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sn.35.15 Saṁyutta Nikāya (Linked Discourses)

Seeking Gratification (1)

“Bhikkhus, I set out seeking the gratification in the eye. Whatever gratification there is in the eye—that I discovered. I have clearly seen with wisdom just how far the gratification in the eye extends.

“Bhikkhus, I set out seeking the danger in the eye. Whatever danger there is in the eye—that I discovered. I have clearly seen with wisdom just how far the danger in the eye extends.

“Bhikkhus, I set out seeking the escape from the eye. Whatever escape there is from the eye—that I discovered. I have clearly seen with wisdom just how far the escape from the eye extends.

“Bhikkhus, I set out seeking the gratification in … the danger in … the escape from the ear … the nose … the tongue … the body … the mind. Whatever escape there is from the mind—that I discovered. I have clearly seen with wisdom just how far the escape from the mind extends.

“So long, bhikkhus, as I did not directly know as they really are the gratification, the danger, and the escape in the case of these six internal sense bases, I did not claim to have awakened to the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment in this world with its devas, Mara, and Brahma, in this generation with its ascetics and brahmins, its devas and humans. But when I directly knew all this as it really is, then I claimed to have awakened to the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment in this world with … its devas and humans.

“The knowledge and vision arose in me: ‘Unshakable is my liberation of mind; this is my last birth; now there is no more renewed existence.’”

- Translator: Bhikkhu Bodhi

- Editor: Blake Walsh


In Search of Gratification (Interior)

“Mendicants, I went in search of the eye’s gratification,
and I found it.
I’ve seen clearly with wisdom the full extent of the eye’s gratification.
I went in search of the eye’s drawback,
and I found it.
I’ve seen clearly with wisdom the full extent of the eye’s drawback.
I went in search of escape from the eye,
and I found it.
I’ve seen clearly with wisdom the full extent of escape from the eye.
I went in search of the ear’s …
nose’s …
tongue’s …







body’s …
mind’s gratification,
and I found it.
I’ve seen clearly with wisdom the full extent of the mind’s gratification.
I went in search of the mind’s drawback,
and I found it.
I’ve seen clearly with wisdom the full extent of the mind’s drawback.
I went in search of escape from the mind,
and I found it.
I’ve seen clearly with wisdom the full extent of escape from the mind.
As long as I didn’t truly understand these six interior sense fields’ gratification, drawback, and escape for what they are, I didn’t announce my supreme perfect awakening …
But when I did truly understand …
Knowledge and vision arose in me:
‘My freedom is unshakable; this is my last rebirth; now there’ll be no more future lives.’”