01-AN-Book-6A-(6.2.12-to-6.2.18).txt

6.2.12. The Buddha said, monks, there are these six ways of being considerate, which endear, bring honor, lead to concord, banish contention, lead to unity, lead to singleness of mind. What six? Here in monks, a monk's part is goodwill indeed towards his fellows in the holy life, openly and in private. Verily this is a way of being considerate. Again, his part is goodwill in word. goodwill in thought towards his fellows in the holy life, openly and in private. This also is a way of being considerate. Then, those gains gotten according to rule, be they but bold scraps, he loves to share them impartially, to have them in common with his virtuous fellows in the holy life. This also is a way of being considerate. And those virtues that are unbroken, without flaw, spotless, without blemish, bringing freedom, praised by wise men, incorruptible, leading to concentration, he dwells, one, in virtue with them among his fellows in the holy life, openly and in private. This also is a way of being considerate. and that are in view, saving, leading him who acts accordingly to the utter destruction of dukkha or ill. He dwells one in view with that among his fellows in the holy life, openly and in private. This also is a way of being considerate. Verily, monks, these are the six ways of being considerate, which endear, bring honour, lead to concord, banish contention, lead to unity, lead to singleness of mind." That's the end of the sutta. This sutta is also mentioned in the Digha Nikaya, number 16, Mahaparinibbana Sutta, and the Buddha there said that there are certain conditions. If a group of people or a race, etc., are to be harmonious, are to be strong, there are certain things that they should practice. And in particular for monks, these are important. The first one, if monks live together, they should have goodwill towards each other indeed in their action, whether openly or in private. They should show metta, goodwill, in their actions towards the other people in the monastery that they live with. The second one, they should have metta, or goodwill, in their words. openly and in private towards the other monks who live in the community, in the monastery. Third one is goodwill in thought towards his fellow monks in the monastery, whether openly or in private, he should have met them. And the fourth one, those gains, those offerings that he receives, those extra that he receives, he should share them impartially with his fellow monks in the holy life. Sometimes, even if it's not accessed, sometimes we see that other monks don't have, it is good to share because this metta, if we show metta towards others, we receive it back in return. And the fifth one is the virtues, moral conduct. He should practice them so that he gains the respect and love of his fellow companions in the holy life. And then the right view, right view also he should attain so that he can dwell in concord and harmony with his companions in the holy life. And the right view, we heard earlier, to attain right view we must be very familiar with the discourses of the Buddha. Then only we can attain the right view. The next sutra, 6.2.13, is an important sutra. Monks, there are these six factors whereby should be escaped. What six monks? Suppose a monk were to say this, of a truth I have made mine emancipation become by goodwill metta, made an increase of it, made a vehicle of it, made a home of it, dwelt with it, gathered it together, set it well going. Yet ill will invades my heart and stays. Speak to him and say, Go now, speak not so, reverend sir, distort not the word of the exalted one. Ill is it to distort his word thus. Verily the exalted one would never speak so. It is not possible, sir, nor could it happen, that when mind emancipation is made become by goodwill, made an increase of, made a vehicle of, made a home of, dwelt with, gathered together, and set well going, ill will can invade one's heart and stay. It is not possible. Indeed, sir, this is just the escape from ill will. I mean mind emancipation by goodwill. Or suppose a monk were to say this. Of a truth I have made mind emancipation become by compassion, yet ruthless fierce thoughts invade my heart and stay. Speak to him in like manner, for this is just the escape from ruthless fierce thoughts, I mean mind emancipation by compassion. Or suppose he were to say, I have made mind emancipation become by joy, yet aversion invades my heart and stays. Speak to him in like manner, for this is just the escape from aversion, I mean mind emancipation by joy. Or suppose he say, I have made mind emancipation become by equanimity, yet passion invades my heart and stay. Speak to him likewise, for this is just the escape from passion, I mean mind emancipation by equanimity. Or suppose he say, I have made mine emancipation become by the signless, yet my thoughts run after signs. Speak to him likewise, for this is just the escape from all signs. I mean mine emancipation by the signless. Or suppose monks, a monk were to say this, I am free of the thought I am, nor do I perceive within me the thought this I am. Yet the dart of doubt and questioning, how, how, invades my heart and stays. Speak to him and say, go now, speak not so, reverend sir. Distort not the word of the exalted one. Ill is it to distort his word thus. Verily the exalted one would never speak so. It is not possible, sir, nor could it happen, that when one is free of the thought, I am, and sees not within one the thought, this I am, the dart of doubt and questioning, how, how, can invade the heart and stay. It is not possible. Indeed, sir, this is just the escape from the dart of doubt and questioning. I mean the complete rooting out of the conceit I am. Verily, monks, these are the six factors whereby should be escaped." Here the first four things are about the Brahma-viharas. and from here you get an idea how the exact definition of those Pali words are metta, karuna, mudita and upeka because here is mentioned the opposite. Like when you practice metta and you develop metta, it is not possible for ill-will to stay or ill-will to arise because ill-will is the opposite of metta. So metta can be translated as goodwill. And the second one is ruthless and fierce thoughts cannot arise if you develop compassion. And compassion, karuna, is the opposite of ruthless and fierce thoughts. And the third one, sometimes people translate as sympathetic joy. If you practice mudita, it is not possible for aversion to arise. Because when there's a lot of joy in you, there cannot arise aversion. So mudita means joy. And the fourth one, if you develop upeka, passion, cannot arise, because the opposite of passion is equanimity. And then the fifth one is the signless. If you develop the mind to such a peaceful state, to such a still, tranquil state, that there is no sign, no nimitta, no object in the mind, then the The thoughts cannot run after signs. And the last one is interesting because if a monk were to develop his mind until it's so tranquil that the thought or the feeling I am, which is always present in us normally, does not arise and he does not perceive within himself that he is this or that, then doubts about the path cannot arise. This last one concerns the fourth method of meditation mentioned by Venerable Ananda in the previous sutra, Gautama Nikaya 4.170, where it was mentioned by Venerable Ananda that when the monks and nuns attain Arahanthood and they come and declare to him that they have attained Arahanthood, Remember Ananda said that all of them attain Arahanthood by one of four ways. The first one is they develop Samatha first, followed by Vipassana. The second one is Vipassana first, followed by Samatha. The third one is Samatha and Vipassana at the same time. And the fourth one is they meditate on the Self. which is the I am, the thought, the feeling of I am, which is inbuilt in every one of us, the source of the ego. And if we meditate, put our mind on that, the feeling of I am, the mind becomes more and more tranquil, because as long as we are focused on the feeling or the thought I am, the thoughts do not arise, other thoughts do not arise. So we go deeper and deeper into our mind, and if the mind becomes so still that the I am dissolves, there is no more ego felt, then the way is sure, there is no more doubt in you how to pursue the path to Nibbana. So this is a very interesting method. It is sutras like this that give us more insight into how to practice. The next sutra is 6.2.16. Once while the Exalted One was dwelling among the Bagis on Crocodile Hill in the Deer Park at Besakala Grove, the good man The good house father, Nakula's father, or Nakula Pitta, lay sick and ailing, grievously ill. Now his wife, Nakula Mata, or Nakula's mother, spoke thus to him, I pray, good man, die not fretfully. Ill is the fate of the fretful. Decried by the exalted one is the fate of the fretful. Maybe, good man, you think, alas, when I am gone, the good wife, Nakula's mother, will not be able to support the children nor keep the household together. But think not so, good man, for I am skillful at spinning cotton, at carding the matted wool, and I can support the children, keep the household, after you have gone. Wherefore, good men, die not fretfully. Ill is the fate of the fretful. Decried by the Exalted One is the fate of the fretful. Or maybe you think, the good wife, when I am gone, will go to another man. But think not so, good men, for you and I know how for sixteen years we have lived as housefolk the holy life. Wherefore, good men, die not fretfully. Or maybe you think the good wife, after I am gone, will have no desire to see the Exalted One, no desire to see the monks of the Sangha. But think not so, good man, for verily, when you are gone, greater shall be my desire to see the Exalted One, greater shall be my desire to see the Sangha. Wherefore, good man, die not fretfully. Or maybe you think, the good wife, after I am gone, will not keep the virtues in full. But think not so, good man. For so long as the Exalted One shall have white-robed women lay disciples, folk with homes, who keep the virtues in full, I shall be one of them. And if any shall doubt or deny it, let him go and ask the Exalted One. That exalted one, Arahant Sammasambuddha, who dwells here among the bhagis on Crocodile Hill in the Deer Park at Besakala Grove. Wherefore, good men, die not fretfully. Or maybe you think the good wife will not gain the calm of heart within herself. But think not so, good men, for as long as the Exalted One shall have white-robed women lay disciples who gain that state, I shall be one of them. And if any shall doubt or deny it, let him go and ask the Exalted One. Wherefore, good men, die not fretfully. Maybe, good man, you think, the good wife, Nakula's mother, will not, in this Dhamma Vinaya, win to the firm ground, win a firm foothold, win comfort, dissolve doubt, be freed of uncertainty, win confidence, become self-reliant, live in the teacher's word. But think not so, good man, for so long as the Exalted One shall have white-robed women lay disciples, folk with homes. Who in this Dhamma-vinaya win to the firm ground, win a firm foothold, win comfort, dissolve doubt, become freed of uncertainty, win confidence, become self-reliant and live in the Teacher's Word, I shall be one of them. And if any shall doubt or deny it, let him go and ask the Exalted One, that Exalted One, Arahant Samasambuddha, who dwells here among the Balgis on Crocodile Hill in the Deer Park at Besakala Grove. Wherefore, good men, die not fretfully. Ill is the fate of the fretful. Decried by the Exalted One is the fate of the fretful. Now while the good man was being counseled with this counsel by Nakula's mother, even as he lay there, his sickness subsided, and Nakula's father arose from that sickness, and thus that sickness was laid aside by the good man of the house. Now not long after he had got up, Nakula's father, leaning on a stick, visited the exalted one, saluted him and sat down at one side. And to him thus seated, the exalted one said this, It has been to your gain, good man, you have greatly gained, good man, in having had the good wife, Nakula's mother, full of compassion and desiring your will of good. as a counselor, as a teacher. Verily, so long as I have white-robed women lay disciples, folk with homes, who keep the virtues in full, the good wife Nakula's mother will be one of them. So long as I have lay disciples who gain the calm of heart within the self, she will be one of them. So long as I have lay disciples who, in this Dhammavinaya, win to the firm ground and live in the teacher's word, the good wife will be one of them. It has been to your gain, good men, you have greatly gained, good men, in having had the good wife, Nakula's mother, full of compassion and desire for your will as a counselor, as a teacher." That's the end of the sutta. So you see, when this Nakula's father came to see the Buddha, the Buddha, even before he said anything, the Buddha, because of the psychic ability to read his mind, the Buddha straight away told him and confirmed what his wife had said, that she has the virtues in full, that she has tranquility of mind, that she has unshakable faith in the Buddha. This couple, Nakula's mother and Nakula's father, were a very loving couple, and they were like exemplary disciples of the Buddha. And from this sutta you can see it is gain to have a wise wife or a wise husband who encourages and supports one in the spiritual path, who is able to speak the right words at the right time. The other thing you see is that when Nakula's mother was giving all this advice to Nakula's father, he recovered from his sickness, which shows that much of our sickness is due to our frame of mind. If we have the right frame of mind, then we can recover from our sickness. And also you notice the words of Nakula's mother. You can see how some lay disciples during the Buddha's time, how they practiced so well, kept the precepts so purely, practiced meditation to calm the mind, and have unshakable faith in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha from listening to the Buddha's words, and live their lives according to the Dharma. Such people are rare to find even before and also now. The next sutra 6.2.17 On one occasion, while he dwelt near Savatthi at Jeta Grove in Anathapindika's park, the Exalted One, rising from solitude in the evening, approached the service hall, or sala, and on arriving sat down on the seat made ready there. Then too the Venerable Sariputta, rising from solitude in the evening, went to the service hall, saluted the Exalted One and sat down at one side. So likewise came the Venerable Mahamoggalana, the Venerable Mahakasapa, the Venerable Mahakacana, the Venerable Mahakotita, the Venerable Mahacunda, the Venerable Mahakapina, the Venerable Aniruddha, the Venerable Revata, and the Venerable Ananda, and they all sat down at one side. Now after passing much of the night thus seated, the Exalted One rose and entered the dwelling. And soon after He had gone, the Venerable monks also rose and went, each to his dwelling. But the novices, not long gone forth, newly come to this Dhammavinaya, went on snoring and sleeping there, even until sunrise." I'll just stop here for a moment. You see, normally during the Buddha's time, from the suttas, we find that the monks in the morning, they'd go out on Pindabad, arms round. and then they come back and they take their meal. And after taking their meal, they would find a secluded place to practice meditation. And this they would do for the most part of the day. And then when the sun goes down, they would go to where the leader was. In this case, the Buddha was there, they would go to the Buddha. If the Buddha was not around, then they would go to the most senior monk, and there they would discuss Dhamma. Sometimes they would discuss Dhamma, and like in this case, this one of the days when the Buddha had nothing to say to them, probably he had taught them so much, so he just sat in meditation and they also followed him, sat in meditation. And after some time, he went back to his kuti to take his rest. And senior monks also did likewise, went back to the kuti to take a rest. But the young monks, they were in the sala and they were sleeping in the sala and snoring there until the sunrise. And the sutta continues. And the Exalted One, seeing with the Deva eye, surpassing the purity of man, those monks snoring and sleeping till sunrise, went to the service hall and sat down, and being seated, addressed them, saying, Monks, where is Sariputta, where is Mahamoggalana, where is Mahakasapa, Mahakacana, Mahakotita, Mahacunda, Mahakapina, Anuruda, Revata, Ananda? Where have these elder disciples gone, monks? And the young said, Lord, they too, soon after the Exalted One's departure, rose and went, each to his dwelling. And the Buddha said, Monks, then you are now elders, yet novice-like you sleep and snore till sunrise. What think you, monks? Have you either seen or heard of a warrior, Raja, crowned and anointed, living a life of indulgence, given over to the pleasures of the bed, indolence and sloth to his heart's content, and ruling all his life the darling and favourite of the country folk? No indeed, Lord. Well, monks, neither have I. Or have you seen or heard of a farmer, a landowner's son, a general, a village headman, a guild master, each living a life of indulgence, and each managing his affairs all his life, the darling and favorite of his underlings? No, indeed, Lord. Well, monks, neither have I. Then have you ever seen or heard of a recluse or a brahmin indulging himself to his heart's content in the pleasures of bed, indolence and sloth, with sense doors unguarded, knowing no moderation in eating, not practicing wakefulness without right view, nor practicing the practice day in and day out of making become things that wing to his awakening? Yet, having destroyed the āsavas and being āsava-free, entering and abiding in liberation by mind, in liberation by wisdom, and realizing it here and now by his own knowledge, know indeed, Lord. Well, monks, neither have I. Wherefore, monks, train yourselves thus. We will become guarded as to the sense doors. Know moderation in eating. Be practiced in wakefulness. Possess right view. and dwell day in and day out, practicing the practice of making become things that wing to our awakening. Verily, monks, train yourselves thus." That's the end of the sutra. Here the Buddha is telling the young monks that when the elder monks are not around, then they are considered the senior monks, then they should act like senior monks and not indulge in sleep unmindfully. You can see that the Buddha's standard is quite high and he doesn't like his disciples to sleep so much. In the Buddha's teachings, he encouraged the disciples to sleep just a minimum amount, just enough to have enough rest. And these things that he encouraged the young monks to practice, these are the important practices. Guarded as to the sense doors, moderation in eating, devoted to wakefulness, possess right view, etc. So I'll stop here and if you have any questions we can discuss. Sutta 6.2.18. Once when the Exalted One with a great company of monks walked a tour among the Kosalis, He saw as He went along the highway a fisherman who had caught a haul of fish and was selling them as a fishmonger. And the Exalted One at the sight stepped off the road and sat down at the foot of a tree on a seat made ready for Him. And sitting there, he said to the monks, monks, see you that fisherman selling fish as a fishmonger. Yes, Lord. Then what think you, monks? Have you either seen or heard of a fisherman, fishmonger, slaughtering and selling fish, and as a result of such deeds, of that way of living, going about on an elephant, or on horseback, or in a chariot, or carriage, or feasting at feasts, or living in the abundance of great wealth? No, indeed, Lord. Well, monks, neither have I. And why is that? Verily, monks, evilly minded, he gloats on fish being slaughtered, being brought to the slaughter. And because of that, he goes not about on an elephant, nor on horseback, nor in a chariot, nor carriage, nor feast. nor feast at feasts, nor lives in the abundance of great wealth. What think you, monks? Have you either seen or heard of a butcher slaughtering and selling cattle, rams, pigs, or beasts of the forest, and living in the abundance of great wealth? No, indeed, Lord. Well, monks, neither have I. And why is that? Verily, monks, it is because he gloats evilly on their being slaughtered, being brought to the slaughter. Indeed, monks, He who gloats evilly on creatures being slaughtered, being brought to the slaughter, shall not go about on elephants, nor on horseback, nor in chariots, nor in carriages, nor feast at feasts, nor live in the abundance of great wealth. But what shall be said of him who gloats evilly on human beings being slaughtered, being brought to the slaughter. Verily, monks, it shall be to his harm and hurt for many a day. For on the breaking up of the body after death, he shall arise in the wayward way, the ill way, the abyss, hell." That's the end of the sutta. Here the Buddha is making the point that a person who has a livelihood such as this, as a butcher or a fishmonger, he has low or base thinking and because of his base thinking he does not have much merit, he does not have the blessings of great wealth, etc. But sometimes there may be exceptions because sometimes you find somebody doing an evil occupation, yet he seems to be having a good life. He seems to be very rich and all that. That is probably due to his good karma from the past. But because of his present deeds, he's using up his good karma and either in this life itself he will suffer later or in the next birth.

02-AN-Book-6B-(6.2.19-to-6.3.30).txt

Next Uttara is 6.2.19. Once, when the Exalted One was staying in the brick hall at Nadika, He addressed the monks, saying, Monks, Lord, they replied. And the Exalted One said, Monks, mindfulness of death, when developed, made to increase, is very fruitful, great in view. And when he had spoken thus, a monk said to him, How so, monk? Herein, Lord, such is my thought. Were I, day and night, to abide mindful of the Exalted One's word, much would be done by me. Thus, Lord, I develop mindfulness of death. And another said, I too, Lord, develop mindfulness of death. How so, monk? Herein, Lord, such is my thought. Were I day long to abide mindful of the Exalted One's word, much would be done by me. And another said, such is my thought. Were I to abide mindful just so long as I eat an alms meal, And another said, will I to abide mindful as I munch and swallow four or five morsels of food? And another said, as I munch and swallow only one morsel of food? And another said, I too, Lord, develop mindfulness of death. How so, monk? Lord, such is my thought. Will I to abide just so long as I breathe in and out? or breathe out and in, mindful of the Exalted One's Word, much would be done by me. Thus, Lord, I develop mindfulness of death." And when he had spoken thus, the Exalted One said to the monks, "'Monks, the monk who develops mindfulness of death thus, will I, day and night, to abide mindful of the Exalted One's Word?' Or he who thinks thus, will I, day long to abide mindful of the Exalted One's word? Or the one who thinks, as I eat an alms meal, or as I munch and swallow four or five morsels of food, mindful of the Exalted's words, much would be done by me. Those monks are said to live indolently. Slackly they develop mindfulness of death for the destruction of the asavas. But the monk who develops mindfulness of death does, were I to abide mindful of the Exalted One's word as I munch and swallow one morsel of food, and he who thinks thus, were I to abide mindful of the Exalted One's word as I breathe in and out, or out and in, much would be done by me. These monks are said to live earnestly. Keenly they develop mindfulness of death before the destruction of the Asavas. Therefore, monks, train yourselves thus. We will live earnestly. Keenly will we develop mindfulness of death before the destruction of the Asavas. Train yourselves thus, monks." That's the end of the sutra. This mindfulness of death is a very important practice for us in order that we may turn away from the world and practice the holy life. If we were not to remind ourselves that this body is going to die one day and that one day is not very far away, then we would still be very interested in the world because there are many things in the world, especially nowadays, that would attract us. But it is only because we keep reminding ourselves that death would come in the not too distant time that we have this earnestness, this incentive to practice the holy life. You notice the Buddha said about develop, were I to abide mindful of the Exalted One's word, much would be done by me. This mindful of the Buddha's word, that is mindfulness of the Dhamma, Dhammanussati, one of the objects of the Satipatthana meditation. And in this sutta we can see that this Dhammanusati in the Satipatthana Sutta, some people translate it as contemplating the thoughts, but here it would seem to be Dhamma is the Buddha's words. contemplating the Buddha's words, because by contemplating the Buddha's words, the discourses of the Buddha, that is one way to become enlightened or become an ariya. As I mentioned before in one of the suttas, in the chapter of the fives, The Buddha said there are five times a person can become an Arya. One is listening to Dhamma, another one is teaching Dhamma, another one is repeating Dhamma, another one is reflecting on Dhamma, and then the fifth one is during meditation. So in this sutra the Buddha said if we only reflect on death and in a way that you think you ought to reflect on the Buddha's words, only say like once a day, or once a day and night, then the Buddha said that is being very slack, that is not being earnest about the practice. But one who develops mindfulness of death so that with every breath he reminds himself of death, or with every mouthful of food, he reminds himself of death and he thinks of the Buddha's words, then such a person is said to be earnest. In other words, the Buddha is trying to tell us that as often as possible we should remember to practice the mindfulness of death. As often as we can, we should contemplate on the Buddha's words. The next sutta is 6.3.27. Now a certain monk visited the exalted one, saluted him and sat down at one side. And so seated, he said to the exalted one, Lord, how often should one go and see a monk who has developed mind? Manobhavanya. How often should one go and see a monk who has developed mind? And the Buddha said, There are these six times when one should go and see a monk who has developed mind. What six? Hearing monk. When a monk is obsessed in heart by passionate lust, overwhelmed by passionate lust and knows no refuge. As there really is from the search of passionate lust, then let him visit a monk who has developed mind, and say this to him, Good sir, I am indeed obsessed in heart by passionate lust, overwhelmed thereby, nor know I any refuge from the search thereof. Well, worried for me if the venerable one would teach me Dharma to get rid of this lusting. Then the monk will teach him Dharma to rid him of that lust. This monk is the first time to go and see a monk who has developed mind. Again, when in heart he is obsessed by ill-will, or sloth and torpor, or restlessness and worry, or doubt, is overwhelmed thereby, nor knows a refuge from the surge thereof, then let him visit a monk who has developed mind, and say, Good sir, I am obsessed in heart by this and that. Nor know I any refuge from the search thereof. Let the Venerable One teach me Dhamma." And he does so. This monk is the second, third, fourth, and fifth time to go and see a monk who has developed mind. Moreover, monk, when from some object as he concentrates thereon, there comes not to him at intervals asava destruction, nor knows him. Nor knows he that object, nor realizes it. Then let him visit a monk who has developed mind and say, Good sir, from this object, as I concentrate thereon, there comes not to me at intervals asava destruction, nor know I this object, nor realize it. Well were it for me if the venerable one would teach me dhamma to the end that I may destroy the asavas. Then the monk will teach him Dhamma to destroy the Asavas. This monk is the sixth time to go and see a monk who has developed mind. That's the end of the sutra. Here the Buddha is saying when a monk, and it probably also applies to a lay person, when he's obsessed by the five hindrances, by sensual desire or passionate lust, second one is ill will or anger, the third is sloth and torpor, and then restlessness and worry. The fifth one is doubt. If he is very much disturbed by these hindrances, then he should go and seek advice from a monk who has overcome these five hindrances. One who has attained one-pointedness of mind. And sometimes for the sake of Dharma teaching, it is reasonable sometimes to inconvenience a monk. Unless, of course, the teacher monk is meditating or something like that, then it's not proper to disturb him. But if he's not meditating, even at night, It is alright for another monk to go and seek the advice of a senior monk who is able to guide him to overcome the five hindrances. And the sixth one is he cannot grasp or understand the object of meditation, he's not adept at it, then he should go and ask for this advice. This monk who has developed mind here is Mano Bhavaniya. Comes from the word bhava. Bhavaniya comes from the word bhavana. This word bhavana is development. And in the suttas, here you find it is development of mano. development of the mind. In some other sutras we came across samadhi, samadhi bhavana, development of samadhi. And when we talk about bhavana, development, bhavana is usually a word used for meditation. It means development of the mind. And here in the suttas, it's either development of the mano, the mind, or development of samadhi. And it helps us. One who has developed the mind is one who has got rid of the five hindrances. Generally, that is what is understood. Now the next sutra is quite an important sutra, 6.3.29. The Exalted One addressed the Venerable Udayan, saying, How many states are there, Udayan, of ever-minding? Now when he had spoken thus, the Venerable Udayan was silent. And a second and a third time the Exalted One spoke in like manner, but the Venerable Udayan remained silent. Then said the Venerable Ananda to the Venerable Udayan. Udayan, Venerable Sir, the Master addresses you. And Udayan said, I am listening to the Exalted One, Ananda, Venerable Sir. Lord, a monk remembers many previous existences, that is to say, one birth, two births, and so on. He remembers many previous existences in all their modes, in all their detail. This, Lord, is a state of ever-minding." Then said the Exalted One, I knew Ananda, this foolish fellow Udayan, did not live intent on higher thought. How many states of ever-minding are there, Ananda? Lord, there are five states. What five? Herein, Lord, a monk, aloof from sensual desires, enters and abides in the first jhāna, the second jhāna, and the third jhāna. This state of ever-minding, Lord, thus made to become, thus made to increase, leads to dwelling at ease here and now. Again, Lord, he concentrates on the thought of light, fixes his mind on the thought of day. As by day, so by night. As by night, so by day. Thus, with mind neither hampered nor hindered, he makes his mind become radiant. This state of ever-minding, Lord, thus made to become, thus made to increase, leads to the gain of insight knowledge, jnana-darsana. Again, Lord, He considers this body, upwards from the soles of His feet, downwards from the hair of His head, as skin-bound, as full of diverse impurities. There are in this body the hair of the head, the hair of the body, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, sinews, bones, marrow, kidney, heart, liver, pleura, spleen, lungs, intestines, mesentery, belly, or stomach, dung, bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tears, grease, or limp, spittle, snot, synovia, or oil of the joint, urine. This state of ever-minding, Lord, thus made to increase, leads to the riddance of passionate lust. Again, Lord, suppose he see a body cast away in a cemetery, one day dead, two days dead, or three days dead, bloated, blue-black, a mess of pus. He compares his own body thus. This body too is subject thus. Thus it will come to be. This is not past. Or suppose he sees such a body being eaten by crows, ravens, vultures, dogs, jackals, vermin, he compares his own body in like manner. So too, a body that is a chain of bones, with flesh and blood sinew-bound, or fleshless but blood-dispattered sinew-bound, or without flesh or blood sinew-bound, or but bones scattered here and there, Here a hand bone, there a foot bone, there a leg bone, here a thigh bone, here a hip bone, there a back bone, here a skull. Should he see a body cast away in a cemetery, the bones of which are white as a seashell, a heap of bones, a rotting, powdering mess, years old, he compares his own body thus. This body too is subject thus. Thus it will come to be. This is not past. This state of ever-minding, Lord, thus made become, thus made to increase, leads to the rooting out of the conceit, I am. Then, Lord, putting by pleasure, a monk enters and abides in the fourth jhāna. This state of ever-minding, Lord, thus made become, thus made to increase, leads to the complete penetration of the countless elements. Lord, there are these five states of ever-minding. Sādhu, sādhu, ananda. Well done, well done, ananda. And hold to this six to be a state of ever-minding. Here in ananda, a monk goes out mindful, comes in mindful, stands mindful, sits mindful, lies down mindful, and is mindful in performing action. This state of ever-minding, ananda, thus made become, thus made to increase, leads to mindfulness and self-possession. That's the end of the sutta. This is a very good sutra. Here there are five states of ever-minding or mindfulness that Venerable Ananda said. The first one is the three jhanas, which leads to a dwelling at ease here and now. And the second one is he concentrates on the thought of light, fixes his mind on the thought of day, as by day so by night, as by night so by day. Thus with mind neither hampered nor hindered, it makes his mind become radiant. and this leads to insight knowledge. So you see, this is the best condition for a person to obtain jnana, dasana, seeing, sometimes it's translated as seeing and knowing, sometimes it's translated as insight knowledge. So from here you can understand the purpose of samadhi, the purpose of jhana, why jhana is very often stressed in the Buddha's discourses. And the reason is jhāna literally is a state of mental incandescence when the mind becomes very bright. And here we know why the Buddha wants us to cultivate the mind very bright because it leads to insight knowledge. If the mind is dull, it's not bright, it does not lead to insight knowledge. Then the third Another thing that Ananda mentioned is the meditation on the 32 parts of the body. And here it is said that the meditation on the 32 parts of the body leads to the riddance of passionate lust. Lust is abandoned this way. This meditation on the 32 parts of the body is both a samatha and a vipassana practice, a tranquilization practice as well as a contemplation practice. In the earlier sutta we read, Anguttara Nikaya 2.3.10, it is said that samatha leads to the riddance of passionate lust. Samatha, just plain samadhi itself, when the mind becomes very strong, very strongly concentrated, the hindrances are abandoned. And passionate lust is one of the hindrances. So this is another way to get rid of passionate lust by contemplation on the 32 parts of the body. Then the fourth one is meditation on the corpse, the different types of corpse. A corpse that is three days old, bloated, blue-black, a mass of pus, etc. Then when we think of this type of corpse, then we think of our own body. One day our body will also be like that. foul-smelling, rotting, or a few days later it is broken up, eaten up by crows, vultures, dogs, worms, etc. So in the same way we also think that one day our body will be like that or after some time when most of the flesh is eaten up then it is a chain of bones with some flesh left, some blood left and the sinews are still there binding all the bones together or it is fleshless, no more flesh but still some blood on it and the sinews are still there binding, holding all the bones together or later without flesh or blood and then later when the sinews are also gone and then the bones are scattered here and there. Here a hand bone, there a foot bone, there a leg bone etc. Then later the bones become white as a seashell and later even turns to powder. So when we think about how this body is going to end up that way, it helps us to get rid of the conceit, I am. Then the fifth one is the fourth jhāna, and it's stated here the fourth jhāna leads to the complete penetration of the countless elements. The fourth jhāna is superior to the earlier three jhānas, and because it is such a tranquil state, that deep insight can be obtained from the fourth jhāna. And then the sixth one that the Buddha mentioned is mindfulness of our body in the sense of that a monk goes out mindful, comes in mindful, stands mindful, sits mindful, lies down mindful and is mindful in performing action. This leads to mindfulness and self-possession. By itself, it doesn't give you insight when you are mindful of your bodily actions. By itself, it does not lead us to much wisdom, but it maintains our mindfulness and self-possession. And if we can maintain our mindfulness without it being broken, then it leads to concentration, to a low stage of concentration. And it helps us to develop samadhi. In the Satipatthana Sutta, there are various contemplations on the body, and the earlier ones are more useful, like the 32 parts of the body, the corpse and all that, because it, especially the corpse one, it gives us some urgency to practice. I'll stop here for a while. The next sutra is 6.3.30. Monks, these six are above all. What six? The sight above all, the sound above all, the gain above all, the training above all, the service above all, the ever-minding above all. And what monks is the sight above all? Herein, monks, some go to see the treasures, the elephant, the horse, the gem, to see diverse things, to see some recluse or brahmin wrong in view, treading the wrong path. And is that the sight, monks? No, I say it is not. It is indeed a mean sight, common, vulgar, un-Aryan, not well-founded, leading not to world-weariness, dispassion, ending, calm, knowledge, awakening, nibbana. But some, endowed with faith and piety, sure in trust, go to see the Tathāgata or the Tathāgata's disciple. That monk is the sight above all sights for purging men, overcoming grief and woe. clearing away ill and pain, winning truth and realizing Nibbāna, I mean going to see the Tathāgata or His disciple, endowed with faith and piety, sure in trust. This monk is called the sight above all. Hearing is the sight above all. And what, monks, is the sound above all? Hearing, monks, some go to hear the sound of the drum, the lute, the sound of song, to hear diverse things, to hear the dhamma of some recluse or brahmin, wrong in view, treading the wrong path. And is that the sound, monks? No, I say it is not. It is indeed a mean sound. common, vulgar, un-Aryan, etc. But some, endowed with faith and piety, sure in trust, go to hear the Tathāgata's dhamma, or his disciples. That monk is the sound above all sounds for purging men. I mean going to hear the Tathāgata's dhamma, or his disciples' dhamma, or his disciples'. This monk is called the sound above all. Hearing is the sight and sound above all. And what, monks, is a gain above all? Herein, monks, some gain the gain of a son, or a wife, or wealth, gain diverse things, gain faith in some recluse or brahmin, wrong in view, treading the wrong path. And is that a gain, monks? No, I say it is not. It is indeed a mean gain. But some, endowed with faith and piety, sure in trust, Gain faith in the Tathāgata or his disciple. That monks is the gain above all gains for purging man. I mean gaining faith in the Tathāgata or his disciple. This monks is called the gain above all. Herein is the sight, sound and gain above all. And what monks is the training above all? Herein monks, some train in elephant law, in horsemanship, in the use of the chariot, the bow, the sword, train in diverse ways, train after the way of some recluse or brahmin wrong in view, treading the wrong path. And is that the training monks? No, I say it is not. It is indeed a mean training. But some, endowed with faith and piety, sure in trust, train in the onward course of higher virtue, higher mind, and higher wisdom, according to the Dhamma-vinaya declared by the Tathāgata. That monks is the training above all training for purging men. I mean training in the onward course of higher virtue, higher mind, and higher wisdom. This, monks, is called the training above all. Herein is the sight, sound, gain, and training above all. And what, monks, is the service above all? Herein, monks, some serve a warrior, a brahmin, a householder, serve diverse folks, serve some recruits or brahmin wrong in view, treading the wrong path. And is that the service, monks? No, I say it is not. It is indeed a mean service. But some, endowed with faith and piety, sure in trust, serve the Tathāgata or his disciple. That, monks, is the service above all services for purging men. I mean serving the Tathāgata or his disciple. This monks is called the service above all. Herein is the sight, sound, gain, training and service above all. And what monks is the everminding above all? Herein monks, some evermind the gain of a son or a wife or wealth, evermind diverse gains, evermind some recluse or brahmin wrong in view, treading the wrong path. And is that the ever-minding monks? No, I say it is not. It is indeed a mean ever-minding, common, vulgar, un-Aryan, not well-founded, leading not to world-weariness, dispassion, ending, calm, knowledge, awakening, nibbāna. But some, endowed with faith and piety, sure in trust, ever mind the Tathāgata or the Tathāgata's disciple. That monk is the ever-minding above all. everminding for purging man, overcoming grief and woe, clearing away ill and pain, winning truth and realizing Nibbāna. I mean everminding the Tathāgata or his disciple, endowed with faith and piety, sure in trust. This monk is called the everminding above all. Verily, monks, these are the six above all." That's the end of the sutta. Here the Buddha is saying that the sight above all sights is going to see the Tathagata or his disciples. And then the sound above all sounds is to hear the Tathagata's Dhamma or his disciples. And the gain above all gains is to gain faith in the Tathagata or his disciples. And the training above all is the training in the higher virtue, the higher mind, and the higher wisdom. This is the Adi Sila, Adi Citta, and Adi Panna. And then the service above all service is to serve the Tathagata or his disciple. And the everminding above all, that is remembering, is to evermind the Tathagata or the Tathagata's disciple. You see, the Buddha is saying the right path leads to world weariness, dispassion, ending, calm, knowledge, awakening, nibbana. If we practice anything that leads to greater passion for the world, greater excitement for the world, that is not the spiritual path, not the holy path. It is a path that leads to enjoyment of the world which ends in more dukkha. But the path that leads to weariness of the world is a path that leads to dispassion for the world. And that is a path that leads ultimately to the greatest happiness.

03-AN-Book-6C-(6.4.34-to-6.5.44).txt

The next sutra is 6.4.34. Once when the Exalted One dwelt near Savati at Jetha Grove in Anathapindika's park, this thought came to the Venerable Mahamoggalana, gone apart for solitude. To how many devas is there this knowledge? We have won to the stream, are no more for the abyss, in sureness we make for the awakening beyond. I'll just stop here to comment a bit. The Mahamoggalana, when he was dwelling in solitude, in seclusion, he thought whether there are many devas who have entered the stream, that means have become an ariya, that means are no more for the abyss, that means they will never be reborn into the woeful plains of the Hell realm, the animal realm and the ghost realm. Insurance to make for the awakening beyond. That means once a person has become an Arya, then he will definitely become fully enlightened in a few more lifespans. And the sutra continues. Now at that time a monk named Tissa had just died and was reborn in one of the Brahma worlds. And they knew him even there as Tissa the Mighty, Tissa the Powerful. Then the Venerable Mahamoggalana as a strong man might stretch out his bent arm, might bend his stretched arm, vanished from Jeta Grove and appeared in that Brahma world. And Devatissa saw the Venerable one from afar coming along, and on seeing him said, Come worthy Moggallāna, welcome worthy Moggallāna. It's long since you made this round, I mean come here. Pray be seated good sir, here is the seat ready. And the Venerable Mahā Moggallāna sat down. And Deva Tissa, after saluting, sat down also at one side. Then said the Venerable Mahamoglana to Deva Tissa, so seated, To how many Devas, Tissa, is there this knowledge? We have won to the stream, are no more for the abyss. In sureness we make for the awakening beyond. And Tissa said, The four royal Devas, worthy, sir, have this knowledge. What? Have they all this knowledge? No, worthy sir, not all. Those four royal devas who possess not perfect faith in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, possess not perfect faith in the virtues beloved by Aryans, they know not that. But those who possess such faith, they know. We have won to the stream, are no more for the abyss, insurance we make for the awakening beyond. And is it just the four royal devas who have this knowledge, or do the devas of the 33, Yamas devas, the devas of Tusita, the devas who delight in creating, and the devas who have power over others' creations also have this knowledge? They also, worthy sir, have this knowledge. What, all of them? No, not those who possess not perfect faith in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha and the virtues, but those who have such faith, they know it. And the Venerable Mahamoggalana approved and commended Brahmatissa's words. And as a strong man might stretch and bend his arm, he vanished from the Brahma world and appeared at Jeta Grove. That's the end of the sutta. It's one of the interesting suttas which shows how those arahants in those days, they had psychic power so they could just vanish from earth and appear in the heavens and come back in the same way. And you can see like this, Devatissa, because he was a good monk before, then when he was reborn as a deva, he was very powerful, very mighty. They called him Tissa the powerful, Tissa the mighty. So some monks who practice the holy path well, when they are reborn as devas, they are very mighty and powerful. And here it is stated, those who become Arya are those who have unshakable faith in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, and they also have perfect moral conduct. Now, perfect moral conduct is not all the five precepts. If you look at the Aryan Eightfold Path, We have three factors that comprise the Sila section. It is right speech, right action, and right livelihood. Right speech is abstaining from the four kinds of wrong speech, from lying, from malicious tailbearing, from coarse words, and from idle gossip. And right action is to abstain from killing, from stealing, from committing adultery. And wrong livelihood, right livelihood is that kind of livelihood that does not harm other living beings or oneself. So it does not include the precept against drinking. That is why in one of the suttas, in the Samyutta Nikaya, we find that there was one person, one Sakyan by the name of Sarakani. It seems he took to liquor. He must have drank a considerable amount of liquor. And yet, the Buddha said that when he died, he was an Arya. So, these are the four characteristics of Arya, unshakable faith in the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha, and he has perfect virtue. The next sutra is 6.4.36. Monks, these six are the roots of contention. What six? Monks, suppose a monk be angry, scornful, and he being so, he lives without reverence. with respect for the Master, for Dhamma, for the Sangha, and he fulfills not the training. And he who lives thus causes contention in the order, and that is to the hurt and sorrow of many folk, to the harm of many folk, to the hurt and ill of devas and men. Monks, if you see this root of contention among you or among others, strive to rid yourselves of this evil thing, and if you see it not, step away to stop its future cankering or arising. Thus is this evil root of contention got rid of, and thus there shall be no more future cankering or arising. Again, monks, suppose a monk be a hypocrite, malicious, or envious and mean, or deceitful, crafty, or evil-minded and wrong in view, or view-bound, tenacious, stubborn, And if he be any of these things, he lives without reverence, respect for the Master, Dhamma and Sangha, nor fulfills he the training. And he who lives thus causes contention in the Sangha, to the hurt and ill of devas and men. Monks, if you see these roots of contention, strive to be rid of these evil things. And if you see them not, step the way to stop its future cankering or arising. Thus are these evil roots rid, and thus there shall be no future cankering or arising. Verily, monks, these are the six roots of contention." That's the end of the sutta. Here the Buddha is saying that there are certain qualities that if a monk possesses, it leads to contention. These are unwholesome traits or habits. The first one is being angry or scornful. The second one is being a hypocrite or malicious. The third one, envious and mean. And then deceitful and crafty. And then evil-minded and having wrong view. And then view-bound, that means having too much views and being stubborn and tenacious. And it is not easy for people to live together, for example, in a monastery. And there are some people who are unaccommodating, not willing to change their bad habits. Such people cannot live. in a monastery with others, because if you allow them to live with others, they will cause contention and fights and quarrels. So such people, if they are not willing to change their habits, not willing to accommodate other people, allow for other people's faults, etc., then it is better that they live alone. Not all people can live under the same roof with others. The next sutra is 6.4.37. It's also quite a good, important sutra. Once when the Exalted One dwelt near Savati at Jeta Grove in Anathapindika's park, Nanda's mother, the Velukkandakan lay disciple, founded an offering sixfold endowed for the Sangha of monks with Sariputta and Mahamoggalana at the head. Now the Exalted One with the Deva eye, surpassing in clarity the eye of man, saw this and addressed the monks thus. Monks, this lay disciple of Velu Khandaka, Nanda's mother, has founded an offering, Sixfold Endowed, for the Sangha. And how, monks, is the offering Sixfold Endowed? Monks, the giver's part is threefold, and the receiver's part is threefold. And what is the giver's threefold part? Herein, monks, before the gift, he is glad at heart. In giving, the heart is satisfied. And uplifted is the heart when he has given. This is the giver's threefold part. And what is the receiver's threefold part? Here in monks, they are lust-free, or stepping to cast lust out. Are hate-free, or stepping to cast hate out. Are delusion-free, or stepping to become so. This is the receiver's threefold part. Thus the giver's part is threefold, and the receiver's part is threefold. Thus verily, monks, the offering is sixfold endowed. Monks, not easy is it to grasp the measure of merit of such a sixfold endowed offering, and to say, thus much is the yield in merit, the yield in goodness, making for a lucky, Hereafter, ripening to happiness, leading heavenward, leading to weal and happiness, longed for, loved and lovely. Verily, this great mass of merit is reckoned just unreckonable, immeasurable. Monks, as it is not easy to grasp the measure of water in the great ocean and to say, there are so many pale fools, so many hundreds of pale fools, so many thousands of pale fools, so many hundreds of thousands of pale fools, For that great mass of water is unrecognizable, immeasurable. Even so, monks, it is not easy to grasp the measure of merit in a sixfold endowed offering. Verily, the great mass of merit is unrecognizable, immeasurable." That's the end of the sutra. So in this sutra we find one day, The Nanda Mata, Nanda's mother, was making an offering, dana, of food to Venerable Sariputta and Mahamoggalana and the Sangha of monks. And from far away, the Buddha, because of his psychic power, he saw this. and he told his monks that this offering that Nanda's mother was making has six qualities, and because of these six qualities, the merit is immeasurable. First, the giver's partner, the giver, before he gives the offering, he is very happy, he or she is very happy. And while he or she is giving the dāna, he or she is very happy and even after the offering that person is again very happy. That means he gives with a lot of happiness in giving without holding back. And then the receiver is either a person who has abandon or cut off lust, hatred and delusion, or a person walking the path to cut off lust, hatred and delusion. In other words, that person is either an Arahant or an Arya. who is practicing to totally eliminate lust, hatred, and delusion. These three things sometimes is called lust, hatred, and delusion. Sometimes lust here would be raga, hatred would be dosa, and delusion would be moha. Sometimes these three things, there's a slight variation, sometimes it is Greed, hatred and delusion. Greed is low bar. So here it's mentioned as lust. So if a person gives to an ariya, and that person gives with a lot of happiness before the offering, during the offering, and after the offering, then that kind of dana is immeasurable merit. Just as the ocean cannot be measured, so too Merit from this offering cannot be measured. Sutta number 6.4.38 Now a certain Brahmin visited the Exalted One, greeted Him, and after exchanging the usual polite talk, sat down at one side. So seated, he said to the Exalted One, This, Master Gautama, is my avowal, this is my view. There is no self-agency, atakaro, no other agency, parakaro. Then the Buddha said, Never, Brahmin, have I seen or heard of such an avowal, such a view. Pray, how can one step onwards, how can one step back, yet say there is no self-agency, there is no other agency? What think you, Brahmin? Is there such a thing as initiative? Yes, sir. That being so, are men known to initiate? Yes, sir. Well, Brahmin, since there is initiative and men are known to initiate, this is among men the self-agency, this is the other agency. What think you, Brahmin? Is there such a thing as stepping away, stepping forth, halting, standing, and stepping towards anything? Yes, sir. That being so, are men known to do all these things? Yes, sir. Well, Brahmin, since there are such things as stepping away, stepping forth and the rest, and men are known to do these things, this is among men the self-agency, this is the other agency. Never, Brahmin, have I seen or heard of such an avowal, such a view as yours. Pray, how can one step onward, step back and say there is no self-agency, there is no other agency? And the Brahmin said, this indeed is wonderful, Master Gautama, etc. And henceforth, till life ends, I will go to Master Gautama for help. That's the end of the sutra. So at the end, the Brahmin took refuge with the Buddha. This sutta is quite an interesting one because here this man is saying there is no atakaro. Ata is the self, karo is the one who does. So here they translate it as no self agency. No self agency, no self who does. This is something like saying there is no self. This man is saying there's no such thing as a self. But the Buddha In our Buddhist teaching, although the Buddha said the doctrine of Anatta, which is normally translated as no-self, actually that should probably be translated as no-soul, because soul is supposed to be something that is permanent, unchanging, that exists forever. But in the Buddha's teaching there is a self but it is an impermanent self. It is an impermanent self. That is why the Buddha said there is such a thing as initiative and men are known to use their initiative. stepping forward and stepping backwards, etc. So the Buddha is saying here that there is such a thing as a self. Probably what he means is it is an impermanent self. So this Sutta in a way shows that this theory of no-self was probably not started by the Buddha. Probably during the Buddha's time there was already such views as there is no-self. And so it's just that the Buddha's interpretation is that there is no soul such a thing, soul meaning such a thing that is permanent, unchanging, that exists forever and ever. The next sutra is 6.4.41. Thus have I heard. Once when the Venerable Sariputta dwelt on Mount Vulture Peak near Rajagaha, he robed himself early in the morning, and taking bowl and robe, descended the hill with many monks in company. Now at a certain spot, the Venerable Sariputta saw a large log of wood. And there he addressed the monks and said, See you reverence that large log of wood. Yes sir, they replied. An adept monk reverences one to mind control, and if he wish, view it as earth. Wherefore, there is earth in that log of wood, the earth element. Hence an adept can view it as earth. He can, if he wishes, view it as water, as fire, as wind, as beautiful, as ugly. Wherefore, there are references, the elements of all these things in that log of wood. Hence an adept, one to mind control, can view that log in such ways. This is the end of the sutta. Here an adept means one who has finished his work, meaning an arahant. I think the Pali word is idimma. Idimma is one who has been, you could say, successful. Because id, one meaning of id is success. Another one is psychic powers. So you could say one with psychic power or one with who has been successful in the spiritual path. But the Venerable Sariputta, even though he has attained all the jhanas, he is known not to have psychic power. So probably he does not refer to psychic power here, he refers to an arahant, one who has been successful in the holy path. So he said, an adept monk, an arahant, can view even a lung as earth, or water, or fire, that is heat, or wind. These are the four elements in a physical object. and as beautiful or ugly. This shows that a person who has full control of his mind can do these things. And actually that is why the one-pointedness of mind is very important. Samadhi in the Buddha's teachings is one-pointedness of mind. The aim of samadhi is to have control over the mind. And so that, as in one of the earlier suttas we read, then a person can view something that is attractive as loathsome, something as loathsome as even attractive. That is all because all these are perceptions of the mind, perceptions are due to habit and perceptions can be changed if we train the mind. Sometimes people say that mindfulness is very important. Mindfulness is important, but by itself it is not sufficient. For example, sometimes a person can know he is mindful, he knows that what he is doing is wrong, and yet he continues to do it. Why? Because he is not in full control of his mind. For example, sometimes a man or a woman may know that to commit adultery is wrong. And yet because passion or lust controls his mind, he is unable to overcome this passion or lust. So the lust or passion controls his mind rather than the mind controlling passion. Hence the importance of samadhi in the Buddha's teachings. Another sutra, 6.5.44. One morning, the Venerable Ananda, robing himself early, took bowl and robe and went to the house of the lay disciple Migasala, and there sat down on a seat made ready. And Migasala came and saluted him and sat down at one side. So seated, she said to the Venerable Ananda, Pray, Reverend Sir, how ought one to understand this Dhamma taught by the Exalted One? that both he who lives the holy life and he who does not shall become like wayfarers in the world to come. My father, Sir Purana, lived the holy life, dwelling apart, abstaining from common carnal things, and when he died, the Exalted One explained, he is a once-returner dwelling into Sita heaven. My uncle, Sir Isidarta, did not live the holy life, but rejoiced with a wife, and of him also, when dead, the Exalted One said, He is a once-returner dwelling into Sita heaven. Reverend Ananda, how ought one to understand this dharma? And Venerable Ananda said, Even sister, as the Exalted One has said. And when the Venerable Ananda had received alms in Migasala's house, he rose from his seat and departed. Now, stop here for a while just to comment that probably Ananda, Venerable Ananda could not explain to this Migasala, that's why he said, you just remember it as the Exalted One said and left. Now the sutta continues. Now on his return from alms-gathering, after his meal, the Venerable Ananda visited the Exalted One, saluted Him and sat down at one side. And so seated, he told the Exalted One all that had occurred, adding, I told Her, Lord, to understand the matter even as the Exalted One had explained. And the Buddha said, But Ananda, who is the lay disciple of Migasala, a foolish, frail, motherly body with but mother wit, to understand the diversity in the person of man. These six persons, Ananda, are found in the world. What six? Consider Ananda, one well-restrained, a comely person, in whose company his fellows in the holy life take pleasure, yet in whom hearing Dhamma is of no effect, much learning is of no effect, in whom there is no view penetration, who wins not partial release. He, on the breaking up of the body after death, sets out to fall, not to excel, fares to a fall, fares not to excellence. Consider another well restrained likewise, but in whom hearing Dhamma has effect, much learning has effect, in whom there is view penetration, who wins partial release, he after death sets out to excel, not to fall, fares to excellence, not to a fall, and the measurers measure them, saying, his stature is just this, the others just that. In what way is one wanting, one exalted? And that measuring ānanda is to the measureless harm and hurt for many a day. Now the one in whom listening has effect, who wins partial release, that person ānanda has marched further forward, is more exalted than the former. And why is that? The stream of Dhamma carries him forward ānanda. But who, save the Tathāgata, can judge that difference? Therefore, Ananda, be no measurer of persons. Measure not the measure of persons. Verily, Ananda, he digs a pit for himself who measures the measure of persons. I alone, Ananda, can measure their measure, or one like me. Consider Ananda, a person in whom wrath and pride are conquered, but in whom greed from time to time surges, in whom hearing Dhamma is of no effect, and another in whom hearing has effect. He after death sets out to excel, not to fall, fares to excellence, not to afford. That person has marched further forward, is more exalted than the former. I alone, Ananda, can measure their measure. Consider one in whom wrath and pride are conquered, but in whom the whirl of words from time to time surges, in whom hearing Dhamma and learning are of no effect, in whom there is no view penetration, who wins not partial release, he after death sets out to fall, not to excel. fares to a fall, fares not to excellence. And another, likewise, but in whom hearing Dhamma and learning have effect, in whom there is view penetration, who wins partial release, he after death sets out to excel, not to fall, fares to excellence, not to a fall. And the measurers measure them likewise. And it is to their harm and hurt for many a day. And in whom hearing Dhamma and learning have effect, that one has marched further forward, is more exalted than the former. And why? The Dhamma stream carries him forward. But who save the Tathāgata can judge this difference? Therefore Ananda, be no measurer of persons, measure not the measure of persons. Verily Ananda, he digs a pit for himself who measures the measure of persons. I alone, Ananda, can measure their measure, or one like me. And who is the lay disciple, Migasala, a foolish, frail, motherly body, with but mother wit, to understand the diversity in the person of man? Verily, Ananda, these six persons are found in the world. Ananda, with such virtue as Purana was endowed, Isidata may become endowed. Herein Purana fares not Isidata's way, but another's. With such insight as Isidāta was endowed, Pūrāṇa may become endowed. Herein Isidāta fares not Pūrāṇa's way, but another's. Thus verily Ananda, both these men are wanting in one thing. That's the end of the sutta. Here this lady, Migasala, she was a bit perplexed because the father and the uncle, both when they died, the Buddha said that they were both once returners. That means Sakadagamin, second stage fruition person. But one of them was a lay person, the other one was a monk. So this Migasala couldn't understand why one is a lay person, one is a monk, but yet both of them obtained the same fruit of the holy life. So the Buddha explained the six types of persons found in the world. And the Buddha said not to measure another person. The Buddha said, Be no measurer of persons, measure not the measure of persons. Verily Ananda, he digs a pit for himself who measures the measure of persons. So here the Buddha is giving a warning that it is dangerous to judge other people, especially a person who wears the robe. It's very difficult for lay people to judge. So we have to remember to be very careful when we criticize some monks because sometimes you might think a monk has wrong view and he may have right view. Especially if a monk practices, keeps the precepts and meditates, you have to be very, very careful not to criticize such a monk or develop hatred for such a monk. In the end, the Buddha said that Purana was, although both of them, Purana and Isiddhata, were once returners, but Purana excelled in virtue, whereas Isiddhata excelled in insight. So both of them, they had slightly different qualities, but both of them are Sakadagamins.

