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Nibbedhikasutta (The Penetrating Discourse)

· 72 min read

16A6/2.1.9, the ninth discourse of the Aṅguttara Nikāya's Mahāvagga of the Sixes: the Bhagavā analyses sensual pleasures, feelings, apperceptions, the defilements, kamma and suffering, each in six ways, as a penetrating discourse on the Dhamma.

Original text: 16A6/2.1.9 Nibbedhikasutta 555–600 in the World Tipitaka Edition

Summary

Section titled “Summary”

The Bhagavā teaches the bhikkhū a nibbedhikapariyāya (penetrating discourse) on six things: sensual pleasures, feelings, apperceptions, the defilements, kamma (action) and suffering. Each is to be understood in six ways — in itself, its origin, its diversity, its result, its cessation and the path leading to its cessation — and a disciple of the liberated who understands them so understands the penetrating optimal life as their cessation. On the way the discourse defines kāma as the passion of intention rather than the beautiful things of the world, and kamma as intention.

Diagram

Section titled “Diagram”
flowchart LR
    subgraph T["The six things to be understood"]
        direction TB
        K["kāma (sensual pleasures)"]
        V["vedanā (feelings)"]
        S["saññā (apperceptions)"]
        A["āsava (defilements)"]
        M["kamma (action)"]
        D["dukkha (suffering)"]
    end
    subgraph W["Each in six ways"]
        direction TB
        W1["the thing itself"] --> W2["its origin"] --> W3["its diversity"] --> W4["its result"] --> W5["its cessation"] --> W6["the path to its cessation"]
    end
    subgraph O["The origins"]
        direction TB
        C["contact"]
        I["ignorance"]
        R["craving"]
    end
    K --> C
    V --> C
    S --> C
    M --> C
    A --> I
    D --> R
    T --> W
    W --> E["the penetrating optimal life: the cessation of each"]

Text

Section titled “Text”

(63.)

555. “I will teach you, Bhikkhave, the penetrating discourse, a discourse on the Dhamma. Listen and pay close attention, I will speak.” “Yes, Bhante,” those bhikkhū replied to the Bhagavā. The Bhagavā said this:

556. “And what, Bhikkhave, is that penetrating discourse, the discourse on the Dhamma? kāma (sensual pleasures), Bhikkhave, should be understood; the origin of sensual pleasures should be understood; the diversity of sensual pleasures should be understood; the result of sensual pleasures should be understood; the cessation of sensual pleasures should be understood; the path leading to the cessation of sensual pleasures should be understood. (1)

557. vedanā (feelings), Bhikkhave, should be understood; the origin of feelings should be understood; the diversity of feelings should be understood; the result of feelings should be understood; the cessation of feeling should be understood; the path leading to the cessation of feeling should be understood. (2)

558. saññā (apperceptions), Bhikkhave, should be understood; the origin of apperceptions should be understood; the diversity of apperceptions should be understood; the result of apperceptions should be understood; the cessation of apperception should be understood; the path leading to the cessation of apperception should be understood. (3)

559. āsava (defilements), Bhikkhave, should be understood; the origin of the defilements should be understood; the diversity of the defilements should be understood; the result of the defilements should be understood; the cessation of the defilements should be understood; the path leading to the cessation of the defilements should be understood. (4)

560. kamma (action), Bhikkhave, should be understood; the origin of kamma should be understood; the diversity of kamma should be understood; the result of kamma should be understood; the cessation of kamma should be understood; the path leading to the cessation of kamma should be understood. (5)

561. dukkha (suffering), Bhikkhave, should be understood; the origin of suffering should be understood; the diversity of suffering should be understood; the result of suffering should be understood; the cessation of suffering should be understood; the path leading to the cessation of suffering should be understood. (6)

562. ‘Sensual pleasures, Bhikkhave, should be understood; the origin of sensual pleasures should be understood; the diversity of sensual pleasures should be understood; the result of sensual pleasures should be understood; the cessation of sensual pleasures should be understood; the path leading to the cessation of sensual pleasures should be understood.’ This is what was said. And in reference to what was this said? There are, Bhikkhave, these five kāmaguṇā (objects of sensual desire): forms cognisable by the eye — agreeable, pleasant, charming, alluring, accompanied by sensual desire, and stimulating; sounds cognisable by the ear …; odours cognisable by the nose …; tastes cognisable by the tongue …; tangibles cognisable by the body — agreeable, pleasant, charming, alluring, accompanied by sensual desire, and stimulating. And yet, Bhikkhave, these are not sensual pleasures; these are indeed called kāmaguṇā (objects of sensual desire) in the Discipline of the Liberated One:

563. The passion of intention is a person’s sensual pleasure,
These are not sensual pleasures, the beautiful things in the world;
The passion of intention is a person’s sensual pleasure,
The beautiful things remain just as they are in the world;
But here the wise dispel desire.

