The Saṃyukta Āgama, Volume 1 (13)

Original text:如是我闻。一时。佛住舍卫国祇树给孤独园。尔时。世尊告诸比丘。若众生于色不味者。则不染于色。以众生于色味故。则有染着。如是众生于受．想．行．识不味者。彼众生则不染于识。以众生味受．想．行．识故。彼众生染着于识。

诸比丘。若色于众生不为患者。彼诸众生不应厌色。以色为众生患故。彼诸众生则厌于色。如是受．想．行．识不为患者。彼诸众生不应厌识。以受．想．行．识为众生患故。彼诸众生则厌于识。

诸比丘。若色于众生无出离者。彼诸众生不应出离于色。以色于众生有出离故。彼诸众生出离于色。如是受．想．行．识于众生无出离者。彼诸众生不应出离于识。以受．想．行．识于众生有出离故。彼诸众生出离于识。

诸比丘。若我于此五受阴不如实知味是味．患是患．离是离者。我于诸天．若魔．若梵．沙门．婆罗门．天．人众中。不脱．不出．不离。永住颠倒。亦不能自证得阿耨多罗三藐三菩提。诸比丘。我以如实知此五受阴味是味．患是患．离是离故。我于诸天．若魔．若梵．沙门．婆罗门．天．人众中。自证得脱．得出．得离．得解脱结缚。永不住颠倒。亦能自证得阿耨多罗三藐三菩提。时。诸比丘闻佛所说。欢喜奉行。

Explanation: The World-Honored One said to the bhikṣus: If sentient beings did not savor the aggregate of form, they would not be defiled by the aggregate of form. Because sentient beings savor the aggregate of form, they become attached to it. Likewise, if sentient beings did not savor the aggregates of feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness, they would not be defiled by those aggregates. Because sentient beings savor the aggregates of feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness, they become attached to and addicted to those aggregates.

Bhikṣus, if the aggregate of form did not pose a peril to sentient beings, those sentient beings should not be disenchanted with the aggregate of form. Because the aggregate of form is a peril to sentient beings, those sentient beings are disenchanted with the aggregate of form. Likewise, if the aggregates of feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness did not pose a peril to sentient beings, those sentient beings should not be disenchanted with those aggregates. Because the aggregates of feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are a peril to sentient beings, those sentient beings are disenchanted with those aggregates.

Bhikṣus, if there were no escape from the aggregate of form for sentient beings, those sentient beings should not seek escape from the aggregate of form. Because there is escape from the aggregate of form for sentient beings, those sentient beings escape from the aggregate of form. Likewise, if there were no escape from the aggregates of feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness for sentient beings, those sentient beings should not seek escape from those aggregates. Because there is escape from the aggregates of feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness for sentient beings, those sentient beings escape from those aggregates.

Bhikṣus, if I (the World-Honored One) had not truly understood the gratification of these five aggregates subject to grasping as gratification, the peril as peril, and the escape as escape, then among the devas, Māra, Brahmā, śramaṇas, brāhmaṇas, and the assemblies of devas and humans, I would not have been liberated, would not have escaped, would not have departed, would forever abide in delusion, and would not have been able to realize by myself anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi. Bhikṣus, because I truly understood the gratification, peril, and escape of these five aggregates subject to grasping, therefore, among the devas, Māra, Brahmā, śramaṇas, brāhmaṇas, and the assemblies of devas and humans, I realized by myself liberation, escaped the cycle of rebirth, departed from the perils and suffering of birth and death, was liberated from all the bonds and fetters of ignorance, and realized anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi. Then the bhikṣus, having heard what the Buddha said, joyfully put it into practice.

The above is the Buddha's teaching on the gratification, peril, and escape of the five-aggregate body. The focal point of practice here is: how to introspect truthfully upon one's own fondness for and savoring of the five aggregates subject to grasping; how to contemplate in practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) the perils of birth and death inherent in the five aggregates subject to grasping; and how to cultivate in accordance with reality so as to depart from the five aggregates subject to grasping and escape the cycle of birth and death. This requires a very strong power of introspection and a mind awakened to birth and death, as well as the ability to strictly govern one's own mind—never indulging oneself, subduing craving and afflictions, and giving rise to the mind of renunciation and the mind of cultivating the path for liberation.