Madhyama Āgama, Sutra No. 10: The Discourse on the Destruction of the Taints (Part 2)

Original text: 有七断漏烦恼忧戚法。云何为七。有漏从见断。有漏从护断。有漏从离断。有漏从用断。有漏从忍断。有漏从除断。有漏从思惟断。

Explanation: There are seven methods for severing the outflows of afflictions and eliminating sorrow and distress. What are the seven? The affliction outflows associated with existence in the three realms are severed through knowledge and vision; the affliction outflows associated with existence in the three realms are severed through guarding the senses; the affliction outflows associated with existence in the three realms are severed through departing from evil dharmas; the affliction outflows associated with existence in the three realms are severed through proper use; the affliction outflows associated with existence in the three realms are severed through forbearance; the affliction outflows associated with existence in the three realms are severed through removal; the affliction outflows associated with existence in the three realms are severed through contemplation.

Original text: 云何有漏从见断耶。凡夫愚人不得闻正法。不值真知识。不知圣法。不调御圣法。不知如真法。不正思惟故。便作是念。我有过去世。我无过去世。我何因过去世。我云何过去世耶。我有未来世。我无未来世。我何因未来世。我云何未来世耶。自疑己身何谓是。云何是耶。今此众生从何所来。当至何所。本何因有。当何因有。

Explanation: What does it mean that the outflows of the three realms' existence are severed through knowledge and vision? Ordinary fools do not get to hear the true Dharma, do not encounter true spiritual teachers, do not know the noble Dharma, cannot tame their minds with the noble Dharma, and do not know the true reality of dharmas. Because they do not contemplate correctly, thoughts such as these arise: "Did I exist in a past life? Did I not exist in a past life? By what cause did I exist in a past life? What was my past life like? Will I exist in a future life? Will I not exist in a future life? By what cause will I exist in a future life? What will my future life be like?" They doubt their own bodies—what are they, and why are they so? They also doubt where sentient beings come from and where they should go after death; what cause brought sentient beings into existence in the first place, and by what cause should sentient beings come into existence.

Original text: 彼作如是不正思惟。于六见中随其见生而生真有神。此见生而生真无神。此见生而生神见神。此见生而生神见非神。此见生而生非神见神。此见生而生此是神。能语能知。能作教作。起教起。生彼彼处。受善恶报。定无所从来。定不有。定不当有。是谓见之弊。为见所动。见结所系。凡夫愚人以是之故。便受生老病死苦也。

Explanation: Because ordinary people are ignorant, they engage in these improper deliberations. Among these six view-positions, following the arising of their views, they give rise to their own thoughts, believing that there truly exists a governing agent called a soul; or, following the arising of their views, they give rise to their own opinions, believing that there truly is no soul governing sentient beings; or, following the arising of their views, they form the view that there truly is something called a soul within sentient beings by which that soul is seen; or they believe that there truly is something called a soul within sentient beings' bodies by which it is known that no soul exists within those bodies; or they believe that there is no soul within sentient beings' bodies that sees a soul; or they believe that this itself is the soul—He can speak, can perceive, can act and teach action, can rise and lie down and teach rising and lying down; He can be born in various places and receive the retribution of wholesome and unwholesome karma; He definitely comes from nowhere, definitely does not exist, and definitely should not exist. These thoughts, opinions, and views of ordinary people are the defects produced by their wrong knowledge and vision—they are swayed by their own views and bound by the fetters of their own views. Therefore, ordinary people must suffer the suffering of birth, aging, sickness, and death.

Original text: 多闻圣弟子得闻正法。值真知识。调御圣法。知如真法。知苦如真。知苦习。知苦灭。知苦灭道如真。如是知如真已。则三结尽。身见戒取疑三结尽已。得须陀洹。不堕恶法。定趣正觉。极受七有。天上人间七往来已。便得苦际。若不知见者。则生烦恼忧戚。知见则不生烦恼忧戚。是谓有漏从见断也。

Explanation: A noble disciple of much learning gets to hear the true Dharma, encounters true spiritual teachers, tames his own mind with the noble Dharma, and knows the most real Dharma. He truly knows suffering, knows how suffering arises, knows the cessation of suffering, and truly knows the path of practice for the cessation of suffering. After knowing the true principle of the five aggregates' world in this way, the three fetters will be completely severed. When the three fetters of self-view, grasping at precepts and observances, and doubt are completely severed, he attains the fruit of stream-entry (Srotaāpanna). From then on, he no longer falls into evil destinies and will certainly proceed toward true and correct enlightenment. At most, after passing back and forth seven times between the heavens and the human world in the three realms, he will extinguish the suffering of the three realms' existence and reach the far shore of suffering. If one does not possess such knowledge and vision, afflictions and sorrow will arise; if one possesses such knowledge and vision, one will not suffer afflictions and sorrow. This is the principle of severing the outflows of the three realms' existence through knowledge and vision.