MN 101
Devadaha Sutta
At Devadaha
Translated from the Pali by
Thanissaro BhikkhuPTS: M ii 214
Source: Transcribed from a file provided by the translator.
Copyright © 2005 Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
Access to Insight edition © 2005
For free distribution. This work may be republished, reformatted,
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Translator's Introduction
In this sutta, the Buddha refutes the theories of the Jains — here called the
Niganthas — an order of contemplatives flourishing in India during his time.
Although on the surface this sutta may seem to be of strictly historical
interest, it makes two important points that are very relevant to some common
misunderstandings about Buddhism alive today.
The first point concerns the Buddhist teaching on action, or kamma (karma). The
general understanding of this teaching is that actions from the past determine
present pleasure and pain, while present actions determine future pleasure and
pain. Or, to quote a recent book devoted to the topic, "Karma is the moral
principle that governs human conduct. It declares that our present experience is
conditioned by our past conduct and that our present conduct will condition our
future experience." This, however, does not accurately describe the Buddha's
teaching on karma, and is instead a fairly accurate account of the Nigantha
teaching, which the Buddha explicitly refutes here. As he interrogates the
Niganthas, he makes the point that if all pleasure and pain experienced in the
present were determined by past action, why is it that they now feel the pain of
harsh treatment when they practice asceticism, and no pain of harsh treatment
when they don't? If past action were the sole determining factor, then present
action should have no effect on their present experience of pleasure or pain.
In this way, the Buddha points to one of the most distinctive features of his
own teaching on kamma: that the present experience of pleasure and pain is a
combined result of both past and present actions. This seemingly small addition
to the notion of kamma plays an enormous role in allowing for the exercise of
free will and the possibility of putting an end to suffering before the effects
of all past actions have ripened. In other words, this addition is what makes
Buddhist practice possible, and makes it possible for a person who has completed
the practice to survive and teach it with full authority to others. For more on
these points, see the articles, "Karma," "A Refuge in Skillful Action," and
"Five Piles of Bricks"; see also the Introduction to The Wings to Awakening,
along with the introductions to the sections on Skillfulness and Kamma & the
Ending of Kamma in that book.
The second important point touched on in this sutta — how to put an end to pain
and suffering — relates to the first. If the cause of present suffering were
located exclusively in the past, no one could do anything in the present moment
to stop that suffering; the most that could be done would be to endure the
suffering while not creating any new kamma leading to future suffering. Although
this was the Jain approach to practice, many people at present believe that it
is the Buddhist approach as well. Meditation, according to this understanding,
is the process of purifying the mind of old kamma by training it to look on with
non-reactive equanimity as pain arises. The pain is the result of old kamma, the
equanimity adds no new kamma, and thus over time all old kamma can be burned
away.
In this sutta, however, the Buddha heaps ridicule on this idea. First he notes
that none of the Niganthas have ever come to the end of pain by trying to burn
it away in this way; then he notes that they have based their belief in this
practice entirely on their faith in their teacher and their approval of his
ideas, but neither faith nor approval can act as guarantees of the truth. As he
illustrates with his simile of the man shot with an arrow, only a person who has
succeeded in going beyond pain would be in a position to speak with authority of
the method that actually puts an end to pain. (What is not mentioned in this
sutta is the Nigantha idea that the practice of austerities, to succeed
completely in burning away old kamma, must culminate in a suicide by starvation.
Thus there could be no living person who would be able to vouch for the efficacy
of their method.)
The Buddha then provides his own account of how meditation actually works in
putting an end to pain and suffering. His discussion shows that the problem
underlying pain is not past action, but passion — in the present — for the
causes of pain. In other words, pain is not inevitable. Present suffering can be
prevented by changing one's understanding of, and attitude toward, the cause of
suffering in the present. The Buddha illustrates this principle with the simile
of a man in love with a woman: As long as he feels passion for her, he will
suffer when he sees her enjoying the company of another man; when, seeing the
connection between his suffering and his passion, he abandons that passion, he
will no longer suffer from that cause.
Thus the practice must focus on ways to understand and bring about dispassion
for the causes of stress and pain here and now. As the Buddha points out in MN
106, equanimity plays an important role in this practice, but it can also become
an object for passion and delight, which would then stand in the way of true
release. Thus he notes here that, in some cases, dispassion can arise simply
from on-looking equanimity directed at the causes of stress. In other cases, it
can come only through exertion: the mental effort — through the fabrications of
directed thought, evaluation, and perception — to develop the discernment needed
to see through and abandon any and all passion.
