Majjhima Nikaya - Sekha-patipada Sutta

MN 53
Sekha-patipada Sutta
The Practice for One in Training
Translated from the Pali by
Thanissaro BhikkhuPTS: M i 353



Source: Transcribed from a file provided by the translator.



Copyright © 2003 Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
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I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying among the Sakyans
at Kapilavatthu in the Banyan Park. Now at that time a new reception hall 1 had
just been built by the Kapilavatthu Sakyans, and it had not yet been dwelled in
by any contemplative, priest, or anyone at all in human form. So the
Kapilavatthu Sakyans went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down,
sat to one side. As they were sitting there they said to him, "Lord, a new
reception hall has just been built by the Kapilavatthu Sakyans, and it has not
yet been dwelled in by any contemplative, priest, or anyone at all in human
form. May the Blessed One be the first to use it. When the Blessed One has used
it first, the Kapilavatthu Sakyans will use it afterwards. That will be for
their long-term welfare & happiness."
The Blessed One acquiesced with silence. Sensing his acquiescence, the
Kapilavatthu Sakyans got up from their seats, bowed down to him, circumambulated
him, and then went to the new reception hall. On arrival, they spread it all
over with felt rugs, arranged seats, set out a water vessel, and raised an oil
lamp. Then they went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down,
stood to one side. As they were standing there they said to him, "Lord, the
reception hall has been covered all over with felt rugs, seats have been
arranged, a water vessel has been set out, and an oil lamp raised. It is now
time for the Blessed One to do as he sees fit."
So the Blessed One, putting on his robe and taking up his bowl & outer robe,
went together with a community of monks to the reception hall. On arrival he
washed his feet, entered the hall, and sat with his back to the central post,
facing east. The community of monks washed their feet, entered the hall, and sat
with their backs to the western wall, facing east, ranged around the Blessed
One. The Kapilavatthu Sakyans washed their feet, entered the hall, and sat with
their backs to the eastern wall, facing west, ranged around the Blessed One.
Then the Blessed One — having spent most of the night instructing, urging,
rousing, & encouraging the Kapilavatthu Sakyans with a Dhamma talk — said to
Ven. Ananda, "Ananda, speak to the Kapilavatthu Sakyans about the person who
follows the practice for one in training. 2 My back aches. I will rest it."
Ven. Ananda responded, "As you say, lord."
Then the Blessed One, having arranged his outer robe folded in four, lay down on
his right side in the lion's sleeping posture, with one foot on top of the
other, mindful & alert, having made a mental note to get up.
Then Ven. Ananda addressed Mahanama the Sakyan3: "There is the case, Mahanama,
where a disciple of the noble ones is consummate in virtue, guards the doors to
his sense faculties, knows moderation in eating, is devoted to wakefulness, is
endowed with seven qualities, and obtains at will — without trouble or
difficulty — the four jhanas that constitute heightened awareness and a pleasant
abiding in the here-&-now.
"And how is the disciple of the noble ones consummate in virtue? There is the
case where the disciple of the noble ones is virtuous. He dwells restrained in
accordance with the Patimokkha, consummate in his behavior & sphere of activity.
He trains himself, having undertaken the training rules, seeing danger in the
slightest faults. This is how the disciple of the noble ones is consummate in
virtue.
"And how does the disciple of the noble ones guard the doors to his sense
faculties? There is the case where the disciple of the noble ones, on seeing a
form with the eye, doesn't grasp at any theme or variations 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. He practices for its
restraint. He guards the faculty of the eye. He achieves restraint with regard
to the faculty of the eye.
"On hearing a sound with the ear...
"On smelling an aroma with the nose...
"On tasting a flavor with the tongue...
"On feeling a tactile sensation with the body...
"On cognizing an idea with the intellect, he doesn't grasp at any theme or
variations 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. He practices for its restraint. He guards the faculty of the
intellect. He achieves restraint with regard to the faculty of the intellect.
This is how the disciple of the noble ones guards the doors to his sense
faculties.
"And how does the disciple of the noble ones know moderation in eating? There is
the case where the disciple of the noble ones, considering it appropriately,
takes his food not playfully, nor for intoxication, nor for putting on bulk, nor
for beautification, but simply for the survival & continuance of this body, for
ending its afflictions, for the support of the holy life, thinking, 'I will
destroy old feelings [of hunger] & not create new feelings [from overeating].