04-AN-Book-6D-(6.5.45-to-6.5.54).txt

The next sutra is 6.5.45. The Buddha said, monks, is poverty a woeful thing for an immoral worldly person? Surely Lord, a monk replied. And when a man is poor, needy, in straits, he gets into debt, is that woeful too? Surely, Lord. And when he gets into debt, he borrows, is that woeful too? Surely, Lord. And when the bill falls due, he pays not, and they press him, is that woeful too? Surely, Lord. And when pressed, he pays not, and they beset him. Is that woeful too? Surely, Lord. And when beset, he pays not, and they bind him, tie him up. Is that woeful too? Surely, Lord. Thus monks, poverty, debt, borrowing, being pressed, beset, and bound are all woes for an immoral worldly person. Monks, it is just the same for anyone who has no faith, in wholesome states or skillful states, is not conscientious about wholesome states, has no fear or blame about wholesome states, no energy for wholesome states, no insight into wholesome states. He is said to be poor, needy, in straits in the Aryan discipline. Now that very man, poor, needy, in straits, wanting in faith, conscientiousness, fear of blame, energy and insight concerning wholesome states, works evilly in deed, word and thought. I call that his getting into debt, and to cloak his evil deeds he lays hold upon false hope. Let none know this of me, he hopes. Let none know this of me, he resolves. Let none know this of me, he says. Let none know this of me, he strives in act. So likewise, cloak his evil words, his evil thoughts. I call that his borrowing. Then his pious fellows in the holy life saved us. This venerable sir acts in this sort, carries on in this way. I call that his being pressed. Then gone to forest, tree root or lonely place, evil unwholesome thoughts and attendant remorse pursue him. I call that his being beset. And that man, monks, poor, needy, in straits, having worked evilly in deed, word, and thought, on the breaking up of the body after death, is bound in hell's bonds, or the bonds of some animal's womb. And I see no other single bondage, monks, so harsh, so bitter, such a bar to winning the unsurpassed peace from effort. I mean hell's bonds, or the bonds of an animal's womb. That's the end of the sutra. So the Buddha is saying, just as a poor man, because he is poor, he gets into debt, and then he is being chased by the debtors for payment, and he cannot pay them, and they tie him up, then he is in a very sorrowful condition. So in the same way, the Buddha said, if a person does not know about wholesome states, cannot differentiate between wholesome and unwholesome states, that means he does not understand the law of karma, then He is also like that poor man, and he tries to hide his evil actions, and then other people criticize him, then he's being pressed, being beset. And even his thoughts, unwholesome thoughts, and thoughts of remorse pursue him. and that person after death is born into the woeful planes. Now the two woeful planes are three. Hell is the worst, the second is the animal realm, and the third is the ghost realm. But here the Buddha says, I see no other single bondage monks so harsh, so bitter, such a bar to winning the unsurpassed peace from effort as hell's bonds or the bonds of an animal's womb. Buddha is saying that when a person falls into hell or into the animal realm, that person stays there for a very long time, a very long time. And because that person has no chance of creating good merit, it's very difficult to get out from that two states, hell and the animal womb. And that person stays there for a very long time until the karma, most of that evil karma is worked out. Then only that person comes up. The next sutra is 6.5.46. Thus have I heard, once the Venerable Maha Chunda lived among the cetis at Sahajati, and there he spoke to the monks, saying, Monks, reverences. Reverences, they rejoined, and the Venerable Maha Chunda said, There are some monks, dhamma zealots, who blame meditators, saying, These fellows say we are meditators, we are meditators. They meditate and are meditated. And what do they meditate about? What's good of them meditating? How do they meditate? Thereat, neither the Dharmazilots nor the meditator monks are pleased, nor have they fared onwards for the will of many folk, for the happiness, their good, nor for the will and happiness of devas and men." I'll just stop here for a while. Here, the Venerable Mahacunda is saying that there are some monks who are what we call scholar monks and they criticize meditator monks. Here the word meditator is jayino or jayina and to meditate is jayati or jayanti. Actually this word jayati or jayanti literally means to burn and another meaning is bright, incandescent. And that is the word that is used for jhāna. Jhāna is a state where the mind becomes one-pointed and the mind becomes bright. So in the early days of the Buddha or Buddhism, during the Buddha's time, meditation was synonymous to cultivating jhāna. That is why the word jayati actually means to cultivate jhāna. That is why from this we can understand why in early The early stages of Buddhism in China, they had this meditation school, which was called the Chánzhōng. Chánzhōng is the Zen school. And this Chán, the Chinese word Chán, comes from the word Chán-nó. It's an abbreviation of Chan-no, and Chan-no is the Pali word jana. So in early stages of Buddhism, meditation is plainly synonymous with cultivating jana. And to continue, Maha Chunda said, and there are some monks, meditators, who blame Dharmazilots, saying, these fellows say we are Dharmazilots, we are Dharmazilots. They are puffed up, proud, excitable fellows, mouthy, speechifies, forgetful of mindfulness, lacking self-possession and composure. with their thoughts a wonder, and their senses uncontrolled. And what is their dharma zeal? What goods their dharma zeal? How are they zealous in dharma? There too, neither the meditators nor the dharma zealots are pleased, nor have they fared onwards for the will of many folk. And there are some Dharmazilots who just praise Dharmazilots, who praise not meditators. There too, neither Dharmazilots nor meditators are pleased. And so, neither are pleased, nor have they fared onwards for the will of many folk, for the happiness, their good, for the will and happiness of devas and men. Therefore, sirs, you should train yourselves thus. In being dharma zealots, we will praise meditators. Thus should you train yourselves, reverend sirs. And why? Verily, sirs, these wondrous persons are hardly found in the world, they who live with their whole being in tune with the deathless. And you should train yourselves thus, reverend sirs. Being meditators, we will praise Dharmazilots. Thus should you train yourselves, reverend sirs. And why? Verily sirs, these wondrous persons are hardly found in the world. They who with insight penetrate and see the deep way of the goal. That's the end of the sutta. In this sutta you find the scholar monks blaming the, criticizing the meditator monks. And the meditator monks sometimes criticize the scholarly monks. But if a monk is a well-developed monk, he should both be a scholar monk as well as a meditator monk. You can see many of the Buddha's arahants, they knew the suttas very well and yet they were good in their meditation so that they became arahants. Now, since time immemorial, people have been criticizing each other. Even the Buddha was criticized by external sect ascetics, and the Buddha also criticized external sect ascetics. But in the Buddha's teachings, the Buddha taught that we should criticize wrong teachings in order to point out the true teachings. However, we should not get personal. So we should criticize the wrong teachings to point out the true teachings. But we should not get personal and criticize persons, only the teachings. Because if we get personal, then anger arises and unwholesome states of mind arise. And there will be a lot of problems in the Sangha. Now we come to the next sutra, 6.5.49. Once, when the Exalted One was dwelling near Savati at Jeta Grove in Anathapindika's park, the Venerable Kema and the Venerable Sumana dwelt in Anda Grove near Savati, and they went and visited the Exalted One, saluted Him and sat down at one side. So seated, the venerable Kema said to him, Lord, whatsoever monk is Arahant has destroyed the Asavas, lived the life, done what ought to be done, set down the burden, found the highest goal, destroyed becoming spawns. and is in high knowledge released. To him there comes no thought, there is one better than I, nor there is one equal, nor there is one worse. Thus spoke the Venerable Kema, and the Master approved. And seeing that, the Venerable Kema got up, saluted the Exalted One, and took his departure, passing him by on the right. Now not long after he had gone, the Venerable Sumana said this to the Exalted One, Lord, whatsoever monk is arahant, has destroyed the asavast, lived the life, done what ought to be done, set down the burden, found the highest gain, destroyed becoming spawns, and is in high knowledge released. To him there comes no thought. There is none better than I, nor there is none equal, nor there is none worse." Thus spoke the Venerable Sumana, and the Master approved. And seeing that, the Venerable Sumana got up, saluted, and took his departure, passing by on the right. And shortly after they had gone, the Exalted One addressed the monk, saying, Thus monks to clansmen declare knowledge. The goal is told, but self is not mentioned. Yet there are some foolish fellows here who declare knowledge braggingly, it seems. Afterwards they suffer remorse. This sutra shows how the monks and nuns during the Buddha's time, when they attained Arahanthood, how they came and declared to the teacher, the Buddha, that they had attained attained Arahanthood, but in an indirect way. They did not say that I attained Arahanthood. And nowadays we see some people who learn some meditation and after a while they are very eager to let others know that they have become Arya. And this shows that they have not attained Aryahood, especially if they get angry when others don't believe that they have attained Sotapanna or Sakadagami. And this ego makes it obvious that that person has not attained Now we come to the next sutra, 6.5.51. Now the Venerable Ananda visited the Venerable Sariputta, greeted him, and after exchanging the usual polite talk, sat down at one side. So seated, the Venerable Ananda said this to the Venerable Sariputta, How, Venerable Sariputta, may a monk learn new doctrine, and doctrines learned remain unconfused, and old doctrines to which previously he was mentally attuned remain in use, and he get to know something not known. The Venerable Ananda is very learned. Let the Venerable Ananda illuminate this. And the Venerable Ananda said, Well then, Reverend Sariputta, listen, pay good heed and I will speak. Yes, sir, he rejoined. And the Venerable Ananda said, Consider Reverend Sariputta, a monk who masters Dhamma. As learnt, as mastered, he teaches others Dhamma in detail. As learnt, as mastered, he makes others say it in detail. As learnt, as mastered, he makes others repeat it in detail. As learnt, as mastered, he ever reflects, ever ponders over it in his mind. Mindfully he paws on it. Wheresoever abide eldest, learned in traditional knowledge, dharma-minders, vinaya-minders, epitomists, there he spends vassa, the rain seasons, retreat, and visiting them from time to time, questions and inquires of them. This talk, sir, what verily is its aim? and their reverences disclose the undisclosed, make as it were a causeway where there is none, drive away doubt concerning many perplexing things. In this way, Reverend Sariputta, a monk may learn new doctrine, and doctrines learned remain unconfused. All doctrines to which previously he was mentally attuned remain in use, and he gets to know something not known. Excellent, amazing, Reverend Sir, is all this that has been so well said by the Venerable Ananda. We will mind that the Venerable one is endowed with these six things. The Venerable Ananda masters dhamma. The Venerable Ananda teaches others dhamma in detail, as learnt, as mastered. The Venerable Ananda makes others say it. The Venerable Ananda makes others repeat it. The Venerable Ananda reflects, ponders, whores on it. Wheresoever learned elders abide, there the Venerable Ananda spends vasa. And he questions them, this talk, sir, what is its aim? And they disclose the undisclosed, make a causeway where there is none, drive away doubt concerning many perplexing things. That's the end of the sutta. This is another sutra which shows the wisdom of Venerable Ananda. At that time, Venerable Ananda was only a sotapanna, while the Venerable Sariputta was already an arahant. And yet, Venerable Ananda still has one or two things that he could teach to an arahant. And it's not that the Venerable Sutta is less wise because the Venerable Sariputta is said to be the highest in wisdom. But as we learnt in one of the earlier suttas, the Buddha said it is hard to find somebody equal in wisdom to the Venerable Ananda. The Venerable Ananda was said to be the as far as the most learned, as far as the suttas, the teachings of the Buddha are concerned, he could memorize, he could remember all the suttas taught by the Buddha. In this sutra there are six things that are said to be good for a monk to practice. First to master dhamma, to teach others dhamma in detail, to make others say it in detail, to make others repeat it in detail, to ever ponder over it, and to spend vassa where there are learned monks. In Iksuta 6.5.53, then another brahmin visited the exalted one, greeted him, exchanged compliments and sat down at one side. So seated, he said, Master Gautama, is there one thing which when made become, made to increase, embraces and establishes two wheels, wheel here and wheel hereafter? There is, brahmin. What is it, Master Gautama? Verily, earnestness, Brahmin, is the one thing which when made become, made to increase, embraces and establishes two wheels, wheel here and wheel hereafter. Brahmin, as the footmarks of all prowling creatures are admitted in an elephant's, and the elephant's foot his counted chief, so earnestness is the one thing which when made become, made to increase, embraces and establishes two wheels, wheel here and wheel hereafter. As all rafters in a peaked house reach to the peak, slope to the peak, unite in the peak, and the peak is counter chief, so earnestness, Brahman, is the one thing which when made become made to increase, embraces and establishes two wheels, wheel here and wheel hereafter. As the light of the stars is not worth a sixteenth part, the light of the moon, and the light of the moon is counterchief, so earnestness, Brahman, is the one thing which, when made to increase, embraces and establishes two wheels, wheel here and wheel hereafter. This word earnestness is the Pali word apamada, sometimes translated as diligence or sincerity, and it means doing what needs to be done. In the spiritual path, one has to be careful with half measures, that is compromising. That means not being earnest or sincere enough. For example, some persons want to practice the holy life and also want to get married. And if they do get married, this shows a lack of earnestness and that person ends up being neither successful in the spiritual path or Neither does he become a good husband nor a good father. If we are earnest or sincere, we obtain happiness in this life and happiness hereafter. And we should note that when we practice the spiritual path correctly, we should be happy, not sad. Not like some people who think that because they are contemplating Dukkha all the time, they should be full of Dukkha. But in the Dhammacharya Sutta, in the Majjhima Nikaya Sutta No. 89, King Pasenadi Kosala came to visit the Buddha and kissed his feet. This is an Indian custom which you find also in Sri Lanka, where lay people kiss the monk's feet. And the Buddha asked the king, why did he pay so much homage to this body? And the king started to praise the Buddha, all the qualities of the Buddha, and also the monks under the Buddha. And the king said that whereas in other external ascetics, you could see that they were lean and wretched looking, looking very miserable and unhappy, whereas the monks under the Buddha, they looked very happy and exceedingly happy and joyful and so we should know that if we practice the holy path and we obtain the bliss of renunciation, the happiness of renunciation, we should be happy and looking happy. The next sutta is 6.5.54. Now Brahmin Janusoni approached the exalted one, greeted him, and after exchanging the usual polite talk, sat down at one side. So seated, he said, Master Gautama, what's a noble's aim? What's his quest? What's his resolve? What's his want? What's his ideal? I'll just stop here for a moment to explain. This noble is a member of the warrior caste. In Pali it's kathiya, in Sanskrit it's kshatriya, one of the four castes in India. Now the sutra continues. Brahmin, wealth's a noble's aim, wisdom's his quest, power's his resolve, the earth's his want, dominion's his ideal. And the brahmin asked again, and a brahmin's master Gautama, what's his aim, his quest, etc.? And the Buddha said, wealth is aim, wisdom is quest, mantras are his resolve, sacrifice is his want, brahma world is his ideal. Again the Brahmin asked, ìAnd a householder, whatís his aim, his quest, etc., Master Gautama?î And the Buddha said, ìWealth is aim, wisdom is quest, crafts is resolve, works is want, works end is his ideal.î Again the Brahmin asked, and a woman's, Master Gautama, what's her aim, her quest, etc.? The Buddha said, man's her aim, adornment's her quest, a son's her resolve. To be without a rival is her want. Dominion is her ideal. And a thief's aim, a thief's quest, etc., Master Gautama. Bhuti is his aim, captures his quest. A caravan is his resolve. Darkness is his want. Not to be seen is his ideal. And a recluse, Master Gautama, what's his aim, his quest, etc.? Patience and forbearance are his aim. Wisdom is his quest. Virtues his resolve. Nothing is his want. Nibbana is his ideal. Wonderful, wonderful Master Gautama. Verily Master Gautama knows the aim, the quest, the resolve, the want, the ideal of nobles, of brahmins, householders, women, thieves and recluses. This is indeed wonderful Master Gautama. And so the brahmin took refuge in the Buddha and said that from henceforth till life ends I will go to Master Gautama for help. And that's the end of the sutra. This is an interesting sutra. It shows the witness of the Buddha, the ability of the Buddha to answer questions. And you can see the answers he gave are quite interesting. As far as monks are concerned, the things mentioned by the Buddha are of interest to a monk. Patience and forbearance are a monk's aim. Wisdom is a monk's quest. Virtue is his resolve. Nothing is his want. Nirvana is his ideal.

05-AN-Book-6E-(6.6.55-to-6.6.57).txt

Sutta number 6.6.55 is one of the well-known suttas. Once when the Exalted One was dwelling near Rajagaha on Mount Vulture Peak, the Venerable Sona dwelt in cool wood near Rajagaha. Now the Venerable Sauna, in solitude apart, thought thus in his mind, The Exalted One's disciples live in active energy, and I am one of them, yet my heart is not detached and free of the asavas. My family is rich and I can enjoy riches and do good. What if I were to forsake the training and turn to low things, enjoy riches and do good?" And the Exalted One, knowing in His own heart the Venerable Sona's thoughts, as a strong man might stretch his bent arm or bend his stretched arm, left Mount Vulture Peak and appeared in cool wood before the Venerable Sona. And when his seat was ready, the Exalted One sat down. And the Venerable Sona, after saluting, also sat down at one side. And the Exalted One said to him, so seated, Sona, did you not thus think in your heart? The Exalted One's disciples live in active energy, and I am one of them. Yet my heart is not detached and free of the asavas. What if I were to forsake the training and turn to lower things? Yes, Lord. What think you, Sona? Were you not in the old days at home clever at the lute, string, music? Yes, Lord. And what think you, Sona, when your lute strings were overstrung? Was your lute then tuneful and playable? No, indeed, Lord. And what think you, Sona, when your lute strings were overlaxed? Was your lute then tuneful and playable? No, indeed, Lord. But when, Sona, your lute strings were neither overstrung nor overlaxed, but keyed to the middle pitch, was your lute then tuneful and playable? Surely, Lord, even so of Sona, energy when overstrung ends in flurry or restlessness, and overlaps in idleness. Wherefore, Sona, stand fast in the mean of energy, pierce the mean in the use of the faculties, and therein grasp the real worth. Yes, Lord. And the Exalted One, after charging the Venerable Sona with this counsel, as a strong man might bend his arm to and fro, left Cool Wood and appeared on Mount Vulture Peak. And presently the Venerable Sona stood fast in the mean of energy, pierced the mean in the faculties, and grasped therein the mark. and living alone secluded, earnest, ardent, resolute, entered and abode not long after, here amid things seen by His own power in the realization of that end above all of the holy life, for the sake of which clansmen rightly go forth from the home to the homeless life. And He knew, birth is ended, the holy life lived, done is what was to be done, there is no more of this to come. And the Venerable Sona was numbered among the Arahants. Then, having won to Arahantship, the Venerable Sona thought, suppose I visit the Exalted One and declare knowledge near Him. And he went to the Exalted One, saluted Him and sat down at one side. And so seated, he said, Lord, the Arahant monk who has destroyed the Asavas, lived the life, done what was to be done, set down the burden, won self-will, shattered life's fetter, and is freed by perfect knowledge, has applied himself to six things, to dispassion, detachment, harmlessness, destroying craving, destroying grasping, and to non-delusion. Perhaps, Lord, some venerable person may think, could it be that this venerable man has applied himself to dispassion, relying on mere faith alone? Let him not think so. Lord, the asava-free monk who has lived the life, done what was to be done, who sees not in himself to be done, not to be added to what has been done. By the fact of being passionless has applied himself to dispassion by destroying passion. By the fact of being without hatred has applied himself to dispassion by destroying hatred. By the fact of being delusion has applied himself to dispassion by destroying delusion. Or he may think, could it be that this venerable man has applied himself to detachment while hankering after gains, favors and flattery, to harmlessness while backsliding from the true, clinging to rules and rituals, to destroying craving, to destroying grasping, to non-delusion, while clinging to rules and rituals? Let him not think so. Lord, the asava-freed monk, by the fact of being without passion, hatred, delusion, has applied himself to detachment, harmlessness, destroying craving, destroying grasping, non-delusion, by destroying passion, hatred and delusion. Lord, if objects cognizable by the eye come very strongly into the range of vision of a monk, wholly freed in mind, they obsess not his mind, and his mind is untroubled, firm, having one to composure, and he marks their set. So too sounds cognizable by the ear, smells by the nose, tastes by the tongue, contacts by the touch, and thoughts by the mind. He marks their setting. Imagine, Lord, a mountain crack, or rock, cleftless, chasmless, massive, and a squall were to come very strongly from the east, it would not shake, nor rock, nor stir that crack. Or were a squall to come from the west, from the north, from the south, it would not shake, nor rock, nor stir it. Even so, O Lord, if objects cognizable by the eye come very strongly into the range of a monk's vision, one wholly freed in mind, they obsess not his mind, and his mind is untroubled, firm, having one to composure, and he marks their setting, so too of sounds, smells, tastes, touches, and thoughts. That's the end of the Sutta. This is one of the well-known suttas and it's also mentioned in the Vinaya about this monk. This monk is called Sona Kolivisa and he was supposed to come from a very rich family and he was so so delicate that it seemed that at the soles of his feet, at the bottom of his feet, hair grew. That is what is stated in the books. And after he became a monk, he was very diligent in practicing and he tried not to sleep at night and he whenever he was tired or sleepy he would walk and he walked so much that his delicate feet broke sort of was cut and he bled and he bled so much that in the morning when they looked at the place where he walked meditation, it was so bloodstained that they thought it was like somebody had just slaughtered a cow or something there. And in spite of all his hard work, he was not yet an arahant. So because of putting too much energy, he was He lost heart and he thought of this robing. So the Buddha came to him and told him that as a layman he used to play the guitar. So the Buddha said if the guitar strings were too tight, it would not sound well. And if it was too loose also, it would not sound loud. But if it was tuned to the middle pitch, then it would sound very well. So the Buddha advised him to practice the middle path and he did so and soon enough he became an arahant. And when he became an arahant like those other arahants, they don't come and say that I have become an arahant. They just declare knowledge by saying how an arahant sees things as they really are. Now the next sutra is 6.56. Now at that time the Venerable Paguna was sick, ailing, very ill. And the Venerable Ananda went to the Exalted One, saluted and sat down at one side. So seated he said to the Exalted One, Lord, the Venerable Paguna is sick, ailing, very ill. Good were it, Lord, if the Exalted One were to go and see the Venerable Paguna out of compassion. And the Exalted One consented by silence. Then in the evening, after He had come from solitude, the Exalted One visited the Venerable Bhaguna. And the Venerable Bhaguna saw Him coming when He was some way off and stirred on His bed. But the Exalted One spoke to Him and said, Enough, Bhaguna, stir not on Your bed. Are there not these seats here prepared already? I will sit here. And He sat down on the seat prepared. I'll just stop here for a moment. This bhaguna, although he was very sick, when he saw the Buddha coming, he tried to get up on his bed. And these and other suttas show that the Buddha's disciples had a lot of love in addition to respect for the Buddha. And the Sutta continues. So seated the Exalted One said, I hope Bhaguna, your bearing up, keeping going, that your aches and pains grow less, not more, that there are signs of their growing less, not more. Lord, I can neither bear up nor keep going. My aches and pains grow grievously more, not less, and there are signs of their growing more, not less. Lord, the violent ache that wracks my head is just as though some lusty fellow chopped at it with a sharp-edged sword. Lord, I can neither bear up nor keep going. My pains grow more, not less, and there are signs of their growing more, not less. Lord, the violent pain in my head is just as though some lusty fellow clapped a stout leather strap about it. Lord, I cannot bear it. Lord, the violent stab that shoots through my stomach is just as though a skillful butcher or his apprentice cut it with a carving knife. Lord, I cannot bear it. Lord, the fever of my body is just as though a couple of lusty fellows had seized a weakling by his limbs and toasted him and roasted him over a fire pit. Lord, I cannot bear it, etc., etc., and there are signs of the pains growing worse. So the Exalted One instructed him, roused him, gladdened him and comforted him with Dharma talk, then rose from his seat and departed. Now not long after the Exalted One's departure, the Venerable Paguna died, and at the time of his death his faculties were clear and calm. Then went the Venerable Ananda to the Exalted One, saluted him and sat down at one side. So seated he said, Lord, not long after the Exalted One left, the Venerable Paguna died, and at that time his faculties were clear and calm. But why Ananda should not the faculties of the monk, Bhaguna, have been clear and calm? The monk's mind, Ananda, had not been wholly freed from the five lower factors. But when he heard that Dharma teaching, his mind was wholly freed. There are six advantages Ananda in hearing Dhamma in time, in testing its goodness in time. 6. Consider Ananda, the monk whose mind is not wholly freed from the five lower factors, but, when dying, is able to see the Tathagata. The Tathagata teaches him Dhamma, lovely in the beginning, lovely in the middle, lovely in the end, its goodness, its significance. and also makes the holy life wholly fulfilled, perfectly pure. When he has heard that Dharma teaching, his mind is wholly freed from the five lower factors. This ananda is the first advantage in hearing Dharma in time. Or, though not just able to see the Tathāgata, sees his disciple who teaches him Dhamma and makes known the holy life, etc., then is his mind wholly free. This ananda is the second advantage. Or, though not able to see the Tathāgata or his disciple, continues to reflect in mind on Dhamma, as heard, as learned, ponders over it, pauses over it, then is his mind wholly free. This Ananda is the third advantage in testing its goodness in time. Consider Ananda, the monk whose mind is wholly freed from the five lower fetters, whose mind is not wholly freed in respect of the complete destruction of the root of becoming. who, when dying, is able to see the Tathāgata. The Tathāgata teaches him Dhamma, makes known the holy life. When he has heard that Dhamma teaching, his mind is wholly freed in respect of the complete destruction of the root of becoming. This ananda is the fourth advantage in hearing Dhamma in time. Or he sees the Tathāgata's disciple who teaches him Dhamma, etc. Then is his mind wholly freed. This ananda is the fifth advantage. Though not able to see the Tathāgata or his disciple, ever reflects in mind on Dhamma as heard, as learned, ponders on it, pours over it. As he does so, his mind is wholly freed as to the complete destruction of the root of becoming. This ananda is the sixth advantage in testing his goodness in time. Verily, ananda, these are the six advantages in hearing Dhamma in time, in testing his goodness in time." That's the end of the sutta. So in this sutta we find that this Venerable Bhaguna, he was suffering so much that the way he described the pains in his body, you can imagine the pain that he suffered. And in the suttas, the Buddha said that and even an Arya has to suffer bodily pains. A Putujana suffers both bodily pains as well as mental pains, but an Arya does not suffer mental pains because he accepts things as they are, as they come, because he knows life, anicca, everything changes. But still, like this monk here, he suffered so much bodily pain, And then when he died, the Buddha said that initially he had not been wholly freed from the five lower factors. That means he was not yet anagami. He could have been sotapanna or sakadagami, but after hearing the Buddha's teaching, his mind was wholly freed from the five lower factors. five lower factors meaning that he is an or at least an anagami Now, earlier we read that Aryahood and even Arahanthood is obtained during the five occasions, from hearing Dharma, teaching Dharma, repeating Dharma, reflecting on Dharma, and during meditation. And this sutra again confirms that Aryahood or Arahanthood can be obtained from listening to Dharma. Just as here the Buddha said, either that person hears the Dhamma from the Buddha himself and he obtains freedom from the five lower factors or if he is already freed from the five lower factors, just from hearing Dhamma itself, he can become an Arahant. Or if he is not able to hear it from the Buddha himself, then he hears it from a disciple of the Buddha, meaning he hears it from another monk. Or even if he does not hear it from another monk, then he reflects on Dhamma, the Dhamma, the discourses of the Buddha that he has heard. When he reflects on it, it is possible that the five lower factors can be destroyed. Or if they are already destroyed, then he can even attain arahanthood by reflecting on Dhamma. And the other one is listening to Dhamma. So this is one of the suttas that again confirms that by listening to sutta or reflecting on Dhamma, then a person can attain arahanthood The next sutra, 6.57. Once when the Exalted One was dwelling on Mount Balchipit near Rajagaha, the Venerable Ananda approached Him, saluted and sat down at one side. So seated, He said to the Exalted One, Lord, six breeds have been declared by Puranakasapa, the black, the blue, the red, the yellow, the white and the purest white. Lord, here is the black breed declared by him, mutton, butchers, pork butchers, fowlers, hunters, thugs, fishermen, robbers, cutthroats, jailers, and all others who follow a bloody trade. Here is the blue breed, monks who live as though with a thorn in the side, and all others who profess the deed and doing. Here is the red, Janes and the loincloth folk. Here is the yellow, white-robed householders and followers of naked ascetics. Here is the white, Fakers, F-A-K-I-R-S, and their disciples. And here, Lord, is the breed of the purest white, declared by Purana Kasapa, Nanda Vaca, Kisa Ksankicha, and Makali Gosala. Lord, these are the six breeds declared by him. I'll just stop here for a moment to comment. This Puranakasapa is one of the well-known leaders of the external ascetics. There were six during the time of the Buddha who were quite well-known. Puranakasapa was one of them. And all these six had wrong views. And here he's saying that there are six types of persons. And he mentioned the blue are the monks who live as though with a thorn in the side and all others who profess the deed and doing. That means those who believe in karma, doing the action or the deed is karma. But like this person probably does not believe in karma. And then Jains and the loincloth folk. Jains are those naked ascetics, but they put a small little loincloth to cover their private part. And these are the Jains. There are some others who are totally naked, but the Jains just use a small cloth to cover. And then he mentions another three. Nanda, Vaca, Kisa, Sankicha and Makali Gosala. And these are all with wrong views. Then the Buddha said, But what, Ananda, does the whole world agree with Puranakasapa in his declaration of his? In this declaration of his, Ananda replied, certainly not, Lord. Well, Ananda, just as men might thrust a piece of meat on some poor, needy, unwilling wretch, saying, Here, sir, eat this meat and pay for it too. Even so is Puranakasapa's declaration to these recluses and brahmins made without their consent as though by a foolish witness Namskala, lacking common sense. Just stop here to comment again. So you see here the Buddha calls this person foolish, witless, namskala, lacking common sense. So sometimes the Buddha can also use some strong words. Then Buddha continued, I, Venerable Ananda, will declare the six breeds. Here, give heed, I will speak. Yes, Lord, rejoin the Venerable Ananda. And the Exalted One said, And what, Ananda, are the six breeds? There are some of black breed, Ananda, who breed black Dhamma, some of black breed who breed white Dhamma, some of black breed who breed Nibbana, neither black nor white. There are some a white breed who breed white Dhamma, some a white breed who breed black Dhamma, and some a white breed who breed Nibbāna, neither black nor white. and how Ananda breeds the black breed, black dharma. Consider Ananda, one reborn in a low caste clan, pariya, hunter, weaver, wheelwright, sweeper, in a poor family where food and drink are scarce, life is hard, clothing and livelihood, hard to come by, he is ugly, ill-featured, misshapen, and much afflicted, being blind, or deformed in hand, or lame, or crippled, and is no recipient of food, drink, clothes, carriages, flowers, scents, ointments, bed, lodging, or lighting. And suppose he wayfarers in the wrong way in deed, thought and word. On the breaking up of the body after death, he arises in the wayward way, the ill way, the abyss hell. Thus Ananda, son of the black breed, breed black dharma. And how Ananda breeds the black breed, white dharma? Consider again one born in a low caste clan. etc. That means pariya, hunter, weaver, wheelwright, sweeper, in a poor family where food and drink are scarce, life is hard, etc. who walks in the right way in deed, word and thought. On the breaking up of the body after death, he arises in the good way, the heaven world. Thus ananda, some of the black breed, breed white dhamma. And how Ananda breeds the black breed, Nibbana, neither black nor white? Consider again one born in a low-caste family, Pariya. hunter, weaver, wheelwright, sweeper, etc. Ugly, ill-featured, misshapen, one who has his hair and beard shaved, dons the yellow robe and goes forth from the home to the homeless life. Thus gone forth he rids himself of the five hindrances. weakens the mental defilements by insight, becomes firmly fixed in the four intense states of mindfulness, makes become the seven factors of enlightenment as they are, and breeds Nibbāna, neither black nor white. Thus ananda, some of the black breed, breed Nibbāna, neither black nor white. and how Ananda breeds the white breed, black Dhamma. Consider one born in a high caste clan, noble or brahmin or householder, owning stately homes, riches, wealth, domains, with gold and silver in plenty. means and service in plenty, corn and grain in plenty, is well-formed, sightly, pleasing, blessed with a lily-like loveliness, is a recipient of food, drink, clothes, carriages, flowers, scents, ointments, bed, lodging and lighting. And suppose he walks in the right way in deed, word and thought, on the breaking up of the body after death he arises in hell. Thus Ananda, son of the white-breed black Dhamma, and how Anandan breeds the white-breed white Dhamma. Consider again one so born in a high caste clan, noble, brahmin, householder, etc., rich and who walks in the right way, and after death he arises in heaven. Thus Ananda, son of the white breed, breed white Dhamma. And how Ananda breeds the white breed Nibbana, neither black nor white? Consider one so born, a noble Brahmin or householder, etc. He goes forth and rids himself of the five hindrances, etc. and he breeds Nibbana, neither black nor white. Thus Ananda, some of the white breed, breed Nibbana, neither black nor white. Verily Ananda, these are the six breeds." That's the end of the sutra. So here the Buddha is talking about the six types of persons. One who comes from the black breed, that means a bad a very low background, born in a low caste clan, as well as being very poor, he's also ugly looking, etc. And then if he walks the wrong way, the ill way, then he ends up in the woeful plains. So there's the black breed, black dharma. And on the other hand, if he comes from a low caste clan, poor etc, but he walks the good way in the three kamas of deed, word and thought, then he arises in the heaven, so he breathes white dharma. Then the third one is, he is of a low caste clan, but eventually he goes forth as a monk and cultivates and attains Arahanthood. So he breeds Nibbana. Similarly for the white breed. And this Sutta is a little similar to another Sutta we saw earlier, Anguttara Nikaya 4.85. where the Buddha talked about four persons found in the world. One who is in darkness and bound for darkness. One who is in darkness bound for light. One who is in light and bound for darkness. One who is in light and bound for light. So it's a bit similar to that sutta.

