2022 June: Note this article (from 2021) is obsolete. See 🔗📝 collection of notes on MN 137 for updated translation in 2022
"SP Fluent" style of translation means I use fluent plain English (as opposed to my FLIPT translations which try to match pali word order), and "SP" means I spell out implications that readers who aren't thoroughly familiar with the whole body of suttas are going to miss out on.
I put between square brackets [ ], the implications and also supplementary information that come directly from other suttas, and are not strictly part of the translation from this sutta.
I highlight in yellow the really interesting parts of MN 137 that you're not going to get from anyone else's standard English translation.
MN 137
MN 137 frankk SP-FLUENT abridged
six sense media analysis
(translated by
frankk,
SP-FLUENT abridged, 2021/5, derived from
B. Sujato)
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Saḷ-āyatana-vibhaṅga-sutta | The Analysis of the Six Sense Fields |
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At Sāvatthī, the Buddha addressed the monks:
"Monks, I shall teach you the analysis of the six sense fields.
1) The six interior sense fields should be understood.
2) The six exterior sense fields should be understood.
3) The six classes of consciousness should be understood.
4) The six classes of contact should be understood.
5) The eighteen mental preoccupations should be understood.
6) The thirty-six positions of sentient beings should be understood.
Therein, relying on this, give up that.
The Noble One cultivates the establishment of rememberfulness in three cases, by virtue of which they are a Teacher worthy to instruct a group.
Of all meditation teachers, it is he that is called the supreme guide for those who wish to train.’
(1. 6 internal bases)
The six interior sense fields should be understood.’
There are the sense fields of the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind.
(2. 6 external bases)
‘The six exterior sense fields should be understood.’
There are the sense fields of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, touches, and dharma-mental-objects.
(3. 6 classes of consciousness)
‘The six classes of consciousness should be understood.’
There are eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind consciousness.
(4. 6 classes of contact)
‘The six classes of contact should be understood.’
There is contact through the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind.
(5. 18 mental neighborhoods)
‘The eighteen mental preoccupations should be understood.’
Seeing a sight with the eye, one is preoccupied with a sight that’s a basis for happiness or sadness or equanimity.
Hearing a sound with the ear …
Smelling an odor with the nose …
Tasting a flavor with the tongue …
Feeling a touch with the body …
Becoming conscious of a dharma-mental-object with the mind, one is preoccupied with a dharma that’s a basis for happiness or sadness or equanimity.
So there are six preoccupations with happiness, six preoccupations with sadness, and six preoccupations with equanimity. ‘The eighteen mental preoccupations should be understood.’
(6. 36 positions of sentient beings)
‘The thirty-six positions of sentient beings should be understood.’
There are six kinds of lay happiness and six kinds of renunciate happiness. There are six kinds of lay sadness and six kinds of renunciate sadness. There are six kinds of lay equanimity and six kinds of renunciate equanimity.
(of 36 bases, 6 lay happiness)
In the context of 36 positions of sentient beings what are the six kinds of lay happiness?
There are sights known by the eye that are likable, desirable, agreeable, pleasing, connected with the world’s material delights. Happiness arises when you regard it as a gain to obtain such sights, or when you recollect sights you formerly obtained that have passed, ceased, and perished.
Such happiness is called lay happiness.
There are sounds known by the ear …
Smells known by the nose …
Tastes known by the tongue …
Touches known by the body …
Dharma-mental-objects known by the mind that are likable, desirable, agreeable, pleasing, connected with the world’s material delights. Happiness arises when you regard it as a gain to obtain such dharmas, or when you recollect dharmas you formerly obtained that have passed, ceased, and perished.
Such happiness is called lay happiness.
These are the six kinds of lay happiness.
(of 36 bases, 6 renunciate happiness)
In the context of 36 positions of sentient beings what are the six kinds of renunciate happiness?
When you’ve understood the impermanence of sights—their perishing, fading away, and cessation—happiness arises as you truly understand through right understanding that both formerly and now all those sights are impermanent, suffering, and perishable.
Such happiness is called renunciate happiness.
When you’ve understood the impermanence of sounds …
smells …
tastes …
touches …
dharma-mental-objects—their perishing, fading away, and cessation—happiness arises as you truly understand through right understanding that both formerly and now all those dharma-mental-objects are impermanent, suffering, and perishable.
Such happiness is called renunciate happiness.
These are the six kinds of renunciate happiness.
(of 36 bases, 6 lay sadness)
In the context of 36 positions of sentient beings what are the six kinds of lay sadness?
There are sights known by the eye that are likable, desirable, agreeable, pleasing, connected with the world’s material delights. Sadness arises when you regard it as a loss to lose such sights, or when you recollect sights you formerly lost that have passed, ceased, and perished.
Such sadness is called lay sadness.
