Translating Classical Buddhism to Modern English

The Related Discourses

1. The Aggregates

（六七） 樂 86-97 (67). Delight
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，修習方便禪思，內寂其心已，如實觀察。云何如實觀察？ 如實知： 『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? A monk who has always cultivated the methods of meditating and had inner peace in his heart truly [86] examines … [87] discerns … [88] discerns in various ways … [89] knows … [90] knows in detail … [91] knows in various ways … [92] is familiar with, [93] cultivates, [94] cultivates often, [95] enters, [96] contacts, and [97] realizes something. What does he truly examine … up to … realize? He truly knows: ‘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、無聞凡夫不如實知色集、色滅、色味、色患、色離。 不如實知故，樂著彼色，讚歎於色。 樂著於色，讚歎色故取。 取緣有，有緣生，生緣老、死、憂、悲、惱、苦。 如是純大苦聚生。 是名色集，受⋯想⋯行⋯識集。 3. “What is the formation of form … feeling … conception … volition … the formation of awareness? A foolish, uneducated man doesn’t truly know form’s formation, form’s cessation, form’s enjoyment, form’s trouble, or form’s escape. Because he doesn’t truly know it, he delights in and becomes attached to form, and he praises form. He grasps it because he has delighted in, become attached to, and praised form. Existence is conditioned by grasping, birth is conditioned by existence, and old age, death, sorrow, lamentation, trouble, and pain are conditioned by birth. In this way, the whole mass of suffering arises. This is called the formation of form … feeling … conception … volition … the formation of awareness.
「云何色滅，受、想、行、識滅？ 多聞聖弟子如實知色集、色滅、色味、色患、色離。 如實知故，不樂著色，不讚歎色。 不樂著、讚歎色故，愛樂滅。 愛樂滅故取滅。 取滅故有滅。 有滅故生滅。 生滅故老、病、死、憂、悲、惱、苦滅。 如是純大苦聚滅。 4. “What is the cessation of form … feeling … conception … volition … the cessation of awareness? A well-versed noble disciple truly knows form’s formation, form’s cessation, form’s enjoyment, form’s trouble, and form’s escape. Because he truly knows it, he doesn’t delight in or become attached to form, and he doesn’t praise form. His craving and delight ceases because he hasn’t delighted in, become attached to, or praised form. Grasping ceases because craving and delight cease. Existence ceases because grasping ceases. Birth ceases because existence ceases. Old age, death, sorrow, lamentation, trouble, and pain cease because birth ceases. In this way, the whole mass of suffering ceases.
「云何多聞聖弟子如實知受⋯想⋯行⋯識？ 識集、識滅、識味、識患、識離如實知？ 知彼故不樂著彼識，不讚歎於識。 不樂著、讚歎識故，樂愛滅。 樂愛滅故取滅。 取滅故有滅。 有滅故生滅。 生滅故老、病、死、憂、悲、惱、苦滅。 如是純大苦聚滅。 皆悉得滅。 比丘，是名色滅，受⋯想⋯行⋯識滅。 5. “How does a well-versed noble disciple truly know feeling … conception … volition … awareness? How does he truly know awareness’ formation, awareness’ cessation, awareness’ enjoyment, awareness’ trouble, and awareness’ escape? Because he truly knows it, he doesn’t delight in or become attached to awareness, and he doesn’t praise awareness. His craving and delight cease because he hasn’t delighted in, become attached to, or praised awareness. Grasping ceases because craving and delight cease. Existence ceases because grasping ceases. Birth ceases because existence ceases. Old age, illness, death, sorrow, lamentation, trouble, and pain cease because birth ceases. In this way, the whole mass of suffering ceases.2 All of this becomes ceased. Monks, this is called the cessation of form … feeling … conception … volition, cessation of awareness.
「⋯比丘，常當修習方便禪思，內寂其心⋯」 6. “[Therefore,] monks, you must always cultivate the methods of meditating and having an inner peace in your heart. [Monks, abide in meditating and having inner peace in your heart. Be diligent in these methods, and truly examine … up to … realize these things.]”3
佛說此經已，諸比丘聞佛所說歡喜，奉行。 7. After the Buddha spoke this sūtra, the monks who heard what the Buddha taught rejoiced and approved.
（如「觀察」⋯乃至⋯「作證」十二經，亦如是廣說。） (Like [86] “examine,” [likewise is [87] “discern,” [88] “discern in various ways,” [89] “know,” [90] “know in detail,” [91] “know in various ways,” [92] “be familiar with,” [93] “cultivate,” [94] “cultivate often,” [95] “enter,” [96] “contact,” and] [97] “realize” are twelve sūtras recited in full.4)

Notes

  1. This is sūtra no. 67 in the Taisho edition and nos. 86-97 in Yinshun (T99.2.17c10-8a5, Y30.109a1-15). 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 1.74-85 (66), 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]

  2. In several older editions of this sūtra, there is an additional paragraph inserted after this sentence that seems to be an accidental copy of a previous passage. I have kept my translation to the Taisho reading. [back]

  3. I’ve reconstructed this conclusion based on SĀ 1.62-73, which includes the full conclusion following a format found in many EBTs that draws a general moral or principle from the proceeding lecture. Here, it has been abbreviated to the initial statement only. [back]

  4. This translator’s note has also been abbreviated. I’ve expanded it back to the original list of alternate verbs found in the note to SĀ 1.62-73 that began this series of sūtras. [back]

Translator: Charles Patton

Last Revised: 10 February 2026

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