Sabbâsava SUTTA BOOK FINAL.Pmd
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SABBâSAVA SUTTA (DISCOURSE ON THE ERADICATION OF ALL CANKERS) Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION TO SUTTA Namo Thassa Bhagavatho Arahatho Sammà Sambuddhassa Eva§ me sutha§ eka§ samaya§ bhagavà sàvattiya§ viharati jethavane anàthapiõóikassa àràme, tatra kho bhagavà bhikkhu àmantesi bhikkhavoti. Bhadanteti te bhikkhu bhagavatho paccassosu§. Bhagavà etadavoca: sabbàsavasa§varapariyàya§ vo bhikkhave desissàmi, tha§ sunàtha, sàdhuka§ manasikarotha, bhàsissàmãti. Eva§ bhantetiti kho te bhikkhu bhagavato paccassosu§. Bhagavà etadavoca; jànatho aha§ bhikkhave passato àsavàna§ khaya§ vadàmi, no ajànato, no apassato. Ki¤ca bhikkhave jànato ki§ passato àsavàna§ khayo hoti? Yoniso ca manasikàra§ ayoniso ca manasikàra§, ayoniso bhikkhave manasikaroto anuppannà ceva àsava uppajjanti, uppannà ca àsavà pavaóóhanti. Yoniso ca kho bhikkhawe manasikaroto anuppannà cheva àsavà na uppajjanti, uppannà ca àsavà paheeyanti. Dear fortunate devotees keen to listen to the Dhamma, Amid our hectic lives, the time spent by all of us, even a spared moment dedicated to the supreme dhamma is extremely valuable. The only way to eradicate all suffering and escape from this repeated cycle of births and deaths (sa§sàra) and open the door to reach the ultimate happiness is by following this profound dhamma. Right now, you are at that door, to listen to that supreme dhamma. We have selected the most valuable Sabbàsava Sutta from the teachings of Lord Buddha, as the topic of today’s sermon, for all of us, to open that supreme door to Nibbàna. One day, the Buddha, while residing at Jetavanàràma in the City of Sàvatthi, addressed the congregation of monks. They responded with clasped hands raised in veneration and listened. Observing their silence, the Buddha said ‘Monks, today I will describe to you the path of practice 1 (pañipadà) to cease, to destroy, all cankers (àsava = deep-rooted desires/ aversions). You must listen carefully and reflect accordingly’. Addressing the monks thus, the Buddha preached this most valuable Sabbàsava Sutta. At the very commencement, the Buddha reminds monks of an important prerequisite: ‘Jànato aha§ bhikkhave passato àsavàna§ khaya§ vadàmi, no ajànato, no apassato. Ki¤ca bhikkhave jànato ki§ passato àsavàna§ khayo hoti? Yoniso ca manasikàra§ ayoniso ca manasikàra§’ Skillful Reflection and Unskillful Reflection of the Dhamma At this point the Buddha emphasized an important requirement. ‘Monks, jànatho passato - one who knows and sees both the skillful reflection of dhamma (yoniso-manasikàra) and the un-skillful reflection of dhamma (ayoniso-manasikàra) - will be able to cease àsava. Also, I would say that a person who does not know, and, does not see the skillful reflection of dhamma and the unskillful reflection of dhamma, will not be able to cease àsava. It is only the one who knows, and sees yoniso-manasikàra and ayoniso- manasikàra, who will cease all àsava; the one who does not know and does not see yoniso-manasikàra and ayoniso-manasikàra will not cease any àsava. The Blessed One further stressed that ‘ayoniso ca bhikkhave manasikarota anuppannà cheva àsavà uppajjanti, uppannà ca àsavà pavaóóanti ‘– the one who contemplates without wisdom will create unarisen àsava and kilesa and will enhance àsava that are already arisen. Yoniso ca kho bhikkhave manasikaroto anuppannà ceva àsavà na uppajjanti, uppannà ca àsavà pahãyanti – the one with skillful reflection of the dhamma and who contemplates with wisdom, will not create unarisen àsava, and will reduce the arisen àsava and lust/ passion (kilesa). So, for unborn àsava not to be created and for any arisen àsava to be reduced, what the Buddha taught was the employment of yoniso- manasikàra. Dear devotees, it is important for us to analyse in depth this teaching of the Buddha. The Buddha has shown us here the position of yoniso- manasikàra and ayoniso-manasikàra. In the case of ayoniso- 2 manasikàra, unrisen àsava will arise and arisen àsava will grow. On the other hand, with yoniso-manasikàra, unrisen àsava will not arise, and any arisen àsava will be reduced. However, there is no reference here to instances where un-arisen merits (kusal) could arise and arisen merits could flourish. We will be able to gain some insight into this when we proceed further into the sutta. The Procedures for Eradicating Cankers (âsava) The Buddha then described seven procedures for the eradication of àsava. 1. Atthi bhikkhave àsavà dassanà pahàtabbà: Monks, there are àsava that have to be eradicated by vision and wisdom (dassana). 2. Atthi àsavà sa§vara pahàtabbà: there are àsava that have to be eradicated through disciplining the six senses (sa§vara). 3. Atthi àsavà pañisevanà pahàtabbà: there are àsava that have to be eradicated through reflection and reasoning, intuitive realisation (paccavekka) 4. Atthi àsavà adhivàsanà pahàtabbà: there are àsava that have to be eradicated through patience and tolerance (adhivàsanà). 5. Atthi àsavà parivajjanà pahàtabbà: there are àsava that have to be eradicated through abstinence and avoidance (parivajjanà). 