Majjhima Nikaya - Dantabhumi Sutta

MN 125
Dantabhumi Sutta
The Discourse on the 'Tamed Stage'
Translated from the Pali by
I.B. HornerPTS: M iii 128



Source: From Taming the Mind: Discourses of the Buddha (WH 51), edited by
the Buddhist Publication Society (Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society,
1983). Copyright © 1983 Buddhist Publication Society. Used with
permission.



Copyright © 1983 Buddhist Publication Society.
Access to Insight edition © 1998
For free distribution. This work may be republished, reformatted,
reprinted, and redistributed in any medium. It is the author's wish,
however, that any such republication and redistribution be made available
to the public on a free and unrestricted basis and that translations and
other derivative works be clearly marked as such.



Thus have I heard: At one time the Lord was staying near Rajagaha in the Bamboo
Grove at the squirrels' feeding place. Now at that time the novice Aciravata was
staying in the Forest Hut.1 Then prince Jayasena,2 who was always pacing up and
down, always roaming about on foot, approached the novice Aciravata; having
approached he exchanged greetings with the novice Aciravata; having exchanged
greetings of friendliness and courtesy, he sat down at a respectful distance.
While he was sitting down at a respectful distance, Prince Jayasena spoke thus
to the novice Aciravata:
"I have heard, good Aggivessana, that if a monk is abiding here diligent,
ardent, self-resolute, he may attain one-pointedness of mind."
"That is so, prince; that is so, prince. A monk abiding here diligent, ardent,
self-resolute, may attain one-pointedness of mind."
"It were good if the reverend Aggivessana were to teach me dhamma as he has
heard it, as he has mastered it."
"I, prince, am not able to teach you dhamma as I have heard it, as I have
mastered it. Now, if I were to teach you dhamma as I have heard it, as I have
mastered it, and if you could not understand the meaning of what I said, that
would be weariness to me, that would be a vexation to me."
"Let the reverend Aggivessana teach me dhamma as he has heard it, as he has
mastered it. Perhaps I could understand the meaning of what the good Aggivessana
says."
"If I were to teach you dhamma, prince, as I have heard it, as I have mastered
it, and if you were to understand the meaning of what I say, that would be good;
if you should not understand the meaning of what I say, you must remain as you
are: you must not question me further on the matter."
"Let the reverend Aggivessana teach me dhamma as he has heard it, as he has
mastered it. If I understand the meaning of what the good Aggivessana says, that
will be good; if I do not understand the meaning of what the good Aggivessana
says, I will remain as I am; I will not question the reverend Aggivessana
further on this matter."
Then the novice Aciravata taught dhamma to Prince Jayasena as he had heard it,
as he had mastered it. When this had been said, Prince Jayasena spoke thus to
the novice Aciravata:
"This is impossible, good Aggivessana, it cannot come to pass that a monk
abiding diligent, ardent, self-resolute, should attain one-pointedness of mind."
Then Prince Jayasena, having declared to the novice Aciravata that this was
impossible and could not come to pass, rising from his seat, departed.
And soon after Prince Jayasena had departed, the novice Aciravata approached the
Lord; having approached and greeted the Lord, he sat down at a respectful
distance. As he was sitting down at a respectful distance, the novice Aciravata
told the Lord the whole of the conversation he had with Prince Jayasena as far
as it had gone. When this had been said, the Lord spoke thus to the novice
Aciravata:
"What is the good of that, Aggivessana? That Prince Jayasena, living as he does
in the midst of sense-pleasures, enjoying sense-pleasures, being consumed by
thoughts of sense-pleasures, burning with the fever of sense-pleasures, eager in
the search for sense-pleasures, should know or see or attain or realize that
which can be known by renunciation, seen by renunciation, attained by
renunciation, realized by renunciation — such a situation does not exist. It is
as if, Aggivessana, among elephants or horses or oxen to be tamed, two
elephants, two horses or two oxen are well tamed, well trained, and two are not
tamed, not trained. What do you think about this, Aggivessana? Would these two
elephants or horses or oxen that were to be tamed and that were well tamed, well
trained — would these on being tamed reach tamed capacity, would they, being
tamed, attain a tamed stage?"
"Yes, revered sir."
"But those two elephants or horses or oxen that were to be tamed but that were
neither tamed nor trained — would these, not being tamed, attain a tamed stage
as do the two elephants or horses or oxen to be tamed that were well tamed, well
trained?"
