Selected Lectures on Saṃyukta Āgama, Volume 1

Saṃyuktāgama, Volume One   Seven

The World-Honored One addressed the bhikkhus: If a person is attached to and delights in the form aggregate, it is equivalent to delighting in suffering. One who delights in suffering cannot be liberated from suffering. Because of attachment to and delight in the form aggregate, the view of self is not severed, and one becomes bound by the form aggregate. The mind grasps and clings to the form aggregate. If this grasping does not cease, the mental faculty's attachment to the form aggregate will not cease. At the time of death, because the mental faculty is attached and constantly seeks the existence of the form aggregate, an intermediate existence will arise.

The intermediate existence perishes every seven days, with a maximum of seven such existences. Knowing the unreliability of the intermediate existence, the mental faculty hastily seeks rebirth to preserve the existence of the form aggregate in the future life. After rebirth, the form aggregate of the next life arises, leading to the immeasurable sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair of birth, aging, sickness, and death. Thus the great mass of suffering arises. Sentient beings then endure these immeasurable sorrows, laments, pains, distresses, and despairs, unable to be liberated from the suffering of birth and death, and their suffering does not cease. Therefore, the World-Honored One said that being attached to the form aggregate is being attached to suffering.

Once, the World-Honored One led his disciples to a seashore where they saw the corpse of a woman lying on the sand. The corpse was swollen and bloated, with a small worm crawling on its face. The World-Honored One told his disciples: "In her previous life, this woman was exceedingly beautiful. She was very fond of her own appearance and looked at her face in a mirror every day. At the time of death, due to her attachment and unwillingness to let go of herself, she was reborn as a worm crawling on her own face, continuing to cling to her face." This story teaches us that whatever one is attached to, one becomes bound by it and cannot be freed or liberated. There will inevitably be birth, aging, sickness, and death in future lives; one cannot escape sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair, nor be liberated from the suffering of birth and death. The World-Honored One instructs us to sever attachment so that we may sever suffering, liberate the mind, and transcend the cycle of birth and death.

The World-Honored One addressed the bhikkhus: Similarly, if one is attached to and delights in the feeling aggregate, the perception aggregate, the volitional formations aggregate, and the consciousness aggregate, one is delighting in suffering. One who delights in suffering cannot be liberated from suffering, and suffering does not cease. Because of attachment to the feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness aggregates, one becomes bound and stuck by these four aggregates. The mind grasps these four aggregates, and if this grasping does not cease, future existence does not cease. At the time of death, due to the mental faculty's attachment, an intermediate existence arises, followed by rebirth. Then the feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness aggregates of the next life arise, producing the immeasurable sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair of birth, aging, sickness, and death. Sentient beings will suffer without cease and cannot be liberated from the suffering of the cycle of birth and death.

The World-Honored One further addressed the bhikkhus: If one is no longer attached to or delights in the form aggregate, one will not be bound by the form aggregate. The mind will no longer grasp the form aggregate, and there will be no arising of an intermediate existence. Alternatively, the mental faculty may cause the intermediate existence to extinguish itself without seeking rebirth. Thus, the form aggregate of the future life will not arise, and the immeasurable sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair of birth, aging, sickness, and death will cease. The mind is liberated and freed from the suffering of the cycle of birth and death.

The World-Honored One further addressed the bhikkhus: If one is no longer attached to or delights in the feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness aggregates, one will not be bound or stuck by these four aggregates. The mind will no longer grasp the four aggregates, and there will be no arising of an intermediate existence. Alternatively, the mental faculty may cause the intermediate existence to extinguish itself without seeking rebirth. Thus, the four aggregates of the future life will not arise, and the immeasurable sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair of birth, aging, sickness, and death will cease. The mind is liberated and freed from the suffering of the cycle of birth and death.