Skip to content
Tidipa

Pālileyyasutta (The Discourse at Pālileyya)

· 59 min read

At Pālileyyaka, having left Kosambī alone, the Bhagavā answers a bhikkhu's unspoken question of how one must know and see for the defilements to be destroyed immediately: every view of self, eternalism, annihilationism and doubt are mental constructions born of craving, impermanent and dependently originated (13S3/1.2.3.9, Khandhasaṃyutta).

Original text: 13S3/1.2.3.9 Pālileyyasutta 434–446 in the World Tipitaka Edition

Summary

Section titled “Summary”

The Bhagavā leaves Kosambī alone, without telling his attendants or the Saṅgha, and settles at Pālileyyaka, where āyasmā Ānanda brings a group of bhikkhū to hear him. Knowing one bhikkhu’s unspoken question — how one must know and see for the defilements to be destroyed at once — he answers that every way of regarding the five collections as self, the eternalist and annihilationist views, and doubt itself are mental constructions, born of craving from a feeling touched by ignorance, and so impermanent, constructed and dependently originated; seeing this, the defilements end.

Diagram

Section titled “Diagram”
flowchart TB
    A["The Bhagavā leaves Kosambī alone"] --> B["Pālileyyaka, the auspicious sāl tree"]
    B --> C["Ānanda brings the bhikkhū"]
    C --> D["A bhikkhu wonders: knowing how, seeing how?"]
    D --> E["The Dhamma taught analytically, the seven sets"]
    E --> F["twenty views of self in the five collections"]
    E --> G["sassatadiṭṭhi (eternalism)"]
    E --> H["ucchedadiṭṭhi (doctrine of annihilation)"]
    E --> I["doubt about the true Dhamma"]
    F & G & H & I --> J["a saṅkhāra (mental construction)"]
    J --> K["born of craving, from a feeling touched by ignorance"]
    K --> L["impermanent, constructed, dependently originated"]
    L --> M["the defilements destroyed immediately"]

Text

Section titled “Text”

(81.)

434. At one time the Bhagavā was dwelling at Kosambī, in Ghosita’s Park. Then, in the morning, having dressed and taking his bowl and robes, the Bhagavā entered Kosambī for alms. Having wandered for alms in Kosambī and returned from his alms round after the meal, he set his lodging in order himself, took his bowl and robes and, without informing his attendants or taking leave of the Saṅgha of bhikkhū, set out on a journey alone, without a companion.

435. Then, soon after the Bhagavā had left, a certain bhikkhu approached āyasmā Ānanda; having approached, he said this to āyasmā Ānanda: “Āvuso Ānanda, the Bhagavā has himself set his lodging in order, taken his bowl and robes and, without informing his attendants or taking leave of the Saṅgha of bhikkhū, he has set out on a journey alone, without a companion.” “Āvuso, when the Bhagavā sets his lodging in order himself, takes his bowl and robes and, without informing his attendants or taking leave of the Saṅgha of bhikkhū, sets out on a journey alone, without a companion, at that time the Bhagavā wishes to dwell alone; at that time the Bhagavā should not be followed by anyone.”

436. Then the Bhagavā, wandering on tour in stages, arrived at Pālileyyaka. There the Bhagavā dwelt at Pālileyyaka, at the foot of an auspicious sāl tree. Then several bhikkhū went to where āyasmā Ānanda was; having approached, they exchanged greetings with āyasmā Ānanda. Having concluded their cordial and polite talk, they sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, those bhikkhū said this to āyasmā Ānanda: “It has indeed been a long time, Āvuso Ānanda, since we heard a Dhamma talk from the Bhagavā’s own mouth; we wish, Āvuso Ānanda, to hear a Dhamma talk from the Bhagavā’s own mouth.”

437. Then āyasmā Ānanda, together with those bhikkhū, approached the Bhagavā at Pālileyyaka, at the foot of the auspicious sāl tree; Having approached, he bowed to the Bhagavā and sat down to one side. The Bhagavā instructed, encouraged, fired up, and gladdened those bhikkhū, seated to one side, with a Dhamma talk. Now at that time this reflection arose in the mind of a certain bhikkhu: “Knowing how, seeing how, does the destruction of the āsavā (defilements) come about immediately?” Then the Bhagavā, knowing the thought process of that bhikkhu with his mind, addressed the bhikkhū: “Bhikkhave, the Dhamma has been taught by me analytically; the cattāro satipaṭṭhānā (four reflections) have been taught analytically; the cattāro sammappadhānā (four right exertions) have been taught analytically; the cattāro iddhipādā (four bases of success) have been taught analytically; the pañcindriyāni (five faculties) have been taught analytically; the pañca balāni (five powers) have been taught analytically; the sattabojjhaṅgā (seven factors of awakening) have been taught analytically; the ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo (path of the liberated in eight parts) has been taught analytically. Thus, Bhikkhave, the Dhamma has been taught by me analytically. And yet, Bhikkhave, when the Dhamma has thus been taught by me analytically, here this reflection arose in the mind of a certain bhikkhu: ‘Knowing how, seeing how, does the destruction of the āsavā (defilements) come about immediately?’

