Part One
The Root Fifty Discourses
(MĆ«lapaáčáčÄsapÄáž·i)1
The Division of the Discourse on the Root
(MĆ«lapariyÄyavagga) 1 MĆ«lapariyÄya Sutta
The Root of All Things
[1] 1. THUS HAVE I HEARD.1 On one occasion the Blessed One was living in UkkaáčáčhÄ in the Subhaga Grove at the root of a royal sÄla tree. There he addressed the bhikkhus thus: âBhikkhus.â2 â âVenerable sir,â they replied. The Blessed One said this:
2. âBhikkhus, I shall teach you a discourse on the root of all things.3 Listen and attend closely to what I shall say.â â âYes, venerable sir,â the bhikkhus replied. The Blessed One said this:
(THE ORDINARY PERSON)
3. âHere, bhikkhus, an untaught ordinary person,4 who has no regard for noble ones and is unskilled and undisciplined in their Dhamma, who has no regard for true men and is unskilled and undisciplined in their Dhamma, perceives earth as earth.5 Having perceived earth as earth, he conceives [himself as] earth, he conceives [himself] in earth, he conceives [himself apart] from earth, he conceives earth to be âmine,â he delights in earth.6 Why is that? Because he has not fully understood it, I say.7
4. âHe perceives water as water. Having perceived water as water, he conceives [himself as] water, he conceives [himself] in water, he conceives [himself apart] from water, he conceives water to be âmine,â he delights in water. Why is that? Because he has not fully understood it, I say.
5. âHe perceives fire as fire. Having perceived fire as fire, he conceives [himself as] fire, he conceives [himself] in fire, he conceives [himself apart] from fire, he conceives fire to be âmine,â he delights in fire. Why is that? Because he has not fully understood it, I say.
6. âHe perceives air as air. Having perceived air as air, he conceives [himself as] air, he conceives [himself] in air, he conceives [himself apart] from air, he conceives air to be âmine,â he delights in air. Why is that? Because he has not fully understood it, I say. [2]
7. âHe perceives beings as beings.8 Having perceived beings as beings, he conceives beings, he conceives [himself] in beings, he conceives [himself apart] from beings, he conceives beings to be âmine,â he delights in beings. Why is that? Because he has not fully understood it, I say.
8. âHe perceives gods as gods.9 Having perceived gods as gods, he conceives gods, he conceives [himself] in gods, he conceives [himself apart] from gods, he conceives gods to be âmine,â he delights in gods. Why is that? Because he has not fully understood it, I say.
9. âHe perceives PajÄpati as PajÄpati.10 Having perceived PajÄpati as PajÄpati, he conceives PajÄpati, he conceives [himself] in PajÄpati, he conceives [himself apart] from PajÄpati, he conceives PajÄpati to be âmine,â he delights in PajÄpati. Why is that? Because he has not fully understood it, I say.
10. âHe perceives BrahmÄ as BrahmÄ.11 Having perceived BrahmÄ as BrahmÄ, he conceives BrahmÄ, he conceives [himself] in BrahmÄ, he conceives [himself apart] from BrahmÄ, he conceives BrahmÄ to be âmine,â he delights in BrahmÄ. Why is that? Because he has not fully understood it, I say.
11. âHe perceives the gods of Streaming Radiance as the gods of Streaming Radiance.12 Having perceived the gods of Streaming Radiance as the gods of Streaming Radiance, he conceives the gods of Streaming Radiance, he conceives [himself] in the gods of Streaming Radiance, he conceives [himself apart] from the gods of Streaming Radiance, he conceives the gods of Streaming Radiance to be âmine,â he delights in the gods of Streaming Radiance. Why is that? Because he has not fully understood it, I say.
12. âHe perceives the gods of Refulgent Glory as the gods of Refulgent Glory.13 Having perceived the gods of Refulgent Glory as the gods of Refulgent Glory, he conceives the gods of Refulgent Glory, he conceives [himself] in the gods of Refulgent Glory, he conceives [himself apart] from the gods of Refulgent Glory, he conceives the gods of Refulgent Glory to be âmine,â he delights in the gods of Refulgent Glory. Why is that? Because he has not fully understood it, I say.
