Toh 288 — The Mahāsūtra “Illusion’s Net”

F.230.a Homage to the Three Jewels.

Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was staying in Śrāvastī, in Prince Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park. He addressed the monks as follows:

“Monks, one may possess the training in superior discipline but lack superior contemplation and superior wisdom, and one may possess the training in superior discipline and superior contemplation but lack superior wisdom. However, when a noble hearer is established in the practice of striving for superior wisdom, the cultivation of superior discipline and superior contemplation will be perfected.^[1] Thus, monks, noble hearers who remain engaged in practicing superior wisdom are supported by wisdom, which among all supports is unsurpassed.

“Monks, how are noble hearers who remain engaged in practicing superior wisdom supported by wisdom, which among all supports is unsurpassed? Monks, noble hearers who remain engaged in practicing superior wisdom consider the following to conduct a thorough analysis: ‘Formerly, I became and remained attached to pleasant forms perceived by the eyes. I became and remained averse to unpleasant forms perceived by the eyes. I became and remained thoughtlessly indifferent to neutral forms perceived by the eyes.^[2] I have trained myself and behaved in this way for a long time, and so I have experienced old age and death. The past is gone,F.230.b so today I will no longer train myself as I did before regarding forms perceived by the eyes. I must train myself to abandon mistaken beliefs, wrong ideas, incorrect thoughts, and incorrect views regarding past, future, and present forms I perceive with the eyes, such as the psychophysical bonds^[3] of covetousness, malice, a sense of moral and ascetic supremacy, and thinking, “This is the truth,” and clinging to it as real—and then I must abandon them.’

^[4]

“Moreover, monks, the very same forms perceived by the eyes may be pleasant to some but unpleasant to others. Sometimes they will be pleasant to them, sometimes they will be unpleasant, and sometimes they will be neutral. Monks, beings have been obscured by their minds in this way for a long time, and since they have been deceived and duped by their minds, they do not recognize the error. They have no conception of renunciation, and evil Māra forces them to do whatever he desires.

“Monks, some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not see those forms that are perceived by the eyes as they truly and really are, so they stubbornly hold on to their own mistaken beliefs. They cling to them as real, thinking, ‘This is true, and anything else is false,’ and they conduct themselves accordingly. They become and remain attached to pleasant forms perceived by the eyes. These śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas are completely corrupted by the psychophysical bond of covetousness. F.231.a They are entangled in attachment, and so they too are forced to do whatever evil Māra desires.

“Monks, some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not see those forms that are perceived by the eyes as they truly and really are, so they stubbornly hold on to their own mistaken beliefs. They cling to them as real, thinking, ‘This is true, and anything else is false,’ and they conduct themselves accordingly. They remain averse to unpleasant forms perceived by the eyes. These śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas are completely corrupted by the psychophysical bond of malice. They are entangled in aversion, and so they too are forced to do whatever evil Māra desires.

“Monks, some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not see those forms that are perceived by the eyes as they truly and really are, so they stubbornly hold on to their own mistaken beliefs. They cling to them as real, thinking, ‘This is true, and anything else is false,’ and they conduct themselves accordingly. They remain thoughtlessly indifferent^[5] to neutral forms perceived by the eyes. These śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas are completely corrupted by the psychophysical bond of thinking, ‘This is the truth,’ and clinging to it as real. They are entangled in pride, and so they too are forced to do whatever evil Māra desires.

“Here is an analogy, monks. An insane person who is mentally disturbed may wander around naked, take great joy in doing so, and not see any fault in it. Then, when they come back to their senses, the fact that they had previously conducted themselves as an insane person, behaved like someone who is mentally disturbed, and wandered around naked brings them distress, shame, remorse, and disgust.

“Monks, in the same way, for noble hearers who are learned and F.231.b have obtained noble, supramundane wisdom, their previous childish, deluded, and confused behavior brings them distress, shame, remorse, and disgust. They think, ‘Formerly, I thought there was permanence where there is only impermanence. I thought there was happiness where there is only suffering. I thought there was purity where there is only impurity. I thought there was a self where there is only the absence of a self. In this way, formerly, I perceived impermanence as permanence. I perceived suffering as happiness. I perceived impurity as purity. I perceived the absence of a self as a self.’^[6]

“Here is an analogy, monks. A magician or a skilled magician’s apprentice sits at a major crossroads and creates the following four magical illusions: an elephant division, a cavalry division, a chariot division, and an infantry division. Once these are displayed, beings who have a childish, deluded, and confused disposition think, ‘There is an elephant division, a cavalry division, a chariot division, and an infantry division that are visible, real and present here.’

