I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying at Ukkattha, in the shade of a royal Sal tree in the Very Blessed Grove. There he addressed the monks, "Monks!"

"Yes, lord," the monks responded.

The Blessed One said, "Monks, I will teach you the sequence of the root of all phenomena [or: the root sequence of all phenomena]. Listen and pay close attention. I will speak."

"As you say, sir," they responded.

The Blessed One said: "There is the case, monks, where an uninstructed run-of-the-mill person -- who has no regard for noble ones, is not well-versed or disciplined in their Dhamma; who has no regard for men of integrity, is not well-versed or disciplined in their Dhamma -- perceives earth as earth. Perceiving earth as earth, he conceives [things] about earth, he conceives [things] in earth, he conceives [things] coming out of earth, he conceives earth as 'mine,' he delights in earth. Why is that? Because he has not comprehended it, I tell you.

"He perceives water as water...fire as fire...wind as wind[1]...beings as beings...gods as gods...Pajapati as Pajapati...Brahma as Brahma...the luminous gods as luminous gods...the gods of refulgent glory as gods of refulgent glory...the gods of abundant fruit as the gods of abundant fruit...the Great Being as the Great Being[2]...the sphere of the infinitude of space as the sphere of the infinitude of space...the sphere of the infinitude of consciousness as the sphere of the infinitude of consciousness...the sphere of nothingness as the sphere of nothingness...the sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception as the sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception[3]...the seen as the seen...the heard as the heard...the sensed as the sensed...the cognized as the cognized[4]...singleness as singleness...multiplicity as multiplicity[5]...the All as the All[6]...

"He perceives Unbinding as Unbinding.[7] Perceiving Unbinding as Unbinding, he conceives things about Unbinding, he conceives things in Unbinding, he conceives things coming out of Unbinding, he conceives Unbinding as 'mine,' he delights in Unbinding. Why is that? Because he has not comprehended it, I tell you.

The Trainee

"A monk who is a trainee -- yearning for the unexcelled relief from bondage, his aspirations as yet unfulfilled -- directly knows earth as earth. Directly knowing earth as earth, let him not conceive things about earth, let him not conceive things in earth, let him not conceive things coming out of earth, let him not conceive earth as 'mine,' let him not delight in earth. Why is that? So that he may comprehend it.

"He directly knows water as water...fire as fire...wind as wind...beings as beings...gods as gods...Pajapati as Pajapati...Brahma as Brahma...the luminous gods as luminous gods...the gods of refulgent glory as gods of refulgent glory...the gods of abundant fruit as the gods of abundant fruit...the Great Being as the Great Being...the sphere of the infinitude of space as the sphere of the infinitude of space...the sphere of the infinitude of consciousness as the sphere of the infinitude of consciousness...the sphere of nothingness as the sphere of nothingness...the sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception as the sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception...the seen as the seen...the heard as the heard...the sensed as the sensed...the cognized as the cognized...singleness as singleness...multiplicity as multiplicity...the All as the All...

"He directly knows Unbinding as Unbinding. Directly knowing Unbinding as Unbinding, let him not conceive things about Unbinding, let him not conceive things in Unbinding, let him not conceive things coming out of Unbinding, let him not conceive Unbinding as 'mine,' let him not delight in Unbinding. Why is that? So that he may comprehend it.

The Arahant

"A monk who is a Worthy One, devoid of mental fermentations -- who has attained completion, finished the task, laid down the burden, attained the true goal, destroyed the fetters of becoming, and is released through right knowledge -- directly knows earth as earth. Directly knowing earth as earth, he does not conceive things about earth, does not conceive things in earth, does not conceive things coming out of earth, does not conceive earth as 'mine,' does not delight in earth. Why is that? Because he has comprehended it, I tell you.

"He directly knows water as water...fire as fire...wind as wind...beings as beings...gods as gods...Pajapati as Pajapati...Brahma as Brahma...the luminous gods as luminous gods...the gods of refulgent glory as gods of refulgent glory...the gods of abundant fruit as the gods of abundant fruit...the Great Being as the Great Being...the sphere of the infinitude of space as the sphere of the infinitude of space...the sphere of the infinitude of consciousness as the sphere of the infinitude of consciousness...the sphere of nothingness as the sphere of nothingness...the sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception as the sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception...the seen as the seen...the heard as the heard...the sensed as the sensed...the cognized as the cognized...singleness as singleness...multiplicity as multiplicity...the All as the All...

"He directly knows Unbinding as Unbinding. Directly knowing Unbinding as Unbinding, he does not conceive things about Unbinding, does not conceive things in Unbinding, does not conceive things coming out of Unbinding, does not conceive Unbinding as 'mine,' does not delight in Unbinding. Why is that? Because he has comprehended it, I tell you.

"A monk who is a Worthy One, devoid of mental fermentations...directly knows earth as earth. Directly knowing earth as earth, he does not conceive things about earth, does not conceive things in earth, does not conceive things coming out of earth, does not conceive earth as 'mine,' does not delight in earth. Why is that? Because, with the ending of passion, he is devoid of passion, I tell you.

"He directly knows water as water...the All as the All...

"He directly knows Unbinding as Unbinding. Directly knowing Unbinding as Unbinding, he does not conceive things about Unbinding, does not conceive things in Unbinding, does not conceive things coming out of Unbinding, does not conceive Unbinding as 'mine,' does not delight in Unbinding. Why is that? Because, with the ending of passion, he is devoid of passion, I tell you.

"A monk who is a Worthy One, devoid of mental fermentations...directly knows earth as earth. Directly knowing earth as earth, he does not conceive things about earth, does not conceive things in earth, does not conceive things coming out of earth, does not conceive earth as 'mine,' does not delight in earth. Why is that? Because, with the ending of aversion, he is devoid of aversion, I tell you.

"He directly knows water as water...the All as the All...

"He directly knows Unbinding as Unbinding. Directly knowing Unbinding as Unbinding, he does not conceive things about Unbinding, does not conceive things in Unbinding, does not conceive things coming out of Unbinding, does not conceive Unbinding as 'mine,' does not delight in Unbinding. Why is that? Because, with the ending of aversion, he is devoid of aversion, I tell you.

"A monk who is a Worthy One, devoid of mental fermentations...directly knows earth as earth. Directly knowing earth as earth, he does not conceive things about earth, does not conceive things in earth, does not conceive things coming out of earth, does not conceive earth as 'mine,' does not delight in earth. Why is that? Because, with the ending of delusion, he is devoid of delusion, I tell you.

"He directly knows water as water...the All as the All...

"He directly knows Unbinding as Unbinding. Directly knowing Unbinding as Unbinding, he does not conceive things about Unbinding, does not conceive things in Unbinding, does not conceive things coming out of Unbinding, does not conceive Unbinding as 'mine,' does not delight in Unbinding. Why is that? Because, with the ending of delusion, he is devoid of delusion, I tell you.

The Tathagata

"The Tathagata -- a worthy one, rightly self-awakened -- directly knows earth as earth. Directly knowing earth as earth, he does not conceive things about earth, does not conceive things in earth, does not conceive things coming out of earth, does not conceive earth as 'mine,' does not delight in earth. Why is that? Because the Tathagata has comprehended it to the end, I tell you.

"He directly knows water as water...fire as fire...wind as wind...beings as beings...gods as gods...Pajapati as Pajapati...Brahma as Brahma...the luminous gods as luminous gods...the gods of refulgent glory as gods of refulgent glory...the gods of abundant fruit as the gods of abundant fruit...the Great Being as the Great Being...the sphere of the infinitude of space as the sphere of the infinitude of space...the sphere of the infinitude of consciousness as the sphere of the infinitude of consciousness...the sphere of nothingness as the sphere of nothingness...the sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception as the sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception...the seen as the seen...the heard as the heard...the sensed as the sensed...the cognized as the cognized...singleness as singleness...multiplicity as multiplicity...the All as the All...

"He directly knows Unbinding as Unbinding. Directly knowing Unbinding as Unbinding, he does not conceive things about Unbinding, does not conceive things in Unbinding, does not conceive things coming out of Unbinding, does not conceive Unbinding as 'mine,' does not delight in Unbinding. Why is that? Because the Tathagata has comprehended it to the end, I tell you.

"The Tathagata -- a worthy one, rightly self-awakened -- directly knows earth as earth. Directly knowing earth as earth, he does not conceive things about earth, does not conceive things in earth, does not conceive things coming out of earth, does not conceive earth as 'mine,' does not delight in earth. Why is that? Because he has known that delight is the root of suffering and stress, that from coming-into-being there is birth, and that for what has come into being there is aging and death. Therefore, with the total ending, fading away, cessation, letting go, relinquishment of craving, the Tathagata has totally awakened to the unexcelled right self-awakening, I tell you.

"He directly knows water as water...the All as the All...

"He directly knows Unbinding as Unbinding. Directly knowing Unbinding as Unbinding, he does not conceive things about Unbinding, does not conceive things in Unbinding, does not conceive things coming out of Unbinding, does not conceive Unbinding as 'mine,' does not delight in Unbinding. Why is that? Because he has known that delight is the root of suffering and stress, that from coming-into-being there is birth, and that for what has come into being there is aging and death. Therefore, with the total ending, fading away, cessation, letting go, relinquishment of craving, the Tathagata has totally awakened to the unexcelled right self-awakening, I tell you."

That is what the Blessed One said. Displeased, the monks did not delight in the Blessed One's words.

English translation by Bhikkhu Thanissaro

Notes:

1. Earth, water, fire, and wind are the four properties that comprise the experience of physical form.

2. In this section of the list, "beings" denotes all living beings below the level of the gods. "Gods" denotes the beings in the sensual heavens. The remaining terms -- Pajapati, Brahma, the luminous gods, the gods of refulgent glory, the gods of abundant fruit, and the Great Being -- denote gods in the heavens of form and formlessness.

3. The sphere of the infinitude of space, the sphere of the infinitude of consciousness, the sphere of nothingness, and the sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception are four formless states that can be attained in concentration.

4. "The seen, the heard, the sensed, and the cognized" is a set of terms to cover all things experienced through the six senses.

5. Singleness = experience in states of intense concentration (jhana). Multiplicity = experience via the six senses.

6. "What is the All? Simply the eye and forms, ear and sounds, nose and aromas, tongue and flavors, body and tactile sensations, intellect and ideas. This is termed the All. Anyone who would say, 'Repudiating this All, I will describe another,' if questioned on what exactly might be the grounds for his assertion, would be unable to explain, and furthermore, would be put to grief. Why is that? Because it lies beyond range." -- SN XXXV.23 For more on this topic, see The Mind Like Fire Unbound, Chapter 1.

7. Unbinding = nibbana (nirvana).

The Middle Discourses

|_A. The First Fifty

|__I. The Chapter on the Root of All Things

MN1. The Root Sequence

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Translations [35]

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