Udāna 3: Nandavaggo
The Chapter (including the Discourse) About Nanda
10: The Discourse about Looking Around the World
Thus I heard:
at one time the Fortunate One was dwelling near Uruvelā, on the bank of the river Nerañjarā, at the root of the Awakening tree, in the first (period) after attaining Awakening.
Then at that time the Fortunate One was sitting in one cross-legged posture for seven days experiencing the happiness of freedom.
Then with the passing of those seven days the Fortunate One, after rising from that concentration, looked around the world with his Buddha-eye. The Fortunate One looking around the world with his Buddha-eye saw beings being tormented with many torments, and being burned with many fevers, born from passion, and born from hatred, and born from delusion.
Then the Fortunate One, having understood the significance of it, on that occasion uttered this exalted utterance:
“This world, overcome by contact, is tormented,
It speaks of a disease as the self,
For with whatever it conceives
Hereafter it becomes otherwise. With this passage compare Salāyatanasaṁyutta (SN 35), suttas 31 & 91.
Continually becoming other, the world is shackled by continuity, overcome by continuity,
It greatly rejoices in continuity,
What it rejoices in, that is fearful,
What it fears, that is suffering.
This spiritual life is lived for the complete giving up of continuity. For whatever the ascetics or brāhmaṇas say about freedom from continuity being through (further) continuity, all of them are not free from continuity, I say. Or whatever the ascetics or brāhmaṇas say about the escape from continuity being through discontinuity, all of them have not escaped from continuity, I say.
Conditioned by cleaving this suffering originates, through the destruction of all attachment there is no origination of suffering. See this world overcome by many kinds of ignorance beings, who delight in beings, are not free from continuity. Whatever continuities (in existence) there are, everywhere, in every respect, all those continuities are impermanent, suffering, changeable things.
Seeing it like this, as it really is, with right wisdom,
Craving for continuity is given up, and he does not rejoice in discontinuity.
From the complete destruction of craving there is a fading away (of ignorance) without remainder, cessation, and Emancipation.
For that monk who is emancipated,
Without attachment, there is no continuity in existence.
He has vanquished Māra, is victorious in battle,
He is such a one who has overcome all continuations (in existence).”