564. And what, Bhikkhave, is the origin of sensual pleasures? Contact, Bhikkhave, is the origin of sensual pleasures.

565. And what, Bhikkhave, is the diversity of sensual pleasures? Sensual pleasure in forms, Bhikkhave, is one thing; sensual pleasure in sounds is another; sensual pleasure in odours is another; sensual pleasure in tastes is another; sensual pleasure in tangibles is another. This, Bhikkhave, is called the diversity of sensual pleasures.

566. And what, Bhikkhave, is the result of sensual pleasures? That one who desires, Bhikkhave, produces a corresponding personal existence in each case, whether meritorious or unmeritorious — this, Bhikkhave, is called the result of sensual pleasures.

567. And what, Bhikkhave, is the cessation of sensual pleasures? The cessation of contact, Bhikkhave, is the cessation of sensual pleasures. This very ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo (Eightfold Path) is the path leading to the cessation of sensual pleasures, namely: right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right awareness, right focus.

568. When, Bhikkhave, a disciple of the liberated thus understands sensual pleasures, thus understands the origin of sensual pleasures, thus understands the diversity of sensual pleasures, thus understands the result of sensual pleasures, thus understands the cessation of sensual pleasures, thus understands the path leading to the cessation of sensual pleasures, he understands this penetrating optimal life as the cessation of sensual pleasures. That which was said: ‘Sensual pleasures, Bhikkhave, should be understood … and so on … the path leading to the cessation of sensual pleasures should be understood,’ it was said in reference to this. (1)

569. Feelings, Bhikkhave, should be understood … and so on … the path leading to the cessation of feeling should be understood. This is what was said. And in reference to what was this said? There are, Bhikkhave, these three feelings: pleasant feeling, painful feeling, and neutral feeling.

570. And what, Bhikkhave, is the origin of feelings? Contact, Bhikkhave, is the origin of feelings.

571. And what, Bhikkhave, is the diversity of feelings? There is, Bhikkhave, worldly pleasant feeling and there is pleasant feeling that is not worldly; there is worldly painful feeling and there is painful feeling that is not worldly; there is worldly neutral feeling and there is neutral feeling that is not worldly. This, Bhikkhave, is called the diversity of feelings.

572. And what, Bhikkhave, is the result of feelings? That one who feels, Bhikkhave, produces a corresponding personal existence in each case, whether meritorious or unmeritorious — this, Bhikkhave, is called the result of feelings.

573. And what, Bhikkhave, is the cessation of feeling? The cessation of contact, Bhikkhave, is the cessation of feeling. This very ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo (Eightfold Path) is the path leading to the cessation of feeling, namely: right view … and so on … right focus.

574. When, Bhikkhave, a disciple of the liberated thus understands feeling, thus understands the origin of feelings, thus understands the diversity of feelings, thus understands the result of feelings, thus understands the cessation of feeling, thus understands the path leading to the cessation of feeling. He understands this penetrating optimal life as the cessation of feeling. That which was said: ‘Feelings, Bhikkhave, should be understood … and so on … the path leading to the cessation of feeling should be understood,’ it was said in reference to this. (2)

575. Apperceptions, Bhikkhave, should be understood … and so on … the path leading to the cessation of apperception should be understood. This is what was said. And in reference to what was this said? There are, Bhikkhave, these six apperceptions: apperception of forms, apperception of sounds, apperception of odours, apperception of tastes, apperception of tangibles, apperception of mental phenomena.

576. And what, Bhikkhave, is the origin of apperceptions? Contact, Bhikkhave, is the origin of apperceptions.

577. And what, Bhikkhave, is the diversity of apperceptions? Apperception in forms, Bhikkhave, is one thing; apperception in sounds is another; apperception in odours is another; apperception in tastes is another; apperception in tangibles is another; apperception in mental phenomena is another. This, Bhikkhave, is called the diversity of apperceptions.