06-AN-Book-6F-(6.6.59-to-6.6.62).txt

Next Sutta is 6.6.59. Once when the Exalted One was staying in the brick hall at Nadika, a householder, a wood seller, visited Him, saluted and sat down at one side. So seated, the Exalted One said to Him, May be, householder, alms are given by your family. O yes, Lord, and in this way too, such monks as are forest monks, almsmen, rag wearers, arahants, or men one to the arahant's way, to them, Lord, alms are given by my family. And the Exalted One said, But surely, householder, it's a hard thing for you, a layman, engrossed in pleasures, encumbered with children, perfumed with khasi sandalwood, decked with flowers and scented oils, merry with silver and gold, to tell which are arahants and which have won to the Arahant's way. If a forest-gone monk householder be puffed up, proud, excitable, a mouthy speechifier, forgetful of mindfulness, not self-possessed nor composed, a scattered brain, uncontrolled in their senses, he on that count is blameworthy. If he be not puffed up, etc., but upright in mindfulness, self-possessed, composed, one-pointed, controlled in faculties, he on that account is praiseworthy. So too of the monk dwelling on the village outskirts, the almsman, the guest monk, the rag-wearer, the wearer of the robe given by the householder. If they be puffed up, uncontrolled in their senses, on that account they are blameworthy. But if on the contrary, then they are praiseworthy. Nevertheless, householder, give alms to the Sangha. As you do so, your heart will become tranquil. And tranquil in heart, you will on the breaking up of the body after death arise in the good way, the heaven world. And he replied, I, Lord, henceforth from today will give alms to the Sangha. That's the end of the Sutta. You see this man, he says that his family gives alms food to monks who are arahants, who are forest monks, who are rag wearers, etc. But the Buddha said, as a layman, it's very hard for you to tell who are arahants and who have gone to the arahant's way. And the Buddha said, the most sensible thing to see is whether that monk is unmindful or whether he is mindful, whether he is composed or not composed, whether he is controlled in his senses or not controlled in his senses. But nevertheless, the Buddha said, give alms to the Sangha as a whole, then you will walk the good way and have a good rebirth. Now in one of the sutras the Buddha said it's the duty of lay persons to serve the Sangha. And in another sutra the Buddha said in the future there would be those who wear the yellow robe who do not practice well. But even then if you give alms to the Sangha as a whole you are doing your duty and you help to preserve the Sangha, that means the lineage of the Sangha is not broken, then even though they are not good monks at the moment, yet because the Sangha is not broken, the line of the Sangha is not broken, then in the future there still can be arahants. But if lay persons stop supporting monks because they are not good practicing monks, then the Sangha could be broken and then in the future there will be no more monks. The next sutra, which is quite a good sutra, is 6.6.60. Let not the Venerable Citta Hati Sariputta constantly interrupt the elders' talk on the higher dharma. The Venerable Citta should wait until the talk is over." And when he had thus spoken, Citta's friend said, The Venerable Mahakautita should not censure the Venerable Citta Hati Sariputta. A wise man is the Venerable Citta and able to talk to the elders on the higher dharma. And the Venerable Maha Kutthita replied, It's a hard thing, sirs, for those who know not another person's ways of thought. Consider, sirs, a person who, so long as he lives near the Master or a fellow teacher in the holy life, is the most humble of the humble, the meekest of the meek, the quietest of the quiet. and who, when he leaves the Master or his fellow teachers, keeps company with monks, nuns, lay disciples, men and women, rajas, their ministers, kausetas, that means external ascetic leaders, or their disciples. Living in company, unhampered, rude, given over to gossip, passion corrupts his heart, and with his heart corrupted by passion, he disavows the training and returns to the lower life. Suppose, sir, an ox, a meadow-browser, were kept tied by a rope or closed in a cow-shed. Would he say rightly who should say, Never now will that meadow-browser venture again to a meadow? And Cheetah's friend said, No indeed, sir, such a thing does not happen, since that ox used to browsing in meadows would, on snapping its rope or breaking out of the cow-shed, venture down to the meadow again. Venerable Mahakutthita said, Even so, sirs, where a person, so long as he is near the master or a fellow teacher, is the most humble of the humble, meekest of the meek, quietest of the quiet, but who, on leaving the master or his fellow teachers, keeps company with monks, nuns, lay disciples, etc., Passion corrupts his heart, and he returns to the lower life. Consider again a person who, aloof from sensual desires, enters and abides in the first jāna, thinking, I've won to the first jāna. He keeps company with monks, nuns, lay disciples, etc., and returns to the lower life. Suppose, sirs, the rain deva rains heavy rains at the four crossroads, lays the dust, and makes mud, would he say rightly who should say, never now will dust again appear at these four crossroads? No indeed, sir, since along those four crossroads men, ox and cows might pass, or the wind and heat might dry up the moisture, and then the dust would appear again. It is even so, sirs, when a person enters and abides in the first jhāna and keeps company with monks, nuns, lay disciples, etc., he returns to the lower life. Then consider a person who, suppressing a plight and sustained thought, enters and abides in the second jhāna, thinking, I've won to the second jhāna, he keeps company with monks, nuns, and lay disciples, etc. and he returns to the lower life. Suppose, sirs, a great lake near some village or town, and the rain-deva were to rain great rains and cover the mussels and shells and sand and pebbles. Would he say rightly who should say, Never now in this great lake shall the mussels, shells, sand and pebbles appear again. And Sita's friend said, No indeed, sir, since men or ox and cows might come and drink from the great lake, or wind and heat dry up the moisture, and then the mussels, shells, sand and pebbles would appear again. And the Venerable Citta Mahakutita said, it is even so, sirs, where a person enters and abides in the second jhana and keeps company with monks, nuns, lay disciples, etc., he returns to the lower life. Consider then the person who, with the fading away of delight, Piti enters and abides in the third jhāna, thinking, I've won to the third jhāna. He keeps company with monks, nuns, lay disciples, etc., and returns to the lower life. Suppose, sirs, last night's food pleased not a man filled with good food? Would he say rightly who should say, never now shall food please this man again? No indeed, sir. This is not the case. As long as the strength from the good food remain in his body, other food shall not please that man. But when that strength has gone, then shall food please him again. And the Venerable Mahakutitha said, it is even so, sirs, where a person enters and abides in the third jhana and keeps company with monks, nuns, lay disciples, etc., he returns to the lower life. Consider the person who, putting away pleasure and pain, enters and abides in the fourth jhana. Thinking I have won to the fourth jhana, he keeps company with monks, nuns, lay disciples, etc., and returns to the lower life. Imagine, sirs, a pond in a mountain valley, windless, waveless. Would he say rightly who should say, never now on this pond shall waves appear again? And they said, no indeed, sir, since were a squall to come very strongly from the east, it would bring waves to the pond. So likewise were a squall to come from the west, the north or the south. Venerable Mahakutitha said, it is even so, sirs, where a person enters and abides in the fourth jhana and keeps company with monks, nuns, lay disciples, etc., and he returns to the lower life. And consider the person who, paying no attention to signs, enters and abides in the signless mental concentration, thinking, I have won to the signless mental concentration. He keeps company with monks, nuns, lay disciples, men and women, rajas, their ministers, corsetters and their disciples. Living in company, unhampered, rude, given over to gossip, passion corrupts his heart. And with his heart corrupted by passion, he disavows the training and returns to the lower life. Suppose, sirs, a Raja or his minister with the four hosts of the army were to come up to the high road and pitch their camp for one night in the forest, and the sound of the cricket be drowned by the sound of elephant, horse, chariot and foot soldier, by the sound of tabor, drum and conch. Would he say rightly, he should say, Never now in this forest shall the cricket be heard again. No, indeed, sir, this is not the case, for when the Raja and his minister have left the forest, and the army have left the forest, the cricket shall be heard again. It is even so, sirs, where a person, unattentive to science, enters and abides in the signless mental concentration, and thinking, I've won to that, keeps company with monks, nuns, lay disciples, etc. Living in company, unhampered, rude, given to gossip, passion corrupts his heart and he returns to the lower life. And later, the Venerable Citta Hati Sariputta disavowed the training and returned to the lower life. Then Citta's friends went to the Venerable Maha Gautita and said, Did the Venerable Maha Gautita discover Citta Hati Sariputta by mind encompassing mind concerning the thought? This and that state of attainment has Citta want to. But he will give up the training and return to the lower life. Or did Devas tell him this? Citta-hati-sariputta-sa has won this and that, but he will return to the lower life. Venerable Maha Kutita said, Reverend Sirs, I discovered it by mind, encompassing mind, but Devas also told me. Then the Venerable Citta's friends approached the exalted one, saluted him and sat down at one side. And so seated they said to him, Lord, Citta Hati Sariputta has won to this and that state of attainment, yet he has disavowed the training and returned to the lower life. And the Buddha said, Citta, Citta monks, world before long, think of renouncing the worldly life. And not long after, Citta Hati Sariputta had his hair and beard shaved off, donned the yellow robe, and went forth from the home to the homeless life. And the Venerable Citta Hati Sariputta, living alone, secluded, earnest, ardent, resolved, not long after, entered and abode in that aim above all of the holy life. realizing it here and now by his own knowledge, for the sake of which clansmen rightly go forth from the home to the homeless life. And he knew, birth is destroyed, the holy life is lived, done is what was to be done, there is no more of this to come. And the Venerable Citta Hathi Sariputta was numbered among the Arahants. That's the end of the sutra. This sutra is quite interesting. It shows that a person like the Venerable Citta, even though he has attained the jhanas, attained even perhaps even this signless concentration, a very still state of mind, And yet he could disrobe because he mixed too much with other people. Because he mixed too much with other people, he talked too much and then his heart was disturbed and his mind was disturbed and he returned to the lay life. But the Venerable Maha Kothita, this Arahant could read his mind. That's why this Venerable Maha Kothita gave this warning. And true enough, the Venerable Citta disrobed. But later the Buddha said he will come back. He will come back as a monk and Venerable Citta did come back and after that he practiced and he attained the arahanthood. This shows that a person who has want to jhana can still this rope and the point here is that seclusion or aloofness is very important for a monk. Even if he stays in a monastery with other monks, he should try not to talk too much otherwise he will lose his supernormal states like jhāna. But you can see a person like this citta, because he has attained to such a high states of bliss, when he disrobed and he went back to lay life, he could never be happy, because the happiness from lay life is lower than the happiness of the jhānic bliss. So it is quite natural for him who has already attained jhanic bliss to renounce and come back to robes again. 6.61. Once when the Exalted One dwelt near Benares in the Deer Park at Isipatana, a number of elders who had returned from alms-gathering and eating sat together in the round hall, and this talk by chance arose. This search was set by the Exalted One in the way to the beyond in the questions of Maitreya. Who knows both ends and does not cling to the middle? Him I call a great man. He here has passed beyond the seamstress. And they said, and what pray is the first end? What's the second? What's in the middle? And who's the seamstress? I'll just stop here to comment. This passage that they quoted the Buddha as saying, who knows both ends and does not cling to the middle? Him I call a great man. He here has passed beyond the seamstress. This was said in the Sutta, in the Suttanipata. In the Sutta Nibbhata, there's a sutta where many brahmins came to see the Buddha and they asked questions, many questions. And this was one of the things that the Buddha mentioned. And so these elder monks, they asked this question. They wanted somebody to explain what is the first end, what is the second and what's in the middle and who's the seamstress. Now after this had been said, one of the monks answered the elders and said, Contact, sirs, is the first end, its arising is the second, its ceasing is in the middle, and craving is the seamstress, for craving sows one just to this ever-becoming birth. Indeed, sirs, to this extent a monk knows the knowable, comprehends the comprehensible, and knowing the knowable, comprehending the comprehensible, he makes an end of ill or dukkha here and now. And when he had thus spoken, another monk said, the past is the first end, the future is the second, and present is in the middle, and craving is the seamstress, etc., and he makes an end of ill. And another said, pleasure is the first end, pain is the second, indifference is in the middle, and craving is the seamstress, etc., as before. And another said, Name, Nama is the first end. Form, Rupa is the second. Consciousness is in the middle and craving is the seamstress. And another said, One sixth sense organs are the first end. The six outer objects are the second. Consciousness is in the middle and craving is the seamstress. And another said, Life's bundle is the first end. Its arising is the second. its seizing is in the middle, and craving is the seamstress, for craving sows one just to this ever-becoming birth. Indeed, sirs, to this extent, a monk knows the knowable, comprehends the comprehensible, and knowing the knowable, comprehending the comprehensible, he makes an end of dukkha, here and now. And when he had finished speaking, another monk addressed the elders and said, We have all, reverend sirs, replied as the matter appeared to each one of us. Let us go and visit the Exalted One and tell Him. As the Exalted One declares, so will we bear in mind. Very well rejoined the elders, and they approached the Exalted One, saluted and sat down at one side. And so seated, they told Him all the words and talk that had passed between them, adding, Lord, who spoke best? Each one of you monks in his own way spoke well. But as to what I spoke of in the way to the beyond in Maitreya's questions, who knows both ends and does not cling to the middle. Him I call a great man. He here has passed beyond the seamstress. Listen, pay good heed, I will speak. Yes, Lord, they replied. And the Exalted One said, Verily, contact monks is the first end, its arising is the second, its ceasing is in the middle, and craving is the seamstress, for craving sows a man just to this ever-becoming earth. Early monks, it is to this extent that a monk knows the knowable, comprehends the comprehensible, and knowing the knowable, comprehending the comprehensible, he makes an end of dukkha here and now." That's the end of the sutra. This Buddha said that all the answers given by the monks were very good. But even though all of them were very good, yet his meaning was just as the first monk had spoken. And this is one of those suttas, when you read this or you listen to it the first time, you find it very difficult to understand. It's one of those suttas where you have to read it again and think about it, think many times about it, and read and think about it, and slowly you'll find the answers are very interesting. Another sutra, I don't know whether I can finish. Once while the Exalted One walked a tour among the Kosalis with a great company of the Sanghas monks, He came to a Kosalan town called Dandakapaka. And the Exalted One stepped down from the road and sat on a seat made ready at the foot of a tree. But the monks entered Dandakapaka to seek a lodging. Now the Venerable Ananda, with a number of monks, went to the river Achiravati to bathe his limbs, and after he had bathed and had come out, he stood in one garment, drying his limbs. Then a monk approached the Venerable Ananda and said, Ananda, Reverend Sir, was it after concentrating his whole mind that Devadatta was declared by the Exalted One? Gone wayward, hell-bound for a kappa, or an aeon, or a world cycle, unpardonable is Devadatta. Or was it from some deva source he learnt it? I'll just stop here for a moment. This monk had heard that the Buddha had said that the Devadatta, one of his disciples who had tried to harm the Buddha, had gone to hell for a world cycle and he was doubtful. So he asked, was it the Buddha knew it himself from his mind reading the mind of Devadatta or did he learn it from some deva? This Devadatta had caused schism in the Sangha, split the Sangha and tried to kill the Buddha and later he died. So the Buddha said that he had gone to hell. And then the Venerable Ananda said, it was even as the Exalted One has declared. Now the Venerable Ananda approached the Exalted One, saluted and sat down at one side, and so seated he told the Exalted One all that had occurred. Then the Exalted One said, ìEither Ananda, that monk must be new, not long gone forth, or if an elder, a witless one, How, when I have definitely declared it, can there be an alternative? I know not another person of whom this was declared by me, after full mental concentration, save of Ananda. And so long Ananda, as I saw a bright spot in Devadatta, even the prick end of a horse hair in size, I declared not. Devadatta is wavered gone, hell bound for a kapha, unpardonable. But it was when I saw none, that I declared thus. Imagine Ananda, a cesspool of a man's depth, brimful of dung, and a man had fallen in, head and all. And then a man appeared, ready to help, to do the friendly, to set him in safety, to lift him out. Yet were he to go all round that cesspool, he would not see even the prick end of the horsehair of that man, unsmeared by dung, by which to grasp and lift him out. And it is even so with Devadatta Ananda, when I saw not a bright spot in him, not even the prick end of a horse hair in size, that I declared, corn-wayward, hell-bound for a kalpa, unpardonable is Devadatta. Would you hear Ananda, the Tathagata, analyzing the feelings and thoughts of man? This is the time, O blessed one, this is the time, O well-gone one, for the Exalted One to analyze man's feelings and thoughts. The monks having heard will bear it in mind. Well, listen, Ananda, pay good heed, I will speak. Yes, Lord." He joined the Venerable Ananda and the Exalted One said, "'Suppose, Ananda, by mind encompassing mind, I know this of some person. There is both good and evil in him. Then presently, by the same means I know, the good has disappeared, the evil is uppermost, but the root of goodness is not cut off, and from that good will proceed. Thus in future he is bound not to fall. If ananda, seed neither split, rotten, nor spoiled by wind and heat by vital, well-seasoned, be thrown on well-tilled ground in a good field, can you say for certain it will yield its growth, increase and abundance? Yes, surely, Lord. Even so, Ananda, by Mine encompassing Mine, I know of some person, there is good and evil in him. And then the good has disappeared, the evil is uppermost. But the root of goodness is not cut off, and from that good will proceed. Thus he is bound not to fall in the future. Similarly, Ananda, thus by mind encompassing mind, the person of man is known to the Tathāgata. Thus by mind encompassing mind, the feelings and thoughts of man are known to the Tathāgata. Thus by mind encompassing mind, the future arising of things is known to the Tathāgata. Or suppose by mind encompassing mind, I know the converse of some person, in future he is bound to fall. If seed, neither split, rotten and so forth, be thrown on stony ground, Can you say for certain it will not yield its growth, increase or abundance? Yes, surely, Lord. Even so, Ananda, I know of some person. He is bound to fall. Verily, Ananda, thus by mind encompassing mind, the person of man, his thoughts and feelings and the future arising of things are known to the Tathāgata. Then suppose I know of some person, there's not a bright spot the size of a hair's prick end in him, and being utterly black in his evil, he will, on the breaking up of the body after a death, rise in the wayward way, the ill way, the abyss, hell. Ananda, if seed split rotten, spoiled by wind and heat, be thrown unwell till ground in a good field, can you say for certain it will not yield growth, increase or abundance? Yes, surely, Lord. Even so, Ananda, I know of some persons. He will rise in hell. Thus, by my encompassing mind, the person is known to the Tathāgata." So, I don't have time to finish all the types of persons that the Buddha enumerated in this sutta, but they are not so important. The thing about it is that this sutta is one of those which shows that the Buddha did predict that Devadatta would go to hell, that he was an evil person and because of that he would suffer for a world cycle in hell. But later books try to say that Devadatta was a bodhisattva and he is not really suffering even though he has gone to hell. But this contradicts the earlier suttas as shown here. So I'll stop here and if you have any questions or comments we can discuss.

07-AN-Book-6G-(6.6.63-to-6.8.78).txt

Now we come to sutra number 6.63. It's quite an important discourse. The Buddha said, monks, I will teach you a penetrative discourse, a dharma discourse. Listen, pay heed, I will speak. Yes, Lord, rejoin those monks." And the exalted one said, and what monks is this penetrative discourse, this dharma discourse? Monks Sense dark desires or sensual desires must be discerned, their source, variety, fruit, ending, and the steps leading there to monks, feelings, perceptions, asavas. karma and dukkha must be discerned, their source, variety, fruit, ending, and the steps leading thereto must be discerned. Monks, it is said, sense desires, etc., must be discerned, and wherefore, it is said, Monks. The strands or chords of sense desires are five. Forms cognizable by the eye, luring, long for, loved, enticing, lustful, impassioning. Sounds cognizable by the ear, smells by the nose. taste by the tongue, touches by the body, luring, longed for, loved, enticing, lustful, impassioning. Though these are not sense-desires monks in the Aryan discipline, they are called the strands or cords of the sense-desires. And what is the source of sense desires? Contact monks. And what is sense desire's variety? One sense desire is for forms, another for sounds, another for smells, another for taste, another for touch. This, monks, is called sense desire's variety. And what is sense desire's fruit? When desiring something, one engenders just that proper state of being to partake of merit or demerit. This, monks, is called sense-desires fruit. And what is sense-desires ending? Context ending is sense-desires ending, monks. And just in this Aryan Eightfold Path are the steps leading there too, namely Right View, Right Thoughts, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration. And when the Aryan disciple thus knows sense-desires, their source, variety, fruit, ending, and the steps leading thereto, he knows this penetrative holy life as sense-desires ending. Monks, it is said, sense-desires and so forth must be discerned, and because of this, it is said. I'll just stop here to comment a bit. The strands or chords of sense desires, it's called karma, guna, refers to the objects of the five senses, forms, sounds, smells, tastes and touches. And sensual pleasure is the pleasure that arises owing to these five strands or chords of sense desires. And the source of sense desires is contact, because from contact you get feeling arising. Okay, then the next one, the Buddha continued, monks, it is said, feelings must be discerned, etc., and wherefore, monks, feelings are these three, feelings of pleasure, sukha, feeling of pain, dukkha, and feeling of neither pleasure nor pain. And what is feeling source? Contact monks. And what is feelings variety? There are feelings of pleasure that are carnal. There are feelings of pleasure that are not. So too the feelings of pain and neither pain nor pleasure. This, monks, is called feelings variety. And what is feelings fruit? When feeling something, one engenders just that proper state of being to partake of merit or demerit. This monks is called feelings fruit. And what is feelings ending? Context ending monks. And just in this Aryan Eightfold Path are the steps leading to feelings ending, right view, etc. And when the Aryan disciple thus knows feelings, feelings source, etc., he knows this penetrative holy life as feelings ending. Monks, it is said, feelings must be discerned, and because of this it is said. Okay, I'll stop here again to comment a bit. Feelings variety, there are feelings of pleasure and pain and neither pleasure or pain that are carnal, that means bodily. and also feelings of pleasure, pain and neither pleasure nor pain that are not carnal, that means mental feelings. In other suttas, it is stated that there are two types of feelings. One is bodily feelings and mental feelings. And in the Samyutta Nikaya, it is said that bodily feelings arise from bodily contact and mental feelings are those that arise from mental contact, I mean from thinking. And the Buddha continues, monks, it is said, perceptions must be discerned, etc. And wherefore, monks, perceptions are these six, perceptions of forms, sounds, smells, tastes, touches, and thoughts. And what is perception's source? Contact monks. And what is perception's variety? There is one perception as to forms, another as to sounds, and so forth. This, monks, is called perception's variety. And what is perception's fruit? I say, monks, perceptions are the result of habit. As one comes to know a thing, so one expresses oneself. Thus I proceed. This, monks, is called perception's fruit. And what is perception's ending? Context ending, monks. And just in this Aryan Eightfold Path are the steps leading to perceptions ending, right view, etc. And when the Aryan disciple thus knows perceptions, etc., he knows this penetrative holy life as perceptions ending. Monks, it is said, perceptions must be discerned, etc. And because of this, it is said, stop here again. Perceptions are a little like conceptions. Perceptions refer to, for example, we see colours, we say this is yellow, this is brown, this is red, etc. These are perceptions that we have in our mind. And other perceptions are like we see somebody and then we say that person is attractive or that person is repulsive, etc. So this again is kind of your own opinion. That is why the Buddha said here that perceptions are the result of habit. For example, because of habit or because of the way nature made us. So a man may look at a woman as attractive and a woman may look at a man as attractive. But they are the result of habit and because they are the result of habit, they can be changed. For example, if we practice the meditation on the 32 paths of the body, that's the practice of loathsomeness of the body, then we are able to change our perception from attraction of a body to the loathsomeness in a body. So that is only possible because perceptions are the result of habit, they are not something that's absolute. That's the main thing here about perceptions. Then the Buddha continues. Monks, it is said, asavas must be discerned, etc. And wherefore, monks, asavas are these three. Asava of lust, of becoming, of ignorance. And what is asava's source? Ignorance, monks. And what is asava's variety? There are asavas that lead to hell, to an animal's womb, to the realm of the ghost. and to the world of man, and to the deva world. This monk is called Asavasva Variety. And what is Asavasva Fruit? When ignorant, one engenders just that proper state of being to partake of merit and demerit. This monk is called Asavasva Fruit. And what is Asavas ending? Ending of ignorance, monks. And just in this Aryan A-fold path are the steps leading to the Asavas ending, right view, etc. And when the Aryan disciple thus knows Asavas, etc., he knows this penetrative holy life as Asavas ending. Monks, it is said, Asavas must be discerned, etc. And because of this, it is said, We stop here while to comment about asavas. Asavas can be translated as uncontrolled mental outflows. Uncontrolled mental outflows, and it refers mainly to our defilements. Here the asavas are given as three. Asava of lust, of becoming or existence, and of ignorance. And later in some suttas, a fourth asava was added, I think on views. So, now asavas give rise to five places of rebirth. To hell, to animals, realm, to the ghost realm. These three are called the woeful planes. And then the human realm and the deva world. So there are five places of rebirth for every being. And later books added a sixth, which is the Asura realm. But in the earliest discourses, Asuras are considered as devas, heavenly beings. Now, to continue, the Buddha said, monks, it is said, karma or action must be discerned, etc. And wherefore, monks, volition is karma, I say, when one wills, one acts through body, speech or mind. And what is karma's source? Contact monks, and what is karma's variety? There is karma that is experienced in hell, in an animal's womb, in the ghost realm, in the human realm, in the deva world. This monk is called karma's variety. And what is karma's fruit? I say that it is threefold. It may either rise here now or at another time or on the way. This monk is called karma's fruit. And what is karma's ending? Contacts ending, monks. And just in this Aryan Eightfold Path are the steps leading to actions ending. or karma's ending, right view, etc. And when the Aryan disciple thus knows karma, etc., he knows the penetrative holy life as karma's ending. Monks, it is said, karma must be discerned, etc. And because of this, it is said, stop here a while to comment on karma. Karma here, the Buddha makes a very important statement, volition. Is karma, I say, in the Pali it is cetanaham bhikave kamam vadami. So volition, the exercise of our will or volition is karma. That means karma can be translated as intentional action, any action that is done with intention or purposely. And that is karma. And that can be done through the body, speech or mind. Through the body we do the karma of, for example, killing, or stealing, or committing adultery. Through speech we can lie, we can create other verbal karma, and through the mind we can have intense hatred, etc. And now karma, it is said, the fruit of karma, which is the Pali word is vipaka, the result of karma is vipaka, is threefold. It may ripen here and now or at another time or on the way. In some other suttas, it is stated that all karma have the potential to ripen. But in some other sutras it's also stated that not all karma will ripen. If all karma has to ripen, then it will be quite impossible for us to get out of the cycle of existence. And because not all karma will ripen, that it is possible for us to get out of the round of rebirth. Now the Buddha continues, monks it is said, dukkha or suffering must be discerned with source, variety, fruit, ending, and the steps leading thereto. And wherefore is this said? Being born is dukkha, aging is dukkha, sickening is dukkha, dying is dukkha, sorrow, lamentation, pain. Grief, despair are dukkha. Not to get what one wants is dukkha. In short, the five aggregates of clinging is dukkha. And what is dukkha's source? Craving monks. And what is dukkha's variety? Dukkha that is above measure. Dukkha that is trifling. Dukkha that is quick to change. And dukkha that is slow to change. These monks are called dukkha's variety. And what is dukkha's fruit? Consider one overcome by dukkha, in mind forspent. He grieves, mourns, laments, beats his breast, and becomes bewildered, or roams abroad in search of one who knows a spell or two to end his dukkha. Dukkha yields bewilderment and search, I say. This monk is called Dukkha's fruit. And what is Dukkha's ending? Cravings ending monks. And just in this Aryan Eightfold Path are the steps leading to Dukkha's ending. Namely, right view, right thoughts, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. And when the Aryan disciple thus knows Dukkha, its source, variety, fruit, ending, and the steps leading thereto, then he knows this penetrative holy life as Dukkha's ending. Monks, it is said, Dukkha must be discerned, etc. And because of this, it is said, early monks, such is this penetrative discourse, this Dharma discourse, as the end of the Sutta. So the last part here is about dukkha or suffering. Dukkha can be translated as suffering or sorrow or unsatisfactoriness etc. Now here Dukkha is generally defined as being born is Dukkha, aging is Dukkha, sickening, dying is Dukkha, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, despair are Dukkha. Not to get what one wants is Dukkha. In short, the five aggregates of clinging is Dukkha. The five aggregates of clinging is basically body and mind. The mind part consists of four things, feelings, perception, volition and consciousness. So these four things plus body makes up the five aggregates of clinging. These are the five things that we all cling to and which we all consider to be the cell. Whenever you refer to yourself in the past life or in the future life or in the present life, you always refer to yourself in connection with these five things, these five aggregates, body, feelings, perception, volition, consciousness, these five things. And it is because of clinging to these five things that suffering arises. Now, there are some Dukkha that is above measure, that means very extreme, very great, then some Dukkha that is trifling, some Dukkha that is quick to change, and some Dukkha that is slow to change. And then when one is overcome by Dukkha, one grieves, mourns, laments, beats his breast and becomes wielded, or roams about in search of one who knows a spell or two to end the Dukkha. Dukkha yields bewilderment and search, I say. This dukkha yields bewilderment and search. It is because of this result of dukkha that dukkha is a very good teacher. If not for dukkha, we would not want to walk this spiritual path. It is because as we go through life and we suffer, then we get bewildered and then we search for a way to end our dukkha. And if we are sincere enough, we will come across the right dharma. that will lead us out of suffering. So Dukkha is the best teacher in the world. If a person has not had enough of Dukkha, then if you try to teach him the spiritual path, he would not be interested. It is only at a certain time when a person is spiritually mature through suffering, then that person is interested to cultivate the holy life, to end Dukkha. 6.6.64. Monks, there are these six Tathagata powers of a Tathagata, possessed of which the Tathagata claims the place of the bull, roars the lion roar in assemblies, and sets a rolling the Brahma wheel. What six? Herein, monks, the Tathagata knows as it really is the possible as possible, and the impossible as impossible. In that the Tathāgata knows this, it is the Tathāgata's Tathāgata power whereby the Tathāgata claims the place of the bull, roars the lion roar in assemblies and sets her rolling the Brahma wheel. Again the Tathāgata knows as it really is the result with its possibilities and causes of karmas undertaken in respect of the past. kamal action, undertaken in respect of the past, present and future. In that he knows this, he sets a rolling, the Brahma wheel. He knows the stain, purity and emergence in regard to the jhanas, liberations and concentrations and attainments. He remembers many a previous life, one birth, two, three, etc., so forth. He remembers each in all its modes and detail. With the purified deva eye, surpassing the human eye, he sees the passing away and reappearance of beings, each according to his karma. Destroying the āsavas, the Tathāgata enters and abides in liberation by mind, in liberation by wisdom, āsava free. In that the Tathāgata so abides. It is the Tathāgata's Tathāgata power. whereby the Tathāgata claims the place of the bull, roars the lion roar in assemblies, and sets a rolling the Brahma wheel. Monks, these are the six. And if monks, others come and question the Tathāgata because of his knowledge, as it really is, of the possible as possible, according as the Tathāgata's knowledge as it really is, of the possible as possible prevails so that the Tathāgata explains to them by knowledge as it really is when questioned. And if others come and question him because of his knowledge as it really is of the result of karmas undertaken, the stain, purity and emergence in regard to jhāna, etc., previous lives, the passing and reappearance of beings, or of asava destruction, according as his knowledge prevails, so he explains to them when questioned. Now this knowledge, as it really is, of the possible as possible, impossible as impossible, I declare to be the possession of the concentrated, not of the unconcentrated. So too the knowledge, as it really is, of the other five, I declare them to be the possession of the concentrated, not of the unconcentrated. Thus, verily, monks, concentration is the way, non-concentration the no-whither way." That's the end of the sutta. Here the Buddha is first talking about the powers of a Tathagata or a Buddha. A Tathagata means the dust-gone one. This is one of the ten names of the Buddha. And here it is given six powers of the Buddha. In some other suttas, the ten powers of the Tathagata are enumerated. The powers here is he knows the possible as possible and the impossible as impossible. Then he knows the possibilities, causes, etc. of the actions undertaken, of karma undertaken. Then he knows the stain, purity and emergence in regard to the jhanas. liberations, concentrations and attainments. Then he remembers previous lives. Then he has the purified deva eye which can see the passing away and reappearance of beings. And then the last one is he has destroyed the asavas and attains liberation by mind and liberation by wisdom. So the Buddha at the end says that these higher knowledges attained are because of concentration, samadhi. Concentration or samadhi in the suttas is always defined as one-pointedness of mind, all the four jhanas. Now the jhanas are synonymous to satipatthana because satipatthana means intense states of mindfulness and we can see in the Sangyuta Nikaya, when the Venerable Anuruddha was asked what is the cause of his great psychic power, then he said it is Satipatthana. But we know that psychic power is always due to the jhanas, so this shows that jhanas are synonymous with Satipatthana. And also because it is stated that the mark of satipatthana is the mark of samadhi. Once a person has samadhi or the jhanas, He automatically has the satipatthana. That is why in the suttas the Buddha said that once you attain satipatthana then you abandon the practice because it is already automatic. The jhanas are also called the footsteps of the Buddha. And here you can see that the jhanas are declared by the Buddha to be very important because the Buddha said concentration is the way, no concentration the no way. In Pali it is samadhi mago, asamadhi kumago. Samadhi is concentration, mago is the way. So asamādhi is no concentration, is kumāgo. Kumāgo is a wrong way, or here it is said to be no way. So samādhi is the way. No samādhi, no way. So it's very clear in the Buddha's teachings that samādhi is very important. There's no way, no path in the Buddha's teachings without samādhi. And this is also confirmed in the Anguttara Nikaya 4.170 where we heard earlier the Venerable Ananda said there's only four ways to attainment of Arahanthood. The first one is Samatha, first followed by Vipassana. The second one is Vipassana followed by Samatha. The third is Samatha and Vipassana together. The fourth is meditation on the Self until the mind becomes one-pointed and the way becomes clear. Now in one of the suttas in the Samyutta Nikaya, the Buddha said that the true Dharma will vanish in the future because of no respect, no veneration for the Buddha, the Dharma, the Sangha, no veneration for the training and no veneration or respect for Samadhi. So if we don't If we neglect Samadhi, this will cause the disappearance of the true Dharma. And here it is very clear that the Buddha's way is concentration. Samadhi Mago, Samadhi Kumago. Now we come to the next sutra, 6.7.68. Verily, monks, that a monk delighting in company, delighted by company, absorbed in the delights of company, delighting in gatherings, delighted by gatherings, absorbed in the delights of gatherings, shall find delight alone in seclusion. That cannot be. and that without finding delight in seclusion, he shall grasp the reflection of mind or the characteristic of mind. That cannot be. And that without so grasping, he shall become perfect in right view. That cannot be. And that without becoming perfect in right view, he shall become perfect in right concentration. That cannot be. And that without becoming perfect in right concentration, he shall abandon the fetters, that cannot be. And that without abandoning the fetters, he shall realize Nibbāna, that cannot be." That's the end of the sutta. So just now this sutta, This sutra, the Buddha is saying that seclusion is necessary. To finally attain Nibbana, you must have seclusion. Without seclusion, you cannot grasp the reflection of mind or the characteristic of mind. Cittasa nimitta. Without grasping the reflection of mind, you shall attain right view that cannot be. Without attaining right view, you shall attain right concentration that cannot be. Without right concentration, you shall abandon the fetters and realize Nibbana that cannot be. So, seclusion is another one of the factors that are very important in the holy life as taught by the Buddha. We find in many suttas, the Buddha said that certain monks lived alone and then they strove very hard and attained Arahanthood. There's a well-known Indian saying that goes like this, the holy path is the path of the alone, to the alone, by the alone. This path to Nibbana, to get out of samsara, is to be attained one by one. This sutta also is quite clear that right concentration is very important for Nibbana. Without right concentration, the jhanas, it is impossible to abandon the fetters and attain Nibbana. The next Sutta is 6.7.69. Now when the night was well advanced, a Deva, shedding rays of far-reaching loveliness over Jeta Grove, visited the Exalted One, saluted and stood at one side, and so standing he spoke thus to the Exalted One. Lord, there are these six things that lead not to a monk's falling away. What six? Reverence for teacher, reverence for Dhamma, reverence for the Sangha, reverence for the training, meekness, and having good friends. Lord, these six things lead not to a monk's falling away. Thus spoke that Deva, and the teacher approved. And the Deva, perceiving that the master agreed, saluted and disappeared thence, keeping the exalted one on his right. Now, at the end of that night, the Exalted One addressed the monks and told them all that had passed. And when He had spoken, the Venerable Sariputta saluted the Exalted One and said, Lord, the meaning of the Exalted One's brief words I thus understand in full. Suppose, Lord, a monk himself reveres the teacher and praises such reverence, he will instill such reverence in others who lack it. And of those who possess it, he will speak in praise, justly, truly and timely. So too of reverence for the Dhamma, reverence for the Sangha, reverence for the training, meekness and having good friends. It is thus I understand in full the Exalted One's brief words. Well said, well said, Sariputta. It is just as you say. and Sariputta, thus the full meaning of my brief words ought to be understood." That's the end of the sutta. So in this sutta, these six things are important for a monk to have veneration for the teacher, the Buddha, veneration for Dhamma, and veneration for the Sangha, veneration for the training. A monk's training includes the precepts and other things that a monk must learn. And meekness, meekness is a quality a monk should possess, not to be aggressive, to be meek and gentle. And having good friends, good friends are those who are knowledgeable in the Dhamma, or interested in the Dhamma, who practice the holy life, because as we practice the holy life with good friends, we support each other, encourage each other, and that is important, because there are times when a person may get discouraged, especially a person who is new on the holy path. Okay, the next Uttara 6.7.70, the Buddha said, Verily monks, that a monk without the peace of concentration in high degree, without attaining to calm, without winning one-pointedness, shall have part in the many psychic powers. Being one, he becomes many. Being many, he becomes one. He reaches in body even as far as the Brahma world. That cannot be. Shall hear with the purified deva ear, surpassing man's, sounds of devas and men, far and near, that cannot be. Shall know by mind, compassing mind, the thoughts of other folk, other persons, the passionate as such, the unemancipated as such, that cannot be. Shall call to mind many a previous life, one birth, two births, etc., that cannot be. Shall see with the deva eye, the fairing of men, that cannot be. shall enter and abide in liberation by mind, liberation by wisdom, asava, that cannot be. That's the end of the sutra. Here the Buddha is saying, without the peace of concentration in high degree, without attaining to calm, without winning one-pointedness, a person cannot have the various psychic powers. and cannot attain liberation by mind and liberation by wisdom are survive free. So, here again we find the importance of samadhi or the jhanas being stressed. Jhanas are necessary for psychic power and that's why just now I mentioned Venerable Anuruddha said that the cause of his psychic power is Satipatthana which just shows that Satipatthana is anonymous with jhanas. In Angutra Nikaya, one of the suttas we have read earlier, it is stated that Sotapanna and Sakadagamin have perfect sila, and Anagamin have perfect sila and samadhi, and an Arahant has perfect sila, samadhi and panya. So all anagamis, the third fruition ariya, and arahants, the fourth fruition ariya, must possess perfect samadhi, perfect concentration, that means the jhanas. This is another sutra from which it is quite clear that jhanas are necessary. Now the next sutra is 6.8.78. Monks, if a monk follows six things, he will live here and now in great happiness and contentment, and for him the mould has begun to form for destroying the asavas. What six? Herein a monk delights in dhamma, in development bhavana, in renunciation or abandoning. in total seclusion, in being free of ill-will, and in non-proliferation of thoughts. Nibbāpañca. Monks, if a monk follows these six things, he will live in great happiness, here and now, and contentment. And for him the mould has begun to form for destroying the asavas. This is the end of the sutta. Destroying the asavas means becoming an arahant. And these six things are important. He delights in dhamma, that means he loves the dhamma, loves to study or listen to dhamma and discuss dhamma. In development, bhavana. Development means development of the mind. Bhavana, that means practicing meditation and especially attaining samadhi. Because when a person attains samadhi, the hindrances are abandoned. Third one is renunciation, abandoning, letting go. Fourth one is total seclusion, paviveka, total seclusion or aloofness, being aloof from others. And then being free of ill will, not to have anger. And the last one is non-proliferation of thoughts. Nipapancha. For most people, there is always a proliferation of thoughts. One thought becomes ten, ten becomes a hundred, etc. And non-proliferation of thoughts can be attained when we attain one-pointedness of mind, when we attain the jhanas. Then we experience a bliss, a happiness. free of thinking, and that happiness which is free of thinking surpasses the happiness of thinking. It is only through that that we can renounce thinking.

