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SN 24.8PTS SN 3.2113 min read

The Extensive View

Mahādiṭṭhisutta

The view that transmigration is fixed is given up by seeing the aggregates, as well as what is seen, heard, thought, and known, as impermanent.

Translated by Bhikkhu Sujato · Pāli: Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka · Public domain (CC0) via SuttaCentral

  • 0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 24.8Linked Discourses 24.8
  • 0.21. Sotāpattivagga1. Stream-Entry

0.3MahādiṭṭhisuttaThe Extensive View

1.1PTS 3.212Sāvatthinidānaṁ.At Sāvatthī.1

1.2“Kismiṁ nu kho, bhikkhave, sati, kiṁ upādāya, kiṁ abhinivissa evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjati:“Mendicants, when what exists, because of grasping what and insisting on what, does the view arise:1.3‘sattime kāyā akaṭā, akaṭavidhā, animmitā, animmātā, vañjhā, kūṭaṭṭhā, esikaṭṭhāyiṭṭhitā;‘There are these seven substances that are not made, not derived, not created, without a creator, barren, steady as a mountain peak, standing firm like a pillar.21.4te na iñjanti, na vipariṇamanti, na aññamaññaṁ byābādhenti; nālaṁ aññamaññassa sukhāya vā dukkhāya vā sukhadukkhāya vā.They don’t move or deteriorate or obstruct each other. They’re unable to cause pleasure, pain, or both pleasure and pain to each other.1.5Katame satta?What seven?1.6Pathavīkāyo, āpokāyo, tejokāyo, vāyokāyo, sukhe, dukkhe, jīve sattame.The substances of earth, water, fire, air; pleasure, pain, and the soul is the seventh.1.7Ime satta kāyā akaṭā, akaṭavidhā, animmitā, animmātā, vañjhā, kūṭaṭṭhā esikaṭṭhāyiṭṭhitā;These seven substances are not made, not derived, not created, without a creator, barren, steady as a mountain peak, standing firm like a pillar.1.8te na iñjanti, na vipariṇamanti, na aññamaññaṁ byābādhenti; nālaṁ aññamaññassa sukhāya vā dukkhāya vā sukhadukkhāya vā.They don’t move or deteriorate or obstruct each other. They’re unable to cause pleasure, pain, or both pleasure and pain to each other.31.9Yopi tiṇhena satthena sīsaṁ chindati, na sopi kañci jīvitā voropeti;If you chop off someone’s head with a sharp sword, you don’t take anyone’s life.1.10sattannaṁ tveva kāyānamantarena satthaṁ vivaramanupavisati.The sword simply passes through the gap between the seven substances.1.11Cuddasa kho panimāni yonipamukhasatasahassāni saṭṭhi ca satāni cha ca satāni pañca ca kammuno satāni pañca ca kammāni, tīṇi ca kammāni, kamme ca aḍḍhakamme ca dvaṭṭhipaṭipadā, dvaṭṭhantarakappā, chaḷābhijātiyo, aṭṭha purisabhūmiyo, ekūnapaññāsa ājīvakasate, ekūnapaññāsa paribbājakasate, ekūnapaññāsa nāgavāsasate, vīse indriyasate, tiṁse nirayasate, chattiṁsarajodhātuyo, satta saññīgabbhā, satta asaññīgabbhā, satta nigaṇṭhigabbhā, satta devā, satta mānusā, satta pesācā, satta sarā, satta pavuṭā, satta papātā, satta ca papātasatāni, satta supinā, satta supinasatāni, cullāsīti mahākappino satasahassāni, yāni bāle ca paṇḍite ca sandhāvitvā saṁsaritvā dukkhassantaṁ karissanti.There are 1.4 million main wombs, and 6,000, and 600; 500 deeds, and five, and three; deeds and half-deeds; 62 paths of practice, 62 sub-eons, six classes of rebirth, and eight stages in a person’s life; 4,900 Ājīvaka ascetics, 4,900 wanderers, and 4,900 dragon abodes; 2,000 lordships, 3,000 hells, and 36 realms of dusky sky; seven percipient embryos, seven non-percipient embryos, seven knotless embryos, seven gods, seven mental heavens, seven goblins, seven streams, seven castoff incarnations and 700 castoff incarnations, seven downfalls and 700 downfalls, seven dreams and 700 dreams, and 8.4 million great eons—through all of which the foolish and the astute transmigrate before making an end of suffering.41.12Tattha natthi imināhaṁ sīlena vā vatena vā tapena vā brahmacariyena vā aparipakkaṁ vā kammaṁ paripācessāmi;And here there is no such thing as this: “By this precept or observance or fervent austerity or spiritual practice I shall force unripened deeds to bear their fruit, or eliminate old deeds by experiencing their results little by little”—for that cannot be.1.13paripakkaṁ vā kammaṁ phussa phussa byantīkarissāmīti hevaṁ natthi doṇamite sukhadukkhe pariyantakate saṁsāre, natthi hāyanavaḍḍhane, natthi ukkaṁsāvakaṁse.Pleasure and pain are allotted. Transmigration lasts only for a limited period, so there’s no increase or decrease, no getting better or worse.1.14Seyyathāpi nāma suttaguḷe khitte nibbeṭhiyamānameva paleti;It’s like how, when you toss a ball of string, it rolls away unraveling.1.15evameva bāle ca paṇḍite ca nibbeṭhiyamānā sukhadukkhaṁ palentī’”ti?In the same way, after transmigrating the foolish and the astute roll away unraveling as far as pleasure and pain extend’?”5

