The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha - Bhikkhu Nanamoli [426]
Then the Blessed One, knowing in his mind the thought in the mind of that bhikkhu, addressed the bhikkhus thus: “It is possible, bhikkhus, that some misguided man here, obtuse and ignorant, with his mind dominated by craving, might think that he can outstrip the Teacher’s Dispensation thus: ‘So, it seems, material form is not self…consciousness is not self. What self, then, will actions done by the not-self affect?’ Now, bhikkhus, you have been trained by me through interrogation on various occasions in regard to various things.1043
15. “Bhikkhus, what do you think? Is material form 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.”
“Bhikkhus, what do you think: Is feeling…perception…formations…consciousness permanent or impermanent?”—“Impermanent, venerable sir.”—[20] “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.”
16. “Therefore, bhikkhus, any kind of material form whatever, whether past, future, or present…all material form should be seen as it actually is with proper wisdom thus: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’ Any kind of feeling whatever… Any kind of perception whatever…Any kind of formations whatever…Any kind of consciousness whatever…all consciousness should be seen as it actually is with proper wisdom thus: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’
17. “Seeing thus, a well-taught noble disciple becomes disenchanted with material form, disenchanted with feeling, disenchanted with perception, disenchanted with formations, disenchanted with consciousness.
18. “Being disenchanted, he becomes dispassionate. Through dispassion [his mind] is liberated. When it is liberated there comes the knowledge: ‘It is liberated.’ He understands: ‘Birth is destroyed, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming to any state of being.’”
That is what the Blessed One said. The bhikkhus were satisfied and delighted in the Blessed One’s words. Now while this discourse was being spoken, through not clinging the minds of sixty bhikkhus were liberated from the taints.1044
Cūḷapuṇṇama Sutta
The Shorter Discourse on the
Full-Moon Night
1. THUS HAVE I HEARD. On one occasion the Blessed One was living at S̄āvatthī in the Eastern Park, in the Palace of Migāra’s Mother.
2. On that occasion—the Uposatha day of the fifteenth, on the full-moon night—[21] the Blessed One was seated in the open surrounded by the Sangha of bhikkhus. Then, surveying the silent Sangha of bhikkhus, he addressed them thus:
3. “Bhikkhus, would an untrue man1045 know of an untrue man: ‘This person is an untrue man’?”—“No, venerable sir.”—“Good, bhikkhus. It is impossible, it cannot be, that an untrue man should know of an untrue man: ‘This person is an untrue man.’ But would an untrue man know of a true man: ‘This person is a true man’?”—“No, venerable sir.”—“Good, bhikkhus. It is impossible, it cannot be, that an untrue man should know of a true man: ‘This person is a true man.’
4. “Bhikkhus, an untrue man is possessed of bad qualities; he associates as an untrue man, he wills as an untrue man, he counsels as an untrue man, he speaks as an untrue man, he acts as an untrue man, he holds views as an untrue man, and he gives gifts as an untrue man.
5. “And how is an untrue man possessed of bad qualities? Here an untrue man has no faith, no shame, no fear of wrongdoing; he is unlearned, lazy, forgetful, and unwise. That is how an untrue man is possessed of bad qualities.
6. “And how does an untrue man associate