08-AN-Book-7A-(7.1.4-to-7.4.39).txt

7.1.4. Monks, there are these seven powers. What seven? The power of faith, saddha, diligence or energy, conscience or conscientiousness, remorse or compunction, mindfulness, concentration and wisdom. And what monks is the power of faith? Consider monks, the Aryan disciple who has faith. He believes thus of the Tathāgata's awakening or enlightenment. Of a truth, he is the Exalted One, Arahant, fully enlightened, replete with knowledge and practice, well-gone one, world-knower, incomparable tamer of tamable men, teacher of devas and men, Buddha, Exalted One. This monk is called the power of faith. And what is the power of diligence or energy? Consider the Aryan disciple who abides stirred in energy to be rid of unwholesome states, to take to wholesome states. He is steadfast, firm in advance, nor lays aside the burden of wholesome states. This is called the power of diligence. And what is the power of conscience or conscientiousness? Consider the Aryan disciple who is scrupulous. He feels conscientious scruple when acting wrongly in deed, word and thought, on entering into evil and unrighteous ways. This mount is called the power of conscience or conscientiousness. And what is the power of remorse or compunction? Herein the Aryan disciple is remorseful. He feels remorseful for having acted wrongly in deed, word, and thought. having fallen into evil and unrighteous ways. This monk is called the power of remorse or compunction. And what is the power of mindfulness? Consider the Aryan disciple who is mindful, possessing a mastery of mindfulness in high degree. He remembers and calls to mind things done and said long ago. This monk is called the power of mindfulness. And what is the power of concentration? Consider the Aryan disciple who, aloof from sense desires, enters and abides in the first jhāna, the second, third, fourth jhāna. This month is called the power of concentration. And what is the power of wisdom? Consider the Aryan disciple who is wise. He is wise as as to the nature of arising and ceasing, possessing Aryan penetration of the way to the utter destruction of dukkha. This, monks, is called the power of wisdom. Clearly, monks, these are the seven powers. That's the end of the sutra. Here, there are seven powers mentioned. It's a little similar to the chapter of the fives. We had five factors in the five powers. But here, they have added another two, which is conscience and remorse, hiri-otapa. Hiri is conscience, that means sort of conscientious scruple when acting wrongly. That means he is scrupulous about doing anything wrong. And then remorse or compunction, otapa, is the ability to be remorseful when you do something wrong. There are some people, after they do something wrong, they have no remorse. That means they have no uttapa. Then sati or mindfulness here, as in other suttas, is defined as the ability to remember and call to mind things said and done long ago. So sati, when we translate it as mindfulness, that means it is more like the ability to remember. That means to remember, to put our attention on body and mind and not on the five external sense objects of sight, sound, smell, taste and touch. and always to remember that body and mind is not I, not mine, not myself. And if we practice sati, then we tend to see that this body and this mind is not I, not mine, myself, and we remain equanimous, not to be moved by different states of mind. The power of concentration here is defined as the four jhanas, and wisdom here is said that the person is wise as to the way of arising and ceasing. That means the person knows that all things in the world arise and cease due to conditions. The next uttah is 7.1.6. Monks, there are these seven treasures. What seven? The treasure of faith, virtue, conscience or conscientiousness, remorse or compunction, listening, generosity and wisdom. And what monks is the treasure of faith? This is SB4, so I won't read it. What is the treasure of virtue? Consider the Aryan disciple who abstains from taking life, from taking what is not given, from sexual misconduct. from lying, who abstains from taking sloth-causing liquors, spirits, wines. This is called the treasure of virtue. And what is the treasure of conscience or conscientiousness? This is as before. And the treasure of remorse is also as before. And what is the treasure of listening? Suta. S-u-t-a. Consider the Aryan disciple who listens much. There is a retaining, a storing of things heard, and those things lovely in the beginning, lovely in the middle, lovely in the end. which set forth in meaning and detail the holy life, wholly fulfilled, perfectly pure. All those are heard much by him, retained in mind, familiarized by discussion, pored over, well penetrated by right view. This is called the treasure of listening. And what is the treasure of generosity? Chaga. Consider the Aryan disciple who lives at home with mind free of the stain of meanness, freely generous, open-handed, gladly giving. Yoke made our companion to asking. He is a cheerful giver. This is called the treasure of generosity. And what is the treasure of wisdom, as before? Early monks, these are the seven treasures. So here there's another set of seven things, which is slightly different from the previous one. And it includes virtue, that means keeping the five precepts. And then sutta, which is listening, listening to the Buddha's discourses. And then generosity, cāgā, The next sutra, 7.2.13. Monks, not having yet visited, it is not fit to visit a family of sevenfold conduct, nor having visited to sit down. What seven? Pleasantly they rise not, pleasantly they salute not, nor pleasantly offer a seat. They hide it. From much, they give little. From choice food, they give coarse food. Without respect, they give, not respectfully. Verily, monks, it is not fit to visit a family of this sevenfold conduct. In one of the earlier suttas we read, the Buddha said there are four types of persons that we should be careful in our conduct towards. The first one is the Buddha, second one is disciples of the Buddha, that means monks and nuns, third is mother, the fourth is father. These are the four fields of merit or demerit. So in our conduct towards these people, we have to be very careful. It is better to be overly good than overly bad towards them. In the Mangala Sutta, it is stated that the sight of monks is a blessing. So when a monk visits a lay person, the family receives blessings, especially if the monk comes along on alms round, binda bata. And then they receive more blessings if they show respect to the monk, they rise up, they offer a seat, they offer food, etc. And here in this sutra, the Buddha said, if this family does not do these things, then a monk should not visit such a family. When they see the monk, they don't show respect, they don't rise up, they don't offer a seat. If they have food, they hide it. And then if they have much food, they give very little. If they have good food, they give poor food. And then when they give, they don't give respectfully. So, if there is such a family, it is better not for a monk to visit them, because when a monk visits such a family, instead of getting merit, that family might create demerit by their conduct towards the monk. The next sutra is 7.3.19. Once the Exalted One dwelt near Vesali at Sarvandada Shrine. And there a number of Licchavis visited Him and saluted and sat down at one side. Then the Exalted One addressed them, thus seated, and said, Licchavis, I will teach you seven things that cause not decline. Listen, give heed, I will speak. Yes, Lord, they replied. And the Exalted One said, What seven things cause not decline? So long, O Licchavis, as you will hold regular and frequent assemblies, growth may be expected, not decline. So long as we shall sit down in concord or harmony, rise up in concord, do business in concord, growth may be expected, not decline. So long as you shall not decree the undecreed, nor repeal the decreed, but conform to the ancient Vajan laws as decreed, growth may be expected, not decline. So long as you shall honour, respect, venerate, revere the Vajan elders, shall hold they ought to be listened to, growth may be expected, not decline. So long as you shall not forcibly kidnap and make live, With you, others, wives and daughters, growth may be expected, not decline, so long as you shall honour, respect, venerate and revere the Vajran shrines within and without or outside the borders, shall not fail to provide proper offerings as before. made before, growth may be expected, not decline. So long as proper protection, refuge, shelter shall be provided for Arahants, so that it shall be known that Arahants from abroad may come, and that those there dwell in comfort, growth or liturgies may be expected for the Vajjians, not decline. And so long as these seven things that cause not decline shall endure among the Vajjans, and they shall live in conformity therewith, growth or Licchavis may be expected for the Vajjans not decline. That's the end of the Supta. The Licchavis are a group of people, a race of people. They are also called Vajjans. So the Buddha is teaching them these seven very important things for any group of people to progress and not to decline. First one, they should hold regular and frequent meetings. very regular and frequent meetings. The second one, when they meet, they should meet in harmony or concord. The third one, the ancient laws or rules should not be repealed, but they should conform to the laws or rules as laid down from before. The fourth one, they should honour, respect, venerate the elders, listen to the elders. And then the fifth one, they should not kidnap and make live with them other people's wives and daughters. The sixth, they should venerate the Vajrayana shrines where they pay respect to the devas and provide proper offerings. It is part of the Buddha's teachings that lay people should show respect towards the devas because the devas have a lot of influence on our lives. Then the seventh one, they should provide protection, refuge and shelter for Arahants, so that other holy men may also come to their place. So these are very important conditions that are practical even today. For any group of people to progress, we should practice these seven things. Whether it's any particular race or any particular group of people, these are very important qualities that we should remember to practice. Sutta 7.3.21. Thus have I heard. Once, while dwelling on Mount Balchupit, the Exalted One addressed the monks, saying, Monks, I will teach you seven things that cause not decline. Listen, pay heed, I will speak. Yes, Lord, the monks rejoined. And the Exalted One said, And what monks are these seven things that cause not decline? So long as the monks shall hold regular and frequent assemblies, growth may be expected, not decline. So long as they shall sit down in concord, rise up in concord, do business in concord, growth may be expected, not decline. So long as they shall not decree the undecreed, nor repeal the decreed, but conform to the decreed rules of training, growth may be expected, not decline. So long as they shall honour, respect, venerate, revere the elders, monks of experience, long gone forth, fathers of the Sangha, leaders of the Sangha, and deem them worthy to be heard, growth may be expected, not decline. So long as they shall fall not into the power of craving which arise in them, the cause of renewed becoming, growth may be expected, not decline. So long as they shall be devoted to the forest dwelling, growth may be expected, not decline. So long as each shall in himself make mindfulness stand up, so that in future the good among their companions will come to them, and those who have already come will feel at ease, growth may be expected, not decline. As so long as these seven things that cause not decline shall endure among the monks, and they shall live in conformity therewith, growth may be expected, not decline." That's the end of the sutra. This is advice from the Buddha, how the conditions, if the monks practice, then the sangha will prosper, not decline. The first one is that they should hold regular and frequent assemblies. And that is why the Buddha made it part of the Vinaya rule that monks should come together at least once in a fortnight to chant the patimokkha, the precepts, 227 precepts of the monks, so that when they come together they can meet and be friendly to each other. The second condition is that they must come together in harmony and conduct their meeting in harmony and disperse in harmony. The third one is that they should not change the rules of training. In some other suttas, the Buddha said that the rules of training should not be added to or deducted from. They should remain as they are. And then the fourth is that the monks should revere the elder monks, the Theras, the senior monks, and listen to the advice. The fifth is that they should not fall into the power of craving. The sixth is that they shall be devoted to the forest dwelling. In other words, to live if possible in a secluded dwelling or even if he lives in a town area to be a bit aloof. from other people. And the seventh to be mindful so that they have metta towards their companions so that the companions in the holy life would like to come and live with them. These are the seven conditions. The next sutta is 7.3.22. Monks, I will teach you another seven things that cause not decline. What seven? So long as the monks shall delight not in activity, nor be delighted thereby, nor engrossed in the delight thereof, growth may be expected, not decline. So long as they shall delight not in talk, in sleep, in company, so long as they shall not be full of evil desires, nor fall into the power thereof, so long as they shall be no friend, companion, intimate of evil men, so long as they shall make no fault on the way or path because of some partial success, growth may be expected, not decline. So long as these seven things that cause not decline shall endure, growth may be expected, not decline. That's the end of the sutra. Here another seven things that cause not decline. The first one is they should not be engrossed too much in activity or work. The Buddha said that whatever a monk does, he must spend some time each day to meditate, to cultivate tranquility of mind. There are certain duties a monk must perform, but he must put aside a certain time for cultivation of the mind. Second one is they shall not delight in talk, too much talk for a monk makes a monk scattered. It's not good conducive for meditation. Third one is sleep also. When we sleep too much also, the mind becomes scattered. And the fourth one is in company. That means keeping company with other people too much also is not good for a monk. The fifth one is not full of evil desires. The sixth is not to keep company with evil. And the seventh is not to halt, to stop halfway on the spiritual path because of some partial success. The next sutra is 7.3.23. Monks, I will teach you seven things that cause not decline. What seven? So long as the monks shall develop faith, conscience or conscientiousness, remorse, much hearing, stirred in energy, mindful, wise, growth may be expected, not decline. That's the end of the sutra. Here's another seven things. One is faith, saddha. or confidence or trust in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. The second one is conscience. Conscience or conscientiousness is being afraid to do something wrong, scruple. And the third one is remorse. That means if the monk has done something wrong, to be able to feel remorse for that wrongdoing. The fourth is much hearing, much hearing of the Dhamma. Bahusuta is much hearing of the Dhamma because that will bring much knowledge. The fifth is stirred in energy, full of diligence. The sixth is mindful or mindfulness. The seventh is wise, wisdom. The next sutra is 7.3.24. Monks, I will teach you another seven things that cause not decline. 7. So long as the monks shall develop the factor of enlightenment, bhojanga, that is mindfulness, the factor that is dhamma investigation, dhamma vichaya, The factor that is diligence or energy, delight, pity, tranquility, concentration, equanimity, growth may be expected, not decline. These are the seven factors of enlightenment which are important for a monk to develop. qualities on the spiritual path that conduce to enlightenment. First one is mindfulness, the second one is investigation of the Dhamma, to ponder over Dhamma that has been learnt. Then the third one is diligence or energetic striving. The fourth one is delight, pity. This pity is attained only when a person's mind becomes one-pointed, concentrated. And the next factor is tranquility, and then concentration, and then equanimity. So these are the seven factors of enlightenment. I just like to comment here that you see the mindfulness sati is one factor, and then concentration, Samadhi is a different factor. These two must not be confused, they are not the same. So mindfulness has to be developed, but concentration, one-pointedness of mind or jhanas also have to be developed. The next sutra is 7.3.25. Monks, I will teach you seven things that cause not decline. But seven, so long as a monk shall develop the perception of impermanence, of not-self, of loathsomeness, of danger, of renunciation, of dispassion, of cessation. Growth may be expected, not decline. Here's another seven factors. The first one is perception of impermanence, that everything in this world is impermanent. That helps us to have a sense of urgency in life, to practice the spiritual path. And then the next one is not-self, the perception of not-self, this body and mind, to always remind ourselves that this is not I, this is not mine, this is not myself. Then perception of loathsomeness of the body, or unattractiveness of the body, that is to help us cut lust for the body. Then the fourth one is danger, adhinava, danger. Danger in life, since life is impermanent, that anytime death may come, anytime we may fall sick. So we always remember that. Then the next one is pahana, renunciation. If we are interested in the spiritual path, then slowly we slowly let go of our attachments. The next one is viraga, dispassion. Dispassion with the world. As we grow older, we tend not to get so excited about things in the world. When we are young, we tend to have a lot of passion, a lot of excitement about the world. And as slowly as we taste all the things in the world, slowly we learn to be dispassionate. Then cessation. Cessation is the nirodha, ending of every Everything that arises must cease. It's like death also. So it's something we have to remember. The next sutta is 7.3.27. Monks, these seven things lead to a lay disciple's decline. What seven? He fails to see the monks, neglects to hear saddhamma or true dhamma, trains not in higher virtue, puts little trust in junior, middling or senior monk. With a critical mind, seeking faults, he hears dhamma. He seeks a gift worthy outside the Bhikkhu Sangha. First, he serves first outside the Bhikkhu Sangha. Early monks, these seven things lead to a lay disciple's decline. That's the end of the sutra. These seven things, first one is he fails to see the monks. Fails to see the monks regularly to get advice to learn the Dharma. The second one, he neglects to hear the true Dhamma, the suttas. He's not bothered to hear the discourses of the Buddha. And because of that, he does not learn the Dhamma, does not get wisdom. The third one, he trains not in the higher virtue. He does not train in the precepts, in the higher moral conduct. The fourth one, he feels he puts little trust in monks. The fifth one, with a critical mind seeking faults, he hears the Dhamma. Instead of having trust or confidence in the Buddha's Dhamma, he looks for faults in the Dhamma. The sixth one, he seeks a gift worthy outside the Sangha. That means he looks for, instead of monks to make offerings to, he looks for outside the Sangha to give offerings to. And the seventh, he first serves outside the Sangha. Instead of serving the Sangha, he serves maybe external sect followers, etc. So these are the conditions that lead to a lay disciple's decline. Hearing of the Dhamma is very important because whenever we hear the Dhamma, we get guidance. It's as though the Buddha were by our side to guide us. Aneksutai 7.4.35. Monks. Let a monk cultivate a friend whose ways are seven. What seven? He gives what is hard to give. He does what is hard to do. Bears what is hard to bear. Confesses his own secret. Keeps others. In want forsakes want not, despises not when want is ruined. Verily monks, let a monk cultivate a friend whose ways are such. That's the end of the sutra. Here although this is advice to a monk to look for a friend with these qualities, it also applies equally to lay people. If you want to look for a friend, a friend with these qualities is a worthy friend. One, he gives what is hard to give. Then he does what is hard to do. Then he bears what is hard to bear. Then he confesses his secret to you. Then when you confess your secret to him, he keeps your secret. He doesn't divulge it to others. And then when you need him, he does not forsake you. Sometimes when we are down and out, we need a friend. A good friend will still come to you when you are down and out, but not a good friend. When you are down, he will run away. And the last one, he despises not when you are ruined. When you are down and out, he does not despise you. He still looks to you as a friend. But most people, when they are down and out, they run away. 7.4.38. Monks, endowed with seven things, a monk makes the mind turn according to his wish, and turns not by the mind's wish. What seven? Herein, monks, a monk is skilled in concentration, skilled in attaining it, skilled in maintaining it. skilled in emerging from it, skilled in the well-being of it, skilled in the range of it, skilled in applying it. Early monks endowed with these seven things, a monk makes the mind turn according to his wish and turns not by the mind's wish. Monks, Sariputta is so endowed and acts thus. That's the end of the sutra. This sutra is trying to tell us the importance of samadhi, concentration. When we have concentration, then we make the mind turn according to our wish. And we are not turned by the mind. The mind is always changing. and the mind is always subject to moods and if we don't have a strong concentration, our moods are always turning us and makes us very uncomfortable and Most people tend to follow the mind because their mind is not concentrated, not tranquil. And then to cultivate a skill in concentration, there are many ways in attaining the concentration, maintaining it, emerging from it, applying it, etc. 7.4.39. One morning, while the Exalted One dwelt near Savatthi and Anathapindika's park in Jeta Grove, the Venerable Sariputta robed himself early, and taking bowl and robe, entered Savatthi for alms. Now the Venerable Sariputta thought thus, Too soon still is it to visit Savatthi for alms. What if I were to go to the park of the wanderers of other views? and he approached their park, and having come, greeted them, exchanged the usual polite talk with them, and sat down at one side. Now at that time, this remark by chance arose among them as they sat assembled. Reverend Sirs, whosoever lives the holy life in its fullness and purity for twelve years, it is right to say of him, the monk is praiseworthy. And the Venerable Sariputta neither praised nor scorned their words, but got up and departed, thinking, I shall learn the truth of this talk from the Exalted One. Then when he had gone his round for alms in Savatthi and returned and eaten his meal, he approached the Exalted One, saluted and sat down at one side. And so seated, he told the exalted one all that had occurred, adding, Is it possible, Lord, in this Dhamma Vinaya, to declare a monk praiseworthy just merely on the score of years? No, Sariputta, it is not. These seven grounds for praise have been taught by me, who have realized the matter by personal knowledge. What seven? Consider the monk who is keenly eager to undergo the training, and whose zeal reigns not in the days of his training. who is keenly eager to observe Dhamma, and whose zeal wanes not in the days of his training, to discipline desire, and whose zeal wanes not in the days of his training, to go apart, and whose zeal wanes not in the days of his training, to put forth energy, and whose zeal wanes not in the days of his training, to master mindfulness, and whose zeal wanes not in the days of his training, to attain right view, and whose zeal wanes not in the days of his training. Verily, Sariputta, these are the seven grounds for praise taught by me, who have realized the matter by personal knowledge. Indeed, Sariputta, if a monk possessed of these seven grounds lived the holy life in its fullness and purity for twelve years, it is right to say of him, the monk is praiseworthy. If he lives the holy life for 24 years, for 36 years, or for 48 years, it is right to say of him, the monk is praiseworthy. That's the end of the sutta. So here the Buddha is trying to say that A monk is not only praiseworthy because of the seniority, the number of years he wears the robe, but there are other qualities which would make a monk praiseworthy, that he is keen to train in the holy life, and then his zeal or his diligence does not lessen. as the years go by and then he observes Dhamma or he lives his life according to Dhamma and he carries on the same way as the years go by and then he disciplines his desire and as the years go by he does not lessen his discipline. and then he goes apart or he is a bit aloof from others and his zeal wins not as the years go by and then his diligence puts forth energy and he carries on as the years go by and then he masters mindfulness and he attains right view etc. and the important thing is that he continues in that same way diligently year after year Sometimes a monk may have a good start, but there are some monks, they have a bad ending. They disrobe or they break the precept and then they are forced to disrobe, etc. So if a monk has these qualities as well as seniority, then he is praiseworthy.

09-AN-Book-7B-(7.5.42-to-7.5.47).txt

Next sutra is 7.5.42. Monks, these seven are the adornments of concentration. What seven? Right view, right thoughts, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness. Verily, monks, one-pointedness of mind which is adorned by these seven things is called Aryan Right Concentration, with its approach just thus, its adornment just thus. That's the end of the sutta. Here the Buddha is saying that right concentration, the one-pointedness of mind or the jhanas, if it has these seven other things, which are the seven other factors of the Noble Eightfold Path or the Aryan Eightfold Path, then it is called Aryan Right Concentration. Without the other seven factors supporting, Right Concentration, it is not Aryan Right Concentration. Without those seven factors, it is just Right Concentration. And Right Concentration by itself does not bring us to Nibbana, does not bring us to liberation. That is why the external ascetics, they practice Right Concentration, they attain the jhanas, but they don't attain the wisdom. and they don't attain Arahanthood just because they don't have the other seven factors supporting right concentration. All these eight factors of the Aryan Eightfold Path must work together. Then they give the desired effect, which is liberation. This we must bear in mind. So we cannot say that the jhanas or the right concentration is not necessary because external ascetics practice right concentration and they don't become enlightened. That is the wrong type of argument. These eight factors must work together and every one of them is needed. Sutta no. 7.5.44. Once when the Exalted One dwelt near Savatthi in Anathapindika's park at Jeta Grove, a great sacrifice was being prepared for Brahmin Ugatha Sarira. Five hundred bulls, five hundred steers, and as many heifers, goats and rams were brought to the post for sacrifice. Now Brahmin Ugatha Sarira went and visited the Exalted One, greeted Him, exchanged the usual polite talk, and sat down at one side. So seated, he said, Master Gautama, I have heard this, the laying of the fire and the setting up of the pillar are very fruitful, very advantageous. And the Buddha said, By me too, Brahmin, has that been heard? And the Brahmin spoke a second time in like manner to the Exalted One, and the Exalted One replied as before. And the third time the Brahmin said, Master Gautama, I've heard this, the laying of the fire and the setting up of the pillar are very fruitful, very advantageous. And the Buddha said, By me too, Brahmin, has that been heard for the third time. Then the Brahmin said, This unites us, Master Gautama, even Master Gautama and ourselves, yes, all in all. Now when he had spoken, the Venerable Ananda said this, For sooth, Brahmin, Tathagatas ought not to be questioned thus. I've heard that the fire and pillar of sacrifice are very advantageous. It is thus they ought to be questioned. I am indeed anxious, Lord, to lay the fire, to set up the pillar. Lord, let the Exalted One counsel me, let the Blessed One instruct me, so that it may be for my happiness, my welfare for many a day. I just stop here to comment. You see, this Brahmin, he didn't know how to ask properly and ask humbly. Actually, he wanted the Buddha's advice to confirm that this sacrifice that he was going to perform would be very meritorious. But instead of asking directly this question, he said that he heard that the laying of the fire and setting up of the pillar are very fruitful, very advantageous. And the Buddha said, I've also heard something to that effect. And the second time he asked, he said the same thing, and the second time the Buddha replied as before, and the third time, So the Venerable Ananda thought that this Brahmin didn't know how to ask this question and he advised him to ask this question properly. This applies to many people. Sometimes when you want to seek the advice of a monk, you must ask also directly what it is you want to know. Otherwise it might not be Answered, or you might be misunderstood. Then the sutra continues. Then Brahmin Ugatasarira said to the Exalted One, I am indeed anxious, Master Gautama, to lay the fire, to set up the pillar. Let Master Gautama counsel and instruct me for my happiness and welfare for many a day. And the Buddha said, Brahmin, even before the sacrifice, a man who lays the fire, who sets up the pillar, sets up three sorts, evil, ill in yield, ill in fruit. What three? The mind sort, the word sort, the body sort. Even before the sacrifice, Brahmin, a man laying the fire, setting up the pillar, causes to arise such thoughts as, let there be slain for the sacrifice so many bulls, steers, hifers, goats, rams. Thinking to make merit, he makes demerit. Thinking to do good, he does evil. Thinking, he seeks the way of happy going, he seeks the way of ill going. Brahmin, even before the sacrifice, a man laying the fire, setting up the pillar, sets up firstly this mind-sword which is evil, ill in yield, ill in fruit. Again, Brahmin, even before the sacrifice, he speaks such words as, Let there be slain so many bulls, steers, hyphers, goats, rams. Thinking to make merit, he makes demerit. Even before the sacrifice, he laying the fire, setting up the pillar, sets up secondly this speech sword. Moreover, Brahmin, even before the sacrifice, he himself first sets on foot the business, saying, let them slay bulls. Steers, hifers, goats and rams. Thinking to make merit, he makes demerit. Thinking to do good, he does evil. Thinking he seeks the way of happy going, he seeks the way of evil going. He sets up thirdly this body sword. Even before the sacrifice Brahmin, a man laying the fire, setting up the pillar, sets up these three evil sorts, ill in yield, ill in fruit." Stop here again to comment. Here the Buddha is saying that when this person is making the preparation for the sacrifice of these animals to be killed, to be offered up to heaven. He does evil karma by these three ways in thought, that means in the mind, in the mind by speech and by body. Firstly, in the mind when he has intention to kill so many bulls, steers, hyphes, etc. Then, thinking to make merit, he makes demerit. Thinking to do good, he does evil. And similarly, when he orders the people to kill the animals, then he makes verbal evil karma. And then the third one, when he starts the killing, usually it seems that these brahmins, when the sacrifice is started, the brahmin himself will be the first to kill the animal and then he lets the workmen do the rest. So in this third way he sets up this evil deed. So these are the three ways through the mind, through the speech and through the action. And this is quite relevant to us today because just recently we had this the 8th day of the Chinese New Year, and in Penang, I was there recently. It seems that many, many animals were slaughtered for offering up to Sakadeva Raja. And so these people are in the same boat as this Brahmin, actually intending to make merit, they are making demerit, intending to get a good result of their deeds, they are getting an evil result of their deeds, so that they would have to pay for this evil deed in future. So that's why by studying the suttas we learn to avoid the evil ways of conduct and walk the skillful way in conduct. Then the Buddha continued, ìBrahmin, these three fires ought to be forsaken, shunned, avoided.î What three? ìThe fires of passion, hatred and delusion, raga, dosa and moha.î And why ought the fire of passion to be forsaken, shunned, avoided? With mind in passion, mastered, obsessed by passion, he takes a course ill by body, ill by speech, ill by mind. So doing, on the breaking up of the body after death, he arises in the untoward way, the ill way, the abyss, hell. Therefore, Brahmin, this fire of passion is to be forsaken, shunned, avoided. And why ought the fire of hatred to be forsaken, shunned, avoided? With mind perverted, mastered, obsessed by hatred, he takes a course ill by body, speech and mind, and so doing he arises in hell. Therefore, Brahmin, this fire of hatred is to be forsaken, shunned, avoided. And why ought the fire of delusion to be forsaken, shunned, avoided? With mind deluded, mastered, obsessed by delusion, he takes a course ill by body, speech and mind, and so doing he arises in hell. Therefore, Brahman, this fire of delusion is to be forsaken, shunned, avoided. Verily, Brahman, these three fires ought to be forsaken, shunned, avoided. So I'll stop here to comment again. The Buddha is saying these three poisons, the three defilements of passion, hatred and delusion, if they obsess us, if they control us, then we take a wrong course and we perform wrong karma, evil karma through the body, speech and mind. And because of that we take rebirth in the woeful planes of existence. Then the Buddha said, Brahmin, these three fires, when esteemed, revered, venerated, respected, must bring the best happiness. What three? The fires of the venerable, the householder, the gift worthy. And what is the fire of the Venerable? Consider Brahmin, the man who honors his mother and his father. This is called the fire of the Venerable. And why? From it this veneration has become. Therefore, Brahmin, this fire of the Venerable, when esteemed, revered, venerated, respected, must bring the best happiness. And what is the fire of the householder? Consider Brahmin, the man who honors his sons, women, folk, slaves, messengers, workmen. This is called the fire of the householder. Therefore, Brahmin, this fire of the householder, when esteemed, must bring the best happiness. And what is the fire of the gift-worthy? Consider Brahmin, those recluses and Brahmins who abstain from pride and indolence. who bear things patiently and meekly, each taming the self, each calming the self, each cooling the self. This is called the fire of the gift worthy. Therefore, Brahmin, this fire of the gift worthy, when esteemed, revered, venerated, respected, must bring the best happiness. Verily, Brahmin, these three fires, when esteemed, revered, venerated, respected, must bring the best happiness. Now this wood fire, Brahmin, has to be kindled from time to time, has to be tended from time to time, has to be quenched from time to time, has to be laid from time to time. And when he had thus spoken, Brahmin Ugatha Sarira said to the Exalted One, It's amazing, Master Gautama, it's wonderful, Master Gautama. Let Master Gautama accept me as a lay disciple from this day forth as long as I live as one gone to refuge. I set free these five hundred bulls, Master Gautama. I give them life. I set free these tears, hyphes, goats and rams. I give them life. Let them eat the green grass. Let them drink the cold water. Let the fresh breeze blow upon them." That's the end of the sutta. So in the end, the Buddha is saying that instead of the three poisons, the three fires of passion, hatred and delusion, a person should venerate three other types of fires. The fire of the venerable, that means honouring, taking care, support of mother and father. And then the second one, the fire of the householder, is to take care of the family and the workmen, the workers, etc., the slaves, etc. And then the third, the fire of the gift worthy is to make offerings to recluses and brahmins who cultivate the holy life well. And these three fires has to be kindled from time to time, has to be tended from time to time, has to be taken care of, well taken care of. and in the end the brahmins took refuge in the Buddha. This is a typical case of what we see in the sutra where these brahmins, some of them being traditional brahmins, but after they talked to the Buddha, they became converted by the Buddha and became Buddhists instead of brahmins. And in this sutra we find that these brahmins, they are in the habit of offering sacrifice to heaven. And their way of offering sacrifice is after killing these animals, they put them to the fire and burn them. And they worship the fire. And because of that, even up to today, Brahmins are in the habit of keeping a flame burning 24 hours a day and 365 or 366 days a year. And even up to today, if you go to the banks of the Ganges in India, you find some temples where they have this fire burning continuously. Every day, if a flood comes, they will quickly take the flame onto higher grounds so that the flame is not put out. The next sutra is quite a good, important sutra. It is 7.5.46. The Buddha said, monks, these seven thoughts when made an increase in, are very fruitful, of great advantage, plumbing the deathless, having the deathless as their goal. What seven? The thought of the unattractive, the thought of death, the thought of the distaste or cloying of food, the thought of all-world discontent, of impermanence, of dukkha, in impermanence, of no self in dukkha. Verily, monks, these seven thoughts, when made become, made an increase in, are very fruitful, of great advantage, plumbing the deathless, having the deathless as their goal. Monks, the thought of the unattractive, when made become, made an increase in, is very fruitful, of great advantage, plumbing the deathless, having the deathless as its goal. Thus is this said, and on what score is this said? Monks, when a monk lives much with the thought of the unattractive heaped around the mind, the mind draws back, bends back, turns back from falling into sex ways, is not distended thereby, and either equanimity or disgust is set up. Just as a cock's feather or piece of gristle or cartilage thrown on the fire draws back, bends back, turns back, and is not distended. Even so, when a monk lives much with the thought of the unattractive heaped around the mind, the mind draws back, bends back, turns back from falling into sex ways, and is not distended thereby, and either equanimity or disgust is set up. Monks, if while he so lives, the mind flow after sex things, or sensual things. If relish be set up, the monk must realize this. Not made become by me is the thought of the unattractive. Not by me is there a progress from the old state to a better. Not won by me is the fruit of making become. Then surely he is thoughtful. But if, while he so lives, the mind draw back, bend back, turn back from falling into sex ways, and be not distended thereby, and either equanimity or disgust be set up, he ought to realize this. Made become by me is the thought of the unattractive. I have progressed from old to a better state. I have won the fruit of making become. Then surely he is thoughtful. Monks, the thought of the unattractive, when made become, made an increase in, is very fruitful, of great advantage, plumbing the deathless, having the deathless as its goal. Thus is this said, and it is on this core it is said. Monks, the thought of death, when made become, is very fruitful, thus is this said, and on what score is this said? Monks, when a monk lives much with the thought of death heaped around the mind, the mind draws back, bends back, turns back from longing for life, and is not distended thereby, etc. Monks, when a monk lives much with the thought of the distaste or cloying of food heaped around the mind, the mind draws back from craving for taste. Monks, when a monk lives much with the thought of all-world discontent heaped around the mind, the mind draws back from the garishness or attractiveness of the worlds. Monks, when a monk lives much with the thought of impermanence heaped around the mind, the mind draws back, bends back, turns back from gains, favours and flattery, and is not distended thereby, and either equanimity or disgust is set up. Just as a cock's feather or a piece of bristle thrown on the fire draws back, bends back, turns back, even so the mind, when a monk lives much with these thoughts heaped around the mind, the mind draws back from gains, favours and flattery. Monks, when a monk lives much with the thought of dukkha or ill in impermanence heaped around the mind, and lethargy, indolence, languor, idleness, carelessness and disregard come, A lively sense of fear springs up as a slayer-withdrawn sort. Monks, when a monk lives much with the thought of there being no self in dukkha heaped around the mind, the mind is free of ideas that make for I and mine. As to this conscious body, as to all outward signs, is beyond the vanities or conceits, calmed, wholly liberated. Monks, if while he so lives the mind be not free of all such ideas, nor wholly liberated, the monk must realize this. Not made become by me is the thought of there being no self in dukkha. Not by me is there a progress from the old state to a better. Not one by me is the fruit of making become. Then surely he is thoughtful. But if, while he so lives, the mind be free of ideas that make for I and mine, as to this conscious body, as to all outward signs, be beyond the vanities, calmed, wholly liberated, he ought to realize, made become by me, is the thought of there being no self in dukkha. I have progressed from the old state to a better. I have won the fruit of making become. Then surely he is thoughtful. Monks, the thought of there being no self in dukkha, when made become, made an increase in, is very fruitful, of great advantage, plumbing the deathless, having the deathless as its goal. Thus is this said. And it is on this core it is said. Verily monks, these seven thoughts, when made become, made an increase in, are very fruitful, of great advantage, plumbing the deathless, having the deathless as their goal. That's the end of the sutta. Here in this sutta, the Buddha is telling us about the seven types of contemplations that we ought to make, ought to think about. The first one is the thought of the unattractiveness of the body, or loathsomeness of the body. And this helps us to reduce our lust, our sensual desire. And if we find that we have not progressed, if we find that we are still attracted, then the Buddha said we must be thoughtful, we have to cultivate it more. But if after cultivating it we find that the attraction of the opposite sex is not so strong, then you realize that you have progressed from an old state to a better state. And the second one is the thought of death. The thought that any time death may come, then if we continually make this contemplation, then the mind turns back from longing for life. The third one is the thought or perception of distaste of food, tiredness of food. And if we practice this constantly, then it helps us to draw back from craving for taste. And the fourth one is discontent for the world. If we realize that the world is not so attractive, then we draw back from the attractions of the world. And the fifth one is the thought of impermanence. If we practice this constantly, then the mind draws back from gains, favors and flattery. And then the sixth is the thought of dukkha in impermanence. If you cultivate this, and then one day if the mind becomes lethargic, indolent, becomes careless, then a lively sense of fear springs up to remind us that dukkha is like a slayer with a drawn sword. Because of the fear, then we become careful again. Then the seventh one is the thought of there being no self in dukkha. And if we practice this anatta, the perception of no self, then the ideas of I and mine pass away. So these seven thoughts, seven perceptions are quite important. This is Sutta No. 7.5.47. Now Brahmin Janusoni visited the Exalted One and said to Him, Does Master Gautama profess to live the holy life? And the Buddha said, Brahmin, of whomsoever, speaking rightly, one may say, he lives the holy life unbroken, without rent, untarnished, without blemish, whole and pure. Of me, verily, speaking rightly, may he say, for I, indeed, live the holy life unbroken, without rent, untarnished, without blemish, whole and pure. But what, Master Gautama, is the breaking, rending, tarnishing, blemish of the holy life?" And the Buddha said, Consider Brahmin. Some recluse or brahmin professing to live the holy life in full, who in sooth, falls not so far as to couple with womenfolk, yet enjoys being rubbed, massaged, bathed, shampooed by a woman, relishes it, longs for it, and is entranced thereby. This indeed, brahmin, is the breaking, rending, tarnishing, blemish of the holy life. This man, Brahmin, is said to live the holy life impurely, bound by the bond of sex. Nor is he freed from being born, ageing, dying, from sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, despair. He is not freed from ill, I say. Again, consider some recluse or brahmin who, in sooth, falls not so far as to couple with womenfolk, nor enjoys being rubbed, massaged and so forth. Yet he jokes, jests, makes merry with them. And then again, though he do none of these things, yet eye on eye burns for them, stares after them. Again, though he do none of these things, yet he listens to them as they laugh, talk, sing or weep beyond the wall, beyond the fence. Again, though he do none of these things, yet he remembers the laughs, talks, jests he had with them before. Although he do none of these things, yet he watches some layman, or layman's son, bent on and grossed in, reveling in the five strands of sensual pleasure. Although he do none of these things, yet he lives the holy life in hope of a deva body, thinking, by this virtue, vow, penance, holy life, I shall become a deva, or one of the deva host, relishes it, longs for it, is entranced thereby. This indeed Brahmin is the breaking, rending, tarnishing, blemish of the holy life. This man Brahmin is said to live the holy life impurely, bound by the bond of sex. Nor is he freed from being born, aging, dying, from sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, despair. is not free from ill or dukkha, I say. And so long, Brahmin, as I continued to see one or the other of these seven sex-bonds in myself not got rid of, I professed not to be wholly awakened to the highest and full awakening, unsurpassed in the world with its devas, maras, brahmas on earth, with its recluses, brahmins, devas and men. But when I saw no bond of sex not got rid of, Then I profess to be wholly awakened to the highest and full awakening unsurpassed in the world. unsurpassed on earth. Then to me knowledge inside arose. Immovable is my liberation by mind. This is my last birth. There is no more becoming here again." And when he had thus spoken, Brahmin Janisoni said to the Exalted One, it's amazing, Master Gautama, etc., etc., and he became a lay disciple of the Buddha. And that's the end of the sutta. So here the Buddha is describing the various stages of how this bond of the opposite sex can a monk can cling to. Here he talks about a monk who enjoys being rubbed, massaged, bathed, shampooed by a woman. This cannot be a Buddhist monk, this probably could refer to a Brahmin, because Brahmins were originally supposed to be renunciants, but later because they were taken to be advisors of the kings, they were given a lot of landed property and given slaves and even wives and other property. So some of them, they would enjoy being rubbed, massaged, bathed and shampooed by a woman. And even if a monk does not do this, yet he could enjoy joking with women. And then again, even if he does not joke directly with women, he likes to stare at women. And then even if he does not do all these things, yet he likes to listen to them as they laugh, talk or sing. Are we beyond the monastery wall or beyond the monastery fence? Or even though if he do none of all these things, yet he remembers the laughs, talks and talks he had with women before. Or if he does none of these things, then he likes to watch some layman enjoying the sensual pleasures, or lastly he may hope to be reborn as a deva. These are all gradations of the bond of attraction of the opposite sex. In the holy life, in the monk's precepts, the first one, in other words one of the most important ones in the monk's precepts, is the precept against sexual conduct. In Christianity, this would be called the vow of chastity. Spiritual life is the giving up of sensual desires. And of all the sensual desires, the sexual desire is the strongest and is the cause for rebirth. Towards the end of the Sutta, the Buddha mentioned that immovable is my liberation by mind. In other words, the Buddha is saying here that he was liberated by mind. And in the Majjhima Nikaya, number 71, the Buddha says that he was liberated by mind and liberated by wisdom, which means to say that a person who is liberated by mind is also a person who is liberated by mind and wisdom. Because in the description of the seven types of ariya, The seven types of ariya, the first one is mentioned as a two ways liberated arahant, and then the second one is liberated by wisdom. So there is no mention of liberation by mind. So from here we can know that liberation by mind is equivalent to liberation by mind and liberation by wisdom, which is a two ways liberated arahant.

10-AN-Book-7C-(7.5.49-to-7.6.52).txt

Now the next sutra is 7.5.49. Once when the exalted one dwelt near Champa on the banks of Lake Gagara, a company of lay disciples from Champa visited the Venerable Sariputta, saluted him and sat down at one side, and seated thus they said to him, It's been long, Reverend Sir, since we heard a dharma talk from the exalted one's mouth. How good it would be to do so. Then Venerable Sariputta said, Then come next Uposatha day, friends, and maybe you'll hear one. Yes, Reverend Sir, they rejoined, and getting up, the lay disciples from Champa saluted the Venerable Sariputta and departed, keeping him on their right. I'll just stop here to comment. The Uposatha Day are the days of the lunar calendar, the 8th day, the 15th day, the 23rd, and the last day, the 30th, or if there's no 30th, then the 29th day of the lunar calendar. These are the days when the lay people would keep the eight precepts. And monks would also give Dharma talks on those days. And you notice when the lay people departed, they kept their right shoulder to the Venerable Sariputta. This is an Indian tradition. When you show respect, your right shoulder faces the monk, and that is why also monks we sit with the senior monk on our right, and also we bear our right shoulder. This is all Indian custom. And the sutta continues. Now when the day was come, they approached the venerable one, saluted and stood at one side. And with them the venerable Sariputta visited the exalted one, saluted and sat down at one side. So seated, he said to the exalted one, Lord, may a man's gift be given here in such a way as to become not great in fruit, great in profit, and may the gift be given in such a way as to become great in fruit, great in profit. It may be Sariputta. And what, Lord, is the reason, the cause? Consider Sariputta, a self-seeking man, wrapped up in the result, seeking reward, who gives a gift, thinking, I'll enjoy this hereafter, and to recluses and brahmins gives this gift, food, drink, clothing. vehicle, garlands, perfumes, ointments, bed, dwelling, lighting. What think you, Sariputta? Might a man give here such a gift? Yes, Lord. Now he who gives thus wise, Sariputta, thereafter, on the breaking up of the body after death, arises in the company of the four royal devas, and when he has exhausted that deed, power, glory, dominion, he becomes a returner, a comer to this state here. Then consider one who gives a gift, but is no self-seeker, not wrapped up in the result, seeking no reward, nor thinks to enjoy the fruit hereafter. Yet he gives, thinking it's good to give. Or one who thinks not so as he gives, but thinks, this was given in the past, done in the past by my father and my father's father. I ought not to allow this ancient family custom to lapse. Or he thinks not so, but he thinks, as those sages of old had those great offerings, Ataka, Vamaka, Vamadeva, Vesamita, Yamatagi, Angirasa, Bharadvaja, Vaseta, Vasapa, and Bhagu, so will I make these alms distribution. Or he thinks not so, but thinks, this gift of mine calms the mind and joy and gladness arise. Or he thinks not so, but he gives a gift to improve the mind, to equip the mind. And to recluses and brahmins he gives this gift, food and so forth. What think you, Sariputta? Might a man give here such a gift? Yes, Lord. Now he who gives thus wise, thereafter, on the breaking up of the body after death, arises in the company of the devas or brahmas host. And when he has exhausted that deed, power, glory, dominion, he becomes a non-returner, a comer not to this state here. Verily, this is the reason, the cause, why a man's gift, given in one way, may become not great in fruit, great in profit. And this is the reason, the cause, why given in such a way, the gift may become great in fruit, great in profit. And that's the end of the Sutta. So here this sutra is saying, when we give a gift, we should not think of the result, we should not think of enjoying the result of that gift. We should give without a selfish thought, just because it is good to give. And if a person acts with a selfish thought, then he becomes a returner, he comes back to this world again. But if he behaves without a self, even when he gives, there's nothing of any reward for himself. Because he acts like an ariya, then eventually he becomes an ariya. We know in some other suttas, the Buddha said always to see the body and the mind. It's not I, not mine, not myself. And we have to learn to act like an ariya, and slowly we'll become an ariya. The next sutra is 7.5.50. Once the Venerable Sariputta and the Venerable Mahamoggalana, with the company of the monks of the Sangha, walked a tour near South Hill, and it was then that Nanda's mother, a lay disciple of Velukanda, rose before dawn one night and sang the way to the beyond. Now at that time the royal deva, Vaisavana, was going from the north to the southern quarter on some business or other. And he heard Nanda's mother singing and stopped and waited for the end. And when she had finished, she was silent. Then the royal deva, Vaisavana, perceiving she had finished, rejoiced greatly, saying, Well done, sister, well done. And she said, But who is it, O thou of august countenance? Sister, it is I, your brother, the Royal Deva Vaisavana." And she said, "'Hail, august one! Pray, let this Dhamma hymn sung by me be your gift of greeting.'" And he said, Well done, sister. Yes, let this verily be my gift of greeting. Tomorrow monks of the Sangha with Sariputta and Moggallana at their head will come to Velukanda, not having had their morning meal. When you have fed them, you should declare the offering to be mine, and it shall be my gift of greeting. And when the night was over, Nanda's mother had much hard and soft food prepared in her house. And the monks of the Sangha, with Sariputta and Moggallana at their head, arrived at Velukhanda, having had no morning meal. And Nanda's mother called the men and said, Go, my good men, to the monks' park and say, It is time, Rev. Sirs, the meal is ready in the lady Nanda's mother's house. Yes, lady," he replied, and he did so. And dressing early, taking bowl and robe, the monks with Sariputta and Moggallana at their head came to Nanda's mother's house and sat down on the seats arranged there. And the lay disciple, Nanda's mother, served them with her own hands, with much hard and soft food, and satisfied them. And when the Venerable Sariputta had eaten and withdrawn his hand from the bowl, Nanda's mother sat down at one side, and he said to her, seated thus, But who told you, O mother of Nanda, of the coming of the monks of the Sangha? And she said, Reverend Sir, I arose in the night before dawn. I sang the way to the beyond and was silent. Then came the Royal Deva Vaisavana and told me of your arrival and begged me to declare this offering his. Reverend Sir, let all the merit in this giving be to the happiness of the Royal Deva Vaisavana. And the Reverend Venerable Sariputta said, it is marvellous and wonderful, O Mother of Nanda, that you should talk face to face with a deva so powerful, so mighty. I'll just stop here for a moment to comment. You see, Nanda's mother sang the Way to the Beyond. It is one of the suttas in the Sutta Nibbata. And the Suta Nipatha now is considered one of the old, very old sutas. And this deva came to congratulate her and she could talk with this deva. That means this Nanda's mother is quite an accomplished lay disciple. He could see the deva and could talk with the deva. And the Deva told her to make this food offering to the monks and say that the offering is his. So Nanda's mother offered the monks the food. And after the monks had eaten, their food is set here. And when the Venerable Sariputta had eaten and withdrawn his hand from the bowl, Nanda's mother sat down at one side. So you see, normally if the monks have not finished eating, they would still hold on to the bowl. But when they have finished eating, they withdraw the hand from the bowl, probably they put down the bowl. Then the lay people can come and talk to the monks. Because in the Vinaya of the monks, unless all the monks have finished eating, they don't get up, they wait for everyone to have finished eating. So this Nanda's mother said to the Venerable Sariputta here, let all the merit in this giving be to the happiness of the Royal Deva Vaisavana. This is an instance of the transference of merit. This person, Nanda's mother, had given this food offering and she said the merit in all this giving is for the happiness of the Royal Deva Vaisavana. In the four Nikayas, we have only two suttas concerning the transference of merit. This is one of them. The other one is in Anguttara Nikaya 10.177 concerning merit for the dead. And then the sutta continues where this Nanda's mother said, Reverend Sir, that is not the only marvelous thing that has happened to me. There is indeed another. Rajas, for some reason, took by force and slew my only son, Nanda, who was dear and precious to me. Yet when the boy was seized or being seized, bound or being bound, slain or being slain, I knew no disturbance of heart. And Venerable Sariputta said, It is wonderful, it is marvellous, O Mother of Nanda, that you should have so purged the surges of the heart, of the disturbances of the heart. And she said, Nor is that all, Reverend Sir. When my husband died, he arose among the Yakas, and he revealed himself to me in his old form. But I knew no disturbance of heart on that account. Again in reverse, Sariputta said, It is marvellous, O Mother of Nanda. And she said, Nor is that all, Reverend Sir. From the day I, a young girl, was brought to my husband, then but a youth, I know of no trespass even in thought against my husband. How then, indeed, it is marvellous, O Mother of Nanda, that you should have so purged the surges of the heart. Nor is that all, Reverend Sir. From the day I became a confessed lay disciple, I know of no intentional transgression of any step of the training. It is marvellous, O Mother of Nanda. It is wonderful. Nor is that all, Reverend Sir. For just as long as I wish, being aloof from sense desires, aloof from unwholesome states, I enter and abide in the first jhāna, which is accompanied by applied and sustained thought, with delight and pleasure born of solitude. Stilling such thoughts, I enter and abide in the second jhāna, which has internal self-confidence and singleness of mind. without applied and sustained thought, but with delight and pleasure, born of concentration. Then with the fading away of delight, I enter and abide in the third jhāna. I abide equanimous, mindful, aware, and I experience the pleasure of body, whereof Āryans declare, the equanimous and mindful dwells pleasurably. Then by putting away pleasure, by putting away pain, by the passing away of former joy and grief of mine, I enter and abide in the fourth jhāna, a complete purity of mindfulness and equanimity, which is neither pleasurable nor painful." And Venerable Sariputta said, it is marvellous, O Mother of Nanda, it is wonderful. Reverend Sir, that is not all. There is yet another marvellous thing. Those five lower fetters declared by the Exalted One, I perceive not one in myself unabandoned." It is marvellous, wonderful, Mother of Nanda. Then the Venerable Sariputta instructed Nanda's mother with dharma talk, incited her, inspired her, gladdened her, and rising from his seat, he departed. That's the end of the sutta. So you see this Nanda's mother is a very rare disciple of the Buddha, a gem of a disciple with so many wonderful qualities. When the son was slain, the only son also, she did not grieve and she can attain all the four jhanas and she has abandoned the five lower factors. In other words, she is anagamin, third stage, third fruition arya. You notice in the description of the four jhanas, in the fourth jhana it is said to be a complete purity of mindfulness and equanimity. These states of jhana are states of intense mindfulness. The next sutra is 7.6.51. Now a certain monk approached the Exalted One, saluted and sat down at one side. And so seated, he spoke thus to the Exalted One, Lord, what is the cause, the reason, why, to the learned Aryan listener, doubt arises not as to unexplained points? And the Buddha said, Verily it is by view-stopping, monk, that doubt arises not to the learned Aryan listener as to the unexplained points. Does the Tathāgata exist after death? This is but a view issue, monk. Does the Tathāgata exist not after death? Both exist and exist not after death. Neither exist nor exist not after death. These are but view-issues, monk. The unlearned average man understands not view, understands not view-origin, understands not view-stopping, understands not the stopping, the stepping of the way to view-stopping. For him, view grows, and he's not freed from birth, old age. from being born, aging, dying, from sorrow, grief, lamentation, despair, etc. He's not free from ill, I say. But the learned Aryan listener understands view, its origin, its stopping, the stepping of the way there too. For him, view is stopped and he's free from being born, aging, dying, from sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair, is freed from ill or dukkha, I say. Thus knowing, thus seeing, the learned Aryan listener indeed explains not, does the Tathagata exist after death, and similar questions. Thus knowing, thus seeing, the learned Aryan listener is thus subject to the inexplicable as to the unexplained points. Thus knowing, thus seeing, the learned Aryan disciple is not afraid, trembles not, wavers not, shakes not. nor falls to quaking concerning these points. Thus the Tathagata exists after death, etc. These monks are but issues of craving, are issues of perception, are but illusions, fancies, are but issues of grasping, are but a source of remorse. The unlearned average man understands not these things, their origin, their stopping, and the stepping of the way thereto. They grow, and he is not freed from birth. aging, dying, etc. He is not freed from dukkha, I say. But the learned Aryan listener understands and is freed from dukkha, I say. Thus knowing, thus seeing, he explains not these questions. He is subject to the inexplicable as to the unexplained points. He is not afraid, trembles not, wavers not, shakes not, nor falls to quaking concerning these points. Verily, monk, this is the cause, the reason, why to the learned Aryan listener doubt arises not as to the unexplained points. This sutta is about the views, what the Buddha calls proliferation of views, the ticket of views. As long as we... and the cause of having all these views is mentioned in one of the suttas. It is due to having sakkayaditi. Sakkayaditi is the view of being in the body. As long as we have a view of a being in the body, then we have all kinds of questions arising. Where did I come from? Where will I go after death? How did this world arise? Who created me? Who created this world? And things like mentioned here. Does the Tathagata, does the Buddha exist after death? Does the Tathagata or the Buddha not exist after death, etc., etc.? And all these views will stop when we have abandoned this view of a being in the body, and all doubt is abandoned. Okay, the next sutta is 7.6.52. The Buddha said, monks, I will teach the seven fairings of men and the completely unattached, cool. Listen well, pay heed, I will speak. Yes, Lord, rejoined the monks. And the exalted one said, and what monks are the seven fairings of men? Consider a monk who steps his way, thinking, If it were not, it would not be mine. It shall not become. For me, it shall not become. What is, what's become, that I abandon. He acquires equanimity. He earns not afterlife. He earns not afterlife to come. but sees with true wisdom that there is beyond a goal a peace. Yet not all in all is the goal realized by him, nor all in all is the leaning towards conceit got rid of, nor that towards worldly lusts, nor towards ignorance. When the five lower factors are destroyed, he becomes completely cool after an interval. Monks, just as from an iron slab, heated and beaten all day, a bit may come off and cool down, even so a monk who steps his way, thinking thus, acquires equanimity. And when the five lower factors are destroyed, becomes completely cool after an interval. Again, consider a monk who, thinking likewise, becomes completely cool after an interval. Just as from an iron slab heated and beaten all day, a bit may come off, fly up, and cool down. Even so, a monk becomes completely cool after an interval. Or the bit may come off, fly up, and before touching the ground, cool down. Even so, a monk becomes completely cool after an interval. Consider a monk who, thinking likewise, becomes completely cool after lessening his period. Just as the bit may come off, lie up, and after touching the ground, cool down, even so a monk becomes cool after lessening his period. Consider the monk who without exertion becomes completely cool. Just as the bit may come off, fly up and fall on some small heap of grass, heap of sticks, kindle fire, kindle smoke, and consume that small heap and cool down from want of fuel, even so a monk without exertion becomes completely cool. Consider the monk who, with some exertion, becomes completely cool, just as the bit may fall on a large heap of grass, heap of sticks, kindle fire, kindle smoke, and consume that large heap and cool down from want of fuel. Even so, a monk with some exertion becomes completely cool. Consider a monk who thinks like wise, acquires equanimity, yearns not afterlife or life to come, but sees the goal, yet not all in all realizes it, nor all in all has got rid of the leaning towards conceit. burly lust and ignorance. But when the five lower fetters are destroyed, it becomes part of the upward stream, bound for the highest. Just as from an iron slab, heated and beaten all day, a bit may come off, fly up and fall on a large heap of grass, a large heap of sticks, kindle fire, kindle smoke, consume that large heap, set fire to the shrubland, set fire to the woodland, and burning there, come to the edge of a green cornfield, upland, rock, water, or lush countryside, and there cool down from want of fuel. Even so, a monk who steps this way, thinking thus, on destroying the five lower fetters, becomes part of the upward stream, bound for the highest. Verily, monks, these are the seven fairings of man. And what is the completely unattached cool? Consider a monk who steps his way thinking, if it were not mine, if it were not, it would not be mine, it shall not become, for me it shall not become. What is what's become that I abandon? He acquires equanimity, he earns not afterlife, he earns not afterlife to come, but with true wisdom sees that there is beyond a goal, a peace, and that goal is verily all in all realized by him. and all in all is the leaning towards conceit, got rid of by him, the leaning towards worldly lusts, the leaning towards ignorance. Destroying the asavas, he enters and abides in the asava free, emancipation by mind, emancipation by wisdom, here and now, realizing it himself by his own knowledge. This monk is called the completely unattached cool. Early monks, these are the seven fairings of man and the completely unattached cool. This sutra is one of those which are a bit difficult. Firstly, the Buddha talks about this passage, if it were not, it would not be mine. And the commentary says, what it means is, if it were not for my past kamma, my present body, person, would not exist. I repeat, if it were not for my past karma, my present body person would not exist. And then it continues, it shall not become, for me it shall not become, what is what's become that I abandon. In other words, if I don't create any more kamma, then I shall not have this body again. And what is the present body? That I abandon. But if we think about it, instead of kamma, we could also say craving. If it were not for craving, I would not exist today. Or if it were not for ignorance in the past, I would not exist today. And if I could cut off my craving or ignorance now, then I shall not become again. And what is, that is the present craving or the present ignorance that I abandon. So this can equally apply to craving and to ignorance. Now after that, this sutra talks about the similes for the five types of anagamin, a non-returner, a third fruition person. This is the only sutra which gives this simile for the five types of anagamin. The first type is called anantara-parinibbahi. This is a person, the anagamin, who becomes completely cool after an interval. And the simile given is that a blacksmith heats up an iron slab the whole day and he a bead on this iron slab, he heats it up and he beats it the whole day, and a chip, a bead of the iron slab, a chip flies off, and then it cools down. cools down before touching the ground so fast it cools down. This is the antara parinibbhaya, the first type of anagamin who becomes completely cool after a short interval. The second type is called the upahacca parinibbhaya. This is the one who becomes cool after lessening his period. And the simile given here is that the iron slab that is heated and beaten, a bit flies off. And after touching the ground, as soon as it touches the ground, it cools down. So this is the second type of Anagamin. The third type is called the Asankara Parinibbāi, and this is the one who, without exertion, he becomes completely cool, enters Nibbana. And the simile given here is that that bit from the iron slab which is heated and beaten the whole day, that bit flies off and falls on a small heap of grass, sticks, a small heap of grass and sticks, and makes the small heap of grass and sticks catch fire, and kindles fire and kindles smoke, and then that small heap is burnt up, and this iron bit cools down. That's the third type. The fourth type is called the Sasankara Parinibbāi. This is the anagamin who with some exertion becomes completely cool. And the simile given here is that that bit from that heated iron slab falls on a large heap of grass and sticks and it kindles fire and kindles smoke and consumes the large heap of sticks and grass before it cools down. And then the The last type of anagamin is called the udang-sota-akanita-gami, and this is called the anagamin who becomes part of the upward stream bound for the highest. And this one takes the longest. The simile given here is the bit flies off and falls on a large heap of grass and sticks, and then it kindles fire and kindles smoke, and it consumes that large heap. And in addition, it sets fire to the neighboring shrubland, sets fire to the woodland, and keeps on burning until the fire comes to the edge of the green. field or comes to rock or water and then it stops. So this refers to the type of anagamin who passes through the five levels of heavens in the Suddhavasa abodes. There are five levels of heavens. So he goes from one level to another and finally enters Nibbana. From this simile we can see that an anagamin in a way has finished his work on the worldly plane. Just as that iron bit from the iron slab which has been heated and beaten the whole day, when it flies up and falls down, it must cool down after some time. It must cool down naturally. So in the same way, all anagamins, whether they take a short time or they take a longer time, in the Sudarasa boats, the boat jhana plane, eventually they cool down. Even though they don't make any effort, they still cool down to Nibbana.

