Saṁyutta Nikāya:
IV. Saḷāyatana Vagga
36: Vedanā Saṁyutta
III. Aṭṭhasata-Pariyāya Vagga
IV. Kindred Sayings on the Sixfold Sphere of Sense
36: Kindred Sayings about Feeling
Book III: The Method of the Hundred and Eight
Sutta 29
Suddhika-Nirāmisa Suttaṁ
Purified and Free from Carnal Taint1
[159]
Thus have I heard:
The Exalted One once addressed the brethren, saying:
"Brethren."
"Lord," responded those brethren to the Exalted One.
The Exalted One thus spoke:
"There are these three feelings, brethren.
What three?
Pleasant feeling,
painful feeling,
neutral feeling.
There is, Brethren, a zest that is carnal,
there is a zest that is not carnal
there is a zest that is still less carnal than the other.
There is a pleasure that is carnal,
there is a pleasure that is not carnal,
there is a pleasure that is still less carnal than the other.
There is an indifference that is carnal,
there is an indifference that is not carnal,
there is an indifference that is still less carnal than the other.
There is a release that is carnal,
there is a release that is not carnal,
there is a release that is still less carnal than the other.
And what, Brethren, is the zest that is carnal?
There are these five sensual elements, brethren.
What five?
Objects cognizable by the eye,
desirable,
[160 ] pleasant,
delightful
and dear,
passion-fraught,
inciting to lust.
■
Sounds cognizable by the ear,
desirable,
pleasant,
delightful
and dear,
passion-fraught,
inciting to lust.
■
Scents cognizable by the nose,
desirable,
pleasant,
delightful
and dear,
passion-fraught,
inciting to lust.
■
Savours cognizable by the tongue,
desirable,
pleasant,
delightful
and dear,
passion-fraught,
inciting to lust.
■
Tangibles cognizable by the body,
desirable,
pleasant,
delightful
and dear,
passion-fraught,
inciting to lust.ed1
These, Brethren, are the five sensual elements.
Whatsoever zest, Brethren,
arises owing to these five,
that is called
'zest that is carnal.'
§
And what, Brethren, is zest that is not carnal?
Herein a brother,
aloof from sensuality,
aloof from evil conditions,
enters on the first trance,
which is accompanied by thought directed and sustained,
which is born of solitude,
easeful and zestful,
and abides therein.
By the calming down of thought directed and sustained,
enters on the inward calm,
that one-pointedness of will,
apart from thought directed and sustained,
born of mental balance,
zestful and easeful,
which is the second trance,
and abides therein.
This, Brethren, is called
'zest that is not carnal.'
§
And what, Brethren, is the zest that is still less carnal than the other?
That zest which arises in a brother
who has destroyed the āsavas,
who can look upon his heart
as released from lust,
as released from hatred,
as released from illusion -
that zest, Brethren, is called
'the zest that is still less carnal than that other.'
And what, Brethren, is pleasure that is carnal?
There are these five sensual elements, brethren.
What five?
Objects cognizable by the eye,
desirable,
pleasant,
delightful
and dear,
passion-fraught,
inciting to lust.
■
Sounds cognizable by the ear,
desirable,
pleasant,
delightful
and dear,
passion-fraught,
inciting to lust.
■
Scents cognizable by the nose,
desirable,
pleasant,
delightful
and dear,
passion-fraught,
inciting to lust.
■
Savours cognizable by the tongue,
desirable,
pleasant,
delightful
and dear,
passion-fraught,
inciting to lust.
■
Tangibles cognizable by the body,
desirable,
pleasant,
delightful
and dear,
passion-fraught,
inciting to lust.
These, Brethren, are the five sensual elements.
Whatsoever pleasure and happiness, Brethren,
arises owing to these five,
that is called
'pleasure that is carnal.'
§
And what, Brethren, is the pleasure that is not carnal?
Herein a brother,
aloof from sensuality,
aloof from evil conditions,
enters on the first trance,
which is accompanied by thought directed and sustained,
which is born of solitude,
easeful and zestful,
and abides therein.
By the calming down of thought directed and sustained,
enters on the inward calm,
that one-pointedness of will,
apart from thought directed and sustained,
born of mental balance,
zestful and easeful,
which is the second trance,
and abides therein.
By the fading out of zest
he abides indifferent,
mindful and composed,
and experiences pleasure through the body.
Having entered on the third trance,
which the Ariyans describe in these terms:
'He who is indifferent and mindful
dwells happily,'
he abides therein.
This, Brethren, is called
'pleasure that is not carnal.'
§
And what, Brethren, is the pleasure
that is still less carnal than the other?
That pleasure which arises in a brother
who has destroyed the āsavas,
who can look [161] upon his heart
as released from lust,
as released from hatred,
as released from illusion -
that pleasure, Brethren, is called
'the pleasure that is still less carnal than that other.'
And what, Brethren, is the indifference that is carnal?
There are these five sensual elements, brethren.
What five?
Objects cognizable by the eye,
desirable,
pleasant,
delightful
and dear,
passion-fraught,
inciting to lust.
■
Sounds cognizable by the ear,
desirable,
pleasant,
delightful
and dear,
passion-fraught,
inciting to lust.
■
Scents cognizable by the nose,
desirable,
pleasant,
delightful
and dear,
passion-fraught,
inciting to lust.
■
Savours cognizable by the tongue,
desirable,
pleasant,
delightful
and dear,
passion-fraught,
inciting to lust.
■
Tangibles cognizable by the body,
desirable,
pleasant,
delightful
and dear,
passion-fraught,
inciting to lust.
These, Brethren, are the five sensual elements.
Whatsoever indifference, Brethren,
arises owing to these five,
that is called
'indifference that is carnal.'
§
And what, Brethren, is the indifference that is not carnal?
Herein, Brethren, a brother,
by the abandoning of pain,
by the destruction of the happiness and dejection
which he had before,
having entered upon that state
which is neither pleasant nor painful,
that utter purity of mindfulness
reached by indifference,
which is the fourth trance,
and abides therein.
This, Brethren, is called
'the indifference that is not carnal.'
§
And what, Brethren, is the indifference
that is still less carnal than that other?
In a brother who has destroyed the āsavas,
who can look upon his heart
as released from lust,
as released from hatred
as released from illusion,
there arises indifference.
This, Brethren, is called
'the indifference that is still less carnal than that other.'
And what, Brethren, is the release that is carnal?
Release that is concerned with (material) objects is carnal.
Release that is concerned with immaterial objects is not carnal.
And what, Brethren, is the release that is still less carnal than that other?
In a brother who has destroyed the āsavas,
who can look upon his heart
as released from lust,
as released from hatred
as released from illusion,
there arises a release.
This, Brethren, is called
'the release that is still less carnal than that other.'
1 Cf. supra. § 14.
ed1 Woodward here has abridged, but indicates he would use 'Objects' for all the senses as he did in SN 4.36.19, presumably in error as usually he distinguishes the various objects of the senses as it is found in the Pali.