The Related Discourses

1. The Aggregates

20 (14). Enjoyment (2)

1. Thus I have heard:[1] One time, the Buddha was staying at Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park in Jeta’s Grove of Śrāvastī.

2. It was then that the Bhagavān addressed the monks, “In the past, I had pursuits and practices of enjoying form. When I realized[2] the enjoyment of form as a result, I truly saw it with wisdom. Thus, I had pursuits and practices of enjoying feeling … conception … volition … consciousness. When I realized the enjoyment of feeling … conception … volition … consciousness as a result, I truly saw it with wisdom.

3. “Monks, I had the pursuits and practices of form’s trouble. When I realized form’s trouble as a result, I truly saw it with wisdom. Thus, I had the pursuits and practices of feeling’s … conception’s … volition’s … consciousness’s trouble. When I realized consciousness’s trouble as a result, I truly saw it with wisdom.

4. “Monks, I had the pursuits and practices of escaping form. When I realized the escape from form as a result, I truly saw it with wisdom. Thus, I had the pursuits and practices of escaping feeling … conception … volition … consciousness. When I realized the escape from consciousness as a result, I truly saw it with wisdom.

5. “Monks, had I not truly known the enjoyment of the five acquired aggregates to be enjoyment … trouble to be trouble … escape to be escape, I wouldn’t be freed from, parted with, and escaped from [bondage]. I would have forever stood in delusion among the gods, Māra, Brahmā, ascetics, and priests in the assemblies of gods and humans, and I couldn’t have realized my attainment of the unsurpassed and complete awakening.

6. “Monks, I did truly know the enjoyment of the five acquired aggregates to be enjoyment … trouble to be trouble … escape to be escape, and I was freed from, parted with, and escaped from [bondage]. I never again stood in delusion among the gods, Māra, Brahmā, ascetics, and priests in the assemblies of gods and humans, and I could realize my attainment of the unsurpassed and complete awakening.”

7. When the monks heard what the Buddha taught, they rejoiced and approved.

Summary Verse

• [11-14] The past explained in four ways,
  [15] Disillusionment and [16] liberation,
  [17-18] Two ways of explaining causes and conditions,
  [19-20] And two kinds of enjoyment.

Notes

1. This sūtra is parallel with SN 22.27. [back]
2. As a result … realized. Ch. 隨順覺, Skt. *anubodhana. [back]

Translator: Charles Patton

Last Revised: 17 October 2022