“Beings whose disposition is insightful instead of childish or deluded think, ‘There is no elephant division, cavalry division, chariot division, or infantry division that are visible, real and present here. That is only worked by magic, just an optical illusion.’

“Monks, in the same way, noble hearers who are learned think, ‘All of the past, future, and present forms my eyes perceive F.232.a lack permanence, stability, unchangeability, a true nature, an unmistaken true nature, a unique true nature, genuine reality, truth, suchness, a way things really are, infallibility, and incontrovertibility. They are hollow. They are vain. They have no essence. They are false. They are deceptive phenomena. They are Māra. They are Māra’s tools. They are corpses. They are corpse-like forms. Therefore, it does not make sense to delight in them, speak highly of them,^[7] or become and remain excessively attached to them. The noble, supramundane wisdom taught by the Blessed One is true.’ That is how they conduct a thorough analysis.

“Having understood that, they correctly see all the forms perceived by their eyes in the past, future, and present as a sickness. They correctly see them as a cancer, a splinter, a scorpion’s sting, impermanent, suffering, empty, and lacking a self.

“When they correctly see all the forms perceived by their eyes in the past, future, and present as a sickness, and they correctly see them as a cancer, as a splinter, as a scorpion’s sting, as impermanent, suffering, empty, and lacking a self, they then abandon mistaken beliefs, wrong ideas, incorrect thoughts, and incorrect views regarding past, future, and present forms perceived by the eyes that are the psychophysical bonds of covetousness, malice, a sense of moral and ascetic supremacy, and thinking, ‘This is the truth,’ and clinging to it as real. F.232.b

“By abandoning those bonds, they render Māra blind, depressed, and disoriented and stand their ground. Since evil Māra can no longer see them, they destroy Māra and his retinue and wage battle against his great army. They are victorious in battle, destroy the army, and stand their ground. This is how noble hearers who remain engaged in practicing superior wisdom are supported by wisdom, which among all supports is unsurpassed.

“Monks, how else are noble hearers who remain engaged in practicing superior wisdom supported by wisdom, which among all supports is unsurpassed? Monks, noble hearers who remain engaged in practicing superior wisdom consider the following to conduct a thorough analysis: ‘Formerly, I became and remained attached to pleasant sounds perceived by the ears. I became and remained averse to unpleasant sounds perceived by the ears. I became and remained thoughtlessly indifferent to neutral sounds perceived by the ears. I have trained myself and behaved in this way for a long time, and so I have experienced old age, sickness,^[8] and death. The past is gone, so today I will no longer train myself as I did before regarding sounds perceived by the ears. I must train myself to abandon mistaken beliefs, wrong ideas, incorrect thoughts, and incorrect views regarding past, future, and present sounds I perceive with the ears that are the psychophysical bonds of covetousness, malice, a sense of moral and ascetic supremacy, and thinking, “This is the truth,” and clinging to it as real—and then I must abandon them.’ F.233.a

“Moreover, monks, the very same sounds perceived by the ears may be pleasant to some but unpleasant to others. Sometimes they will be pleasant to them, sometimes they will be unpleasant, and sometimes they will be neutral. Monks, beings have been obscured by their minds in this way for a long time, and since they have been deceived and duped by their minds, they do not recognize the error. They have no conception of renunciation, and evil Māra forces them to do whatever he desires.

“Monks, some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not see those sounds that are perceived by the ears as they truly and really are, so they stubbornly hold on to their own mistaken beliefs. They cling to them as real, thinking, ‘This is true, and anything else is false,’ and they conduct themselves accordingly. They become and remain attached to pleasant sounds perceived by the ears. These śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas are completely corrupted by the psychophysical bond of covetousness. They are entangled in attachment, and so they too are forced to do whatever evil Māra desires.

“Monks, some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not see those sounds that are perceived by the ears as they truly and really are, so they stubbornly hold on to their own mistaken beliefs. They cling to them as real, thinking, ‘This is true, and anything else is false,’ and they conduct themselves accordingly. They remain averse to unpleasant sounds perceived by the ears. These śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas are completely corrupted by the psychophysical bond of malice. F.233.b They are entangled in aversion, and so they too are forced to do whatever evil Māra desires.