There are sounds known by the ear …
There are smells known by the nose …
There are tastes known by the tongue …
There are touches known by the body …
There are dharma-mental-objects known by the mind that are likable, desirable, agreeable, pleasing, connected with the world’s material delights. Sadness arises when you regard it as a loss to lose such dharma-mental-objects, or when you recollect dharma-mental-objects you formerly lost that have passed, ceased, and perished.
Such sadness is called lay sadness.
These are the six kinds of lay sadness.
(of 36 bases, 6 renunciate sadness)
In the context of 36 positions of sentient beings what are the six kinds of renunciate sadness?
When you’ve understood the impermanence of sights—their perishing, fading away, and cessation—you truly understand through right understanding that both formerly and now all those sights are impermanent, suffering, and perishable. Upon seeing this, you give rise to yearning for the supreme liberations:
‘Oh, when will I enter and remain in the same dimension that the noble ones enter and remain in today?’ When you give rise to yearning for the supreme liberations like this, sadness arises because of the yearning.
Such sadness is called renunciate sadness.
When you’ve understood the impermanence of sounds …
smells …
tastes …
touches …
dharma-mental-objects—their perishing, fading away, and cessation—you truly understand through right understanding that both formerly and now all those dharma-mental-objects are impermanent, suffering, and perishable. Upon seeing this, you give rise to yearning for the supreme liberations:
‘Oh, when will I enter and remain in the same dimension that the noble ones enter and remain in today?’ When you give rise to yearning for the supreme liberations like this, sadness arises because of the yearning.
Such sadness is called renunciate sadness.
These are the six kinds of renunciate sadness.
(of 36 bases, 6 lay equanimity)
In the context of 36 positions of sentient beings what are the six kinds of lay equanimity?
When seeing a sight with the eye, equanimity arises for the uneducated ordinary person—a foolish ordinary person who has not overcome their limitations and the results of deeds, and is blind to the drawbacks.
Such equanimity does not transcend the sight.
That’s why it’s called lay equanimity.
When hearing a sound with the ear …
When smelling an odor with the nose …
When tasting a flavor with the tongue …
When feeling a touch with the body …
When knowing a dharma-mental-object with the mind, equanimity arises for the uneducated ordinary person—a foolish ordinary person who has not overcome their limitations and the results of deeds, and is blind to the drawbacks.
Such equanimity does not transcend the dharma-mental-object.
That’s why it’s called lay equanimity.
These are the six kinds of lay equanimity.
(of 36 bases, 6 renunciate equanimity)
In the context of 36 positions of sentient beings what are the six kinds of renunciate equanimity?
When you’ve understood the impermanence of sights—their perishing, fading away, and cessation—equanimity arises as you truly understand through right understanding that both formerly and now all those sights are impermanent, suffering, and perishable.
Such equanimity transcends the sight.
That’s why it’s called renunciate equanimity.
When you’ve understood the impermanence of sounds …
smells …
tastes …
touches …
dharma-mental-objects—their perishing, fading away, and cessation—equanimity arises as you truly understand through right understanding that both formerly and now all those dharma-mental-objects are impermanent, suffering, and perishable.
Such equanimity transcends the dharma-mental-object.
That’s why it’s called renunciate equanimity.
These are the six kinds of renunciate equanimity.
‘The thirty-six positions of sentient beings should be understood.’
That’s what I said, and this is why I said it.
(gradual replacement of pleasures from worldly to unworldly)
‘Therein, relying on this, give up that.’
That’s what I said, but why did I say it?
Therein, by relying and depending on the six kinds of renunciate happiness, give up and go beyond the six kinds of lay happiness.
Therein, by relying on the six kinds of renunciate sadness, give up the six kinds of lay sadness.
Therein, by relying on the six kinds of renunciate equanimity, give up the six kinds of lay equanimity.
Therein, by relying on the six kinds of renunciate happiness, give up the six kinds of renunciate sadness.
Therein, by relying on the six kinds of renunciate equanimity, give up the six kinds of renunciate happiness.
There is equanimity that is diversified, based on diversity, and equanimity that is unified, based on unity.
(upekkha based on diversity/nanatta are the 3rd and 4th jhana – by deduction-)
And what is equanimity based on diversity?
There is equanimity towards sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touches.
[This is the equanimity of third and fourth jhana most notably, where the mind can still perceive the 5 senses of the body (kāya) which is made up of the four elements of form (rūpa). From the equanimous-observation of 3rd and 4th jhana, one can observe the impermanent nature of the 5 aggregates and all 6 sense fields, in contrast to the equanimity of the formless attainments which can not perceive the 5 sense fields of the body.](upekkha based on unity/ekatta are the arupa attainments)
And what is equanimity based on unity?
There is equanimity based on the dimensions of infinite space, infinite consciousness, nothingness, and neither perception nor non-perception.
Therein, relying on equanimity based on unity, give up equanimity based on diversity.
Relying on non-identification, give up equanimity based on unity.
