[501] Bhikkhus, there are these three sectarian tenets (titthāyatana) which, when questioned, interrogated, and pressed by the wise, even when taken through to their conclusion, terminate in [a doctrine of] inaction (akiriyā). What three? There are, bhikkhus, some ascetics and brahmins who hold this doctrine, this view: 'Whatever this person experiences — whether pleasant, painful, or neither-painful-nor-pleasant — all that is caused by what was done in the past.' There are, bhikkhus, some ascetics and brahmins who hold this doctrine, this view: 'Whatever this person experiences — whether pleasant, painful, or neither-painful-nor-pleasant — all that is caused by the creation of a Supreme Lord (issaranimmāna).' There are, bhikkhus, some ascetics and brahmins who hold this doctrine, this view: 'Whatever this person experiences — whether pleasant, painful, or neither-painful-nor-pleasant — all that is without cause or condition.'
Therein, bhikkhus, as to those ascetics and brahmins who hold this doctrine, this view: 'Whatever this person experiences — whether pleasant, painful, or neither-painful-nor-pleasant — all that is caused by what was done in the past,' I approach them and say: 'Is it true, as is said, that you venerable ones hold this doctrine, this view: "Whatever this person experiences — whether pleasant, painful, or neither-painful-nor-pleasant — all that is caused by what was done in the past"?' If, being asked thus by me, they acknowledge, 'Yes,' I say to them: 'In that case, the venerable ones will be destroyers of life because of what was done in the past; will be takers of what is not given because of what was done in the past; will be non-celibate because of what was done in the past; will be speakers of falsehood because of what was done in the past; will be speakers of divisive speech because of what was done in the past; will be speakers of harsh speech because of what was done in the past; will be indulgers in idle chatter because of what was done in the past; will be covetous because of what was done in the past; will be of a mind of ill will because of what was done in the past; will be of wrong view because of what was done in the past.' But, bhikkhus, for those who fall back on what was done in the past as the essence, there is no desire or effort [with the discrimination]: 'This should be done, this should not be done.' And so, since what should be done and what should not be done are not apprehended as true and reliable, dwelling with muddled mindfulness and without guard, the claim of being an ascetic cannot be legitimately established for them personally. This, bhikkhus, is my first legitimate refutation of those ascetics and brahmins who hold such a doctrine, such a view.
Therein, bhikkhus, as to those ascetics and brahmins who hold this doctrine, this view: 'Whatever this person experiences — whether pleasant, painful, or neither-painful-nor-pleasant — all that is caused by the creation of a Supreme Lord,' I approach them and say: 'Is it true, as is said, that you venerable ones hold this doctrine, this view: "Whatever this person experiences — whether pleasant, painful, or neither-painful-nor-pleasant — all that is caused by the creation of a Supreme Lord"?' If, being asked thus by me, they acknowledge, 'Yes,' I say to them: 'In that case, the venerable ones will be destroyers of life because of the creation of a Supreme Lord … will be of wrong view because of the creation of a Supreme Lord.' But, bhikkhus, for those who fall back on the creation of a Supreme Lord as the essence, there is no desire or effort [with the discrimination]: 'This should be done, this should not be done.' And so, since what should be done and what should not be done are not apprehended as true and reliable, dwelling with muddled mindfulness and without guard, the claim of being an ascetic cannot be legitimately established for them personally. This, bhikkhus, is my second legitimate refutation of those ascetics and brahmins who hold such a doctrine, such a view.
Therein, bhikkhus, as to those ascetics and brahmins who hold this doctrine, this view: 'Whatever this person experiences — whether pleasant, painful, or neither-painful-nor-pleasant — all that is without cause or condition,' I approach them and say: 'Is it true, as is said, that you venerable ones hold this doctrine, this view: "Whatever this person experiences — whether pleasant, painful, or neither-painful-nor-pleasant — all that is without cause or condition"?' If, being asked thus by me, they acknowledge, 'Yes,' I say to them: 'In that case, the venerable ones will be destroyers of life without cause or condition … will be of wrong view without cause or condition.' But, bhikkhus, for those who fall back on absence of cause as the essence, there is no desire or effort [with the discrimination]: 'This should be done, this should not be done.' And so, since what should be done and what should not be done are not apprehended as true and reliable, dwelling with muddled mindfulness and without guard, the claim of being an ascetic cannot be legitimately established for them personally. This, bhikkhus, is my third legitimate refutation of those ascetics and brahmins who hold such a doctrine, such a view.
These, bhikkhus, are the three sectarian tenets which, when questioned, interrogated, and pressed by the wise, even when taken through to their conclusion, terminate in [a doctrine of] inaction.
But this Dhamma, bhikkhus, taught by me, is unrefuted, undefiled, blameless, uncensured by wise ascetics and brahmins. And what, bhikkhus, is the Dhamma taught by me that is unrefuted, undefiled, blameless, uncensured by wise ascetics and brahmins? 'These are the six elements (dhātu)': this, bhikkhus, is Dhamma taught by me that is unrefuted, undefiled, blameless, uncensured by wise ascetics and brahmins. 'These are the six bases of contact (phassāyatana)': this, bhikkhus, is Dhamma taught by me that is unrefuted, undefiled, blameless, uncensured by wise ascetics and brahmins. 'These are the eighteen mental examinations (manopavicāra)': this, bhikkhus, is Dhamma taught by me that is unrefuted, undefiled, blameless, uncensured by wise ascetics and brahmins. 'These are the four noble truths (ariyasacca)': this, bhikkhus, is Dhamma taught by me that is unrefuted, undefiled, blameless, uncensured by wise ascetics and brahmins.