“Monks, some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not see those sounds that are perceived by the ears as they truly and really are, so they stubbornly hold on to their own mistaken beliefs. They cling to them as real, thinking, ‘This is true, and anything else is false,’ and they conduct themselves accordingly. They remain thoughtlessly indifferent to neutral sounds perceived by the ears. These śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas are completely corrupted by the psychophysical bond of thinking, ‘This is the truth,’ and clinging to it as real. They are entangled in pride, and so they too are forced to do whatever evil Māra desires.

“Here is an analogy, monks. A person who is insane or drunk might sleep with their mother, take great pleasure in doing so, and not see any fault in it. Yet, when they recover from their madness or drunkenness, the fact that they previously slept with their mother brings them distress, shame, remorse, and disgust.

“Monks, in the same way, after noble hearers who are learned have obtained noble, supramundane wisdom, their previous childish, deluded, and confused behavior brings them distress, shame, remorse, and disgust. They think, ‘Formerly, I thought there was permanence where there is only impermanence. I thought there was happiness where there is only suffering. I thought there was purity where there is only impurity. I thought there was a self where there is only the absence of a self. In this way, formerly, I perceived impermanence as permanence. I perceived suffering as happiness. F.234.a I perceived impurity as purity. I perceived the absence of a self as a self.’

“Here is an analogy, monks. When an echo resounds on the shores of a river or a large canal, beings who have a childish, deluded, and confused disposition think, ‘There is a sentient being that is the source of that sound, real and present there.’

“Beings whose disposition is insightful instead of childish or deluded think, ‘There is no sentient being that is the source of that sound, real and present there. That was only an echo, just an auditory delusion.’

“Monks, in the same way, noble hearers who are learned think, ‘All of the past, future, and present sounds my ears perceive lack permanence, stability, unchangeability, a true nature, an unmistaken true nature, a unique true nature, genuine reality, truth, suchness, a way things really are, infallibility, and incontrovertibility. They are hollow. They are vain. They have no essence. They are false. They are deceptive phenomena. They are Māra. They are Māra’s tools. They are corpses. They are corpse-like forms. Therefore, it does not make sense to delight in them, speak highly of them, or become and remain excessively attached to them. The noble, supramundane wisdom taught by the Blessed One is true.’ That is how they conduct a thorough analysis. F.234.b

“Having understood that, they correctly see all the sounds perceived by their ears in the past, future, and present as a sickness. They correctly see them as a cancer, a splinter, a scorpion’s sting, impermanent, suffering, empty, and lacking a self.

“When they correctly see all the sounds perceived by their ears in the past, future, and present as a sickness, and they correctly see them as a cancer, as a splinter, as a scorpion’s sting, as impermanent, suffering, empty, and lacking a self, they then abandon mistaken beliefs, wrong ideas, incorrect thoughts, and incorrect views regarding past, future, and present sounds perceived by the ears that are the psychophysical bonds of covetousness, malice, a sense of moral and ascetic supremacy, and thinking, ‘This is the truth,’ and clinging to it as real.

“By abandoning those bonds, they render Māra blind, depressed, and disoriented and stand their ground. Since evil Māra can no longer see them, they destroy Māra and his retinue and wage battle against his great army. They are victorious in battle, destroy the army, and stand their ground. This is how noble hearers who remain engaged in practicing superior wisdom are supported by wisdom, which among all supports is unsurpassed.

“Monks, how else are noble hearers who remain engaged in practicing superior wisdom supported by wisdom, which among all supports is unsurpassed? Monks, noble hearers who remain engaged in practicing superior wisdom consider the following to conduct a thorough analysis: ‘Formerly, I became and remained attached to pleasant smells perceived by the nose. I became and remained averse to unpleasant smells perceived by the nose. F.235.a I became and remained thoughtlessly indifferent to neutral smells perceived by the nose. I have trained myself and behaved in this way for a long time, and so I have experienced old age and death. The past is gone, so today I will no longer train myself as I did before regarding smells perceived by the nose. I must train myself to abandon mistaken beliefs, wrong ideas, incorrect thoughts, and incorrect views regarding past, future, and present smells I perceive with the nose that are the psychophysical bonds of covetousness, malice, a sense of moral and ascetic supremacy, and thinking, “This is the truth,” and clinging to it as real—and then I must abandon them.’

“Moreover, monks, the very same smells perceived by the nose may be pleasant to some but unpleasant to others. Sometimes they will be pleasant to them, sometimes they will be unpleasant, and sometimes they will be neutral. Monks, beings have been obscured by their minds in this way for a long time, and since they have been deceived and duped by their minds, they do not recognize the error. They have no conception of renunciation, and evil Māra forces them to do whatever he desires.

