Wednesday, October 12, 2022

How the world comes to be (sutra)

Bhikkhu Bodhi (trans.), Ariya-sāvaka Sutta ["Enlightened Hearers Discourse"], Connected Discourses on Causation (SN 12.49), "The Noble Disciple (1)" edited by Dhr. Seven, Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Wisdom Quarterly; Ven. Nyanatiloka, Buddhist Dictionary: Manual of Buddhist Terms

This is the Ariya (enlightened) sāvaka ("hearer") discourse. A sāvaka is a hearer or "learner," (sekha), a "disciple" of the Buddha. In a restricted sense (as ariya-sāvaka or "noble disciple")  it only refers to the eight kinds of enlightened disciples (ariya-puggala).

Sāvaka-bodhi or "hearer's enlightenment" designates the awakening to ultimate truth of a disciple of a buddha, as distinguished from the enlightenment of an independent nonteaching buddha (pacceka-buddha) or a supremely-enlightened teacher (sammā-sambuddha).

(SC 1) Thus have I heard. At Savatthī (sn.ii.78). “Meditators, an instructed enlightened (noble, ariyan) disciple does not think:
  • ‘When what exists does what come to be?
  • ‘With the arising of what does what arise?
  • ‘When what exists do volitional formations come to be?
  • ‘When what exists does consciousness come to be?
  • ‘When what exists does name-and-form come to be? …
  • ‘When what exists does aging-and-death come to be?’
(SC 2) “Rather, meditators, the instructed enlightened disciple has direct knowledge about this independent of all others:
  • ‘When this exists, that comes to be’;
  • ‘with the arising of this, that arises.’
  • ‘When there is ignorance, volitional formations come to be.’
  • ‘When there are volitional formations, consciousness comes to be.’
  • ‘When there is consciousness, name-and-form comes to be….’
  • ‘When there is rebirth, aging-and-death comes to be.’
"One understands thus: ‘In such a way, the world originates.’

(SC 3) “Meditators, an instructed enlightened disciple does not think:
  • ‘When what does not exist does what not come to be?’
  • ‘With the cessation of what does what cease?’
  • ‘When what does not exist do volitional formations not come to be?’
  • ‘When what does not exist does consciousness not come to be?’
  • ‘When what does not exist does name-and-form not come to be?’ …
  • ‘When what does not exist does aging-and-death not come to be?’”
(SC 4) “Rather, meditators, the instructed enlightened disciple has direct knowledge about this independent of all others:
  • ‘When this does not exist, that does not come to be’;
  • ‘with the cessation of this, that ceases.’
  • ‘When there is no ignorance, volitional formations do not come to be.’
  • ‘When there are no volitional formations, consciousness does not come to be.’
  • ‘When there is no consciousness, name-and-form does not come to be.’…
  • ‘When there is no rebirth, aging-and-death does not come to be.’
"One understands thus: ‘In such a way the world ceases.’ (sn.ii.79)

(SC 5) “Meditators, when an enlightened disciple thus understands as they really are the origin and the passing away of the world, that disciple is then called an enlightened disciple
  • who is accomplished in [right] view,
  • accomplished in [knowledge-and-] vision,
  • who has arrived at this true Dharma,
  • who sees this true Dharma,
  • who possesses a trainee’s knowledge,
  • a trainee’s true knowledge,
  • who has entered the stream of the Dharma,
  • a ‘noble one’ with penetrative wisdom,
  • one who stands squarely before the door to the Deathless (nirvana).” Source

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