SN 22.100. Tied on a Leash (2)

At Savatthi.

“Mendicants, transmigration has no discernible beginning. You can find no beginning to the transmigration of beings who roam around obstructed by ignorance and chained by craving. Imagine a dog on a leash tied to a strong post or pillar. Whenever he walks, stands, sits, or lies down, he does so right beside that post or pillar. Likewise, unlearned ordinary people regard form as, ‘it’s me, it’s mine, it’s my self’. They regard sensation, perception, will, and consciousness as, ‘it’s me, it’s mine, it’s my self’. Whenever they walk, stand, sit, or lie down, they do so right along those five taken up aspects of existence. Therefore, you should regularly reflect upon your mind, thinking: ‘For a long time this mind has been contaminated with desire, anger, and delusion.’ Beings are contaminated because the mind is contaminated. They are purified when the mind is purified.

Mendicants, have you seen the picture called ‘Wandering’?”

“Yes, sir.”

“The diversity in that picture is made by the mind. Yet the mind is even more diverse than that picture. Therefore, you should regularly reflect upon your mind, thinking: ‘For a long time this mind has been contaminated with desire, anger, and delusion.’ Beings are contaminated because the mind is contaminated. They are purified when the mind is purified.

I do not know any order of beings so diverse as the animal realm. The diversity in the animal realm is also made by the mind. Yet the mind is even more diverse than that. Therefore, you should regularly reflect upon your mind, thinking: ‘For a long time this mind has been contaminated with desire, anger, and delusion.’ Beings are contaminated because the mind is contaminated. They are purified when the mind is purified.

It’s like an artist or a painter producing a complete figure of a man or woman on a well-polished board or a wall or a canvas, using dye, lac, turmeric, indigo, and crimson. When unlearned ordinary people produce a next life, they produce just form, sensation, perception, will, and consciousness.

What do you think, mendicants? Is form permanent or temporary?”

“Temporary, sir.”

“But what is temporary, is that pleasant or suffering?”

“Suffering, sir.”

“But what is temporary, suffering, and of the nature to change, is it right to regard that as, ‘it’s me, it’s mine, it’s my self’?”

“No, sir.”

“Is sensation permanent or temporary?”

“Temporary, sir.”

“But what is temporary, is that pleasant or suffering?”

“Suffering, sir.”

“But what is temporary, suffering, and of the nature to change, is it right to regard that as, ‘it’s me, it’s mine, it’s my self’?”

“No, sir.”

“Is perception permanent or temporary?”

“Temporary, sir.”

“But what is temporary, is that pleasant or suffering?”

“Suffering, sir.”

“But what is temporary, suffering, and of the nature to change, is it right to regard that as, ‘it’s me, it’s mine, it’s my self’?”

“No, sir.”

“Is will permanent or temporary?”

“Temporary, sir.”

“But what is temporary, is that pleasant or suffering?”

“Suffering, sir.”

“But what is temporary, suffering, and of the nature to change, is it right to regard that as, ‘it’s me, it’s mine, it’s my self’?”

“No, sir.”

“Is consciousness permanent or temporary?”

“Temporary, sir.”

“But what is temporary, is that pleasant or suffering?”

“Suffering, sir.”

“But what is temporary, suffering, and of the nature to change, is it right to regard that as, ‘it’s me, it’s mine, it’s my self’?”

“No, sir.”

“For that reason, mendicants, whatever kinds of form there may be—whether past, present, or future; here or elsewhere; internal or external; coarse or subtle; lowly or sublime—by correctly understanding them in line with reality, you should regard all form as, ‘it’s not me, it’s not mine, it’s no self of mine’.

Whatever kinds of sensation there may be—whether past, present, or future; here or elsewhere; internal or external; coarse or subtle; lowly or sublime—by correctly understanding them in line with reality, you should regard all sensation as, ‘it’s not me, it’s not mine, it’s no self of mine’.

Whatever kinds of perception there may be—whether past, present, or future; here or elsewhere; internal or external; coarse or subtle; lowly or sublime—by correctly understanding them in line with reality, you should regard all perception as, ‘it’s not me, it’s not mine, it’s no self of mine’.

Whatever kinds of will there may be—whether past, present, or future; here or elsewhere; internal or external; coarse or subtle; lowly or sublime—by correctly understanding them in line with reality, you should regard all will as, ‘it’s not me, it’s not mine, it’s no self of mine’.

Whatever kinds of consciousness there may be—whether past, present, or future; here or elsewhere; internal or external; coarse or subtle; lowly or sublime—by correctly understanding them in line with reality, you should regard all consciousness as, ‘it’s not me, it’s not mine, it’s no self of mine’.

Mendicants, as a learned noble disciple, when you see this, you get disillusioned with form, sensation, perception, will, and consciousness. Being disillusioned, you lose desire. By losing desire, the mind gets liberated. When it is liberated, you will know it. You will understand that the holy life is finished, that the work is done, that rebirth has ended, so there won’t be another life.”