“Monks, some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not see those smells that are perceived by the nose as they truly and really are, and so F.235.b they stubbornly hold on to their own mistaken beliefs. They cling to them as real, thinking, ‘This is true, and anything else is false,’ and they conduct themselves accordingly. They become and remain attached to pleasant smells perceived by the nose. These śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas are completely corrupted by the psychophysical bond of covetousness. They are entangled in attachment, and so they too are forced to do whatever evil Māra desires.

“Monks, some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not see those smells that are perceived by the nose as they truly and really are, so they stubbornly hold on to their own mistaken beliefs. They cling to them as real, thinking, ‘This is true, and anything else is false,’ and they conduct themselves accordingly. They remain averse to unpleasant smells perceived by the nose. These śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas are completely corrupted by the psychophysical bond of malice. They are entangled in aversion, and so they too are forced to do whatever evil Māra desires.

“Monks, some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not see those smells that are perceived by the nose as they truly and really are, so they stubbornly hold on to their own mistaken beliefs. They cling to them as real, thinking, ‘This is true, and anything else is false,’ and they conduct themselves accordingly. They remain thoughtlessly indifferent to neutral smells perceived by the nose. These śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas are completely corrupted by the psychophysical bond of thinking, ‘This is the truth,’ and clinging to it as real. They are entangled in pride, and so they too are forced to do whatever evil Māra desires.

“Here is an analogy, monks. An executioner, adversary, and enemy might develop a close relationship with a person, F.236.a and that person might take pleasure in it and not see any fault in it. However, once they examine them closely and realize, ‘This person is my executioner, adversary, and enemy,’ it brings them distress, shame, remorse, and disgust.

“Monks, in the same way, after noble hearers who are learned have obtained noble, supramundane wisdom, their previous childish, deluded, and confused behavior brings them distress, shame, remorse, and disgust. They think, ‘Formerly, I thought there was permanence where there is only impermanence. I thought there was happiness where there is only suffering. I thought there was purity where there is only impurity. I thought there was a self where there is only the absence of a self. In this way, formerly, I perceived impermanence as permanence. I perceived suffering as happiness. I perceived impurity as purity. I perceived the absence of a self as a self.’

“Here is an analogy, monks. When someone who can see holds up a round mirror that is extremely clear and closely examines their own facial features in it, beings who have a childish, deluded, and confused disposition think, ‘There is a sentient being that appears in this way, real and present there.’

“Beings whose disposition is insightful instead of childish or deluded think, ‘There is no sentient being that appears in this way, real and present there. This is only a reflection, just an optical illusion.’

“Monks, in the same way, noble hearers who are learned think, F.236.b ‘All of the past, future, and present smells my nose perceives lack permanence, stability, unchangeability, a true nature, an unmistaken true nature, a unique true nature, genuine reality, truth, suchness, a way things really are, infallibility, and incontrovertibility. They are hollow. They are vain. They have no essence. They are false. They are deceptive phenomena. They are Māra. They are Māra’s tools. They are corpses. They are corpse-like forms. Therefore, it does not make sense to delight in them, speak highly of them, or become and remain excessively attached to them. The noble, supramundane wisdom taught by the Blessed One is true.’ That is how they conduct a thorough analysis.

“Having understood that, they correctly see all the smells perceived by their nose in the past, future, and present as a sickness. They correctly see them as a cancer, a splinter, a scorpion’s sting, impermanent, suffering, empty, and lacking a self.

“When they correctly see all the smells perceived by their nose in the past, future, and present as a sickness, and they correctly see them as a cancer, as a splinter, as a scorpion’s sting, as impermanent, suffering, empty, and lacking a self, they then abandon mistaken beliefs, wrong ideas, incorrect thoughts, and incorrect views regarding past, future, and present smells perceived by the nose that are the psychophysical bonds of covetousness, malice, a sense of moral and ascetic supremacy, F.237.a and thinking, ‘This is the truth,’ and clinging to it as real.

“By abandoning those bonds, they render Māra blind, depressed, and disoriented and stand their ground. Since evil Māra can no longer see them, they destroy Māra and his retinue and wage battle against his great army. They are victorious in battle, destroy the army, and stand their ground. This is how noble hearers who remain engaged in practicing superior wisdom are supported by wisdom, which among all supports is unsurpassed.

