Saṃyuktāgama, Volume One (14)

Original text:如是我闻。一时。佛住舍卫国祇树给孤独园。尔时。世尊告诸比丘。我昔于色味有求有行。若于色味随顺觉。则于色味以智慧如实见。如是于受．想．行．识味有求有行。若于受．想．行．识味随顺觉。则于识味以智慧如实见。

诸比丘。我于色患有求有行。若于色患随顺觉。则于色患以智慧如实见。如是受．想．行．识患有求有行。若于识患随顺觉。则于识患以智慧如实见。

诸比丘。我于色离有求有行。若于色随顺觉。则于色离以智慧如实见。如是受．想．行．识离有求有行。若于受．想．行．识离随顺觉。则于受．想．行．识离以智慧如实见。

诸比丘。我于五受阴不如实知味是味．患是患．离是离者。我于诸天．若魔．若梵．沙门．婆罗门．天．人众中。不脱．不离．不出。永住颠倒。不能自证得阿耨多罗三藐三菩提。

诸比丘。我以如实知五受阴味是味．患是患．离是离。我于诸天人．若魔．若梵．沙门．婆罗门．天．人众中。以脱．以离．以出。永不住颠倒。能自证得阿耨多罗三藐三菩提。时。诸比丘闻佛所说。欢喜奉行。

Explanation: The World-Honored One said to the bhikṣus: In the past, because I was attached to the flavor of the aggregate of form and delighted in the aggregate of form, I always craved and desired the aggregate of form, and always performed bodily, verbal, and mental actions for the sake of the aggregate of form, without being aware of it myself, thus vainly undergoing birth and death. If one can give rise to a mind of awakening regarding one's own craving and delight in the aggregate of form, and then inwardly accord with this awakened mind, wisdom will arise and one will truly and realistically see the genuine flavor of the aggregate of form, knowing that the aggregate of form is suffering and not at all worth savoring; then one will be liberated from the bondage of the aggregate of form and attain liberation.

In the past, I also craved and desired the flavors of the four aggregates of feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness, and therefore performed bodily, verbal, and mental actions for their sake; consequently I was bound by them and could not attain liberation. If one can give rise to a mind of awakening toward feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness, and accord with this awakening, wisdom will arise, and one will realistically know and see the flavors of these four aggregates, realize that they are all suffering and all without self, and thereby attain liberation.

The World-Honored One further said to the bhikṣus: In the past, I did not realistically know and see the various faults and sufferings of the aggregate of form; I always craved and desired it, and performed bodily, verbal, and mental actions for the sake of the aggregate of form with its many faults, and was bound by these actions, unable to attain liberation. If one can awaken to the various faults of the aggregate of form, a mind of awakening will arise; according with one's awakened mind, wisdom will arise, and one will realistically know and see the various faults of the aggregate of form, knowing that the aggregate of form is suffering and not worth craving; then one will be freed from the bondage of the aggregate of form and attain the flavor of liberation.

In the past, I also did not realistically know and see the various faults of feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness; I always gave rise to craving and desire for them, and performed the bodily, verbal, and mental actions of birth-and-death karma, and was bound by these karmic formations, unable to attain liberation. If one can awaken to the various faults of feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness, and accord with one's awakened mind, wisdom will arise, and one will realistically know and see their various faults, no longer craving them; then one will be liberated from the bondage of birth and death of these four aggregates and attain liberation.

The World-Honored One said to the bhikṣus: In the past, I did not realistically know and see that the aggregate of form can be departed from and distanced; therefore I craved and desired it, performed the bodily, verbal, and mental actions of birth-and-death karma for the sake of the aggregate of form, and was bound by these karmic formations, unable to attain liberation. If one can awaken to the fact that one should depart from and distance oneself from the aggregate of form, and inwardly accord with this awakening, wisdom will arise, and one will realistically know and see that one should depart from and distance oneself from the aggregate of form; no longer craving the aggregate of form, one will be liberated from it, unbound by it, and attain liberation.

In the past, I did not know that one should distance oneself from feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness; I always craved and desired them, performed the bodily, verbal, and mental actions of birth-and-death karma for their sake, and was bound by these karmic formations, unable to attain liberation. If one can awaken to the fact that one should distance oneself from these four aggregates, and inwardly accord with these awakenings, wisdom will arise, and one will realistically know and see that feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness can be departed from and distanced; no longer attached to them, one will be liberated from them, liberated from the suffering of birth and death, unbound by them, and attain liberation.

The World-Honored One said: In the past, because I did not realistically know and see the flavor, the fault, and the departure of the five grasping aggregates, I could not escape, depart, or emerge among the multitudes of devas, humans, Māra, Brahmā, śramaṇas, and brāhmaṇas; I could not be liberated from the suffering of birth and death in the six realms, forever dwelling in delusion, unable to attain supreme, perfect enlightenment (anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi) on my own.

Bhikṣus, later, because I awakened to the flavor, the fault, and the departure of the five grasping aggregates, I was able to escape and be liberated among the multitudes of devas, humans, Māra, Brahmā, śramaṇas, and brāhmaṇas, forever no longer dwelling in delusion, and I attained supreme, perfect enlightenment (anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi).

Match the Dharma against your own body and mind: realistically know your own mind's craving and desire, realistically know what your mind craves and desires; then contemplate the various faults and shortcomings of these cravings and desires through contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā), and give rise to the mind of liberation—then you will gradually depart from these cravings and desires. Realistic knowing and seeing is extremely difficult; everyone indulges themselves, everyone is lenient with themselves, unwilling to go against their own greedy mind. Therefore, progress on the path is always minimal, contemplative practice never reaches its mark, the mental activities cannot be transformed, the mind gives rise to affliction, and there is no liberation.