Now, when it was said: '"These are the six elements": this, bhikkhus, is Dhamma taught by me that is unrefuted, undefiled, blameless, uncensured by wise ascetics and brahmins' — with reference to what was this said? There are, bhikkhus, these six elements: the earth element, the water element, the fire element, the air element, the space element, and the consciousness element. When it was said: '"These are the six elements": this, bhikkhus, is Dhamma taught by me that is unrefuted, undefiled, blameless, uncensured by wise ascetics and brahmins' — it was with reference to this that it was said.
And when it was said: '"These are the six bases of contact": this, bhikkhus, is Dhamma taught by me that is unrefuted, undefiled, blameless, uncensured by wise ascetics and brahmins' — with reference to what was this said? There are, bhikkhus, these six bases of contact: the eye is a base of contact, the ear is a base of contact, the nose is a base of contact, the tongue is a base of contact, the body is a base of contact, the mind is a base of contact. When it was said: '"These are the six bases of contact": this, bhikkhus, is Dhamma taught by me that is unrefuted, undefiled, blameless, uncensured by wise ascetics and brahmins' — it was with reference to this that it was said.
And when it was said: '"These are the eighteen mental examinations": this, bhikkhus, is Dhamma taught by me that is unrefuted, undefiled, blameless, uncensured by wise ascetics and brahmins' — with reference to what was this said? Having seen a form with the eye, one examines a form that is a basis for joy, examines a form that is a basis for grief, examines a form that is a basis for equanimity. Having heard a sound with the ear … having smelled an odour with the nose … having tasted a taste with the tongue … having touched a tangible object with the body … having cognized a mental phenomenon (dhamma) with the mind, one examines a mental phenomenon that is a basis for joy, examines a mental phenomenon that is a basis for grief, examines a mental phenomenon that is a basis for equanimity. When it was said: '"These are the eighteen mental examinations": this, bhikkhus, is Dhamma taught by me that is unrefuted, undefiled, blameless, uncensured by wise ascetics and brahmins' — it was with reference to this that it was said.
And when it was said: '"These are the four noble truths": this, bhikkhus, is Dhamma taught by me that is unrefuted, undefiled, blameless, uncensured by wise ascetics and brahmins' — with reference to what was this said? In dependence on the six elements, bhikkhus, there is descent into the womb; when there is descent, there is name-and-form; with name-and-form as condition, the six sense bases (āyatana); with the six sense bases as condition, contact; with contact as condition, feeling (vedanā). Now it is for one who feels, bhikkhus, that I declare: 'This is suffering (dukkha)'; I declare: 'This is the origin of suffering'; I declare: 'This is the cessation of suffering'; I declare: 'This is the way of practice leading to the cessation of suffering.'
And what, bhikkhus, is the noble truth of suffering? Birth is suffering, aging is suffering, death is suffering; sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair are suffering; association with what is unloved is suffering; separation from what is loved is suffering; not to get what one wishes for — that too is suffering; in brief, the five aggregates subject to clinging are suffering. This, bhikkhus, is called the noble truth of suffering.
And what, bhikkhus, is the noble truth of the origin of suffering? With ignorance (avijjā) as condition, volitional formations; with volitional formations as condition, consciousness; with consciousness as condition, name-and-form; with name-and-form as condition, the six sense bases; with the six sense bases as condition, contact; with contact as condition, feeling; with feeling as condition, craving (taṇhā); with craving as condition, clinging; with clinging as condition, existence; with existence as condition, birth; with birth as condition, aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair come to be. Thus is the origin of this whole mass of suffering. This, bhikkhus, is called the noble truth of the origin of suffering.
And what, bhikkhus, is the noble truth of the cessation of suffering? With the remainderless fading away and cessation of that very ignorance comes the cessation of volitional formations; with the cessation of volitional formations, the cessation of consciousness; with the cessation of consciousness, the cessation of name-and-form; with the cessation of name-and-form, the cessation of the six sense bases; with the cessation of the six sense bases, the cessation of contact; with the cessation of contact, the cessation of feeling; with the cessation of feeling, the cessation of craving; with the cessation of craving, the cessation of clinging; with the cessation of clinging, the cessation of existence; with the cessation of existence, the cessation of birth; with the cessation of birth, aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair cease. Thus is the cessation of this whole mass of suffering. This, bhikkhus, is called the noble truth of the cessation of suffering.
And what, bhikkhus, is the noble truth of the way of practice leading to the cessation of suffering? It is just this noble eightfold path, namely: right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration (samādhi). This, bhikkhus, is called the noble truth of the way of practice leading to the cessation of suffering. When it was said: '"These are the four noble truths": this, bhikkhus, is Dhamma taught by me that is unrefuted, undefiled, blameless, uncensured by wise ascetics and brahmins' — it was with reference to this that it was said.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.