578. And what, Bhikkhave, is the result of apperceptions? Apperception, Bhikkhave, I declare to result in verbal expression. In whatever way one apperceives it, in that way one expresses it: ‘I was percipient in this way.’ This, Bhikkhave, is called the result of apperceptions.

579. And what, Bhikkhave, is the cessation of apperception? The cessation of contact, Bhikkhave, is the cessation of apperception. This very ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo (Eightfold Path) is the path leading to the cessation of apperception, namely: right view … and so on … right focus.

580. When, Bhikkhave, a disciple of the liberated thus understands apperception, thus understands the origin of apperceptions, thus understands the diversity of apperceptions, thus understands the result of apperceptions, thus understands the cessation of apperception, thus understands the path leading to the cessation of apperception, he understands this penetrating optimal life as the cessation of apperception. ‘Apperceptions, Bhikkhave, should be understood … and so on … the path leading to the cessation of apperception should be understood.’ Thus that which was said, it was said in reference to this. (3)

581. The defilements, Bhikkhave, should be understood … and so on … the path leading to the cessation of the defilements should be understood. This is what was said. And in reference to what was this said? There are, Bhikkhave, these three defilements: the defilement of sensual pleasure, the defilement of existence, and the defilement of ignorance.

582. And what, Bhikkhave, is the origin of the defilements? Ignorance, Bhikkhave, is the origin of the defilements.

583. And what, Bhikkhave, is the diversity of the defilements? There are, Bhikkhave, defilements leading to hell; there are defilements leading to the animal realm; there are defilements leading to the realm of hungry ghosts; there are defilements leading to the human world; there are defilements leading to the deva worlds. This, Bhikkhave, is called the diversity of the defilements.

584. And what, Bhikkhave, is the result of the defilements? That one immersed in ignorance, Bhikkhave, produces a corresponding personal existence in each case, whether meritorious or unmeritorious — this, Bhikkhave, is called the result of the defilements.

585. And what, Bhikkhave, is the cessation of the defilements? The cessation of ignorance, Bhikkhave, is the cessation of the defilements. This very ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo (Eightfold Path) is the path leading to the cessation of the defilements, namely: right view … and so on … right focus.

586. When, Bhikkhave, a disciple of the liberated thus understands the defilements, thus understands the origin of the defilements, thus understands the diversity of the defilements, thus understands the result of the defilements, thus understands the cessation of the defilements, thus understands the path leading to the cessation of the defilements, he understands this penetrating optimal life as the cessation of the defilements. ‘The defilements, Bhikkhave, should be understood … and so on … the path leading to the cessation of the defilements should be understood.’ Thus that which was said, it was said in reference to this. (4)

587. Action (Kamma), Bhikkhave, should be understood… and the path leading to the cessation of kamma should be understood. This is what was said. And in reference to what was this said? Intention, Bhikkhave, I declare to be kamma. Having intended, one acts by body, speech, and mind.

588. And what, Bhikkhave, is the origin of kamma? Contact, Bhikkhave, is the origin of kamma.

589. And what, Bhikkhave, is the diversity of kamma? There is, Bhikkhave, kamma that leads to experience in hell; there is kamma that leads to experience in the animal realm; there is kamma that leads to experience in the realm of hungry ghosts; there is kamma that leads to experience in the human world; there is kamma that leads to experience in the deva worlds. This, Bhikkhave, is called the diversity of kamma.

590. And what, Bhikkhave, is the result of kamma? I declare, Bhikkhave, the result of kamma to be of three kinds: experienced in this very life, or in a subsequent birth, or on some later occasion. This, Bhikkhave, is called the result of kamma.

591. And what, Bhikkhave, is the cessation of kamma? The cessation of contact, Bhikkhave, is the cessation of kamma. This very ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo (Eightfold Path) is the path leading to the cessation of kamma, namely: right view… and so on… right focus.

592. When, Bhikkhave, a disciple of the liberated thus understands kamma, thus understands the origin of kamma, thus understands the diversity of kamma, thus understands the result of kamma, thus understands the cessation of kamma, thus understands the path leading to the cessation of kamma, he understands this penetrative optimal life as the cessation of kamma. That which was said: “Kamma, Bhikkhave, should be understood… and the path leading to the cessation of kamma should be understood,” it was said in reference to this. (5)

593. ‘Suffering, Bhikkhave, should be understood; the origin of suffering should be understood; the diversity of suffering should be understood; the result of suffering should be understood; the cessation of suffering should be understood; the path leading to the cessation of suffering should be understood.’ This is what was said; and in reference to what was this said? Birth, too, is suffering; ageing, too, is suffering; illness, too, is suffering; death, too, is suffering; sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure and despair, too, are suffering; not getting what one wants, too, is suffering; in short, the five collections of fuel are suffering.