The remainder of the sutta is devoted to a standard map of how the practice
develops over time, showing how the proper mixture of on-looking equanimity
combined with fabrication and exertion can lead to dispassion, and through
dispassion to release from all stress and suffering.
I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying among the Sakyans.
Now the Sakyans have a city named Devadaha, and there the Blessed One addressed
the monks: "Monks!"
"Yes, lord," the monks responded.
The Blessed One said, "Monks, there are some priests & contemplatives who teach
in this way, who have this view: 'Whatever a person experiences — pleasure,
pain, or neither pleasure nor pain — all is caused by what was done in the past.
Thus, with the destruction of old actions through asceticism, and with the
non-doing of new actions, there will be no flow into the future. With no flow
into the future, there is the ending of action. With the ending of action, the
ending of stress. With the ending of stress, the ending of feeling. With the
ending of feeling, all suffering & stress will be exhausted.' Such is the
teaching of the Niganthas.
"Going to Niganthas who teach in this way, I have asked them, 'Is it true,
friend Niganthas, that you teach in this way, that you have this view: "Whatever
a person experiences — pleasure, pain, or neither pleasure nor pain — all is
caused by what was done in the past. Thus, with the destruction of old actions
through asceticism, and with the non-doing of new actions, there will be no flow
into the future. With no flow into the future, there is the ending of action.
With the ending of action, the ending of stress. With the ending of stress, the
ending of feeling. With the ending of feeling, all suffering & stress will be
exhausted"?'
"Having been asked this by me, the Niganthas admitted it, 'Yes.'
"So I said to them, 'But friends, do you know that you existed in the past, and
that you did not not exist?'
"'No, friend.'
"'And do you know that you did evil actions in the past, and that you did not
not do them?'
"'No, friend.'
"'And do you know that you did such-and-such evil actions in the past?'
"'No, friend.'
"'And do you know that so-and-so much stress has been exhausted, or that
so-and-so much stress remains to be exhausted, or that with the exhaustion of
so-and-so much stress all stress will be exhausted?'
"'No, friend.'
"'But do you know what is the abandoning of unskillful mental qualities and the
attainment of skillful mental qualities in the here-&-now?'
"'No, friend.'
"'So, friends, it seems that you don't know that you existed in the past, and
that you did not not exist... you don't know what is the abandoning of
unskillful mental qualities and the attainment of skillful mental qualities in
the here-&-now. That being the case, it is not proper for you to assert that,
"Whatever a person experiences — pleasure, pain, or neither pleasure nor pain —
all is caused by what was done in the past. Thus, with the destruction of old
actions through asceticism, and with the non-doing of new actions, there will be
no flow into the future. With no flow into the future, there is the ending of
action. With the ending of action, the ending of stress. With the ending of
stress, the ending of feeling. With the ending of feeling, all suffering &
stress will be exhausted."
"'If, however, you knew that you existed in the past, and that you did not not
exist; if you knew that you did evil actions in the past, and that you did not
not do them; if you knew that you did such-and-such evil actions in the past;
you don't know that so-and-so much stress has been exhausted, or that so-and-so
much stress remains to be exhausted, or that with the exhaustion of so-and-so
much stress all stress will be exhausted; if you knew what is the abandoning of
unskillful mental qualities and the attainment of skillful mental qualities in
the here-&-now, then — that being the case — it would be proper for you to
assert that, "Whatever a person experiences — pleasure, pain, or neither
pleasure nor pain — all is caused by what was done in the past. Thus, with the
destruction of old actions through asceticism, and with the non-doing of new
actions, there will be no flow into the future. With no flow into the future,
there is the ending of action. With the ending of action, the ending of stress.
With the ending of stress, the ending of feeling. With the ending of feeling,
all suffering & stress will be exhausted."
