Moving Dhamma Volume 1 by Bhante Vimalaramsi

Author:Bhante Vimalaramsi
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2013-07-31T16:00:00+00:00

MN-38: The Greater Discourse on the Destruction of Craving (Mahātanhāsankhaya Sutta)

The Bhikkhu Sāti states the wrong view that consciousness passes on from life to life independent of conditions. The Buddha proves this wrong by Dependent Arising. The whole discourse is consequently an exposition of the conditionality in all components of conscious existence. To drive this home, Dependent Arising (or the structure of conditionality) is approached and converged upon from several different successive points. [2]

Presented on 24th February 2006 at Dhamma Dena Vipassanā Center, Joshua Tree, California

BV: This is a real interesting sutta, so please listen attentively and all will become clear.

1. THUS HAVE I HEARD. On one occasion the Blessed One was living at Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park.

2. Now on that occasion a pernicious view had arisen in a monk named Sāti, son of a fisherman, thus: “As I understand the Dhamma taught by the Blessed One, it is this same consciousness that runs and wanders through the round of rebirths, not another.”

3. Several monks, having heard about this, went to the monk Sāti and asked him: “Friend Sāti, is it true that such a pernicious view has arisen in you?”

You know what a question like that implies? It’s like me walking up to you and say: “You know this view that you have that’s so incredibly stupid? Are you really saying that?”

And his reply was…

“Exactly so, Friends. As I understand the Dhamma taught by the Blessed One, it is this same consciousness that runs and wanders through the round of rebirths, not another.”

Then those monks, desiring to detach him from that pernicious view, pressed and questioned and cross-questioned him thus: “Friend Sāti, do not say so. Do not misrepresent the Blessed One; it is not good to misrepresent the Blessed One. The Blessed One would not speak thus. For in many ways the Blessed One has stated consciousness to be dependently arisen, since without a condition there is no origination of consciousness.”

Yet although pressed and questioned and cross-questioned by those monks in this way, the monk Sāti, son of a fisherman, still obstinately adhered to that pernicious view and continued to insist upon it.

This view is a brahmin view. When you get right down to it there’s no such religion as Hinduism; it’s Brahmanism. If you go to India and you talk to them about Hinduism, they’ll look at you, wondering what you’re talking about. This is a brahmin view.

4. Since the monks were unable to detach him from that pernicious view, they went to the Blessed One, and after paying homage to him, they sat down at one side and told him all that had occurred, adding: “Venerable sir, since we could not detach the monk Sāti, son of a fisherman, from this pernicious view, we have reported this matter to the Blessed One.”

5. Then the Blessed One addressed a certain monk thus: “Come, Monk, tell the monk Sāti, son of a fisherman, in my name that the Teacher calls him.”

“Yes, venerable sir,” he replied, and he went to the monk Sāti and told him: “The Teacher calls you, friend Sāti.

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