Saṃyuktāgama, Volume One (15)

Original text:比丘。若随使使者。即随使死。若随死者。为取所缚。比丘。若不随使使。则不随使死。不随使死者。则于取解脱。比丘白佛。知已。世尊。知已。善逝。

佛告比丘。汝云何于我略说法中。广解其义。比丘白佛言。世尊。色随使使．色随使死。随使使．随使死者。则为取所缚。如是受．想．行．识。随使使．随使死。随使使．随使死者。为取所缚。

世尊。若色不随使使．不随使死。不随使使．不随使死者。则于取解脱。如是受．想．行．识。不随使使．不随使死。不随使使．不随使死者。则于取解脱。如是。世尊。略说法中。广解其义。佛告比丘。善哉。善哉。比丘于我略说法中。广解其义。

所以者何。色随使使．随使死。随使使．随使死者。则为取所缚。如是受．想．行．识。随使使．随使死。随使使．随使死者。则为取所缚。比丘。色不随使使．不随使死。不随使使．不随使死者。则于取解脱。如是受．想．行．识。不随使使．不随使死。不随使使．不随使死者。则于取解脱。

Explanation: The Buddha said: Bhikṣu, if a person follows along with his own afflictive fetters (kleśa-saṃyojana) in performing bodily, verbal, and mental actions, he will undergo birth and death in saṃsāra along with these afflictive fetters. If he undergoes birth and death in saṃsāra along with the afflictive fetters, he will be bound by his own grasping and will not attain liberation. Bhikṣu, if a person does not follow along with his own afflictive fetters in performing bodily, verbal, and mental actions, he will not undergo birth and death in saṃsāra along with the fetters. If he does not undergo birth and death in saṃsāra along with the afflictive fetters, he will be liberated from his own grasping at the dharmas of the three realms. The bhikṣu said to the Buddha: I understand, World-Honored One, I understand, Sugata (Well-Gone One).

The first "śeṣa" (fetter) means afflictive fetters; there are roughly nine kinds of afflictive fetters, and in fine detail there are countless kinds. The second "śeṣa" means to use or to employ. Grasping at any dharma is grasping at affliction, is a kind of fetter, is following along with the fetters, and is transmigration through birth and death. Each fetter, if expanded, includes countless afflictions, which manifest in one's bodily, verbal, and mental actions in the mundane world. The key point is to observe and examine them, and through contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) on the non-self of the five aggregates (pañca-skandha), one can subdue and eradicate them. The fruits of cultivation are manifested in each person's bodily, verbal, and mental actions in the mundane world, manifested in the activities of the five-aggregate body. If the bodily, verbal, and mental actions have not been purified, it shows that cultivation has not yet been accomplished, that one's practice of the Path has not progressed, and that one's cultivation is still not effective. Examining the fruits of cultivation must be done on the bodily, verbal, and mental actions of the five-aggregate body, on the mental factors (caittas) of the seven consciousnesses—that is, on the mental activities of the seven consciousnesses; there is no other place to examine them. No one can examine the activities of their own tathatā-mind, for the activities of tathatā are forever pure, forever without ignorance, forever without afflictions, and without any fetters or bonds. Moreover, everyone's tathatā-nature is identical and requires no cultivation.

The Buddha said to the bhikṣu: How is it that you can extensively understand the meaning within the essential points of the Dharma I taught in brief? The bhikṣu said to the Buddha: World-Honored One, when the aggregate of form is employed by the afflictive fetters, the aggregate of form will undergo birth and death in saṃsāra along with the afflictive fetters. If one is employed by one's own afflictive fetters, follows along with the afflictive fetters in performing bodily and verbal actions, and undergoes birth and death in saṃsāra along with the afflictive fetters, one is bound by one's own grasping and does not attain liberation. Likewise, if feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness follow along with the afflictive fetters and are employed by the afflictive fetters, then feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness will undergo birth and death in saṃsāra along with the afflictive fetters. Those who are employed by the afflictive fetters to perform bodily, verbal, and mental actions and thus transmigrate through birth and death are bound by their own grasping and do not attain liberation.

World-Honored One, if the aggregate of form is not employed by the afflictive fetters, it does not undergo birth and death in saṃsāra along with the afflictive fetters. If one is not employed by the afflictive fetters, does not follow the afflictive fetters in performing bodily, verbal, and mental actions and transmigrate through birth and death, one will attain liberation from one's own grasping and will no longer grasp at the world of the five aggregates. Likewise, if feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness are not employed by the afflictive fetters, they will not undergo birth and death in saṃsāra along with the afflictive fetters; if feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness are not employed by the afflictive fetters and do not undergo birth and death in saṃsāra along with the afflictive fetters, then one attains liberation from grasping. World-Honored One, it is just so: within the essential Dharma you taught in brief, I have extensively understood its meaning.

The Buddha told the bhikṣu: Excellent, excellent! Bhikṣu, you can extensively understand the meaning within the essential Dharma I taught in brief. Why is this said? Because if the aggregate of form is employed by the fetters, it will undergo birth and death in saṃsāra along with the fetters; those who follow along with the fetters' employment, perform bodily, verbal, and mental actions, and undergo birth and death in saṃsāra along with the fetters will be bound by their own grasping and will not attain liberation. Likewise, if feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness follow along with the fetters' employment, they will follow the fetters in performing bodily, verbal, and mental actions and transmigrate through birth and death without attaining liberation. Those who follow along with the fetters' employment and undergo birth and death in saṃsāra will be bound by their own grasping at the three realms and will not attain liberation.

Bhikṣu, if the aggregate of form is not employed by the afflictive fetters, it can avoid undergoing birth and death in saṃsāra along with the fetters. Those who are not employed by the fetters and do not undergo birth and death in saṃsāra along with the fetters will attain liberation from grasping. Likewise, if feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness are not employed by the afflictive fetters, they will not undergo birth and death in saṃsāra along with the fetters. Those who are not employed by the fetters and do not undergo birth and death in saṃsāra along with the fetters will attain liberation from grasping at the world of the five aggregates.