Wisdom Quarterly: American Buddhist Journal: On Right View: Kaccayanagotta Sutra

Tuesday, January 5, 2021

On Right View: Kaccayanagotta Sutra

Dhr. Seven, Pat Macpherson, Kaccayanagotta Sutra: "Discourse to Kaccayana Gotta" on Right View (SN 12.15), recommended by Leigh Brasington, based on Ven. Thanissaro (trans.), Wisdom Quarterly

Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling in Savatthi...

Then Ven. Kaccayana Gotta approached the Blessed One, bowed, and sat respectfully to one side. Sitting there he spoke to the Blessed One: "'Right view, right view,' it is said, venerable sir. To what extent is there right view?"

"By and large, Kaccayana, this world is supported by [takes as its object] a polarity, that of [the extremes of view] existence and non-existence.

"But when one sees the arising of the world as it actually is [as rooted in dependent arising] with right view [wisdom, discernment, understanding], 'non-existence' with regard to the world does not occur.

"When one sees the cessation of the world as it actually is with right view, 'existence' with regard to the world does not occur.

What if I were to cling to my own hand? (Wiki)

"By and large, Kaccayana, this world is in bondage to attachments, clingings [sustenances], and biases.

"But one such as this does not get involved with or grasp at these attachments, clingings, fixations of mind [awareness], biases, and obsessions, nor is one resolved on 'my self.'

"One is free of any doubt or uncertainty that just disappointment (dukkha), when arising, is arising or, when passing away, is passing away.

"In this, one's knowledge is independent of others. [That is to say, one knows directly for oneself without depending on anyone else's knowing and seeing.] It is to this extent, Kaccayana, that there is right view.

"'Everything exists' is one extreme [view]. 'Nothing exists' is a another. Avoiding these two extremes, the Tathagata [the Buddha, the "One Arrived at Suchness" or the "Thus Gone One," "The Welcome One," "The Wayfarer"] teaches the Dharma [Truth] via the Middle Way that avoids these two extremes:

From ignorance as a [requisite] supporting condition come fabrications [mental formations, constructs, illusions, delusions, things].
From fabrications as a supporting condition comes consciousness.
From consciousness as a supporting condition comes name-and-form.
From name-and-form as a supporting condition come the six sense bases [media, sensory apparatuses].
From the six sense bases as a supporting condition comes contact [the meeting of subject, object, and consciousness].
From contact as a supporting condition comes feeling [sensation].
From feeling as a supporting condition comes craving [thirst].
From craving as a supporting condition comes clinging [sustenance, as fuel sustains fire].
From clinging as a supporting condition comes becoming.
From becoming as a supporting condition comes rebirth.
From rebirth as a supporting condition come aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, disappointment, and despair.

"Such is the origination of this entire mass of disappointment suffering.

"Now from the remainderless fading away and cessation of this ignorance comes the cessation of fabrications.

From the cessation of fabrications comes the cessation of consciousness.
From the cessation of consciousness comes the cessation of name-and-form.
From the cessation of name-and-form comes the cessation of the six sense bases.
From the cessation of the six sense bases comes the cessation of contact.
From the cessation of contact comes the cessation of feeling.
From the cessation of feeling comes the cessation of craving.
From the cessation of craving comes the cessation of clinging.
From the cessation of clinging comes the cessation of becoming.
From the cessation of becoming comes the cessation of rebirth.
From the cessation of rebirth comes the cessation of aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair.

"Such is the cessation of this entire mass of disappointment and suffering."