11-AN-Book-7D-(7.6.53-to-7.6.58).txt

The next sutra is 7.6.53. Once when the Exalted One dwelt near Rajagaha on Mount Vulture Peak, two devas of surpassing loveliness, lighting up almost the whole peak, approached the Exalted One. at the passing of the night, saluted Him and stood at one side. And standing there, one Deva said, Lord, these nuns are free. And the other said, Lord, these nuns are wholly free and without attached remainder. Thus spoke those Devas, and the Master approved. And seeing that, they saluted the Exalted One, and keeping Him on their right, vanished from there. I'll just stop here for a moment to comment. You notice even though the Buddha had psychic power, quite often the devas, heavenly beings, they would come and inform the Buddha about certain things that were happening around. And that is because even though the Buddha has psychic power, he did not make any effort to know what was going around him because usually he'd abide in meditation, he abides in jhana, and he is being a person who is liberated, he doesn't worry about the world. But sometimes he does worry about his disciples. Then he'll go and give advice to his disciples sometimes. Then the sutra continues. At dawn, the Exalted One told the monks all that had taken place. Now at that time, the Venerable Mahamoggalana sat near the Exalted One and he thought, But devas know the partly attached as partly attached, the wholly detached as wholly detached. About then, a monk named Tissa had recently died and had arisen in one of the Brahma worlds, and there they knew him as Brahmatissa, the mighty, the very powerful. And the Venerable Mahamoggalana, as a strong man, might stretch forth his bent arm, or bend his outstretched arm, vanished from Mount Vulture Peak and appeared in that Brahma world. And Brahmatissa saw the Venerable one from afar coming along, and on seeing him said, Come, worthy Moggallana. Welcome, worthy Moggallana. It's been long indeed since you made this round, that is to say, came here. Beseated, worthy sir, here on this seat made ready." And the Venerable Maha-Mogulana sat down on the seat made ready, and Brahmatissa, after paying homage to him, also sat down at one side. And the Venerable Maha Moggallana said to Brahma Tissa, thus seated, to what Deva Tissa is there this knowledge? As to being partly unattached, he is that. As to being wholly unattached, he is that. And Brahma Tissa said, the Brahma Deva host worthy Moggallana have this knowledge. What have they all this knowledge? No, worthy sir, those devas who are satisfied with Brahma life, Brahma beauty, Brahma happiness, Brahma power and know not the escape from it to the beyond as there really is, they have not this knowledge. As to being partly unattached, he is that. As to being wholly unattached, he is that. But those devas of the Brahma host who are not so satisfied and know the escape to the beyond, they have this knowledge. Consider worthy Moggallana, the monk who is freed both ways, of him those devas know thus. This reverend sir is freed both ways, and so long as his body lasts, devas and men shall see him. But on the breaking up of the body, they shall not see him. And thus it is, worthy sir, that these devas have the knowledge. As to being unattached, he is dead. I'll just stop here to comment. So you see this Mahamoggalana, the Arahant, went to consult the Brahmatissa. It might be that this Deva was formerly a disciple of the Venerable Mahamoggalana. That is why the Venerable Mahamoggalana seems to be very pally with him, went to consult him, and the Brahmatissa paid respect to the Venerable Mahamoggalana. In a previous sutra, Anguttanikaya 6.4.34, we also read about how Venerable Mahamoggalana consulted this same Brahmatissa about how many devas have entered the stream. Now here the Brahmatissa is talking about the first type of ariya, the both ways or both ways liberated. This freed both ways or both ways liberated refers to the arahant who is liberated by mind and liberated by wisdom and also called an arahant liberated by mind. Then he continues, again, consider him who is liberated by wisdom, they know of him the same. Consider the monk who is a body witness, Kaya Saki, of him they know, this reverend sir is a body witness, perhaps by practicing things proper as to sleeping and sitting, Having fellowship with good friends, controlling the faculties, he may enter and abide in that consummation beyond all of the holy life, realizing it here and now by his own knowledge, for the sake of which clansmen rightly go forth from the home to the homeless life. And thus it is worthy, sir, that these devas have the knowledge. As to being partly unattached, it is that. Consider him who is a view-winner or view-attainer, niti-patho. and then the faith-released Sādāvimuttu, and then the Dhamma follower Dhammanussarin. Of each they know, this Reverend Sir is such a one, and perhaps by practicing things proper, they may enter and abide in the consummation beyond all of the holy life. And thus these devas know, as to being partly unattached, he is that. I'll stop here again to comment. The first two, the freed both ways or liberated both ways and liberated by mind refers to the arahant and they are wholly unattached. But the others mentioned here, they are Arya who have not completed their work, so because of that they are partly unattached, not wholly unattached. According to the Anguttara Nikaya 3.3.21, the body witness, then the view attainer and the faith released either Sakadagamin, Anagamin, or fourth path area, Arhataya, Patipanno. The second fruition, third fruition, or the fourth path area. And the Sutta continues. And the Venerable Mahamoggalana, delighted, pleased by Brahmatissa's words, as a strong man might bend his arm to and fro, vanished from the Brahma world and appeared on Mount Vulture Peak. And he approached the Exalted One, saluted Him and sat down at one side. And seated thus, the Venerable Mahamoggalana related to the Exalted One all that talk that he had with Brahmatissa. And the Buddha said, but Brahmatissa did not teach you the seventh person, Moggallana, the dweller in the signless. And the Venerable Maha Moggallana said, now is the time, O blessed one, now is the time, O well-farer, for the exalted one to teach concerning the dweller in the signless. The monks would hear and remember. Therefore, Moggallana, listen, pay heed, I will speak. His Lord rejoined the Venerable Maha Moggallana and the Exalted One said, Consider Moggallana, the monk who, by inattention to all signs, enters and abides in signless mental concentration. Of him those devas know, this Reverend Sir abides in signless mental concentration, perhaps by practicing things proper as to sleeping and sitting, having fellowship with good friends and control of the faculties. he may enter and abide in that consummation beyond all of the holy life, realizing it here now by his own knowledge, for the sake of which clansmen rightly go forth from the home to the homeless life. And thus it is, Mughlana, that these devas have the knowledge, as to being partly unattached, he is that." That's the end of the sutra. Here, the Brahmatissa mentioned about the six types of ariya. He left out the last one, not mentioned, is the saddhanusarin, the faith follower. He did not mention. But the dhammanusarin, Dhamma follower and the sadhanusaring, the faith follower, are first path attainers according to the Samhita Nikaya 25.1. And then the Buddha talked in the end about the one who abides in signless mental concentration. Signless mental concentration is that concentration of mind which is not attached to any sign, which does not have any sign, any object in the mind. Now, the next sutta is 7.6.54. Once, while the Exalted One dwelt near Vesali at the Gable Hall in Mahavana, General Sihar visited Him, saluted and sat down at one side. So seated, he said to the Exalted One, Is it possible, Lord, to show the visible result of giving? Well, Sīhā, just on that I will question you in return. Explain the matter as it seems good to you. What do you think, Sīhā, there might be two men, one unbelieving, mean, miserly, cross-grained, the other a believer, a master-giver, delighting in constant giving? What think you, Sīhā, on whom would compassionate arahants first have compassion? the unbelieving, mean, miserly, cross-grained man, or the believer, the master-giver, who delights in constant almsgiving?" And he said, the unbeliever Lord, why should they first have compassion on him? But the believer, on him surely they would first have compassion. Then what do you think, Siha? Which of the two would visiting arahants first visit? The believer surely, Lord. From whom would receiving arahants first receive alms? From the believer surely, Lord. To whom would teaching arahants first teach dhamma? To the believer surely, Lord. Of whom would a fair report be noise abroad? That means a good report be circulated. of the believer, surely, Lord? Who would approach any gathering, nobles, brahmins, householders, recluses, with confidence, untroubled, unashamed?" And General Sihar said, the believer, surely, Lord? And what do you think, Sihar, who on the breaking up of the body after death would arise in the happy heaven world, the unbelieving, mean, miserly, cross-grained man, or the believer, the master-giver, who delights in constant almsgiving? The unbeliever, Lord, why shall he, on the breaking up of the body after death, arise in the happy heaven world? But the believer, after death, may arise in the happy heaven world. Lord, these six visible results of giving declared by the Exalted One, I go not to the Exalted One by faith for that. I just know them. I, Lord, am a giver, a master giver, and on me compassionate Arahants first have compassion. Me they first visit, from me they first receive. Me they first teach Dharma. Of me a fair report is noise abroad. General Siha is a giver, a worker, the Sangha's servant. It is said, Any gathering I approach, nobles, brahmins, householders, recluses, I approach with confidence, untroubled. Lord, these six visible results of giving, declared by the Exalted One, I go not to the Exalted One by faith for that, I just know them. But when the Exalted One said, the giver, sīhā, the master giver, on the breaking up of the body after death, arises in the happy heaven world, that I know not, and there I go to the Exalted One by faith. And the Buddha said, thus it is, Sīhā, thus it is. The giver, Sīhā, the master giver, on the breaking up of the body after death, arises in the happy heaven world. That's the end of the Sutta. So in this Sutta, the Buddha has described the visible results of giving. And General Sihar said that the first six results he can see to be true because it is applicable to him because he's a great giver, a great person who makes a lot of offerings to the monks. But the last one he said that he could not see that a giver by almsgiving would take rebirth in the heaven world. So he said he has to believe the Buddha for that. This General Siha used to be one of the followers of the external ascetics, but later he went to see the Buddha and was converted by the Buddha. And in one of the suttas, later we'll come across, He invited the Buddha to his house for food and he served the Buddha with meat. And the external ascetics were jealous that they had lost such a famous disciple, such a powerful disciple. And they spread around the word that the Buddha was eating meat that was purposely slaughtered for the Buddha. When the Buddha heard that, then the Buddha informed the people that they only eat meat, the Buddha and his disciples only eat meat with three conditions, that they did not slaughter the animal or ask somebody to slaughter. Second, they don't see the killing. Thirdly, they don't hear the animal cry as it was being slaughtered. And this shows that the Buddha and his disciples did eat meat, only that it had these three conditions. Now we come to Sutta 7.6.56. Once when the Exalted One was staying in the bamboo grove near Kimbila, the Venerable Kimbila approached Him, saluted and sat down at one side. So seated, he said, Lord, what is the cause, the reason why, when the Tathagata has become completely cool, sadharma or true dharma will not last? And the Buddha said, Suppose, Kimbila, when the Tathagata has become completely cool, the monks, nuns, laymen and laywomen live without reverence, without heed for the teacher. Live without reverence, without heed for Dhamma. Live without reverence, without heed for the Sangha. Live without reverence, without heed for the training. Live without reverence, without heed for concentration. Live without reverence, without heed for earnestness. live without reverence, without heed for goodwill. Verily, Kimbilla, this is the cause, the reason why, when the Tathagata has become completely cool, sadharma or true dharma will not last." That's the end of the sutra. This is one of the sutras where the causes for the disappearance of the true Dharma, that means the discourses of the Buddha, are given. And here we find it's because people have no respect for the Buddha. Instead of following the Buddha, they prefer to follow some other And then they have no reverence for the Dhamma, that means the discourses of the Buddha. Because in the Anguttara Nikaya 4.180, the Buddha said that Dhamma refers to the suttas, the discourses. And then the Sangha is the Bhikkhu Sangha here. It's not referring to the Arya Sangha because you don't know who is an Arya, who is not an Arya, but you know who is a monk, who is not a monk. So here means without reverence for the Sangha of monks, and possibly because the monks do not follow the precepts, so people lose faith. lose respect for the monks and slowly that also causes the downfall of the true dharma. The training, the training is, the training means keeping the precepts generally and then for concentration no reverence for concentration. This we can see nowadays when people say that samadhi, which the Buddha refers to as the jhanas or one-pointedness of mind in the suttas, they say it's not necessary. And then without reverence for goodwill, goodwill or metta is necessary if Buddhists are to be united and in harmony. Then the next sutra is 7.6.57. Monks holding fast to seven things among May. destroy the asavas, and enter and abide in the asava free, emancipation by mind. What seven? Herein, monks, a monk is full of faith, virtuous, learned, lives secluded, has sustained energy, is mindful, is wise. Verily, monks, holding fast to these seven things, a monk may destroy the asavas, and enter and abide in the asava free, emancipation by mind. At the end of the sutra here are mentioned certain qualities, certain states which are very important for a monk to attain destruction of the asavas. The first one is having faith, saddha. in the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha. The second one is virtuous, that means he has moral conduct, keeps the precepts. Third one is learned, that means he is knowledgeable on the suttas and the vinaya. The fourth one, he lives secluded. Seclusion is very important for a monk who wants to strive to end suffering. And then after that he has sustained energy or energetic effort. And then he's mindful, practices sati, and finally he is wise, he has wisdom. The next sutra is 7.6.58. Once, while the Exalted One dwelt among the Bhagis on Crocodile Hill in the Deer Park at Besakala Grove, the Venerable Mahamoggalana sat nodding in the village of Kalavavalamutha among the Magadhis. And the Exalted One with the deva eye, surpassing man's in clearness, saw him seated there nodding, and as a strong man might bend his arm to and fro, the Exalted One vanished from the deer park and appeared before the Venerable Mahamoggalana. And the Exalted One sat down on the appointed seat. And when He was seated, He said to the Venerable Mahamoggalana, You were nodding, Moggalana. You were dozing, Moggalana. Yes, Lord, replied Venerable Mahamoggalana. I'll just stop here for a while. This is one of the very interesting and important suttas. And this is a time when Venerable Mahamoggalana had just become a disciple of the Buddha not long. and he had not yet become an arahant, so he was practicing very hard. And according to some other later books, for seven days after the Venerable Mahamoggalana became a disciple of the Buddha, he did not sleep. He was practicing so hard that he tried not to sleep at night. And after seven days, he attained arahanthood. So this sutra doesn't mention how many days that was after Prabhupada Mahamogala had joined the Buddha. And then the Buddha said, Accordingly, Moggallana, if while you abide thoughtful, the thought comes, drowsiness has descended, take no heed of it, Make no ado of that thought, and maybe as you abide so, that drowsiness will pass. If abiding so, it pass not, then you should ponder in your heart on Dhamma as heard, as mastered. Explore it with your mind, review it. and maybe as you abide so, that drowsiness will pass. If it pass not, then you should repeat Dhamma in detail, as heard, as mastered, and maybe that drowsiness will pass. If it pass not, then you should pull both earlobes and knead the limbs with the hand, and maybe that drowsiness will pass. If it pass not, then you should arise from sitting, cleanse the eyes with water, survey the horizon and gaze up at the starry constellations, and maybe that drowsiness will pass. If it pass not, then you should apply your mind to the thought of light, fix your mind on the thought of day. As by day, so by night. As by night, so by day. Thus with mind unhindered, unhampered, you should make your thought become radiant, and maybe that drowsiness will pass. If it pass not, then with the senses withdrawn, the mind not outward gone, you should fix your thought on the meditation walk, conscious of it to and fro, and maybe that drowsiness will pass. If abiding so, that drowsiness pass not, then you should lion-like lie down on your right side, foot covering foot, mindful, aware, with mind set on the thought of arising. And on awakening, Moggallana, get up quickly, thinking, I'll not live, yoke to the pleasures of lying, reclining and drowsiness. Verily, let your training be thus, Moggallana. Moreover, Moggallāna, let your training be thus. Not lifted up with pride will I visit families. Verily, Moggallāna, let your training be thus. For in families, Moggallāna, there are many things to be done whereby the men may not notice the monks coming. And if the monk visit lifted up with pride, he'll think, who now, I wonder, has embroiled me with this family? These men have no have now no liking for me. And so from getting nothing, he becomes troubled. Being troubled, he becomes worked up. Being worked up, he becomes uncontrolled. When uncontrolled, the mind is far from concentration. Moreover, Moggallana, let your training be thus. I'll talk no provoking talk. Verily, Moggallana, let your training be thus. When there is provoking thought, Moggallana, much talk may be expected. When there is much talk, one becomes worked up. Being worked up, one becomes uncontrolled. When uncontrolled, the mind is far from concentration. Moggallāna, I praise not fellowship just with all, nor do I not praise such fellowship. Indeed, Moggallāna, I praise not fellowship with house-dwellers, with wanderers, but dwellings that have few sounds, little noise, are free from folk's breath, where one may live apart from men in befitting solitude. It's such that I praise. Now when he had thus spoken, the Venerable Mahamoggalana said this to the Exalted One, Briefly, Lord, how becomes a monk freed by craving's destruction, reaching the perpetual end, the perpetual peace from effort, the perpetual holy state, the perpetual finality, and becomes foremost among devas and men? And the Buddha said, here in Moggallāna, a monk has learned this. It befits not to be engrossed in the things of this world. If Moggallāna, a monk, has learned this, it befits not to be engrossed in the things of this world. He recognizes each condition, or each state, dharma. Recognizing each condition, he understands each condition. Understanding each condition, whatever feeling he feels, pleasant, painful, or neither, he abides seeing the impermanence of those feelings, viewing them dispassionately, looking for their end, regarding them as something to be renounced. Living in such contemplation, he cleaves not to anything in the world. Not cleaving to anything, he craves not. Not craving for anything, he becomes just completely cool in himself. And he knows, birth is destroyed, lived is the holy life, done is what had to be done. There is no more of this to come. Verily, Moggallana, in this manner, briefly, a monk becomes freed by cravings' destruction, reaching the perpetual end, the perpetual peace from effort, the perpetual holy state, the perpetual finality, and becomes foremost among devas and men. It's quite an interesting and important sutra. Here the Buddha found the Venerable Mahamogala dozing. So he gave some very practical advice. He told the Venerable Mahamogala, he said, if drowsiness comes, firstly take no heed of it. Just try to ignore that drowsiness. But if you can't ignore that drowsiness, then think about Dharma. review Dhamma that you have heard, maybe the drowsiness will pass. But if it doesn't, then you should repeat Dhamma in detail. You remember in the Buddha's days there were no books, so they had to repeat Dhamma after they had learned the Sutta, they had to repeat it. So here the Buddha is saying the third thing to do is to repeat the Dhamma. And then by repeating the Dhamma, The drowsiness still doesn't go away. Then the Buddha said, pull both ears, pull both ears and rub the limbs with the hands, massage the limbs with the hands, maybe to get the blood flowing. and maybe drowsiness will go away. But if it does not, then clean the eyes with water and look up into the sky, look at the stars, etc. Maybe the drowsiness will pass. But if it does not again, then think of light. Make the mind think of light so that when the mind is bright, it doesn't become sleepy. But if that doesn't work, then the Buddha said, walk, take a walk, take a meditation walk. Be mindful and take a meditation walk. And if even by walking the drowsiness doesn't go away, then finally the Buddha said, lie on the right side. Take a rest, but get up quickly. As soon as one wakes up, then get up quickly. Don't lie on the bed. Most people tend to lie on the bed and enjoy the pleasure of lying down, but the Buddha said don't enjoy it. So these are the practical steps the Buddha gave. Then after that, the Buddha gave him another three types of advice. The first one, not to have pride when he visits families, because the Buddha said that sometimes when a person, when a monk goes to visit families on alms round, sometimes they might not notice him. They have many things to do, they might not notice him and might not come out to bring him food. And he waits outside the door and doesn't get any food. If he has pride, he might think that these people are purposely not giving him food, and then he becomes worked up. So the Buddha said not to have any pride. The second one, the Buddha said not to talk any provoking talk. If you talk any provoking talk, then there'll be a lot of talk. And then from too much talk, one becomes unmindful and the mind doesn't become concentrated. And thirdly, the advice the Buddha gave was to live apart in seclusion, but this generally Not all monks can do that, live apart, live in seclusion, because you need a lot of discipline. If a monk doesn't have enough training and discipline, then instead of practicing more, he might tend to sleep more. Then the Venerable Mahamoggalan asked the Buddha for advice on how to attain the final goal. And the Buddha said to remember that one should not be engrossed with the things of the world. And then if one is not engrossed in the things of the world, then one abides seeing the impermanence of feelings, viewing them dispassionately, and then one cleaves not to anything in the world, and from that one does not crave for anything in the world, and one lets go, renounces, everything in the world and slowly one becomes completely cool.

12-AN-Book-7E-(7.6.59a-to-7.7.62).txt

The next sutra is 7.6.59. The Buddha said, monks, be not afraid of deeds of merit. It is a name for happiness that is meritorious deeds. For well I know, monks, that deeds of merit done for a long time have a ripening, a blossoming which is pleasing, joyous, and lovely for a long time. For seven years I fostered thoughts of metta, loving kindness or goodwill. And then for seven ages of the world's rolling on and rolling back, I came not again to this world. Then when the world rolled on, I reached the sphere of radiance. Then when the world rolled back, I went to Brahma's empty palace. Then, monks, I became Brahma, great Brahma, the conqueror, unconquered, all-seeing, all-powerful. Thirty-six times I was Sākādeva Rāja. Many times seven was I, a wheel-turning Raja, just, righteous, conquering the four ends of the earth, bringing stability to the country, possessing the seven gems. Amongst these were my seven gems, the wheel gem, the elephant gem, the horse gem, precious stone gem, woman gem, house father gem and minister gem. And I had more than a thousand sons, valiant, vigorous, crushers of enemy hosts. And when I had conquered it, I dwelt within this sea-bordered country, ruling righteously, not needing rod or sword." That's the end of the Sutta. And here the Buddha is saying that we should not be afraid of doing good. And the Buddha said he practiced metta, metta meditation for seven years. And then he, for seven ages, or seven aeons, or world cycles, he came not again to this world. The world rolling on is the growing or the developing of the world. And the world rolling back now is the decay of the world, is what I presume. So the world rolled on and rolled back now. The world cycle, there are four stages. First, there is a void, emptiness. Then there is the developing of the world, the formation of the world. This takes a long time. And once the world has formed, then it exists. exists for a long time and then later it will decay and that decay also takes a long time and after it's finally completely decayed then there's void again so there's four things in the cycle, in the world cycle. Then the Buddha said he He went to the sphere of radiance. That means his metta meditation, in his type of meditation, he has attained the jhanas. He has attained the jhanas so that he can radiate metta, loving kindness or goodwill to all beings around. That's why he was born in the jhana planes. And from there he came down to the Brahma, became Mahabrahma, great Brahma. And later after that, 36 times he was reborn as Sakka, the Deva King. And after that, when he came back as a human being, many, many times he was a wheel-turning king. Wheel-turning king is a king who rules the whole world. So from this sutra you find the Buddha was talking about his past life and in his past life he had already practiced metta. So from the sutras you find these brahma viharas, the four things for attaining rebirth in the brahma realm, that means metta, goodwill or loving kindness, Then karuna, compassion, then mudita, joy, and upekka, equanimity. These were not created by the Buddha. They were practiced long before the Buddha. And the next sutra is 7.6.59b, just now was 59a, this is 59b. Once the Exalted One was dwelling near Savatthi at Jeta Grove in Anathapindika's park. And early one morning, after robing himself, the Exalted One, taking bowl and cloak, went to the home of Anathapindika, the householder. And when he had arrived, he sat down on the seat made ready. Now at that time the people of the house were making a great noise and clatter. And when Anathapindika had come and saluted him and had sat down at one side, the exalted one said, Why, house father, do the people of your house make all this din and uproar? It is just like fishermen with a great haul, it seems." And Anathapindika said, Lord, it is Sujata, my daughter-in-law, who lives with us. She is rich and has been brought here from a wealthy family. She pays no heed to her mother-in-law, nor to her father-in-law, nor to her husband. Neither does she venerate, honor, reverence, nor respect the Exalted One. Then the Exalted One called to her, saying, Come, Sujata. Yes, Lord," she replied, and came and saluted the Exalted One and sat down at one side. Then said the Exalted One, Sujata, a man may have these seven kinds of wives. What seven? One like a slayer, one like a robber, one like a mistress, one like a mother, one like a sister, one like a companion, and one like a handmaid. These, Sujata, are the seven. And which of them are you? And she said, Lord, I do not fully understand what the Exalted One has put so briefly. Well, wait for me, Lord, if the Exalted One would teach me Dhamma, so that I may understand the meaning of the words spoken so tersely. or so briefly by the Exalted One. And the Buddha said, Then pay heed, listen, I will speak Sujata. Yes, Lord, she replied. And the Exalted One said, Whoso is pitiless, corrupt in mind, neglecting husband and unamiable, inflamed by other men, a prostitute, on murder bent, let her be called a slayer and a wife. Whoso would rob her husband of his gains, though little be the profit that he makes, whether by craftsmanship or from his trade, or by the plough, let her be called a robber and a wife. The slothful glutton bent on doing nothing, a gossip and a shrew with strident voice, who brings to low account her husband's zeal and industry, let her be called a mistress and a wife. Whoever, and with loving sympathy, just as a mother for her only son, for husband cares, and over his stored-up wealth keeps watch and ward, let her be called a mother and a wife. Who holds her husband in the same regard as younger sister holds the elder-born, the meek in heart, who in his every wish her husband serves, let her be called a sister and a wife. And she who is as glad her Lord to see, As boon companions long apart to meet, A gracious character of gentle birth, A fond helpmaid, let her be called A companion and a wife. If fearless of the lash and stick, Unmoved, all things enduring, Calm and pure in heart, She bear obedience to her husband's word, From anger free, let her be called A handmaid and a wife. Now she who's called a mistress, slayer, thief, who's harsh, immoral, lacking in respect, when death comes, will wander in the miseries of hell. But mother, sister, or companion, slave, in precept long established and restrained, when death comes, will wander in the happy heaven world. These Ujjata are the seven kinds of wives a man may have. And which of them are you?" And she said, Lord, let the exalted one think of me as a handmaid and a wife from this day forth. That's the end of the sutra. So here we find the Buddha is trying to teach this young lady to be a good wife. told her all the different types of wife, lady, woman can be. And so she, from that day on, she said she wants to be known as a handmaid and a wife. So probably from that day onwards, she changed her character. The next sutra is 7.6.60. The Buddha said, monks, there are these seven conditions fostered by rivals, causing rivals, which come upon an angry woman or man. What seven? Monks, there is the case of the rival who wishes thus of a rival. Would that he were ugly. And why? A rival monk does not like a handsome rival. Monks, this sort of person, being angry, is overwhelmed by anger. He is subverted by anger, and however well he be bathed, anointed, trimmed as to the hair and beard, clad in spotless linen, Yet for all that he is ugly, being overwhelmed by anger. Monks, this is the first condition fostered by rivals, causing rivals, which comes upon an angry woman or man. Again, there is the case of the rival who wishes thus of a rival. Would that he might sleep badly. And why? A rival monk does not like a rival to sleep well. Monks, this is the sort of person, being angry, is overwhelmed by anger, he is subverted by anger, and in spite of his lying on a couch spread with a fleecy cover, spread with a white blanket, spread with a wooden coverlet, flower embroidered, covered with rugs of antelope skins, with awnings above, or on a sofa with crimson cushions at either end. Yet for all that he lies in discomfort, being overwhelmed by anger. Monks, this is the second condition. Again, there is the case of the rival who wishes thus of a rival. Would that he might not prosper. And why? A rival monk does not like a rival to prosper. Monks, this is the sort of person, being angry, is overwhelmed by anger, is subverted by anger. Making a loss, he thinks, I have made a profit. Making a profit, he thinks, I have made a loss. Overwhelmed by anger, these things cause enmity towards others. They conduce to his ill and misfortune for many a day. Monks, this is the third condition. Again, there is the case of the rival who wishes thus of a rival. Would that he had no wealth. And why? A rival monk does not like a rival to be wealthy. Monks, this sort of person, being angry, is overwhelmed by anger. He is subverted by anger. And whatever his possessions, earned by vigorous industry, got together by the strength of his arm, piled up by the sweat of his brow, gotten righteously and lawfully, Rajas will order them to be sent to the royal treasury, cause he is overwhelmed by anger. Monks, this is the fourth condition. Again, there is the case of the rival who wishes thus of a rival. Would that he were without fame. And why? A rival monk does not like a rival to be famous. Monks, this sort of person, being angry, is overwhelmed by anger. He is subverted by anger. And whatever his fame he diligently earned, it falls away from him because of his anger. Monks, this is the fifth condition. Again, there is the case of the rival who wishes thus of a rival, would that he were without friends. And why? A rival monk does not like a rival to have friendships. Monks, this sort of person, being angry, is overwhelmed by anger. He is subverted by anger. Whatever friends, intimates, relations and kinsmen he may have, they will avoid and keep far away from him because he is overwhelmed by anger. Monks, this is the sixth condition. Again there is a case of the rival who wishes thus of a rival. Put that on the breaking up of the body after death. He might be reborn in the untoward way, the ill way, the abyss, hell. And why? A rival monk does not like a rival to go to heaven. Monks, this sort of person, being angry, is overwhelmed by anger. He is subverted by anger. and he misconducts himself in deed, word and thought. So living, so speaking, so thinking, on the breaking up of the body after death, he is reborn in the untoward way, the ill way, the abyss hell. Monks, this is the seventh condition, fostered by rivals, causing rivals, which comes upon an angry woman or man. Verily monks, these are the seven conditions, fostered by rivals, causing rivals, which comes upon an angry woman or man. That's the end of the sutra. So this sutra is telling us that if we have a lot of anger, then we get all these We suffer all these seven things. Just as a rival would wish you, an enemy would wish you to have all these things, you will get all these things because of too much anger. The first one is a person because of anger becomes ugly. Every time we get angry, we become fierce and we are fierce. We contort our face and it shows on the face and every day we do it becomes a habit. and the face becomes fierce and ugly. The second one, if you have too much anger, we cannot sleep well. Even if you lie in a very comfortable bed, you'll be tossing and turning on the bed, you can't let go of some angry feeling. Somebody did something to you, you get so angry, you can't sleep. So that's the second one. The third one, You cannot prosper. If you have too much anger, it conduces to your misfortune. Whatever business or whatever job you do, you cannot prosper. And the fourth one, you can't be wealthy because if you have too much anger, then you might make enemies of other people, like the Raja, and the Raja might seize your property. This is a long time ago. And then another condition, you cannot be famous. Whatever fame you have, it reduces it, it wears away because of your anger. And then another sixth condition is you won't have much friends. Whatever friends you have, and even relations, they will avoid, keep far away from you if you have too much anger. And the last one, if we have too much anger, then we conduct ourselves wrongly in bodily conduct, in speech and in mind. And because of that, we will be reborn in the woeful plane of rebirth, suffer. So these are the disadvantages of having too much anger. Now we come to another sutra which is another very interesting sutra, 7.7.62. Once the exalted one was dwelling in Ambapali's grove near Vesali. Stop here for a moment. This Ambapali, It's mentioned in some Mother Sutta and Vinaya, she was a very beautiful courtesan. Courtesan is a nice-sounding word. It means a high-class prostitute. In the days of the Buddha, earning your living as a prostitute was not really considered wrong. And she was very beautiful. And she gave a piece of land to the Buddha to make into a monastery. And later in life, she renounced and became a nun. And in the Therigatha verses of the Arahants, She described her life and she described how when she was young she was so beautiful and the hair was jet black and curly and she described her skin was white and soft and all that and all the different parts of the body and then when she was older she described how the body has become And the way she described was quite moving, and how she became an arahant and all that. So that's Ambalapali. Then the sutra continues. There the Exalted One addressed the monks, saying, monks, Lord, they replied. And the Exalted One said, impermanent monks are conditioners, sankara. Unstable monks are conditioners. Insecure monks are conditioners. So monks, be you dissatisfied with all things of this world. Be you repelled by them. Be you utterly free from them. Let's stop here for a moment. This word sankhara, here we translate as conditioners. Some other books, they translate as conditioned things, but the actual word for conditioned things is sankhata. So sankhara, we prefer to translate it as conditioners. Conditioners are those things that condition something else. But anything in the world, everything in the world are conditioners. in the sense that they condition other things, but they are also conditioned things because they depend on other conditions. So conditioners are also in a way conditioned things. But the reason the Buddha, we feel, used it in the sense of conditioners is because in some other sutra the Buddha said that all conditioners are impermanent. If everything that conditions say for example your body or your mind are impermanent, Then, if those things that condition you are impermanent, then all the more are you impermanent. Just like, for example, a shadow of a tree. A shadow of a tree depends on the tree, but the tree is impermanent. Therefore, the shadow must be even more impermanent. So, that's the difference. Now the Buddha continued, monks, the Simaru, king of mountains, is 84,000 leagues in length, 84,000 leagues in breadth, 84,000 leagues immersed in the great ocean. It stands out above the waters of the ocean, 84,000 leagues. Monks, there comes a time when for many years, for many hundreds of years, for many thousands of years, for many hundreds of thousands of years, there is no rain And when the rains come not, all seed-life and vegetation, all trees that yield medicine, palms and giants of the jungle, become parched and dried up and are no more. Thus impermanent, thus unstable, thus insecure, are all conditioners. Be you dissatisfied with them, be you repelled by them, be you utterly free from them. I'll just stop here for a moment. In some other sutra, the Buddha mentioned that life depends on water. In other words, life depends on rain. All life on our planet is sustained by rain. If there were no rain, then life forms slowly will disappear. So here is mentioned, when there's no rain for thousands and thousands of years, then all the plants all die up. And when the plants die, other life that depends on the plants also will die. And this fact that the Buddha said life depends on water, now science begins to realize this. That's why when they send these satellites to other planets, They try to find out whether there's any water on the other planets, because now scientists, they realize if there's any water at all in the other planets, that means there must have been life there. Now the Buddha continues, monks, there comes a time when in some age, at the end of some vast period, a second sun appears. When the second sun appears, all the streams and the ponds become parched and dried up and are no more. Thus impermanent, thus unstable, thus insecure are all conditioners. Be you utterly free from them. Monks, there comes a time when in some age, at the end of some vast period, a third sun appears. When the third sun appears, all the great rivers become parched and dried. and dried up and are no more, that is to say, the Ganges, the Yamuna, the Achiravati, the Sarabhu and the Mahi, thus impermanent, thus unstable, thus insecure, are all conditioners. Be you utterly free from them. Monks, there comes a time when in some age, at the end of some vast period, a fourth son appears. When the fourth sun appears, all the great lakes from where these great rivers flow become parched and dried up and are no more. That is to say, the Anottata, the Sihapapata, the Ratakara, the Kanamunda, the Kunala, the Chadanta, and the Mandakini, thus impermanent, thus unstable, thus insecure, are all conditioners. be you utterly free from them. Monks, there comes a time when in some age, at the end of some vast period, a fifth sun appears. When the fifth sun appears, the waters of the mighty ocean recede a hundred leagues. The waters recede two hundred leagues, three, four, five, six and seven hundred leagues. The waters of the mighty ocean remain at a depth of seven palm trees, of six, five, four, three, two, of merely one palm tree. The waters of the mighty ocean remain at a depth of seven men's stature of height, of six, five, four, three, two, of merely one man's height, of just half a man, of merely up to a man's hip, of merely up to his knee, of merely up to his ankle. Monks, just as in the autumn time when the rain deva sheds big drops of rain here and there in the footprints of cows, There are puddles. Even so, monks, as mere puddles in a cow's footprints are the waters of the mighty ocean here and there. Thus impermanent, thus unstable, thus insecure are all conditioners. Be you utterly free from them. Monks, there comes a time when in some age, at the end of some vast period, a sixth sun appears. When the sixth sun appears, both this earth and Simaru, king of mountains, emits smoke, disgorges smoke, belches forth clouds of smoke. Monks, just as a potter's oven, when first lighted, emits smoke, disgorges smoke, belches forth clouds of smoke. Even so, monks, when the sixth sun appears, both this great earth and Simeru, king of mountains, emits smoke, disgorges smoke, and belches forth clouds of smoke. Thus impermanent, thus unstable, thus insecure are all conditioners. Be you utterly free from them. Monks, there comes a time when in some age, at the end of some vast period, a seventh sun appears. When the seventh sun appears, this great earth and Simeru, king of mountains, bursts into flames, blaze up and become a single sheet of flame, and the fiery beam of the blaze and the burn of the great earth and of Mount Simeru. thrown up by the winds, reaches even to Brahma's world. The peaks of Mount Simeru, measuring one, two, three, four and five hundred leagues, as it blazes and burns, vanquished and overwhelmed by the vastness of the fiery mass, crumble away. Out of the blaze and the burn of the great earth and Mount Simeru, there is neither cinder nor ash to be found. Just as out of blazing, burning ghee or oil, no cinder or ash is found, even so, monks, out of the blaze and burn of the Great Earth and Mount Sumeru, neither cinder nor ash is to be found. Thus impermanent monks are conditioners, thus unstable monks are conditioners, thus insecure monks are conditioners. Wherefore, monks, be you dissatisfied with all things of this world, be you repelled by them, be you utterly free from them. I'll just stop here for a moment. You see this sutra is very interesting. It describes very clearly how the world is going to be destroyed in the future. And this is the only sutra in the Nikayas which has this description of how the world is going to be destroyed by fire. So when people talk about the end of the world, we don't have to worry because the second sun has not appeared. First, the rains must stop. The rains must stop for thousands and thousands of years. And then when that happens, then slowly, the trees start to die off. And then after a long time, a second sun appears. And when the second sun appears, the streams and the ponds dry up. And then after a long time, a third sun appears. And when the third sun appears, the big rivers, the Ganges, etc., all also will dry up. And then after a long time, a fourth sun appears. And when the fourth sun appears, the great lakes behind, even those behind the Himalayas, they will dry up. And then after a long time, a fifth sun appears. And when the fifth sun appears, the waters of the ocean begin to dry up, dry up until they become just puddles of water here and there. And then when the sixth sun appears, the earth starts to emit smoke. A lot of smoke starts to come out. And then when the seventh sun appears, the earth will start to burn and burn up to the heavens, burn up to the Brahma's world. So this is very interesting because other religions also talk about The fact that the world will be destroyed by fire, but they don't give such a clear description as the Buddha. Now the Buddha continued. Now where is the sage, where is the believer who thinks this great earth and Mount Simeru will be burnt up, will utterly perish and be no more? save or except among those who have seen the goal. In days gone by amongst there was a teacher named Suneta, a course setter who was free from all lustful passions. Now he had many hundreds of disciples to whom he taught the doctrine of fellowship in Brahma's world. And all they who grasped the word taught by Suneta in its fullness on the breaking up of the body after death were reborn in the realm of bliss, the Brahma world. But of those who did not grasp the word in full, some after death were reborn into the fellowship of the devas who have power over others' creations, some among the devas who delight in creating. some among the Tusita devas, some among the Yama devas, some among the devas of the 33 Tavatimsa heavens, some in the company of the four royal devas, some among wealthy nobles, some among wealthy brahmins, and some among wealthy householders. Now Suneta, the teacher, thought thus, It is not seemly that I should have precisely the same mode of existence as my disciples after death. What if I were to make metta, or goodwill, become to a perfect degree? And Suneta, the teacher, cultivated the thought of metta for seven years, and then for seven world cycles returned not to this world. He arose in the sphere of radiance, that means in the jhana planes. In Brahmasphere, as Mahabrahma, as Sakhadevaraja, as a real turning king endowed with the seven gems. Yet monks, although Suneta lived so long and lasted such a time, he was not freed from birth, from aging, from dying, from sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair. He was not freed from dukkha, I say. And what is the reason? It was by not being awake too, by not penetrating four conditions. What four? Monks, it was by not being awake too, by not penetrating Aryan right conduct. It was by not being awake to, by not penetrating, Aryan concentration. It was by not being awake to, by not penetrating, Aryan wisdom. And it was by not being awake to, by not penetrating, Aryan release. Monks, it is just this. When Aryan right conduct is awakened and penetrated, When Aryan concentration is awakened and penetrated, when Aryan wisdom is awakened and penetrated, and when Aryan release is awakened and penetrated, the craving for life is cut off, the cord that binds one to becoming is destroyed, and there is no more coming to be." That's the end of the sutta. So in this last part, the Buddha is talking about sunedha, a cause-setter. Cause-setter means one of those religious leaders who start a new sect. In Chinese, I think it's called kaitaozi, one who starts a new religion. And it's mentioned here that he was free from all lustful passions. freed from all lustful passions. Even though this man Suneta, he had not become an Arya, yet the sutra says that he was freed from all lustful passions. And this shows that this man, because he cultivated the jhanas, he cultivated the brahma-viharas, to attain rebirth in the Brahma world, so he had attained the jhanas. So just by attaining jhanas, one becomes freed of all lustful passions, that means the hindrances are abandoned. This is one of the suttas that confirms that when one attains the jhanas, the hindrances are abandoned, that means cut down. Although the roots are not pulled up yet, it's just like tall grass, you cut down the tall grass completely even though the roots are not pulled up. Now the other thing mentioned here is that, and all they who grasped the word taught by Suneta in its fullness on the breaking up of the body after death were reborn in the realm of bliss, the Brahma world. But of those who did not grasp the word in full, some after death were reborn into the fellowship of the devas who have power over others' creation. some among the Devas who delight in creating, some among the Tusita Devas, etc., etc., the lower Devas. So here it shows that grasping the word of the teacher is very important. Those who grasp the word of the teacher, then they get reborn into the higher state. So in the same way, the word of the Buddha is very important to us. It is very, very important to understand the Buddha's words very, very well. If you understand the suttas 100%, then you will get 100% of the result of the Buddha's teachings. If you don't understand the word of the Buddha, we would get nothing out of being a Buddhist. So it is very important to listen to the discourses of the Buddha and understand them. So in the last part of the Sutta, the Buddha said, it is by cultivating three things, Ahrin right conduct, Ahrin concentration, Ahrin wisdom, and Ahrin release, that a person ends the round of rebirths and destroys dukkha or suffering. Actually, the last part I didn't release is the result of attaining the first three. So it is the first three that's important. Sila, Samadhi and Panniya. Moral conduct, concentration and wisdom. And these three things are also the Noble Eightfold Path or the Aryan Eightfold Path taught by the Buddha. So if we cultivate the Aryan Eightfold Path or this Sila Samadhi and Pannya fully, then we attain full awakening, full liberation.