"No, revered sir."
"Even so, Aggivessana, that Prince Jayasena, living as he does in the midst of
sense-pleasures... should know or see or attain or realize that which can be
known and realized by renunciation — such a situation does not exist. It is as
if, Aggivessana, there were a great mountain slope near a village or a
market-town which two friends, coming hand in hand from that village or
market-town might approach; having approached the mountain slope one friend
might remain at the foot while the other might climb to the top. Then the friend
standing at the foot of the mountain slope might speak thus to the one standing
on the top: 'My dear, what do you see as you stand on the top of the mountain
slope?' He might reply: 'As I stand on the top of the mountain slope I, my dear,
see delightful parks, delightful woods, delightful stretches of level ground
delightful ponds.' But the other might speak thus: 'This is impossible, it
cannot come to pass, my dear, that, as you stand on the top of the mountain
slope, you should see... delightful ponds.' Then the friend who had been
standing on top of the mountain slope having come down to the foot and taken his
friend by the arm, making him climb to the top of the mountain slope and giving
him a moment in which to regain his breath, might speak to him thus: 'Now, my
dear, what is it that you see as you stand on the top of the mountain slope?' He
might speak thus: 'I, my dear, as I stand on the top of the mountain slope, see
delightful parks... delightful ponds.' He might speak thus: 'Just now, my dear,
we understood you to say: This is impossible, it cannot come to pass that, as
you stand on the top of the mountain slope, you should see delightful... ponds.
But now we understand you to say: 'I, my dear, as I stand on the top of the
mountain slope, see delightful parks... delightful ponds.' He might speak thus:
'That was because I, my dear, hemmed in by this great mountain slope, could not
see what was to be seen.'
"Even so but to a still greater degree, Aggivessana, is Prince Jayasena hemmed
in, blocked, obstructed, enveloped by this mass of ignorance. Indeed, that
Prince Jayasena, living as he does in the midst of sense-pleasures, enjoying
sense-pleasures, being consumed by thoughts of sense-pleasures, eager in the
search for sense-pleasures, should know or see or attain or realize that which
can be known... seen... attained... realized by renunciation — such a situation
does not exist. Had these two similes occurred to you, Aggivessana, for Prince
Jayasena, Prince Jayasena naturally would have acted in the manner of one having
trust in you."
"But how could these two similes for Prince Jayasena have occurred to me,
revered sir, seeing that they are spontaneous, that is to say to the Lord, and
have never been heard before?"
"As, Aggivessana, a noble anointed king addresses an elephant hunter saying;
'You, good elephant hunter, mount the king's elephant and go into an elephant
forest. When you see a forest elephant, tie him to the neck of the king's
elephant.' And, Aggivessana, the elephant hunter having answered: 'Yes, sire,'
in assent to the noble anointed king, mounts the king's elephant and goes into
an elephant forest. Seeing a forest elephant, he ties him to the neck of the
king's elephant. So the king's elephant brings him out into the open. But,
Aggivessana, the forest elephant has this longing, that is to say for the
elephant forest. But in regard to him the elephant hunter tells the noble
anointed king that the forest elephant has got out into the open. The noble
anointed king then addresses an elephant tamer, saying: 'Come you, good elephant
tamer, tame the forest elephant by subduing his forest ways, by subduing his
forest memories, and aspirations and by subduing his distress, his fretting and
fever for the forest, by making him pleased with the villages and by accustoming
him to human ways.'
"And, Aggivessana, the elephant tamer, having answered 'Yes, sire,' in assent to
the noble anointed king, driving a great post into the ground ties the forest
elephant to it by his neck so as to subdue his forest ways... and accustom him
to human ways. Then the elephant tamer addresses him with such words as are
gentle, pleasing to the ear, affectionate, going to the heart, urbane, pleasant
to the manyfolk, liked by the manyfolk. And, Aggivessana, the forest elephant,
on being addressed with words that are gentle... liked by the manyfolk, listens,
lends ear and bends his mind to learning. Next the elephant tamer supplies him
with grass-fodder and water. When, Aggivessana, the forest elephant has accepted
the grass-fodder and water from the elephant tamer, it occurs to the elephant
tamer: 'The king's elephant will now live.' Then the elephant tamer makes him do
a further task, saying: 'Take up, put down.' When, Aggivessana the king's
elephant is obedient to the elephant tamer and acts on his instructions to take
up and put down, then the elephant tamer makes him do a further task, saying:
'Get up, sit down.' When, Aggivessana, the king's elephant is obedient to the
elephant tamer and acts on his instructions to get up and sit down, then the
elephant tamer makes him do a further task; known as 'standing your ground': he
ties a shield to the great beast's trunk; a man holding a lance is sitting on
his neck, and men holding lances are standing surrounding him on all sides; and
the elephant tamer, holding a lance with a long shaft, is standing in front.
