61(7)Middle
Thus haveI heard.On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Barānasī in the deer park at Isipatana.
Now on that occasion,after their meal,on returning from their alms round,a number of elder bhikkhus assembled and were sitting together in the pavilion hall when this conversation arose:
"It was said,friends,by the Blessed One in the Parāyana,in'The Questions of Metteyya':
Sn 1042.The brahmin student's name is Tissa Metteyya.On the Parāyana,see p.1639,note 367."'Having understood both ends,
the wise one does not stick in the middle.
Majjhe mantā na lippati.Mp glosses mantā with pannā,taking it to be a feminine noun.In this it follows Nidd II10,12;which glosses mantā as if it were a truncated feminine instrumental: majjhe mantaya na lippati.I think it more likely,however,that mantā is the nominative of the agent noun mantar,"a thinker,a wise man."On this form,see Norman 2006b:190-91.I call him a great man:he has here transcended the seamstress.'
"What,friends,is the firstend?What is the second end?Whatis in the middle?And what is the seamstress?"
(1)When this was said,a certain bhikkhu said to the elder bhikkhus:
"Contact,friends,is one end;the arising of contact is the second [400]end;the cessation of contact is in the middle;and craving is the seamstress.
For craving sews one to the production of this or that state of existence.
Mp explains:"The contact(phassa)at the first end is one individual existence (attabhava),which is produced by way of contact.The origin of contact(phassasamudaya),the second end,is the future existence,produced with the contact of the kamma done in this existence as its condition.The cessation of contact(phassanirodha) is nibbana.Nibbāna is said to be in the middle because it cuts in half craving,the seamstress."In my opinion,it would make better sense to see phassanirodha here;not as nibbāna,but as the ceasing of contact at the end of the first existence.Craving is then the seamstress because it ties the contact of the previous existence to the initial arising of contact at the start of the new existence.It is in this way that a bhikkhu directly knows what should be directly known;fully understands what should be fully understood;and by doing so,in this very life he makes an end of suffering."
Mp:"What should be directly known(abhinineyyam)is the four noble truths;what should be fully understood (parinnieyyam)is the pair of mundane truths(suffering and its origin).In this very life,he makes an end of the suffering of the round;he terminates it and eradicates it."(2)When this was said,another bhikkhu said to the elder
bhikkhus:
"The past,friends,is one end;the future is the second
end;the present is in the middle;and craving is the seamstress.
For craving sews one to the production of this or that state of
existence.
It is in this way that a bhikkhu directly knows what
should be directly known...in this very life he makes an end
of suffering."
(3)When this was said,another bhikkhu said to the elder
bhikkhus:
"Pleasant feeling,friends,is one end;painful feeling
is the second end;neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling is in the
middle;and craving is the seamstress.
For craving sews one
to the production of this or that state of existence.
It is in this
way that a bhikkhu directly knows what should be directly
known...in this very life he makes an end of suffering."
(4)When this was said,another bhikkhu said to the elder
bhikkhus:
"Name,friends,is one end;form is the second end;
consciousness is in the middle;and craving is the seamstress.
Mp:"Consciousness-both rebirth-consciousness and the other kinds-is said to be in the middle because it occurs as the condition for name and form,"
For craving sews one to the production of this or that state of
existence.
It is in this way that a bhikkhu directly knows what
should be directly known...in this very life he makes an end
of suffering."
(5)When this was said,another bhikkhu said to the elder bhikkhus:
"The six internal bases,friends,are one end;the six external bases are the second end;consciousness is in the middle;and craving is the seamstress.
Mp:"Kammic consciousness is in the middle;or here,because kamma is included by the mind-base among the internal bases,any kind of consciousness is in the middle;or else the javana consciousness is dependent on an internal base—for [it depends on]adverting in the mind-door—and so it is said to be in the middle."
For craving sews one to the production of this or that state of existence.
It is in this way that a bhikkhu [401]directly knows what should be directly known...in this very life he makes an end of suffering."
(6)When this was said,another bhikkhu said to the elder bhikkhus:
"Personal existence,friends,is one end;the origin of personal existence is the second end;the cessation of personal existence is in the middle;and craving isthe seamstress.
Mp:"Personal existence(sakkaya)is the round of existence with its three planes.The origin of personal existence is the truth of the origin;the cessation of personal existence is the truth of ces- sation."Again,I would interpret this as I did the first presenta- tion:personal existence is the present existence;the origin of personal existence is the arising of the next existence;the cessa- tion of personal existence is the ceasing of the present existence. And craving,by generating rebirth,sews the future existence to this present one.For craving sews one to the production of this or that state of existence.
It is in this way that a bhikkhu directly knows what should be directly known;fully understands what should befully understood;and by doing so,in this very life he makesan end of suffering."
When this was said,a certain bhikkhu said to the elder bhikkhus:
"Friends,we have each explained according to our own inspiration.
Come,let's go to the Blessed One
and report this matter to him.
As the Blessed One explains it to us,so should we retain it in mind."
"Yes,friend,"those elder bhikkhus replied.
Then the elder bhikkhus went to the Blessed One,
paid homage to him,sat down to one side,
and reported to him the entire conversation that had taken place,
[asking:]"Bhante,which of us has spoken well?"
[The Blessed One said:]"In a way,bhikkhus,you have all spoken well,but listen and attend closely as I tell you what I intended when I said in the Parāyana,in'The Questions of Metteyya':
"'Having understood both ends,
the wise one does not stick in the middle.
I call him a great man:he has here transcended the seamstress.'"
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"Yes,Bhante,"those bhikkhus replied.
The Blessed One said this:
“Contact,bhikkhus,is one [402]end;the arising of contact is the second end;the cessation ofcontact is in the middle;and craving is the seamstress.
For craving sews one to the production of this or that state of existence.
It is in this way that abhikkhu directly knows what should be directly known;fully understands what should be fully understood;and by doing so,in this very life he makes an end of suffering."
In a Chinese parallel to this sutta,SA 1164(TIⅡ 310b2o-311a2),the bhikkhus propose only five interpretations of the verse:(1)six internal bases,six external bases,and feeling;(2)the past,the future,and the present;(3)pleasure,pain,and neither pain nor pleasure;(4)existence,its origin,and feeling;(5)identity and its origin(the middle term is missing).When they inquire from the Buddha,he explains the verse in terms of contact,its origin,and feeling.The verse in the Chinese does not have a word corresponding to Pali manta.