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This is the 39th time we are on the Anguttara Nikaya Suttas. We are at the fourth book, chapter of the sevens. Now we come to Sutta number 7.7.63. The Buddha said, monks, when a Raja's citadel in the frontiers is well provided with the seven requisites of a fortress, and can obtain at will, easily and without trouble, the four kinds of supplies. It is said to be one that cannot be undone by outside foe or treacherous ally. With what seven requisites of a fortress is it well provided? Monks, there is a Raja Citadel in the frontiers, the pillar, deeply embedded, well dug in, immovable and unshakable. With this first fortress requisite is the Raja Citadel in the frontiers well provided, for the protection of the inmates and for the warding off of outsiders. Monks, there is the moat, both deep and wide. With this second requisite, is it well provided? There is the road going round the citadel. With this third requisite, is it well provided? There is the great armory of spear and sword. With this fourth requisite is it well provided. There is the large body of troops stationed in the citadel, that is to say, mahouts, horsemen, charioteers, bowmen, standard bearers, billeting officers, soldiers of the supply corps. noted Raja's sons, storm troops, men as brave as mighty Nagas, valiants, warriors in armour and home-born slaves. With this fifth requisite is it well provided. There is the gatekeeper, clever, intelligent, wise, who refuses entrance to the unknown, but admits those he knows. With these six requisites is it well provided. Then monks, there is in the Rajasic citadel, in the frontiers, the rampart, both high and wide, covered with a coat of plaster. With this seventh requisite, is the Raja's citadel well provided for the protection of the inmates and for the warding off of outsiders? With these seven fortress requisites, is it well provided? And what are the four kinds of supplies it can obtain at will, easily and without trouble? There are in the Raja Citadel, in the frontiers, great stores of grass, wood and water for the convenience of the inmates, for their comfort, for their well-being and for the warding off of outsiders. There are great stores of rice and corn for the convenience of the inmates. There are great stores of sesame, beans, wetches of fodder, and cereals for the convenience of the inmates. Then monks, there are in the Raja Citadel, in the frontiers, great stores of medicines, that is to say, ghee, fresh butter, oil, honey, sugar and salt. for the convenience of the inmates, for their comfort, for their well-being, and for the warding off of outsiders. These are the four kinds of supplies it can obtain at will, easily and without trouble. Verily monks, when a raja citadel in the frontiers is well provided with these seven requisites, and can obtain at will, easily and without trouble, these four kinds of supplies, It is said to be one which cannot be undone by outside foe or treacherous ally. In just the same way, monks, when an Aryan disciple is possessed of seven excellent things and can obtain at will, easily and without trouble, four jhanas of the higher mind, Bringing comfort here now, the Aryan disciple is said to be one who cannot be undone by Mara, undone by the evil one. Of what seven excellent things is he possessed? Just as a raja citadel in the frontiers has the pillar deeply embedded, well dug in, immovable and unshakable for the protection of the inmates and for the warding off of outsiders, even so amongst an Aryan disciple has faith He believes in the Tathāgata's awakening of the Truth. He is the Exalted One, Arahant, Sammasambuddha, complete with knowledge and practice. well-gone one, world-knower, incomparable tamer of tamable men, teacher of devas and men, exalted one. With faith as a pillar, the Aryan disciple abandons unwholesome states and makes wholesome states become. He abandons what is blameworthy. He makes blamelessness become. He bears himself in pureness. With this first excellent thing is he possessed. Just as the citadel has a moat, both deep and wide, for the protection of the inmates, even so monks and Aryan disciples are conscientious. He is ashamed of misconducting himself in deed, word and thought, ashamed of falling into evil and unwholesome states. With conscientiousness as a moat, the Aryan disciple abandons unwholesome states and makes wholesome states become. Of this second excellent thing is he possessed. Just as the citadel has a road going round it, both high and wide, for the protection of the inmates, even so monks and Aryan disciples have remorse. He feels remorse for misconduct in deed, word and thought. He feels remorse having fallen into evil and unwholesome states. With remorse as an encircling road, the Aryan disciple abandons unwholesome states and makes wholesome states become. Of this third excellent thing is he possessed. Just as the citadel has a great armory of spear and sword for the protection of the inmates, even so, monks and Aryan disciples have heard much, and there is a retaining, a storing of things heard. Those dharmas, lovely in the beginning, lovely in the middle, and lovely in the end, which set forth in meaning and detail the holy life wholly fulfilled, perfectly pure, even those are learned by him, resolved upon, made familiar by speech, pondered over in mind, well penetrated by right view. With learning as an armory, the Aryan disciple abandons unwholesome states and makes wholesome states become. Of this fourth excellent thing is he possessed. Just as the citadel has a large body of troops stationed therein, that is to say, mahouts, cavalry, charioteers, bowmen and so forth, for the protection of the inmates, even so monks and Aryan disciples abide stirred in energy or with sustained energy, to be rid of unwholesome states, to follow wholesome states steadfast, firm in advance. He lays not aside the burden of wholesome states. With energy as an armed force, the Aryan disciple abandons unwholesome states and makes wholesome states become. Of this fifth excellent thing is he possessed. Just as the citadel has a gatekeeper, clever, intelligent and wise, who refuses entrance to the unknown, but admits those he knows, for the protection of the inmates. Even so, monks and Aryan disciples have mindfulness, and is endowed in the highest degree with mindfulness and awareness. He remembers and calls to mind things done and said long ago. With mindfulness as a gatekeeper, the Aryan disciple abandons unwholesome states and makes wholesome states become. Of these six excellent things is he possessed. Just as the Raja citadel in the frontiers has a rampart, both high and wide, covered with a coat of plaster for the protection of the inmates and for the warding off of outsiders, Even so, monks, the Aryan disciple has wisdom. Endowed is he with wisdom as to the nature of arising and cessation, with Aryan penetration of the way to the utter destruction of ill. With wisdom as a coat of plaster, the Aryan disciple abandons unwholesome states. He makes wholesome states become. He abandons what is blameworthy. He makes blamelessness become. He bears himself in pureness. Of this seventh excellent thing is he possessed. Of these seven excellent things is he possessed. What four jhanas of the higher mind, bringing comfort here and now, can he obtain at will, easily and without trouble? Just as in a raja citadel in the frontiers there are great stores of grass, wood and water, for the convenience of the inmates, for their comfort, for their well-being. and for the warding off of outsiders. Even so, monks and Aryan disciples, aloof from sense desires, aloof from unwholesome states, enters and abides in the first jhāna, which is accompanied by applied and sustained thought, with delight and pleasure born of solitude. for his own convenience, for his own comfort, for his own well-being, and for faring to the cool. Just as in the citadel there are great stores of rice and corn for the convenience of the inmates, even so monks and Aryan disciples With the stilling of applied and sustained thought, enters and abides in the second jhāna, which has internal self-confidence and singleness of mind, without applied and sustained thought, with delight and pleasure born of concentration, for his own convenience and for faring to the cool. Just as the citadel has great stores of sesame, beans, vegetables and other cereals for the convenience of the inmates, even so monks and Aryan disciples, with the fading away of delight, abides in equanimity and mindful and aware, enters and abides in the third jhana, experiencing pleasure with the body, on account of which the Aryans declare, he that is equanimous and mindful has a joyful abiding. for his own convenience and for faring to the cruel. Just as in the Raja Citadel in the frontiers there are great stores of medicines, that is to say ghee, fresh butter, oil, honey, sugar and salt, for the convenience of the inmates, for their comfort, for their well-being, and for the warding off of outsiders, even so monks and Aryan disciples, with the abandoning of bodily pleasure and the previous abandoning of bodily pain, by the fading away of joy and grief, enters and abides in the fourth jhana, which is the complete purity of mindfulness and equanimity, and has neither pain nor pleasure. for his own convenience, for his own comfort, for his well-being and for faring to the cruel. These are the four jhanas of the higher mind, bringing comfort here and now. He can obtain at will, easily and without trouble. Monks, when an Aryan disciple is possessed of these seven excellent things and can obtain at will, easily and without trouble, these four jhanas, this Aryan disciple is said to be one who cannot be undone by Mara, undone by the evil one. That's the end of the sutra. This sutra is about the seven excellent things and the Pali name is the seven saddhamma. The seven saddhamma. This is one of the things to acquire on the spiritual path, the holy path. There is a name for the Buddha which is called Vijacarana Sampanno. complete with knowledge and conduct or practice. The word carana can be translated as conduct or practice. It is the steps along the holy path. And the seven saddhamma are one of the things to be acquired along that holy path. What are these seven things? The first one is saddha, having faith that the Buddha is the enlightened one. And the second one is hiri. Hiri is conscientiousness or conscience, having a conscience to be ashamed of doing something wrong. Third one is otapa. Otapa is a sense of remorse, a sense of guilt if you have done wrong. The fourth one is bahusuta, much hearing of the Dhamma. In other words, much knowledge of the Dhamma. The Dhamma refers to the discourses of the Buddha, the words of the Buddha. The fifth one is Aradha-viriya, stirred in energy or having sustained energy to get rid of unwholesome states and to cultivate wholesome states of mind. The sixth is Sati. Sati is mindfulness. It's generally translated as mindfulness. But we have to keep in mind the meaning of Sati. Here, as in other suttas, the definition of sati is given as he remembers and calls to mind things done and said long ago. So sati is remembering. What is it that we have to remember? We have to remember In this case, you have to remember that the body and the mind is not I, is not mind, is not the self. This is mentioned in the Sankhyuta Nikaya, the Sankhyuta on the five khandhas, the five things that we take to be the self, which are also body and mind. So that's the meaning of mindfulness here. It's not general mindfulness because general mindfulness is not to do with Buddhist practice. Buddhist practice is a specific mindfulness. Mindfulness of our mind and mindfulness of our body activities. and also the nature of the mind and the nature of the body. If you roam out into the other five sense doors, in the world of seeing, hearing, smelling, taste and touch, that is what the Buddha calls Mara's playground. And there are hooks. Mara is always trying to bait us and if we are not careful, we get caught by Mara. That means nice sights, nice sounds, nice smells, nice taste and pleasant touch. So that's the mindfulness. The seventh one is pāññā. Pāññā is wisdom. Wisdom here refers to wisdom as to the nature of arising and cessation of all things in the world, because all things in the world have the nature to arise and to pass away. And that is, if we know the nature of the rising and cessation of all things in the world, that is wisdom. So these are the seven excellent things that a person on the holy path should cultivate. And in addition to that, if he can attain the four jhanas of the higher mind, then this Aryan disciple is said to be one who cannot be undone by Mara. cannot be undone by the evil one. So you see here just now there was a description of the four states of jhāna. The first one, aloof from sense desires, aloof from unwholesome states, he enters and abides in the first jhāna, which is accompanied by applied and sustained thought with delight and pleasure born of solitude. So you see the first jhāna is a state which is aloof from sense desires. Sense desires is one of the five hindrances that obstruct wisdom, that obstruct us from seeing things as they really are. So the first state, the first jhana, is a state which is aloof from sensual desires. It is also aloof from unwholesome states. So the state of jhāna, the first jhāna, is a very wholesome state. It has nothing to do with unwholesome states because here it is defined as being aloof from unwholesome states. And in fact it is a state of intense mindfulness. If you don't have intense mindfulness you cannot enter into the first jhāna. Some people have the wrong idea that jhāna are states of unmindfulness that is totally untrue. The second jhāna is described as, with the stilling of applied and sustained thought, he enters and abides in the second jhāna, which has internal self-confidence and singleness of mind, without applied and sustained thought, with delight and pleasure born of concentration. This second jhana is a strong state of concentration, so strong that the applied and sustained thought cannot arise. No thoughts can arise because it is extremely strong state of concentration. And because of that strong state of concentration, when a person attains his second jhāna, he has internal self-confidence. He is quite confident of that concentration. The third one, with the fading away of delight, abides in equanimity and mindful and aware, enters and abides in the third jhāna. So you see, To enter the third jhāna, this person must be mindful and aware. He enters and abides in the third jhāna, experiencing pleasure with the body, on account of which the Aryans declare, he that is equanimous and mindful has a joyful abiding. So it's very clear from here also that this third jhāna state is a very mindful and equanimous state. 4. Abandoning Bodily Pleasure and Abandoning Bodily Pain By the fading away of joy and grief, he enters and abides in the fourth jhāna, which is the complete purity of mindfulness and equanimity, and has neither pain nor pleasure. So you see this fourth jhāna, the mindfulness is completely purified at the fourth jhāna. So you cannot be more mindful. than at the fourth jhana. That's why all these states of jhana are intense states of mindfulness, definitely very mindful states, not unmindful states. So if a person possesses these seven saddhammas, excellent things, and the four jhanas, Mara has no way to bring him down, has no way to trap him, because He's beyond the reach of Mara, when a person enters the jhanas, and then when he comes out of it, the mind is, the hindrances are abandoned. It's quite clear from the previous sutra we read about Suneta, the external ascetic who cultivated metta and attained the jhanas. The Buddha said that even though he had not rooted out the hindrances, but the Buddha said he was completely free of lustful passions. That means he was completely free of the hindrances. It's just like tall grass, you know, lalang, you cut it down. Even though the roots are not abandoned, they do not hinder you anymore. They do not, the hindrances are not there to hinder you at all. So these are the seven saddhamma and the four jhanas. Now we come to the next sutra, 7.7.64. The Buddha said, monks endowed with these seven qualities, a monk is worthy of offerings, is the world's peerless field for merit. With what seven? Monks, herein a monk is a Dhamma knower, meaning knower, self knower, measure knower, time knower, assembly knower, noble or base person knower. And how is a monk a Dhamma knower? Herein monks, a monk knows Dhamma, the discourses or suttas. Unless he knows the discourses, he should not be called a Dhamma knower. And how is he a meaning knower? Here in monks, a monk knows the meaning of this and that speech. Such is the meaning of this speech, such of that. Unless he knows each meaning, he should not be called a knower of the meaning. But because he knows such is the meaning of this speech, such of that, therefore he is called a knower of the meaning. And how is he a self-knower? Here in monks, a monk knows of self. Thus far am I in faith, in virtue, in learning, in generosity, in wisdom, and in ready wit. Unless he know this, he should not be called a self-knower. But because he knows of self, thus far am I in faith, in virtue, and so forth, therefore he is called the self-knower. And how is he a measure-knower? Here in monks, a monk knows measure in accepting the requisites, that is to say, the robe, arms, lodging, and medicines. Unless he knows this, he should not be called the knower of measure. But because he knows measure in accepting the requisites, therefore he is called the knower of measure. And how is he a time knower? Here in monks, a monk knows the time thus, this is the time for recitation, this for questioning, this for effort, this for solitude. Unless he knows this, he should not be called the time knower. But because he knows the time for recitation, for questioning and so forth, Therefore he is called the Time-Knower. And how is he an Assembly-Knower? Here in monks, a monk knows assemblies thus, this is an assembly of nobles, this of brahmins, this of householders, this of recluses. There, one should approach in such a way, stand thus, sit, speak and be silent so. Unless he knows this, he should not be called a knower of assemblies. But because he knows an assembly of nobles, an assembly of brahmins and so forth, therefore he is called the knower of assemblies. And how is he a noble and base person knower? Here in monks, persons are known to a monk in two ways. Of two persons, one desires to see the Aryans, the other does not. This one who has no desire to see the Aryans is to be blamed for that reason. But the other, because he desires to see the Aryans, is to be commended. Of the two who desire to see the Aryans, one desires to hear Sat Dhamma or the true Dhamma, the other does not. The latter is to be blamed for that reason, the former is to be commended. Of the two who desire to hear Sat Dhamma, one listens to Dhamma with ready ear, the other does not. The latter is to be blamed, the former is to be commended. Of two who listen to Dhamma with ready ear, one, having heard it, is mindful of Dhamma, the other is not. The latter is to be blamed, the former is to be commended. Of two who, having heard it, are mindful of Dharma, one tests the truth of the doctrines he has learned, the other does not. The latter is to be blamed, the former is to be commended. Of two who test the truth of the doctrines learned, one, knowing the latter and the spirit, walks in conformity with Dharma, the other does not. The latter is to be blamed, the former is to be commended. Of two persons who, knowing the latter and the spirit, walk in conformity with Dharma, one conforms for his own benefit, but not for others. The other conforms both for his own benefit and for the benefit of others. The person who conforms for his own benefit and not for others is to be blamed for that reason. The person who conforms both for his own benefit and for the benefit of others is to be commended for that reason. Thus, monks, persons are known to a monk in two ways, and thus a monk is a knower of noble and base persons. Verily, monks, endowed with these seven qualities, a monk is worthy of offerings and is the world's purest field for merit. That's the end of the sutra. Here there are seven things a monk could know. The first one is a Dhamma knower. A Dhamma knower means a person who knows the sutras or discourses of the Buddha. A meaning knower is one who knows the meaning of a speech, the meaning of this speech or that speech he knows. A self-knower is a one who knows of himself. He has so much faith, he has so much virtue, so much learning, generosity, wisdom, ready wit, etc. A measure-knower is a monk who knows measure in accepting the requisites. A time-knower is a monk who knows the time, whether it is a suitable time for chanting, a suitable time for questioning, a suitable time for making effort, a suitable time for solitude, etc. An assembly knower is a person who knows this type of assembly, that type of assembly, and he knows how to act in any particular assembly. He knows how to approach, how to stand, how to sit, how to speak, or be silent. And then a noble and based person knower, you can see from here there are so many types of persons, one desires to see the Aryans, one does not desire to see Aryans. And then of those who desire to see Aryans, one desires to hear the Dhamma, another one, even though he goes to see the monks or the Aryans, he does not want to hear the Dhamma. And then of those who hear the Dhamma, one listens with ready ear, pays attention when he hears the Dhamma, the other does not. And then the one of the two types of persons who hear the Dhamma with ready ear, one remembers the Dhamma that he has heard, the other does not. And then of the ones who remember the Dhamma, one tests the truth of the Dhamma he has learned, he investigates the truth of the Dhamma, the other does not. And then of those who investigate the truth of the Dhamma, one practices according to the Dhamma, another type do not practice, even though they know the meaning, they don't practice. And then lastly, of those who practice

14-AN-Book-7G-(7.7.65-to-7.7.67).txt

Come to the next sutra, 7.65. It is also an important sutra. The Buddha said, monks, what time the celestial coral tree, the kovilara parichataka of the devas of the 30 is withered in leaf, those devas greatly rejoice. The celestial coral tree is withered in leaf. Before long now there will be leaf fall. And then he continues. What time the leaves are falling, they greatly rejoice. Falling are now the leaves. Shortly now will virgin every bud. What time the buds appear, they greatly rejoice. Now the buds appear, soon the shoots will set. What time the shoots are set, they greatly rejoice. Now the shoots are set, soon will the blossoms form. What time the blossoms form, they greatly rejoice. Now the blossoms form. Soon, like the red lotus, will the flowers be shaped. What time the flowers are shaped like the red lotus, they greatly rejoice. Shaped like the red lotus are the flowers. Soon the flowers will be in full bloom. What time the Kovilāra Paricataka tree of the Devas of the Thirty is in full bloom, those Devas sport for four divine months at the foot of the celestial tree, dallying and indulging the five pleasures of the senses. When the celestial tree is in full bloom, its effulgence pervades full fifty leagues. The perfume is blown before the wind a hundred leagues. This is the power of the Kovilara Parichataka tree. I'll just stop here to comment. This is the Tavatimsa heaven, the heaven of the 33. There is a special tree there called the Kovilara Parichataka tree, the celestial coral tree. And once in a heavenly year, a celestial year, this tree will blossom and bring forth flowers and then for four months, when the flowers are in bloom, these devas will enjoy themselves fully under this tree, indulging in all the sensual pleasures. It is because of this tree that the Asuras, the Asuras were formerly also in this 33, the heaven of the 33, this Tavatimsa heaven. But because the Asuras, they like to drink liquor and become drunk and fight. So one day when they were drunk, Sakadevaraja and his devas, took these drunken asuras and threw them down from that heaven into the ocean. And so once a year when this celestial coral tree is in full bloom, they remember that they used to enjoy themselves under this tree and because they were angry they haven't been thrown out of the heaven. Once a year they will go up to the Tavatimsa heaven and fight with Sakadeva Raja. And this story about the Devas fighting is found in Buddhism. It is also found in the Christian religion where they say Michael the Archangel fought with Satan. And it's also found in the Hindu religion. these devas fighting, I suppose their origin is here. Then the Buddha said, in just the same way monks, what time the Aryan disciple minds himself to go forth from the home into the homeless life, the Aryan disciple is withered in leaf, like the celestial coral tree of the devas of the 30. What time the Aryan disciple has his hair and beard shaved off and donned the yellow robe and gone forth from home into the homeless life, is his fall of leaf like the celestial coral tree. What time, aloof from sense desires, he enters and abides in the first jhāna, his buds appear like the celestial coral tree. What time, stilling applied and sustained thought, he enters and abides in the second jhāna, his shoots set like the celestial coral tree. What time, with the fading away of delight, he enters and abides in the third jhāna, his blossoms form like the celestial coral tree. What time, with the abandoning of bodily pleasure, he enters and abides in the fourth jhāna, his flowers are of the red lotus shape, like the celestial coral tree? What time, the Āryan disciple, by destroying the āśavas, enters and abides in full realization, his flowers are in full bloom, like the celestial coral tree of the devas of the thirty? Then the earth devas utter a shout, this reverend sir calls so and so living the life of faith of such a reverend one gone forth from such a village or market town has destroyed the Asavas and dwells in full realization. Hearing the shout of the earth devas, the company of the four royal devas shout, and similarly the devas of the thirty, the Yama devas, the Tusita devas, the devas who delight in creating, the devas who have power over others' creations, and the devas of Brahma's retinue roll back the cry. This reverend sir, living the life of faith, gone forth from such a village or from such a market town into the homeless life, has, by the destruction of the asavas, entered and there abides in that state of emancipation by mind and wisdom, which is free of the asavas, having come to know and realize this state fully for himself even in this present life. Thus in an instant, thus in a moment, the sound soars up to the Brahma's heavens. This is the progressive power of a monk who has destroyed the asavas. So you see here is a very interesting simile where the Buddha gave a comparison of a monk who cultivates the holy life and attains the arahant hood. And it is clear from here that to attain arahant hood, What is very important are the attainment of the jhanas, just like the flower blooming step by step. So having gone forth, he attains the first jhana, then the second jhana, and the third and the fourth. And after attaining the fourth jhana, he destroys the asavas. So you see here, the attainment of jhanas can be seen to be very important. The final attainment of destruction of the arts of us, or the final attainment of liberation, is like the blossoming of the celestial coral tree flower. In this case, it is the blossoming of the flower of wisdom. And the flower of wisdom, just like the heavenly flower, goes through the steps of renouncing Him among persons renouncing their home life. to be a homeless renunciant and then attains the jhanas one by one until the full destruction of the asavasya. So from here we also can see the importance the Buddha puts on the the jhānas. You note very carefully, this is very unlike the commentaries where the commentaries talk about the jhānas, attainment of the jhānas for full enlightenment. Here the Buddha is talking about attainment of the jhānas which is quite different. Nowhere in the suttas do you find the Buddha talks about attainment of jhānas, but the Buddha always is talking about the attainment of the jhānas as definite requirements to enlightenment. The next sutra is 7.7.66. Now there arose in the mind of the Venerable Sariputta, as he sat alone in seclusion, this reflection. If a monk would abandon unwholesome ways, if he would make wholesomeness become, whom should he respect, whom should he revere, and on whom should he rely? Then thought the Venerable one. Let a monk respect, revere and rely on the teacher if he would abandon unwholesome ways and make wholesomeness become. Let him respect, revere and rely on Dharma on the Sangha, on the training, on concentration and earnestness, let him respect, revere and rely on goodwill, if he would abandon unwholesome ways and make wholesomeness become. Then thought he, these things in me have been cleared and purified. What if I were to go and tell them to the Exalted One? They will become both purified within me and better reconciled. for just as a man might come upon a gold ring of pure and sterling quality and think, this ring of mine is of pure and sterling gold, but what if I were to go and show it to the goldsmiths? My ring of gold passed by them will be both purified and better reckoned so. Even so, when I have gone and told the Exalted One, these things in me will be both purified and better reckoned so. I'll just stop here for a moment. Here the Venerable Sariputta is talking about seven things that a monk should respect and rely on if he wants to abandon unwholesome states and develop wholesome states. The first one is the teacher, that means the Buddha. The second is the Dharma. The third is the Sangha, and the Sangha generally means the Sangha of the Big Hu Sangha. Sometimes it's also mentioned the Aryan Sangha, but then it's very difficult to know who are the Aryans, so generally it means the Big Hu Sangha. And you can also say it means the Aryan Bhikkhu Sangha also. And then the fourth one is training. This training, the last time I spoke on the suttas, I mentioned this training as being generally the precepts. Actually, I made a mistake there. There's more to the precepts than just in training. The training generally means the whole of the The training in the holy life, in the spiritual path, that means the various things to cultivate. For example, Charana. In Charana, there are a list of things to cultivate. For example, Sila, moral conduct, and then there's contentment, and then there is Guarding the six sense doors, moderation in eating, devotion to wakefulness, cultivating the seven saddhamma, the seven excellent things that we just spoke about just now. And then sati sampajanya, mindfulness and awareness. abandonment of the hindrances, seclusion, attainment of the four jhanas, all these are part of the training. And the training also means to submit oneself to a teacher because When one submits oneself to a teacher, the teacher guides a person along the holy path. Some people think that coming into the holy path is just meditation. It's not really, because the aim of the holy life is to let go, let go of our attachments, let go of our likes and dislikes, finally to let go of our ego. And when a person comes into the holy life, he does not know all these things are important. Sometimes, like in the forest monasteries in Thailand, you are taught to, when you go on alms round with the teacher and when you come back and the teacher's bowl is full, you have to carry the teacher's bowl in addition to your bowl. And sometimes some monks not only carry two bowls, they even carry three bowls. And they make it a point to even beg the teacher to give them the bowl, because they want to submit to their ego, to let go of their ego. And then they carry the teacher's bowl, and they come back. And when they come back, they get water ready, and they wash the teacher's feet. And many monks go and wash the teacher's feet. All this is humbling oneself. This is all part of the training in the holy life. It is not like some people think, just come, wear the robes, and meditate all the time. Just by meditating all the time, you cannot let go of a lot of attachments. So all these things count. These are all part of the training. And letting go of our likes and dislikes, whatever the teacher says. We think that he has more experience than us, then we submit ourselves. Instead of thinking to do what we like to do, we do what the teacher likes us to do. These are all part of the training. So now the sutta continues. He should respect, revere, and rely on the teacher, dhamma, the sangha, the training, concentration, earnestness, and goodwill. These things are cleared and purified within me, but if I were to speak about them to the Exalted One, they would be both purified and better reconciled. Just as if a man were to find a gold ring, etc., and take it to the goldsmith, it would be both purified and better reconciled after being passed by them. Even so, these conditions in me, etc., etc., after I have spoken of them to the Exalted One, and the Buddha said, well done, well done, Sariputta. A monk should respect, revere, and rely on the teacher, Dhamma, the Sangha, the training, concentration, earnestness, and goodwill, if he would abandon unwholesome ways and make wholesomeness become When he had thus spoken, the Venerable Sariputta said, Lord, in its fullness I know the meaning of what the Exalted One has said in brief. That a monk should lack veneration for the teacher, but should venerate Dhamma, such a thing is not possible. He who lacks veneration for the teacher, lacks veneration also for Dhamma. That a monk lacking veneration for the teacher, and Dharma should venerate Sangha is not possible. Similarly, that among lacking veneration for the teacher Dhamma and Sangha should venerate the training is not possible. That among lacking veneration for the teacher Dhamma-Sangha the training should venerate concentration is not possible. That among lacking veneration for the teacher Dhamma-Sangha training concentration should venerate earnestness is not possible. That a monk lacking veneration for the teacher, dhamma, sangha, training, concentration and earnestness, but should venerate goodwill, such a thing is not possible. He who lacks veneration for the teacher, dhamma, the sangha, training, concentration and earnestness, lacks veneration also for goodwill. So also, Lord, in the opposite cases, that a monk should venerate the teacher, but should not venerate Dhamma, such a thing is not possible, etc., etc. Thus, Lord, in its fullness I understand the exalted one's speech." And the Buddha said, well done, well done, Sariputta. Well, have you grasped the meaning of what I have said in brief, even in its fullness? And the Exalted One confirmed, word for word, all that the Venerable Sariputta had said, adding, thus is the meaning of my speech to be regarded." So in this sutta, These seven things are important for a monk if he wants to abandon unwholesome states and develop wholesome states. The interesting part here is that the Buddha said, if a monk does not venerate teacher, it is not possible that he would venerate the Dhamma. If he does not venerate the teacher and the Dhamma, it is not possible that he would venerate the Sangha. And if he does not venerate the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, he will also not venerate the training. And if he does not venerate all these four things, he will also not venerate concentration. So you see here, the concentration again is stress. And in the Buddha's discourses we always find concentration is always given as a precondition for wisdom. That is why concentration is always stressed in the discourses of the Buddha. The next sutra is 7.67. This is another important sutra. The Buddha said, monks, although a wish such as this may arise in the heart of a monk as he lives without applying himself to making become, O that my heart might be freed of the asavas and be without attachment. Yet his heart is not so free. And what is the reason? Let it be said, it is lack of making become. Making what become? The four intense states of mindfulness, satipatthana, the four right efforts, samapadana, the four bases of success. or sometimes it is translated as the four bases of psychic power, iddhipada, the five faculties, indriya, the five powers, bhāla, the seven factors of enlightenment, bhojanga, and the āryan eightfold path, ārya-ātāṅgika-māga. I just stop here to comment. This making become, actually the Pali word is bhavana. Bhavana, making become or development. And here the Buddha is saying that if a person does not make become or develop these 37 things, He cannot attain destruction of the Asavas. These 37 things are called the 37 Bodhipakya Dharmas, generally translated as the requisites of enlightenment. Here it is quite clear, all 37 bodhipakya dharmas are necessary for the destruction of the asavas. It is not just the 4 satipatthana. 4 satipatthana is just 4 things out of the 37. Then you need the 4 right efforts, the 4 bases of success, the idipadas, the 5 faculties, the 5 powers, the 7 factors of enlightenment and the Aryan Eightfold Path. Now there is a sutra in the Majjhima Nikaya, 149, where it is stated that when the Aryan Eightfold Path is fully developed, all the 37 Bodhipakya Dharmas are fully developed at the same time, and Samatha and Vipassana, Tranquillization and Contemplation, are led to work together. So, you see, when the path to enlightenment taught by the Buddha is basically the Aryan Eightfold Path, but when you cultivate and develop fully the Aryan Eightfold Path, all the 37 Bodhipakya Dharmas are automatically cultivated. Now the Buddha continues, monks, it is just as if It is just as if a hen sitting on eight or ten or a dozen eggs. And if the eggs were not fully set upon, nor fully warmed, nor fully made to become, and although such a wish as this might come to that hen, O that my chicks might break the egg shells with the spiked claws of their feet, or with their beaks and bills, and hatch out safely. Yet it is not possible for those chicks to break the shells with their claws and beaks and to hatch out safely. And what is the reason? It is because monks, those hen's eggs have not been fully set on, nor fully warmed, nor fully made to become. In just the same way, monks, Although a wish such as this might arise in the heart of a monk, as he lives without applying himself to making-become, O that my heart might be freed of the arts of arts, and be without attachment! Yet his heart is not so free. And what is the reason? Let it be said, it is lack of making-become. Making-what-become, the four intense states of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four bases of success, etc., etc. Monks, although such a wish as this might not arise in the heart of a monk as he lives applying himself to making become, yet his heart is freed from the asavas and attachment. And why? Let it be said, it is due to making become. Making what? Become. The four intense states of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four bases of psychic power, the five faculties, etc., etc. Monks, it is just as if eight or ten or a dozen hen's eggs were fully set upon, fully warmed and fully made to become. Although any such wish might not come to the hen, yet those chicks would hatch out safely. And why? Because the eggs were fully made, were fully warmed. fully set upon, fully made to become. In just the same way monks, although a monk might not express such a wish, his heart would be freed from the asavas and from attachment because of his making become the four intense states of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four bases of success, etc., etc. Monks, just as a carpenter or a carpenter's apprentice inspecting the handle of his axe, sees thereon the marks of his fingers and thumb, but knows not how much of the axe's handle was worn away that day, nor the previous day. nor at any time, yet knows just when the wearing away has reached the end of wearing away. Even so monks, a monk intent upon making become, knows not to what extent the asavas were worn away that day, nor the previous day, nor at any time, yet knows just when the wearing away has reached the end of wearing away. Monks, just as in an ocean-going ship rigged with masts and stays, after it has sailed the seas for six months and is beached on the shore for the winter, the stays, affected by wind and heat, rained upon in the rainy season, easily weaken and rot away. Even so, monks, in the monk, abiding intent upon making become, the fetters easily weaken and rot away." That's the end of the Sutta. This is a very good and important sutra where it says that if a monk cultivates the 37 bodhipakya dharmas, then even if he does not wish to become enlightened, he will automatically become enlightened. But if he does not cultivate the 37 bodhi-apakya dharmas, even if he made a wish to become enlightened, he cannot become enlightened. And the last part is the interesting parable of the carpenter's axe. Edge is for planing the wood and in our present days, the edge, you have to hold it with two hands to plane the wood. But during the Buddha's time, they probably held it with one hand and planed the wood. And because of the carpenter using the edge day after day, the finger marks are impressed on the wood. The marks can be seen on the wood. But the Buddha says that the carpenter does not know how much of the wood was worn away at any time, today, yesterday or any time. So in the same way, when we practice the holy life, we do not know how much of the defilements have been worn away. This probably implies that a monk cannot be sure whether he has attained what stage of arya-hood. But at the end, when he has completed all his work and he becomes an arahant, then he knows. Just in the same way the Buddha says that the marks on the edge, he does not know how much has been worn away, but finally when the finger Gans are impressed on the wood, then he knows that the wood has been worn away. So this is a very important simile which tells us that the holy life, only when you have completed the work, then we know that the work is completed. So some people they think they go for a short retreat and they want to destroy so much of the asavas, so much of the factors, but it's not for sure that you know according to this parable. It's only when you are arahant then you know. So I'll stop here.