6. Atthi àsavà vinodanà pahàtabbà: there are àsava that have to be eradicated through determination and effort (viriya). 7. Atthi àsavà bhàvanà pahàtabbà: there are àsava that have to be eradicated through meditation (bhàvanà ) The above are the seven procedures described by the Buddha for the diminishing and eradication of cankers (àsava). They may be summarised as follows: 1. by vision and wisdom 2. by disciplining the six senses 3. by reasoning and reflection 4. by patience and tolerance 5. by abstinence and avoidance 6. by determination and effort and 7. by meditation. 3 What is shown here in this esteemed process taught by the Buddha for the eradication of àsava and kilesa is really the tri-precepts (tisikkhà), namely, 1. morality (sãla), 2. concentration (samàdhi), and, 3. wisdom (pa¤¤à). However, in this modern world, most of us select only one of the above in order to reduce and eradicate kilesa – that is meditation. In order to eradicate cankers and realize Nibbàna, we all engage in meditation. But we should note that, in the path to Nibbàna, the Buddha has listed meditation as the seventh procedure. It is not listed as the first. The Buddha has stated the first procedure for eradicating cankers (àsava) as vision and wisdom (dassana). A Specific Procedure for Eradicating Each Group of Cankers (âsava) âsava that has to be eradicated by vision and wisdom (dassana) cannot be eradicated through disciplining the senses, or patience, or meditation. The àsava to be eradicated through discipline has to be eradicated through discipline and not through patience or abstinence. The àsava to be eradicated through reasoning has to be eradicated through reasoning and not through vision and wisdom, discipline or effort. The àsava to be eradicated through patience has to be eradicated through patience. It cannot be done through wisdom, discipline or effort. The àsava to be eradicated through abstinence has to be eradicated through abstinence. It cannot be done through any other means. The àsava to be eradicated through effort has to be eradicated through effort and not in any other way. The àsava to be eradicated through meditation must be eradicated through meditation. The Factors of Enlightenment (Bojjha§ga) in This Scheme In this Sutta the Buddha places the development of the Factors of Enlightenment (Bojjha§ga) as the seventh procedure, under meditation (bhàvanà pahàtabbà). It is the cultivation of these Bodhi Factors which is emphasized as ‘meditation’ in this Sutta. 4 However, these days, in our opinion, every aspect of our meditation may be categorized under ‘effort’ (vinodana pahàthabbà) which is the sixth procedure of the above mentioned seven-aspect-process. It is this procedure of effort that is currently being used by most devotees to suppress newly arisen àsava. The Categories of âsava The first procedure mentioned here is dassana pahàthabbà, which is the eradication of àsava by critical thinking and wisdom. In this Sutta the àsavas listed for eradication are (1) àsava due to lust (kàmàsava), (2) àsava due to craving for becoming (bhavàsava), and, (3) àsava due to delusion (avijjàsava). It is noteworthy that, here in this Sutta, àsava arising out of ‘wrong view’ (diññhàsava) are not mentioned. Why is that? Normally when we discuss àsava, there are four categories of àsava that we consider. They are as follows: 1. àsava due to lust (kàmàsava) 2. àsava due to craving for becoming or bhava (bhavàsava) 3. àsava due to wrong view (diññhàsava), and 4. àsava due to ignorance (avijjàsava). However, in Sabbàsava Sutta only three of them have been listed. âsava due to wrong view (diññhàsava) has not been included. There is a reason for that. This Dispensation of the Buddha (Sàsana) begins with the domain of vision and wisdom (dassana bhåmi). When we reach the domain of wisdom, called the Path, àsava due to wrong view (diññhàsava) has already been eradicated. The wrong view of self (sakkàya diññhi) has been eradicated. One who has reached the Path (magga) has only to eradicate àsava due to lust (kàmàsava), craving for becoming (bhavàsava) and ignorance (avijjàsava). The Domain of Wisdom and the Meaning of âsava The simplest meaning for ‘àsava’ is ‘past-association’. We always add our past-associations onto the present. We rarely go to the future. We always tend to go to the past. When we clash with the present, we 5 always contemplate our past. What we contemplate is what we have got to know. Seeing this reality is what is called vision and wisdom. When àsava due to wrong view (diññhàsava) is eradicated, the following should have taken place: — Ida§ dukkha§ti yonisomanasikaroti — Aya§ dukkhasamudayoti yonisomanasikaroti — Aya§ dukkhanirodhoti yonisomanasikaroti — Aya§ dukkanirodhagàminãpañipadàti yonisomanasikaroti When we reach this domain of wisdom (dassana), we should have come across suffering (dukkha), the cause of suffering (samudaya), the cessation of suffering (nirodha), and the path leading to the cessation of suffering (magga). We should have the wisdom of seeing the Four Noble Truths.