“Monks, how else are noble hearers who remain engaged in practicing superior wisdom supported by wisdom, which among all supports is unsurpassed? Monks, noble hearers who remain engaged in practicing superior wisdom consider the following to conduct a thorough analysis: ‘Formerly, I became and remained attached to pleasant tastes perceived by the tongue. I became and remained averse to unpleasant tastes perceived by the tongue. I became and remained thoughtlessly indifferent to neutral tastes perceived by the tongue. I have trained myself and behaved in this way for a long time, and so I have experienced old age and death. The past is gone, so today I will no longer train myself as I did before regarding tastes perceived by the tongue. I must train myself to abandon mistaken beliefs, wrong ideas, incorrect thoughts, and incorrect views regarding past, future, and present tastes perceived by the tongue that are the psychophysical bonds of covetousness, malice, a sense of moral and ascetic supremacy, F.237.b and thinking, “This is the truth,” and clinging to it as real—and then I must abandon them.’

“Moreover, monks, the very same tastes perceived by the tongue may be pleasant to some but unpleasant to others. Sometimes they will be pleasant to them, sometimes they will be unpleasant, and sometimes they will be neutral. Monks, beings have been obscured by their minds in this way for a long time, and since they have been deceived and duped by their minds, they do not recognize the error. They have no conception of renunciation, and evil Māra forces them to do whatever he desires.

“Monks, some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not see those tastes that are perceived by the tongue as they truly and really are, so they stubbornly hold on to their own mistaken beliefs. They cling to them as real, thinking, ‘This is true, and anything else is false,’ and they conduct themselves accordingly. They become and remain attached to pleasant tastes perceived by the tongue. These śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas are completely corrupted by the psychophysical bond of covetousness. They are entangled in attachment, and so they too are forced to do whatever evil Māra desires.

“Monks, some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not see those tastes that are perceived by the tongue as they truly and really are, so they stubbornly hold on to their own mistaken beliefs. They cling to them as real, thinking, ‘This is true, and anything else is false,’ and they conduct themselves accordingly. They remain averse to unpleasant tastes perceived by the tongue. F.238.a These śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas are completely corrupted by the psychophysical bond of malice. They are entangled in aversion, and so they too are forced to do whatever evil Māra desires.

“Monks, some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not see those tastes that are perceived by the tongue as they truly and really are, so they stubbornly hold on to their own mistaken beliefs. They cling to them as real,^[9] they think, ‘This is true, and anything else is meaningless,’^[10] and they conduct themselves accordingly. They remain thoughtlessly indifferent to neutral tastes perceived by the tongue. These śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas are completely corrupted by the psychophysical bond of thinking, ‘This is the truth,’ and clinging to it as real. They are entangled in pride, and so they too are forced to do whatever evil Māra desires.

“Here is an analogy, monks. A student might say, ‘I will offer my teacher food,’ and give them cow dung to eat. They might say, ‘I will quench their thirst,’ and give them urine to drink. They might take great pleasure in doing so and not see any fault in it. Then, when they thoroughly examine their actions, they realize, ‘I said, “I will offer my teacher food,” and then I gave them cow dung to eat, and I said, “I will quench their thirst,” and then I gave them urine to drink,’ and it brings them distress, shame, remorse, and disgust.

“Monks, in the same way, after noble hearers who are learned have obtained noble, supramundane wisdom, their previous childish, deluded, and confused behavior brings them distress, shame, remorse, and disgust. They think, ‘Formerly, I thought there was permanence where there is only impermanence. I thought there was happiness where there is only suffering. F.238.b I thought there was purity where there is only impurity. I thought there was a self where there is only the absence of a self. In this way, formerly, I perceived impermanence as permanence. I perceived suffering as happiness. I perceived impurity as purity. I perceived the absence of a self as a self.’

“Here is an analogy, monks. When the sun is at its zenith in a cloudless sky in the last month of spring, undulating mirages may appear due to the heat, and beings who have a childish, deluded, and confused disposition might think, ‘There is water that appears in this way, real and present there.’

“Beings whose disposition is insightful instead of childish or deluded think, ‘There is no water that appears in this way, real and present there. It is only a mirage, just a visual illusion.’

