Sabbāsava Sutta (MN 2): Text, Word-to-word Translation

 

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Unwise Attention

Here, bhikshus, an untutored worldling [ignorant ordinary person], who has no regard for the noble ones, unskilled in the way of the noble ones, undisciplined in the teaching [Dharma] of the noble ones, who has no regard for the true individuals, unskilled in the ways of the true individuals, undisciplined in the teaching of the true individuals, does not understand what states [things] should be attended to, what states [things] should not be attended to. Not understanding what states should be attended to, not understanding what states should not be attended to, he attends to states that should not be attended to, and does not attend to states that should be attended to. 

And what, bhikshus, are the states that should not be attended to, but to which he attends? Bhikshus, there are those states that are attended to.

where the unarisen influx of sense-desire arises, or the arisen influx of sense-desire grows; 

where the unarisen influx of existence arises, or the arisen influx of existence grows; 

where the unarisen influx of ignorance arises, or the arisen influx of ignorance grows.

These are the states that should not to be attended to, but to which he attends. And what, bhikshus, are the states that should be attended to, but to which he does not attend? Bhikshus, there are those states that he attends to

where the unarisen influx of sense-desire does not arise, or the arisen influx of sense-desire are abandoned; 

where the unarisen influx of existence does not arise, or the arisen influx of existence are abandoned;

 where the unarisen influx of ignorance does not arise, or the arisen influx of ignorance are abandoned.

attending  to those states that he should not be attending to, and not attending to states that he should be attending to, unarisen influxes arise and arisen influxes grow.

The 16 Doubts

He unwisely attends in this way:

 (1) ‘Was I in the past?’ 

(2) ‘Was I not in the past?’

(3) ‘What was I in the past?’ 

(4) ‘How was I in the past?’

(5) ‘Having been what, did I become what in the past? [What was I before I became that in the past?]’

 (6) ‘Will I be in the future?’ 

(7) ‘Am I not in the future?’ 

(8) ‘What will I be in the future?’ 

(9) ‘How will I be in the future?’

(10) ‘Having been what, will I become what in the future? [What now would lead me to that future state?]’” Or else, right now he inwardly has doubts about the present, thus: 

(11) ‘Am I?’

(12) ‘Am I not?’ 

(13) ‘What am I?’ 

(14) ‘How am I?’ 

(15) ‘Where has this being come from?’ 

(16) ‘Where will it [this being] go?’

The 6 Self-views

To one who unwisely attends [unwisely directs his attention] in this way, one or other of 6 views arises, that is, 

(1) the view, ‘A self exists for me,’arises as true and real for him;  (eternalism)

(2) the view, ‘No self exists for me,’ arises as true and real for him; (annihilationism) 

However, the view “no self exists for me” here is not the Buddha’s non-self doctrine but the materialist view that identifies the individual with his/her body, and thus holds that there is no personal continuity after death. 

(3) the view, ‘I perceive a self with a self,’ arises as true and real for him;

(4) the view, ‘I perceive non-self with a self,’ arises as true and real for him; 

(5) the view, ‘I perceive a self with non-self,’ arises as true and real for him; 

Views (3-5) “may be understood to arise out of the philosophically more sophisticated observation that experience has a built-in reflexive structure that allows self-consciousness, the capacity of the mind to become cognizant of itself, its contents and the body with which it is interconnected. Engaged in a search for his ‘true nature,’ the untaught ordinary person will identify self either with both aspects of the experience (view 3), or with the observer alone (view 4), or with the observed alone (view 5).

(6) or else, he has such a view as this:

‘It is this self of mine that speaks, and feels here and now karmic results both good and bad; but this self of mine is permanent, everlasting, eternal, not subject to change, it will endure forever.’ This holding on to views, bhikshus, is called a thicket of views, a wilderness of views, a twisting of views, a wriggling of views, a fetter of views.

The last view is a full-blown eternalism in which all reservations have been discarded.”

Wise Attention

But, bhikshus, an instructed noble disciple, who has regard for the noble ones, is skilled in the teaching of the noble ones, well disciplined in the Dharma of the noble ones, who has regard for the true individuals, skilled in the teaching of the true individuals, well disciplined in the Dharma of the true individuals, understands what states should be attended to, understands what states should not be attended to.

Understanding what states should be attended to, understanding what states should not be attended to, he attends to states that should be attended to, and does not attend to states that should not be attended to.

STATES THAT SHOULD NOT BE ATTENDED TO And what, bhikshus, are the states that should not be attended to, to which he does not attend? Bhikshus, there are those states that are attended to 

where the unarisen influx of sense-desire arises, or the arisen influx of sense-desire grows; 

where the unarisen influx of existence arises, or the arisen influx of existence grows; 

where the unarisen influx of ignorance arises, or the arisen influx of ignorance grows. 

These are the states that should not to be attended to, and to which he does not attend. 

STATES THAT SHOULD BE ATTENDED TO And what, bhikshus, are the states that should be attended to, to which he attends? Bhikshus, there are those states that are attended to 

where the unarisen influx of sense-desire does not arise, or the arisen influx of sense-desire are abandoned; 

where the unarisen influx of existence does not arise, or the arisen influx of existence are abandoned; 

where the unarisen influx of ignorance does not arise, or the arisen influx of ignorance are abandoned.

 These are the states that should be attended to, to which he attends. By not attending to states that he should not be attended to, and attending to states that he should be attended to, unarisen influxes do not arise and arisen influxes are abandoned. 

SEEING THE TRUTHS 

He wisely attends, ‘This is dukkha.’ 

He wisely attends, ‘This is the arising of dukkha.’ 

He wisely attends, ‘This is the ending of dukkha.’ 

He wisely attends, ‘This is the way to the ending of dukkha.’

Breaking the 3 Fetters and Sotapatti

When he thus wisely attends in this way, these 3 fetters are abandoned, that is to say: self-identity view, spiritual doubt, clinging to rituals and vows. These, bhikshus, are called the influxes that are to be abandoned by seeing.