Majjhima Nikaya - Vannapattha Sutta

17. Vannapattha Sutta - English Majjhima Nikàya I
2. 7 Vanapatthasuttam
(17) The Ways of the Forest

I heard thus:
At one time the Blessed One lived in the monastery offered by Anàthapiõóika in
Jeta's grove in Sàvatthi.
From there the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus, ßBhikkhus, I will teach the
method of the foreat. Listen and attend carefully, I will teach.
ßHere, bhikkhus, the bhikkhu abides in a certain forest stretch. When abiding
there, unestablished mindfulness does not get established, unconcentrated mind
does not concentrate, not destroyed desires do not get destroyed, and the not
attained noble end of the yoke is not attained; as for the four requisites of
life for the one gone forth, robes, morsel food, dwellings, and requities when
ill, are collected with difficulty. That bhikkhu should reflect, `I abide in
this forest stretch, to me abiding in this forest, unestablished mindfulness
does not get established, unconcentrated mind does not get concentrated, not
destroyed desires do not get destroyed, and the not attained noble end of the
yoke is not attained; as for the four requisites of life for the one gone forth,
robes, morsel food dwellings, and requisites when ill, are collected with
difficulty.' Bhikkhus, he should not abide in that stretch of forest, he should
leave it by night or by day.
ßHere, bhikkhus, the bhikkhu abides in a certain forest stretch. When abiding
there, unestablished mindfulness does not get established, unconcentrated mind
does not concentrate, not destroyed desires, do not get destroyed, and the not
attained noble end of the yoke is not attained; as for the four requisites of
life for the one gone forth, robes, morsel food, dwellings and requisities when
ill, are collected without difficulty. That bhikkhu should reflect, `I abide in
this forest stretch, to me abiding in this forest, unestablished mindfulness
does not get established, unconcentrated mind does not get concentrated the not
destroyed desires do not get destroyed, the not attained noble end of the yoke
is not attained; as for the four requisites of life for the one gone forth,
robes, morsel food, dwellings, and requisites when ill, are collected without
difficulty.' That bhikkhu should reflect, `I abide in this stretch of forest, to
me abiding in this forest unestablished mindfulness does not get established
unconcentrated mind does not concentrate, the not destroyed desires do not get
destroyed, the not attained noble end of the yoke is not attained; as for the
four requisites of life for the one gone forth, robes, morsel food, dwellings,
and requisites when ill, are collected without difficulty. I did not go forth as
a homeless for the sake of robes, morsel food, dwellings, and requisites when
ill, yet to me living in this stretch of forest not established mindfulness does
not get established, not concentrated mind does not concentrate, the not
destroyed desires do not get destroyed and the not attained noble end of the
yoke is not attained.' Bhikkhus, that bhikkhu considering should leave that
stretch of forest, should not abide there.
ßHere, bhikkhus, the bhikkhu abides in a certain forest stretch, when abiding
there, unestablished mindfulness gets established, the unconcentrated mind
concentrates, the not destroyed desires get destroyed and the not attained noble
end of the yoke is attained. As for the requisites of life for the one gone
forth, robes, morsel food, dwellings, and requisites when ill, are collected
with difficulty. That bhikkhu should reflect, `I abide in this forest stretch,
to me abiding in this forest stretch unestablished mindfulenss gets establiehed,
the unconcentrated mind concentrates, the not destroyed desires get destroyed,
and the not attained noble end of the yoke is attained. As for the requisites of
life for the one gone forth, robes, morsel food, dwellings, and requisites when
ill, are collected with difficulty. I did not go forth as a homeless for the
sake of robes, morsel food, dwellings, and requisites when ill, yet to me
abiding in this stretch of forest unestablished mindfulness gets established,
the unconcentrated mind concentrates, the not destroyed desires get destroyed,
and the not attained noble end of the yoke is attained.' That bhikkhu
considering should not leave that stretch of forest, but should abide there.