“Monks, in the same way, noble hearers who are learned think, ‘All of the past, future, and present tastes my tongue perceives lack permanence, stability, unchangeability, a true nature, an unmistaken true nature, a unique true nature, genuine reality, truth, suchness, a way things really are, infallibility, and incontrovertibility. They are hollow. They are vain. They have no essence. They are false. They are deceptive phenomena. They are Māra. They are Māra’s tools. They are corpses. They are corpse-like forms. Therefore, it does not make sense to delight in them, speak highly of them, or become and remain excessively attached to them. F.239.a The noble, supramundane wisdom taught by the Blessed One is true.’ That is how they conduct a thorough analysis.

“Having understood that, they correctly see all of the tastes perceived by their tongue in the past, future, and present as a sickness. They correctly see them as a cancer, a splinter, a scorpion’s sting, impermanent, suffering, empty, and lacking a self.

“When they correctly see all the tastes perceived by their tongue in the past, future, and present as a sickness, and they correctly see them as a cancer, as a splinter, as a scorpion’s sting, as impermanent, suffering, empty, and lacking a self, they then abandon mistaken beliefs, wrong ideas, incorrect thoughts, and incorrect views regarding past, future, and present tastes perceived by the tongue that are the psychophysical bonds of covetousness, malice, a sense of moral and ascetic supremacy, and thinking, ‘This is the truth,’ and clinging to it as real.

“By abandoning those bonds, they render Māra blind, depressed, and disoriented and stand their ground. Since evil Māra can no longer see them, they destroy Māra and his retinue and wage battle against his great army. They are victorious in battle, destroy the army, and stand their ground. This is how noble hearers who remain engaged in practicing superior wisdom are supported by wisdom, which among all supports is unsurpassed.

“Monks, how else are noble hearers who remain engaged in practicing superior wisdom supported by wisdom, which among all supports is unsurpassed? Monks, noble hearers who remain engaged in practicing superior wisdom consider the following to conduct a thorough analysis: F.239.b ‘Formerly, I became and remained attached to pleasant textures perceived by the body. I became and remained averse to unpleasant textures perceived by the body. I became and remained thoughtlessly indifferent to neutral textures perceived by the body. I have trained myself and behaved in this way for a long time, and so I have experienced old age and death. The past is gone, so today I will no longer train myself as I did before regarding textures perceived by the body. I must train myself to abandon mistaken beliefs, wrong ideas, incorrect thoughts, and incorrect views regarding past, future, and present textures perceived by the body that are the psychophysical bonds of covetousness, malice, a sense of moral and ascetic supremacy, and thinking, “This is the truth,” and clinging to it as real—and then I must abandon them.’

“Moreover, monks, the very same textures perceived by the body may be pleasant to some but unpleasant to others. Sometimes they will be pleasant to them, sometimes they will be unpleasant, and sometimes they will be neutral. Monks, beings have been obscured by their minds in this way for a long time, and since they have been deceived and duped by their minds, they do not recognize the error. F.240.a They have no conception of renunciation, and evil Māra forces them to do whatever he desires.

“Monks, some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not see those textures that are perceived by the body as they truly and really are, so they stubbornly hold on to their own mistaken beliefs. They cling to them as real, thinking, ‘This is true, and anything else is false,’ and they conduct themselves accordingly. They become and remain attached to pleasant textures perceived by the body. These śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas are completely corrupted by the psychophysical bond of covetousness. They are entangled in attachment, and so they too are forced to do whatever evil Māra desires.

“Monks, some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not see those textures that are perceived by the body as they truly and really are, so they stubbornly hold on to their own mistaken beliefs. They cling to them as real, thinking, ‘This is true, and anything else is false,’^[11] and they conduct themselves accordingly. They remain averse to unpleasant textures perceived by the body. These śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas are completely corrupted by the psychophysical bond of malice. They are entangled in aversion, and so they too are forced to do whatever evil Māra desires.

“Monks, some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not see those textures that are perceived by the body as they truly and really are, so they stubbornly hold on to their own mistaken beliefs. They cling to them as real, thinking, ‘This is true, and anything else is false,’ and they conduct themselves accordingly. They remain thoughtlessly indifferent to neutral textures perceived by the body. These śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas F.240.b are completely corrupted by the psychophysical bond of thinking, ‘This is the truth,’ and clinging to it as real. They are entangled in pride, and so they too are forced to do whatever evil Māra desires.

“Here is an analogy, monks. When a person is attacked by robbers, they might grab someone else’s child, thinking it is their own, and then leave town. At first, they rejoice and see no fault in this, but once they thoroughly examine it, they realize that the child is not their own but someone else’s, and it brings them distress, shame, remorse, and disgust.

