SN24:1 Winds
- DG BB TBW © Translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Bodhi. (More copyright information)
1At Sāvatthī. "Bhikkhus, when what exists, by clinging to what, by adhering to what, does such a view as this arise: ‘The winds do not blow, the rivers do not flow, pregnant women do not give birth, the moon and sun do not rise and set but stand as steady as a pillar′?"
[n.249] This strange view seems to be a poetic statement of the illusory nature of change. The compound esikaṭṭhāyiṭṭhita, "stands as steady as a pillar," occurs in the statement of the eternalist views at DN I 14–16 and in the doctrine of the seven bodies just below (SN24.8; III 211,8). A doctrine holding time and change to be illusory (avicalita-nityatva) emerged later in the history of the Ājīvika school and may have been brought into the system from the school of Pakudha Kaccāyana, the propounder of the "doctrine of the seven bodies." See Basham, History and Doctrines of the Ājīvikas, p. 236. At Mvu III 317 a similar view, stated in nearly identical terms, is cited as an example of the "wicked and wrong beliefs" that were circulating in Magadha before the Buddha arrived on the scene; see Jones SN3.306.
Spk: This, it is said, was their view: "Although winds blow breaking the branches of trees, etc., these are not (really) winds; they are facsimiles of wind (vātalesā; Spk-pṭ: vātalesā ti vātasadisā). The wind stands as steady as a pillar and a mountain peak. [Spk-pṭ: The phrase ‘as a pillar’ shows its immobility (niccalabhāva); ‘a mountain peak,’ its eternality (sassatisama).] Similarly with water. Though it is said that pregnant women give birth, the fetuses do not (really) emerge; those are facsimiles of fetuses. Though the sun and moon rise and set, they do not (really) do so; those are facsimiles of the sun and moon, which stand as steady as a pillar and a mountain peak."
2"Venerable sir, our teachings are rooted in the Blessed One … ."
3–4"When there is form, bhikkhus, by clinging to form, by adhering to form, such a view as this arises: ‘The winds do not blow … but stand as steady as a pillar.’ When there is feeling … perception … volitional formations … consciousness, by clinging to consciousness, by adhering to consciousness, such a view as this arises: ‘The winds do not blow … but stand as steady as a pillar.’
"What do you think, bhikkhus, is form permanent or impermanent? … sn.iii.203 … Is consciousness permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, venerable sir." …
"But without clinging to what is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change, could such a view as that arise?"
"No, venerable sir."
"That which is seen, heard, sensed, cognized, attained, sought after, and ranged over by the mind: [n.250] This is a fourfold classification of all objects. According to Spk, the seen (diṭṭha) is the visible-form base; the heard (suta), the sound base; the sensed (muta), the objects of smell, taste, and touch; and the cognized (viññāta), the other seven bases (i.e., the six internal sense bases and the mental-phenomena base). The words "attained, sought after, and ranged over by the mind" (pattaṁ pariyesitaṁ anuvicaritaṁ manasā) are just an elaboration of the fourth. In the following suttas of this vagga, this portion has been elided in the abridgement, but it should be understood in all. is that permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, venerable sir."
"Is what is impermanent suffering or happiness?"
"Suffering, venerable sir."
"But without clinging to what is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change, could such a view as that arise?"
"No, venerable sir."
5"When, bhikkhus, a noble disciple has abandoned perplexity in these six cases, [n.251] I read imesu chasu ṭhānesu, with Se and Ee, as against Be imesu ca ṭhānesu. Spk is silent, but it seems the six cases are the five aggregates and the tetrad of sense objects taken collectively as one. Cp. MN I 135,34–36, where the tetrad of sense objects actually replaces viññāṇa as a basis for wrong views (diṭṭhiṭṭhāna). and when, further, he has abandoned perplexity about suffering, the origin of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the way leading to the cessation of suffering, he is then called a noble disciple who is a stream-enterer, no longer bound to the nether world, fixed in destiny, with enlightenment as his destination."
