Connected Discourses with Rāhula

1Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthı̄ in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park. Then the Venerable Rāhula approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and said to him:³³⁷ Rāhula was the Buddha’s son. He became a novice (sāmaṇera) at the age of seven, during the Buddha’s first visit to his native city of Kapilavatthu after his enlightenment. Other discourses spoken to him are: MN Nos. 61, 62, and 147 (the latter = 35:121) and Sn II, 11 (pp. 58-59).

2“Venerable sir, it would be good if the Blessed One would teach me the Dhamma in brief, so that, having heard the Dhamma from the Blessed One, I might dwell alone, withdrawn, diligent, ardent, and resolute.”

3“What do you think, Rāhula, is the eye permanent or impermanent?” –“Impermanent, venerable sir.”–“Is what is impermanent suffering or happiness?”–“Suffering, venerable sir.”–[245] “Is what is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change fit to be regarded thus: ‘This is mine, this I am, this is my self’?” –“No, venerable sir.”

4“Is the ear … the nose … the tongue … the body … the mind permanent or impermanent?”–“Impermanent, venerable sir.”–“Is what is impermanent suffering or happiness?”–“Suffering, venerable sir.”–“Is what is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change fit to be regarded thus: ‘This is mine, this I am, this is my self’?”–“No, venerable sir.”

5“Seeing thus, Rāhula, the instructed noble disciple experiences revulsion towards the eye, revulsion towards the ear, revulsion towards the nose, revulsion towards the tongue, revulsion towards the body, revulsion towards the mind. Experiencing revulsion, he becomes dispassionate. Through dispassion [his mind] is liberated.³³⁸ Spk explains the three “grips” (gāha) of “mine, I, and my self” exactly as in n. 155. It takes dispassion (virāga) to denote the four paths, liberation (vimutti) the four fruits. Spk does not comment on nibbindati, “experiences revulsion,” but the commentaries consistently identify the corresponding noun nibbidā with strong insight knowledge (see above n. 69). When it is liberated there comes the knowledge: ‘It’s liberated.’ He understands: ‘Destroyed is birth, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more for this state of being.’”

2. Forms, Etc.

1… “What do you think, Rāhula, are forms ... [246] … sounds ... odours … tastes ... tactile objects ... mental phenomena permanent or impermanent?”–“Impermanent, venerable sir.”…

2“Seeing thus, Rāhula, the instructed noble disciple experiences revulsion towards forms ... revulsion towards mental phenomena. Experiencing revulsion, he becomes dispassionate…. He understands: ‘... there is no more for this state of being.’”

3. Consciousness

1… “What do you think, Rāhula, is eye-consciousness … ear-consciousness ... nose-consciousness … tongue-consciousness … body-consciousness … mind-consciousness permanent or impermanent?” –“Impermanent, venerable sir.”…

2“Seeing thus, Rāhula, the instructed noble disciple experiences revulsion towards eye-consciousness … revulsion towards mind-consciousness. Experiencing revulsion, he becomes dispassionate…. He understands: ‘... there is no more for this state of being.’”

4. Contact

1… “What do you think, Rāhula, is eye-contact … ear-contact … nose-contact ... tongue-contact ... body-contact ... mind-contact permanent or impermanent?”–“Impermanent, venerable sir.”…

2“Seeing thus, Rāhula, the instructed noble disciple experiences revulsion towards eye-contact … revulsion towards mind-contact. Experiencing revulsion, he becomes dispassionate…. [247] He understands: ‘... there is no more for this state of being.’”

5. Feeling

1… “What do you think, Rāhula, is feeling born of eye-contact ... feeling born of ear-contact ... feeling born of nose-contact … feeling born of tongue-contact … feeling born of body-contact ... feeling born of mind-contact permanent or impermanent?”–“Impermanent, venerable sir.”…

2“Seeing thus, Rāhula, the instructed noble disciple experiences revulsion towards feeling born of eye-contact … revulsion towards feeling born of mind-contact. Experiencing revulsion, he becomes dispassionate…. He understands: ‘... there is no more for this state of being.’”

6. Perception

1… “What do you think, Rāhula, is perception of forms ... perception of sounds ... perception of odours … perception of tastes … perception of tactile objects ... perception of mental phenomena permanent or impermanent?”–“Impermanent, venerable sir.”…

2“Seeing thus, Rāhula, the instructed noble disciple experiences revulsion towards perception of forms ... revulsion towards perception of mental phenomena. Experiencing revulsion, he becomes dispassionate…. He understands: ‘... there is no more for this state of being.’”

7. Volition

1… “What do you think, Rāhula, is volition regarding forms ... volition regarding sounds ... volition regarding odours … volition regarding tastes ... [248] volition regarding tactile objects ... volition regarding mental phenomena permanent or impermanent?” –“Impermanent, venerable sir.”…

2“Seeing thus, Rāhula, the instructed noble disciple experiences revulsion towards volition regarding forms ... revulsion towards volition regarding mental phenomena. Experiencing revulsion, he becomes dispassionate…. He understands: ‘... there is no more for this state of being.’”