"'Friend Niganthas, it's as if a man were shot with an arrow thickly smeared
with poison. As a result of being shot with the arrow, he would feel fierce,
sharp, racking pains. His friends & companions, kinsmen & relatives would
provide him with a surgeon. The surgeon would cut around the opening of the
wound with a knife. As a result of the surgeon's cutting around the opening of
the wound with a knife, the man would feel fierce, sharp, racking pains. The
surgeon would probe for the arrow with a probe. As a result of the surgeon's
probing for the arrow with a probe, the man would feel fierce, sharp, racking
pains. The surgeon would then pull out the arrow. As a result of the surgeon's
pulling out the arrow, the man would feel fierce, sharp, racking pains. The
surgeon would then apply a burning medicine to the mouth of the wound. As a
result of the surgeon's applying a burning medicine to the mouth of the wound,
the man would feel fierce, sharp, racking pains. But then at a later time, when
the wound had healed and was covered with skin, he would be well & happy, free,
master of himself, able to go wherever he liked. The thought would occur to him,
"Before, I was shot with an arrow thickly smeared with poison. As a result of
being shot with the arrow, I felt fierce, sharp, racking pains. My friends &
companions, kinsmen & relatives provided me with a surgeon... The surgeon cut
around the opening of the wound with a knife... probed for the arrow with a
probe... pulled out the arrow... applied a burning medicine to the mouth of the
wound. As a result of his applying a burning medicine to the mouth of the wound,
I felt fierce, sharp, racking pains. But now that the wound is healed and
covered with skin, I am well & happy, free, master of myself, able to go
wherever I like."
"'In the same way, friend Niganthas, if you knew that you existed in the past,
and that you did not not exist... if you knew what is the abandoning of
unskillful mental qualities and the attainment of skillful mental qualities in
the here-&-now, then — that being the case — it would be proper for you to
assert that, "Whatever a person experiences — pleasure, pain, or neither
pleasure nor pain — all is caused by what was done in the past. Thus, with the
destruction of old actions through asceticism, and with the non-doing of new
actions, there will be no flow into the future. With no flow into the future,
there is the ending of action. With the ending of action, the ending of stress.
With the ending of stress, the ending of feeling. With the ending of feeling,
all suffering & stress will be exhausted." But because you do not know that you
existed in the past... you do not know what is the abandoning of unskillful
mental qualities and the attainment of skillful mental qualities in the
here-&-now, then — that being the case — it is not proper for you to assert
that, "Whatever a person experiences — pleasure, pain, or neither pleasure nor
pain — all is caused by what was done in the past. Thus, with the destruction of
old actions through asceticism, and with the non-doing of new actions, there
will be no flow into the future. With no flow into the future, there is the
ending of action. With the ending of action, the ending of stress. With the
ending of stress, the ending of feeling. With the ending of feeling, all
suffering & stress will be exhausted."
"When this was said, the Niganthas said to me, 'Friend, the Nigantha Nataputta1
is all-knowing, all-seeing, and claims total knowledge & vision thus: "Whether I
am walking or standing, sleeping or awake, knowledge & vision are continuously &
continually established in me." He has told us, "Niganthas, there are evil
actions that you have done in the past. Exhaust them with these painful
austerities. When in the present you are restrained in body, restrained in
speech, and restrained in mind, that is the non-doing of evil action for the
future. Thus, with the destruction of old actions through asceticism, and with
the non-doing of new actions, there will be no flow into the future. With no
flow into the future, there is the ending of action. With the ending of action,
the ending of stress. With the ending of stress, the ending of feeling. With the
ending of feeling, all suffering & stress will be exhausted." We approve of that
[teaching], prefer it, and are gratified by it.'
"When this was said, I said to the Niganthas, 'Friend Niganthas, there are five
things that can turn out in two ways in the here-&-now. Which five? Conviction,
liking, unbroken tradition, reasoning by analogy, & an agreement through
pondering views. These are the five things that can turn out in two ways in the
here-&-now. That being the case, what kind of conviction do you have for your
teacher with regard to the past? What kind of liking? What kind of unbroken
tradition? What kind of reasoning by analogy? What kind of agreement through
pondering views?' But when I said this, I did not see that the Niganthas had any
legitimate defense of their teaching.
"So I asked them further, 'Friend Niganthas, what do you think: When there is
fierce striving, fierce exertion, do you feel fierce, sharp, racking pains from
harsh treatment? And when there is no fierce striving, no fierce exertion, do
you feel no fierce, sharp, racking pains from harsh treatment?'
"'Yes, friend...'
