notes on the Dhamma: MN 13 gratification, drawback, escape from 5kg, rūpa, and vedana

✴️MN 13 - 🔗🔊 Mahā-dukkha-k-khandha: great {mass of} suffering:

MN 13

excerpt:

(What is gratification of material-form? Compared to 16 year old girl at peak of beauty)


Ko ca, bhikkhave, rūpānaṃ assādo?	And what is the gratification of material-form?
Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, khattiyakaññā vā brāhmaṇakaññā vā gahapatikaññā vā pannarasavassuddesikā vā soḷasavassuddesikā vā, nātidīghā nātirassā nātikisā nātithūlā nātikāḷī nāccodātā paramā sā, bhikkhave, tasmiṃ samaye subhā vaṇṇanibhāti?	Suppose there was a girl of the brahmins, aristocrats, or householders in her fifteenth or sixteenth year, neither too tall nor too short, neither too thin nor too fat, neither too dark nor too fair. Is she not at the height of her beauty and prettiness?”
‘Evaṃ, bhante’.	“Yes, sir.”
Yaṃ kho, bhikkhave, subhaṃ vaṇṇanibhaṃ paṭicca uppajjati sukhaṃ somanassaṃ—	“The pleasure and happiness that arise from this beauty and prettiness
ayaṃ rūpānaṃ assādo.	is the gratification of material-form.

(What is drawback of material-form? Compared to 16 year old girl at different stages of life )

(1. 16 year old girl now 80, broken down and ugly )


Ko ca, bhikkhave, rūpānaṃ ādīnavo?	And what is the drawback of material-form?
Idha, bhikkhave, tameva bhaginiṃ passeyya aparena samayena āsītikaṃ vā nāvutikaṃ vā vassasatikaṃ vā jātiyā, jiṇṇaṃ gopānasivaṅkaṃ bhoggaṃ daṇḍaparāyanaṃ pavedhamānaṃ gacchantiṃ āturaṃ gatayobbanaṃ khaṇḍadantaṃ palitakesaṃ, vilūnaṃ khalitasiraṃ valinaṃ tilakāhatagattaṃ.	Suppose that some time later you were to see that same sister—eighty, ninety, or a hundred years old—bent double, crooked, leaning on a staff, trembling as they walk, ailing, past their prime, with teeth broken, hair grey and scanty or bald, skin wrinkled, and limbs blotchy.
Taṃ kiṃ maññatha, bhikkhave,	What do you think, monks?
yā purimā subhā vaṇṇanibhā sā antarahitā, ādīnavo pātubhūtoti?	Has not that former beauty vanished and the drawback become clear?”
‘Evaṃ, bhante’.	“Yes, sir.”
Ayampi, bhikkhave, rūpānaṃ ādīnavo.	"This is the drawback of material-form.

(2. Old woman gravely ill, collapsed in her own urine and feces )


Puna caparaṃ, bhikkhave, tameva bhaginiṃ passeyya ābādhikaṃ dukkhitaṃ bāḷhagilānaṃ, sake muttakarīse palipannaṃ semānaṃ, aññehi vuṭṭhāpiyamānaṃ, aññehi saṃvesiyamānaṃ.	Furthermore, suppose that you were to see that same sister sick, suffering, gravely ill, collapsed in her own urine and feces, being picked up by some and put down by others.
Taṃ kiṃ maññatha, bhikkhave,	What do you think, monks?
yā purimā subhā vaṇṇanibhā sā antarahitā, ādīnavo pātubhūtoti?	Has not that former beauty vanished and the drawback become clear?”
‘Evaṃ, bhante’.	“Yes, sir.”
Ayampi, bhikkhave, rūpānaṃ ādīnavo.	“This too is the drawback of material-form.

(3-12: old woman dead and goes through 9 stages of corpse decay, as in AN 6.29 )

AN 6.29


Puna caparaṃ, bhikkhave, tameva bhaginiṃ passeyya sarīraṃ sivathikāya chaḍḍitaṃ—	Furthermore, suppose that you were to see that same sister as a corpse thrown in a charnel ground. And she had been dead for one, two, or three days, bloated, livid, and festering.
ekāhamataṃ vā dvīhamataṃ vā tīhamataṃ vā, uddhumātakaṃ vinīlakaṃ vipubbakajātaṃ.
Taṃ kiṃ maññatha, bhikkhave,	What do you think, monks?
yā purimā subhā vaṇṇanibhā sā antarahitā, ādīnavo pātubhūtoti?	Has not that former beauty vanished and the drawback become clear?”
‘Evaṃ, bhante’.	“Yes, sir.”
Ayampi, bhikkhave, rūpānaṃ ādīnavo.	“This too is the drawback of material-form.

