諸法本經

Thus have I heard.

At one time the Buddha was dwelling in the country of Śrāvastī, in Jeta's Grove, the Garden of Anāthapiṇḍika.

At that time the World-Honored One addressed the bhikṣus:

"If followers of other paths should come and ask you, 'What do all dharmas take as their root?' you should answer them thus: 'All dharmas take desire as their root.'

"If they should further ask, 'What do they take as their union?' answer thus: 'They take contact as their union.'

"If they should further ask, 'What do they take as that which gives rise to them?' answer thus: 'They take feeling as that which gives rise to them.'

"If they should further ask, 'What do they take as their coming-into-being?' answer thus: 'They take attention as their coming-into-being.'

"If they should further ask, 'What do they take as their foremost?' answer thus: 'They take mindfulness as their foremost.'

"If they should further ask, 'What do they take as their forerunner?' answer thus: 'They take concentration as their forerunner.'

"If they should further ask, 'What do they take as their supreme?' answer thus: 'They take wisdom as their supreme.'

"If they should further ask, 'What do they take as their essence?' answer thus: 'They take liberation as their essence.'

"If they should further ask, 'What do they take as their final end?' answer thus: 'They take Nirvāṇa as their final end.'

"Bhikṣus, this is to say: desire is the root of all dharmas, contact is the union of all dharmas, feeling is that which gives rise to all dharmas, attention is the coming-into-being of all dharmas, mindfulness is the foremost of all dharmas, concentration is the forerunner of all dharmas, wisdom is the supreme of all dharmas, liberation is the essence of all dharmas, and Nirvāṇa is the final end of all dharmas. Bhikṣus, you should train yourselves in this way.

"Cultivate the mind that goes forth from home to learn the Way; cultivate the perception of impermanence; cultivate the perception that, being impermanent, there is suffering; cultivate the perception that, being suffering, there is non-self; cultivate the perception of impurity; cultivate the perception of the repulsiveness of food; cultivate the perception that in all the world there is nothing delightful; cultivate the perception of death.

"Know the good and the bad of the world; let the mind be cultivated with such perception. Know the arising of existence in the world; let the mind be cultivated with such perception. Know as they truly are the arising, the cessation, the gratification, the danger, and the escape concerning the world; let the mind be cultivated with such perception.

If a bhikṣu can cultivate the mind that goes forth from home to learn the Way, can cultivate the perception of impermanence, can cultivate the perception that, being impermanent, there is suffering, can cultivate the perception that, being suffering, there is non-self, can cultivate the perception of impurity, can cultivate the perception of the repulsiveness of food, can cultivate the perception that in all the world there is nothing delightful, can cultivate the perception of death; knows the good and the bad of the world, the mind having been cultivated with such perception; knows the arising of existence in the world, the mind having been cultivated with such perception;

knows as they truly are the arising, the cessation, the gratification, the danger, and the escape concerning the world, the mind having been cultivated with such perception—this is called a bhikṣu who has cut off craving and removed the fetters; who, having rightly known and rightly contemplated all dharmas, then reaches the end of suffering.

Thus spoke the Buddha. Having heard what the Buddha said, the bhikṣus rejoiced and respectfully put it into practice.