"'... Then it's not proper for you to assert that, "Whatever a person
experiences — pleasure, pain, or neither pleasure nor pain — all is caused by
what was done in the past. Thus, with the destruction of old actions through
asceticism, and with the non-doing of new actions, there will be no flow into
the future. With no flow into the future, there is the ending of action. With
the ending of action, the ending of stress. With the ending of stress, the
ending of feeling. With the ending of feeling, all suffering & stress will be
exhausted."
"'If it were the case that when there was fierce striving, fierce exertion, you
felt fierce, sharp, racking pains from harsh treatment; and when there was no
fierce striving, no fierce exertion, you still felt fierce, sharp, racking pains
from harsh treatment, then — that being the case — it would be proper for you to
assert that, "Whatever a person experiences — pleasure, pain, or neither
pleasure nor pain — all is caused by what was done in the past. Thus, with the
destruction of old actions through asceticism, and with the non-doing of new
actions, there will be no flow into the future. With no flow into the future,
there is the ending of action. With the ending of action, the ending of stress.
With the ending of stress, the ending of feeling. With the ending of feeling,
all suffering & stress will be exhausted." But because when there is fierce
striving, fierce exertion, you feel fierce, sharp, racking pains from harsh
treatment; and when there was no fierce striving, no fierce exertion, you feel
no fierce, sharp, racking pains from harsh treatment, then — that being the case
— it is not proper for you to assert that, "Whatever a person experiences —
pleasure, pain, or neither pleasure nor pain — all is caused by what was done in
the past. Thus, with the destruction of old actions through asceticism, and with
the non-doing of new actions, there will be no flow into the future. With no
flow into the future, there is the ending of action. With the ending of action,
the ending of stress. With the ending of stress, the ending of feeling. With the
ending of feeling, all suffering & stress will be exhausted."' But when I said
this, I did not see that the Niganthas had any legitimate defense of their
teaching.
"So I asked them further, 'Friend Niganthas, what do you think: Can an action to
be experienced in the here-&-now be turned, through striving & exertion, into an
action to be experienced in the future life?'
"'No, friend.'
"'Can an action to be experienced in the future life be turned, through striving
& exertion, into an action to be experienced in the here-&-now?'
"'No, friend.'
"What do you think: Can an action to be experienced as pleasure be turned,
through striving & exertion, into an action to be experienced as pain?'
"'No, friend.'
"'Can an action to be experienced as pain be turned, through striving &
exertion, into an action to be experienced as pleasure?'
"'No, friend.'
"What do you think: Can an action ripe to be experienced be turned, through
striving & exertion, into an action not ripe to be experienced?'
"'No, friend.'
"'Can an action not ripe to be experienced be turned, through striving &
exertion, into an action ripe to be experienced?'
"'No, friend.'
"What do you think: Can an action greatly to be experienced be turned, through
striving & exertion, into an action barely to be experienced?'
"'No, friend.'
"'Can an action barely to be experienced be turned, through striving & exertion,
into an action greatly to be experienced?'
"'No, friend.'
"What do you think: Can an action to be experienced be turned, through striving
& exertion, into an action not to be experienced?'
"'No, friend.'
"'Can an action not to be experienced be turned, through striving & exertion,
into an action to be experienced?'
"'No, friend.'
"'So, friends, it seems that an action to be experienced in the here-&-now
cannot be turned, through striving & exertion, into an action to be experienced
in the future life. An action to be experienced in the future life cannot be
turned, through striving & exertion, into an action to be experienced in the
here-&-now... An action to be experienced cannot be turned, through striving &
exertion, into an action not to be experienced. An action not to be experienced
cannot be turned, through striving & exertion, into an action to be experienced.
That being the case, the striving of the Niganthas is fruitless, their exertion
is fruitless.'
"Such is the teaching of the Niganthas. And, such being the teaching of the
Niganthas, ten legitimate deductions can be drawn that give grounds for
censuring them.
(1) "If beings experience pleasure & pain based on what was done in the past,
then obviously the Niganthas have done bad things in the past, which is why they
now feel such fierce, sharp, racking pains.
(2) "If beings experience pleasure & pain based on the creative act of a supreme
god, then obviously the Niganthas have been created by an evil supreme god,
which is why they now feel such fierce, sharp, racking pains.
(3) "If beings experience pleasure & pain based on sheer luck, then obviously
the Niganthas have evil luck, which is why they now feel such fierce, sharp,
racking pains.