1.16“Bhagavaṁmūlakā no, bhante, dhammā …pe…“Our teachings are rooted in the Buddha. …”

2.1“Rūpe kho, bhikkhave, sati, rūpaṁ upādāya, rūpaṁ abhinivissa evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjati:“When form exists, because of grasping form and insisting on form, the view arises:2.2‘sattime kāyā akaṭā, akaṭavidhā …pe…‘There are these seven substances that are not made …2.3sukhadukkhaṁ palentī’ti.the foolish and the astute will make an end of suffering.’2.4Vedanāya sati …pe…When feeling …2.5saññāya sati …perception …2.6saṅkhāresu sati …choices …2.7viññāṇe sati, viññāṇaṁ upādāya, viññāṇaṁ abhinivissa evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjati:consciousness exists, because of grasping consciousness and insisting on consciousness, the view arises:2.8‘sattime kāyā akaṭā, akaṭavidhā …pe…‘There are these seven substances that are not made …2.9sukhadukkhaṁ palentī’ti.the foolish and the astute will make an end of suffering.’

3.1PTS 3.213Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave,What do you think, mendicants?3.2rūpaṁ niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā”ti?Is form permanent or impermanent?”

3.3“Aniccaṁ, bhante” …pe…“Impermanent, sir.” …

3.4“yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāmadhammaṁ, api nu taṁ anupādāya evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjeyya:3.5‘sattime kāyā akaṭā akaṭavidhā …pe…3.6sukhadukkhaṁ palentī’”ti?3.7“No hetaṁ, bhante”.

3.8“Yampidaṁ diṭṭhaṁ sutaṁ mutaṁ viññātaṁ pattaṁ pariyesitaṁ anuvicaritaṁ manasā tampi niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā”ti?“That which is seen, heard, thought, known, attained, sought, and explored by the mind: is that permanent or impermanent?”

3.9“Aniccaṁ, bhante …pe…“Impermanent, sir.” …

3.10api nu taṁ anupādāya evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjeyya:“But by not grasping what’s impermanent, suffering, and perishable, would such a view arise?”3.11‘sattime kāyā akaṭā akaṭavidhā …pe…3.12nibbeṭhiyamānā sukhadukkhaṁ palentī’”ti?

3.13“No hetaṁ, bhante”.“No, sir.”

4.1“Yato kho, bhikkhave, ariyasāvakassa imesu ca ṭhānesu kaṅkhā pahīnā hoti, dukkhepissa kaṅkhā pahīnā hoti …pe… dukkhanirodhagāminiyā paṭipadāyapissa kaṅkhā pahīnā hoti—“When a noble disciple has given up doubt regarding these six grounds, and has given up doubt in suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the practice that leads to its cessation,4.2ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako sotāpanno avinipātadhammo niyato sambodhiparāyano”ti.they’re called a noble disciple who is a stream-enterer, not liable to be reborn in the underworld, assured, destined for awakening.”

4.3Aṭṭhamaṁ.

Translator’s notes

  1. Mahā in the title refers to the length of the view, not to its quality.

    ↩ sn24.8:1.1
  2. The doctrine of the seven substances (sattakāyavāda) is attributed to Pakudha Kaccāyana at DN 2:26.2; also at MN 76:16.2. It has clear similarities to the niccavāda of SN 24.1.

    ↩ sn24.8:1.3
  3. Here the versions at DN 2:26.8 and MN 76:16.8 insert another sentence, saying that there is no one who kills or is killed, etc.

    ↩ sn24.8:1.8
  4. At DN 2:20.7 this “doctrine of purification through transmigration” (saṁsārasuddhivāda) is taught by Makkhali Gosāla, but at MN 76:16.11 it is attached to the seven substances view, as here. It seems that Pakudha and Makkhali were fellow-travellers for a time, and it is likely that they shared many overlaps, and the schools may even have merged.

    ↩ sn24.8:1.11
  5. The reading here (nibbeṭhiyamānā sukhadukkhaṁ palenti) differs from DN 2:20.11 and MN 76:16.15. Sukhadukkhaṁ is the so-called “accusative of extension”, denoting the range to which the verb applies (Wijesekera, Syntax of the Cases, §44).

    ↩ sn24.8:1.15