Selected Lectures on Saṃyukta Āgama, Volume 1

Saṃyukta Āgama, Volume One  Three

The World-Honored One told the bhikṣus: If, within the mind, one does not understand the aggregate of form, does not clearly comprehend it, does not sever craving, and does not depart from craving, and still craves and clings to one's own aggregate of form, then one cannot eradicate birth, aging, sickness, death, sorrow, grief, suffering, and distress (śoka-parideva-duḥkha-daurmanasyopāyāsa). With regard to the aggregate of feeling, the aggregate of perception, the aggregate of volitional formations, and the aggregate of consciousness, if one does not understand, does not clearly comprehend, does not sever craving, and does not depart from craving, and the mind still craves and clings to one's own aggregates of feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness, then one cannot eradicate birth, aging, sickness, death, sorrow, grief, suffering, and distress.

Bhikṣus, if with regard to the aggregate of form one is able to understand it, able to clearly comprehend it, able to sever craving, and able to depart from craving, then one will have the ability to eradicate birth, aging, sickness, death, sorrow, grief, suffering, and distress. With regard to the four aggregates of feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness, if one is able to understand them, clearly comprehend them, able to sever craving, and depart from craving, then one will have the ability to completely eradicate birth, aging, sickness, death, sorrow, grief, suffering, and distress, and thereby attain liberation.

To cultivate the path of liberation, one must first clearly understand the concept and content of the five aggregates (pañca-skandha); next, one must at all times and in all places contemplate the impermanence, falsity, arising and ceasing, change, emptiness and illusoriness, and selflessness of the five aggregates. Only in this way can one gradually reduce one's craving for the five aggregates, and only then can one achieve the eradication of the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi-prahāṇa), and further give rise to the first dhyāna, sever craving for the five aggregates, and finally completely eradicate all craving and all afflictions. If one does not understand the five aggregates and does not contemplate the five aggregates, and the craving mind is not diminished, still less extinguished, then one cannot transcend the suffering of the cycle of birth and death in saṃsāra.  Breaking through ignorance is itself illumination; with illumination there can be liberation; ignorance is birth and death; when ignorance is completely severed, one escapes the suffering of birth and death in the three realms.