sn.22.26 Saṁyutta Nikāya (Linked Discourses)

Gratification

At Sāvatthī.
“Mendicants, before my awakening—when I was still unawakened but intent on awakening—I thought:
‘What’s the gratification, the drawback, and the escape when it comes to form …
feeling …
perception …
choices …
and consciousness?’
Then it occurred to me:
‘The pleasure and happiness that arise from form: this is its gratification.
That form is impermanent, suffering, and perishable: this is its drawback.
Removing and giving up desire and greed for form: this is its escape.
The pleasure and happiness that arise from feeling …


perception …
choices …


consciousness: this is its gratification.
That consciousness is impermanent, suffering, and perishable: this is its drawback.
Removing and giving up desire and greed for consciousness: this is its escape.’
As long as I didn’t truly understand these five grasping aggregates’ gratification, drawback, and escape in this way for what they are, I didn’t announce my supreme perfect awakening in this world with its gods, Māras, and Brahmās, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans.
But when I did truly understand these five grasping aggregates’ gratification, drawback, and escape in this way for what they are, I announced my supreme perfect awakening in this world with its gods, Māras, and Brahmās, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans.

Knowledge and vision arose in me:
‘My freedom is unshakable; this is my last rebirth; now there’ll be no more future lives.’”