1On one occasion the Venerable Sāriputta and the Venerable Mahakoṭṭhita were dwelling at Baraṇasī in the Deer Park at Isipatana. Then, in the evening, the Venerable Mahakoṭṭhita emerged from seclusion and approached the Venerable Sāriputta. He exchanged greetings with the Venerable Sāriputta and, when they had concluded their greetings and cordial talk, he sat down to one side and said to him:

2"How is it, friend Sāriputta, is the eye the fetter of forms or are forms the fetter of the eye? Is the ear the fetter of sounds or are sounds the fetter of the ear? … sn.iv.163 Is the mind the fetter of mental phenomena or are mental phenomena the fetter of the mind?"

3"Friend Koṭṭhita, the eye is not the fetter of forms nor are forms the fetter of the eye, but rather the desire and lust that arise there in dependence on both: that is the fetter there. The ear is not the fetter of sounds nor are sounds the fetter of the ear, but rather the desire and lust that arise there in dependence on both: that is the fetter there … . The mind is not the fetter of mental phenomena nor are mental phenomena the fetter of the mind, but rather the desire and lust that arise there in dependence on both: that is the fetter there.

4"Suppose, friend, a black ox and a white ox were yoked together by a single harness or yoke. Would one be speaking rightly if one were to say: ‘The black ox is the fetter of the white ox; the white ox is the fetter of the black ox’?"

"No, friend. The black ox is not the fetter of the white ox nor is the white ox the fetter of the black ox, but rather the single harness or yoke by which the two are yoked together: that is the fetter there."

5"So too, friend, the eye is not the fetter of forms … nor are mental phenomena the fetter of the mind, but rather the desire and lust that arise there in dependence on both: that is the fetter there.

6"If, friend, the eye were the fetter of forms or if forms were the fetter of the eye, this living of the holy life could not be discerned for the complete destruction of suffering. [n.168] Because, as long as one has the six sense bases, one would always be fettered to the six sense objects and thus liberation would be impossible. But since the eye is not the fetter of forms nor are forms the fetter of the eye sn.iv.164—but rather the desire and lust that arise there in dependence on both is the fetter there—the living of the holy life is discerned for the complete destruction of suffering.

7–9"If, friend, the ear were the fetter of sounds or if sounds were the fetter of the ear … If the mind were the fetter of mental phenomena or if mental phenomena were the fetter of the mind, this living of the holy life could not be discerned for the complete destruction of suffering. But since the mind is not the fetter of mental phenomena nor are mental phenomena the fetter of the mind—but rather the desire and lust that arise there in dependence on both is the fetter there—the living of the holy life is discerned for the complete destruction of suffering.

"In this way too, friend, it may be understood how that is so:

10There exists in the Blessed One the eye, the Blessed One sees a form with the eye, yet there is no desire and lust in the Blessed One; the Blessed One is well liberated in mind. There exists in the Blessed One the ear, the Blessed One hears a sound with the ear … There exists in the Blessed One the nose, the Blessed One smells an odour with the nose … There exists in the Blessed One the tongue, the Blessed One savours a taste with the tongue … There exists in the Blessed One the body, the Blessed One feels a tactile object with the body … There exists in the Blessed One the mind, the Blessed One cognizes sn.iv.165 a mental phenomenon with the mind, yet there is no desire and lust in the Blessed One; the Blessed One is well liberated in mind.

11"In this way, friend, it can be understood how the eye is not the fetter of forms nor forms the fetter of the eye, but rather the desire and lust that arise there in dependence on both is the fetter there; how the ear is not the fetter of sounds nor sounds the fetter of the ear … ; how the mind is not the fetter of mental phenomena nor mental phenomena the fetter of the mind, but rather the desire and lust that arise there in dependence on both is the fetter there."

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā ca sāriputto āyasmā ca mahākoṭṭhiko bārāṇasiyaṁ vihāranti isipatane migadāye. Atha kho āyasmā mahākoṭṭhiko sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yenāyasmā sāriputto tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā sāriputtena saddhiṁ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā mahākoṭṭhiko āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ etadavoca:

2"Kiṁ nu kho, āvuso sāriputta, cakkhu rūpānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ, rūpā cakkhussa saṁyojanaṁ … pe … jivhā rasānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ, rasā jivhāya saṁyojanaṁ … pe … mano dhammānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ, dhammā manassa saṁyojanan"ti?

3"Na kho, āvuso koṭṭhika, cakkhu rūpānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ, na rūpā cakkhussa saṁyojanaṁ. Yañca tattha tadubhayaṁ paṭicca uppajjati chandarāgo taṁ tattha saṁyojanaṁ … pe … na jivhā rasānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ, na rasā jivhāya saṁyojanaṁ. Yañca tattha tadubhayaṁ paṭicca uppajjati chandarāgo taṁ tattha saṁyojanaṁ … pe … na mano dhammānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ, na dhammā manassa saṁyojanaṁ. Yañca tattha tadubhayaṁ paṭicca uppajjati chandarāgo taṁ tattha saṁyojanaṁ.