15-AN-Book-7H-(7.7.68-to-7.8.71).txt

Now we come to sutta number 7.7.68. It's quite an important sutta. Once the Exalted One was on an alms round among the Kosalis with a great following of monks, and on reaching the high road, the Exalted One saw in a certain spot a great fiery mass, burning, blazing, flaming. At the sight, He stepped down off the road and sat down at the foot of a tree on a seat which was ready. So seated, he addressed the monks thus, See you monks, that great, burning, blazing, flaming, fiery mess. Yes, Lord. What think you, monks? Which of the two were better? That one should sit or lie beside that great, burning, blazing, flaming, firing mess, caressing it, or that one should sit or lie beside some maid? whose hands and feet are soft and fair, of noble birth, or Brahmin birth, or yeoman birth, caressing her. And one of the monks said, Surely, Lord, it were better to sit or lie and caress some maid of noble Brahmin or yeoman birth, whose hands and feet are soft and fair. Ill indeed, Lord, were it to sit or lie and caress that great burning, blazing, flaming, fiery mess. Monks, I declare unto you, I protest unto you, it were better for a wicked man of evil nature, unclean and of suspicious conduct, full of secret actions, no recluse though vowed thereto, unchaste, though vowed to chastity, rotten to the core, lustful and vile, to sit or lie and caress that great, burning, blazing, flaming, fiery mess. And why? On account of these monks, he may suffer death or ill amounting to death. But not for that reason, on the breaking up of the body after death, would he arise in the untoward way, the ill way, the abyss hell. But when a wicked man of evil nature, unclean and of suspicious nature, etc., lustful and vile, sits or lies caressing some maid of noble Brahmin or yeoman birth, whose feet and hands are soft and fair, he does so to his harm and ill for many a day. For on the breaking up of the body after death, He is reborn in the untoward way, the ill way, the abyss in hell. What think you monks? Which of the two were better? That a strong man with stout horse-hair robe should bind and crush both one's legs so that the robe cut the skin, then the underskin, then the flesh, then the tendons, then the bones, and stay touching the marrow. or that one should enjoy the salutations of wealthy nobles, wealthy brahmins, wealthy ye old men. Surely, Lord, it were better to enjoy the salutations of the wealthy. Ill indeed were it, Lord, that a strong man should bind and crush one's legs to the marrow. Monks, I declare unto you, I protest unto you, it were better for a wicked man of evil nature, unclean, and of suspicious conduct, full of secret actions, no recluse, though vowed thereto, unchaste, though vowed to chastity, rotten to the core, lustful and vile. that a strong man should bind and crush both his legs with rope so that it cut the skin, the underskin, the flesh, the tendons, the bones, and stay touching the marrow. And why? On account of these monks, he may suffer death or ill amounting to death. But not for that reason, on the breaking up of the body, would he be reborn in hell. But when a wicked man enjoys the salutations of wealthy nobles, wealthy brahmins, wealthy yeomen. He does so to his harm and ill for many a day, for on the breaking up of the body after death he is reborn in hell. What think you monks, which of the two were better, that a strong man with sharpened sword cleaned in oil should smite one on the rum, or that one should enjoy the obeisance of the wealthy? Surely, Lord, it were better to enjoy the obeisance of the wealthy, ill indeed were it to be smitten on the rum. Monks, I declare unto you, I protest unto you, it were better for a wicked man of evil nature, unclean, and of suspicious conduct, etc., that a strong man should with sharpened sword, cleaned in oil, smite him on the rum. And why? On account of this, he may suffer death or ill, amounting to death. But not for that reason would he be reborn in hell. But when a wicked man enjoys the obeisance of the wealthy, he does so to his harm and ill for many a day, for after death he is reborn in hell. What think you monks, which of the two were better, that a strong man should wrap one's body around with red-hot iron plates, luminous, glowing, and fiery? Or that one should enjoy the robe, a gift of faith of the wealthy. Surely, Lord, it were better to enjoy the robe, a gift of faith of the wealthy, ill indeed were it to be wrapped in red hot iron plates. Monks, I declare unto you, I protest unto you, it were better for a wicked man of evil nature, unclean, etc. that a strong man should wrap his body around with red-hot iron plates, luminous, glowing, and fiery. And why? On account of this he may suffer death, or ill amounting to death, but not for that reason would he be reborn in hell. But when a wicked man enjoys the robe, a gift of faith of the wealthy, he does so to his harm and ill for many a day, for after death he is reborn in hell. But thank you, monks, which of the two were better, that a strong man with a red-hot iron spike, luminous, glowing, and fiery, should open one's mouth and should thrust therein a red-hot copper ball, luminous, glowing, and fiery, so that it burn the lips, burn the tongue, burn the throat, burn the belly, and take along with it the intestines and the bowels, and pass out through the anus. or that one should enjoy the alms, a gift of faith of the wealthy. Surely, Lord, it were better to enjoy the alms, a gift of faith of the wealthy, ill indeed were it to have a red-hot copper ball thrust into one's mouth. Monks, I declare unto you, I protest unto you, it were better for a wicked man of evil nature, unclean, etc., that a strong man should open his mouth with a red-hot spike, and should thrust therein a red-hot copper ball, which would burn his lips, burn the tongue, burn the throat, burn the belly, and take along with it the intestines and the bowels, and pass out through the anus. And why? On account of this he may suffer death, or ill amounting to death. But not for that reason would he be reborn in hell. But when a wicked man enjoys the alms, a gift of faith of the wealthy, he does so to his harm and ill for many a day. For after death he is reborn in hell. What think you, monks, which of the two were better, that a strong man should seize one by the head or by the shoulders, and should force one to sit or lie on the red-hot iron couch or red-hot iron bed, luminous, glowing, and fiery, or that one should enjoy the couch or bed, a gift of faith of the wealthy? Surely, Lord, it were better to enjoy the couch or bed, a gift of the wealthy. a gift of faith of the wealthy, ill indeed worried to be forced to sit or lie on a red-hot iron couch or bed. Monks, I declare unto you, I protest unto you, it were better for a wicked man of evil nature, unclean, etc., that a strong man should seize him by the head or by the shoulders, and should force him to sit or lie on a red-hot iron couch or bed. And why? On account of this he may suffer death, or ill amounting to death. But not for that reason would he be reborn in hell. But when a wicked man enjoys a couch or bed, a gift of faith of the wealthy, he does so to his harm and ill for many a day. For after death he is reborn in hell. But thank you, monks, which of the two were better, that a strong man should seize one, feet upmost and head down, and should hurl one into a red-hot copper cauldron, luminous, glowing, and fiery. and there, being boiled, to be rolled now up, now down, now crossways, like bubbling scum, or that one should enjoy the lodging, a gift of faith, of wealthy nobles, wealthy brahmins, or wealthy yeomen. Surely, Lord, it were better to enjoy the lodging, a gift of faith of wealthy nobles, wealthy brahmins, or wealthy yeomen. Ill indeed, Lord, that a strong man should seize one, feet upmost and head down, and should hurl one into a red-hot copper cauldron, luminous, glowing, and fiery, where, being boiled, one would be whirled now up, now down, now crossways like bubbling scum. Monks, I declare unto you, I protest unto you, it were better for a wicked man of evil nature, unclean, and of suspicious conduct, full of secret actions, no recluse, though vowed thereto, unchaste, though vowed to chastity, rotten to the core, lustful and vile, to be seized, feet upmost and head down, by a strong man and hurled into a red-hot copper cauldron, luminous, glowing and fiery. Where being boiled, he would be whirled, now up, now down, now crossways like bubbling scum. And why? On account of this he may suffer death, or ill amounting to death. But not for that reason, on the breaking up of the body after death, would he arise in the untoward way, the ill way, the abyss hell. But when a wicked man of evil nature, unclean and of suspicious conduct, lustful and vile, enjoys the lodging, a gift of faith, of wealthy nobles, wealthy brahmins or wealthy yeoman, he does so to his harm and ill for many a day. For on the breaking up of the body after death, he is reborn in hell. Therefore, monks, train yourselves thus wise, of whomsoever we enjoy the requisites, that is to say, the robe, arms, lodging and medicines, and to them such services will become very fruitful. very profitable, and unto us also this going forth will not become a barren thing, but fruitful with issue. Train yourselves in this way, monks. Monks, for one who can see his own will to strive earnestly is well worthwhile. For one who can see another's will to strive earnestly is well worthwhile. For one who can see the will both of self and others to strive earnestly is well worthwhile. Thus spoke the Exalted One. Now while this exposition was being delivered, from the mouths of as many as sixty monks, hot blood gushed forth. Sixty more gave up the training and returned to the lower life, saying, Hard is the task of the Exalted One. Very hard is the task of the Exalted One. But the hearts of sixty others became without attachment and freed from the Asavas. That's the end of the Sutta. It's quite an interesting and quite a strong sutta. Here the Buddha is giving a warning that a fraud or evil monk will end up in hell. And the descriptions of the different kinds of suffering that the Buddha described actually In some other suttas we can see these are the types of suffering that a person undergoes when a person falls into hell. And this kind of suffering in hell is for a long time. And that's why the Buddha said it is better to suffer these various kinds of suffering now than to be a fraud, a rotten monk and accept all the offerings of lay devotees. Because after that, that person, if he were to be that kind of an evil monk, then he would have to suffer all these types of suffering many, many times and for a long time in hell. So it is better for a monk to disrobe if he cannot live the holy life purely. That is why like in Thailand it seems there's a saying that there are many people with yellow robes in hell. And also you will find towards the end many of the monks couldn't accept this teaching by the Buddha and some of them blood came forth from the mouth and some disrobed and returned to the lower life. But those who realized the teaching, they were freed of the asavas and became arahants. Some monks who are not real monks, they don't like suttas like this, because it is very, how do you say, it's right on, spot on, as they say, and the words used are also quite strong. Now we come to the next sutra, 7.7.69. This is another very good sutra. Buddha said, In bygone days, monks, there arose a teacher named Suneto, a course setter, freed of all lustful passions. Now he had many hundreds of disciples to whom he taught the doctrine of fellowship in Brahma's world. And those who inclined not their hearts towards the teacher's doctrine on the breaking up of the body after death arose in the untoward way, the ill way, the abyss hell. But those who inclined their hearts to his doctrine on the breaking up of the body after death arose in heaven, that happy place of erring on. In bygone days monks there were teachers named Mugapako, Aranemi, Kudalo, Hattipalo, Jotipalo, Arako, and each of them taught similar doctrines, and their disciples fared according to the inclination of their hearts. Now what think you, monks? Were an evil-minded man to revile and defame these seven teachers of old, coarsetters, freed from all lustful passions, surrounded by many hundreds of disciples, would he beget great demerit? Yes, Lord. Indeed, monks, he would. But the evil-minded man who reviles and defames a person of right view, he for that begets much more demerit. And why is that? I declare, monks, he digs not so great a pit for himself in reviling outsiders as in reviling his fellows in the holy life. Therefore, monks, train yourselves thus. Not unto us shall there come evil thoughts about our fellows in the holy life. Thus must you train yourselves monks." That's the end of the sutra. So in this sutra, this Buddha is talking about various external sects, ascetics in the past. And he calls them cause setters. Cause setter is one who starts a new sect. who starts a course, a new teaching, starts a new sect or a new religion. And the Buddha also calls them, describes them as being free of all lustful passions. The reason is because they have attained jhanas, because they teach doctrine of fellowship in Brahma's world. That means they teach the Brahma-viharas, meditations on loving-kindness, metta, on mudita, joy, on karuna, compassion, and upekkha, equanimity. And when a person cultivates his Brahma-viharas, that person attains the jhanas. And because of that, the Buddha describes them as being freed of all lustful passions, because when a person attains the jhanas, according to the suttas, the five hindrances are abandoned. Abandoned means they are cut down, just like tall grass. It's cut down, it doesn't impede you anymore, it doesn't hinder you anymore. But that doesn't mean the roots are uprooted. The roots are still there, but because they are cut down, they no more hinder a person. So that's why they are described as being freed of all lustful passions. Now these seven core sectors are supposed to be the previous rebirths of the Bodhisatta, our Buddha in the previous life. And here the Buddha is saying that if you revile such teachers, who attain jhāna and who teach a doctrine of fellowship in Brahma's world, then you get very much demerit. So in reviling a person who attains jhāna, you get much demerit because jhāna is described in the Vinaya as one of the, what they call, uttari-manusa-dhamma. Dhamma, which is higher than a human attainment. Higher than a human attainment. It's not a normal human state. That's why some people, they don't understand the jhanas. They say, in a state of jhana, there is no mindfulness. It's absolutely not true. State of jhana is a state of intense mindfulness. And it's very difficult to attain a state of jhāna, just like it's difficult to become an ārya. It's not something that a normal person easily gets. That's why it's called uttāri manuṣa dhamma. So just reviling a person who attains jhāna, you get much demerit. But if you revile a person, defame a person with right view, that means a person who understands the dhamma, then you get very much more demerit. And the Buddha said, I declare monks, he digs not so great a pit for himself in reviling outsiders as in reviling his fellows in the holy life. That means you revile, you abuse somebody, an external sect, ascetic, you get much demerit. But you abuse a monk in the Buddhist religion, then you get much, much more demerit. if that person understands the Dhamma and has right view. So this is a warning that we should be careful not to have hatred for monks, especially if they keep the Vinaya and they meditate, they cultivate themselves. Even if you have any difference of opinion with them, not to have any hatred for them. The next sutra is 7.7.70, the Buddha said. Long ago amongst there was a teacher named Arako, a course setter, freed of all lustful passions, and he had many hundreds of disciples. Now this was the doctrine that he taught his disciples. Short is the life of man, O Brahman, insignificant, trifling, fraught with much ill, with much trouble. By mantras awaken the people, do good, live the holy life. For the born there is no immortality. Just stop here for a moment. Here this course setter Arako, he is talking to his disciples, so he called them brahman or brahmana. In the olden days, the Renunciants were called Brahmanas because initially the renunciants were of what we now call the Brahmin sect, but long ago they were called Brahmanas. And then this external syncesthetic, Arako, he's one of those who teach mantras. Mantras are different from suttas. Suttas that we chant, they consist of words with meanings, but mantras are words which have no meaning to us. There is no meaning to us, but there is There's something about these mantras which make them quite powerful because they seem to invoke some spirits. So this Tarako continued, he was teaching his disciples. He said, just as a drop of dew on the tip of a blade of grass, when the sun gets up, straight away dries up and lasts not a while. Even so, Brahman, like a dewdrop is the life of man, insignificant, trifling, fraught with much ill and trouble, by mantras awaken the people, do good, live the holy life. For the born there is no immortality. Just as a bubble appears on the water when the sky deva rains down big drops, but straightaway bursts, and lasts not a while. Even so, Brahman, like a water bubble is the life of man, insignificant, trifling, fraught with much ill and trouble. For the born there is no immortality, just as the line of a stick on water straightaway vanishes and lasts not a while. Even so, Brahman, like the line of a stick on water is the life of man, insignificant, trifling, fraught with ill and trouble. For the born there is no immortality, Just as a mountain river, winding here and there, swiftly flowing, taking all along with it, never for a moment or for an instant or for a second pauses, but rushes on, swirls along and sweeps forward, even so a brahmana, like a mountain river, is the life of man, insignificant, trifling, fraught with ill and trouble. For the born there is no immortality. Just as a strong man might fashion a gob of spittle on the tip of his tongue and spit it out with utmost ease, even so, Brahman, like a spittle gob is the life of man insignificant, trifling, fraught with ill and trouble. For the born there is no immortality. Just as a lump of meat thrown into a hot into an iron pot heated all day, straightaway splits up and lasts not a while. Even so, Brahman, like a lump of meat is the life of man, insignificant, trifling, fraught with ill and trouble. For the born there is no immortality. Just as a cow about to be slaughtered, being led to the shambles, each time she raises her foot is nearer to destruction, nearer to death. Even so, a brahmana, like a doomed cow, is the life of man, insignificant, trifling, fraught with much ill and much trouble. By mantras awaken the people, do good, live the holy life. For the born there is no immortality. Now at that time, monks, the span of man's life was 60,000 years. And at 500 years, girls were ripe to wed. Then men had but six afflictions, namely cold and heat, hunger and thirst, and the twofold excrement. Yet though such was the longevity, such the duration, and such the freedom from affliction of the people, the teacher Arako taught this doctrine to his disciples. Short is the life of man, O Brahman, insignificant and trifling, fraught with much ill, much trouble. But mantras awaken the people, do good, live the holy life. For the born there is no immortality. Now, monks, if a man would speak truly, he should say, short is the life of man, insignificant and trifling, fraught with ill and trouble. By wisdom awaken the people, do good, live the holy life. For the born there is no immortality. For today monks, he who lives long, lives but a hundred years or a little more. And though a man live a hundred years, he lives but three hundred seasons, a hundred seasons of winter, a hundred seasons of summer, and a hundred seasons of rain. And though he live three hundred seasons, he lives but twelve hundred months, four hundred months of winter, four hundred months of summer, and four hundred months of rain. And though he lived 1,200 months, he lived but 4,200 fortnights, 800 fortnights of winter, 800 fortnights of summer, and 800 fortnights of rain. And though he lives four and twenty hundred fortnights, he lives but six and sixty thousand days, six and thirty thousand days, twelve thousand days of winter, twelve thousand days of summer, and twelve thousand days of rain. And though he lives six and thirty thousand days, he eats but two and seventy thousand meals, four and twenty thousand meals in winter, four and twenty thousand meals in summer, and four and twenty thousand meals in the rainy season. This includes mother's milk and foodless times. Here, by foodless times, is meant agitated, he eats no food, grieved, he eats no food, ill, he eats no food, fasting, he eats no food, and not getting any, he eats no food. Thus monks, I account the life of man who lives a hundred years, his lifespan, the seasons, the years, the months, the fortnights, the days, the days and nights, mealtimes and foodless times. So, the Buddha continued the last part. Monks, the work to be done by a teacher for his disciples, seeking their good by compassion, because of compassion, that has been done for you by me. Monks, at the foot of these trees, in these empty places, Cultivate jhana amongst. Be not slothful. Let there be no occasion for you to reproach yourselves afterwards. This is our command to you." That's the end of the sutra. It's quite an interesting sutra. You can see this Korsetta Arakko, he can be considered an external sect teacher because he does not teach the Buddha Dharma. Yet we can see that there is some good Dharma in his teaching. since he was telling people about the impermanence of life and the urgency to cultivate the spiritual path. And the similes given in his teaching are quite good. For example, he says, this has a drop of dew on the tip of a blade of grass. When the sun gets up, straightaway dries up and lasts not a while. Even so, like a dew drop is the life of man. Just as a bubble appears on the water when the sky diva rains down big drops, but straight away bursts and lasts not a while, even so, like a water bubble is the life of man, etc., etc. So you find his teachings here are quite good. Now, we find in this sutra, it's mentioned that during his days, man's lifespan was 60,000 years. In the sutras, we find that man's lifespan can go up to a maximum of 80,000 years on the average. Here, during Arako's time, it was 60,000 years. And a woman could give birth at 500 years. And at that time there were only six types of sickness, of afflictions at that time. You have to suffer cold, you have to suffer heat, hunger, thirst, and you have to urinate and empty your bowels. These were the six afflictions. And even then Arakko thought that life was short. Even the lifespan of 60,000 years, he says, is short. So how much more, how much shorter is life nowadays because when our average lifespan is only about 70 to 75 years. So there should be more urgency for us to cultivate to the spiritual path because very soon, we will be passing away from this world. You also notice that Arakko taught the people to recite the mantra that was supposed to be the Buddha's previous life, but in the Buddha, when after he was enlightened, In our Theravada suttas, the earlier suttas, Buddha never taught the mantras. Buddha taught the way to attain wisdom, which is the Aryan Eightfold Path. So in our Theravada suttas, there is no mantra teaching. Now, just now we said that life is short. If we consider it this way, suppose a person is 40 years old, and we know that we live up to about 70 years old, that means we have only 30 more years to go, which means that we have only 30 more New Years to celebrate. When one goes by, you have 29, and another goes by, you have 28. If we look at it that way, then we can see that our time is very, very limited. So because of that, we should constantly think of impermanence. In the Satipatthana Sutta, we are taught to contemplate on the different types of corpses. That is a very good contemplation, how in a few more years' time, our body will turn into the corpse, in different stages of rotting, in different stages of decay. We constantly contemplate that. then it helps us to cut the conceit I am, the feeling that I exist. It helps us to cut that. And then the last part of the sutta, the Buddha tells the monks not to be slothful, but to cultivate jhana. Actually sometimes some suttas, they translate it as meditate monks, but actually the word is jayati. Jayati is to cultivate jhana. Because in the Buddha's teachings in the Theravada suttas, meditation is synonymous with cultivating jhana. That's why we can see the Aryan Eightfold Path, the last factor is jhana. And also in one of the earlier suttas, we heard the Buddha said, samadhi mago, asamadhi kumago. Samadhi is the way, no samadhi is the wrong way. So, from there, when Buddhism went over to China, and they started the meditation school, they call it the Chánzhōng, that means the Zen school. And the word Chán comes from the word Chánnó, which is jhāna. So, the meditation school is actually the jhāna school in China. The next sutra is 7.8.71. Monks possessed of seven qualities, a monk is skilled in the Vinaya discipline. Of what seven? He knows what is an offense, he knows what is not. He knows what is a trifling offense. He knows what is a grave one. He is virtuous. He abides restrained by the restraint of the patimokkha, perfect in conduct and resort, seeing danger in the smallest thought. Accepting the training, he trains himself accordingly. At will, easily and without trouble, he attains to the four jhanas of the higher mind, bringing comfort both here and now. By destroying the asavas, he enters and abides in the emancipation by mind and wisdom, which is asava-free, and in this state he knows and realizes for himself, even in this life. Verily monks, possessed of these seven qualities, a monk is killed in the Vinaya. So these are the qualities which make a monk skilled in the Vinaya. But we notice the last two factors, this attainment of the four jhanas and the destruction of the asavas, That also makes a monk skilled in the discipline. Why? Because for a monk to attain the four jhanas, he needs a lot of discipline and his mind has to be very disciplined before he can attain the jhanas. And similarly for the destruction of the asavas, he has to completely discipline his mind, then only he can attain the destruction of the asavas.

16-AN-Book-8A-(8.1.2-to-8.1.10).txt

Now we come to the chapter of the eight things. 8.1.2 is an important sutra also. Monks, there are these eight conditions, eight causes conducive to getting wisdom, not yet gotten, as to first things in holy living. and when gotten to making it become more to its development so that it is made become made perfect. What aid monks hearing among dwells near the teacher or some companion in the holy life whom he regards as teacher so that he is firmly established in conscientiousness. fear of blame or a sense of remorse, love and respect. This is the first condition, the first cause conducive to getting wisdom, not yet gotten as to first things in holy living. And when gotten to making it become more to its development, so that it is made become made perfect. So dwelling and so established, from time to time he approaches his teachers, questioning and inquiring of them thus. Sirs, how is this? What is the meaning of this? To him those reverend sirs reveal what is hidden, explain the obscure, and dispel doubt in many perplexing matters. This is the second condition. When he has heard Dharma, he strives in twofold seclusion, that of the body and that of the mind. This is the third condition. He is virtuous and lives restrained by the restraints of the patimokkha. He is perfect in conduct and resort, seeing danger in the smallest thought. He undertakes and trains himself in the preceptual training. This is the fourth condition. Learned is he with memory retentive and well-stored. Those doctrines, lovely in the beginning, lovely in the middle, and lovely in the end, which set forth in spirit and in letter the holy life of purity, perfect in its entirety, even those are fully mastered by him, dissolved upon, familiarized by speech, pondered over in mind, fully understood in theory. This is the fifth condition. Living resolute, he puts away all unwholesomeness and takes to wholesome conditions. Firm and energetic, he shirks not the burden of wholesomeness. This is the sixth condition. Moreover, he frequents the order. He is no gossip nor talker on childish matters. Either he speaks on Dharma himself or asks it of another, nor does he neglect the Aryan silence. This is the seventh condition. Furthermore, he abides in the contemplation of the rise and fall of the five khandas of attachment, thinking, such is form, such is its coming to be, such is its passing away. So in respect of feelings, perceptions, volition and consciousness, This is the eighth condition, the eighth course conducive to getting wisdom, not yet gotten, as to first things in holy living, and when gotten, to making it become more, to its development, so that it is made become made perfect. Presently his fellows in the holy life honour him thus. This Reverend Sir dwells near the teacher, or some comrade in the holy life, whom he regards as teacher, and there is firmly established in conscience and there is firmly established in conscientiousness, fear of blame, love and respect. Surely this reverend sir is one who knowing knows and seeing sees. Verily this condition is conducive to the state of being dear and esteemed. to becoming made-become, to recluseship, and to singleness of mind in making-become, and so too for each of the other seven conditions. These monks are the eight conditions, the eight causes conducive to getting wisdom, not yet gotten, as to first things in holy living, and when gotten, to making it become more, to its development so that it is made-become, made-perfect. So in this sutra, eight things are important for a monk to get wisdom, especially if he's a new monk. The first one, he dwells, he lives with a teacher so that he can establish conscientiousness or a sense of conscience. and fear of blame or a sense of remorse if he does anything wrong. And also love for the teacher and respect for the teacher is the first condition. The second one is since he has a teacher then he frequently asks anything that he does not understand, that is in doubt, he asks so that the teacher explains to him the meaning. And third one, he strives in twofold seclusion, that of body and that of mind. Bodily seclusion is to be physically secluded from other people. Either a person can live in a forest monastery or the person can live in any monastery but to be a bit aloof from other people, not to mix too much with other people or talk with other people. But the highest form of bodily seclusion is to live alone from everybody, to live in a forest or in a cave alone and then that would be the highest degree of bodily seclusion. Mental seclusion is to be secluded from the defilements. That means to practice meditation so that the mind attains one-pointedness of mind, so that the defilements, the thinking, etc., are less likely to arise. And then the third condition is virtuous and lives restrained by the patimokkha, the set of rules, precepts. and after that he is learned in the Dhamma, the discourses of the Buddha, he is well versed with the discourses of the Buddha. Then another condition is he is energetic in putting away unwholesome states of mind and cultivating wholesome states of mind. And then he's no gossip, he doesn't talk too much. And either he talks about Dharma or he asks another to talk about Dharma. And when there's no topic on Dharma to be discussed, then he keeps the Aryan silence. And then he abides contemplating the five khandas of attachment, the five aggregates, form, body, feeling, perception, volition and consciousness, noting their rising and passing away. So these are the conditions conducive to getting wisdom. The next sutra is 8.1.6. The Buddha said, monks, these eight worldly conditions obsess the world. The world revolves around these eight worldly conditions. What eight? Gain and loss, fame and dishonor, praise and blame, happiness and suffering. Monks, these eight worldly conditions obsess the world, and the world revolves around these eight worldly conditions. I'll just stop here for a moment. These eight conditions are worldly states, worldly conditions, loka dhamma. In Chinese Buddhism, they are called the eight winds. Eight winds which move a person, which shake a person. And then the Buddha continued. Monks, to the unlearned common average folk, come gain, loss, fame, dishonor, praise, blame, happiness, suffering. To the learned Aryan disciple, also come gain, loss and so forth. Here then monks, what is the distinction, what is the peculiarity of and what is the difference between the Aryan disciple and the common average folk? Lord, our doctrines have their foundation in the Exalted One. They are guided by the Exalted One. They have the Exalted One's protection. Well indeed, were it for us, if the Exalted One would expound the meaning of His speech to us, then when the monks have heard the Exalted One, they will treasure His words in their hearts. And the Buddha said, Then listen, monks, give heed, I will speak. Yes, Lord, they replied. And the Exalted One said, Monks, gain comes to the unlearned, common, average folk who reflect not thus. This gain which has come is impermanent, painful, and subject to change. They know it not as it really is. Similarly, loss comes, fame, dishonor, praise, blame, happiness, suffering. They reflect not that such are impermanent, painful and subject to change. Nor do they know these conditions as they really are. Gain, loss and so forth take possession of their minds and hold sway there. They welcome the gain which has arisen. They rebel against loss. They welcome the pain which has arisen. They rebel against dishonor. They welcome the praise which has arisen. They rebel against blame. They welcome happiness which has arisen. They rebel against suffering. Thus given over to compliance and hostility, they are not free from being born, aging, dying, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair. I say such folk are not free from ill. But to the learned Aran disciple, just the converse is the case." That's the end of the sutra. So here, these 8 conditions, they all come to us, we all experience them. An ordinary person, when he experiences these things, he is moved by them. When what he considers is good, like gain, comes, he is very happy. But when loss comes, he is very sad. And these things, gain, loss, etc., take possession of his mind and moves his mind very much. He's moved very much by likes and dislikes. And so because of that, you find this person, most people, ordinary people, they have this monkey mind, which is always happy and sad and excited most of the time. And the only way to overcome dislike and dislike is mentioned in the Sakka Panha Sutta in the Digha Nikaya, where Sakka Devaraja asked the Buddha, what is the cause of people quarrelling and fighting in this world? And the Buddha said, greed and jealousy. And then Sakadeva Raja asked, what is the cause of greed and jealousy? And the Buddha said, I think like and dislike. And the cause of like and dislike is desire, and the cause of desire is thinking, and the cause of thinking is proliferation of thoughts. And how to stop the proliferation of thoughts? And then the Buddha said, there's two types of happiness. One type of happiness is the happiness of thinking. Another type of happiness is the happiness that comes from not thinking. And the happiness that comes from not thinking is the happiness that comes from jhana, jhanic bliss. When a person attains the second jhana upwards, the mind stops thinking. And that kind of happiness is superior to the normal happiness that comes from thinking. People get a lot of happiness from thinking. That's why some people like to daydream. they like to fantasize, they like to imagine, and there's only a type of happiness which is higher than this, which is jhanic bliss. And so the way to overcome dislikes and dislikes is to attain the bliss of jhana so that then we can overcome the likes and dislikes. The next sutra is 8.1.8. Once the Venerable Uttara dwelt near Mahisavatu on the Sankheyaka mountain in Dharvajalika. There the Venerable Uttara addressed the monk, saying, Reverend Sirs, well, it is for a monk to review from time to time his own faults. Well, it is for him to review the faults of another. Well, it is to review his own attainments. Well, it is to review another's. Now, at that time, the royal deva, Vaisavana, was on his way from the northern region to the south on some business or other, and he heard the venerable Uttara teaching the monks this doctrine in Dāvajālika. Then just as a strong man might stretch forth his bent arm, or might bend his outstretched arm, even so the royal Deva, Vaisavana, disappeared from Dāvājālika and appeared among the Devas of the 33. And Vaisavana approached Sākādevarāja and said, Your Grace, I would have you know that this venerable Uttara in Dāvājālika, on the Sankheyaka mountain near Mahīśavatu, teaches this doctrine. Well it is from time to time to reveal one's own faults. Well it is to reveal another's. Well it is to reveal one's own attainments. Well it is to reveal another's. Then as a strong man might bend and stretch out his arm again, Sākha, king of the Devas, disappeared from among the Devas of the thirty-three and appeared before the Venerable Uttara in Dāvājālika. And Sakka, the Deva King, approached the Venerable Uttara and saluted him and sat down at one side. So seated, he said, Is it true, sir, as they say, that the Venerable Uttara teaches this doctrine to the monks, namely, well, it is from time to time to review one's own faults, to review another's, to review one's own attainments, to review another's. Yes, certainly, Deva King. But pray, sir, is this the Vembu Uttara's own saying, or is it the word of that exalted one, Arahant Samasambuddha? Now Deva King, I will give you an analogy, for it is by analogy that men of intelligence understand the meaning of what is said. Imagine, O King, a great heap of grain near some village or market town, from which country folk carry away corn on pingos or in baskets, in lap or hand. And if one should approach the folk and question them, saying, From where bring you this corn? How would those folk in explaining best explain? They would best explain the matter, sir, by saying, we bring it from that great heap of grain. Even so, O King, whatsoever be well spoken, all that is the word of the Exalted One, Arahant, Sammasambuddha, will be based thereon, is both what we and others say. It is marvellous, it is wonderful, sir, how truly this has been said by the Venerable Uttara. Whatsoever be well spoken, all that is the word of the Exalted One, Arhan Samasambuddha, holy base thereon is what we and others say." And then Sakadeva Raja continued, he said, Once, not long after the departure of Devadatta, the Exalted One was dwelling on Voucher's Peak near Rajagaha. Then the Exalted One spoke thus to the monks concerning Devadatta. Monks, well it is for a monk to review from time to time his own faults. Well it is for a monk to review from time to time another's faults. Well it is for a monk to review from time to time his own attainments. Well it is for a monk to review from time to time another's attainments. Monks, mastered by eight wrong states, devadatta, with his mind out of control, became one doomed to suffer in hell, in perdition, dwelling there for a kalpa, as a world cycle, irreprovable. By what aid? Mastered by gain, by loss, by fame, by obscurity, by honor, by lack of honor, by evil intentions, by evil friendship, with his mind out of control, Devadatta became one doomed to suffer in hell, in perdition, dwelling there a kapha, irreprovable. Mastered by these eight, Devadatta became irreprovable. Monks, Well, it is that a monk should live mastering gain, loss, fame, obscurity, honour, lack of honour, evil intentions and evil friendship which arise. And why, and for what good purpose should a monk live mastering gain, loss and such states which arise? Monks, when a monk lives with gain, loss, fame, obscurity, honour, lack of honour, evil intentions and evil friendship which arise unmastered, there arise the asavas full of distress and anguish. But when those states are mastered, those asavas full of distress and anguish are not. For this good purpose, monks, a monk should master those states and so abide. Therefore, monks, train yourselves thus. We will live mastering gain which arises, mastering loss, fame, obscurity, honor, lack of honor, evil intentions, mastering evil friendship which arises. Train yourselves thus, monks. And then the Sakadeva Raja told the Venerable Uttara, living, that's the end of the sutra. This sutra is quite interesting because you see a monk is teaching dhamma and the devas they know, and when they know they discuss it among themselves. And then Sakadeva Raja came to talk with this Venerable Uttara, which shows that the Venerable Uttara has some psychic ability, he can see the deva and talk with the deva. And then this Sakadeva Raja told the Venerable Uttara, quoted another sutra that the Buddha spoke, and he asked the Venerable Uttara to teach the monks and nuns and the lay disciples this sutra, because apparently they seem to have forgotten about it, they don't practice this sutra. So, Sakadeva Raja himself, you can see, is quite familiar with the suttas. Chapter of the Eighth. There are many important suttas in this book. Now we come to 8.1.9. The Buddha said, monks, one might say, speaking rightly of Nanda, He is a clansman. One might say he is strong. One might say he is handsome. One might say, speaking rightly of him, he is very passionate. Monks, unless he keep the doors of the senses guarded, be moderate in eating. be watchful or wakeful. Unless he has mindfulness and self and awareness, how can Nanda live the holy life in all its purity? Monks, this is the way for Nanda to guard the doors of the senses. monks. If Nanda has occasion to look to the eastern quarter, concentrating his whole attention, he gazes there at reflecting. Thus, while I look to the eastern quarter, there shall not flow in upon me covetousness, nor discontent, nor evil, nor any unwholesome state. Thus, in this way, is he aware. If he has occasion to look to the western quarter, to the northern quarter, to the southern quarter, to the zenith, to the neda, to the points between the quarters, concentrating his whole attention, he gazes there at reflecting. Thus, while I look to the points between the quarters, covetousness and the rest shall not flow in upon me. Thus in this way is he aware. Monks, this is the way for Nanda to guard the doors of the senses. Monks, this is the way for Nanda to be moderate in eating. Monks, herein Nanda eats his food with orderly reflection, not for amusement, for lust, for adornment, for beauty, but to suffice for the sustaining and nourishment of his body, to appease hunger and to aid the practice of the holy life. He reflects, in this way I shall crush out the old feelings and not allow any new feelings to arise, and I shall continue to dwell in blamelessness and comfort. Monks, this is the way for Nanda to be moderate in eating. Monks, this is the way for Nanda to watchfulness or wakefulness. Monks, herein by day Nanda purges his mind of thoughts that hinder when walking, when sitting down. So too during the first watch of the night. During the middle watch, he lies like a lion on his right side, with foot covering foot, mindful and aware, intent upon the thought of getting up. Getting up in the last watch of the night, he purges his mind of thoughts that hinder when walking and when sitting. Monks, this is the way for Nanda to watchfulness. Monks, this is the way for Nanda to mindfulness and awareness. Monks, herein to Nanda, recognize feelings rise, recognize they endure, recognize they set, recognize perceptions rise, recognize they endure, recognize they set. Recognize reflections rise, recognize they endure, recognize they set. Monks, this is the way for Nanda to mindfulness and awareness. Monks, unless Nanda keep the doors of the senses guarded, be moderate in eating, be watchful, unless he have mindfulness and awareness, how can Nanda live the holy life in all its purity? That's the end of the sutra. So we see in describing Nanda, who is supposed to be a half-brother, I think, of the Buddha. The Buddha said he is strong, he is handsome, he is very passionate. So unless he keeps, he practices these few things, unless he keeps the doors of the senses guarded, be moderate in eating, be watchful or wakeful, and have mindfulness and awareness, it will be difficult for Nanda to live the holy life in all its purity. And concerning these few things that he has to practice for watchfulness or wakefulness, the Buddha said he purges his mind of thoughts that hinder when walking, when sitting. And then during the first watch of the night, during the middle watch, the first watch of the night is the time from 6 to 10 p.m. The middle watch is from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. and the last watch is from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. And then the last part is for Ananda to practice Sati Sampajanaya. You notice here the description of Sati Sampajanaya is a little different from a few other suttas. Like in the Satipatthana Sutta, when the Buddha describes satisampajanya, mindfulness and awareness, the Buddha described being aware of the bodily actions. That means when he's walking, he knows he's walking. When he's sitting, he knows he's sitting. When he's eating, he's aware he's eating. When he's changing his clothes, he knows that he's changing his clothes or his robes and whatever other bodily action. But here the Buddha is talking about mindfulness and awareness of the mind, the working of the mind. Recognize feelings rise, recognize they endure, recognize they set. Recognize perceptions rise, recognize they endure, recognize they set. Recognize reflections or thoughts rise, recognize they endure, recognize they set. So in other words, here The other aspect of mindfulness and awareness is watching the mind, and in fact watching the mind is more important than the bodily actions. When we are aware of the bodily actions, it just helps to keep us mindful so that our mind is not scattered. But here, when feelings, perceptions and reflections or thoughts rise, then we recognize them. We are aware that we always have to remember concerning the body and the mind that these five khandhas These five aggregates are not I, not mine, not myself. So if we recognize these feelings, these perceptions, and these thoughts, and we recognize them as not I, not mine, and not myself, then we are not moved by them. So we, by them, we adopt like an observer attitude, we just observe it with equanimity. Then we see things as they really are instead of getting moved by the states. And now we come to the next sutra, 8.1.10, another important sutra. Once the Exalted One was dwelling in Champa on the banks of the Gagara Lake. Now at that time the monks had occasion to reprove a monk for some offence, and that monk, being so reproved, evaded the question by another, turned the issue aside and showed temper, ill-will and sulkiness. Then the Exalted One said to them, ìEject this person, monks. Throw out this person, monks. This person ought to be turned away, monks. Why should other people plague you?î Herein, monks, the going out, coming in, gazing up, looking around, stretching, bending, bearing of cloak, bowl and robe of that person seems just the same as the monks of worth. so long as the monks see not his fault. But when they see it, at once they know. This is the very corruption of a recluse, the chaff of a recluse, the sweepings of a recluse. Realizing this, they oust him from their midst thereforthwith. And why? They say, let him not corrupt the other monks who are of worth. Monks, just as when a barley plot is ready, the corruption of barley, the chaff of barley, the sweepings of barley, may appear with root the same as the rest of the barley of worth, with stalk the same, with blade the same, so long as the head does not come forth. But when the head appears, they know at once, this is the very corruption of barley, the chaff of barley, the sweepings of barley. Realizing this, they pull it out, roots and all, and throw it outside the barley plot. And why? They say, let it not corrupt the Bali of worth. In just the same way monks, some persons going out, coming in and so forth, seems just the same as the monks of worth, so long as they see not his fault. But when they realize this is the very corruption of a recluse, the chaff of a recluse, they oust him from their midst, so that he corrupt not the monks of worth. Monks, just as when a great heap of corn is winnowed, the grain which is sound and has substance is piled in one place, but that of poor quality, mere chaff, the wind carries to one side. At once the farmers with brooms sweep it still further and away. And why? They say, let it not corrupt the corn of worth. In just the same way, monks, some persons going out, coming in and so forth, seems just the same as the monks of worth, so long as they see not his fault. But when they realize this is the very corruption of a recluse, the chaff of a recluse, the sweepings of a recluse, they oust him from their midst, so that he corrupt not the monks of worth. Monks, suppose a man wants some water pipes. He enters a wood with a sharp axe and taps on this and that tree with the axe handle. Then those trees which are sound and have hearts, when struck with the axe handle, resound sharply, while those rotten to the core, sordid and moldy, when struck give forth a hollow sound. and such he at once cuts at the root, then at the top, and when he has done so, he cleans out the inside until it is thoroughly clean. Then he joins the water pipes together. In just the same way, monks, a person's going out, coming in, gazing up, looking around, stretching or bending, bearing cloak, bowl or rope, is just the same as that of a worthy monk, so long as the monks see not his fault. But when they see, they know at once, this is the very corruption of a recluse, the chaff of a recluse, the sweepings of a recluse. Realizing this, they at once oust him from their midst. And why? They say, let him not corrupt the other monks of worth. That's the end of the sutra. So in this sutra, you can see the Buddha is talking about good monks and sometimes what he calls fraud monks, corrupt monks. And it is easier for a monk to judge another monk because they live side by side and they know how the other person thinks and acts, etc. It's not easy for a lay person to judge a monk. So sometimes people judge a monk by the way they walk, by the way they appear to be mindful and austere and all that, but that's not the way to judge a monk. It's actually the inside. It's the mind of a monk, whether the mind is calm, whether the mind is calm or always active and perturbed, whether the mind is pure inside or full of vulgar and dirty thoughts, etc. So, that's why it's difficult to judge, just like it's difficult to judge any person, to stay with that person for a long time, to be very observant, and you have to be quite intelligent, and after a long time, then you know a person. One of the ways to judge a monk also is if a monk does not like to follow the rules and regulations, then if he's around, then he influences other monks. Because in some monasteries, the Vinaya, the discipline is quite strict, and there's a lot of rules and regulations. Because those monks who are new, they don't like to follow the rules and regulations. And then you have one who does not sort of throw the line, then he influences the others also. That is why the Buddha advised when you have a rotten monk, you should chuck him out, throw him out of the monastery. Not all monks are the same, even though they wear the same robe.