(4) "If beings experience pleasure & pain based on birth, then obviously the
Niganthas have had an evil birth, which is why they now feel such fierce, sharp,
racking pains.
(5) "If beings experience pleasure & pain based efforts in the here-&-now, then
obviously the Niganthas have evil efforts in the here-&-now, which is why they
now feel such fierce, sharp, racking pains.
(6) "If beings experience pleasure & pain based on what was done in the past,
the Niganthas deserve censure. Even if not, they still deserve censure.
(7) "If beings experience pleasure & pain based on the creative act of a supreme
god, the Niganthas deserve censure. Even if not, they still deserve censure.
(8) "If beings experience pleasure & pain based on sheer luck, the Niganthas
deserve censure. Even if not, they still deserve censure.
(9) "If beings experience pleasure & pain based on birth, the Niganthas deserve
censure. Even if not, they still deserve censure.
(10) "If beings experience pleasure & pain based efforts in the here-&-now, the
Niganthas deserve censure. Even if not, they still deserve censure.
"Such is the teaching of the Niganthas, monks. And, such being the teaching of
the Niganthas, these ten legitimate deductions can be drawn that give grounds
for censuring them. This is how striving is fruitless, how exertion is
fruitless.
"And how is striving fruitful, how is exertion fruitful? There is the case where
a monk, when not loaded down, does not load himself down with pain, nor does he
reject pleasure that accords with the Dhamma, although he is not fixated on that
pleasure. He discerns that 'When I exert a [physical, verbal, or mental]
fabrication against this cause of stress, then from the fabrication of exertion
there is dispassion. When I look on with equanimity at that cause of stress,
then from the development of equanimity there is dispassion.' So he exerts a
fabrication against the cause of stress where there comes dispassion from the
fabrication of exertion, and develops equanimity with regard to the cause of
stress where there comes dispassion from the development of equanimity. Thus the
stress where there comes dispassion from the fabrication of exertion is
exhausted & the stress where there comes dispassion from the development of
equanimity is exhausted.
"Suppose that a man is in love with a woman, his mind ensnared with fierce
desire, fierce passion. He sees her standing with another man, chatting, joking,
& laughing. What do you think, monks: As he sees her standing with another man,
chatting, joking, & laughing, would sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, &
despair arise in him?"
"Yes, lord. Why is that? Because he is in love with her, his mind ensnared with
fierce desire, fierce passion..."
"Now suppose the thought were to occur to him, 'I am in love with this woman, my
mind ensnared with fierce desire, fierce passion. When I see her standing with
another man, chatting, joking, & laughing, then sorrow, lamentation, pain,
distress, & despair arise within me. Why don't I abandon my desire & passion for
that woman?' So he abandons his desire & passion for that woman, and afterwards
sees her standing with another man, chatting, joking, & laughing. What do you
think, monks: As he sees her standing with another man, chatting, joking, &
laughing, would sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair arise in him?"
"No, lord. Why is that? He is dispassionate toward that woman..."
"In the same way, the monk, when not loaded down, does not load himself down
with pain, nor does he reject pleasure that accords with the Dhamma, although he
is not infatuated with that pleasure. He discerns that 'When I exert a
[physical, verbal, or mental] fabrication against this cause of stress, then
from the fabrication of exertion there is dispassion. When I look on with
equanimity at that cause of stress, then from the development of equanimity
there is dispassion.' So he exerts a fabrication against the cause of stress
where there comes dispassion from the fabrication of exertion, and develops
equanimity with regard to the cause of stress where there comes dispassion from
the development of equanimity. Thus the stress where there comes dispassion from
the fabrication of exertion is exhausted & the stress where there comes
dispassion from the development of equanimity is exhausted.
"Furthermore, the monk notices this: 'When I live according to my pleasure,
unskillful mental qualities increase in me & skillful qualities decline. When I
exert myself with stress & pain, though, unskillful qualities decline in me &
skillful qualities increase. Why don't I exert myself with stress & pain?' So he
exerts himself with stress & pain, and while he is exerting himself with stress
& pain, unskillful qualities decline in him, & skillful qualities increase. Then
at a later time he would no longer exert himself with stress & pain. Why is
that? Because he has attained the goal for which he was exerting himself with
stress & pain. That is why, at a later time, he would no longer exert himself
with stress & pain.
