• Linked Discourses 22.53 Saṁyutta Nikāya 22.53
  • 6. Involvement 6. Upayavagga

Involvement Upayasutta

At Sāvatthī. Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

“Mendicants, if you get involved, you’re not free. If you’re not involved, you’re free. “Upayo, bhikkhave, avimutto, anupayo vimutto.

As long as consciousness remains, it would get involved with form, supported by form, grounded on form. And with a sprinkle of relishing, it would grow, increase, and mature. Rūpupayaṁ vā, bhikkhave, viññāṇaṁ tiṭṭhamānaṁ tiṭṭheyya, rūpārammaṇaṁ rūpappatiṭṭhaṁ nandūpasecanaṁ vuddhiṁ virūḷhiṁ vepullaṁ āpajjeyya.

Or consciousness would get involved with feeling … Vedanupayaṁ vā …pe…

Or consciousness would get involved with perception … saññupayaṁ vā …pe…

Or as long as consciousness remains, it would get involved with choices, supported by choices, grounded on choices. And with a sprinkle of relishing, it would grow, increase, and mature. saṅkhārupayaṁ vā, bhikkhave, viññāṇaṁ tiṭṭhamānaṁ tiṭṭheyya, saṅkhārārammaṇaṁ saṅkhārappatiṭṭhaṁ nandūpasecanaṁ vuddhiṁ virūḷhiṁ vepullaṁ āpajjeyya.

Mendicants, suppose you say: Yo, bhikkhave, evaṁ vadeyya: ‘Apart from form, feeling, perception, and choices, I will describe the coming and going of consciousness, its passing away and reappearing, its growth, increase, and maturity.’ That is not possible. ‘ahamaññatra rūpā aññatra vedanāya aññatra saññāya aññatra saṅkhārehi viññāṇassa āgatiṁ vā gatiṁ vā cutiṁ vā upapattiṁ vā vuddhiṁ vā virūḷhiṁ vā vepullaṁ vā paññāpessāmī’ti, netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati.

If a mendicant has given up greed for the form element, Rūpadhātuyā ce, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno rāgo pahīno hoti. the support is cut off, and there is no foundation for consciousness. Rāgassa pahānā vocchijjatārammaṇaṁ patiṭṭhā viññāṇassa na hoti.

If a mendicant has given up greed for the feeling element … Vedanādhātuyā ce, bhikkhave …

perception element … saññādhātuyā ce, bhikkhave …

choices element … saṅkhāradhātuyā ce, bhikkhave …

consciousness element, viññāṇadhātuyā ce, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno rāgo pahīno hoti. the support is cut off, and there is no foundation for consciousness. Rāgassa pahānā vocchijjatārammaṇaṁ patiṭṭhā viññāṇassa na hoti. Since that consciousness does not become established and does not grow, with no power to regenerate, it is freed. Tadappatiṭṭhitaṁ viññāṇaṁ avirūḷhaṁ anabhisaṅkhacca vimuttaṁ.

Being free, it’s stable. Being stable, it’s content. Being content, they’re not anxious. Not being anxious, they personally become extinguished. Vimuttattā ṭhitaṁ. Ṭhitattā santusitaṁ. Santusitattā na paritassati. Aparitassaṁ paccattaññeva parinibbāyati.

They understand: ‘Rebirth is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is nothing further for this place.’” ‘Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā’ti pajānātī”ti.

Paṭhamaṁ.