#3. The Burden

The aggregates are misery, desire for them is the root of misery.At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, I will teach you misery and the root of misery. Listen … And what is misery? Form, feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness are misery. This is called misery. And what is the root of misery? It’s the craving that leads to future lives, mixed up with relishing and greed, taking pleasure in various different realms. That is, craving for sensual pleasures, craving to continue existence, and craving to end existence. [Read More]

The arising of the aggregates is the arising of suffering.At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, the arising, continuation, rebirth, and manifestation of form is the arising of suffering, the continuation of diseases, and the manifestation of old age and death. The arising, continuation, rebirth, and manifestation of feeling … perception … choices … consciousness is the arising of suffering, the continuation of diseases, and the manifestation of old age and death. The cessation, settling, and ending of form is the cessation of suffering, the settling of diseases, and the ending of old age and death. [Read More]

If you enjoy the aggregates, you enjoy suffering.At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, if you take pleasure in form, you take pleasure in suffering. If you take pleasure in suffering, I say you’re not exempt from suffering. If you take pleasure in feeling … perception … choices … consciousness, you take pleasure in suffering. If you take pleasure in suffering, I say you’re not exempt from suffering. If you don’t take pleasure in form, you don’t take pleasure in suffering. [Read More]

Beings are attached to the five aggregates due to gratification, repelled due to drawbacks, and find escape because there is an escape.At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, if there were no gratification in form, sentient beings wouldn’t love it. But because there is gratification in form, sentient beings do love it. If form had no drawback, sentient beings wouldn’t grow disillusioned with it. But because form has a drawback, sentient beings do grow disillusioned with it. [Read More]

When the Buddha fully knew the gratification, drawback, and escape regarding the five aggregates he became awakened.At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, I went in search of form’s gratification, and I found it. I’ve seen clearly with wisdom the full extent of form’s gratification. I went in search of form’s drawback, and I found it. I’ve seen clearly with wisdom the full extent of form’s drawback. I went in search of form’s escape, and I found it. [Read More]

Before his awakening, the Buddha investigated the aggregates in terms of their gratification, drawback, and escape.At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, before my awakening—when I was still unawakened but intent on awakening—I thought: ‘What’s the gratification, the drawback, and the escape when it comes to form … feeling … perception … choices … and consciousness?’ Then it occurred to me: ‘The pleasure and happiness that arise from form: this is its gratification. That form is impermanent, suffering, and perishable: this is its drawback. [Read More]

By letting go desire, the aggregates come to an end.At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, give up desire and greed for form. Thus that form will be given up, cut off at the root, made like a palm stump, obliterated, and unable to arise in the future. Give up desire and greed for feeling … perception … choices … consciousness. Thus that consciousness will be given up, cut off at the root, made like a palm stump, obliterated, and unable to arise in the future. [Read More]

Only by directly knowing the aggregates can one end suffering.At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, without directly knowing and completely understanding form, without dispassion for it and giving it up, you can’t end suffering. Without directly knowing and completely understanding feeling … perception … choices … consciousness, without dispassion for it and giving it up, you can’t end suffering. By directly knowing and completely understanding form, having dispassion for it and giving it up, you can end suffering. [Read More]

The aggregates are to be fully understood, and the full understanding is the ending of defilements.At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, I will teach you the things that should be completely understood, and complete understanding. Listen … And what things should be completely understood? Form, feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness. These are called the things that should be completely understood. And what is complete understanding? The ending of greed, hate, and delusion. This is called complete understanding. [Read More]