"Suppose a fletcher were to heat & warm an arrow shaft between two flames,
making it straight & pliable. Then at a later time he would no longer heat &
warm the shaft between two flames, making it straight & pliable. Why is that?
Because he has attained the goal for which he was heating & warming the shaft.
That is why at a later time he would no longer heat & warm the shaft between two
flames, making it straight & pliable.
In the same way, the monk notices this: 'When I live according to my pleasure,
unskillful mental qualities increase in me & skillful qualities decline. When I
exert myself with stress & pain, though, unskillful qualities decline in me &
skillful qualities increase. Why don't I exert myself with stress & pain?' So he
exerts himself with stress & pain, and while he is exerting himself with stress
& pain, unskillful qualities decline in him, & skillful qualities increase. Then
at a later time he would no longer exert himself with stress & pain. Why is
that? Because he has attained the goal for which he was exerting himself with
stress & pain. That is why, at a later time, he would no longer exert himself
with stress & pain.
"This is how striving is fruitful, how exertion is fruitful.
"Furthermore, there is the case where a Tathagata appears in the world, worthy
and rightly self-awakened. He teaches the Dhamma admirable in its beginning,
admirable in its middle, admirable in its end. He proclaims the holy life both
in its particulars and in its essence, entirely perfect, surpassingly pure.
"A householder or householder's son, hearing the Dhamma, gains conviction in the
Tathagata and reflects: 'Household life is confining, a dusty path. Life gone
forth is the open air. It isn't easy, living at home, to practice the holy life
totally perfect, totally pure, a polished shell. What if I, having shaved off my
hair & beard and putting on the ochre robe, were to go forth from the household
life into homelessness?'
"So after some time he abandons his mass of wealth, large or small; leaves his
circle of relatives, large or small; shaves off his hair and beard, puts on the
ochre robes, and goes forth from the household life into homelessness.
Virtue
"When he has thus gone forth, endowed with the monks' training & livelihood,
then — abandoning the taking of life — he abstains from the taking of life. He
dwells with his rod laid down, his knife laid down, scrupulous, merciful,
compassionate for the welfare of all living beings.
"Abandoning the taking of what is not given, he abstains from taking what is not
given. He takes only what is given, accepts only what is given, lives not by
stealth but by means of a self that has become pure. This, too, is part of his
virtue.
"Abandoning uncelibacy, he lives a celibate life, aloof, refraining from the
sexual act that is the villager's way.
"Abandoning false speech, he abstains from false speech. He speaks the truth,
holds to the truth, is firm, reliable, no deceiver of the world.
"Abandoning divisive speech he abstains from divisive speech. What he has heard
here he does not tell there to break those people apart from these people here.
What he has heard there he does not tell here to break these people apart from
those people there. Thus reconciling those who have broken apart or cementing
those who are united, he loves concord, delights in concord, enjoys concord,
speaks things that create concord.
"Abandoning abusive speech, he abstains from abusive speech. He speaks words
that are soothing to the ear, that are affectionate, that go to the heart, that
are polite, appealing and pleasing to people at large.
"Abandoning idle chatter, he abstains from idle chatter. He speaks in season,
speaks what is factual, what is in accordance with the goal, the Dhamma, and the
Vinaya. He speaks words worth treasuring, seasonable, reasonable, circumscribed,
connected with the goal.
"He abstains from damaging seed and plant life.
"He eats only once a day, refraining from the evening meal and from food at the
wrong time of day.
"He abstains from dancing, singing, instrumental music, and from watching shows.
"He abstains from wearing garlands and from beautifying himself with scents and
cosmetics.
"He abstains from high and luxurious beds and seats.
"He abstains from accepting gold and money.
"He abstains from accepting uncooked grain... raw meat... women and girls...
male and female slaves... goats and sheep... fowl and pigs... elephants, cattle,
steeds, and mares... fields and property.
"He abstains from running messages... from buying and selling... from dealing
with false scales, false metals, and false measures... from bribery, deception,
and fraud.
"He abstains from mutilating, executing, imprisoning, highway robbery, plunder,
and violence.
"He is content with a set of robes to provide for his body and alms food to
provide for his hunger. Just as a bird, wherever it goes, flies with its wings
as its only burden; so too is he content with a set of robes to provide for his
body and alms food to provide for his hunger. Wherever he goes, he takes only
his barest necessities along.
