1On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Rājagaha on Mount Vulture Peak. Then Sakka, lord of the devas, approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, stood to one side, and said to him:

"Venerable sir, what is the cause and reason sn.iv.102 why some beings here do not attain Nibbāna in this very life? And what is the cause and reason why some beings here attain Nibbāna in this very life?"

2"There are, lord of the devas, forms cognizable by the eye that are desirable, lovely, agreeable, pleasing, sensually enticing, tantalizing. If a bhikkhu seeks delight in them, welcomes them, and remains holding to them, his consciousness becomes dependent upon them and clings to them. A bhikkhu with clinging does not attain Nibbāna. [n.105] Sa-upādāno … bhikkhu no parinibbāyati. To bring out the implicit metaphor, the line might also have been rendered, "A bhikkhu with fuel is not fully quenched."

3"There are, lord of the devas, sounds cognizable by the ear … mental phenomena cognizable by the mind that are desirable, lovely, agreeable, pleasing, sensually enticing, tantalizing. If a bhikkhu seeks delight in them, welcomes them, and remains holding to them, his consciousness becomes dependent upon them and clings to them. A bhikkhu with clinging does not attain Nibbāna.

"This is the cause and reason, lord of the devas, why some beings here do not attain Nibbāna in this very life.

4–5"There are, lord of the devas, forms cognizable by the eye … mental phenomena cognizable by the mind that are desirable, lovely, agreeable, pleasing, sensually enticing, tantalizing. If a bhikkhu does not seek delight in them, does not welcome them, and does not remain holding to them, his consciousness does not become dependent upon them or cling to them. A bhikkhu without clinging attains Nibbāna.

"This is the cause and reason, lord of the devas, why some beings here attain Nibbāna in this very life." sn.iv.103

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe vihārati gijjhakūṭe pabbate. Atha kho sakko devānamindo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho sakko devānamindo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

"ko nu kho, bhante, hetu, ko paccayo yena midhekacce sattā diṭṭheva dhamme no parinibbāyanti? Ko pana, bhante, hetu, ko paccayo yena midhekacce sattā diṭṭheva dhamme parinibbāyantī"ti?

2"Santi kho, devānaminda, cakkhuviññeyyā rūpā, iṭṭhā kantā manāpā piyarūpā kāmūpasaṁhitā rajanīyā. Tañce bhikkhu abhinandati abhivadati ajjhosāya tiṭṭhati. Tassa taṁ abhinandato abhivadato ajjhosāya tiṭṭhato tannissitaṁ viññāṇaṁ hoti tadupādānaṁ. Saupādāno, devānaminda, bhikkhu no parinibbāyati … pe … .

3Santi kho, devānaminda, jivhāviññeyyā rasā … pe … santi kho, devānaminda, manoviññeyyā dhammā, iṭṭhā kantā manāpā piyarūpā kāmūpasaṁhitā rajanīyā. Tañce bhikkhu abhinandati abhivadati ajjhosāya tiṭṭhati. Tassa taṁ abhinandato abhivadato ajjhosāya tiṭṭhato tannissitaṁ viññāṇaṁ hoti tadupādānaṁ. Saupādāno, devānaminda, bhikkhu no parinibbāyati.

Ayaṁ kho, devānaminda, hetu, ayaṁ paccayo yena midhekacce sattā diṭṭheva dhamme no parinibbāyanti.

4Santi ca kho, devānaminda, cakkhuviññeyyā rūpā, iṭṭhā kantā manāpā piyarūpā kāmūpasaṁhitā rajanīyā. Tañce bhikkhu nābhinandati nābhivadati nājjhosāya tiṭṭhati. Tassa taṁ anabhinandato anabhivadato anajjhosāya tiṭṭhato na tannissitaṁ viññāṇaṁ hoti, na tadupādānaṁ. Anupādāno, devānaminda, bhikkhu parinibbāyati … pe … .

5Santi kho, devānaminda, jivhāviññeyyā rasā … pe … santi kho, devānaminda, manoviññeyyā dhammā iṭṭhā kantā manāpā piyarūpā kāmūpasaṁhitā rajanīyā. Tañce bhikkhu nābhinandati nābhivadati nājjhosāya tiṭṭhati. Tassa taṁ anabhinandato anabhivadato anajjhosāya tiṭṭhato na tannissitaṁ viññāṇaṁ hoti na tadupādānaṁ. Anupādāno, devānaminda, bhikkhu parinibbāyati.

Ayaṁ kho, devānaminda, hetu, ayaṁ paccayo yena midhekacce sattā diṭṭheva dhamme parinibbāyantī"ti.

Pañcamaṁ.