45.30. Uttiya (SN45.30)

At Savatthī. Then the Venerable Uttiya approached the Blessed One … and said to him:

“Here, venerable sir, when I was alone in seclusion a reflection arose in my mind thus: ‘Five cords of sensual pleasure have been spoken of by the Blessed One. But what now are those five cords of sensual pleasure?’”

“Good, good, Uttiya! These five cords of sensual pleasure have been spoken of by me. What five? Forms cognizable by the eye that are desirable, lovely, agreeable, pleasing, sensually enticing, tantalizing. Sounds cognizable by the ear … Odours cognizable by the nose … Tastes cognizable by the tongue … Tactile objects cognizable by the body that are desirable, lovely, agreeable, pleasing, sensually enticing, tantalizing. These are the five cords of sensual pleasure spoken of by me.

“The Noble Eightfold Path, Uttiya, is to be developed for the abandoning of these five cords of sensual pleasure. And what is the Noble Eightfold Path? It is: right view … right concentration. This Noble Eightfold Path is to be developed for the abandoning of these five cords of sensual pleasure.”

© Bhikkhu Bodhi, The Connected Discourses of the Buddha (Wisdom Publications, 2000)

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