189. [Discourse on Right Attention] (SA189)

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: “You should give right attention to the eye and examine it as impermanent. Why is that? Because of giving right attention to the eye and examining it as impermanent, desire and lust for the eye are abandoned. [Of one who] has abandoned desire and lust, I say, the mind is rightly liberated.

“Because of giving right attention to the ear … the nose … the tongue … the body … the mind and examining it [as impermanent], desire and lust [for it] are abandoned. Of one who has abandoned desire and lust, I say, the mind is rightly liberated.

“Monks, one whose mind is rightly liberated in this way is able to declare of himself: ‘Birth for me has been eradicated, the holy life has been established, what had to be done has been done, I myself know that there will be no receiving of any further existence.’”

When the Buddha had spoken this discourse, hearing what the Buddha had said the monks were delighted and received it respectfully.

Translated by Bhikkhu Anālayo. Originally published in "On the Six Sense-spheres (1) ―A Translation of Saṁyukta-āgama Discourses 188 to 229 (Fascicle 8)", Dharma Drum Journal of Buddhist Studies, 2016, vol. 18 pp. 1–61.

Prepared for SuttaCentral by Ayya Vimala.