438. And knowing how, Bhikkhave, seeing how, does the destruction of the defilements come about immediately? Here, Bhikkhave, an unlearned ordinary person, who has no regard for the liberated, is unskilled in the Dhamma of the liberated and untrained in the Dhamma of the liberated, who has no regard for good people, is unskilled in the Dhamma of good people and untrained in the Dhamma of good people, regards rūpa (form) as self. Now that way of regarding, Bhikkhave, is a saṅkhāra (mental construction). And that mental construction — what is its source, what is its origin, from what is it born, from what is it produced? Bhikkhave, in an unlearned ordinary person touched by a feeling born of contact with ignorance, craving has arisen; that mental construction is born from that. Thus, Bhikkhave, that mental construction too is impermanent, constructed, dependently originated. That craving too is impermanent, constructed, dependently originated. That vedanā (feeling) too, that contact too, is impermanent, constructed, dependently originated. That ignorance too is impermanent, constructed, dependently originated. Knowing in this way too, Bhikkhave, seeing in this way, the destruction of the defilements comes about immediately.

439. Indeed, he does not regard form as self; but he regards self as possessing form. Now that way of regarding, Bhikkhave, is a mental construction. And that mental construction — what is its source, what is its origin, from what is it born, from what is it produced? Bhikkhave, in an unlearned ordinary person touched by a feeling born of contact with ignorance, craving has arisen; that mental construction is born from that. Thus, Bhikkhave, that mental construction too is impermanent, constructed, dependently originated. That craving too … that feeling too … that contact too … that ignorance too is impermanent, constructed, dependently originated. Knowing in this way too, Bhikkhave, seeing in this way, the destruction of the defilements comes about immediately.

440. Indeed, he does not regard form as self, nor does he regard self as possessing form; but he regards form as in self. Now that way of regarding, Bhikkhave, is a mental construction. And that mental construction — what is its source, what is its origin, from what is it born, from what is it produced? Bhikkhave, in an unlearned ordinary person touched by a feeling born of contact with ignorance, craving has arisen; that mental construction is born from that. Thus, Bhikkhave, that mental construction too is impermanent, constructed, dependently originated. That craving too … that feeling too … that contact too … that ignorance too is impermanent, constructed, dependently originated. Knowing in this way too, Bhikkhave, seeing in this way, the destruction of the defilements comes about immediately.

441. Indeed, he does not regard form as self, nor does he regard self as possessing form, nor does he regard form as in self; but he regards self as in form. Now that way of regarding, Bhikkhave, is a mental construction. And that mental construction — what is its source, what is its origin, from what is it born, from what is it produced? Bhikkhave, in an unlearned ordinary person touched by a feeling born of contact with ignorance, craving has arisen; that mental construction is born from that. Thus, Bhikkhave, that mental construction too is impermanent, constructed, dependently originated. That craving too … that feeling too … that contact too … that ignorance too is impermanent, constructed, dependently originated. Knowing in this way too, Bhikkhave, … and so on … the destruction of the defilements comes about.

442. Indeed, he does not regard form as self, nor self as possessing form, nor form as in self, nor does he regard self as in form; but he regards feeling as self, or regards self as possessing feeling, or regards feeling as in self, or regards self as in feeling; or saññā (apperception) … or he regards saṅkhārā (mental constructions) as self, or regards self as possessing mental constructions, or regards mental constructions as in self, or regards self as in mental constructions; or he regards viññāṇa (consciousness) as self, or self as possessing consciousness, or consciousness as in self, or regards self as in consciousness. Now that way of regarding, Bhikkhave, is a mental construction. And that mental construction — what is its source … and so on … from what is it produced? Bhikkhave, in an unlearned ordinary person touched by a feeling born of contact with ignorance, craving has arisen; that mental construction is born from that. Thus, Bhikkhave, that mental construction too is impermanent, constructed, dependently originated. That craving too … that feeling too … that contact too … that ignorance too is impermanent, constructed, dependently originated. Knowing in this way, Bhikkhave, seeing in this way, the destruction of the defilements comes about immediately.