“Monks, in the same way, after noble hearers who are learned have obtained noble, supramundane wisdom, their previous childish, deluded, and confused behavior brings them distress, shame, remorse, and disgust. They think, ‘Formerly, I thought there was permanence where there is only impermanence. I thought there was happiness where there is only suffering. I thought there was purity where there is only impurity. I thought there was a self where there is only the absence of a self. In this way, formerly, I perceived impermanence as permanence. I perceived suffering as happiness. I perceived impurity as purity. I perceived the absence of a self as a self.’

“Here is an analogy, monks. A person who is asleep might revel in and enjoy objects desirable to the five senses in a dream, yet when they wake up afterward there is nothing there. At that point, beings with a childish, deluded, and confused disposition think, ‘There were those objects desirable to the five senses that we enjoyed in our dreams, real and present there.’ F.241.a

“Beings whose disposition is insightful instead of childish or deluded think, ‘There were no objects desirable to the five senses that we enjoyed in our dreams, real and present there. That was only a dream, just a mental delusion.’

“Monks, in the same way, noble hearers who are learned think, ‘All of the past, future, and present textures my body perceives lack permanence, stability, unchangeability, a true nature, an unmistaken true nature, a unique true nature, genuine reality, truth, suchness, a way things really are, infallibility, and incontrovertibility. They are hollow. They are vain. They have no essence. They are false. They are deceptive phenomena. They are Māra. They are Māra’s tools. They are corpses. They are corpse-like forms. Therefore, it does not make sense to delight in them, speak highly of them, or become and remain excessively attached to them. The noble, supramundane wisdom taught by the Blessed One is true.’ That is how they conduct a thorough analysis.

“Having understood that, they correctly see all textures perceived by their body in the past, future, and present as a sickness. They correctly see them as a cancer, a splinter, a scorpion’s sting, impermanent, suffering, empty, and lacking a self.

“When they correctly see all the textures perceived by their body in the past, future, and present as a sickness, and they correctly see them as a cancer, F.241.b as a splinter, as a scorpion’s sting, as impermanent, suffering, empty, and lacking a self, they then abandon mistaken beliefs, wrong ideas, incorrect thoughts, and incorrect views regarding past, future, and present textures perceived by the body that are the psychophysical bonds of covetousness, malice, a sense of moral and ascetic supremacy, and thinking, ‘This is the truth,’ and clinging to it as real.

“By abandoning those bonds, they render Māra blind, depressed, and disoriented and stand their ground. Since evil Māra can no longer see them, they destroy Māra and his retinue and wage battle against his great army. They are victorious in battle, destroy the army, and stand their ground. This is how noble hearers who remain engaged in practicing superior wisdom are supported by wisdom, which among all supports is unsurpassed.

“Monks, how else are noble hearers who remain engaged in practicing superior wisdom supported by wisdom, which among all supports is unsurpassed? Monks, noble hearers who remain engaged in practicing superior wisdom consider the following to conduct a thorough analysis: ‘Formerly, I became and remained attached to pleasant phenomena perceived by the mind. I became and remained averse to unpleasant phenomena perceived by the mind. I became and remained thoughtlessly indifferent to neutral phenomena perceived by the mind. I have trained myself and behaved in this way for a long time, and so I have experienced old age F.242.a and death. The past is gone, so today I will no longer train myself as I did before regarding phenomena perceived by the mind. I must train myself to abandon mistaken beliefs, wrong ideas, incorrect thoughts, and incorrect views regarding past, future, and present phenomena perceived by the mind that are the psychophysical bonds of covetousness, malice, a sense of moral and ascetic supremacy, and thinking, “This is the truth,” and clinging to it as real—and then I must abandon them.’

“Moreover, monks, the very same phenomena perceived by the mind may be pleasant to some but unpleasant to others. Sometimes they will be pleasant to them, sometimes they will be unpleasant, and sometimes they will be neutral. Monks, beings have been obscured by their minds in this way for a long time, and since they have been deceived and duped by their minds, they do not recognize the error. They have no conception of renunciation, and evil Māra forces them to do whatever he desires.

“Monks, some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not see those phenomena that are perceived by the mind as they truly and really are, so they stubbornly hold on to their own mistaken beliefs. They cling to them as real, thinking, ‘This is true, and anything else is false,’ and they conduct themselves accordingly. They become and remain attached to pleasant phenomena perceived by the mind. F.242.b These śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas are completely corrupted by the psychophysical bond of covetousness. They are entangled in attachment, and so they too are forced to do whatever evil Māra desires.

