183. [Discourse on Right View] (SA183)

Thus have I heard. At one time the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.

At that time the Blessed One said to the monks: “It is just as if a person's turban is burning with fire, what could help him?”

The monks said to the Buddha: “Blessed One, he should arouse supreme desire, zeal, and energy at that time to help him to get it extinguished.”

The Buddha said to the monks: “Although one might still forget about one's turban burning, one should extinguish and eradicate the thriving fire of impermanence. For the sake of eradicating the fire of impermanence, one should cultivate right view. For the sake of eradicating the fire of what impermanent states should one cultivate right view? For the sake of eradicating impermanent bodily form one should cultivate right view. For the sake of eradicating impermanent feeling … perception … formations … consciousness one should cultivate right view.”

In this way to be recited in full up to: When the Buddha had spoken this discourse, hearing what the Buddha had said the monks were delighted and received it respectfully.

Just as “what is impermanent”, in the same way “what is impermanent and of the past”, “what is impermanent and of the future”, “what is impermanent and of the present”, “what is impermanent and of the past and the future”, “what is impermanent and of the past and the present”, “what is impermanent and of the future and the present”, “what is impermanent and of the past, the future, and the present”, [discourse] are also to be recited as above.

Just as the eight discourses on “right view”, in the same way on “right intention”, “right speech”, “right action”, “right livelihood”, “right effort”, “right mindfulness”, “right concentration”, eight discourses are also to be recited for each of these as above.

Just as the sixty-four discourses on “one should eradicate”, in the same way for “one should understand”, “one should vomit out”, “one should extinguish”, “one should end”, “one should relinquish”, “one should make cease”, “one should make disappear”, sixty-four discourses are also to be recited for each of these as above.

Translated by Bhikkhu Anālayo. Originally published in ‘On Views and Penetrative Knowledge – A Translation of Saṁyukta-āgama Discourses 139 to 187 (Fascicle 7)’, Dharma Drum Journal of Buddhist Studies, 2015, vol. 17 pp. 43–100.

Prepared for SuttaCentral by Seniya Ariyakumara and Ayya Vimala.