443. Indeed, he does not regard form as self, nor does he regard feeling as self, nor apperception … nor mental constructions … nor does he regard consciousness as self; but he holds this view: ‘That is the self, that is the world; after death I shall be that, permanent, enduring, eternal, not subject to change.’ Now that sassatadiṭṭhi (eternalism), Bhikkhave, is a mental construction. And that mental construction — what is its source? … and so on … Knowing in this way too, Bhikkhave, seeing in this way, the destruction of the defilements comes about immediately.

444. Indeed, he does not regard form as self, nor feeling … nor apperception … nor mental constructions … nor does he regard consciousness as self; nor does he hold this view: ‘That is the self, that is the world; after death I shall be that, permanent, enduring, eternal, not subject to change.’ But he holds this view: ‘I might not be, and it might not be for me; I would not exist, and it will not be for me.’ Now that ucchedadiṭṭhi (doctrine of annihilation), Bhikkhave, is a mental construction. And that mental construction — what is its source, what is its origin, from what is it born, from what is it produced? Bhikkhave, in an unlearned ordinary person touched by a feeling born of contact with ignorance, craving has arisen; that mental construction is born from that. Thus, Bhikkhave, that mental construction too is impermanent … and so on … Knowing in this way too, Bhikkhave, seeing in this way, the destruction of the defilements comes about immediately.

445. Indeed, he does not regard form as self, nor feeling … nor apperception … nor mental constructions … nor does he regard consciousness as self … and so on … nor does he regard [what is] in consciousness as self, nor does he hold this view: ‘That is the self, that is the world; after death I shall be that, permanent, enduring, eternal, not subject to change’; nor does he hold this view: ‘I might not be, and it might not be for me; I would not exist, and it will not be for me’; but he is doubtful, uncertain, has not come to a conclusion about the true Dhamma. Now that doubt, uncertainty, not having come to a conclusion about the true Dhamma, Bhikkhave, is a mental construction. And that mental construction — what is its source, what is its origin, from what is it born, from what is it produced? Bhikkhave, in an unlearned ordinary person touched by a feeling born of contact with ignorance, craving has arisen; that mental construction is born from that. Thus, Bhikkhave, that mental construction too is impermanent, constructed, dependently originated. That craving too is impermanent, constructed, dependently originated. That feeling too is impermanent, constructed, dependently originated. That contact too is impermanent, constructed, dependently originated. That ignorance too is impermanent, constructed, dependently originated. Knowing in this way, Bhikkhave, seeing in this way, the destruction of the defilements comes about immediately.”

446. The ninth [discourse of the chapter].

Commentary

Section titled “Commentary”
  • The Kosambī departure narrative (the Bhagavā leaving alone, without a companion) introduces a teaching that treats the twenty views of self, eternalism, annihilationism and doubt alike as saṅkhārā, each traced to craving and to a feeling touched by ignorance, and so impermanent and dependently originated. The edition’s 434–446 are CST 81, in parentheses in the tabs.
  • Renderings: vicayaso “analytically”; samanupassanā “way of regarding”; sassatadiṭṭhi “eternalism” and ucchedadiṭṭhi “doctrine of annihilation” are the DPD’s; attato takes the textbook’s token for anattato; the edition’s viññāṇasmiṃ attato in 445 (442 has attānaṃ) is translated as it stands.
  • Twins: the alms-round sentence and the bhikkhū going to Ānanda are the Pāsarāsisutta’s (/majjhimanikaya/pasarasisutta/); the departure formula is new to the sites.
  • The teaching on buddhavacana: https://buddhavacana.github.io/pali-textbook/7-anatta/, https://buddhavacana.github.io/sutta/collections/ and, for feeling, craving and ignorance, https://buddhavacana.github.io/sutta/deporig/
  • The Bhagavā knowing a bhikkhu’s thought: the assembly’s question answered unasked, for the author’s rational reading.

