SN 35.95 Malunkyaputta Sutta

[Aloka]

I was reading this sutta earlier and thought I'd post it here:

https://suttacentral.net/sn35.95/en/sujato


Any thoughts?

[Element]

I thought the following preparatory teaching was skilful:

What do you think, Maluṅkyaputta, do you have any desire, lust or affection for those forms cognizable by the eye that you have not seen and never saw before, that you do not see and would not think might be seen?”

“Do you have any desire, lust or affection for those sounds cognizable by the ear … for those odours cognizable by the nose … for those tastes cognizable by the tongue … for those tactile objects cognizable by the body … for those mental phenomena cognizable by the mind that you have not cognized and never cognized before, that you do not cognize and would not think might be cognized?

Also, the "teaching in brief" and the "teaching in detail" shows the teaching in brief is not separate or different from the teaching in detail.

[Esho]

The sutta explains in some way what happens during Zazen. The six senses are cooled down during Zazen. Sight cools itself while looking at the white wall; hearing cools because of silence while any noise -a bird, a dog, people chatting, an automobile passing, etc- that occurs is listened as just noise, without desire attached; touch sense cools down; taste sense the same and the mind with its thoughts slows down and becomes empty.

[philg]

It explains that you can develop a different relationship with what you sense and the thoughts which arise when you do so. It's what you can work on in mindfulness meditation, and what you can take off the mat into everyday life.