1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ vihārati jetavane. Bhagavā etadavoca: "kismiṁ nu kho, bhikkhave, sati, kiṁ upādāya, kiṁ abhinivissa evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjati: ‘Na vātā vāyanti, na najjo sandanti, na gabbhiniyo vijāyanti, na candimasūriyā udenti vā apenti vā esikaṭṭhāyiṭṭhitā’"ti?
2"Bhagavaṁmūlakā no, bhante, dhammā bhagavaṁnettikā bhagavaṁpaṭisaraṇā. Sādhu vata, bhante, bhagavantaññeva paṭibhātu etassa bhāsitassa attho. Bhagavato sutvā bhikkhū dhāressantī"ti. "Tena hi, bhikkhave, suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī"ti. "Evaṁ, bhante"ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. Bhagavā etadavoca:
3"Rūpe kho, bhikkhave, sati, rūpaṁ upādāya, rūpaṁ abhinivissa evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjati: ‘Na vātā vāyanti, na najjo sandanti, na gabbhiniyo vijāyanti, na candimasūriyā udenti vā apenti vā esikaṭṭhāyiṭṭhitā’ti. Vedanāya sati … pe … saññāya sati … saṅkhāresu sati … viññāṇe sati, viññāṇaṁ upādāya, viññāṇaṁ abhinivissa evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjati: ‘Na vātā vāyanti, na najjo sandanti, na gabbhiniyo vijāyanti, na candimasūriyā udenti vā apenti vā esikaṭṭhāyiṭṭhitā’ti.
Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave, rūpaṁ niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā"ti?
"Aniccaṁ, bhante". "Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vā taṁ sukhaṁ vā"ti?
"Dukkhaṁ, bhante". "Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāmadhammaṁ, api nu taṁ anupādāya evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjeyya: ‘Na vātā vāyanti, na najjo sandanti, na gabbhiniyo vijāyanti, na candimasūriyā udenti vā apenti vā esikaṭṭhāyiṭṭhitā’"ti?
"No hetaṁ, bhante".
4"Vedanā niccā vā aniccā vā"ti … "saññā … saṅkhārā … viññāṇaṁ niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā"ti?
"Aniccaṁ, bhante".
"Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vā taṁ sukhaṁ vā"ti?
"Dukkhaṁ, bhante".
"Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāmadhammaṁ, api nu taṁ anupādāya evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjeyya: ‘Na vātā vāyanti, na najjo sandanti, na gabbhiniyo vijāyanti, na candimasūriyā udenti vā apenti vā esikaṭṭhāyiṭṭhitā’"ti?
"No hetaṁ, bhante".
"Yampidaṁ diṭṭhaṁ sutaṁ mutaṁ viññātaṁ pattaṁ pariyesitaṁ anuvicaritaṁ manasā tampi niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā"ti? "Aniccaṁ, bhante". "Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vā taṁ sukhaṁ vā"ti?
"Dukkhaṁ, bhante".
"Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāmadhammaṁ, api nu taṁ anupādāya evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjeyya: ‘Na vātā vāyanti, na najjo sandanti, na gabbhiniyo vijāyanti, na candimasūriyā udenti vā apenti vā esikaṭṭhāyiṭṭhitā’"ti?
"No hetaṁ, bhante".
5"Yato kho, bhikkhave, ariyasāvakassa imesu ca ṭhānesu kaṅkhā pahīnā hoti, dukkhepissa kaṅkhā pahīnā hoti, dukkhasamudayepissa kaṅkhā pahīnā hoti, dukkhanirodhepissa kaṅkhā pahīnā hoti, dukkhanirodhagāminiyā paṭipadāyapissa kaṅkhā pahīnā hoti – ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako sotāpanno avinipātadhammo niyato sambodhiparāyano"ti.
Paṭhamaṁ.