"Endowed with this noble aggregate of virtue, he is inwardly sensitive to the
pleasure of being blameless.
Sense Restraint
"On seeing a form with the eye, he does not grasp at any theme or details by
which — if he were to dwell without restraint over the faculty of the eye —
evil, unskillful qualities such as greed or distress might assail him. On
hearing a sound with the ear... On smelling an odor with the nose... On tasting
a flavor with the tongue... On touching a tactile sensation with the body... On
cognizing an idea with the intellect, he does not grasp at any theme or details
by which — if he were to dwell without restraint over the faculty of the
intellect — evil, unskillful qualities such as greed or distress might assail
him. Endowed with this noble restraint over the sense faculties, he is inwardly
sensitive to the pleasure of being blameless.
Mindfulness & Alertness
"When going forward and returning, he acts with alertness. When looking toward
and looking away... when bending and extending his limbs... when carrying his
outer cloak, his upper robe, and his bowl... when eating, drinking, chewing, and
tasting... when urinating and defecating... when walking, standing, sitting,
falling asleep, waking up, talking, and remaining silent, he acts with
alertness.
Abandoning the Hindrances
"Endowed with this noble aggregate of virtue, this noble restraint over the
sense faculties, this noble mindfulness & alertness, he seeks out a secluded
dwelling: a wilderness, the shade of a tree, a mountain, a glen, a hillside
cave, a charnel ground, a forest grove, the open air, a heap of straw. After his
meal, returning from his alms round, he sits down, crosses his legs, holds his
body erect, and brings mindfulness to the fore.
"Abandoning covetousness with regard to the world, he dwells with an awareness
devoid of covetousness. He cleanses his mind of covetousness. Abandoning ill
will and anger, he dwells with an awareness devoid of ill will, sympathetic with
the welfare of all living beings. He cleanses his mind of ill will and anger.
Abandoning sloth and drowsiness, he dwells with an awareness devoid of sloth and
drowsiness, mindful, alert, percipient of light. He cleanses his mind of sloth
and drowsiness. Abandoning restlessness and anxiety, he dwells undisturbed, his
mind inwardly stilled. He cleanses his mind of restlessness and anxiety.
Abandoning uncertainty, he dwells having crossed over uncertainty, with no
perplexity with regard to skillful mental qualities. He cleanses his mind of
uncertainty.
The Four Jhanas
"Having abandoned these five hindrances — imperfections of awareness that weaken
discernment — then, quite withdrawn from sensual pleasures, withdrawn from
unskillful mental qualities, he enters and remains in the first jhana: rapture
and pleasure born from withdrawal, accompanied by directed thought and
evaluation. This, too, is how striving is fruitful, how exertion is fruitful.
"Then, with the stilling of directed thoughts & evaluations, he enters and
remains in the second jhana: rapture and pleasure born of composure,
one-pointedness of awareness free from directed thought and evaluation —
internal assurance. This, too, is how striving is fruitful, how exertion is
fruitful.
"Then, with the fading of rapture, he remains in equanimity, is mindful & alert,
and senses pleasure with the body. He enters & remains in the third jhana, of
which the Noble Ones declare, 'Equanimous & mindful, he has a pleasurable
abiding.' This, too, is how striving is fruitful, how exertion is fruitful.
"Then, with the abandoning of pleasure and pain — as with the earlier
disappearance of elation and distress — he enters and remains in the fourth
jhana: purity of equanimity and mindfulness, neither-pleasure-nor-pain. This,
too, is how striving is fruitful, how exertion is fruitful.
The Three Knowledges
"With his mind thus concentrated, purified, and bright, unblemished, free from
defects, pliant, malleable, steady, and attained to imperturbability, he directs
and inclines it to knowledge of the recollection of past lives.2 He recollects
his manifold past lives, i.e., one birth, two births, three births, four, five,
ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, one hundred, one thousand, one hundred
thousand, many aeons of cosmic contraction, many aeons of cosmic expansion, many
aeons of cosmic contraction and expansion, [recollecting], 'There I had such a
name, belonged to such a clan, had such an appearance. Such was my food, such my
experience of pleasure and pain, such the end of my life. Passing away from that
state, I re-arose there. There too I had such a name, belonged to such a clan,
had such an appearance. Such was my food, such my experience of pleasure and
pain, such the end of my life. Passing away from that state, I re-arose here.'