13. âHe perceives the gods of Great Fruit as the gods of Great Fruit.14 Having perceived the gods of Great Fruit as the gods of Great Fruit, he conceives the gods of Great Fruit, he conceives [himself] in the gods of Great Fruit, he conceives [himself apart] from the gods of Great Fruit, he conceives the gods of Great Fruit to be âmine,â he delights in the gods of Great Fruit. Why is that? Because he has not fully understood it, I say.
14. âHe perceives the Overlord as the Overlord.15 Having perceived the Overlord as the Overlord, he conceives the Overlord, he conceives [himself] in the Overlord, he conceives [himself apart] from the Overlord, he conceives the Overlord to be âmine,â he delights in the Overlord. Why is that? Because he has not fully understood it, I say.
15. âHe perceives the base of infinite space as the base of infinite space.16 Having perceived the base of infinite space as the base of infinite space, he conceives [himself as] the base of infinite space, he conceives [himself] in the base of infinite space, he conceives [himself apart] from the base of infinite space, he conceives the base of infinite space to be âmine,â he delights in the base of infinite space. Why is that? Because he has not fully understood it, I say.
16. âHe perceives the base of infinite consciousness as the base of infinite consciousness. Having perceived the base of infinite consciousness as the base of infinite consciousness, [3] he conceives [himself as] the base of infinite consciousness, he conceives [himself] in the base of infinite consciousness, he conceives [himself apart] from the base of infinite consciousness, he conceives the base of infinite consciousness to be âmine,â he delights in the base of infinite consciousness. Why is that? Because he has not fully understood it, I say.
17. âHe perceives the base of nothingness as the base of nothingness. Having perceived the base of nothingness as the base of nothingness, he conceives [himself as] the base of nothingness, he conceives [himself] in the base of nothingness, he conceives [himself apart] from the base of nothingness, he conceives the base of nothingness to be âmine,â he delights in the base of nothingness. Why is that? Because he has not fully understood it, I say.
18. âHe perceives the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception as the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception. Having perceived the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception as the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, he conceives [himself as] the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, he conceives [himself] in the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, he conceives [himself apart] from the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, he conceives the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception to be âmine,â he delights in the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception. Why is that? Because he has not fully understood it, I say.
19. âHe perceives the seen as the seen.17 Having perceived the seen as the seen, he conceives [himself as] the seen, he conceives [himself] in the seen, he conceives [himself apart] from the seen, he conceives the seen to be âmine,â he delights in the seen. Why is that? Because he has not fully understood it, I say.
20. âHe perceives the heard as the heard. Having perceived the heard as the heard, he conceives [himself as] the heard, he conceives [himself] in the heard, he conceives [himself apart] from the heard, he conceives the heard to be âmine,â he delights in the heard. Why is that? Because he has not fully understood it, I say.
21. âHe perceives the sensed as the sensed. Having perceived the sensed as the sensed, he conceives [himself as] the sensed, he conceives [himself] in the sensed, he conceives [himself apart] from the sensed, he conceives the sensed to be âmine,â he delights in the sensed. Why is that? Because he has not fully understood it, I say.
22. âHe perceives the cognized as the cognized. Having perceived the cognized as the cognized, he conceives [himself as] the cognized, he conceives [himself] in the cognized, he conceives [himself apart] from the cognized, he conceives the cognized to be âmine,â he delights in the cognized. Why is that? Because he has not fully understood it, I say.
23. âHe perceives unity as unity.18 Having perceived unity as unity, he conceives [himself as] unity, he conceives [himself] in unity, he conceives [himself apart] from unity, he conceives unity to be âmine,â he delights in unity. Why is that? Because he has not fully understood it, I say.
24. âHe perceives diversity as diversity. Having perceived diversity as diversity, he conceives [himself as] diversity, he conceives [himself] in diversity, he conceives [himself apart] from diversity, he conceives diversity to be âmine,â he delights in diversity. Why is that? Because he has not fully understood it, I say.