‘Therein, relying on this, give up that.’
That’s what I said, and this is why I said it.
(The teacher -buddha- uses 3 types of sati, to illustrate upekkha reaction)
‘The Noble One cultivates the establishment of mindfulness in three cases, by virtue of which they are a Teacher worthy to instruct a group.’
(case 1)
The first case is when the Teacher teaches the Dhamma out of kindness and compassion:
‘This is for your welfare. This is for your happiness.’
But their disciples don’t want to listen. They don’t pay attention or apply their minds to understand. They turn away from the Teacher’s instruction.
In this case the Realized One is not displeased, he does not feel displeasure. He remains unaffected, mindful and lucidly-discerning.
(case 2)
The next case is when the Teacher teaches the Dhamma,
And some of their disciples don’t want to listen. They turn away.
But other disciples do want to listen. They pay attention and apply their minds to understand.
In this case the Realized One is not displeased,
nor is he pleased.
Rejecting both displeasure and pleasure, he remains equanimous, mindful and lucidly-discerning.
(case 3)
The third case is when the Teacher teaches the Dhamma,
His disciples want to listen. They pay attention and apply their minds to understand.
In this case the Realized One is not pleased, he does not feel pleasure. He remains unaffected, mindful and lucidly-discerning.
That’s what is meant when it is said, ‘The Noble One cultivates the establishment of mindfulness in these three cases, by virtue of which they are a Teacher worthy to instruct a group.’
[In other words, the mindfulness in these 3 cases is remembering to apply the dharma understanding of equanimous observation for any circumstance.](8 vimokkha simile of horse and ox trainer in 4 directions)
‘Of all meditation teachers, the Buddha is called the supreme guide for those who wish to train.’
Here is a simile.
Driven by an elephant trainer, an elephant in training proceeds in just one direction:
east, west, north, or south.
Driven by a horse trainer, a horse in training proceeds in just one direction:
east, west, north, or south.
Driven by an ox trainer, an ox in training proceeds in just one direction:
east, west, north, or south.
But driven by the Realized One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha, a person in training proceeds in eight directions:
(8 vimokkha)
(
8 vimokkha)
[The simile of the animal trainer is compared against the 8 directions of the 8 liberations.]
1)
from a samadhi where the mind can perceive the 5 senses, the meditator sees form.
This is the first direction.
[the four jhanas fall under this first direction]2) f
rom a samadhi where the mind is no longer connected to the 5 senses of the body, they see forms externally.
This is the second direction.
3) They’re focused only on the beauty
[from doing the four brahma viharas from a mind in samadhi not connected to the 5 senses o the body].
This is the third direction.
4) Going totally beyond perceptions of form, with the ending of perceptions of impingement, not focusing on perceptions of diversity, aware that ‘space is infinite’, they enter and remain in the dimension of infinite space.
This is the fourth direction.
5) Going totally beyond the dimension of infinite space, aware that ‘consciousness is infinite’, they enter and remain in the dimension of infinite consciousness.
This is the fifth direction.
6) Going totally beyond the dimension of infinite consciousness, aware that ‘there is nothing at all’, they enter and remain in the dimension of nothingness.
This is the sixth direction.
7) Going totally beyond the dimension of nothingness, they enter and remain in the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception.
This is the seventh direction.
8) Going totally beyond the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, they enter and remain in the cessation of perception and feeling.
This is the eighth direction.
Driven by the Realized One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha, a person in training proceeds in these eight directions.
(conclusion)
‘Of all meditation teachers, it is he that is called the supreme guide for those who wish to train.’
Satisfied, the monks were happy with what the Buddha said.
(end of sutta)
b. Thanissaro commentary
(
Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu intro to his translation of this sutta)
Despite the abstract format of this discourse, it deals with an emotional topic:
the source of emotions, the use of the emotions in the course of the practice, and the ideal emotional state of a person who has completed the path and is fit to teach others.
In particular, this discourse counters a common misperception:
that the distress that comes from having an unachieved goal is an obstacle in the practice, and that the antidote for that distress is to renounce any sense of goals.
In actuality, that distress—termed “renunciation-based distress”—has an important role in the practice:
to overcome the distress that comes with a sense of loss over sensual pleasures that have not been attained, or those that have been attained in the past but now no longer exist.
Renunciation-based distress serves as a reminder that the loss of sensual pleasures is not a serious matter.
As for renunciation-based distress, it is overcome, not by abandoning any sense of goal, but by following the path and realizing the joy that comes when the goal is reached.
This discourse counters another misperception as well:
that equanimity is the goal of the practice.
In actuality, renunciation-based equanimity serves a function as part of the path of practice—as a tool for letting go of renunciation-based joy—
and then it, too, is transcended by the state called “non-fashioning” (atammayatā), in which there is no act of intention, not even the intention underlying equanimity, at all.
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