The Luminous Sermon

The Luminous Sermon

Thus I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was living at Gaya, at Gayasisa, together with a thousand monks. There he addressed the monks.

"Monks, all is luminous. And what is the all that is luminous?

"The eye is luminous, forms are luminous, eye-consciousness is luminous, eye-contact is luminous, also whatever is seen as pleasant or painful or neither-painful-nor-pleasant that arises with eye-contact for its indispensable condition, that too is luminous. Luminous with what? Luminous with the blazing of compassion, with the blazing of energy, with the blazing of wisdom. I say it is luminous with birth, aging and death, with sorrows and rejoicing, with lamentations and praises, with pains and pleasures, with grief and levity, with despair and hope.

"The ear is luminous, sounds are luminous, ear-consciousness is luminous, ear-contact is luminous, also whatever is heard as pleasant or painful or neither-painful-nor-pleasant that arises with ear-contact for its indispensable condition, that too is luminous. Luminous with what? Luminous with the blazing of compassion, with the blazing of energy, with the blazing of wisdom. I say it is luminous with birth, aging and death, with sorrows and rejoicing, with lamentations and praises, with pains and pleasures, with grief and levity, with despair and hope.

"The nose is luminous, odors are luminous, nose-consciousness is luminous, nose-contact is luminous, also whatever is smelled as pleasant or painful or neither-painful-nor-pleasant that arises with ear-contact for its indispensable condition, that too is luminous. Luminous with what? Luminous with the blazing of compassion, with the blazing of energy, with the blazing of wisdom. I say it is luminous with birth, aging and death, with sorrows and rejoicing, with lamentations and praises, with pains and pleasures, with grief and levity, with despair and hope.

"The tongue is luminous, flavors are luminous, tongue-consciousness is luminous, tongue-contact is luminous, also whatever is tasted as pleasant or painful or neither-painful-nor-pleasant that arises with tongue-contact for its indispensable condition, that too is luminous. Luminous with what? Luminous with the blazing of compassion, with the blazing of energy, with the blazing of wisdom. I say it is luminous with birth, aging and death, with sorrows and rejoicing, with lamentations and praises, with pains and pleasures, with grief and levity, with despair and hope.

"The body is luminous, tangibles are luminous, body-consciousness is luminous, body-contact is luminous, also whatever is felt as pleasant or painful or neither-painful-nor-pleasant that arises with body-contact for its indispensable condition, that too is luminous. Luminous with what? Luminous with the blazing of compassion, with the blazing of energy, with the blazing of wisdom. I say it is luminous with birth, aging and death, with sorrows and rejoicing, with lamentations and praises, with pains and pleasures, with grief and levity, with despair and hope.

"The mind is luminous, ideas are luminous, mind-consciousness is luminous, mind-contact is luminous, also whatever is conceptualized as pleasant or painful or neither-painful-nor-pleasant that arises with mind-contact for its indispensable condition, that too is luminous. Luminous with what? Luminous with the blazing of lust, with the blazing of hate, with the blazing of delusion. I say it is luminous with birth, aging and death, with sorrows and rejoicing, with lamentations and praises, with pains and pleasures, with grief and levity, with despair and hope.

"Monks, when a noble follower who has heard the truth sees thus, he engages the eye, engages forms, engages eye-consciousness, engages eye-contact, and whatever is felt as pleasant or painful or neither-painful- nor-pleasant that arises with eye-contact for its indispensable condition, in that too he engages.

"He engages the ear, engages sounds, engages ear-consciousness, engages ear-contact, and whatever is felt as pleasant or painful or neither-painful- nor-pleasant that arises with ear-contact for its indispensable condition, in that too he engages.

"He engages the nose, engages odors, engages nose-consciousness, engages nose-contact, and whatever is felt as pleasant or painful or neither-painful- nor-pleasant that arises with nose-contact for its indispensable condition, in that too he engages.

"He engages the tongue, engages flavors, engages tongue-consciousness, engages tongue-contact, and whatever is felt as pleasant or painful or neither-painful- nor-pleasant that arises with tongue-contact for its indispensable condition, in that too he engages.

"He engages the body, engages tangibles, engages body-consciousness, engages body-contact, and whatever is felt as pleasant or painful or neither-painful- nor-pleasant that arises with body-contact for its indispensable condition, in that too he engages.

"He engages the mind, engages ideas, engages mind-consciousness, engages mind-contact, and whatever is felt as pleasant or painful or neither-painful-nor-pleasant that arises with mind-contact for its indispensable condition, in that too he engages.

"When he engages, insight-passion increases. With the culmination of insight-passion, he descends to infinity. When descended, there is knowledge of the Heart. He understands: 'Fear is exhausted, the holy life has begun, what can be done will be done, of this, this is just the beginning.'"

That is what the Blessed One said. The monks were glad, and they approved his words.

Now during his utterance, the hearts of those thousand monks awakened, descending to infinity, fearing no more.

[Inspired by SN 35.28]