Investigating
Parivīmaṁsa Sutta (SN 12:51)
I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. There he addressed the monks: “Monks!”
“Yes, lord,” the monks responded to him.
The Blessed One said, “To what extent should a monk, when investigating, investigate for the total right ending of suffering & stress?”
“For us, lord, the teachings have the Blessed One as their root, their guide, & their arbitrator. It would be good if the Blessed One himself would elaborate on the meaning of this statement. Having heard it from the Blessed One, the monks will remember it.”
“In that case, monks, listen & pay close attention. I will speak.”
“As you say, lord,” the monks responded to the Blessed One.
The Blessed One said: “There is the case where a monk, when investigating, investigates (in this way). ‘The aging-&-death that arises in the world as many different kinds of suffering & stress: What is its cause, what is its origination, what is its source, what brings it into play? When what exists does aging-&death exist? When what does not exist does aging-&-death not exist?’
“As he is investigating, he discerns: ‘The aging-&-death that arises in the world as many different kinds of suffering & stress has birth as its cause, birth as its origination, birth as its source, birth as what brings it into play. When birth exists, aging-&-death exists. When birth does not exist, aging-&-death doesn’t exist.’
“He discerns aging-&-death; he discerns the origination of aging-&-death; he discerns the cessation of aging-&-death. And as for the path of practice that is proper for leading to the cessation of aging-&-death, he discerns that and practices accordingly. This is called a monk who practices for the total right ending of suffering & stress, for the cessation of aging-&-death.
“Investigating further, he investigates: ‘Birth: What is its cause, what is its origination, what is its source, what brings it into play? When what exists does birth exist? When what does not exist does birth not exist?’
“As he is investigating, he discerns: ‘Birth has becoming as its cause, becoming as its origination, becoming as its source, becoming as what brings it into play. When becoming exists, birth exists. When becoming does not exist, birth doesn’t exist.’
“He discerns birth; he discerns the origination of birth; he discerns the cessation of birth. And as for the path of practice that is proper for leading to the cessation of birth, he discerns that and practices accordingly. This is called a monk who practices for the total right ending of suffering & stress, for the cessation of birth.
“Investigating further, he investigates: ‘Becoming: What is its cause? … Clinging: What is its cause? … Craving: What is its cause? … Feeling: What is its cause? … Contact: What is its cause? … The sixfold sense-media: What is its cause? … Name-&-form: What is its cause? … Consciousness: What is its cause? … Fabrications: What is their cause, what is their origination, what is their source, what brings them into play? When what exists do fabrications exist? When what does not exist do fabrications not exist?’
“As he is investigating, he discerns: ‘Fabrications have ignorance as their cause, ignorance as their origination, ignorance as their source, ignorance as what brings them into play. When ignorance exists, fabrications exist. When ignorance does not exist, fabrications don’t exist.’
“He discerns fabrications; he discerns the origination of fabrications; he discerns the cessation of fabrications. And as for the path of practice that is proper for leading to the cessation of fabrications, he discerns that and practices accordingly. This is called a monk who practices for the total right ending of suffering & stress, for the cessation of fabrications.
“A person immersed in ignorance: If he fabricates a meritorious fabrication, his consciousness goes on to merit. If he fabricates a demeritorious fabrication, his consciousness goes on to demerit. If he fabricates an imperturbable fabrication, his consciousness goes on to the imperturbable.
“When ignorance is abandoned by a monk, clear knowing arises. From the fading of ignorance and the arising of clear knowing, he neither fabricates a meritorious fabrication nor a demeritorious fabrication nor an imperturbable fabrication. Neither fabricating nor willing, he is not sustained by [does not cling to] anything in the world. Unsustained, he is not agitated. Unagitated, he is totally unbound right within. He discerns that ‘Birth is ended, the holy life fulfilled, the task done. There is nothing further for this world.’
“He senses a feeling of pleasure. He discerns, ‘It is fleeting.’ He discerns, ‘It is not grasped at.’ He discerns, ‘It is not relished.’ He senses a feeling of pain. He discerns, ‘It is fleeting.’ He discerns, ‘It is not grasped at.’ He discerns, ‘It is not relished.’ He senses a feeling of neither-pleasure-nor-pain. He discerns, ‘It is fleeting.’ He discerns, ‘It is not grasped at.’ He discerns, ‘It is not relished.’ Sensing a feeling of pleasure, he senses it disjoined from it. Sensing a feeling of pain, he senses it disjoined from it. Sensing a feeling of neither-pleasure-nor-pain, he senses it disjoined from it. When sensing a feeling limited to the body, he discerns that ‘I am sensing a feeling limited to the body.’ When sensing a feeling limited to life, he discerns that ‘I am sensing a feeling limited to life.’ He discerns that ‘With the break-up of the body, after the termination of life, all that is experienced, not being relished, will grow cold right here, while the corpse will remain.’
“Just as if a man, having removed a heated jar from a kiln, were to place it on level ground: Whatever heat in the jar would subside right there, while the fired clay would remain. In the same way, when sensing a feeling limited to the body, he discerns that ‘I am sensing a feeling limited to the body.’ When sensing a feeling limited to life, he discerns that ‘I am sensing a feeling limited to life.’ He discerns that ‘With the break-up of the body, after the termination of life, all that is experienced, not being relished, will grow cold right here, while the corpse will remain.’”
“What do you think, monks? Would a monk whose effluents were ended fabricate a meritorious or a demeritorious or an imperturbable fabrication?”
“No, lord.”
“With the total non-existence of fabrications, from the cessation of fabrications, would consciousness be discernible [manifest]?”
“No, lord.”
[And similarly down to:] “With the total non-existence of birth, from the cessation of birth, would aging-&-death be discernible?”
“No, lord.”
“Very good, monks. Very good. Just so should you suppose it. Just so should you be convinced. Just so should you believe. Do not be doubtful; do not be uncertain. This, just this, is the end of suffering & stress.”