Parallels

Section titled “Parallels”

The two texts share one frame and one sequence. The Buddha goes for alms, returns, puts his lodging in order and leaves alone and without a companion, telling neither his attendants nor the Saṅgha; a bhikkhu reports this to Ānanda, who answers that the Buddha wishes to dwell alone and must not be followed; the Buddha travels and settles at the foot of a bhaddasāla tree (跋陀薩羅樹下, p. 13c); a group of bhikkhū come to Ānanda wanting to see the Buddha, and he leads them there; the Buddha teaches them; a bhikkhu wonders how one must know and see to attain the destruction of the āsavā quickly (云何知、云何見，疾得漏盡, p. 14a); the Buddha knows his thought, recalls that the Dhamma has already been taught through the seven sets from the four satipaṭṭhānā to the eightfold path (四念處、四正勤、四如意足、五根、五力、七覺分、八聖道分, p. 14a), and expounds how the unlearned ordinary person’s view of form as self is a saṅkhāra (行) with craving as its cause, craving born of contact with ignorance (無明觸生愛, p. 14a), all of it impermanent and conditioned; the twenty views run through the five collections, and the exposition ends with the view of annihilation and the destruction of the āsavā.

  • Place: SA 57 sets the departure at Sāvatthī, in Jeta’s Grove (舍衛國祇樹給孤獨園), and has the Buddha wander west among the people and then north to the village 波陀 in the country 半闍 (p. 13c); the Pāḷi has Kosambī, Ghosita’s Park, and Pālileyyaka.
  • The reporting bhikkhu: in SA 57 a bhikkhu in the Andha Grove (安陀林) sees the Buddha leaving from afar and goes to Ānanda (p. 13c); in the Pāḷi “a certain bhikkhu” approaches Ānanda soon after the departure.
  • Ānanda’s reason: SA 57 adds “today the World-honoured One wishes to dwell in quietude with few affairs” (今日世尊欲住寂滅滅少事故, p. 13c); the Pāḷi says only that he wishes to dwell alone.
  • The bhikkhū and Ānanda: in SA 57 they first ask Ānanda where the Buddha is staying and he knows; they then propose to go together, and Ānanda consents silently out of compassion (哀愍故…默然而許, p. 13c); after an alms round in Sāvatthī they travel west and north together (pp. 13c–14a). In the Pāḷi they say it has long been since they heard the Dhamma from the Bhagavā’s own mouth, and Ānanda takes them straight to him; there is no journey.
  • The Buddha’s teaching before the exposition: SA 57 has him instruct, encourage, fire up and gladden the bhikkhū (示、教、利、喜, p. 14a) as the Pāḷi does (437), but the recollection of the seven sets is phrased as “contemplate well the collections” (當善觀察諸陰, p. 14a), and is followed by a reproach absent in the Pāḷi: sons of good family who do not strive with desire, delight, awareness and confidence but are lazy cannot attain the destruction of the āsavā, while those who strive attain it quickly (p. 14a). The Pāḷi only notes that a bhikkhu still wonders although the Dhamma has been taught analytically (437).
  • The chain: the Pāḷi stops at ignorance — the saṅkhāra is born of craving; craving, feeling, contact and ignorance are each impermanent, constructed, dependently originated (438). SA 57 asks the same four questions of each link in turn and traces it back to the six sense bases: craving has feeling as cause, feeling has contact as cause, contact has the six sense bases as cause, and the six sense bases are impermanent, conditioned, dependently arisen from mind (無常、有為、心緣起法, p. 14a); ignorance is named only as what the contact is born of.
  • The twenty views: the Pāḷi gives form in full (438–441) and abbreviates the other collections (442); SA 57 runs all twenty through with ellipses (不見色是我，而見色是我所…, pp. 14a–b).
  • The last cases: the Pāḷi has the eternalist view (443), the annihilationist view (444) and doubt about the true Dhamma (445); SA 57 has “the view of annihilation and the view of the destruction of existence” (斷見、壞有見), then one who holds neither “but is not free of the conceit ‘I am’” (不離我慢), and one who is “seeing a self” (見我), each a saṅkhāra traced “as said before, up to the conceit ‘I am’” (p. 14b). SA 57 has no eternalist view and no doubt; the Pāḷi has no conceit.
  • The refrain: the Pāḷi closes each case with “knowing in this way, seeing in this way, the destruction of the defilements comes about immediately”; SA 57 says once at the end “knowing thus, seeing thus, one quickly attains the destruction of the āsavā” (作如是知、如是見者，疾得漏盡, p. 14b), and closes with the bhikkhū rejoicing at what the Buddha said (p. 14b), a close the Pāḷi lacks.

Go to previous page (Pheṇapiṇḍūpamasutta (The Discourse on the Simile of the Lump of Foam)) / Go to parent page (Saṃyutta Nikāya) / Go to next page (Sabbasutta (The Discourse on the All))

Backlinks