perceptions: perception of forms, perception of sounds, perception of odors, perception of tastes, perception of tactile objects, perception of mental phenomena.

“And what is the source and origin of perceptions? Contact is their source and origin.

“And what is the diversity of perceptions? The perception of forms is one thing, the perception of sounds is another, the perception of odors still another, the perception of tastes still another, the perception of tactile objects still another, and the perception of mental phenomena still another. This is called the diversity of perceptions.

“And what is the result of perceptions? I say that perceptions result in expression.1416 In whatever way one perceives something, in just that way one expresses oneself, [saying:] ‘I was percipient of such and such.’ This is called the result of perception.

“And what is the cessation of perceptions? With the cessation of contact there is cessation of perceptions.

“This noble eightfold path is the way leading to the cessation of perceptions, namely, right view … right concentration.

“When, bhikkhus, a noble disciple thus understands perceptions, the source and origin of perceptions,  the diversity of perceptions, the result of perceptions, the cessation of perceptions, and the way leading to the cessation of perceptions, he understands this penetrative spiritual life to be the cessation of perceptions.

“When it was said: ‘Perceptions should be understood … the way leading to the cessation of perceptions should be understood,’ it is because of this that this was said.

(4) “When it was said: ‘The taints should be understood … the way leading to the cessation of the taints should be understood,’ for what reason was this said?

“There are, bhikkhus, these three taints: the taint of sensuality, the taint of existence, and the taint of ignorance.

“And what is the source and origin of the taints? Ignorance is their source and origin.

“And what is the diversity of the taints? There are taints leading to hell; there are taints leading to the animal realm; there are taints leading to the realm of afflicted spirits; there are taints leading to the human world; there are taints leading to the deva world. This is called the diversity of the taints.

“And what is the result of the taints? One immersed in ignorance produces a corresponding individual existence, which may be the consequence either of merit or demerit. This is called the result of the taints.

“And what is the cessation of the taints? With the cessation of ignorance there is cessation of the taints.

“This noble eightfold path is the way leading to the cessation of the taints, namely, right view … right concentration.

“When, bhikkhus, a noble disciple thus understands the taints, the source and origin of the taints, the diversity of the taints, the result of the taints, the cessation of the taints, and the way leading to the cessation of the taints, he understands this penetrative spiritual life to be the cessation of the taints. 

“When it was said: ‘The taints should be understood … the way leading to the cessation of the taints should be understood,’ it is because of this that this was said.

(5) “When it was said: ‘Action should be understood … the way leading to the cessation of action should be understood,’ for what reason was this said?

“It is volition, bhikkhus, that I call action. For having willed, one acts by body, speech, or mind.

“And what is the source and origin of action? Contact is its source and origin.

“And what is the diversity of action? There is action to be experienced in hell; there is action to be experienced in the animal realm; there is action to be experienced in the realm of afflicted spirits; there is action to be experienced in the human world; and there is action to be experienced in the deva world. This is called the diversity of action.

“And what is the result of action? The result of action, I say, is threefold: [to be experienced] in this very life, or in the [next] rebirth, or on some subsequent occasion. This is called the result of action.

“And what, bhikkhus, is the cessation of action? With the cessation of contact there is cessation of action.

“This noble eightfold path is the way leading to the cessation of kamma, namely, right view … right concentration.

“When, bhikkhus, a noble disciple thus understands action, the source and origin of action, the diversity of action, the result of action, the cessation of action, and the way leading to the cessation of action, he understands this penetrative spiritual life to be the cessation of action.

“When it was said: ‘Action should be understood …  the way leading to the cessation of action should be understood,’ it is because of this that this was said.

(6) “When it was said: ‘Suffering should be understood; the source and origin of suffering should be understood; the diversity of suffering should be understood; the result of suffering should be understood; the cessation of suffering should be understood; the way leading to the cessation of suffering should be understood,’ for what reason was this said?

“Birth is suffering; old age is suffering; illness is suffering; death is suffering; sorrow, lamentation, pain, dejection, and anguish are suffering; not to get what one wants is suffering; in brief, the five aggregates subject to clinging are suffering.

“And what is the source and origin of suffering? Craving is its source and origin.

“And what is the diversity of suffering? There is extreme suffering; there is slight suffering; there is suffering that fades away slowly; there is suffering that fades away quickly. This is called the diversity of suffering.

“And what is the result of suffering? Here, someone overcome by suffering, with a mind obsessed by it, sorrows, languishes, and laments; he weeps beating his breast and becomes confused. Or else, overcome by suffering, with a mind obsessed by it, he embarks upon a search outside, saying: ‘Who knows one or two words for putting an end to this suffering?’ Suffering, I say, results either in confusion or in a search. This is called the result of suffering.

“And what is the cessation of suffering? With the cessation of craving there is cessation of suffering.

“This noble eightfold path is the way leading to the cessation of suffering, namely, right view … right concentration.

“When, bhikkhus, a noble disciple thus understands suffering,  the source and origin of suffering, the diversity of suffering, the result of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the way leading to the cessation of suffering, he understands this penetrative spiritual life to be the cessation of suffering.

“When it was said: ‘Suffering should be understood … the way leading to the cessation of suffering should be understood,’ it is because of this that this was said.

“This, bhikkhus, is that penetrative exposition of the Dhamma.”

AN VI 63