Linked Discourses with Rāhula
Chapter One
SN 18.1 The Eye, Etc. Cakkhusutta
So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's monastery.
Then Venerable Rāhula went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him, "Sir, may the Buddha please teach me Dhamma in brief. When I've heard it, I'll live alone, withdrawn, diligent, keen, and resolute."
"What do you think, Rāhula? Is the eye permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, sir."
"But if it's impermanent, is it suffering or happiness?"
"Suffering, sir."
"But if it's impermanent, suffering, and perishable, is it fit to be regarded thus: 'This is mine, I am this, this is my self'?"
"No, sir."
"Is the ear permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, sir." ...
"Is the nose permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, sir." ...
"Is the tongue permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, sir." ...
"Is the body permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, sir." ...
"Is the mind permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, sir."
"But if it's impermanent, is it suffering or happiness?"
"Suffering, sir."
"But if it's impermanent, suffering, and perishable, is it fit to be regarded thus: 'This is mine, I am this, this is my self'?"
"No, sir."
"Seeing this, a learned noble disciple grows disillusioned with the eye, the ear, the nose, the tongue, the body, and the mind. Being disillusioned, desire fades away. When desire fades away they're freed. When they're freed, they know they're freed.
They understand: 'Rebirth is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is nothing further for this place.'"
(The ten discourses of this series should be told in full the same way.)
SN 18.2 Sights, Etc. Rūpasutta
At Sāvatthī.
"What do you think, Rāhula? Are sights permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, sir." ... "... sounds ... smells ... tastes ... touches ... Are ideas permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, sir." ...
"Seeing this, a learned noble disciple grows disillusioned with sights, sounds, smells, tastes, touches, and ideas. Being disillusioned, desire fades away. ..."
SN 18.3 Consciousness Viññāṇasutta
At Sāvatthī.
"What do you think, Rāhula? Is eye consciousness permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, sir." ...
"... ear consciousness ... nose consciousness ... tongue consciousness ... body consciousness ... Is mind consciousness permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, sir." ...
"Seeing this, a learned noble disciple grows disillusioned with eye consciousness, ear consciousness, nose consciousness, tongue consciousness, body consciousness, and mind consciousness. Being disillusioned, desire fades away. ..."
SN 18.4 Contact Samphassasutta
At Sāvatthī.
"What do you think, Rāhula? Is eye contact permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, sir." ...
"... ear contact ... nose contact ... tongue contact ... body contact ... Is mind contact permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, sir." ...
"Seeing this, a learned noble disciple grows disillusioned with eye contact, ear contact, nose contact, tongue contact, body contact, and mind contact. Being disillusioned, desire fades away. ..."
SN 18.5 Feeling Vedanāsutta
At Sāvatthī.
"What do you think, Rāhula? Is feeling born of eye contact permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, sir." ...
"... feeling born of ear contact ... feeling born of nose contact ... feeling born of tongue contact ... feeling born of body contact ... Is feeling born of mind contact permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, sir." ...
"Seeing this, a learned noble disciple grows disillusioned with feeling born of eye contact, ear contact, nose contact, tongue contact, body contact, and mind contact. ..."
SN 18.6 Perceptions Saññāsutta
At Sāvatthī.
"What do you think, Rāhula? Is perception of sights permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, sir." ...
"... perception of sounds ... perception of smells ... perception of tastes ... perception of touches ... Is perception of ideas permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, sir." ...
"Seeing this, a learned noble disciple grows disillusioned with the perception of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, touches, and ideas. ..."
SN 18.7 Intention Sañcetanāsutta
At Sāvatthī.
"What do you think, Rāhula? Is intention regarding sights permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, sir." ...
"... intention regarding sounds ... intention regarding smells ... intention regarding tastes ... intention regarding touches ... Is intention regarding ideas permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, sir." ...
"Seeing this, a learned noble disciple grows disillusioned with intention regarding sights, sounds, smells, tastes, touches, and ideas. ..."
SN 18.8 Craving Taṇhāsutta
At Sāvatthī.
"What do you think, Rāhula? Is craving for sights permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, sir." ...
"... craving for sounds ... craving for smells ... craving for tastes ... craving for touches ... Is craving for ideas permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, sir." ...
"Seeing this, a learned noble disciple grows disillusioned with craving for sights, sounds, smells, tastes, touches, and ideas. ..."
SN 18.9 Elements Dhātusutta
At Sāvatthī.
"What do you think, Rāhula? Is the earth element permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, sir." ...
"... the water element ... the fire element ... the air element ... the space element ... Is the consciousness element permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, sir." ...
