SN22:53 Engagement
- fdg sc © Translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Bodhi. (More copyright information)
1At Sāvatthī. "Bhikkhus, one who is engaged is unliberated;[n.69] I read upayo with Be and Se, as against Ee upāyo. Here it seems the noun is being used as a virtual present participle. Spk: Engaged: one who has approached (upagato) the five aggregates by way of craving, conceit, and views. one who is disengaged is liberated. Consciousness, bhikkhus, while standing, might stand engaged with form; based upon form, established upon form, with a sprinkling of delight, it might come to growth, increase, and expansion. Or consciousness, while standing, might stand (engaged with feeling … engaged with perception …) engaged with volitional formations; based upon volitional formations, established upon volitional formations, with a sprinkling of delight, it might come to growth, increase, and expansion.[n.70] I translate in accordance with Se. Be and Ee have omitted the clauses on vedanā and saññā, apparently an old scribal error. I also read nandūpasecana, with Be and Se, as against Ee nandupasevana. Though Spk does not offer a gloss, the Be-Se reading can claim support from the underlying metaphor of vegetation, which is made explicit in the simile in the next sutta. In the simile nandirāga is compared to the water element, and it is thus appropriate that it be "sprinkled."
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2"Bhikkhus, though someone might say: ‘Apart from form, apart from feeling, apart from perception, apart from volitional formations, I will make known the coming and going of consciousness, its passing away and rebirth, its growth, increase, and expansion’—that is impossible. |
3"Bhikkhus, if a bhikkhu has abandoned lust for the form element, with the abandoning of lust the basis is cut off: there is no support for the establishing of consciousness.[n.71] Spk: The basis is cut off (vocchijjatārammaṇaṁ): the basis (or object) is cut off through the lack of any ability to precipitate rebirth. Spk-pṭ: The basis (or object), which is the condition for rebirth by way of the sign of kamma, etc., is "cut off" by way of (the cutting off of) the kamma that generates rebirth.
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"When that consciousness is unestablished, not coming to growth, nongenerative, sn.iii.54 it is liberated.[n.72] Be, Se: Anabhisaṅkhacca vimuttaṁ (Ee: anabhisaṅkhārañca vimuttaṃ). The "nongenerative consciousness" is the consciousness that does not generate volitional formations (saṅkhāra). Spk says it is "liberated" because it does not generate rebirth. By being liberated, it is steady; by being steady, it is content; by being content, he is not agitated. Being unagitated, he personally attains Nibbāna. He understands: ‘Destroyed is birth, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more for this state of being.’" |