In the Buddha's Words - Bhikkhu Bodhi [179]
“And whatever ascetics and brahmins, having thus directly known consciousness, its origin, its cessation, and the way leading to its cessation, through disenchantment with consciousness, through its fading away and cessation, are liberated by nonclinging, they are well liberated. Those who are well liberated are consummate ones. As to those consummate ones, there is no round for their manifestation.”
(SN 22:56; III 58–61)
(b) A Catechism on the Aggregates
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in the Eastern Park, in the Mansion of Migāra’s Mother, together with a great Saṅgha of monks. Now on that occasion—the uposatha day of the fifteenth, a full-moon night—the Blessed One was sitting out in the open surrounded by the Saṅgha of monks.
Then a certain monk rose from his seat, arranged his upper robe over one shoulder, raised his joined hands in reverential salutation toward the Blessed One, and said to him: “Venerable sir, I would ask the Blessed One about a certain point, if the Blessed One would grant me the favor of answering my question.”
“Well then, monk, sit down in your own seat and ask whatever you wish.”
“Yes, venerable sir,” that monk replied. Then he sat down in his own seat and said to the Blessed One:
“Aren’t these the five aggregates subject to clinging, venerable sir: that is, the form aggregate subject to clinging, the feeling aggregate subject to clinging, the perception aggregate subject to clinging, the volitional formations aggregate subject to clinging, the consciousness aggregate subject to clinging?”
“They are, monk.”
Saying, “Good, venerable sir,” that monk delighted and rejoiced in the Blessed One’s statement. Then he asked the Blessed One a further question:
“But, venerable sir, in what are these five aggregates subject to clinging rooted?”
“These five aggregates subject to clinging, monk, are rooted in desire.”28
“Venerable sir, is that clinging the same as these five aggregates subject to clinging, or is the clinging something apart from the five aggregates subject to clinging?”
“Monk, that clinging is neither the same as the five aggregates subject to clinging, nor is the clinging something apart from the five aggregates subject to clinging. But rather, the desire and lust for them, that is the clinging there.”29
Saying, “Good, venerable sir,” that monk ... asked the Blessed One a further question:
“But, venerable sir, can there be diversity in the desire and lust for the five aggregates subject to clinging?”
“There can be, monk,” the Blessed One said. “Here, monk, it occurs to someone: ‘May I be of such form in the future! May I be of such feeling in the future! May I be of such perception in the future! May I be of such volitional formations in the future! May I be of such consciousness in the future!’ Thus, monk, there can be diversity in the desire and lust for the five aggregates subject to clinging.”
Saying, “Good, venerable sir,” that monk ... asked the Blessed One a further question:
“In what way, venerable sir, does the designation ‘aggregates’ apply to the aggregates?”
“Whatever kind of form there is, monk, whether past, future, or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, inferior or superior, far or near: this is called the form aggregate. Whatever kind of feeling there is, whether past, future, or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, inferior or superior, far or near: this is called the feeling aggregate. Whatever kind of perception there is, whether past, future, or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, inferior or superior, far or near: this is called the perception aggregate. Whatever kind of volitional formations there are, whether past, future, or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, inferior or superior, far or near: this is called the volitional formations aggregate. Whatever kind of consciousness there is, whether past, future, or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, inferior or superior, far or near: