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(A)PERCEPTION (Assumptions after Inquiry, leading to intention) ______ . “He who is passionless regarding all sense pleasures, ________
Whatever perception is past, future, or present; internal or external; blatant or subtle; common or sublime; far or near: that is called the aggregate of perception. ________ And why do you call it 'perception'? Because it perceives, thus it is called 'perception.' What does it perceive? It perceives blue, it perceives yellow, it perceives red, it perceives white. Because it perceives, it is called perception. ________ Feeling, perception, intention, contact, & attention: This is called name. ________ And what, bhikkhus, is perception? There are these six classes of perception: perception of forms, perception of sounds, perception of odours, perception of tastes, perception of tactile objects (phoṭṭhabbasaññā,) perception of mental phenomena (dhammasaññā). This is called perception. With the arising of contact there is the arising of perception. With the cessation of contact there is the cessation of perception. ________ And whatever there is that arises in dependence on contact at the intellect as a mode of feeling, a mode of perception, a mode of fabrication, or a mode of consciousness: With that, too, he grows disenchanted. Disenchanted, he becomes dispassionate. Through dispassion, he is fully released. With full release, there is the knowledge, 'fully released'. ________ What is the cause of unskillful resolves? Their cause, too, has been stated, and they are said to be perception-caused. Which perception?; for perception has many modes & permutations. Any sensuality-perception, ill will-perception or harmfulness-perception: That is the cause of unskillful resolves. ________ Perception should be known. The cause by which perception comes into play should be known. The diversity in perception should be known. The result of perception should be known. The cessation of perception should be known. The path of practice for the cessation of perception should be known. Note: ________ For a person to indulge in sensual pleasures without sensual passion, without sensual perception, without sensual thinking: That isn't possible. ________ Bhikkhus, on account of the sensual element arise sensual perceptions. On account of sensual perceptions arise sensual thoughts. On account of sensual thoughts arise sensual interest. On account of sensual interest arise sensual burning. On account of sensual burning is a sensual search. Bhikkhus, in the sensual search the not learned ordinary man, in three instances falls to the wrong method, by body, words and mind. ________ Monks, sensuality is inconstant, hollow, vain, deceptive. It is illusory, the babble of fools. Sensuality here & now; sensuality in lives to come; sensual perceptions here & now; sensual perceptions in lives to come: both are Mara's realm, Mara's domain, Mara's bait, Mara's range. They lead to these evil, unskillful mental states: greed, ill will, & contentiousness. ________ Tranquil in body, in mind well liberated, “When a bhikkhu here often dwells thus, ________ There was an heir to the One Awakened, a monk in the Bhesakala forest, who suffused this whole earth with the perception of "bones." Quickly, I'd say, he abandoned sensual passion. ________ Feeling, perception, & consciousness are conjoined, friend, not disjoined. It is not possible, having separated them one from another, to delineate the difference among them. For what one feels, that one perceives. What one perceives, that one cognizes. Therefore these qualities are conjoined, not disjoined, and it is not possible, having separated them one from another, to delineate the difference among them. ________ What one feels, one perceives. What one perceives, one thinks about. What one thinks about, one objectifies. ________ If, monk, with regard to the cause whereby the perceptions & categories of objectification assail a person, there is nothing there to relish, welcome, or remain fastened to, then that is the end of the obsessions of passion, the obsessions of resistance, the obsessions of views, the obsessions of uncertainty, the obsessions of conceit, the obsessions of passion for becoming, & the obsessions of ignorance. That is the end of taking up rods & bladed weapons, of arguments, quarrels, disputes, accusations, divisive tale-bearing, & false speech. That is where these evil, unskillful things cease without remainder. ________ No, monk, there is no form... no feeling... no perception... there are no fabrications... there is no consciousness that is constant, lasting, eternal, not subject to change, that will stay just as it is as long as eternity. ________ Perception is suffering, both of the past and the future, not to speak of the present. Seeing thus, bhikkhus, the instructed noble disciple is indifferent towards perception of the past; he does not seek delight in perception of the future; and he is practising for revulsion towards perception of the present, for its fading away and cessation. ________ Bhikkhus, one who seeks delight in perception seeks delight in suffering. One who seeks delight in suffering, I say, is not freed from suffering. ________ Perception, O monks, is not-self; if perception were self, then perception would not lead to affliction and It would be possible [to say] with regard to perception: 'May my perception be thus, may my perception not be thus'; and indeed, O monks, since perception is not-self, therefore, perception leads to affliction; and it is not possible [to say] with regard to perception: 'May my perception be thus, may my perception not be thus.' ________ He assumes perception to be the self, or the self as possessing perception, or perception as in the self, or the self as in perception. He is seized with the idea that 'I am perception' or 'Perception is mine.' As he is seized with these ideas, his perception changes & alters, and he falls into sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair over its change & alteration. ________ So too, bhikkhus, the uninstructed worldling … regards perception as self, or self as possessing perception, or perception as in self, or self as in perception. That perception of his disintegrates and he thereby meets with calamity and disaster. ________ Whatever perceptions, in the past, future or present, internal or external, rough or fine, unexalted or exalted, at a distance or in close proximity, all those perceptions "are not mine, am not in them, they are not my self." He sees this, as it really is with right wisdom. ________ It's with possessiveness, friend Ananda, that there is "I am," not without possessiveness. And through possessiveness of what is there "I am," not without possessiveness? Through possessiveness of form there is "I am," not without possessiveness. Through possessiveness of feeling... perception... fabrications... Through possessiveness of consciousness there is "I am," not without possessiveness. ________ Bhikkhus, these four are the distortions of perceptions, thoughts and views. What four? Bhikkhus, seeing permanence in impermanence is a distortion of perceptions, thoughts and views. Seeing pleasantness in unpleasantness is a distortion of perceptions, thoughts and views. Seeing a self where a self is lacking is a distortion of perceptions, thoughts and views. Seeing agreeability in the non agreeable is a distortion of perceptions, thoughts and views. Bhikkhus, these four are the distortions of perceptions, thoughts and views. ________ From distorted perception your mind is on fire. Shun the theme of the beautiful accompanied by lust. ________ Suppose, bhikkhus, that in the last month of the hot season, at high noon, a shimmering mirage appears. A man with good sight would inspect it, ponder it, and carefully investigate it, and it would appear to him to be void, hollow, insubstantial. For what substance could there be in a mirage? So too, bhikkhus, whatever kind of perception there is, whether past, future, or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, inferior or superior, far or near: a bhikkhu inspects it, ponders it, and carefully investigates it, and it would appear to him to be void, hollow, insubstantial. For what substance could there be in perception? ________ Bhikkhus, though someone might say: ‘Apart from form, apart from feeling, apart from perception, apart from volitional formations, I will make known the coming and going of consciousness, its passing away and rebirth, its growth, increase, and expansion’—that is impossible. ________ If perception were exclusively stressful — followed by stress, infused with stress and not infused with pleasure — beings would not be infatuated with perception. But because perception is also pleasurable — followed by pleasure, infused with pleasure and not infused with stress — beings are infatuated with perception. Through infatuation, they are captivated. Through captivation, they are defiled. This is the cause, this the requisite condition, for the defilement of beings. And this is how beings are defiled with cause, with requisite condition. ________ Bhikkhus, if there were no gratification in feeling … in perception … in volitional formations … in consciousness, beings would not become enamoured with them … but because there is an escape from them, beings escape from them. ________ Your mind is on fire Meditate on the unattractive, ________ By the utter destruction of delight in existence, ________ "... those ascetics and brahmins who understand form, its origin, its cessation, and the way leading to its cessation; who understand feeling … perception … volitional formations … consciousness, its origin, its cessation, and the way leading to its cessation: these I consider to be ascetics among ascetics and brahmins among brahmins, and these venerable ones, by realizing it for themselves with direct knowledge, in this very life enter and dwell in the goal of asceticism and the goal of brahminhood.” ________ There's the case, friend Ananda, where beings discern, as it actually is present, that ________ The instructed noble disciple experiences revulsion towards contact, revulsion towards feeling, revulsion towards perception, revulsion towards volitional formations, revulsion towards consciousness. Experiencing revulsion, he becomes dispassionate. Through dispassion his mind is liberated. When it is liberated there comes the knowledge: ‘It’s liberated.’ ________ Bhikkhus, without giving up six things it is not possible to abide in the first higher state of the mind. What six? ________ Developing the perceptions ________ Just as, bhikkhus, in the autumn a ploughman ploughing with a great ploughshare cuts through all the rootlets as he ploughs, so too, when the perception of impermanence (aniccasaññā) is developed and cultivated, it eliminates all sensual lust … it uproots all conceit "I am." ________ And furthermore, monks, when the monk is established in these five qualities, there are four additional qualities he should develop: He should develop [contemplation of] the unattractive so as to abandon lust. He should develop good will so as to abandon ill will. He should develop mindfulness of in-&-out breathing so as to cut off distractive thinking. He should develop the perception of inconstancy (aniccasaññā) so as to uproot the conceit, 'I am.' For a monk perceiving inconstancy, the perception of not-self is made firm. One perceiving not-self attains the uprooting of the conceit, 'I am' — Unbinding in the here & now." ________ Bhikkhus, when five things are developed and made much it results in the release of mind and its fruits and the release through wisdom and its fruits. What five? ________ AN 7.49 (no parallel) - [an 7.46 (no parallel)] Sañña Sutta (Vitthatasattasaññā) ________ Monks, these ten perceptions, when developed & pursued, are of great fruit, of great benefit. They gain a footing in the deathless and have the deathless as their final end. Which ten? "The perception of unattractiveness (of the body), ________ Therefore, bhikkhus, you should train yourselves thus: ‘Our minds will be strengthened in accordance with the spirit of our going forth, and arisen bad unwholesome qualities will not obsess our minds. ________ [1] "And what is the perception of inconstancy (aniccasaññā)? ________ In seeing six rewards, it's enough motivation for a monk to establish the perception of stress with regard to all fabrications without exception. Which six? ________ In seeing six rewards, it's enough motivation for a monk to establish the perception of not-self with regard to all phenomena without exception. Which six? ________ That base should be understood, where the eye ceases and perception of forms fades away. That base should be understood, where the ear ceases and perception of sounds fades away.… That base should be understood, where the mind ceases and perception of mental phenomena fades away. That base should be understood. ________ Where name-and-form ceases, ________ Note: The eight bases (spheres) of overcoming (aṭṭha abhibhāyatanāni). ________ And how does a monk — by means of an awareness open & unhampered — develop a brightened mind? There is the case where a monk has the perception of light, the perception of daytime [at any hour of the day] well in hand & well-established. This is how a monk — by means of an awareness open & unhampered — develops a brightened mind. ________ There are some priests & contemplatives, brahmin, who have the perception of 'day' when it is night, and of 'night' when it is day. This, I tell you, is their being in a dwelling of delusion. As for me, I have the perception of 'day' when it is day, and of 'night' when it is night. ________ Bhikkhus, how is the bhikkhu wakeful? Here, bhikkhus, the bhikkhu during the day time sits in a suitable place and purifies his mind of obstructing things. In the first watch of the night too he does the same. In the middle watch of the night he turns to his right side and keeping one foot over the other goes to sleep mindfull of the perception of rising. In the last watch of the night sitting in a suitable place he purifies his mind of obstructing things ________ There is a feeling for interest and one for reasoning and for perception also. There is a feeling for unappeased interest, reasoning and perception. There is a feeling for appeased interest, unappeased reasoning and perception. There is a feeling for appeased interest and reasoning and unappeased perception. There is a feeling for appeased interest, reasoning and perception too. ________ Perceptive beings observe virtues and reach highs and lows ________ A person undertaking practices on his own, goes high & low, latched onto perception. But having clearly known through vedas, having encountered the Dhamma, one of profound discernment doesn't go high & low. He's enemy-free with regard to all things seen, heard, or sensed. By whom, with what, should he be pigeonholed here in the world? ________ One who isn't inclined toward either side — becoming or not —, here or beyond — who has no entrenchment when considering what's grasped among doctrines, hasn't the least preconceived perception with regard to what's seen, heard, or sensed. By whom, with what, should he be pigeonholed here in the world? ________ Do not have any thoughts or the smallest perception, about the seen, heard, and experienced. ________ The detached from perceptions have no bonds, the released through wisdom have no delusion. ________ One free from passion for all sensual pleasures relying on nothingness, letting go of all else, released in the highest emancipation of perception: He stays there unaffected. ________ Bhikkhus, with perceptions, demeritorious thoughts arise, not without perceptions. When those perceptions are dispelled, the demeritorious thoughts fade. ________ For one detached from perception, there exist no ties, ________ For the 25 years For the 25 years ________ Just as the wind in Verambhā ________ The sage has known perception and crossed the flood, ________ While wandering on I went to hell; went again & again to the world of the hungry shades; stayed countless times, long, in the pain of the animal womb; enjoyed the human state; went to heaven from time to time; settled in the elements of form, the elements of formlessness, neither-perception, perception-less. Ways of taking birth are now known: devoid of essence, unstable, conditioned, always driven along. Knowing them as born from my self, mindful I went right to peace. ________ Perception is a clingable phenomenon. Any desire-passion related to it, is clinging related to it. ________ And what are the five clinging-aggregates that, in short, are stressful? The clinging-aggregate of form, the clinging-aggregate of feeling, the clinging-aggregate of perception, the clinging-aggregate of fabrications, the clinging-aggregate of consciousness: These are called the five clinging-aggregates that, in short, are stressful. ________ He dwells contemplating arising and vanishing in the five aggregates subject to clinging: ‘Such is form, such its origin, such its passing away; such is feeling … such is perception … such are volitional activities … such is consciousness, such its origin, such its passing away.’ This is the eighth cause and condition that leads to obtaining the wisdom fundamental to the spiritual life when it has not been obtained and to its increase, maturation, and fulfillment by development after it has been obtained. ________ Bhikkhus, these seven are the elements. What seven? The element of luster, the element of pleasantness, the element of the sphere of space, the element of the sphere of consciousness, the element of the sphere of nothingness, the element of the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception, and the element of the cessation of perceptions and feelings. ________ The feeling element is the home of consciousness; one whose consciousness is shackled by lust for the perception element is called one who roams about in a home. (idem with the other khandas). ________ Should consciousness, when standing, stand attached to perception, supported by perception (as its object), landing on perception, watered with delight, it would exhibit growth, increase, & proliferation. ________ "Bhikkhus, these nine are clinging sojourns. What nine? - Bhikkhus, there are beings with various bodies and various perceptions. Like human beings who are sometimes like gods and sometimes like hellish beings. This is the first clinging sojourn. Bhikkhus, these nine are the clinging sojourns. ________ Perceptions & feelings are mental; these are things tied up with the mind (citta [not mano]). That's why perceptions & feelings are mental determinations. ________ Furthermore, with the complete transcending of perceptions of (physical) form, with the disappearance of perceptions of resistance, and not heeding perceptions of diversity, (perceiving,) 'Infinite space,' he enters & remains in the dimension of the infinitude of space. This too is a quality higher & more sublime than knowledge & vision. ________ The eye will be such, that there will be no feelings for forms seen (same with ear, nose, tongue, body). - Friend, Ananda, is it when perceptive in that mental sphere that feelings are not present or when not perceptive in that mental sphere?" ________ One not percipient of perceptions, not percipient of aberrant perceptions, not unpercipient nor percipient of what's disappeared: for one arriving at this, form disappears — for objectification-classifications (diffusedness of the world) have their cause in perception." ________ When perceptions of matter cease and when the bhikkhu abides in the cessation of perceptions of matter, I say. `Indeed that venerable one is without craving, cooled, crossed over and gone to the other shore by that factor.' `If someone was to say, how do the perceptions of matter cease and who abides in the cessation of perceptions of matter - "I do not know or see this." - This is the reply to him.- Here, when the venerable bhikkhu, overcoming all perceptions of matter, all perceptions of aversion, and not attending to various perceptions, with space is boundless abides in the sphere of space, then perceptions of matter cease and he abides in the cessation of perceptions of matter. ________ Ananda, there is that concentration to the bhikkhu, abiding in which, in earth he has no perceptions of earth, in water he has no perceptions of water, in fire he has no perceptions of fire, in air he has no perceptions of air, in the sphere of space, he has no perceptions of the sphere of space, in the sphere of consciousness, he has no perceptions of the sphere of consciousness, in the sphere of nothingness, he has no perceptions of the sphere of nothingness, in the sphere of neither perceptions nor non-perceptions, he has no perceptions of the sphere of neither perceptions nor non-perceptions. In this world, he has no perceptions of this world. In the other world, he has no perceptions of the other world. Yet he is perceptive. ________ Note: Perceptions in the higher Jhanas and the Theme-less concentration. ________ - When one has attained the first jhāna, the perception of sensuality has been stopped. ________ Note: Drawbacks & perceptions dealing with pleasure, directed thought, rapture, equanimity, forms, dimension of the infinitude of space, ... while in jhana.
________ * Saññā = (ap)perception after inquiry.
- “Feeling” (vedanā) is an experience; followed by a wish to know more.
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Notes: Kinds of sañña (as they occur in the suttas): āloka sañña light rūpa sañña matter . ________ . NOTES . [fr. saṁ+jñā] ________ *
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