SN 41.6

Dutiyakāmabhūsutta

Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā kāmabhū macchikāsaṇḍe viharati ambāṭakavane. Atha kho citto gahapati yenāyasmā kāmabhū tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho citto gahapati āyasmantaṁ kāmabhuṁ etadavoca: “kati nu kho, bhante, saṅkhārā”ti? “Tayo kho, gahapati, saṅkhārā— kāyasaṅkhāro, vacīsaṅkhāro, cittasaṅkhāro”ti. “Sādhu, bhante”ti kho citto gahapati āyasmato kāmabhussa bhāsitaṁ abhinanditvā anumoditvā āyasmantaṁ kāmabhuṁ uttariṁ pañhaṁ apucchi: “katamo pana, bhante, kāyasaṅkhāro, katamo vacīsaṅkhāro, katamo cittasaṅkhāro”ti? “Assāsapassāsā kho, gahapati, kāyasaṅkhāro, vitakkavicārā vacīsaṅkhāro, saññā ca vedanā ca cittasaṅkhāro”ti.

With Kāmabhū (2nd)

At one time Venerable Kāmabhū was staying near Macchikāsaṇḍa in the Wild Mango Grove. Then Citta the householder went up to Venerable Kāmabhū, sat down to one side, and said to him: “Sir, how many processes are there?” “Householder, there are three processes. The physical process, the verbal process, and the mental process.” Saying “Good, sir,” Citta approved and agreed with what Kāmabhū said. Then he asked another question: “But sir, what is the physical process? What’s the verbal process? What’s the mental process?” “Breathing is a physical process. Placing the mind and keeping it connected are a verbal process. Perception and feeling are a mental process.”

“Sādhu, bhante”ti kho citto gahapati …pe… uttariṁ pañhaṁ apucchi: “kasmā pana, bhante, assāsapassāsā kāyasaṅkhāro, kasmā vitakkavicārā vacīsaṅkhāro, kasmā saññā ca vedanā ca cittasaṅkhāro”ti? “Assāsapassāsā kho, gahapati, kāyikā. Ete dhammā kāyappaṭibaddhā, tasmā assāsapassāsā kāyasaṅkhāro. Pubbe kho, gahapati, vitakketvā vicāretvā pacchā vācaṁ bhindati, tasmā vitakkavicārā vacīsaṅkhāro. Saññā ca vedanā ca cetasikā. Ete dhammā cittappaṭibaddhā, tasmā saññā ca vedanā ca cittasaṅkhāro”ti.

Saying “Good, sir,” he asked another question: “But sir, why is breathing a physical process? Why are placing the mind and keeping it connected a verbal process? Why are perception and feeling a mental process?” “Breathing is physical. It’s tied up with the body, that’s why breathing is a physical process. First you place the mind and keep it connected, then you break into speech. That’s why placing the mind and keeping it connected are a verbal process. Perception and feeling are mental. They’re tied up with the mind, that’s why perception and feeling are a mental process.”

“Sādhu …pe… uttariṁ pañhaṁ apucchi: “kathaṁ pana, bhante, saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpatti hotī”ti? “Na kho, gahapati, saññāvedayitanirodhaṁ samāpajjantassa bhikkhuno evaṁ hoti: ‘ahaṁ saññāvedayitanirodhaṁ samāpajjissan’ti vā ‘ahaṁ saññāvedayitanirodhaṁ samāpajjāmī’ti vā ‘ahaṁ saññāvedayitanirodhaṁ samāpanno’ti vā. Atha khvassa pubbeva tathā cittaṁ bhāvitaṁ hoti yaṁ taṁ tathattāya upanetī”ti.

Saying “Good, sir,” he asked another question: “But sir, how does someone attain the cessation of perception and feeling?” “A mendicant who is entering such an attainment does not think: ‘I will enter the cessation of perception and feeling’ or ‘I am entering the cessation of perception and feeling’ or ‘I have entered the cessation of perception and feeling.’ Rather, their mind has been previously developed so as to lead to such a state.”

“Sādhu …pe… uttariṁ pañhaṁ apucchi: “saññāvedayitanirodhaṁ samāpajjantassa pana, bhante, bhikkhuno katame dhammā paṭhamaṁ nirujjhanti, yadi vā kāyasaṅkhāro, yadi vā vacīsaṅkhāro, yadi vā cittasaṅkhāro”ti? “Saññāvedayitanirodhaṁ samāpajjantassa kho, gahapati, bhikkhuno vacīsaṅkhāro paṭhamaṁ nirujjhati, tato kāyasaṅkhāro, tato cittasaṅkhāro”ti.

Saying “Good, sir,” he asked another question: “But sir, which cease first for a mendicant who is entering the cessation of perception and feeling: the physical, verbal, or mental process?” “The verbal process ceases first, then physical, then mental.”

