210. [Discourse on Extensive Joy and Extensive Suffering] (SA210)

Thus have I heard. At one time the Buddha was staying at Vesālī in Jīvaka’s Mango Grove.

At that time the Blessed One said to the monks: “There is extensive joy and extensive suffering. Why is that? There are six spheres of contact in hell. Living beings born in that hell encounter with the eye forms that are disagreeable and do not encounter agreeable forms, they encounter forms one would not like to think of and do not encounter forms one would like to think of, they encounter bad forms and do not encounter good forms. Because of this condition, their entire experience is one of worry and pain [for a long time].

“They encounter with the ear sounds … with the nose odours … with the tongue flavours … with the body tangibles … and with the mind they cognize mental objects that are disagreeable and do not encounter what is agreeable, they encounter what one would not like to think of and do not encounter what one would like to think of, they encounter bad mental objects and do not encounter good mental objects. Because of this condition, their [entire] experience is one of worry and pain for a long time.

“Monks, there are [also] six spheres of contact [in heaven]. Living beings born in that realm encounter with the eye what is agreeable and do not encounter what is disagreeable, they encounter forms that one would like to think of and do not encounter forms one would not like to think of, they encounter good forms and do not encounter bad forms. Because of this condition, their entire experience is one of joy and delight for a long time.

“They encounter with the ear sounds … with the nose odours … with the tongue flavours … with the body tangibles … and with the mind they cognize mental objects that are agreeable and not disagreeable, [they encounter] what one would like to think of and not what one would not like to think of, they encounter what is good and not what is bad. [Because of this condition, their entire experience is one of joy and delight for a long time].”

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.