8. Craving

1… “What do you think, Rāhula, is craving for forms ... craving for sounds ... craving for odours … craving for tastes ... craving for tactile objects ... craving for mental phenomena permanent or impermanent?”–“Impermanent, venerable sir.”…

2“Seeing thus, Rāhula, the instructed noble disciple experiences revulsion towards craving for forms ... revulsion towards craving for mental phenomena. Experiencing revulsion, he becomes dispassionate…. He understands: ‘... there is no more for this state of being.’”

9. Elements

1… “What do you think, Rāhula, is the earth element ... the water element ... the heat element ... the air element ... the space element … the consciousness element permanent or impermanent?” ³³⁹ To the four primary elements of the form aggregate (cattāro mahābhūtā) the suttas sometimes add the space element (ākāsadhātu)—which (according to the commentaries) represents derived form (upādāya rūpa)—and the consciousness element (viññāṇadhātu), which represents the entire mental side of existence. For a detailed analysis of all six elements, see MN III 240,17-243,10. –“Impermanent, venerable sir.”…

2“Seeing thus, Rāhula, the instructed noble disciple experiences revulsion towards the earth element ... [249] … revulsion towards the water element ... revulsion towards the heat element

3... revulsion towards the air element ... revulsion towards the space element ... revulsion towards the consciousness element. Experiencing revulsion, he becomes dispassionate…. He understands: ‘... there is no more for this state of being.’”

10. Aggregates

1… “What do you think, Rāhula, is form ... feeling ... perception … volitional formations … consciousness permanent or impermanent?” –“Impermanent, venerable sir.” …

2“Seeing thus, Rāhula, the instructed noble disciple experiences revulsion towards form ... revulsion towards consciousness. Experiencing revulsion, he becomes dispassionate…. He understands: ‘... there is no more for this state of being.’”

3(These ten suttas are identical in all respects with §§1–10, except that in these suttas the Buddha interrogates Rāhula on his own initiative, without first being asked for a teaching.) [250–52]

21. Underlying Tendency

1At Sāvatthı̄. Then the Venerable Rāhula approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and said to him:

2“Venerable sir, how should one know, how should one see so that, in regard to this body with consciousness and in regard to all external signs, I-making, mine-making, and the underlying tendency to conceit no longer occur within?”³⁴⁰ Spk: In regard to this body with consciousness (imasmiṁ saviññāṇake kāye): he shows his own conscious body. And in regard to all external signs (bahiddhā ca sabbanimittesu): the conscious body of others and insentient objects. Or alternatively: by the former expression he shows his own sentient organism and that of others (reading with Se attano ca parassa ca saviññāṇakam eva); by the latter, external form not bound up with sense faculties (bahiddhā anindriyabaddharūpaṁ ). (The compound) ahaṅkāramamaṅkāramānānusayā is to be resolved thus: I-making (ahaṅkāra), mine-making (mamaṅkāra), and the underlying tendency to conceit (mānānusayā). (So the text in Be and Se, but if, as seems likely, the plural termination derives from the asamāhāra compound, after resolution the last member should be mānānusayo.) “I-making” is regarded as the function of wrong view (the view of self), “mine-making” of craving. The root conceit is the conceit “I am” (asmimāna), so conceit is also responsible for “I-making.”

3“Any kind of form whatsoever, Rāhula, whether past, future, or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, inferior or superior, far or near—one sees all form as it really is with correct wisdom thus: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’³⁴¹ This elevenfold classification of each of the five aggregates is analysed in detail at Vibh 1-12. “Any kind of feeling whatsoever … Any kind of perception whatsoever … Any kind of volitional formations whatsoever … Any kind of consciousness whatsoever, whether past, future, or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, inferior or superior, far or near—one sees all consciousness as it really is with correct wisdom thus: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’

4“When one knows and sees thus, Rāhula, then in regard to this body with consciousness and in regard to all external signs, I-making, mine-making, and the underlying tendency to conceit no longer occur within.” [253]

22. Rid Of

1At Sāvatthı̄. Then the Venerable Rāhula approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and said to him:

2“Venerable sir, how should one know, how should one see so that, in regard to this body with consciousness and in regard to all external signs, the mind is rid of I-making, mine-making, and conceit, has transcended discrimination, and is peaceful and well liberated?”³⁴² Spk: Has transcended discrimination (vidhā samatikkantaṁ): has fully gone beyond the different kinds of conceit; is peaceful (santaṁ): by the appeasement of defilements; and well liberated (suvimuttaṁ): fully liberated from defilements.

3“Any kind of form whatsoever, Rāhula, whether past, future, or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, inferior or superior, far or near—having seen all form as it really is with correct wisdom thus: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self,’ one is liberated by nonclinging.

4“Any kind of feeling whatsoever … Any kind of perception whatsoever … Any kind of volitional formations whatsoever … Any kind of consciousness whatsoever, whether past, future, or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, inferior or superior, far or near—having seen all consciousness as it really is with correct wisdom thus: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self,’ one is liberated by nonclinging.

5“When one knows and sees thus, Rāhula, then in regard to this body with consciousness and in regard to all external signs, the mind is rid of I-making, mine-making, and conceit, has transcended discrimination, and is peaceful and well liberated.”

[254]