MN 78
Samana-Mundika Sutta
Mundika the Contemplative
Translated from the Pali by
Thanissaro BhikkhuPTS: M ii 22
Source: Transcribed from a file provided by the translator.
Copyright © 2003 Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
Access to Insight edition © 2003
For free distribution. This work may be republished, reformatted,
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I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Savatthi in
Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika's monastery. Now on that occasion Uggahamana, a
follower of Mundika the contemplative,1 together with a large following of about
500 wanderers, had taken up residence in the debating hall near the Tinduka tree
in the single-pavilion park of Queen Mallika. Then Pañcakanga the carpenter left
Savatthi in the middle of the day to see the Blessed One, but the thought
occurred to him, "Now is not the right time to see the Blessed One, for he is in
seclusion. And it is not the right time to see the mind-developing monks, for
they too are in seclusion. Why don't I go to the debating hall near the Tinduka
tree in the single-pavilion park of Queen Mallika to see Uggahamana, a follower
of Mundika the contemplative?" So he headed to the debating hall near the
Tinduka tree in the single-pavilion park of Queen Mallika.
Now on that occasion Uggahamana was sitting with his large following of
wanderers, all making a great noise & racket, discussing many kinds of bestial
topics of conversation: conversation about kings, robbers, & ministers of state;
armies, alarms, & battles; food & drink; clothing, furniture, garlands, &
scents; relatives; vehicles; villages, towns, cities, the countryside; women &
heroes; the gossip of the street & the well; tales of the dead; tales of
diversity, the creation of the world & of the sea; talk of whether things exist
or not. Then Uggahamana saw Pañcakanga the carpenter coming from afar, and on
seeing him, hushed his following: "Be quiet, good sirs. Don't make any noise.
Here comes Pañcakanga the carpenter, a disciple of the contemplative Gotama. He
is one of those disciples of the contemplative Gotama, clad in white, who lives
in Savatthi. These people are fond of quietude, trained in quietude, and speak
in praise of quietude. Maybe, if he perceives our group as quiet, he will
consider it worth his while to come our way." So the wanderers fell silent.
Then Pañcakanga went to Uggahamana and, on arrival, greeted him courteously.
After an exchange of friendly greetings & courtesies, he sat down to one side.
As he was sitting there, Uggahamana said to him, "I describe an individual
endowed with four qualities as being consummate in what is skillful, foremost in
what is skillful, an invincible contemplative attained to the highest
attainments. Which four? There is the case where he does no evil action with his
body, speaks no evil speech, resolves on no evil resolve, and maintains himself
with no evil means of livelihood. An individual endowed with these four
qualities I describe as being consummate in what is skillful, foremost in what
is skillful, an invincible contemplative attained to the highest attainments."
Then Pañcakanga neither delighted in Uggahamana's words nor did he scorn them.
Expressing neither delight nor scorn, he got up from his seat & left, thinking,
"I will learn the meaning of this statement in the Blessed One's presence."
Then he went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, after bowing down to him, sat
to one side. As he was sitting there, he told the Blessed One the entire
conversation he had had with Uggahamana.
When this was said, the Blessed One said to Pañcakanga: "In that case,
carpenter, then according to Uggahamana's words a stupid baby boy, lying on its
back, is consummate in what is skillful, foremost in what is skillful, an
invincible contemplative attained to the highest attainments. For even the
thought 'body' does not occur to a stupid baby boy lying on its back, so from
where would it do any evil action with its body, aside from a little kicking?
Even the thought 'speech' does not occur to it, so from where would it speak any
evil speech, aside from a little crying? Even the thought 'resolve' does not
occur to it, so from where would it resolve on any evil resolve, aside from a
little bad temper? Even the thought 'livelihood' does not occur to it, so from
where would it maintain itself with any evil means of livelihood, aside from its
mother's milk? So, according to Uggahamana's words, a stupid baby boy, lying on
its back is consummate in what is skillful, foremost in what is skillful, an
invincible contemplative attained to the highest attainments.
"If an individual is endowed with these four qualities, I do not describe him as
consummate in what is skillful, foremost in what is skillful, an invincible
contemplative attained to the highest attainments. Rather, he stands on the same
level as a stupid baby boy lying on its back. Which four? There is the case
where he does no evil action with his body, speaks no evil speech, resolves on
no evil resolve, and maintains himself with no evil means of livelihood. If an
individual is endowed with these four qualities, I do not describe him as
consummate in what is skillful, foremost in what is skillful, an invincible
contemplative attained to the highest attainments. Rather, he stands on the same
level as a stupid baby boy lying on its back.
"An individual endowed with ten qualities is one whom I describe as being
consummate in what is skillful, foremost in what is skillful, an invincible
contemplative attained to the highest attainments. With regard to that point,
one should know that 'These are unskillful habits,' I say. With regard to that
point, one should know that 'That is the cause of unskillful habits'...'Here
unskillful habits cease without trace'...'This sort of practice is the practice
leading to the cessation of unskillful habits,' I say.
"With regard to that point, one should know that 'These are skillful
habits'...'That is the cause of skillful habits'...'Here skillful habits cease
without trace'...'This sort of practice is the practice leading to the cessation
of skillful habits,' I say.
"With regard to that point, one should know that 'These are unskillful
resolves'... 'That is the cause of unskillful resolves'...'Here unskillful
resolves cease without trace'...'This sort of practice is the practice leading
to the cessation of unskillful resolves' I say.
"With regard to that point, one should know that 'These are skillful
resolves'...'That is the cause of skillful resolves'...'Here skillful resolves
cease without trace'...'This sort of practice is the practice leading to the
cessation of skillful resolves,' I say.
