Saṁyutta Nikāya
IV. Saḷāyatana Vagga
35: Saḷāyatana Saṁyutta
Paññāsaka Tatiya
4. Devadaha Vagga
IV. Kindred Sayings on the 'Six-Fold Sphere' of Sense and Other Subjects
35: Kindred Sayings the Sixfold Sphere of Sense The 'Third Fifty' Suttas
4. The Chapter on Devadaha
Sutta 135
Khaṇa (aka Saṅgayha) Suttaṁ
Including (The Sixfold Sense-sphere)1
[126] [81]
Thus have I heard:
Once the Exalted One was staying among the Sakkas at Devadaha,
a township of the Sakkas.
Then the Exalted One addressed the brethren, saying:
"Brethren."
"Lord," responded those brethren to the Exalted One.
The Exalted One thus spoke:
"'Tis well for you, Brethren, 'tis well gotten by you, brethren! Ye have won the moment for the righteous life.
Brethren, I have seen the hells so called,2
belonging to the sixfold sense-sphere.
Therein whatever object one sees with the eye,
one sees it as uninviting,
not as inviting.
One sees it as repulsive,
not as charming.
One sees it as ugly,
not lovely.
■
Whatever sound one hears with the ear,
one sees it as uninviting,
not as inviting.
One sees it as repulsive,
not as charming.
One sees it as ugly,
not lovely.
■
Whatever scent one smells with the nose,
one sees it as uninviting,
not as inviting.
One sees it as repulsive,
not as charming.
One sees it as ugly,
not lovely.
■
Whatever savour one tastes with the tongue,
one sees it as uninviting,
not as inviting.
One sees it as repulsive,
not as charming.
One sees it as ugly,
not lovely.
■
Whatever tangible one contacts with the body,
one sees it as uninviting,
not as inviting.
One sees it as repulsive,
not as charming.
One sees it as ugly,
not lovely.
■
Whatever mind-state one cognizes with the mind,
one sees it as uninviting,
not as inviting.
One sees it as repulsive,
not as charming.
One sees it as ugly,
not lovely.
'Tis well for you, brethren!
'Tis well gotten by you, brethren!
Ye have won the moment for the righteous life.
Brethren, I have seen the heavens so called
of the sixfold sense-sphere.
Therein whatsoever object one sees with the eye,
one sees it as inviting,
not as uniniviting.
One sees it as charming,
not as repulsive.
One sees it as lovely,
not ugly.
■
Whatever sound one hears with the ear,
one sees it as inviting,
not as uniniviting.
One sees it as charming,
not as repulsive.
One sees it as lovely,
not ugly.
■
Whatever scent one smells with the nose,
one sees it as inviting,
not as uniniviting.
One sees it as charming,
not as repulsive.
One sees it as lovely,
not ugly.
■
Whatever savour one tastes with the tongue,
one sees it as inviting,
not as uniniviting.
One sees it as charming,
not as repulsive.
One sees it as lovely,
not ugly.
■
Whatever tangible one contacts with the body,
one sees it as inviting,
not as uniniviting.
One sees it as charming,
not as repulsive.
One sees it as lovely,
not ugly.
■
Whatever mind-state one cognizes with the mind,
one sees it as inviting,
not as uniniviting.
One sees it as charming,
not as repulsive.
One sees it as lovely,
not ugly.
'Tis well for you, brethren!
'Tis well gotten by you, brethren!
Ye have won the moment for the righteous life.
1 Cf. supra, § 94.
2 Comy. says Avīci is referred to here, while by sagga is meant 'the world of the Thirty-three.' 'Hell' is utter misery. 'Heaven' is utter bliss. The world of men is a mixture of both. You are lucky to be born as men, for thus you can enter the Path that sets you free.