Linked Discourses 35.15

1. Pairs

In Search of Gratification (Interior)

“Mendicants, I went in search of the eye’s gratification,

and I found it.

I’ve seen clearly with wisdom the full extent of the eye’s gratification.

I went in search of the eye’s drawback,

and I found it.

I’ve seen clearly with wisdom the full extent of the eye’s drawback.

I went in search of escape from the eye,

and I found it.

I’ve seen clearly with wisdom the full extent of escape from the eye.

I went in search of the ear’s …

nose’s …

tongue’s …

body’s …

mind’s gratification,

and I found it.

I’ve seen clearly with wisdom the full extent of the mind’s gratification.

I went in search of the mind’s drawback,

and I found it.

I’ve seen clearly with wisdom the full extent of the mind’s drawback.

I went in search of escape from the mind,

and I found it.

I’ve seen clearly with wisdom the full extent of escape from the mind.

As long as I didn’t truly understand these six interior sense fields’ gratification, drawback, and escape for what they are, I didn’t announce my supreme perfect awakening …

But when I did truly understand …

Knowledge and vision arose in me:

‘My freedom is unshakable; this is my last rebirth; now there’ll be no more future lives.’”