The Sutta Nipata
The "Sutta Collection"
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Sutta Nipata IV.11
Kalaha-vivada Sutta
Further Questions
Translated from the Pali by John D. Ireland.
Read an alternate translation by Thanissaro
Bhikkhu
"From what arise contentions and disputes, lamentations
and sorrows, along with selfishness and conceit, and arrogance along with
slander? From where do these various things arise? Come tell me this."
"From being too endeared (to objects and persons) arise
contentions and disputes, lamentations and sorrows along with avarice,
selfishness and conceit, arrogance and slander. Contentions and disputes are
linked with selfishness, and slander is born of contention."
"What are the sources of becoming endeared in the world?
What are the sources of whatever passions prevail in the world, of longings and
fulfillments that are man's goal (in life)?"
"Desires are the source of becoming endeared (to objects
and persons) in the world, also of whatever passions prevail. These are the
sources of longings and fulfillments that are man's goal (in life)."[1]
"Now what is the source of desire in the world? What is
the cause of judgments[2] that arise; of anger,
untruth, doubts and whatever other (similar) states that have been spoken of by
the Recluse (i.e., the Buddha)?"
"It is pleasant, it is unpleasant," so people speak
in the world; and based upon that arises desire. Having seen the appearing and
disappearing of material things a man makes his judgments in the world.[3]
Anger, untruth and doubts, these states arise merely because of the existence of
this duality.[4] Let a doubter train himself by way
of insight to understand these states as taught by the Recluse."
"What is the source of thinking things as pleasant or
unpleasant? When what is absent are these states not present? What is the
meaning of appearing and disappearing? Explain the source of it to me."
"The pleasant and the unpleasant have their source in
sense-impression. When this sense-impression is absent, these states are not
present. The idea of appearing and disappearing is produced from this, I
say."
"What is the source of sense-impression? From what
arises so much grasping? By the absence of what is there no selfish attachment?
By the disappearance of what is sense-impression not experienced?"
"Sense-impression is dependent upon the mental and the
material. Grasping has its source in wanting (something). What not being present
there is no selfish attachment. By the disappearance of material objects
sense-impression is not experienced."
"For whom does materiality disappear? How do pleasure
and discomfort cease to be? Tell me how it ceases so that I may be satisfied in
my mind that I have understood it."
"His perception is not the ordinary kind, nor is his
perception abnormal;[5] he is not without perception
nor is his perception (of materiality) suspended.[6]
-- to such an one immateriality ceases.[7] Perception
is indeed the source of the world of multiplicity."
"What we asked, you have explained. We now ask another
question. Tell us the answer to it. Do not some of the learned declare
purification of the spirit[8] as the highest state to
be attained? And do not others speak of something else as the highest?"[9]
"Some of the learned do declare purification of the
spirit as the highest. But contrary to them some teach a doctrine of
annihilation. Those clever ones declare this to be (final liberation) without
basis of life's fuel remaining. Knowing that these (theorists) rely on (mere
opinions for their statements) a sage investigates that upon which they rely.
Having understood and being free (from theories) he will not dispute with
anyone. The wise do not enter into any existence."
-- vv. 862-877
Notes
1. Man's longings, hopes and
aspirations and their satisfaction are his refuge giving him an aim in life.
[Go back]
2. Judgments or evaluations of things
motivated by craving for them or by opinions of them as being desirable or
otherwise.
[Go back]
3. The "appearing" of the
pleasant and the "disappearing" of the unpleasant is judged to be
"good." The "appearance" of the unpleasant and the
"disappearance" of the pleasant is judged to be "bad."
[Go back]
4. I.e., of the pleasant and the
unpleasant.
[Go back]
5. He is neither insane nor mentally
disturbed (Comy).
[Go back]
6. He has not attained the state of
cessation of perception and feeling (sanna-vedayita nirodha) nor the
immaterial absorptions (arupajjhana) (Comy). In the former perception
completely ceases, but in the latter there is still the perception of an
immaterial object.
[Go back]
7. According to the commentary what
remains after these four negations is the state of one who has reached the
highest of the fine-material absorptions (rupajjhana) and is in the
process of attaining the first immaterial absorption. This answers the question
"for whom does (the perception of) materiality disappear?" And as
"pleasure and discomfort" have previously been stated to "have
their source in sense-impression," in other words, the Perception of
material objects, the second question is answered too.
[Go back]
8. The term "spirit" (yakkha)
is equivalent here to "being" or "man."
[Go back]
9. An alternative rendering of this
sentence could be: "Do not some of the learned declare (the immaterial
attainments) as the highest state, as man's purification?"
[Go back]
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Contents
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| Ch II |Ch
III | Ch IV|
ChV