“Monks, some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not see those phenomena that are perceived by the mind as they truly and really are, so they stubbornly hold on to their own mistaken beliefs. They cling to them as real, thinking, ‘This is true, and anything else is false,’ and they conduct themselves accordingly. They remain averse to unpleasant phenomena perceived by the mind. These śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas are completely corrupted by the psychophysical bond of malice. They are entangled in aversion, and so they too are forced to do whatever evil Māra desires.

“Monks, some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not see those phenomena that are perceived by the mind as they truly and really are, so they stubbornly hold on to their own mistaken beliefs. They cling to them as real, thinking, ‘This is true, and anything else is false,’ and they conduct themselves accordingly. They remain thoughtlessly indifferent to neutral phenomena perceived by the mind. These śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas are completely corrupted by the psychophysical bond of thinking, ‘This is the truth,’ and clinging to it as real. They are entangled in pride, and so they too are forced to do whatever evil Māra desires.

“Here is an analogy, monks. A person who picks up a chest containing snakes as they flee from a fire in their village thinking that it is a chest of jewels might be delighted in doing so and not see any fault in it. But when they thoroughly examine it and realize it is not a chest of jewels but a chest containing snakes, F.243.a it brings them distress, shame, remorse, and disgust.

“Monks, in the same way, after noble hearers who are learned have obtained noble, supramundane wisdom, their previous childish, deluded, and confused behavior brings them distress, shame, remorse, and disgust. They think, ‘Formerly, I thought there was permanence where there is only impermanence. I thought there was happiness where there is only suffering. I thought there was purity where there is only impurity. I thought there was a self where there is only the absence of a self. In this way, formerly, I perceived impermanence as permanence. I perceived suffering as happiness. I perceived impurity as purity. I perceived the absence of a self as a self.’

“Here is an analogy, monks. A magician or a skilled magician’s apprentice sits at a major crossroads and creates the following magical illusions: jewels, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, armlets, hand ornaments, anklets, rings, and gold and silver garlands. Once these are displayed, beings who have a childish, deluded, and confused disposition think, ‘There are these jewels, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, armlets, hand ornaments, anklets, rings, and gold and silver garlands that are visible in this way, real and present there.’ F.243.b

“Beings whose disposition is insightful instead of childish or deluded think, ‘There are no jewels, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, armlets, hand ornaments, anklets, rings, and gold and silver garlands that are visible in this way, real and present there. They are only a magic trick, just a visual illusion.’

“Monks, in the same way, noble hearers who are learned think, ‘All of the past, future, and present phenomena perceived by my mind lack permanence, stability, unchangeability, a true nature, an unmistaken true nature, a unique true nature, genuine reality, truth, suchness, a way things really are, infallibility, and incontrovertibility. They are hollow. They are vain. They have no essence. They are false. They are deceptive phenomena. They are Māra. They are Māra’s tools. They are corpses. They are corpse-like forms. Therefore, it does not make sense to delight in them, speak highly of them, and become and remain excessively attached to them. The noble, supramundane wisdom taught by the Blessed One is true.’ That is how they conduct a thorough analysis.

“Having understood that, they correctly see all phenomena perceived by their mind in the past, future, and present as a sickness. They correctly see them as a cancer, a splinter, F.244.a a scorpion’s sting, impermanent, suffering, empty, and lacking a self.

“When they correctly see all of the phenomena perceived by their mind in the past, future, and present as a sickness, and they correctly see them as a cancer, as a splinter, as a scorpion’s sting, as impermanent, suffering, empty, and lacking a self, they then abandon mistaken beliefs, wrong ideas, incorrect thoughts, and incorrect views regarding past, future, and present phenomena perceived by the mind, the psychophysical bonds of covetousness, malice, a sense of moral and ascetic supremacy, and thinking, ‘This is the truth,’ and clinging to it as real.

“By abandoning those bonds, they render Māra blind, depressed, and disoriented and stand their ground. Since evil Māra can no longer see them, they destroy Māra and his retinue and wage battle against his great army. They are victorious in battle, destroy the army, and stand their ground. This is how noble hearers who remain engaged in practicing superior wisdom are supported by wisdom, which among all supports is unsurpassed.”

After the Blessed One had spoken, the monks rejoiced and praised the words of the Blessed One.

An intervening summary:^[12]