Thus he recollects his manifold past lives in their modes and details. This,
too, is how striving is fruitful, how exertion is fruitful.
"With his mind thus concentrated, purified, and bright, unblemished, free from
defects, pliant, malleable, steady, and attained to imperturbability, he directs
and inclines it to knowledge of the passing away and re-appearance of beings. He
sees — by means of the divine eye, purified and surpassing the human — beings
passing away and re-appearing, and he discerns how they are inferior and
superior, beautiful and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate in accordance with their
kamma: 'These beings — who were endowed with bad conduct of body, speech, and
mind, who reviled the noble ones, held wrong views and undertook actions under
the influence of wrong views — with the break-up of the body, after death, have
re-appeared in the plane of deprivation, the bad destination, the lower realms,
in hell. But these beings — who were endowed with good conduct of body, speech,
and mind, who did not revile the noble ones, who held right views and undertook
actions under the influence of right views — with the break-up of the body,
after death, have re-appeared in the good destinations, in the heavenly world.'
Thus — by means of the divine eye, purified and surpassing the human — he sees
beings passing away and re-appearing, and he discerns how they are inferior and
superior, beautiful and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate in accordance with their
kamma. This, too, is how striving is fruitful, how exertion is fruitful.
"With his mind thus concentrated, purified, and bright, unblemished, free from
defects, pliant, malleable, steady, and attained to imperturbability, the monk
directs and inclines it to the knowledge of the ending of the mental
fermentations. He discerns, as it has come to be, that 'This is stress... This
is the origination of stress... This is the cessation of stress... This is the
way leading to the cessation of stress... These are mental fermentations... This
is the origination of fermentations... This is the cessation of fermentations...
This is the way leading to the cessation of fermentations.' His heart, thus
knowing, thus seeing, is released from the fermentation of sensuality, the
fermentation of becoming, the fermentation of ignorance. With release, there is
the knowledge, 'Released.' He discerns that 'Birth is ended, the holy life
fulfilled, the task done. There is nothing further for this world.' This, too,
is how striving is fruitful, how exertion is fruitful.
"Such is the teaching of the Tathagata. And, such being the teaching of the
Tathagata, ten legitimate deductions can be drawn that give grounds for praising
him.
(1) "If beings experience pleasure & pain based on what was done in the past,
then obviously the Tathagata has done good things in the past, which is why he
now feels such pleasure free from fermentation.
(2) "If beings experience pleasure & pain based on the creative act of a supreme
god, then obviously the Tathagata has been created by an excellent supreme god,
which is why he now feels such pleasure free from fermentation.
(3) "If beings experience pleasure & pain based on sheer luck, then obviously
the Tathagata has admirable luck, which is why he now feels such pleasure free
from fermentation.
(4) "If beings experience pleasure & pain based on birth, then obviously the
Tathagata has had an admirable birth, which is why he now feels such pleasure
free from fermentation.
(5) "If beings experience pleasure & pain based efforts in the here-&-now, then
obviously the Tathagata has admirable efforts in the here-&-now, which is why he
now feels such pleasure free from fermentation.
(6) "If beings experience pleasure & pain based on what was done in the past,
the Tathagata deserves praise. Even if not, he still deserves praise.
(7) "If beings experience pleasure & pain based on the creative act of a supreme
god Tathagata deserves praise. Even if not, he still deserves praise.
(8) "If beings experience pleasure & pain based on sheer luck, the Tathagata
deserves praise. Even if not, he still deserves praise.
(9) "If beings experience pleasure & pain based on birth, Tathagata deserves
praise. Even if not, he still deserves praise.
(10) "If beings experience pleasure & pain based efforts in the here-&-now, the
Tathagata deserves praise. Even if not, he still deserves praise.
"Such is the teaching of the Tathagata. And, such being the teaching of the
Tathagata, these ten legitimate deductions can be drawn that give grounds for
praising him."
That is what the Blessed One said. Gratified, the monks delighted in the Blessed
One's words.
Notes
1. Nigantha Nataputta: The leader of the Niganthas.
2. Lit: previous homes.
See also: SN 35.145; SN 36.21; SN 42.8; SN 42.11; AN 3.99
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