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§ 23. THE ORIGIN AND CESSATION OF THE HUMAN BEING.

§ 23 a.--Translated from the Samyutta-Nikâya (xxii.221).

Thus have I heard.

On a certain occasion The Blessed One was dwelling at Sâvatthi in Jetavana monastery in Anâthapindika's Park. And there The Blessed One addressed the priests.

"Priests," said he.

"Lord," said the priests to The Blessed One in reply. And The Blessed One spoke as follows:--

"I will teach you, O priests, the burden, the bearer of the

p. 160 | [S.xxii.223

burden, the taking up of the burden, and the laying down of the burden.

"And what, O priests, is the burden?

"Reply should be made that it is the five attachment-groups. And what are the five? They are: the form-attachment-group, the sensation-attachment-group, the perception-attachment-group, the predisposition-attachment-group, the consciousness-attachment-group. These, O priests, are called the burden.

"And who, O priests, is the bearer of the burden?

"Reply should be made that it is the individual; the venerable So-and-so of such-and-such a family. He, O priests, is called the bearer of the burden.

"And what, O priests, is the taking up of the burden?

"It is desire leading to rebirth, joining itself to pleasure and passion, and finding delight in every existence,--desire, namely, for sensual pleasure, desire for permanent existence, desire for transitory existence.1 This, O priests, is called the taking up of the burden.

"And what, O priests, is the laying down of the burden?

"It is the complete absence of passion, the cessation, giving up, relinquishment, forsaking, and non-adoption of desire. This, O priests, is called the laying down of the burden."

Thus spake The Blessed One; and when The Happy One had so spoken, The Teacher afterwards spoke as follows:--

"The five groups form the heavy load, And man this heavy load doth bear; This load 't is misery to take up, The laying down thereof is bliss.
"He who this heavy load lays down, Nor any other taketh up, By extirpating all desire Shall hunger lose, Nirvana gain."

p. 161 | [S.xxii.351

§ 23 b.--Translated from the Samyutta-Nikâya (xxii.351).

Thus have I heard.

On a certain occasion The Blessed One was dwelling at Sâvatthi in Jetavana monastery in Anâthapindika's Park. Then drew near a certain priest to where The Blessed One was; and having drawn near and greeted The Blessed One, he sat down respectfully at one side. And seated respectfully at one side, the priest spoke to The Blessed One as follows:

"Pray, Reverend Sir, let The Blessed One teach me the Doctrine in brief, so that when I have listened to the Doctrine of The Blessed One I may dwell solitary, retired, vigilant, strenuous, and earnest."

"By cleaving to anything, O priest, thus does one come to be; by not cleaving to anything, thus does one not come to be."

"I understand, O Blessed One! I understand, O Happy One!"

"But what, O priest, do you understand is the full meaning of what I said in brief?"

"By cleaving to form, Reverend Sir, thus does one come to be. By cleaving to sensation, . . . perception, . . . the predispositions, . . . consciousness, thus does one come to be. By not cleaving to form, Reverend Sir, thus does one not come to be. By not cleaving to sensation, . . . perception, . . . the predispositions, . . . consciousness, thus does one not come to be. This is what I understand to be the full meaning of what The Blessed One said in brief."

"Well said, well said, O priest! Well do you understand the full meaning of what I said in brief. By cleaving to form, O priest, thus does one come to be. By cleaving to sensation, . . . perception, . . . the predispositions, . . . consciousness, thus does one come to be. By not cleaving to form, O priest, thus does one not come to be. By not cleaving to sensation, . . . perception, . . . the predispositions, . . . consciousness, thus does one not come to be. This, O priest, is the full meaning of what I said in brief." Then that priest, having applauded the speech of The

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Blessed One and returned thanks, rose from his seat, and saluting The Blessed One and keeping his right side towards him, he departed.

Then that priest, solitary, retired, vigilant, strenuous, and earnest, in no long time, and in his life-time, came to learn for himself, realize, and live in the possession of that highest good to which the holy life conducts, and for the sake of which youths of good family so nobly retire from the household life to the houseless one. And he became conscious that rebirth was exhausted, that he had lived the holy life, that he had done what it behooved him to do, and that he was no more for this world.

And that priest was of the number of the saints.

§ 23 c.--Translated from the Samyutta-Nikâya (xxii.531).

Thus have I heard.

On a certain occasion The Blessed One was dwelling at Sâvatthi in Jetavana monastery in Anâthapindika's Park. And there The Blessed One addressed the priests.

"Priests," said he.

"Lord," said the priests to The Blessed One in reply. And The Blessed One spoke as follows:--

"Not to seek for anything, O priests, is to be free; to seek for anything is not to be free.

"If consciousness abide, O priests, it is because of a seeking for form that it abides, and supported by form, and resting in form, and taking delight therein, it attains to growth, increase, and development. When consciousness abides, O priests, it is because of a seeking for sensation, . . . perception, . . . the predispositions, that it abides, and supported by the predispositions, and resting in the predispositions, and taking delight therein, it attains to growth, increase, and development.

"It is impossible, O priests, for any one to say that he can declare either the coming, or the going, or the passing out of an existence, or the springing up into an existence, or the growth, or the increase, or the development of consciousness

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apart from form, apart from sensation, apart from perception, apart from the predispositions.

"If passion for form, O priests, is abandoned, then through the abandonment of passion the support is cut off, and there is no resting-place for consciousness. If passion for sensation, . . . for perception, . . . for the predispositions is abandoned, then through the abandonment of passion the support is cut off, and there is no resting-place for consciousness.

"When that consciousness has no resting-place, does not increase, and no longer accumulates karma, it becomes free; and when it is free, it becomes quiet; and when it is quiet, it is blissful; and when it is blissful, it is not agitated; and when it is not agitated, it attains Nirvana in its own person; and it knows that rebirth is exhausted, that it has lived the holy life, that it has done what it behooved it to do, and that it is no more for this world."

§ 23 d.--Translated from the Samyutta-Nikâya (xxii.112).

Thus have I heard.

On a certain occasion The Blessed One was dwelling at Sâvatthi in Jetavana monastery in Anâthapindika's Park. And there The Blessed One addressed the priests.

"Priests," said he.

"Lord," said the priests to The Blessed One in reply.

And The Blessed One spoke as follows:--

"O priests, abandon all wish, passion, delight, desire, seeking, attachment, mental affirmation, proclivity, and prejudice in respect of form. Thus will form be abandoned, uprooted, pulled out of the ground like a palmyra-tree, and become non-existent and not liable to spring up again in the future.

"Abandon all wish, passion, delight, desire, seeking, attachment, mental affirmation, proclivity, and prejudice in respect of sensation, . . . perception, . . . the predispositions, . . . consciousness. Thus will consciousness be abandoned, uprooted, pulled out of the ground like a palmyra-tree, and become non-existent and not liable to spring up again in the future."

p. 164 | [S.i.68

§ 23 e.--Translated from the Samyutta-Nikâya (i.66).

What is it causeth man to be? What has he, will not be controlled? Who are they that rebirth endure? From what can respite ne'er be found? Desire ay causeth man to be. Man's thoughts refuse to be controlled. All sentient life rebirth endures. From misery no release is found.

Next: § 24. Inanimate Nature

### Footnotes

p. 160

1 For these three desires see p. 188.