Thus I will maintain myself, be blameless, & live in comfort.' This is how the
disciple of the noble ones knows moderation in eating.
"And how is the disciple of the noble ones devoted to wakefulness? There is the
case where a monk during the day, sitting & pacing back & forth, cleanses his
mind of any qualities that would hold the mind in check. During the first watch
of the night [dusk to 10 p.m.], sitting & pacing back & forth, he cleanses his
mind of any qualities that would hold the mind in check. During the second watch
of the night [10 p.m. to 2 a.m.], reclining on his right side, he takes up the
lion's posture, one foot placed on top of the other, mindful, alert, with his
mind set on getting up [either as soon as he awakens or at a particular time].
During the last watch of the night [2 a.m. to dawn], sitting & pacing back &
forth, he cleanses his mind of any qualities that would hold the mind in check.
This is how the monk is devoted to wakefulness.
"And how is the disciple of the noble ones endowed with seven qualities?
"(1) There is the case where the disciple of the noble ones has conviction, is
convinced of the Tathagata's Awakening: 'Indeed, the Blessed One is worthy and
rightly self-awakened, consummate in clear-knowing & conduct, well-gone, an
expert with regard to the world, unexcelled as a trainer for those people fit to
be tamed, the Teacher of divine & human beings, awakened, blessed.'
"(2) He feels shame at [the thought of engaging in] bodily misconduct, verbal
misconduct, mental misconduct.
"(3) He feels concern for [the suffering that results from] bodily misconduct,
verbal misconduct, mental misconduct.
"(4) He has heard much, has retained what he has heard, has stored what he has
heard. Whatever teachings are admirable in the beginning, admirable in the
middle, admirable in the end, that — in their meaning & expression — proclaim
the holy life that is entirely complete & pure: those he has listened to often,
retained, discussed, accumulated, examined with his mind, and well-penetrated in
terms of his views.
"(5) He keeps his persistence aroused for abandoning unskillful mental qualities
and taking on skillful mental qualities. He is steadfast, solid in his effort,
not shirking his duties with regard to skillful mental qualities.
"(6) He is mindful, highly meticulous, remembering & able to call to mind even
things that were done & said long ago.
"(7) He is discerning, endowed with discernment of arising & passing away —
noble, penetrating, leading to the right ending of stress.
"This is how the disciple of the noble ones is endowed with seven qualities.
"And how does the disciple of the noble ones obtain at will — without trouble or
difficulty — the four jhanas that constitute heightened awareness and a pleasant
abiding in the here-&-now? There is the case where, quite withdrawn from
sensuality, withdrawn from unskillful mental qualities, the disciple of the
noble ones enters & remains in the first jhana: rapture & pleasure born from
withdrawal, accompanied by directed thought & evaluation. With the stilling of
directed thoughts & evaluations, he enters & remains in the second jhana:
rapture & pleasure born of composure, unification of awareness free from
directed thought & evaluation — internal assurance. 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.' With the abandoning of
pleasure & pain — as with the earlier disappearance of elation & distress — he
enters & remains in the fourth jhana: purity of equanimity & mindfulness,
neither pleasure nor pain. This is how the disciple of the noble ones obtains at
will — without trouble or difficulty — the four jhanas that constitute
heightened awareness and a pleasant abiding in the here-&-now.
"Now, when a disciple of the noble ones is consummate in virtue in this way,
guards the doors to his sense faculties in this way, knows moderation in eating
in this way, is devoted to wakefulness in this way, is endowed with seven
qualities in this way, and obtains at will — without trouble or difficulty — the
four jhanas that constitute heightened awareness and a pleasant abiding in the
here-&-now in this way, then he is called a disciple of the noble ones who
follows the practice for one in training, whose eggs are unspoiled, who is
capable of breaking out, capable of awakening, capable of attaining the supreme
rest from the yoke. 4
"Just as if a hen had eight, ten, or twelve eggs that she covered rightly,
warmed rightly, & incubated rightly: Even though this wish did not occur to her
— 'O that my chicks might break through the egg shells with their spiked claws
or beaks and hatch out safely!' — still it is possible that the chicks would
break through the shells with their spiked claws or beaks and hatch out safely.
In the same way, when a disciple of the noble ones is consummate in virtue in
this way, guards the doors to his sense faculties in this way, knows moderation
in eating in this way, is devoted to wakefulness in this way, is endowed with
seven qualities in this way, and obtains at will — without trouble or difficulty
— the four jhanas that constitute heightened awareness and a pleasant abiding in
the here-&-now in this way, then he is called a disciple of the noble ones who
follows the practice for one in training, whose eggs are unspoiled, who is
capable of breaking out, capable of awakening, capable of attaining the supreme
rest from the yoke.
