Itivuttaka 63

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Adapted From the Translation by Thanissaro Bhikkhu(Geoffrey DeGraff)

Compared with the Pali Tipitaka at www.tipitaka.org

63. Addhasuttam (Times)

This was said by the Lord Buddha(Bhagavata), said by the Arahant, so I have heard:

“Monks, there are these three times. Which three? Past time, future time, present time. These are the three times.”

Perceiving in terms of signs, beings take a stand on signs. Not fully comprehending signs, they come into the bonds of death. But fully comprehending signs, one doesn’t construe a signifier. Touching liberation with the mind, the state of peace unsurpassed, consummate in terms of signs, peaceful, delighting in the peaceful state, judicious, an attainer-of-wisdom makes use of classifications but can’t be classified.

NOTE: 1. At first glance, the verses here do not bear much relationship to the prose introduction. However, if they are viewed in the context of MN 2 (see the note to No.16), their relationship becomes clear: the person who applies appropriate attention to thenotion of past, present, and future time does not define him or herself in those terms, and so does not cling to any sense of self in those terms. Without clinging, one is liberated from birth and death.