Diṭṭhigatasutta—Bhikkhu Sujato

How those with vision differ from those who adhere to craving for rebirth and those who slip past into craving to be annihilated.

This was said by the Buddha, the Perfected One: that is what I heard.

“Overcome by two misconceptions, mendicants, some gods and humans get stuck, some overreach, while those with vision see.

And how do some get stuck?

Because of love, delight, and enjoyment of existence, when the Dhamma is being taught for the cessation of existence, the minds of some gods and humans are not secure, confident, settled, and decided.

That is how some get stuck.

And how do some overreach?

Some, becoming horrified, repelled, and disgusted with existence, delight in ending existence: ‘When this self is annihilated and destroyed when the body breaks up, and doesn’t exist after death: that is peaceful, that is sublime, that is how it is.’

That is how some overreach.

And how do those with vision see?

It’s when a mendicant sees what has come to be as having come to be.

Seeing this, they are practicing for disillusionment, dispassion, and cessation regarding what has come to be. That is how those with vision see.”

The Buddha spoke this matter. On this it is said:

“Those who see what has come to be as having come to be,
transcending what has come to be,are freed in accord with the truth,
with the ending of craving for continued existence.

They completely understand what has come to be,
rid of craving for rebirth in this or that state,
with the disappearance of what has come to be,
a mendicant does not come back to future lives.”

This too is a matter that was spoken by the Blessed One: that is what I heard.

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The Buddha is sharing here on the middle way one needs to walk to see instead of tending towards the extreme of living for gratification of sensual pleasures or for the extreme of annihilation.

A consistent practice of breathing-mindfulness meditation anchored in morning and evening helps with seeing the impermanence of sensual pleasures as well as cultivating joy that is independent of pleasures of the flesh. A guided meditation on this can be found here ↗️.

Related Teachings:

1. Five Subjects for Contemplation (AN 5.57) ↗️ - The five remembrances should be recollected and reflected on often
2. Properly Appraising Objects of Attachment (MN 13) - One should rationally consider the drawbacks of sensual pleasures along with their gratification
3. Four perversions of perception, mind and view (AN 4.49) - Reflecting to see the characteristics of impermanence, suffering (discontentment) and not-self in all phenomena (experiences) one comes across