“Sādhu …pe… uttariṁ pañhaṁ apucchi: “yvāyaṁ, bhante, mato kālaṅkato, yo cāyaṁ bhikkhu saññāvedayitanirodhaṁ samāpanno, imesaṁ kiṁ nānākaraṇan”ti? “Yvāyaṁ, gahapati, mato kālaṅkato tassa kāyasaṅkhāro niruddho paṭippassaddho, vacīsaṅkhāro niruddho paṭippassaddho, cittasaṅkhāro niruddho paṭippassaddho, āyu parikkhīṇo, usmā vūpasantā, indriyāni viparibhinnāni. Yo ca khvāyaṁ, gahapati, bhikkhu saññāvedayitanirodhaṁ samāpanno, tassapi kāyasaṅkhāro niruddho paṭippassaddho, vacīsaṅkhāro niruddho paṭippassaddho, cittasaṅkhāro niruddho paṭippassaddho, āyu aparikkhīṇo, usmā avūpasantā, indriyāni vippasannāni. Yvāyaṁ, gahapati, mato kālaṅkato, yo cāyaṁ bhikkhu saññāvedayitanirodhaṁ samāpanno, idaṁ nesaṁ nānākaraṇan”ti.

Saying “Good, sir,” he asked another question: “What’s the difference between someone who has passed away and a mendicant who has attained the cessation of perception and feeling?” “When someone dies, their physical, verbal, and mental processes have ceased and stilled; their vitality is spent; their warmth is dissipated; and their faculties have disintegrated. When a mendicant has attained the cessation of perception and feeling, their physical, verbal, and mental processes have ceased and stilled. But their vitality is not spent; their warmth is not dissipated; and their faculties are very clear. That’s the difference between someone who has passed away and a mendicant who has attained the cessation of perception and feeling.”

“Sādhu …pe… uttariṁ pañhaṁ apucchi: “kathaṁ pana, bhante, saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpattiyā vuṭṭhānaṁ hotī”ti? “Na kho, gahapati, saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpattiyā vuṭṭhahantassa bhikkhuno evaṁ hoti: ‘ahaṁ saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpattiyā vuṭṭhahissan’ti vā ‘ahaṁ saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpattiyā vuṭṭhahāmī’ti vā ‘ahaṁ saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpattiyā vuṭṭhito’ti vā. Atha khvassa pubbeva tathā cittaṁ bhāvitaṁ hoti, yaṁ taṁ tathattāya upanetī”ti.

Saying “Good, sir,” he asked another question: “But sir, how does someone emerge from the cessation of perception and feeling?” “A mendicant who is emerging from such an attainment does not think: ‘I will emerge from the cessation of perception and feeling’ or ‘I am emerging from the cessation of perception and feeling’ or ‘I have emerged from the cessation of perception and feeling.’ Rather, their mind has been previously developed so as to lead to such a state.”

“Sādhu, bhante …pe… uttariṁ pañhaṁ apucchi: “saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpattiyā vuṭṭhahantassa pana, bhante, bhikkhuno katame dhammā paṭhamaṁ uppajjanti, yadi vā kāyasaṅkhāro, yadi vā vacīsaṅkhāro, yadi vā cittasaṅkhāro”ti? “Saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpattiyā vuṭṭhahantassa, gahapati, bhikkhuno cittasaṅkhāro paṭhamaṁ uppajjati, tato kāyasaṅkhāro, tato vacīsaṅkhāro”ti.

Saying “Good, sir,” he asked another question: “But sir, which arise first for a mendicant who is emerging from the cessation of perception and feeling: the physical, verbal, or mental process?” “The mental process arises first, then physical, then verbal.”

“Sādhu …pe… uttariṁ pañhaṁ apucchi: “saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpattiyā vuṭṭhitaṁ pana, bhante, bhikkhuṁ kati phassā phusanti”? “Saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpattiyā vuṭṭhitaṁ kho, gahapati, bhikkhuṁ tayo phassā phusanti— suññato phasso, animitto phasso, appaṇihito phasso”ti.

Saying “Good, sir,” he asked another question: “But sir, when a mendicant has emerged from the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling, how many kinds of contact do they experience?” “They experience three kinds of contact: emptiness, signless, and undirected contacts.”

“Sādhu …pe… uttariṁ pañhaṁ apucchi: “saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpattiyā vuṭṭhitassa pana, bhante, bhikkhuno kiṁninnaṁ cittaṁ hoti, kiṁpoṇaṁ, kiṁpabbhāran”ti? “Saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpattiyā vuṭṭhitassa kho, gahapati, bhikkhuno vivekaninnaṁ cittaṁ hoti vivekapoṇaṁ vivekapabbhāran”ti.

Saying “Good, sir,” he asked another question: “But sir, when a mendicant has emerged from the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling, what does their mind slant, slope, and incline to?” “Their mind slants, slopes, and inclines to seclusion.”

“Sādhu, bhante”ti kho citto gahapati āyasmato kāmabhussa bhāsitaṁ abhinanditvā anumoditvā āyasmantaṁ kāmabhuṁ uttariṁ pañhaṁ apucchi: “saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpattiyā pana, bhante, kati dhammā bahūpakārā”ti? “Addhā kho tvaṁ, gahapati, yaṁ paṭhamaṁ pucchitabbaṁ taṁ pucchasi. Api ca tyāhaṁ byākarissāmi. Saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpattiyā kho, gahapati, dve dhammā bahūpakārā— samatho ca vipassanā cā”ti.

Saying “Good, sir,” Citta approved and agreed with what Kāmabhū said. Then he asked another question: “But sir, how many things are helpful for attaining the cessation of perception and feeling?” “Well, householder, you’ve finally asked what you should have asked first! Nevertheless, I will answer you. Two things are helpful for attaining the cessation of perception and feeling: serenity and discernment.”