AN 10.58 Mula Sutta

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AN 10.58 Mula Sutta : Rooted
"Monks, if those who have gone forth in other sects ask you, 'In what are all phenomena(inner tendencies) rooted? What is their coming into play? What is their origination? What is their meeting place? What is their presiding state? What is their governing principle? What is their surpassing state? What is their heartwood? Where do they gain a footing? What is their final end?': On being asked this by those who have gone forth in other sects, how would you answer?"

"For us, lord, the teachings have the Lord Buddha as their root, their guide, & their arbitrator. It would be good if the Lord Buddha himself would explicate the meaning of this statement. Having heard it from the Lord Buddha, the monks will remember it."

"In that case, monks, listen & pay close attention. I will speak."

"As you say, lord," the monks responded.

The Lord Buddha said, "Monks, if those who have gone forth in other sects ask you, 'In what are all phenomena(inner tendencies) rooted? What is their coming into play? What is their origination? What is their meeting place? What is their presiding state? What is their governing principle? What is their surpassing state? What is their heartwood? Where do they gain a footing? What is their final end?': On being asked this by those who have gone forth in other sects, this is how you should answer them:

"'All phenomena(inner tendencies) are rooted in desire.(1)

"'All phenomena(inner tendencies) come into play through attention.

"'All phenomena(inner tendencies) have contact(of senses with their objects) as their origination.

"'All phenomena(inner tendencies) have feeling/sensation as their meeting place.

"'All phenomena(inner tendencies) have concentration(trance) as their presiding state.

"'All phenomena(inner tendencies) have mindfulness as their governing principle.

"'All phenomena(inner tendencies) have discernment as their surpassing state.

"'All phenomena(inner tendencies) have release as their heartwood.

"'All phenomena(inner tendencies) gain their footing in the deathless.

"'All phenomena(inner tendencies) have Unbinding as their final end.'

"On being asked this by those who have gone forth in other sects, this is how you should answer."

Note:

1.According to the Commentary to AN8.83 (which covers the first eight of the ten questions given here), "all phenomena(inner tendencies)" (sabbe dhamma) here means the five aggregates. These are rooted in desire, it says, because the desire to act (and thus create kamma(karma)) is what underlies their existence. The Commentary's interpretation here seems to be an expansion on MN 109, in which the five clinging-aggregates are said to be rooted in desire, an assertion echoed in SN 42.11, which states that suffering & stress are rooted in desire. Here, all the aggregates — whether affected by clinging or not — are said to be rooted in desire. The Commentary goes on to say that the statement, "All phenomena(inner tendencies) are rooted in desire," deals exclusively with worldly phenomena(inner tendencies), whereas the remaining statements about all phenomena(inner tendencies) cover both worldly and transcendent phenomena(inner tendencies). There seems less reason to follow the Commentary's first assertion here, in that the noble eightfold path, when brought to maturity, counts as transcendent, and it is obviously rooted in a skillful form of desire.

As for the transcendent in its ultimate form, the phrase "all phenomena(inner tendencies)" as used in this sutta does not cover Unbinding, as Unbinding is not rooted in anything and, as the final statement indicates, it constitutes the final end of all phenomena(inner tendencies). Thus this sutta would seem to belong to the group of suttas that would not classify Unbinding as a phenomenon. (On this question, see the note to AN3.134.)

See also: MN 1.