The Related Discourses
1. The Aggregates
| （六五）受 | 62-73 (65). Feeling |
|---|---|
| 如是我聞： 一時，佛住舍衛國、祇樹、給孤獨園。 | 1. Thus I have heard:1 One time, the Buddha was staying at Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park in Jeta’s Grove of Śrāvastī. |
| 爾時，世尊告諸比丘： 「常當修習方便禪思，內寂其心。 所以者何？ 比丘常當修習方便禪思，內寂其心，如實觀察。 云何如實觀察？ 『此是色』、『此是色集』、『此是色滅』，『此是受⋯想⋯行⋯識』、『此是識集』、『此是識滅』。 | 2. It was then that the Bhagavān addressed the monks, “You must always cultivate the methods of meditative contemplation and have inner peace in your heart. Why is that? A monk must always cultivate the methods of meditative contemplation and have inner peace in his heart to truly [62] examine … [63] discern … [64] discern in various ways … [65] know … [66] know in detail … [67] know in various ways … [68] be familiar with, [69] cultivate, [70] cultivate often, [71] enter, [72] contact, and [73] realize something. What is truly examined … up to … realized? ‘This is form.’ ‘This is form’s formation.’ ‘This is form’s cessation.’ ‘This is feeling … conception … volition … awareness.’ ‘This is the formation of awareness.’ ‘This is the cessation of awareness.’ |
| 「云何色集⋯受⋯想⋯行⋯識集？ 愚癡、無聞凡夫於苦、樂、不苦不樂受，不如實觀察。 『此受集』⋯『受滅』⋯『受味』⋯『受患』⋯『受離』不如實觀察故，於受樂著生取。 取緣有，有緣生，生緣老、病、死、憂、悲、惱、苦。 如是純大苦聚從集而生。 是名色集。 是名受⋯想⋯行⋯識集。 | 3. “What is the formation of form … feeling … conception … volition … the formation of awareness? A foolish, unlearned man doesn’t truly examine … up to … realize painful, pleasant, and neither painful nor pleasant feelings. Because he doesn’t truly examine … up to … realize ‘this is the formation of feeling’ … ‘cessation of feeling’ … ‘enjoyment of feeling’ … ‘trouble of feeling’ … ‘escape of feeling,’ grasping is produced from his delight and attachment to feeling. Grasping conditions existence, existence conditions birth, and birth conditions old age, illness, death, sorrow, lamentation, trouble, and pain. The whole mass of suffering forms in this way and arises. This is called the formation of form. This is called the formation of feeling … conception … volition … awareness. |
| 「云何色滅⋯受⋯想⋯行⋯識滅？ 多聞聖弟子受諸苦、樂、不苦不樂受，如實觀察。 『此受集』⋯『受滅』⋯『受味』⋯『受患』⋯『受離』如實觀察故，於受樂著滅。 著滅故取滅，取滅故有滅，有滅故生滅，生滅故老、病、死、憂、悲、惱、苦滅。 如是純大苦聚皆悉得滅。 是名色滅⋯受⋯想⋯行⋯識滅。 | 4. “What is the cessation of form … feeling … conception … volition … cessation of awareness? A well-versed noble disciple truly examines … up to … realizes painful, pleasant, and neither painful nor pleasant feelings. Because he truly examines … up to … realizes ‘this is the formation of feeling’ … ‘cessation of feeling’ … ‘enjoyment of feeling’ … ‘trouble of feeling’ … ‘escape of feeling,’ his delight and attachment to feeling ceases. Grasping ceases because attachment ceases, existence ceases because grasping ceases, birth ceases because existence ceases, and old age, illness, death, sorrow, lamentation, trouble, and pain cease because birth ceases. The whole mass of suffering is completely ceased in this way. This is called the cessation of form … feeling … conception … volition … cessation of awareness. |
| 「是故，比丘，常當修習方便禪思，內寂其心。 比丘，禪思住，內寂其心。 精勤方便，如實觀察。」 | 5. “Therefore, monks, you must always cultivate the methods of meditative contemplation and have inner peace in your heart. Monks, abide in meditative contemplation, have inner peace in your heart. Be diligent in these methods, and truly examine … up to … realize these things.”2 |
| 佛說此經已，諸比丘聞佛所說，歡喜奉行。 | 6. After the Buddha spoke this sūtra, the monks who heard what the Buddha taught rejoiced and approved. |
| 如觀察，如是分別、種種分別、知、廣知、種種知、親近、親近修習、入、觸、證二經，亦如是廣說。 | (Like [62] “examine,” likewise is [63] “discern,” [64] “discern in various ways,” [65] “know,” [66] “know in detail,” [67] “know in various ways,” [68] “be familiar with,” [69] “cultivate,” [70] “cultivate often,” [71] “enter,” [72] “contact,” and [73] “realize” are twelve sūtras recited in full.3) |
Notes
This is sūtra no. 65 in the Taisho edition and no. 62-73 in Yinshun (T99.2.17a23-b15, Y30.107a3-8a1). The basic template is similar to SN 22.5-6. However, in this case, that template has been replicated with twelve different verbs for understanding.
This will be repeated with SĀ 1.74-85 (66), SĀ 1.86-97 (67), and SĀ 1.98-109 (68). Each of these sets of twelve sūtras change the subject that’s understood and replicate the template with the same twelve synonyms for understanding. Thus, four variations are multiplied in twelve ways to arrive at a total of 48 sūtras. [back]
This conclusion is very similar to the conclusions that are found throughout the Ekottarika Āgama. The format is such that the Buddha sums up the teaching with a brief axiom to follow and then exhorts the monks to train in that way. There is no mention of training here, but the effect is the same. This type of concluding statement is scattered here and there in both Theravāda and Sarvāstivāda EBTs, but it’s found at the end of the majority of sūtras in EĀ. [back]
“be familiar with,” “cultivate,” “cultivate often,” … twelve sūtras. C. 親近、親近修習⋯二經. The Taisho reading of this passage has apparently suffered some corruption. We can tell this first by the fact that the list of items totals only to eleven sūtras. This might be fine, but it ends with mention of “two sūtras,” which makes little sense. The notes to the next three sūtras abbreviate the list of variant keywords but mention a total of twelve sūtras.
Yinshun suggests the solution of amending the note to read “twelve” by inserting 十. He also hypothesizes that the list of keywords has repeated 親近 in error and omitted 多修習, which often occurs with 修習 in Sarvāstivāda EBTs. He cites a passage in the Yogācārabhūmi that comments on the three keywords “familiarize with, cultivate, and cultivate often” (親近、修習、多修習) as a precedent for this reading (cf. T1579.30.783b1-5). The resulting reconstruction would read: “如觀察，如是分別、種種分別、知、廣知、種種知、親近、修習、多修習、入、觸、證十二經，亦如是廣說.”
Overall, it seems plausible given the textual issues throughout SĀ. I have followed his suggestions in my translation here. [back]
Translator: Charles Patton
Last Revised: 17 June 2025
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