While he is doing the task of 'standing your ground' he does not move a fore-leg
nor does he move a hind-leg, nor does he move the forepart of his body, nor does
he move the hindpart of his body, nor does he move his head, nor does he move an
ear, nor does he move a tusk, nor does he move his tail, nor does he move his
trunk. A king's elephant is one who endures blows of sword, axe, arrow, hatchet,
and the resounding din of drum and kettle-drum, conch and tam-tam, he is [like]
purified gold purged of all its dross and impurities, fit for a king, a royal
possession and reckoned as a kingly attribute.
Acquisition of faith
"Even so, Aggivessana, does a Tathagata arise here in the world, a perfected
one, fully Self-Awakened One, endowed with right knowledge and conduct,
well-farer, knower of the worlds, the matchless charioteer of men to be tamed,
the Awakened One, the Lord. He makes known this world with the devas, with Mara,
with Brahma, the creation with its recluses and brahmans, its devas and men,
having realized them by his own super-knowledge. He teaches dhamma which is
lovely at the beginning, lovely in the middle, lovely at the ending, with the
spirit and the letters; he proclaims the Brahma-faring,3 wholly fulfilled, quite
purified. A householder or a householder's son or one born in another family
hears that dhamma. Having heard that dhamma he gains faith in the Tathagata.
Endowed with this faith that he has acquired, he reflects in this way: 'The
household life is confined and dusty, going forth is in the open; it is not easy
for one who lives in a house to fare the Brahma-faring wholly fulfilled, wholly
pure, polished like a conch-shell. Suppose now that I, having cut off hair and
beard, having put on saffron robes, should go forth from home into
homelessness?' After a time, getting rid of his wealth, be it small or great,
getting rid of his circle of relations, be it small or great, having cut off his
hair and beard, having put on saffron robes, he goes forth from home into
homelessness. To this extent, Aggivessana, the ariyan disciple gets out into the
open.
Morality
"But, Aggivessana, devas and mankind have this longing, that is to say, for the
five strands of sense-pleasures. The Tathagata disciplines him further, saying:
'Come you, monk, be moral, live controlled by the control of the Obligations,
possessed of [right] behavior and posture, seeing danger in the slightest
faults; undertaking them, train yourself in the rules of training.'
Sense-Control
"And when, Aggivessana, the ariyan disciple is moral, lives controlled by the
control..., undertaking them, trains himself in the rules of training, then the
Tathagata disciplines him further, saying: 'Come you, monk, be guarded as to the
doors of the sense-organs. Having seen a material shape with the eye...(as
above). Having cognized a mental state with the mind, be not entranced by the
general appearance, be not entranced by the detail. For if you dwell with the
organ of mind uncontrolled, covetousness and dejection, evil unskillful states
of mind, might flow in. So fare along with its control, guard the organ of mind,
achieve control over the organ of the mind.'
Moderation in eating
"And when, Aggivessana, the ariyan disciple is guarded as to the doors of the
sense-organs, then the Tathagata disciplines him further, saying: 'Come you,
monk, be moderate in eating...(as above)... abiding in comfort.'
Vigilance
"When, Aggivessana, the ariyan disciple is moderate in eating, the Tathagata
disciplines him further, saying: 'Come you, monk, abide intent on
vigilance...(as above)... you should cleanse the mind of obstructive mental
states.
Mindfulness and clear consciousness
"And when, Aggivessana, the ariyan disciple is intent on vigilance, then the
Tathagata disciplines him further, saying: 'Come you, monk, be possessed of
mindfulness and clear consciousness. Be one who acts with clear
consciousness...(as above)... talking, silent.'