ßHere, bhikkhus, the bhikkhu abides in a certain forest stretch, when abiding
there, unestablished mindfulness gets established, the unconcentrated mind
concentrates, the not destroyed desires get destroyed and the not attained noble
end of the yoke is attained. As for the requisites of life for the one gone
forth, robes, morsel food, dwellings, and requisites when ill, are collected
without difficulty. That bhikkhu should reflect, `I abide in this forest
stretch, to me abiding in this forest stretch unestablished mindfulenss gets
establiehed, the unconcentrated mind concentrates, the not destroyed desires get
destroyed, and the not attained noble end of the yoke is attained.' That bhikkhu
considering should not leave that stretch of forest, should abide there, as long
as life lasts.
ßHere bhikkhus, the bhikkhu abides supported on a certain village ... abides
supported on a certain hamlet ... abides supported on a certain town ... abides
supported on a certain state ... abides supported on a certain person. Bhikkhus,
when abiding supported on a certain person unestablished mindfulness does not
get established, unconcentrated mind does not concentrate, non-destroyed desires
do not get destroyed and the not attained noble end of the yoke is not attained;
as for the four requisites of life for the one gone forth, robes, morsel food,
dwellings, and requisites when ill, are collected with difficulty. That bhikkhu
should reflect, `I abide supported on this person, to me abiding supported on
this person unestablished mindfulness does not get established, unconcentrated
mind does not get concentrated, not destroyed desires do not get destroyed and
the not attained noble end of the yoke is not attained; as for the four
requisites of life for the one gone forth, robes, morsel food dwellings, and
requisites when ill, are collected with difficulty.' Bhikkhus, he should not
abide supported on that person; he should leave that person by night or by day
without informing, so that he may not follow.
ßHere, bhikkhus, the bhikkhu abides supported by a person. When abiding
supported by a person unestablished mindfulness does not get established,
unconcentrated mind does not concentrate, not destroyed desires do not get
destroyed, and the not attained noble end of the yoke is not attained; as for
the four requisites of life for the one gone forth, robes, morsel food,
dwellings, and requisites when ill, are collected without difficulty. That
bhikkhu should reflect, `I abide supported by this person, to me abiding thus
unestablished mindfulness does not get established, unconcentrated mind does not
get concentrated the not destroyed desires do not get destroyed, the not
attained noble end of the yoke is not attained, as for the four requisites of
life for the one gone forth, robes, morsel food, dwellings, and requisites when
ill, are collected without difficulty.' That bhikkhu should reflect, `I abide
supported by this person; to me abiding thus unestablished mindfulness does not
get established ... without difficulty. I did not go forth as a homeless for the
sake of robes, morsel food, dwellings, and requisites when ill, yet to me living
supported by this person, not established mindfulness does not get established,
not concentrated mind does not concentrate, the not destroyed desires do not get
destroyed and the not attained noble end of the yoke is not attained.' Bhikkhus,
that bhikkhu should leave that person without informing, so that he may not
follow.
ßHere, bhikkhus, the bhikkhu abides supported by a person; when abiding thus,
unestablished mindfulness gets established, the unconcentrated mind
concentrates, the not destroyed desires get destroyed and the not attained noble
end of the yoke is attained. As for the requisites of life for the one gone
forth, robes, morsel food, dwellings, and requisites when ill, are collected
with difficulty. That bhikkhu should reflect, `I abide supported by this person,
to me abiding thus unestablished mindfulenss gets established ... with
difficulty. I did not go forth as a homeless for the sake of robes, for the sake
of morsel food, for the sake of dwellings, and for the sake of requisites when
ill, yet to me abiding supported by this person, unestablished mindfulness gets
established, the unconcentrated mind concentrates, the not destroyed desires get
destroyed, and the not attained noble end of the yoke is attained.' That bhikkhu
considering should follow that person, should not leave him.
ßHere, bhikkhus, the bhikkhu abides supported on a certain person, to him
supported by that person, unestablished minfulness gets estabalished, the
unconcentrated mind concentrates, the not destroyed desires get destroyed, and
the not attained noble end of the yoke is attained. As for the requisites of
life for the one gone forth, robes, morsel food, dwellings, and requisites when
ill, are collected with ease. That bhikkhu should reflect, ` I abide supported
by this person; to me abiding thus, unestablished minfulness gets established
... without difficulty. That bhikkhu should follow that person as long as he
lives, even if chased should follow.û
The Blessed One said thus and those bhikkhus delighted in the words of the
Blessed One.