"Now when the disciple of the noble ones has arrived at this purity of
equanimity & mindfulness, he recollects his manifold past lives, i.e., one
birth, two... five, ten... fifty, a hundred, a thousand, a hundred thousand,
many eons of cosmic contraction, many eons of cosmic expansion, many eons of
cosmic contraction & expansion: 'There I had such a name, belonged to such a
clan, had such an appearance. Such was my food, such my experience of pleasure &
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 & 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 & details. This is his first breaking out,
like that of the hen's chicks from their shells.
"When the disciple of the noble ones has arrived at this purity of equanimity &
mindfulness, he sees — by means of the divine eye, purified & surpassing the
human — beings passing away & re-appearing, and he discerns how they are
inferior & superior, beautiful & ugly, fortunate & unfortunate in accordance
with their kamma: 'These beings — who were endowed with bad conduct of body,
speech & mind, who reviled 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, & mind, who did not revile 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 & surpassing the human — he
sees beings passing away & re-appearing, and he discerns how they are inferior &
superior, beautiful & ugly, fortunate & unfortunate in accordance with their
kamma. This is his second breaking out, like that of the hen's chicks from their
shells.
"When the disciple of the noble ones has arrived at this purity of equanimity &
mindfulness, he enters & remains in the fermentation-free awareness-release &
discernment-release, having directly known & realized them for himself right in
the here & now. 5 This is his third breaking out, like that of the hen's chicks
from their shells.
"Now, when the disciple of the noble ones is consummate in virtue, that is a
matter of his conduct. When he guards the doors to his sense faculties... knows
moderation in eating... is devoted to wakefulness... is endowed with seven
qualities, that that is a matter of his conduct. When he obtains at will —
without trouble or difficulty — the four jhanas that constitute heightened
awareness and a pleasant abiding in the here-&-now, that that is a matter of his
conduct.
"When he recollects his manifold past lives... in their modes & details, that is
a matter of his clear-knowing. When he sees — by means of the divine eye,
purified & surpassing the human — beings passing away & re-appearing... When he
enters & remains in the fermentation-free awareness-release &
discernment-release, having directly known & realized them for himself right in
the here & now, that is a matter of his clear-knowing.
"This, Mahanama, is called a disciple of the noble ones who is consummate in
clear-knowing, consummate in conduct, consummate in clear-knowing & conduct. And
by the Brahma Sanankumara this verse was said:
'The noble warrior is the best among people
when judging by clan.
But a person consummate
in clear-knowing & conduct,
is the best of beings
human & divine.'
"This verse was well-sung by the Brahma Sanankumara, not ill-sung; well-said,
not ill-said; connected with the goal, not unconnected with the goal. It was
endorsed by the Blessed One."
Then the Blessed One got up and said to Ven. Ananda, "Good, good, Ananda. What
you have said to the Kapilavatthu Sakyans about the person who follows the
practice for one in training is good."
That is what Ven. Ananda said, and the Teacher approved. Gratified, the
Kapilavatthu Sakyans delighted in Ven. Ananda's words.



Notes
1. According to the Commentary, this was a hall built to receive royal guests,
together with their entourages.
2. This phrase — "the person who follows the practice for one in higher
training" — translates the Pali phrase, sekho patipado. Although this phrase may
be taken as two separate words, the Commentary treats it as a compound and
translates it as "one who follows the sekha-patipada." Grammatically, as a
compound, the form is strange, with the first member maintaining its case
ending, instead of being reduced to a stem form connected with the following
member of the compound, as in a normal compound. However, this form has been
found in other parts of the Canon as well, and modern grammarians have coined a
term to describe it: a syntactical compound. I have thus followed the Commentary
in my translation.
"One in training" is a person who has attained at least stream-entry, but not
yet arahantship.
3. The chief of the Kapilavatthu Sakyans. See AN 3.73; AN 11.12; and AN 11.13.
4. The yoke is fourfold: the yoke of sensuality, the yoke of becoming, the yoke
of views, & the yoke of ignorance. See AN 4.10.
5. This completes the training, and so one becomes an asekha: one no longer in
training. In other words, one is an arahant.
See also: AN 4.37; AN 7.6