The Related Discourses
1. The Aggregates
| （六六） 生 | 74-85 (66). Birth |
|---|---|
| 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？ 修習方便禪思，內寂其心已，如實觀察。 云何如實觀察？ 如實觀察：『此色』、『此色集』、『此色滅』。 『此受⋯想⋯行⋯識』，『此識集』、『此識滅』。 | 2. It was then that the Bhagavān addressed the monks, “You must always cultivate the methods of meditating and having an inner peace in your heart. Why is that? After cultivating the methods of meditating and having an inner peace in your heart, you will truly [74] examine … [75] discern … [76] discern in various ways … [77] know … [78] know in detail … [79] know in various ways … [80] be familiar with … [81] cultivate … [82] cultivate often … [83] enter … [84] contact … [85] realize something. What is truly examined … as above …? ‘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？ 云何受⋯想⋯行⋯識集？ 比丘，愚癡、無聞凡夫不如實觀察色集、色味、色患、色離故，樂彼色。 讚歎愛著於未來世色復生。」 受、想、行、識亦如是廣說。 「彼色生，受⋯想⋯行⋯識生已，不解脫於色，不解脫於受⋯想⋯行⋯識。 我說彼不解脫生、老、病、死、憂、悲、惱、苦，純大苦聚。 是名色集，受⋯想⋯行⋯識集。 | 3. “What is the formation of form? What is the formation of feeling … conception … volition … awareness? Monks, because he doesn’t truly examine … as above … form’s formation, form’s cessation, form’s enjoyment, form’s trouble, or form’s escape, a foolish, uneducated man delights in that form. He praises, delights in, and is attached to the rebirth of form in a future life. Feeling, conception, volition, and awareness are discussed in the same way. After that form has arisen, that feeling … conception … volition … awareness has arisen, he isn’t freed from form and isn’t freed from feeling … conception … volition … awareness. I say he is not freed from birth, old age, illness, death, sorrow, lamentation, trouble, pain, or the whole mass of suffering. This is called the formation of form … feeling … conception … volition … formation of awareness. |
| 「云何色滅⋯受⋯想⋯行⋯識滅？ 多聞聖弟子如實觀察色集、色滅、色味、色患、色離。 如實知如實知故，不樂於色，不讚歎色，不樂著色，亦不生未來色。」 受、想、行、識亦如是廣說。 「色不生⋯受⋯想⋯行⋯識不生故，於色得解脫，於受⋯想⋯行⋯識得解脫。 我說彼解脫生、老、病、死、憂、悲、惱、苦聚。 是名色滅⋯受⋯想⋯行⋯識滅。 | 4. “What is the cessation of form … feeling … conception … volition, and cessation of awareness? The well-versed, noble disciple truly examines … as above … form’s formation, form’s cessation, form’s enjoyment, form’s trouble, and form’s escape. Because he truly examines … as above … it, he doesn’t delight in form, doesn’t praise form, doesn’t delight in and become attached to form, and he doesn’t give birth to future form. Feeling, conception, volition, and awareness are discussed in the same way. Because form isn’t born, because feeling … conception … volition … awareness isn’t born, he is freed from form, freed from feeling … conception … volition … awareness. I say he is freed from birth, old age, illness, death, sorrow, lamentation, trouble, pain, and the whole mass of suffering. This is called the cessation of form … feeling … conception … volition, and cessation of awareness. |
| 「是故，比丘，常當修習方便禪思，內寂其心。 ⋯精勤方便，如實觀察。」 | 5. “Therefore, monks, you must always cultivate the methods of meditating and having an inner peace in your heart. Monks, [abide in meditation, have an inner peace in your heart,] be diligent in these methods, and truly examine … as above … these things.” |
| 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⋯乃至⋯「作證」十二經，亦應廣說。） | (Like [74] “examine,” likewise [are [75] “discern,” [76] “discern in various ways,” [77] “know,” [78] “know in detail,” [79] “know in various ways,” [80] “be familiar with,” [81] “cultivate,” [82] “cultivate often,” [83] “enter,” and [84] “contact,” and] [85] “realize” are twelve sūtras recited in full.2) |
Notes
This is sūtra no. 66 in the Taisho edition and nos. 74-85 in Yinshun (T99.2.17b16-c9, Y30.108a2-15). The basic template is similar to SN 22.5-6. However, in this case, that template has been replicated with twelve different synonymous verbs for understanding the nature of the aggregates.
This pattern is repeated with SĀ 1.62-73 (65), SĀ 1.86-97 (67), and SĀ 1.98-109 (68). Each of these sets of twelve sūtras change the description of what’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]
twelve sūtras. C. 十二經. The note at the end of this and the next two groups of sūtras is an abbreviation of the same note found at the end of SĀ 1.62-73. It should be noted that here twelve sūtras are indicated rather than two, which is likely the correct reading. [back]
Translator: Charles Patton
Last Revised: 10 February 2026
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