Overcoming of the five hindrances
"And when, Aggivessana, the ariyan disciple is possessed of mindfulness and
clear consciousness, then the Tathagata disciplines him further, saying: 'Come
you, monk, choose a remote lodging in a forest, at the root of a tree, on a
mountain slope, in a wilderness, in a hill-cave, a cemetery, a forest haunt, in
the open or on a heap of straw.' He chooses a remote lodging in the forest... or
on a heap of straw. Returning from alms-gathering, after the meal, he sits down
cross-legged, holding the back erect, having made mindfulness rise up in front
of him, he, by getting rid of coveting for the world, dwells with a mind devoid
of coveting, he purifies the mind of coveting. By getting rid of the taint of
ill-will, he dwells benevolent in mind, compassionate for the welfare of all
creatures and beings, he purifies the mind of the taint of ill-will. By getting
rid of sloth and torpor, he dwells devoid of sloth and torpor; perceiving the
light, mindful, clearly conscious, he purifies the mind of sloth and torpor. By
getting rid of restlessness and worry, he dwells calmly the mind subjectively
tranquilized, he purifies the mind of restlessness and worry. By getting rid of
doubt, he dwells doubt-crossed, unperplexed as to the states that are skillful,
he purifies the mind of doubt.
The four applications of mindfulness
"He, by getting rid of these five hindrances which are defilements of the mind
and weakening to intuitive wisdom, dwells contemplating the body in the body,
ardent, clearly conscious [of it], mindful [of it] so as to control the
covetousness and dejection in the world. He fares along contemplating the
feelings... the mind... the mental states in mental states, ardent, clearly
conscious [of them], mindful [of them] so as to control the covetousness and
dejection in the world.
"As, Aggivessana, an elephant tamer, driving a great post into the ground, ties
a forest elephant to it by his neck so as to subdue his forest ways, so as to
subdue his forest aspirations, and so as to subdue his distress, his fretting
and fever for the forest, so as to make him pleased with villages and accustom
him to human ways — even so, Aggivessana, these four applications of mindfulness
are ties of the mind so as to subdue the ways of householders and to subdue the
aspirations of householders and to subdue the distress, the fretting and fever
of householders; they are for leading to the right path, for realizing nibbana.
"The Tathagata then disciplines him further, saying: 'Come you, monk, fare along
contemplating the body in the body, but do not apply yourself to a train of
thought connected with the body; fare along contemplating the feelings in the
feelings... the mind in the mind... mental states in mental states, but do not
apply yourself to a train of thought connected with mental states.'
Jhana
"He by allaying initial thought and discursive thought, with the mind
subjectively tranquilized and fixed on one point, enters on and abides in the
second meditation4 which is devoid of initial and discursive thought, is born of
concentration and is rapturous and joyful. By the fading out of rapture, he
dwells with equanimity, attentive and clearly conscious, and experiences in his
person that joy of which the ariyans say: 'Joyful lives he who has equanimity
and is mindful,' and he enters and abides in the third meditation. By getting
rid of joy, by getting rid of anguish, by the going down of his former pleasures
and sorrows, he enters and abides in the fourth meditation which has neither
anguish nor joy, and which is entirely purified by equanimity and mindfulness.
(The three knowledges, te-vijja)
(1. Recollection of former habitations)
"Then with the mind composed thus, quite purified, quite clarified, without
blemish, without defilement, grown pliant and workable, fixed, immovable, he
directs his mind to the knowledge and recollection of former habitation: he
remembers a variety of former habitations, thus: one birth, two births, three...
four... five... ten... twenty... thirty... forty... fifty... a hundred... a
thousand... a hundred thousand births, and many an eon of integration and many
an eon of disintegration and many an eon of integration-disintegration: 'Such a
one was I by name, having such a clan, such and such a color, so was I
nourished, such and such pleasant and painful experiences were mine, so did the
span of life end. Passing from this, I came to be in another state where such a
one was I by name, having such and such a clan, such and such a color, so was I
nourished, such and such pleasant and painful experiences were mine, so did the
span of life end. Passing from this, I arose here.' Thus he remembers divers
former habitations in all their modes and details.
(2. The Divine Eye)
"Then with the mind composed, quite purified, quite clarified, without blemish,
without defilement, grown pliant and workable, fixed, immovable, he directs his
mind to the knowledge of the passing hence and the arising of beings. With the
purified deva-vision surpassing that of men, he sees beings as they pass hence
or come to be; he comprehends that beings are mean, excellent, comely, ugly,
well-going, ill-going, according to the consequence of their deeds, the he
thinks: Indeed these worthy beings who were possessed of wrong conduct in body,
who were possessed of wrong conduct in speech, who were possessed of wrong
conduct of thought, scoffers at the ariyans, holding a wrong view, incurring
deeds consequent on a wrong view — these, at the breaking up of the body after
dying, have arisen in a sorrowful state, a bad bourn, the abyss, Niraya hell.