"Now what are unskillful habits? Unskillful bodily actions, unskillful verbal
actions, evil means of livelihood. These are called unskillful habits. What is
the cause of unskillful habits? Their cause is stated, and they are said to be
mind-caused. Which mind? — for the mind has many modes & permutations. Any mind
with passion, aversion or delusion: That is the cause of unskillful habits. Now
where do unskillful habits cease without trace? Their cessation has been stated:
There is the case where a monk abandons wrong bodily conduct & develops right
bodily conduct, abandons wrong verbal conduct & develops right verbal conduct,
abandons wrong livelihood & maintains his life with right livelihood. This is
where unskillful habits cease without trace. And what sort of practice is the
practice leading to the cessation of unskillful habits? There is the case where
a monk generates desire, endeavors, arouses persistence, upholds & exerts his
intent for the sake of the non-arising of evil, unskillful qualities that have
not yet arisen...for the sake of the abandoning of evil, unskillful qualities
that have arisen...for the sake of the arising of skillful qualities that have
not yet arisen...(and) for the maintenance, non-confusion, increase, plenitude,
development & culmination of skillful qualities that have arisen. This sort of
practice is the practice leading to the cessation of unskillful habits.
"And what are skillful habits? Skillful bodily actions, skillful verbal actions,
purity of livelihood. These are called skillful habits. What is the cause of
skillful habits? Their cause, too, has been stated, and they are said to be
mind-caused. Which mind? — for the mind has many modes & permutations. Any mind
without passion, without aversion, without delusion: That is the cause of
skillful habits. Now where do skillful habits cease without trace? Their
cessation, too, has been stated: There is the case where a monk is virtuous, but
not fashioned of virtue.2 He discerns, as it actually is, the awareness-release
& discernment-release where his skillful habits cease without trace. And what
sort of practice is the practice leading to the cessation of skillful habits?
There is the case where a monk generates desire...for the sake of the
non-arising of evil, unskillful qualities that have not yet arisen...for the
sake of the abandoning of evil, unskillful qualities that have arisen...for the
sake of the arising of skillful qualities that have not yet arisen...(and) for
the...development & culmination of skillful qualities that have arisen. This
sort of practice is the practice leading to the cessation of skillful habits.
"And what are unskillful resolves? Being resolved on sensuality, on ill will, on
harmfulness. These are called unskillful resolves. What is the cause of
unskillful resolves? Their cause, too, has been stated, and they are said to be
perception-caused. Which perception? — for perception has many modes &
permutations. Any sensuality-perception, ill will-perception or
harmfulness-perception: That is the cause of unskillful resolves. Now where do
unskillful resolves cease without trace? Their cessation, too, has been stated:
There is the case where a monk, quite withdrawn from sensuality, withdrawn from
unskillful mental qualities, enters & remains in the first jhana: rapture &
pleasure born from withdrawal, accompanied by directed thought & evaluation.
This is where unskillful resolves cease without trace. And what sort of practice
is the practice leading to the cessation of unskillful resolves? There is the
case where a monk generates desire...for the sake of the non-arising of evil,
unskillful qualities that have not yet arisen...for the sake of the abandoning
of evil, unskillful qualities that have arisen...for the sake of the arising of
skillful qualities that have not yet arisen...(and) for the...development &
culmination of skillful qualities that have arisen. This sort of practice is the
practice leading to the cessation of unskillful resolves.
"And what are skillful resolves? Being resolved on renunciation (freedom from
sensuality), on non-ill will, on harmlessness. These are called skillful
resolves. What is the cause of skillful resolves? Their cause, too, has been
stated, and they are said to be perception-caused. Which perception? — for
perception has many modes & permutations. Any renunciation-perception, non-ill
will-perception or harmlessness-perception: That is the cause of skillful
resolves. Now where do skillful resolves cease without trace? Their cessation,
too, has been stated: There is the case where a monk, with the stilling of
directed thoughts & evaluations, enters & remains in the second jhana: rapture &
pleasure born of composure, unification of awareness free from directed thought
& evaluation — internal assurance. This is where skillful resolves cease without
trace. And what sort of practice is the practice leading to the cessation of
skillful resolves? There is the case where a monk generates desire...for the
sake of the non-arising of evil, unskillful qualities that have not yet
arisen...for the sake of the abandoning of evil, unskillful qualities that have
arisen...for the sake of the arising of skillful qualities that have not yet
arisen...(and) for the... development & culmination of skillful qualities that
have arisen. This sort of practice is the practice leading to the cessation of
skillful resolves.
"Now, an individual endowed with which ten qualities is one whom I describe as
being consummate in what is skillful, foremost in what is skillful, an
invincible contemplative attained to the highest attainments? One endowed with
the right view of one beyond training, the right resolve of one beyond training,
the right speech... the right action... the right livelihood... the right
effort... the right mindfulness... the right concentration... the right
knowledge... the right release of one beyond training. An individual endowed
with these ten qualities is one whom I describe as being consummate in what is
skillful, foremost in what is skillful, an invincible contemplative attained to
the highest attainments."
That is what the Blessed One said. Gratified, Pañcakanga the carpenter delighted
in the Blessed One's words.
Notes
1. This can also mean "the shaven-headed contemplative," in which case
Uggahamana might have belonged to one of the Jain sects.
2. The Pali here is: no ca sila-mayo. According to the Commentary, this means
that he does not regard virtue as the consummation of the path. It may also mean
that he does not define himself by his virtue. This term is apparently related
to the state called atammayata, or non-fashioning. On this topic, see The Wings
to Awakening, especially the introduction to section II/B and passage §179.
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