4Seyyathāpi, āvuso, kāḷo ca balībaddo odāto ca balībaddo ekena dāmena vā yottena vā saṁyuttā assu. Yo nu kho evaṁ vadeyya: ‘kāḷo balībaddo odātassa balībaddassa saṁyojanaṁ, odāto balībaddo kāḷassa balībaddassa saṁyojanan’ti, sammā nu kho so vadamāno vadeyyā"ti? "No hetaṁ, āvuso".

"Na kho, āvuso, kāḷo balībaddo odātassa balībaddassa saṁyojanaṁ, na odāto balībaddo kāḷassa balībaddassa saṁyojanaṁ. Yena ca kho te ekena dāmena vā yottena vā saṁyuttā taṁ tattha saṁyojanaṁ.

5Evameva kho, āvuso, na cakkhu rūpānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ, na rūpā cakkhussa saṁyojanaṁ. Yañca tattha tadubhayaṁ paṭicca uppajjati chandarāgo taṁ tattha saṁyojanaṁ … pe … na jivhā rasānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ … pe … na mano dhammānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ, na dhammā manassa saṁyojanaṁ. Yañca tattha tadubhayaṁ paṭicca uppajjati chandarāgo, taṁ tattha saṁyojanaṁ.

6Cakkhu vā, āvuso, rūpānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ abhavissa, rūpā vā cakkhussa saṁyojanaṁ, nayidaṁ brahmacariyavāso paññāyetha sammā dukkhakkhayāya. Yasmā ca kho, āvuso, na cakkhu rūpānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ, na rūpā cakkhussa saṁyojanaṁ; yañca tattha tadubhayaṁ paṭicca uppajjati chandarāgo, taṁ tattha saṁyojanaṁ, tasmā brahmacariyavāso paññāyati sammā dukkhakkhayāya … pe … .

7Jivhā, āvuso, rasānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ abhavissa, rasā vā jivhāya saṁyojanaṁ, nayidaṁ brahmacariyavāso paññāyetha sammā dukkhakkhayāya. Yasmā ca kho, āvuso, na jivhā rasānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ, na rasā jivhāya saṁyojanaṁ; yañca tattha tadubhayaṁ paṭicca uppajjati chandarāgo, taṁ tattha saṁyojanaṁ, tasmā brahmacariyavāso paññāyati sammā dukkhakkhayāya … pe … .

8Mano vā, āvuso, dhammānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ abhavissa, dhammā vā manassa saṁyojanaṁ, nayidaṁ brahmacariyavāso paññāyetha sammā dukkhakkhayāya. Yasmā ca kho, āvuso, na mano dhammānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ, na dhammā manassa saṁyojanaṁ; yañca tattha tadubhayaṁ paṭicca uppajjati chandarāgo, taṁ tattha saṁyojanaṁ, tasmā brahmacariyavāso paññāyati sammā dukkhakkhayāya.

9Imināpetaṁ, āvuso, pariyāyena veditabbaṁ yathā na cakkhu rūpānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ, na rūpā cakkhussa saṁyojanaṁ. Yañca tattha tadubhayaṁ paṭicca uppajjati chandarāgo, taṁ tattha saṁyojanaṁ … pe … na jivhā rasānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ … pe … na mano dhammānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ, na dhammā manassa saṁyojanaṁ. Yañca tattha tadubhayaṁ paṭicca uppajjati chandarāgo, taṁ tattha saṁyojanaṁ.

10Saṁvijjati kho, āvuso, bhagavato cakkhu. Passati bhagavā cakkhunā rūpaṁ. Chandarāgo bhagavato natthi. Suvimuttacitto bhagavā. Saṁvijjati kho, āvuso, bhagavato sotaṁ. Suṇāti bhagavā sotena saddaṁ. Chandarāgo bhagavato natthi. Suvimuttacitto bhagavā. Saṁvijjati kho, āvuso, bhagavato ghānaṁ. Ghāyati bhagavā ghānena gandhaṁ. Chandarāgo bhagavato natthi. Suvimuttacitto bhagavā. Saṁvijjati kho, āvuso, bhagavato jivhā. Sāyati bhagavā jivhāya rasaṁ. Chandarāgo bhagavato natthi. Suvimuttacitto bhagavā. Saṁvijjati kho, āvuso, bhagavato kāyo. Phusati bhagavā kāyena phoṭṭhabbaṁ. Chandarāgo bhagavato natthi. Suvimuttacitto bhagavā. Saṁvijjati kho, āvuso, bhagavato mano. Vijānāti bhagavā manasā dhammaṁ. Chandarāgo bhagavato natthi. Suvimuttacitto bhagavā.

11Iminā kho etaṁ, āvuso, pariyāyena veditabbaṁ yathā na cakkhu rūpānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ, na rūpā cakkhussa saṁyojanaṁ; yañca tattha tadubhayaṁ paṭicca uppajjati chandarāgo, taṁ tattha saṁyojanaṁ. Na sotaṁ … na ghānaṁ … na jivhā rasānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ, na rasā jivhāya saṁyojanaṁ; yañca tattha tadubhayaṁ paṭicca uppajjati chandarāgo taṁ tattha saṁyojanaṁ. Na kāyo … na mano dhammānaṁ saṁyojanaṁ, na dhammā manassa saṁyojanaṁ; yañca tattha tadubhayaṁ paṭicca uppajjati chandarāgo, taṁ tattha saṁyojanan"ti.

Pañcamaṁ.