"Seeing this, a learned noble disciple grows disillusioned with the earth element, water element, fire element, air element, space element, and consciousness element ..."
SN 18.10 The Aggregates Khandhasutta
At Sāvatthī.
"What do you think, Rāhula? Is form permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, sir." ...
"... feeling ... perception ... choices ... Is consciousness permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, sir." ...
"Seeing this, a learned noble disciple grows disillusioned with form, feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness. Being disillusioned, desire fades away. When desire fades away they're freed. When they're freed, they know they're freed.
They understand: 'Rebirth is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is nothing further for this place.'"
Chapter Two
SN 18.11 The Eye, Etc. Cakkhusutta
So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī. Then Venerable Rāhula went up to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to him:
"What do you think, Rāhula? Is the eye permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, sir."
"But if it's impermanent, is it suffering or happiness?"
"Suffering, sir."
"But if it's impermanent, suffering, and perishable, is it fit to be regarded thus: 'This is mine, I am this, this is my self'?"
"No, sir."
"... the ear ... the nose ... the tongue ... the body ... Is the mind permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, sir."
"But if it's impermanent, is it suffering or happiness?"
"Suffering, sir."
"But if it's impermanent, suffering, and perishable, is it fit to be regarded thus: 'This is mine, I am this, this is my self'?"
"No, sir."
"Seeing this, a learned noble disciple grows disillusioned with the eye, the ear, the nose, the tongue, the body, and the mind. Being disillusioned, desire fades away. When desire fades away they're freed. When they're freed, they know they're freed.
They understand: 'Rebirth is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is nothing further for this place.'"
(The ten discourses of this series should be told in full the same way.)
SN 18.12--20 The Nine Discourses on Sights, Etc. Rūpādisuttanavaka
At Sāvatthī.
"What do you think, Rāhula? Are sights permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, sir." ... "... sounds ... smells ... tastes ... touches ... ideas ..."
"... eye consciousness ... ear consciousness ... nose consciousness ... tongue consciousness ... body consciousness ... mind consciousness ..."
"... eye contact ... ear contact ... nose contact ... tongue contact ... body contact ... mind contact ..."
"... feeling born of eye contact ... feeling born of ear contact ... feeling born of nose contact ... feeling born of tongue contact ... feeling born of body contact ... feeling born of mind contact ..."
"... perception of sights ... perception of sounds ... perception of smells ... perception of tastes ... perception of touches ... perception of ideas ..."
"... intention regarding sights ... intention regarding sounds ... intention regarding smells ... intention regarding tastes ... intention regarding touches ... intention regarding ideas ..."
"... craving for sights ... craving for sounds ... craving for smells ... craving for tastes ... craving for touches ... craving for ideas ..."
"... the earth element ... the water element ... the fire element ... the air element ... the space element ... the consciousness element ..."
"... form ... feeling ... perception ... choices ... Is consciousness permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, sir." ...
"Seeing this ... They understand: '... there is nothing further for this place.'"
SN 18.21 Tendency Anusayasutta
At Sāvatthī.
Then Venerable Rāhula went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him:
"Sir, how does one know and see so that there's no I-making, mine-making, or underlying tendency to conceit for this conscious body and all external stimuli?"
"Rāhula, one truly sees any kind of form at all---past, future, or present; internal or external; solid or subtle; inferior or superior; far or near: all form---with right understanding: 'This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.' One truly sees any kind of feeling ... perception ... choices ... consciousness at all---past, future, or present; internal or external; solid or subtle; inferior or superior; far or near: all consciousness---with right understanding: 'This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.'
That's how to know and see so that there's no I-making, mine-making, or underlying tendency to conceit for this conscious body and all external stimuli."
SN 18.22 Rid of Conceit Apagatasutta
At Sāvatthī.
Then Venerable Rāhula went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him:
"Sir, how does one know and see so that the mind is rid of I-making, mine-making, and conceit for this conscious body and all external stimuli; and going beyond discrimination, it's peaceful and well freed?"
"Rāhula, when one truly sees any kind of form at all---past, future, or present; internal or external; solid or subtle; inferior or superior; far or near: all form---with right understanding: 'This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self,' one is freed by not grasping.
When one truly sees any kind of feeling ... perception ... choices ... When one truly sees any kind of consciousness at all---past, future, or present; internal or external; solid or subtle; inferior or superior; far or near: all consciousness---with right understanding: 'This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self,' one is freed by not grasping.
That's how to know and see so that the mind is rid of I-making, mine-making, and conceit for this conscious body and all external stimuli; and going beyond discrimination, it's peaceful and well freed."