GratificationAssādasutta

At Sāvatthī.Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

“Mendicants, before my awakening—when I was still unawakened but intent on awakening—I thought:“Pubbeva me, bhikkhave, sambodhā anabhisambuddhassa bodhisattasseva sato etadahosi: ‘What’s the gratification, the drawback, and the escape when it comes to form …‘ko nu kho rūpassa assādo, ko ādīnavo, kiṁ nissaraṇaṁ? feeling …Ko vedanāya assādo, ko ādīnavo, kiṁ nissaraṇaṁ? perception …Ko saññāya assādo, ko ādīnavo, kiṁ nissaraṇaṁ? choices …Ko saṅkhārānaṁ assādo, ko ādīnavo, kiṁ nissaraṇaṁ? and consciousness?’Ko viññāṇassa assādo, ko ādīnavo, kiṁ nissaraṇan’ti?

Then it occurred to me:Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhave, etadahosi: ‘The pleasure and happiness that arise from form: this is its gratification.‘yaṁ kho rūpaṁ paṭicca uppajjati sukhaṁ somanassaṁ, ayaṁ rūpassa assādo. That form is impermanent, suffering, and perishable: this is its drawback.Yaṁ rūpaṁ aniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāmadhammaṁ, ayaṁ rūpassa ādīnavo. Removing and giving up desire and greed for form: this is its escape.Yo rūpasmiṁ chandarāgavinayo chandarāgappahānaṁ, idaṁ rūpassa nissaraṇaṁ. The pleasure and happiness that arise from feeling …Yaṁ vedanaṁ paṭicca uppajjati sukhaṁ somanassaṁ, ayaṁ vedanāya assādo. perception …Yaṁ saññaṁ paṭicca uppajjati …pe… choices …yaṁ saṅkhāre paṭicca uppajjati sukhaṁ somanassaṁ, ayaṁ saṅkhārānaṁ assādo. consciousness: this is its gratification.Yaṁ viññāṇaṁ paṭicca uppajjati sukhaṁ somanassaṁ, ayaṁ viññāṇassa assādo. That consciousness is impermanent, suffering, and perishable: this is its drawback.Yaṁ viññāṇaṁ aniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāmadhammaṁ, ayaṁ viññāṇassa ādīnavo. Removing and giving up desire and greed for consciousness: this is its escape.’Yo viññāṇasmiṁ chandarāgavinayo chandarāgappahānaṁ, idaṁ viññāṇassa nissaraṇaṁ’.

As long as I didn’t truly understand these five grasping aggregates’ gratification, drawback, and escape in this way for what they are, I didn’t announce my supreme perfect awakening in this world with its gods, Māras, and divinities, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans.Yāvakīvañcāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imesaṁ pañcannaṁ upādānakkhandhānaṁ evaṁ assādañca assādato ādīnavañca ādīnavato nissaraṇañca nissaraṇato yathābhūtaṁ nābbhaññāsiṁ, neva tāvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, ‘sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhiṁ abhisambuddho’ti paccaññāsiṁ.

But when I did truly understand these five grasping aggregates’ gratification, drawback, and escape in this way for what they are, I announced my supreme perfect awakening in this world with its gods, Māras, and divinities, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans.Yato ca khvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imesaṁ pañcannaṁ upādānakkhandhānaṁ evaṁ assādañca assādato ādīnavañca ādīnavato nissaraṇañca nissaraṇato yathābhūtaṁ abbhaññāsiṁ;

Knowledge and vision arose in me:Ñāṇañca pana me dassanaṁ udapādi: ‘My freedom is unshakable; this is my last rebirth; now there’ll be no more future lives.’”‘akuppā me vimutti; ayamantimā jāti; natthi dāni punabbhavo’”ti.