594. And what, Bhikkhave, is the origin of suffering? Craving, Bhikkhave, is the origin of suffering.

595. And what, Bhikkhave, is the diversity of suffering? There is, Bhikkhave, suffering that is extreme, there is that which is slight, there is that which is slow to fade, there is that which is quick to fade. This, Bhikkhave, is called the diversity of suffering.

596. And what, Bhikkhave, is the result of suffering? Here, Bhikkhave, a certain person, overcome by some suffering, his mind overwhelmed, sorrows, becomes weary, laments, wails beating his breast, and falls into confusion; or else, overcome by some suffering, his mind overwhelmed, he engages in an external search: ‘Who knows one word or two words for the cessation of this suffering?’ Suffering, Bhikkhave, I declare to result either in confusion or in a search. This, Bhikkhave, is called the result of suffering.

597. And what, Bhikkhave, is the cessation of suffering? The cessation of craving, Bhikkhave, is the cessation of suffering. This very ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo (Eightfold Path) is the path leading to the cessation of suffering, namely: right view … and so on … right focus.

598. When, Bhikkhave, a disciple of the liberated thus understands suffering, thus understands the origin of suffering, thus understands the diversity of suffering, thus understands the result of suffering, thus understands the cessation of suffering, thus understands the path leading to the cessation of suffering, he understands this penetrating optimal life as the cessation of suffering. ‘Suffering, Bhikkhave, should be understood; the origin of suffering should be understood; the diversity of suffering should be understood; the result of suffering should be understood; the cessation of suffering should be understood; the path leading to the cessation of suffering should be understood.’ Thus that which was said, it was said in reference to this. (6)

599. This, Bhikkhave, is that penetrating discourse, the discourse on the Dhamma.”

600. The ninth.

Commentary

Section titled “Commentary”
  • A nibbedhikapariyāya (penetrating discourse): six things, each analysed in six ways on the pattern of the four realisations (the thing, its origin, its cessation, the path), with diversity and result added; the Bhagavā’s one speech runs from 556 to 599, and the edition numbers the six sections (1)–(6).
  • Two definitions worth a word: kāma is the passion of intention, not the beautiful things of the world (563), and kamma is intention (587); the author’s reading of 587–592 is at https://buddhavacana.github.io/articles/kamma/, whose lines are the twins here.
  • Renderings by the DPD: nibbedhika “penetrating” (the buddhavacana twin at 592 has “penetrative”), nidānasambhava “origin” (cell “source and origin”), vemattatā “diversity”, vipāka “result”, attabhāva “personal existence”, vohāravepakka “resulting in verbal expression”, sāmisa “worldly”.
  • The definition of suffering (593) is the first realisation’s wording of https://buddhavacana.github.io/pali-textbook/5-dhammacakka/ with the Pāḷi’s “too” kept; the path as on https://buddhavacana.github.io/sutta/eightfold/.

Parallels

Section titled “Parallels”

The Chinese parallel is MA 111 達梵行經, the fifth discourse of the Madhyama Āgama’s 林品 (中阿含經 fascicle 27, CBETA T01, no. 26, pp. 599b–600b), read here in CBETA’s text; its title, “attaining the brahmacariya”, renders the refrain the Pāḷi gives as “this penetrating optimal life” (達梵行 for nibbedhikaṃ brahmacariyaṃ). The two versions share the plan and most of the content: the Buddha announces a discourse and the bhikkhus listen; six things are to be known, each in six ways — the thing itself, the cause from which it arises (所因生), its result (有報), its diversity (勝如, “superior and inferior”), its cessation (滅盡) and the path to its cessation (滅道); contact (更樂) is the origin of feeling, apperception, sensual pleasure and action, ignorance of the defilements and craving (愛) of suffering; the path is the eightfold path in each case (八支聖道，正見乃至正定, p. 599c and after); and each section closes with “one who knows thus … this is called attaining the brahmacariya, able to end all X” (是謂達梵行，能盡一切漏, p. 599c), the Pāḷi’s “he understands this penetrating optimal life as the cessation of X”. The differences, checked in CBETA’s text:

  • The setting. The Chinese opens with “Thus have I heard” and the Buddha among the Kurus at Kammāsadhamma (佛遊拘樓瘦，在劍磨瑟曇拘樓都邑, p. 599b) and closes with the bhikkhus rejoicing (歡喜奉行, p. 600b); the Pāḷi has no setting, no “Evaṃ me sutaṃ” and no closing frame, only “Navamaṃ”. The Chinese announcement carries the full formula “good in the beginning, middle and end, with meaning and phrasing, complete and pure, revealing the brahmacariya, called attaining the brahmacariya, able to end all defilements” (初妙、中妙、竟亦妙 … 謂名達梵行，能盡諸漏, p. 599b); the Pāḷi says only “the penetrating discourse, a discourse on the Dhamma”.
  • The order. The Chinese takes the defilements first — 漏, 覺, 想, 欲, 業, 苦 (p. 599b) — where the Pāḷi runs sensual pleasures, feelings, apperceptions, defilements, action, suffering; and within each section it puts the result (有報) before the diversity (勝如), the Pāḷi the diversity before the result. The Chinese knower is “a bhikkhu” (若比丘如是知, p. 599c), the Pāḷi’s “a disciple of the liberated”.
  • Sensual pleasures. The Chinese has the five 欲功德 “lovable, delightful, beautiful, bound up with desire, very pleasurable” and the five pairs of sense and object (眼知色 … 身知觸, p. 600a) but neither the Pāḷi’s statement that these are not kāma nor the verse on the passion of intention (563). Its result adds a third destination, “a place of merit, a place without merit or an imperturbable place” (有福處、無福處、不動處, p. 600a), to the Pāḷi’s meritorious or unmeritorious.
  • Feelings. The Chinese result of feeling is craving (謂愛也。愛為覺報, p. 599c), where the Pāḷi has the personal existence one who feels produces; its diversity is a long list — feeling each feeling as it is felt, of body and of mind, with and without food (食/無食, the Pāḷi’s sāmisa/nirāmisa), with and without desire (欲/無欲, p. 599c) — against the Pāḷi’s six.
  • Apperceptions. The Chinese defines four apperceptions, small, great, immeasurable and of nothingness (小想、大想、無量想、無所有處想, p. 599c), the Pāḷi six by sense object; its diversity lists apperceptions of forms, sounds, odours, tastes and tangibles only, five to the Pāḷi’s six (p. 600a). The result agrees: “speech: according to one’s apperception one speaks” (謂說也。隨其想便說, p. 600a) is the Pāḷi’s “resulting in verbal expression”.
  • Action. The Chinese knows two actions, “intention and the action done after intending” (思、已思業, p. 600a), the Pāḷi’s “intention I declare to be kamma; having intended one acts by body, speech and mind”; its result is the fourfold scheme of black and white action with black, white, black-and-white and neither result, “action that ends action” (黑 … 白 … 黑白 … 不黑不白、無報，業業盡, p. 600a), where the Pāḷi has the three times of ripening; its diversity is the five destinations, as the Pāḷi’s (p. 600a–b).
  • Suffering. The Chinese definition adds “association with the hated, separation from the loved” (怨憎會苦、愛別離苦, p. 600b), which the Pāḷi lacks here. The two versions swap the remaining members: the Chinese result (有報) is the Pāḷi’s diversity — suffering slight and slow to cease, slight and quick, great and slow, great and quick (微遲滅、微疾滅、盛遲滅、盛疾滅, p. 600b) — and the Chinese diversity (勝如) is the Pāḷi’s result, the unlearned ordinary person, overcome by extreme bodily pain, seeking outside: “some wanderers and brahmins hold a one-line spell, or two, three, four, many lines, or a hundred-line spell, ‘they will cure my suffering’” (持一句呪，或二、三、四、多句呪，或持百句呪，彼治我苦, p. 600b). The spell explains the Pāḷi’s “who knows one word or two words for the cessation of this suffering” (596).
  • The defilements. The two agree in the three defilements, ignorance as their origin and the five destinations as their diversity (p. 599b–c, heaven before the human world); the Chinese result reads “one wrapped in ignorance, soaked by the defilements, experiences the result, a good or a bad destination” (無明纏者，為諸漏所漬 … 或得善處，或得惡處, p. 599b), the Pāḷi’s personal existence meritorious or unmeritorious.

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