But these worthy beings who were possessed of good conduct in body, who were
possessed of good conduct in speech, who were possessed of good conduct in
thought, who did not scoff at the ariyans, holding a right view, incurring deeds
consequent on a right view — these, at the breaking up of the body, after dying,
have arisen in a good bourn, a heaven world.
(3. Destruction of Cankers: Sainthood)
"Then with the mind composed... immovable, he directs his mind to the knowledge
of the destruction of the cankers.5 He understands as it really is: This is
anguish,6 this is the arising of anguish, this is the stopping of anguish, this
is the course leading to the stopping of anguish. He understands as it really
is: These are the cankers, this is the arising of the cankers, this is the
stopping of the cankers, this is the course leading to the stopping of the
cankers. Knowing thus, seeing thus, his mind is freed from the canker of sense
pleasures, is freed from the canker of becoming, freed from the canker of
ignorance. In freedom the knowledge came to be: I am freed; and he comprehends:
Destroyed is birth, brought to a close is the Brahma-faring, done is what was to
be done, there is no more of being such or such.
"That monk is able to endure, head, cold, hunger, thirst, the touch of
mosquitoes, gadflies, wind, sun and creeping things, abusive language and
unwelcome modes of speech: he has grown to bear bodily feelings which as they
arise are painful, acute, sharp, severe, wretched, miserable, deadly. Purged of
all the dross and impurities of attachment, aversion and confusion,7 he is
worthy of oblations, offerings, respect and homage, an unsurpassed field of
merit in the world.
"If, Aggivessana, a king's elephant dies in old age, untamed, untrained, the
king's old elephant that has died is reckoned as one that has died untamed: And
so, Aggivessana, of a king's elephant that is middle-aged. And too, Aggivessana,
if a king's elephant dies young, untamed, untrained, the king's young elephant
that has died is reckoned as one that has died untamed. Even so, Aggivessana, if
a monk who is an elder dies with the cankers not destroyed, the monk who is an
elder that has died is reckoned as one that has died untamed. And so of a monk
of middle standing. And too, Aggivessana, if a newly ordained monk dies with the
cankers not destroyed, the newly ordained monk that has died is reckoned as one
that has died untamed. If, Aggivessana, a king's elephant dies in old age, well
tamed, well trained, the king's old elephant that has died is reckoned as one
that has died tamed. And so, Aggivessana of a king's elephant that is
middle-aged. And too, Aggivessana, if a king's elephant dies young, well tamed,
well trained, the king's young elephant that has died is reckoned as one that
has died tamed. Even so, Aggivessana, if a monk who is an elder dies with the
cankers destroyed, the monk who is an elder that has died is reckoned as one
that has died tamed. And so, Aggivessana, of a monk of middle standing. And too,
Aggivessana, if a newly ordained monk dies with cankers destroyed, the newly
ordained monk that has died is reckoned as one that has died tamed."
Thus spoke the Lord. Delighted, the novice Aciravata rejoiced in what the Lord
had said.



Notes
1. A hut in a secluded part of the Bamboo Grove for the use of monks who wanted
to practice striving, padhana — [Commentary].
2. A son of King Bimbisara.
3. Brahmacariyam: the pure life of a celibate recluse [Ed., The Wheel].
4. It is noteworthy that the section on the Four Applications of Mindfulness
(satipatthana) is here followed by the second meditation (jhana) without mention
of the first. This may either refer to a meditator who, already previously, has
attained to the first jhana, or, which seems more probable, it is meant to
indicate that the intensive practice of Satipatthana which, through emphasis on
bare observation, tends to reduce discursive thought, and enables the meditator
to enter directly into the second jhana, which is free from initial and
discursive thought (vitakka-vicara). This latter explanation is favored by the
facts that (1) in our text, the practice of Satipatthana is preceded by the
temporary abandonment of the five Hindrances, which indicates a high degree of
concentration approaching that of the jhana; (2) in our text, the meditator is
advised not to engage in the thought about the body, feelings, etc. — that is,
in discursive thinking, which is still present in the first jhana. [Ed., The
Wheel].
5. Asava.
6. Dukkha: usually rendered by "suffering" or "ill" [Ed., The Wheel].
7. Raga, dosa, moha.