Puna caparaṃ, bhikkhave, tameva bhaginiṃ passeyya sarīraṃ sivathikāya chaḍḍitaṃ—	Furthermore, suppose that you were to see that same sister as a corpse thrown in a charnel ground. And she was being devoured by crows, hawks, vultures, herons, dogs, tigers, leopards, jackals, and many kinds of little creatures …
kākehi vā khajjamānaṃ, kulalehi vā khajjamānaṃ, gijjhehi vā khajjamānaṃ, kaṅkehi vā khajjamānaṃ, sunakhehi vā khajjamānaṃ, byagghehi vā khajjamānaṃ, dīpīhi vā khajjamānaṃ, siṅgālehi vā khajjamānaṃ, vividhehi vā pāṇakajātehi khajjamānaṃ.
Taṃ kiṃ maññatha, bhikkhave, yā purimā subhā vaṇṇanibhā sā antarahitā, ādīnavo pātubhūtoti?
‘Evaṃ, bhante’.
Ayampi, bhikkhave, rūpānaṃ ādīnavo.

Puna caparaṃ, bhikkhave, tameva bhaginiṃ passeyya sarīraṃ sivathikāya chaḍḍitaṃ—	Furthermore, suppose that you were to see that same sister as a corpse thrown in a charnel ground.
aṭṭhikasaṅkhalikaṃ samaṃsalohitaṃ nhārusambandhaṃ, aṭṭhikasaṅkhalikaṃ nimaṃsalohitamakkhitaṃ nhārusambandhaṃ, aṭṭhikasaṅkhalikaṃ apagatamaṃsalohitaṃ nhārusambandhaṃ, aṭṭhikāni apagatasambandhāni disāvidisāvikkhittāni—	And she had been reduced to a skeleton with flesh and blood, held together by sinews … a skeleton rid of flesh but smeared with blood, and held together by sinews … a skeleton rid of flesh and blood, held together by sinews …
aññena hatthaṭṭhikaṃ, aññena pādaṭṭhikaṃ, aññena gopphakaṭṭhikaṃ, aññena jaṅghaṭṭhikaṃ, aññena ūruṭṭhikaṃ, aññena kaṭiṭṭhikaṃ, aññena phāsukaṭṭhikaṃ, aññena piṭṭhiṭṭhikaṃ, aññena khandhaṭṭhikaṃ, aññena gīvaṭṭhikaṃ, aññena hanukaṭṭhikaṃ, aññena dantaṭṭhikaṃ, aññena sīsakaṭāhaṃ.	bones without sinews scattered in every direction. Here a hand-bone, there a foot-bone, here a shin-bone, there a thigh-bone, here a hip-bone, there a rib-bone, here a back-bone, there an arm-bone, here a neck-bone, there a jaw-bone, here a tooth, there the skull. …
Taṃ kiṃ maññatha, bhikkhave, yā purimā subhā vaṇṇanibhā sā antarahitā, ādīnavo pātubhūtoti?
‘Evaṃ, bhante’.
Ayampi, bhikkhave, rūpānaṃ ādīnavo.

Puna caparaṃ, bhikkhave, tameva bhaginiṃ passeyya sarīraṃ sivathikāya chaḍḍitaṃ—	Furthermore, suppose that you were to see that same sister as a corpse thrown in a charnel ground.
aṭṭhikāni setāni saṅkhavaṇṇapaṭibhāgāni, aṭṭhikāni puñjakitāni terovassikāni, aṭṭhikāni pūtīni cuṇṇakajātāni.	And she had been reduced to white bones, the color of shells … decrepit bones, heaped in a pile … bones rotted and crumbled to powder.
Taṃ kiṃ maññatha, bhikkhave,	What do you think, monks?
yā purimā subhā vaṇṇanibhā sā antarahitā, ādīnavo pātubhūtoti?	Has not that former beauty vanished and the drawback become clear?”
‘Evaṃ, bhante’.	“Yes, sir.”
Ayampi, bhikkhave, rūpānaṃ ādīnavo.	“This too is the drawback of material-form.

(What is escape from material-form? Remove chanda + raga for rupa)


Kiñca, bhikkhave, rūpānaṃ nissaraṇaṃ?	And what is the escape from material-form?
Yo, bhikkhave, rūpesu chandarāgavinayo chandarāgappahānaṃ—idaṃ rūpānaṃ nissaraṇaṃ.	Removing and giving up desire and greed for material-form: this is the escape from material-form.

Ye hi keci, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā evaṃ rūpānaṃ assādañca assādato ādīnavañca ādīnavato nissaraṇañca nissaraṇato yathābhūtaṃ nappajānanti te vata sāmaṃ vā rūpe parijānissanti, paraṃ vā tathattāya samādapessanti yathā paṭipanno rūpe parijānissatīti—netaṃ ṭhānaṃ vijjati.	There are ascetics and brahmins who don’t truly understand material-form’ gratification, drawback, and escape in this way for what they are. It’s impossible for them to completely understand material-form themselves, or to instruct another so that, practicing accordingly, they will completely understand material-form.
Ye ca kho keci, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā evaṃ rūpānaṃ assādañca assādato ādīnavañca ādīnavato nissaraṇañca nissaraṇato yathābhūtaṃ pajānanti te vata sāmaṃ vā rūpe parijānissanti paraṃ vā tathattāya samādapessanti yathā paṭipanno rūpe parijānissatīti—ṭhānametaṃ vijjati.	There are ascetics and brahmins who do truly understand material-form’ gratification, drawback, and escape in this way for what they are. It is possible for them to completely understand material-form themselves, or to instruct another so that, practicing accordingly, they will completely understand material-form.