The Related Discourses

35. Views

1 (133). The Six Abodes of Views

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, “Because of what’s existence, what’s cause, adherence to what, and viewing what as self are sentient beings covered by ignorance, take craving as their leader, rush down the long road, turn on the wheel of birth-and-death, circulate in birth-and-death, and don’t know an ultimate end?”

The monks said to the Buddha, “The Bhagavān is the Dharma root, the Dharma eye, and the Dharma refuge! Please have pity and explain this subject in detail! After hearing it, we monks will accept and approve of that explanation.”

3. The Buddha told the monks, “Listen closely, and consider it well! I will explain this for you.

“Monks, it’s because of form’s existence, form being something caused, adherence to form, and viewing form as self that sentient beings are covered by ignorance, take craving as their leader, rush down the long road, turn on the wheel of birth-and-death, circulate in birth-and-death[, and don’t know an ultimate end]. Feeling, conception, volition, and consciousness are likewise.

4. “Monks, is form permanent, or is it impermanent?”

“Impermanent, Bhagavān.”

5. He again asked, “If something is impermanent, is it painful?”

“It’s painful, Bhagavān.”

6. “So it is, monks. If something is impermanent, it’s painful. Because of this pain’s existence, it being something caused, adherence to it, and viewing it as self, sentient beings are covered by ignorance, take craving as their leader, rush down the long road, turn on the wheel of birth-and-death, circulate in birth-and-death[, and don’t know its ultimate end].

Feeling, conception, volition, and consciousness are likewise.

7. “Therefore, monks, all forms that exist, whether past, future, or present, internal or external, coarse or fine, beautiful or ugly, or distant or near are not self, not different than self, nor are either present in the other. This is called correct wisdom. Feeling, conception, volition, and consciousness are likewise.

8. “Thus, all that’s seen, heard, realized, recognized, sought, attained, remembered, considered, or examined[2] is not self, not different than self, nor are either present in the other. This is called correct wisdom.

9. “Suppose there’s a view that says, ‘There’s a self, there’s the world, and there’s this life. They are permanent, eternal, and not subject to change.’ All of those things are not self, not different than self, nor are either present in the other. This is called correct wisdom.

10. “Again, suppose there’s this view: ‘That’s not this self, doesn’t belong to this self, isn’t a future self, and won’t belong to a future self.’ All of those things are not self, not different than self, nor are either present in the other. This is called correct wisdom.

11. “Suppose that a well-versed noble disciple observes these six abodes of views as not self and not belonging to self. Someone who observes them in this way ends suspicions about the Buddha and ends suspicions about the Dharma and Saṅgha.

12. “Monks, this is called a well-versed noble disciple who is no longer capable of doing physical, verbal, or mental deeds that lead to the three bad destinies. Even if he’s negligent, this noble disciple is certainly headed for complete awakening. With seven rebirths in heaven or among humans, they’ll reach the limit of suffering.”

13. After the Buddha spoke this sūtra, the monks who heard what the Buddha taught rejoiced and approved.

Notes

1. This sūtra has a similar format as SN 22.150 to 158 and SN 24, but it doesn’t have a direct parallel among them. Instead, it takes up the six abodes of views found in MN 22 and MĀ 200. As we shall see, this sets the tone for the remainder of this saṃyukta, which segues to sūtras about specific views like the suttas that make up SN 24. [back]
2. remembered, considered, examined. Ch. 隨憶、隨覺、隨觀. I surmise that the Indic words are probably verbs with the roots anusmṛ-, anuvitark-, anuvicār-, meaning roughly, “remembered,” “(initially) considered,” and “(thoroughly) examined.” Note how the Chinese translator uses 覺 for vitark- here as he would in the dhyāna formula, perhaps attempting to indicate a shallow or initial consideration. “Perceiving” doesn’t really fit this context given the items covering it at the beginning of the list. [back]

Translator: Charles Patton

Last Revised: 1 November 2023