25. âHe perceives all as all.19 Having perceived all as all, he conceives [himself as] all, [4] he conceives [himself] in all, he conceives [himself apart] from all, he conceives all to be âmine,â he delights in all. Why is that? Because he has not fully understood it, I say.
26. âHe perceives NibbÄna as NibbÄna.20 Having perceived NibbÄna as NibbÄna, he conceives [himself as] NibbÄna, he conceives [himself] in NibbÄna, he conceives [himself apart] from NibbÄna, he conceives NibbÄna to be âmine,â he delights in NibbÄna. Why is that? Because he has not fully understood it, I say.
(THE DISCIPLE IN HIGHER TRAINING)
27. âBhikkhus, a bhikkhu who is in higher training,21 whose mind has not yet reached the goal, and who is still aspiring to the supreme security from bondage, directly knows earth as earth.22 Having directly known earth as earth, he should not conceive [himself as] earth, he should not conceive [himself] in earth, he should not conceive [himself apart] from earth, he should not conceive earth to be âmine,â he should not delight in earth. Why is that? Because he must fully understand it, I say.23
28â49. âHe directly knows water as water⊠He directly knows all as allâŠ
50. âHe directly knows NibbÄna as NibbÄna. Having directly known NibbÄna as NibbÄna, he should not conceive [himself as] NibbÄna, he should not conceive [himself] in NibbÄna, he should not conceive [himself apart] from NibbÄna, he should not conceive NibbÄna to be âmine,â he should not delight in NibbÄna. Why is that? Because he must fully understand it, I say.
(THE ARAHANT â I)
51. âBhikkhus, a bhikkhu who is an arahant with taints destroyed, who has lived the holy life, done what had to be done, laid down the burden, reached his own goal, destroyed the fetters of being, and is completely liberated through final knowledge,24 he too directly knows earth as earth. Having directly known earth as earth, he does not conceive [himself as] earth, he does not conceive [himself] in earth, he does not conceive [himself apart] from earth, he does not conceive earth to be âmine,â he does not delight in earth. Why is that? Because he has fully understood it, I say.25
52â74. âHe too directly knows water as water⊠NibbÄna as NibbÄna⊠Why is that? Because he has fully understood it, I say.
(THE ARAHANT â II)
75. âBhikkhus, a bhikkhu who is an arahant⊠completely liberated through final knowledge, [5] he too directly knows earth as earth. Having directly known earth as earth, he does not conceive [himself as] earth, he does not conceive [himself] in earth, he does not conceive [himself apart] from earth, he does not conceive earth to be âmine,â he does not delight in earth. Why is that? Because he is free from lust through the destruction of lust.26
76â98. âHe too directly knows water as water⊠NibbÄna as NibbÄna⊠Why is that? Because he is free from lust through the destruction of lust.
(THE ARAHANT â III)
99. âBhikkhus, a bhikkhu who is an arahant⊠completely liberated through final knowledge, he too directly knows earth as earth. Having directly known earth as earth, he does not conceive [himself as] earth, he does not conceive [himself] in earth, he does not conceive [himself apart] from earth, he does not conceive earth to be âmine,â he does not delight in earth. Why is that? Because he is free from hate through the destruction of hate.
100â122. âHe too directly knows water as water⊠NibbÄna as NibbÄna⊠Why is that? Because he is free from hate through the destruction of hate.
(THE ARAHANT â IV)
123. âBhikkhus, a bhikkhu who is an arahant⊠completely liberated through final knowledge, he too directly knows earth as earth. Having directly known earth as earth, he does not conceive [himself as] earth, he does not conceive [himself] in earth, he does not conceive [himself apart] from earth, he does not conceive earth to be âmine,â he does not delight in earth. Why is that? Because he is free from delusion through the destruction of delusion.
124â146. âHe too directly knows water as water⊠NibbÄna as NibbÄna⊠Why is that? Because he is free from delusion through the destruction of delusion.
(THE TATHÄGATA â I)
147. âBhikkhus, the TathÄgata,27 too, ac...