Sutta Piṭaka
Mahālisutta
Mahālisutta
Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā vesāliyaṁ viharati mahāvane kūṭāgārasālāyaṁ. Atha kho mahāli licchavi yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami …pe… ekamantaṁ nisinno kho mahāli licchavi bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
With Mahāli
So 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:
“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?
“Sir, Pūraṇa Kassapa says this: ‘There is no cause or reason for the corruption of sentient beings. Sentient beings are corrupted without cause or reason. There’s no cause or reason for the purification of sentient beings. Sentient beings are purified without cause or reason.’ What does the Buddha say about this?”
“Atthi, mahāli, hetu atthi paccayo sattānaṁ saṅkilesāya; sahetū sappaccayā sattā saṅkilissanti. Atthi, mahāli, hetu, atthi paccayo sattānaṁ visuddhiyā; sahetū sappaccayā sattā visujjhantī”ti.
“Mahāli, there is a cause and reason for the corruption of sentient beings. Sentient beings are corrupted with cause and reason. There is a cause and reason for the purification of sentient beings. Sentient beings are purified with cause and reason.”
“Katamo pana, bhante, hetu katamo paccayo sattānaṁ saṅkilesāya; kathaṁ sahetū sappaccayā sattā saṅkilissantī”ti?
“But sir, what is the cause and reason for the corruption of sentient beings? How are sentient beings corrupted with cause and reason?”
“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.
“Mahāli, if form were absolutely painful—soaked and steeped in pain and not steeped in pleasure—sentient beings wouldn’t be aroused by it. But because form is pleasurable—soaked and steeped in pleasure and not steeped in pain—sentient beings are aroused by it. Since they are aroused by it, they’re caught up in it, and so they become corrupted. This is a cause and reason for the corruption of sentient beings. This is how sentient beings are corrupted with cause and reason.
Vedanā 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.
If feeling …
Saññā 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.
perception … choices …
Viññāṇañca 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.
consciousness were absolutely painful—soaked and steeped in pain and not steeped in pleasure—sentient beings wouldn’t be aroused by it. But because consciousness is pleasurable—soaked and steeped in pleasure and not steeped in pain—sentient beings are aroused by it. Since they are aroused by it, they’re caught up in it, and so they become corrupted. This is a cause and reason for the corruption of sentient beings. This is how sentient beings are corrupted with cause and reason.”
“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.
“But sir, what is the cause and reason for the purification of sentient beings? How are sentient beings purified with cause and reason?” “Mahāli, if form was absolutely 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 reason for the purification of sentient beings. This is how sentient beings are purified with cause and reason.
Vedanā 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.
If feeling … perception … choices … consciousness was absolutely 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 reason for the purification of sentient beings. This is how sentient beings are purified with cause and reason.”