17-AN-Book-8B-(8.2.11-to-8.2.12).txt

The next sutra is 8.2.11. Once the Exalted One was dwelling near Varanja at the foot of Naliru's nimba tree. There came to Him a Brahmin of Varanja, who after exchanging the usual complimentary greetings sat down at one side. So seated, the Brahmin spoke thus to the Exalted One, Master Gautama, I have heard that the recluse Gautama neither salutes nor rises up for, nor offers a seat to venerable and aged Brahmins who are ripe in years, old and have attained to seniority. And this is precisely the case, Master Gautama. Master Gautama does not salute and aged Brahmins. This is not right, Master Gautama," and the Buddha said, Brahmin, I see no one in the world of gods with its Maras and Brahmas, or in the world of mankind with its recluses and Brahmins, devas and men, whom I should salute, rise up for, or to whom I should offer a seat. Moreover, Brahmin, whom the Tathagata should salute, rise up for, or to whom he should offer a seat, thoroughly his head would split in two. And the Brahmin said, Master Gautama lacks taste. The Buddha said, This is the reason, Brahmin, by which one would be right in saying the recluse Gautama lacks taste. Brahmin, taste for forms, taste for sounds, taste for smells, taste for flavors, and taste for things tangible, these are abandoned by the Tathagata, cut off at the root, made like palm tree stumps, made such that they have ceased to be, so that they cannot grow up again in the future. This is indeed the reason, Brahmin, by which one would be right in saying the recluse Gautama lacks taste, but not for sooth in the way you mean." And the Brahmin said, Master Gautama is against enjoyment. This is the reason, Brahmin, by which one would be right in saying, the recluse Gautama is against enjoyment. Brahmin, the enjoyment of forms, the enjoyment of sounds, the enjoyment of smells, the enjoyment of flavors, and the enjoyment of things tangible, these by the Tathāgata are abandoned, cut off at the root, made like palm tree stumps, made such that they have ceased to be, so that they cannot grow up again in the future. Rightly, one might say the recluse Gautama is against enjoyment, but not in the way you mean. And the Brahmin said, Master Gautama affirms the theory of inaction. And the Buddha said, Brahmin, I declare abstinence from action in respect to misconduct in deed, word and thought. I proclaim inaction in respect of all evil and sinful conditions. Rightly one might say the recluse Gautama affirms the theory of inaction, but not in the way you mean. And again the Brahmin said, Master Gautama is an annihilationist. And the Buddha said, Brahmin, I declare the cutting off of lust, hatred and delusion. I proclaim the annihilation of all evil and sinful conditions. Rightly one might say the recluse Gautama is an annihilationist, but not in the way you mean. The Brahmin said, Master Gautama feels abhorrence. And the Buddha said, Brahmin, I abhor misconduct in deed, word and thought. I abhor entertaining all evil and sinful conditions. Rightly one might say the recluse Gautama feels abhorrence, but not in the way you mean. The Brahmin said, Master Gautama is an abolitionist. And the Buddha said, Brahmin, I preach the doctrine of abolishing lust, hatred and delusion. I teach the Dharma of abolishing all evil and sinful conditions. Rightly one may say, the recluse Gautama is an abolitionist, but not in the way you mean. The Brahmin said, Master Gautama is given to mortification. And the Buddha said, Brahmin, I proclaim that evil and sinful conditions should be mortified. Yes, misconduct indeed, word and thought. Verily, whosoever has abandoned, rooted out, made like palm tree stumps, has caused not to be, has so conditioned that they rise not again, evil and sinful conditions which should be mortified. He, I say, is given to mortification. Brahmin, the Tathagata has abandoned, rooted out all such conditions. Rightly one may say the recluse Gautama is given to mortification, but not in the way you mean," the Brahmin said. Master Gautama is against rebirth. And the Buddha said, Brahmin, it is just as if a sitting of eight or ten or a dozen hen's eggs were fully set upon, fully warmed and fully made become. And of those young chicks, the one which before all the rest broke the egg shell with its spiked claws or with its beak and hatched out safely, how would you term it, the oldest, the eldest or the youngest? One would say it was the eldest, Master Gautama. Certainly Master Gautama is the eldest of them. Even so, Brahmin, when I, for the sake of mankind, enveloped in ignorance as it were, egg-born, had broken the egg-shell of ignorance, I alone in the world was fully awake to answer past and complete awakening. Verily, Brahmin, I was the eldest and the best in the world. Moreover, Brahmin, I was resolute, full of energy, active, upright, intent and not forgetful, tranquil within my being, unperturbed, collected and composed in mind. Verily, Brahmin, aloof from sense desires, aloof from unwholesome states, I entered and abode in the first jhāna, which is accompanied by applied and sustained thought, with delight and pleasure born of solitude. With the stilling of applied and sustained thought, I entered and abode in the second jhāna, which has internal self-confidence and singleness of mind, without applied and sustained thought, with delight and pleasure born of concentration. With the fading away of delight, I entered and abode in the third jhana, equanimous, mindful and aware, and I experience in my body the pleasure whereof the Aryans declare, the equanimous and mindful, as a joyful abiding. By the abandoning of bodily pleasure and bodily pain, by the passing away of joy and grief, I entered and abode in the fourth jhana, a state of utter purity of mindfulness and equanimity. free of pain and pleasure. With heart thus serene, purified, cleansed, without blemish, devoid of defilement, supple, ready to act, firm and imperturbable, I bend the mind so that I might know and call to mind previous lives. I call to mind diverse former lives, that is to say, one birth, or two, or three, or four, or five, or ten, or twenty, or thirty, or forty, or fifty, or a hundred, or a thousand, or a hundred thousand, or many an age of rolling on, or many an age of rolling back, or many an age of both rolling on and rolling back. Such a one I was by name, of such a clan, of such a caste. Such was my food, such my experience of will and woe. Such was the end of my life. Passing away thence, I arose in such a place. There, such was my name, such my clan, such my caste, such my food, such my experience of will and woe, such my end. Passing away from there, I arose here. Thus many a previous life are called to mind with its circumstances and details. This Brahman was the first knowledge attained by me in the first watch of the night. Ignorance being removed, knowledge arose. Darkness being removed, light arose. As I approached, strenuous, earnest and resolute, this Brahman was my first hatching, like a young chick's from the eggshell. With heart thus serene, purified, cleansed, without blemish, devoid of defilement, supple, ready to act, firm and imperturbable, I bent the mind so that I might discern the passing away and reappearance of beings. With the deva eye, purified and surpassing the human eye, I saw and I knew beings in cause of bearing on, beings lowly and exalted, beautiful and ugly, happy and in woe, according to their deeds. And I thought, These worthies were given over to evil practices in deed, word and thought, were revilers of the Aryans, holders of wrong views, men who have acquired this karma from wrong views, and on the breaking up of the body after death, have arisen in the untoward way, the ill way, the abyss hell. But these good sirs behaved rightly in deed, word and thought, were no revilers of the Aryans, held right views and have acquired this karma therefrom, and on the breaking up of the body after death have arisen in the blissful heaven world. Thus with the deva eye I saw a new beings in course of erring on. This Brahmin was the second knowledge attained by me in the second watch of the night. Ignorance being removed, knowledge arose. Darkness being removed, light arose, as I abode strenuous, earnest and resolute. This Brahmin was my second hatching, like a young chick's from the eggshell. With heart thus serene, purified, cleansed, spotless, devoid of defilement, supple, ready to act, firm and imperturbable, I bent the mind so that I might discern the destruction of the asavas. In its full essence, I comprehended the thought. This is Dukkha. In its full essence, I comprehended the thought. This is the origin of Dukkha. In its full essence, I comprehended the thought. This is the ending of Dukkha. In its full essence, I comprehended the thought. This is the way leading to the ending of Dukkha. In its full essence I comprehended the thought, these are the asavas. In its full essence I comprehended the thought, this is the origin of the asavas. In its full essence I comprehended the thought, this is the ending of the asavas. In its full essence I comprehended the thought, this is the way leading to the ending of the asavas. Knowing this, seeing this, my heart was freed from the asava of sensuality. My heart was freed from the asava of becoming. My heart was freed from the asava of ignorance. In my release there came the knowledge of that release. I knew birth is destroyed, lived is the holy life, done is what must be done. For me there is no more hereafter. This Brahmin was the third knowledge attained by me in the third watch of the night. Ignorance being removed, knowledge arose. Darkness being removed, light arose, as I abode strenuous, earnest and resolute. This Brahmin was my third hatching, like a young chick from the eggshell. When he had thus spoken, the Brahmin of Varanja said to the Exalted One, Master Gautama is indeed the eldest. Master Gautama is indeed the best. Wonderful, wonderful Master Gautama! Just as one might set upright that which has been overturned, might reveal the concealed, might point out the way to the blind, might bring an oil lamp into the darkness, so that those who had eyes might see the forms about them. Even so has Dhamma been made clear in many a figure by Master Gautama. To Master Gautama I go for refuge to the Dhamma and to the Sangha. Let Master Gautama accept me as a lay disciple, as one who has found refuge from this day to life's end." That's the end of the sutra. I'd just like to comment a few things about this. Firstly, you notice the Buddha was enlightened at the age of about 35. And at that age, he was comparatively young. There were many Brahmins and external renunciants who were much older than the Buddha at that time. And because the Buddha was young compared to them, they expected the Buddha to pay homage to them, respect them, offer them a seat, etc. But the Buddha did none of these, and some of them got annoyed, like this Brahmin. But you notice the Buddha said, Brahmin, whom the Tathagata should salute, rise up for, or to whom he should offer a seat, clearly his head would split in two. Because of that, the Buddha knew that they did not deserve his respect, so, I mean, paying homage, so he did not salute them, pay homage to them. And then the other thing you notice was the way the Buddha described how he was enlightened. You notice that he said that he attained the jhanas, the four jhanas, one by one, he attained the four jhanas. And using the four jhanas, firstly he recollected the past lives. Without the jhanas, the states of deep concentration, he would not be able to recollect the past lives. So the first one, he recollected his past lives. And when he recollected the past lives, he knew that before in a previous life, he was a monk, disciple of the Buddha Kassapa. And from the Buddha Kassapa, he learned the Four Noble Truths. So you can imagine, if he had not attained the Jhanas and recollected the past lives, all the Dhamma that he had learned before, he could not remember. But because he could remember his past lives, all the Dhamma that he learned before came back to him, all the Four Noble Truths, etc. And then secondly, with the Deva vision, he saw the passing away and re-arising of beings according to karma. And then thirdly, he reflected on the Four Noble Truths that he had learned in his previous life. And then he destroyed the Asavasya. These are called the three knowledges. So, just now those three were called the three knowledges, Tevijja. So you can see that the psychic powers, the Buddha used the psychic powers of recollection of past life and deva vision and used them to attain to the third knowledge of the destruction of the asavas, the four noble truths and the destruction of the asavas. So you can see that psychic powers have a use in the holy life. That is why the Buddha actually paid great emphasis on these six things that he calls the six abhinya, the higher knowledges. The higher knowledges, things like this recollection of past life, deva vision, deva hearing, the ability to read another person's thoughts, and other various psychic powers like floating in the air, etc. And the last one, the sixth one, is destruction of the asavasa. So these you find in the suttas. The Buddha put the six knowledges as together usually. In other words, he described the other five psychic powers together with the destruction of the asavas in the same category. And you can see from here why to the Buddha they are important because they are stepping stones to enlightenment. If a person can attain the psychic powers, that means the person's concentration is so deep that the wisdom can come very easily, and when that person uses the psychic powers in the right way, not for showing off, not for becoming famous or anything, but like here, like the Buddha has described how he used the psychic powers in the right way to attain the destruction of the asavas, then they can be seen to be very useful, and they should not be despised at all. You can see from the sutras they are frequently mentioned by the Buddha. The next sutra is 8.2.12. Once the exalted one was dwelling in the Gable Hall in Mahavana near Vaisali. Now at that time a great many Licchavi nobles notables, were seated assembled in the moat hall. And in many a figure they were speaking in praise of the Buddha, in praise of Dhamma, in praise of the Sangha. And Sihar, the general, the disciple of the Nirgantas, was seated in that assembly. And he thought, surely the Exalted One must be Arahant Samasambuddha. Thus indeed, these many notable Licchavis, assembled and seated in their mode hall, in many a figure, praised the Buddha, praised Dharma, praised the Sangha. Now suppose I were to go and see him, the Exalted One, Arahant, sama-sambuddha, I'll just stop here for a moment, just to comment. This mode hall, I can't find the word mode in the dictionary, probably something like a town hall. And these Licchavi's, it's a race, and they were praising the triple gem. Now this Sīhā, the general, that means he's a very important man, the general of the army, he was a disciple of the Nīgāntas. Nīgāntas are also called the Jains, and the leader is known as Nāthaputta, that means son of Nātha. Natha was probably his mother. He was also sometimes known as Mahavira. His real name was probably Mahavira, but sometimes he was also called Nathaputra. And to continue the sutra, then Siha approached the Nigantha, Nathaputra, and said to him, Sir, I wish to go and see the recluse Gautama. Nāthaputta said, Sīhā, how can you, who believe in action, go and see the recluse Gautama, who affirms the theory of inaction? The recluse Gautama professes the theory of inaction. He teaches the doctrine of inaction, and in that he trains his disciples. then whatever inclination Sīhā had to go and see the Exalted One subsided. On a second occasion, the Licchavīs were speaking in praise of the Buddha, Dharma and the Sangha, and again Sīhā told Nāthaputta of his desire to go and see the Exalted One, and was again dissuaded. On a third occasion, the Licchavis were praising the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha in like manner. The thought see her. Undoubtedly, that exalted one is Arahant Samasambuddha, and so these Licchavis speak in praise of him, of the Dhamma and the Sangha. What can the Nigantas do to me, whether they are consulted or not? What if I go without the nirgantas' leave and see that exalted one, Arahant Samasambuddha?" So at noon, Siha set out from Vesali with some five hundred chariots to see the exalted one. Going by carriage as far as the ground permitted, and then descending therefrom, entered the park on foot. Approaching the Exalted One, he saluted Him and sat down at one side. So seated, he said to the Exalted One, Lord, I have heard this, the recluse Gautama affirms the theory of inaction. He teaches the doctrine of inaction, and in that he trains his disciples. Lord, those who speak thus, I presume they report what the Exalted One has said, and do not misrepresent the Exalted One by lying. I presume they set forth a doctrine which conforms to Dhamma, and no one who is a follower of his Dhamma would incur blame for saying this. Lord, I have no wish to accuse the Exalted One. And the Buddha said, There is one way, Sīhā, in which one might say, if he would speak rightly of me. The recluse Gautama affirms the theory of inaction. He teaches the doctrine of inaction, and in that he trains his disciples. In one way one might rightly say the recluse Gautama is an annihilationist. He teaches the doctrine of annihilation and in that he trains his disciples. or he feels abhorrence, he teaches the doctrine of abhorrence. He is an abolitionist, he teaches the doctrine of abolition. He is given to mortification, he teaches the doctrine of mortification. He is against rebirth, he teaches the doctrine of preventing rebirth. He has found consolation, he teaches the doctrine of consolation. And in that he trains his disciples. And what, seeha, is the way in which, speaking rightly of me, one would say, the recluse Gautama affirms the theory of inaction? I declare inaction as to misconduct in deed, word, and thought. I proclaim inaction as to all evil and sinful conditions. This is the way, sīhā, in which, speaking rightly of me, one would say, the recluse Gautama affirms the theory of inaction. He teaches the doctrine of inaction, and in that way he trains his disciples. In what way would one say, the recluse Gautama affirms the theory of action? I declare action as to good conduct in deed, word and thought. I proclaim action as to all righteous conditions. This is the way. In what way would one say the recluse Gautama is an annihilationist? I declare the annihilation of lust, hatred and delusion. I proclaim the annihilation of all evil and sinful conditions. This is the way. In what way would one say the recluse Gautama feels abhorrence? I abhor misconduct in deed, word and thought. I abhor entertaining all evil and sinful conditions. This is the way. In what way would one say the recluse Gautama is an abolitionist? I preach the doctrine of abolishing lust, hatred and delusion. I teach the dharma of abolishing all evil and sinful conditions. This is the way. In what way would one say the recluse Gautama is given to mortification? I declare all evil and sinful conditions should be mortified. Yes, this conduct in deed, word and thought. Moreover, whosoever has abandoned, rooted out, made like palm stumps, caused not to be so conditioned, that there arise not again evil and sinful conditions, he, I say, is given to mortification. The Tathagata has so done. This is the way. In what way would one say the recluse Gautama is against rebirth? Whosoever has abandoned, cut off at the root, descend into the womb, renewed, becoming and rebirth, he, I say, is against rebirth. The Tathāgata has so done. This is the way. And what Sīhā is the rightly of me? One would say, the recluse Gautama has found consolation. He teaches Dhamma for consolation, and with that he trains his disciples. I, Sīhā, have found consolation by the supreme consolation. I teach dharma for consolation and in that I train my disciples. This is the way, Sīhā, in which, speaking rightly of me, one would say, the recluse Gautama has found consolation. He teaches dharma for consolation and in that he trains his disciples. And when he had finished speaking, Sihar the general said, Wonderful, wonderful Lord, etc. Lord, let the exalted one accept me as a lay disciple, as one who has found refuge from this day to life's end. And the Buddha said, Make a thorough examination of the matter, Sihar. Investigation is profitable to well-known men like yourself." And he said, Lord, I am even better pleased, better gratified by this remark of the Exalted One. Had I been won over as a disciple by some other sect, they would have paraded through the whole of Vaisali with banners shouting, Sihar the General has joined our discipleship. but the Exalted One merely advises me thus. Examine the matter see-ha, for investigation is profitable to well-known men like yourself. For a second time, Lord, I go to the Exalted One for refuge, to the Dhamma and to the Sangha of monks. Let the Exalted One accept me as a lay disciple, as one who has found a refuge from this day to life's end." And the Buddha said, Your family, Sihar, for many a day has been a wellspring to the Negantas. Therefore deem it right to give alms to those who approach you." And Sihar said, Lord, I am still better pleased, better gratified by this last remark. Lord, I have heard it said, the recluse Gautama asserts thus, not unto others, but unto me alone should alms be given, not unto the disciples of others, but unto mine alone should alms be given. For alms given unto me alone are very fruitful, and not so are those given unto others. Alms given unto my disciples alone are very fruitful, and not so are those given unto the disciples of others. But now the Exalted One incites me to give alms among the Nikanthas. We shall know what to do when the time arrives. For a third time, Lord, I go to the Exalted One for refuge, to the Dhamma and to the Sangha of monks. Let the Exalted One accept me as a lay disciple from this day to life's end." I'll just stop here for a moment. You notice here that Sīhā, being a general, was a VIP, a very important person in Vesālī. Yet the Buddha asked him to think over carefully when he wanted to become a disciple. Then the Buddha advised him to continue giving alms to the Nīgāntas, so we can see the compassion and the wisdom of the Buddha. Anyone who is practicing correctly must have the basic humane qualities of goodwill, sympathy or compassion, humility, etc. But if his anger increases, the ego increases, and he does not possess basic humane qualities, he must be on the wrong path. And then the sutra continues. Then the Exalted One preached a graduated discourse to Sīhā the General, that is to say, on almsgiving, the precepts, and on heaven. He set forth the peril, the folly, and the depravity of lusts, and the blessedness of renunciation. And when the Exalted One knew that the heart of Sīhā the General was clear, malleable, free from hindrance, uplifted and lucid, Then he revealed the teaching of Dharma which Buddhas alone have won. That is to say, dukkha, its arising, its ending, and the way to the cessation of dukkha. Just as a clean cloth, free of all stain, will take dye perfectly. Even so, in Siha, the general, seated there, there arose the spotless, stainless vision of Dharma, that whatsoever be conditioned by coming to be, all that is subject to ending." I'll stop here for a moment. Here you see it's mentioned in this sutra that the Buddha preached a graduated discourse to the Siha. And these nine steps, the first one is dāna, then sīla, then heaven, then the peril, folly and depravity of sensual desire, then renunciation. These are the five steps after which the four noble truths. This particular gradual discourse is not found as such, per se, in the suttas. It's not given. But if you look through the suttas, in various parts of the suttas, you can find a description of some of these things. And you also notice that when the Buddha had given this gradual discourse to Sīhā the general, then it is said that the spotless, stainless vision of Dhamma arose. That means the Sīhā the general attained stream entry, attained path, the first path became an ariya. And you can see in the sutras and in the Vinaya that almost all of the people who attain the first path, they do so by hearing the dhamma, understanding. And then the Buddha said that they attain stream entry. And the sutra continues. Then Sīhā, perceiving Dhamma, in possession of Dhamma, discovering Dhamma, penetrating Dhamma, without overcome and uncertainty surpassed, possessed without another's aid of perfect confidence in the word of the teacher, said to the Exalted One, Lord, let the Exalted One with the Sangha of monks accept a meal from me tomorrow, and the Exalted One accepted by silence. That was the normal way. During the Buddha's time, if the monks were invited to a meal and they kept quiet, it meant that they accepted it. I forgot to mention also that In this sutra, in the previous one, when they take refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, it's mentioned that they take refuge with the Bhikkhu Sangha. Usually when they take refuge, it's mentioned here, they take refuge in the Bhikkhu Sangha. Then the Sutta continues. Then Sīhā, seeing that the Exalted One had accepted, got up from his seat, saluted the Exalted One and departed by the right. And Sīhā called the man and said, Go, good man, and find some fresh meat. And when that night was over, having had plenty of hard and soft food prepared in his house, he sent word to the Exalted One that it was time to come. Lord, the time has come. The meal is ready in Sīhā's house. So the Exalted One, robing Himself early in the morning, taking bowl and cloak, went to Sīhā's house with the Sangha of monks and sat down on the appointed seat. Then many Nīgāntas went about Vesālī through the highways and byways, from crossroad to crossroad, waving their arms and crying. Today a huge beast has been slain by Sīhā the General, and a meal has been prepared for the recluse Gautama. And the recluse Gautama is going to eat the meat, knowing that it was meant for him, that the deed was done on his account." Then a man went and whispered in Siha's ear, saying, "'I say, sir, are you aware that a great many Niganthas go about the streets and crossroads of Vaisali waving their arms, crying in such a manner? And the Siha said, enough sir, for a long time these worthies have longed to disparage the Buddha, have longed to disparage the Dhamma, have longed to disparage the Sangha, but they do no harm to the exalted one by their wicked, vain, lying, untruthful slanders. Not for the sake of sustaining life would we intentionally deprive any being of life. Then Sīhā, the general, with his own hands, served and satisfied the Sangha of monks with the Buddha at their head, with plenty of food, both hard and soft. And when the exalted one had finished eating and had withdrawn his hand from the bowl, Sīhā sat down at one side. So seated, the exalted one instructed Sīhā with dharma discourse, stimulated him, roused him and gladdened him. Then the exalted one arose from his seat and departed. This is one of the important suttas to show that the Buddha and his disciples did eat meat. And because the Buddha and his disciples ate meat as compared to some of the external ascetics who were vegetarians, they used this to disparage the Buddha. You can see from here, they were very angry that one of their chief disciples had crossed over to the Buddha's camp. So when they found that Siha had ordered meat to feed the Buddha, they went around broadcasting that the Buddha was going to eat meat that was purposely killed for him. And that is why you find later, when we come to the Majjhima Nikaya Suttas, there was a physician, a king's physician by the name of Jivaka. In one of the Majjhima Nikaya Suttas, he came to ask the Buddha. He also heard things like this, that the Buddha ate meat that was purposely killed for him. So he asked the Buddha whether it's true. And the Buddha said, no, it's not true. The Buddha said that the Buddha and his monks only ate meat with three conditions. The first one was they did not kill, did not ask somebody to kill. In other words, the meat was not purposely killed for the Buddha and his disciples. Because if they buy it from the market, it's alright. And the second condition, they don't see the killing. The third condition, they don't hear the animal cry as it was being killed. You notice here the general said, not for the sake of sustaining life would we intentionally deprive any being of life. So in other words, the meat that they cook was bought from the marketplace that was already slaughtered. The reason for this is that there is It is almost impossible not to cause indirect killing of animals. Just by existing, we unintentionally cause the killing of other living beings' lives. For example, even if a person is a vegetarian, Still, for the farmer to grow the vegetables and the fruits, a lot of forests have to be cleared. In that process, many animals are killed. And when the farmer protects his crops, he sprays insecticides and he tills the ground and all that, a lot of worms are killed, a lot of caterpillars, a lot of snails have to be purposely killed, insects, etc., to protect the vegetables and all that. And then, like we want to live in houses, just by the fact that we want to live in houses, many areas, large areas of land have to be cleared to build housing estates. That way we indirectly cause the killing of animals. And then, because we want to use household items also, a lot of land has to be cleared and animals killed. And because we want to use electricity, the government has to make dams to dam up the rivers. And when the rivers are dammed up and the water level rises, a lot of animals are killed in the process. Also, we know, for example, in Malaysia, Every day, the government employs people to go and shoot stray dogs. Why? To protect us. So if you allow stray dogs to multiply, then the result is that there will be a lot of disease and it will affect humans. So in the same way, if animals were not slaughtered, you allow them to be freed, Then they multiply so fast that somehow they have to be killed. We know like in Australia, every day thousands and thousands of kangaroos and rabbits are killed because they eat the crops. So if animals are allowed to multiply, they will eat all the crops and the farmers will also eat them. If everybody became vegetarians, the whole world became vegetarians, still animals would still be killed. The fact that we drive cars is contributing to the killing of animals, countless animals every day. The fact that you drive a car, you're encouraging the car industry to make more cars, and when more cars are made, then more Animals are killed, so indirectly you're also responsible for it. And not only animals, human beings are also killed by cars. In fact, 2,000 human beings are killed by cars every day on the road in this world. So the fact that we drive cars or we sit in cars, we are indirectly causing the killing of human beings and animals on the road because we encourage the production of more cars every day. So because of that, you can see that killing is something that Indirect killing is something that cannot be avoided just because we want to survive. But what is important is that the direct karma of killing should not be on our hands. And the Buddha said for that there must be these three conditions if we want to eat meat. We don't kill, we don't ask somebody to kill, we don't see the killing and we don't hear the animal cry as it was being killed. And then our hands are in a way free of this killing.

18-AN-Book-8C-(8.2.13-to-8.2.19).txt

And today we start with sutra number 8.2.13. The Buddha said, monks, a goodly thoroughbred steed belonging to a raja, when possessed of eight points, is worthy of a raja, is an acquisition to a raja, is reckoned a raja's asset. Of what eight? Monks, hearing Raja's goodly thoroughbred steed, is of good breed on both sides. In whatever part other good horses are bred, there he is bred. When given his feed, green or dried, he eats it carefully, without scattering it about. He feels abhorrence at lying or sitting in dung or urine. Pleasing is he and easy to live with. He does not cause other horses to stampede. Whatever are his vices, tricks, faults or wiles, he shows them to the driver, as they really are, and his driver tries to correct them. When in harness, he thinks, well, let other horses pull as they please. I'll pull this way. In going, he goes the straight way. He is steadfast, showing steadfastness till life and in death. Monks, possessed of these eight points, a thoroughbred steed is worthy of a raja. His an acquisition is reckoned a raja's asset. Even so, monks, possessed of eight points, a monk is worthy of offerings, the world's purest field for merit. Of what aid? Monks. Herein a monk is virtuous, abiding restraint by the restraint of the patimokkha, perfect in conduct and resort, seeing danger in the smallest fault. He accepts the precepts and trains himself accordingly. When they give him food, mean or choice, he eats it carefully without a murmur. He feels abhorrence. He abhors misconduct in deed, word and thought. He abhors entertaining evil and unwholesome ideas. He is pleasing and easy to live with. He does not trouble the other monks. Whatever are his vices, tricks, faults or wiles, he shows them as they really are to the teacher or to some learned fellow monk in the holy life, and his teacher or fellow monk tries to correct them. As a learner, he thinks, well, let other monks train as they please. I'll train in this way. In going, he goes the straight way. And hearing, and herein is that way. Right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. Strenuous in endeavor, he abides, thinking, Willingly would I have skin and bones and sinews wither, flesh and blood dry up. Yet there shall be no ceasing of energy till developed is that distinction which may be won by manly strength, manly energy, manly endeavor. Monks, possessed of these eight points, a monk is worthy of offerings, the world's peerless field for merit. That's the end of the sutta. This is another one of the suttas where the Buddha compares a good monk to a good horse. These are the eight things which make a monk worthy of offerings, the world's peerless field for merit. The first one, the monk is virtuous. He is restrained by the restraint of the patimokkha. The patimokkha is the set of 227 precepts of the monk. Second one, when they give him food, he eats it without a murmur, that means without any complaint. And then he abhors misconduct in deed, word and thought, and abhors evil and unwholesome ideas. 4. He is pleasing and easy to live with. 5. Whatever are his faults, he shows them to the teacher so that they can be corrected. 6. He doesn't follow other monks. He will train in the right way. 7. He goes the straight way. That means he goes according to the Aryan Eightfold Path. 8. He is very strenuous. in his efforts to live the holy life. And the next sutra is 8.2.14. Monks, I will define eight excitable horses and their eight vices. Eight excitable men and their eight vices. Listen well. Pay heed, I will speak. Monks, what are the eight excitable horses and their eight vices? Hearing monks, when an excitable horse is told to go on, being beaten and urged by the driver, he backs and twists the carriage round with his hindquarters. Such indeed, hearing, is an excitable horse, and this is his first vice. Told to go on, being beaten and urged by the driver, he jumps back, batters against the carriage railing and breaks the triple bar. This is his second vice. He loses his hindquarters from the pole and tramples on it. This is his third vice. He takes the wrong road and makes the carriage go awry. That means go wrongly. This is his fourth vice. He tosses high his breast and paws the air. This is his fifth vice. Heedless of the driver and the goat, he chomps the bait with his teeth and wanders at random. This is his sixth vice. When urged by the driver, he goes neither on nor back, but halts and stands like a post. This is his seventh vice. Moreover, monks, when an excitable horse is told to go on, being beaten and urged by the driver, he draws together his fore and hind legs and just sits down there on his fore feet. Such indeed is an excitable horse, and this is his eighth vice. Monks, these are the eight excitable horses and their eight vices. And what monks are the eight excitable men and their eight vices? Herein, monks, the monks reprove one of themselves for some offence, and he, being thus reproved, evades the matter by a plea of forgetfulness, saying, I don't remember, I don't remember. Just as an excitable horse, when beaten and urged by his driver, backs and twists the carriage round. Like that, I say, is this person. Such indeed, herein, is an excitable man, and this is his first vice. or on being reproved. He blurts out at his reprover, What right have you to talk, an ignorant fool? Why do you think you must speak? Monks, just as an excitable horse jumps back and batters the carriage railing, like that I say is this person. This is his second vice. Or he retorts, well, you too committed such and such an offense. You had best make amends first. Monks, just as an excitable horse loses his hindquarter from the pole, like that I say is this person. This is his third vice. Or he evades the question by another, turns the issue aside, and shows temper, ill-will and sulkiness. Monks, just as an excitable horse takes the wrong road and makes the carriage go awry, like that I say is this person. This is his fourth vice. Or he speaks when the Sangha is in private meeting, with much gesticulation. Monks, just as an excitable horse tosses high his breasts and pours the air, like that, I say, is this person. This is his fifth vice. Or he pays no attention to the Sangha, nor heeds his reprover, but wanders about at random, like an offender. Monks, just like an excitable horse is heedless of the driver, and the goat and champs is big. Like that I say is this person. This is his sixth vice. Or he says, but I've not committed an offense. No, I've not offended. And he waxes the sangha by his silence. Monks, this is an excitable horse when urge goes neither on nor back, but this halts and stands like a post. Like that I say is this person. This is his seventh vice. Moreover, monks, when the monks reproved one of themselves for some offense, he being thus reproved by them, says, Reverend Sirs, do not worry so much about me. From now on, I will disavow the training and return to the lower life. And when he has returned to the lower life, he says, Now, Reverend Sirs, be satisfied. Monks, this is an excitable horse, when told to go on, being beaten and urged by the driver, draws his fore and hind legs together and sits down. Like that, I say, is this person. Such indeed, herein, is an excitable man, and this is his eighth vice. Monks, these are the eight excitable men, and these are the eight vices. That's the end of the Sutta. Just now we heard the comparison of a good monk with a good horse. Now we hear the comparison of an excitable horse and an excitable monk. This excitable monk means his mind is very excitable, scatterbrained monk. And this type of monk has no joy to live with. So during the Buddha's time, there were many, many types of monks just as we have now. So the Buddha has a lot of experience with them. That's why he can mention all these types of monks. And the next sutra is 8.2.15. The Buddha said, monks, there are these eight stains. What eight? Monks, non-repeating is the mantra stain. Not rising is the stain of houses. Sluggishness is the stain of beauty. Carelessness is the stain of a god. Misconduct is the stain of a woman. Stint or restriction or limitation is the stain in giving. Evil and unwholesome states are stains in this world and the next. But there is a greater stain than these. Ignorance is the greatest stain. Monks, these are the eight stains. This is the end of the sutra. So, in this sutta we find that different blemishes or stains of different things, but the greatest stain or blemish in the world is ignorance. Because of ignorance we do a lot of unwholesome evil deeds and cause the suffering of ourselves and of others. Therefore, because of that, ignorance is the greatest stain. The next sutra is 8.2.17. Monks, a woman enslaves a man in eight ways. What eight? A woman enslaves a man by appearance, by laughter, by speech, by song, by tears, by attire or dress, by garlands from the forest, and by touch. Monks, in these eight ways, a woman enslaves a man, and beings caught by these are verily caught as though in a snare. The next sutra is similar to this, but the converse. 8.2.18. Monks, a man enslaves a woman in eight ways. What eight? A man enslaves a woman by appearance, by laughter, by speech, by song, by tears, by attire or dress, by garlands from the forest and by touch. Monks, in these eight ways, a man enslaves a woman, and beings caught by these are verily caught as though in a snare. That's the end of the Sutta. So these two Suttas are a bit similar to the first Sutta. The first two suttas we heard in the Anguttananikaya series, where the Buddha said that there is no form that enslaves a man so much as the form of a woman. No sound, no smell, no taste, no touch. that enslaves a man so much as the form, sound, smell, taste and touch of a woman. And conversely, the reverse is also true. There is no form, sound, smell, taste and touch that enslaves a woman so much as the form, the sound, the smell, the taste and touch of a man. So as we mentioned earlier, the opposite sex is a great obstacle to the spiritual path. These are the different ways in which this attraction of the opposite sex attracts a person that is by appearance, by laughter, by speech, by song, by tears, by attire, by garlands and by touch. And the next sutra is quite an important and interesting sutra. 8.2.19. On one occasion, the Exalted One was dwelling near Varanja at the foot of Nalleru's nimba tree. There, Paharada, the Asura King, came and visited the Exalted One, saluted Him and stood at one side. So standing, the Exalted One addressed Him thus, I imagine, Paharada, that the Asuras find delight in the mighty ocean. I'll just stop here for a moment. These asuras are devas, heavenly beings, and they used to reside in the Tavatimsa heaven, the heaven of the 33, where Sakadeva Raja resides. But it seems that Sakadeva Raja threw the asuras out of the heaven down into the ocean. One day when the asuras were drunk, because the asuras they like to drink and they like to fight, so one day they were quite drunk, the devas, Sakadeva Raja and his other devas threw these asuras down into the ocean and it seems that they reside there. But once a year, once a celestial year, they'll go up to the Tavatimsa heaven and fight with Sakadeva Raja and the other devas. Baharada is one of the asura kings. There are several asura kings. Another name that is often mentioned is Vepacitti. Another one is Rahu. Rahu is supposed to be one of the biggest devas. So the Paharada, the Asura king, answered, Yes, Lord, they find pleasure therein. Then the Buddha said, But Paharada, how many wondrous marvels are there which the Asuras delight to see and see? Lord, there are eight There are these eight wondrous marvels. What eight? Lord, the mighty ocean slopes away gradually, falls away gradually, shells away gradually, with no abruptness like a precipice. Lord, that the mighty ocean slopes away gradually, falls away gradually, shelves away gradually, with no abruptness like a precipice, this is the first wondrous marvel which the Asuras delight to see and see. Lord, the ocean is fixed. It does not overrun its bounds. This is the second marvel. Lord, the ocean does not consort with a dead body, a corpse. Whatsoever a dead body there be in the ocean, it will quickly just force ashore and pile up on the land. This is the third marvel. Lord, all the great rivers, the Ganga, the Yamuna, the Achiravatis, the Sarabhu and the Mahi, on reaching the mighty ocean, lose their former names and identities, and are reckoned simply as the ocean. This is the fourth marvel. Lord, though all the streams in the world flow into the ocean and the rains that fall from the sky, yet by then neither the emptiness nor the fullness of the ocean is affected. This is the fifth marvel. Lord, the mighty ocean has one taste, the taste of salt. This is the sixth marvel. Lord, the mighty ocean has many and diverse treasures. There is the pearl, the crystal, the lapis lazuli, the shell, quartz, coral, silver, gold, ruby, cat's eye, etc. This is the seventh marvel. Lord, the mighty ocean is the home of vast beings. There are the fabulous fishy monsters, the Timis, the Timingalas, and the Timitimingalas. There are the Asuras, the Nagas, and the Gandharvas. There are in the mighty ocean creatures a hundred leagues long, two hundred, three, four, and five hundred leagues long. Lord, that the mighty ocean is the abode of vast beings, timis, timingalas, timi-timingalas, asuras, nagas, gandavas, and creatures leagues long, this is the eighth wondrous marvel which asuras delight to see and see. These, Lord, are the eight wondrous marvels. I suppose, Lord, the monks find delight in this dharma. Yes, Paharada, they do. But Lord, how many wondrous marvels are there in this Dhamma Vinaya, which the monks delight to see and see. I'll just stop here for a moment. Dhamma Vinaya is the teachings of the Buddha. In the suttas, the discourses of the Buddha, the Buddha always called his teachings the Dhamma Vinaya. And in the Anguttara Nikaya 4.180, the Buddha said Dhamma refers to the suttas. That means the suttas and the Vinaya books are the complete teachings of the Buddha. And the word Tipitaka or Tripitaka was only coined later. It was not a word that was used by the Buddha. Then the Buddha continued, there are eight Paharada. What eight? Paharada, just as the mighty ocean slopes away gradually, falls away gradually, shells away gradually, with no abruptness like a precipice. Even so, in this dharma-vinaya, there is a graduated training, a graduated practice, a graduated mode of progress, with no abruptness such as a penetration of knowledge. That in this dharma-vinaya, there is a graduated training, a graduated practice, a graduated mode of progress, with no abruptness such as a penetration of knowledge. This is the first wondrous marvel in this Dhamma Vinaya, which the monks delight to see and see. Paharada, this as the ocean is fixed and does not overpass its bounds. Even so, when the code of training is made known by me to my disciples, they will not transgress it even for life's sake. This is the second marvel. Parada, just as the ocean does not consort with a dead body, a corpse, but will quickly just force it ashore and pile it on the land. Even so, whosoever is wicked, of evil nature, unclean, of suspicious conduct, full of secret actions, no recluse, though vowed thereto, unchaste, Though vowed to chastity, rotten to the core, lustful and vile, not with him will the Sangha consort, but quickly assembling, it will cast him forth. Though he be seated in the midst of the assembled monks, yet is he far from the Sangha, and the Sangha is far from him. This is the third marvel. Pahrada, just as the great rivers, the Ganga, the Yamuna, the Achiravati, the Sarabhu and the Mahi, entering the mighty ocean, lose their former names and identities, and are termed simply ocean, even so, these four castes, the Katyas, the Brahmins, the Vesas and Sudas, Going forth from the world into the homeless life, into the Dhamma-vinaya proclaimed by the Tathāgata, lose their former names and lineages, and are reckoned simply recluses, sons of the sākhyas. This is the fourth marvel. Paharāda, just as all the streams that flow into the ocean, all the rains that fall from the sky, affect neither the emptiness nor the fullness of the ocean, even so, though many monks become completely cool in the cool element to which nothing attaches, yet neither the emptiness nor the fullness of that cool element is affected. This is the fifth marvel. Paharada, just as the ocean has but one taste, the taste of salt, even so this Dhamma Vinaya has but one flavor, the flavor of liberation. This is the sixth marvel. Baharata, just as the ocean has many and diverse treasures, the pearl, the crystal and so forth, even so, this Dhamma Vinaya has many and diverse treasures. That is to say, the four intense states of mindfulness, Satipatthana, the four right efforts, Samapadana, the four bases of psychic power or four bases of success, Idipada, the five faculties, Indriya, the five powers, Bala, the seven factors of enlightenment, Bhojanga, and the Aryan Eightfold Path. This is the seventh marvel. Parada, just as the mighty ocean is the home of vast beings, the Timi, the Timingala, and so forth, even so, this Dhamma Vinaya is the home of great beings, that is to say, the stream-winner, and he who has entered the path to the realization of the fruit of the stream-winner. the once-returner and he who has entered the path to the realization of the fruit thereof, the non-returner and he who has entered the path to the realization of the fruit thereof, the arahant and he who has entered the path through Arahantship. Paharada, that this Dhammavinaya is the home of great beings, the stream-winner and so forth, this is the eighth wondrous marvel which the monks delight to see and see. Verily, Paharada, these are the eight wondrous marvels which the monks delight to see and see. That's the end of the Sutta. It's one of those quite delightful suttas to hear. There are eight wonderful qualities about the ocean. So the Buddha says there are eight wonderful qualities about the teachings, the Dhamma Vinaya. The first one is that in the Dhamma Vinaya there is a gradual training, a gradual practice, a gradual mode of progress. And here the Buddha says, with no abruptness such as a penetration of knowledge. This is about the only place that is quite clear here that the Buddha says, there is no abruptness such as a penetration of knowledge. No abruptness. na āyātāke nā. Penetration of Knowledge is Anyapati Veda. So this translation is quite accurate. That means you practice the holy path, the spiritual path. You don't expect to suddenly have attainment of knowledge. It is a very gradual process. And so that's why we should not be too eager to get results. It takes time. We need to just put the effort in the spiritual path and slowly we will attain the insights in time to come very gradually. There is no abruptness of attainment of knowledge. And then the second one, the Buddha said that his disciples will not transgress his code of training, the precepts, etc., even for life's sake. And the third one, the Sangha will not consort with a wicked, evil monk, but they will throw him out of the Sangha. They will meet and throw him out. They will expel him if they know that he is a false, insincere monk. And then the fourth one, just as there are four, just as all the great rivers enter the ocean and lose their former names, so in India at that time there were four castes. The Kathiyas are the warrior caste, the Brahmins are the priest caste, the Vesas are the merchants, and the Sudas are the labor caste. But when they go forth and become a monk, they lose all their Kāśla, they are just called samanas, recluses, sons of the Sākhyā, Sākhyāputra. But even though they lose their caste, some of them are still called by their names and their surnames. For example, Kasapa. Kasapa is a surname. Moglana is also a surname. But sometimes they have their personal names. For example, Sariputta. Sariputta means the son of Sari. So the fifth wonderful quality about the Dhamma Vinaya is that though many monks become completely cool, yet the emptiness or the fullness of Nibbana is not affected because Nibbana is not a place It is a state that is beyond time and beyond space. It is not in this world. That is why the emptiness or fullness of Nibbāna is not affected by the number of monks who enter Nibbāna. The sixth quality is that the teachings of the Buddha, the Dharmavinaya, has only one flavor, the flavor of liberation from suffering. And that is the purpose of the spiritual path. to attain liberation from suffering. And the seventh quality is just as the ocean has many treasures, so the Buddha says in the Dharma Vinaya there are these various treasures which actually are the 37 Bodhipakya Dharmas, the requisites of enlightenment. the four Satipatthana, the four Samapadana, the four Idipada, five Indriya, five Bala, seven Bhojanga, and the Noble Eightfold Path. Then the eighth one, just as the ocean is the home of many beings, so the Dhamma Vinaya is the home of great beings who are the Aryans. the stream-winner and the one who has entered the path to stream-winning, the once-returner and the one who has entered the path to once-returning, etc. Actually, in this translation, we note that the translation reads like this, the original translation in the book, the stream-winner and he who attains to the realization of the fruit of stream-winner, This, when I check the Pali, I feel is wrong, because according to their translation, it means that the stream-winner is a path-attainer. But actually, to my interpretation, the stream-winner is the fruit-attainer. The Pali is Sotapanno, Sotapatti, Palasacchikiriyaya, Patipanno. Aum. Patipanno, one who has entered on the path, palasacchikiriyaya, attainment or realization of the fruit of stream entry. So one who has entered the path for the realization of the fruit of stream entry and that is the path attainer, not the fruit attainer. So the suttapanna must be the fruit attainer. These are the So each of these terms, so tepana, sakadagamin, anagamin and arahan, they refer to the fruit attainer. And you note here there are 8 individuals, not 4 individuals. The Aryans are always described as 8, not 4. And in other suttas we will see that the path attainer and the fruit attainer, they are different persons. It's not that one moment he attains the path and the next moment he attains the fruit. It's not like that in the suttas. After attaining the path, it may take years before they attain the fruit. So these are all the eight wonderful qualities of the Dharmavinaya.

19-AN-Book-8D-(8.2.20-to-8.3.25).txt

The next sutra is 8.2.20. Once the Exalted One was dwelling near Savatthi in Eastern Park at the terrace house of Nigara's mother. Now at that time the Exalted One was seated surrounded by monks of the Sangha, it being the Uposatha day. Just stop for a moment. The Upasatha day is the 8th day of the lunar month, the 15th day, 23rd day and the last day of the lunar month. And on these days, the people in India would keep the 8 precepts. And on two of these days, on the 15th and the last day of the lunar calendar, the monks will assemble to recite the patimokkha, the precepts, the code of precepts of the monks. Then the sutra continues. Venerable Ananda, when the night was far spent and the first watch was gone by, arose from his seat and placing his upper robe over one shoulder, bent his hands to the Exalted One and said, Lord, the night is far spent, the first watch is gone by, and long have the monks of the Sangha been seated. Lord, let the Exalted One recite the Patimokkha to the monks. Thus spoke the Venerable Ananda. But the Exalted One remained silent. I stop here for a moment. From this sutra we can realize that in the initial days of the Sangha, the Buddha used to recite, the Buddha was the one who recited the Patimokkha to the monks and we can see from this Uttara later why the Buddha stopped reciting and later the Buddha asked the senior most monk among the Sangha, it was the duty of the senior most monk to recite the Patimokkha but sometimes when the senior most monk did not want to recite he will nominate another monk to recite to chant the Patimokkha. And here, the first watch had ended, and the Buddha had still not recited the Patimokkha. The first watch is from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., and the Buddha had still not recited the Patimokkha. That was why the Venerable Ananda reminded the Buddha to recite the Patimokkha, but the Buddha kept quiet, and the Sutta continues. And the Venerable Ananda, when the night was far spent and the middle watch was gone by, arose from his seat a second time and bent his hands to the Exalted One and said, Lord, the night is far spent, the middle watch is gone by, and long have the monks been seated. Lord, let the Exalted One recite the Patimokkha to the monks. A second time even the Exalted One remained silent. I stop for a moment to comment that the middle watch is from 10 p.m. until 2 a.m. So up to 2 a.m. the monks were seated and still the Buddha did not recite. The third watch is from 2 p.m. a.m. until 6 a.m. and then the Sutta continues. Then when the night was past, when the last watch was gone by, that means the third watch was gone by, when the sun was getting up, gladdening the face of night, a third time the Venerable Ananda arose from his seat and said to the Exalted One, Lord, the night is past, the last watch is gone by, and the sun rises and the face of night brightens. Lord, long have the monks been sitting. Let the Exalted One recite the Patimokkha to the monks." And the Buddha said, Ananda, the assembly is not pure. Then the Venerable Mahamoggalana thought, of what person, I wonder, does the Exalted One say, the assembly, Ananda, is not pure? and he fixed his thought intently upon all the monks of the Sangha there, encompassing their minds with his. Now the Venerable Mahamoggalana saw a person seated in the midst of the monks, who was wicked, evil, unclean, of suspicious conduct, full of secret actions, no recluse, though vowed thereto, unchaste, though vowed to chastity, rotten to the core, lustful and vile. And rising from his seat, he approached him and said, Get up, sir. The Exalted One has seen you. For you there is no fellowship with the monks. But when he had thus spoken, that person remained silent. A second time he addressed him in like manner, and a second time the person was silent. A third time he said, Get up, sir. The Exalted One has seen you. There is no fellowship for you with the monks." But the third time that person was silent. At that, the Venerable Mahamoggalana seized the man by the arm and thrust him outside the porch and bolted the door. Then the Venerable Naha Moggallana went to the Exalted One and said, Lord, that person has been expelled by me. The assembly is pure. Lord, let the Exalted One recite the Patimokkha. And the Buddha said, It is very strange, Moggallana, that that foolish person should have waited till he was seized by the alm. Then spoke the Exalted One to the monks, saying, Now, monks, may you keep the Uposatha. Now may you recite the Patimokkha. Henceforth, from today, I shall not recite the Patimokkha. For it is impossible, monks, nor can it happen, that the Tathagata should recite the Patimokkha to an assembly which is not perfectly pure. That's the end of the Sutta. So, we can see in the earliest days of the Sangha, the Buddha recited the Patimokkha for the monks. But later, as more and more monks ordained, many of them the earliest monks were ordained, personally ordained by the Buddha. But as more and more people joined the Sangha, then it became impossible for the Buddha to ordain everybody. So he allowed his disciples to ordain other disciples. And when that happened, many insincere people joined the Sangha, shameless people, just like this one. You can see this person was so shameless, even though the Buddha could read his mind and probably knew that the Buddha recognized him as a shameless monk, and still he refused to leave the assembly. And even when the Mahamoggalana came to ask him to leave, he still refused to leave. Even after three times, Venerable Mahamuklana had to catch him by the arm and throw him outside the door. And we see also in another sutra later, in the Sangyuta Nikaya, in one of the later sutras, the Arahant Mahakassapa was asked by the Buddha to teach Dhamma to the monks, and Mahakassapa also knew that there were a lot of insincere monks in the assembly, and he refused to teach Dhamma to the monks, and he told the Buddha the reason, and the Buddha agreed with him. You notice here, after the rotten monk was thrown outside the porch, the Venerable Maha Moggallana bolted the door. In the earliest days, the patimokkha, the precepts, used to be recited in the kuti, or the hut, of the senior-most monk. And the Sangha consisted of all monks in the boundary of Sima. And in the earliest days, the boundary of Sima used to be a very large area. But because of rotten monks like these, the sima, the boundary, became smaller and smaller to exclude these rotten monks. Until nowadays, the boundary, or the sima, consists of just a building, a hall, a building, so that when the monks are assembled in the in the Sima Hall, then only those monks inside the Sima Hall are considered to be part of the Sangha. And the next sutra is 8.3.21. Once the Exalted One was dwelling in the Gable Hall in Mahavana near Vaisali. There the Exalted One addressed the monks, saying, ''Monks?'' ''Yes, Lord,'' they replied. And the Exalted One said, ''Hold it true, monks, that Uga, the householder of Vaisali, is possessed of eight wonderful and marvelous qualities.'' Thus spoke the Exalted One. And thereafter, rising from his seat, the well-farer entered the dwelling. Now a certain monk, robing himself early in the morning, taking bowl and cloak, went to the house of Uga, the householder, and there sat down on a seat made ready for him. And Uga of Vesali approached that monk, saluted him, and sat down at one side. Then said that monk to Uga, It has been declared by the Exalted One that you, householder, are possessed of eight marvellous and wonderful qualities. What are those eight marvellous and wonderful qualities, householder, of which you are declared by the Exalted One to be possessed? And Uga said, No, Reverend Sir, I know not of what eight marvellous and wonderful qualities I am declared by the Exalted One to be possessed. But as to the eight marvellous and wonderful qualities found in me, listen, lend an ear and I will tell you. Very well, Householder replied the monk. And Uga said, When I first saw the Exalted One, even a long way off, my heart, sir, at the mere sight of Him became tranquil. This is the first marvellous and wonderful quality found in me. Then, with tranquil heart, I drew near and reverenced the Exalted One. And to me he preached a graduated discourse, that is to say, on almsgiving, on virtue, on heaven. He set forth the peril, the folly, the depravity of lusts, and the advantages of renunciation. And when the Exalted One knew that my heart was clear, malleable, free from hindrance, uplifted, lucid, then He revealed to me that Dharma teaching to which Buddhas alone have won. namely dukkha, its arising, its ending, and the way to its ending. Just as a clean cloth, free of all stain, will take dye perfectly, even so, as I said there, there arose within me the spotless, stainless dharma sight that whatsoever is conditioned by coming to be or object to ending. I, sir, saw Dhamma, possessed Dhamma, found Dhamma, penetrated Dhamma, overcame doubt, surpassed uncertainty, possessed without another's aid perfect confidence in the world of the teacher, and there and then took refuge in the Buddha, in Dhamma, and in the Sangha, and embraced the five rules of training in the holy life. This, sir, is the second quality. Now, sir, I had four wives, young girls, and I went and spoke to them thus. Sisters, I have embraced the five rules of training in the holy life. Who wishes may enjoy the wealth of this place, or may do deeds of merit, or may go to her own relations and family. Or is there some man you desire to whom I may give you? And when I had stopped speaking, the eldest wife said to me, Sir, give me to such and such a man. Then I had that man sent for, and taking my wife by the left hand and holding the waterpot in my right, I cleansed that man by an act of dedication. Yet I was not arid and discomfited at partying with my wife. This, Sir, is the third quality. Moreover, sir, there is wealth in my family, but among the good and lovely in character, it is shared impartially. This, sir, is the fourth quality. And when I wait upon a monk, sir, I serve him respectfully and not without deference." That is, without respect. This, sir, is the fifth quality. If, sir, the reverend monk preach dharma to me, I listen attentively and not listlessly. If he preach not dharma to me, I preach dharma to him. This, sir, is the sixth quality. Furthermore, Sir, it is not uncommon for devas to come and declare to me, Perfectly, O householder, is Dharma proclaimed by the Exalted One. When they speak thus, I reply, Ho, you devas, whether you declare so or not, Dharma is perfectly proclaimed by the Exalted One. Yet, sir, I feel no elation because of such thoughts as, It is to me these devas come. I am the man who talks to devas. This, sir, is the seventh quality. Of those five lower fetters, sir, declared by the Exalted One, I see no remnant whatsoever within me. This, sir, is the eighth marvelous and wonderful quality found in me. These are the eight marvelous and wonderful qualities found in me, but I do not know of what eight I am declared by the Exalted One to be possessed." Then that monk, after taking alms at Uga's house, rose from his seat and departed. And when he had eaten his meal, after his alms round, he went to the Exalted One, and saluting Him, stood at one side. So standing, he told the Exalted One of all his conversation with Uga, the householder of Vesali. And the Exalted One said, Well done, well done, monk. As Uga, the householder of Vesali, in explaining the matter rightly, should explain. Even so, monks, he is declared by me to be possessed of those eight marvelous and wonderful qualities. Moreover, monk, hold it true that Uga, the householder of Vesali, is so possessed." That's the end of the sutra. It's quite an interesting sutra. In the days of the Buddha, you had such good lay persons like Uga. Because of past life, the moment he saw the Buddha, his heart became tranquil. The last quality that Uga says is that those five lower factors are no more in him. In other words, Uga was an anagami, a non-returner, third fruition person, who has perfect sila and samadhi. And you notice when the monk came to see Uga, it is stated here, and Uga of Vesali approached that monk, saluted him and sat down at one side. In other words, this lay person, even though he's a third fruition person, an anagamin, he pays respect to the monk. He does not think, oh, I am an Arya, I am higher than the monk, I don't need to pay respect. Because during the Buddha's days, they took refuge with the Bhikkhu Sangha, and because the monk wears the robe, even though he is an Agamin, he still pays respect. The word Abhivadetava, saluted, that means paid homage to the monk. And he noticed that after he understood the Dharma, he wanted to practice the spiritual path and keep the five precepts. He asked, he told his four young wives that he wanted to practice the holy life. And one of them wanted to marry another man and he just gave away his wife. And then he says that he has wealth in his family, but those who are of good character, he shares with them, just like his brother, he shares with them impartially. That means he gave wealth to whatever virtuous person needed it. And then when he serves a monk, he serves him respectfully. And then if the monk teaches dharma, he listens very attentively. If the monk comes to his house and does not preach dharma to him, then he preaches dharma to the monk. He's so capable. And Devas used to come and talk to him. So those are the wonderful qualities of the Uga. The next sutra, I don't know whether I can finish. Once the Exalted One was dwelling at Hathigama among the Bhajans. There He addressed the monks and said, Hold it true, monks, that Uga, the householder of Hathigama, is possessed of eight marvellous and wonderful qualities. And when the Welfarer had thus spoken, He entered the dwelling. Then, as in the preceding sutta, a monk went and asked Uga about those qualities. And then said Uga, the householder of Hathigama, When, sir, I was sporting in Naga-glade, I saw the Exalted One a good way off, and at the sight of Him my mind became tranquil, and my drunkenness vanished. This is the first marvelous and wonderful quality. The second, third, fourth and fifth qualities are, as in the previous sutta, It is, sir, nothing wonderful for devas to come and tell me, when I have invited the sangha, that such a one is freed both ways, that he is wisdom-free, that he is a body-witness, that he is a view-attainer, that he is faith-free, that he is a dharma-follower, that he is a faith-follower, that he is virtuous and lovely in character, or that such a one is wicked and evil in character. But, sir, while I wait on the sangha, I had no such thoughts as, to him I will give little, to him I will give much. Rather, sir, I give impartially. This is the sixth quality. The seventh is the same as in the previous sutra. Moreover, sir, if I should die before the Exalted One, there would not That would not be very wonderful, but that the Exalted One should declare of me that there is no fetter fettered by which Ugra, the householder of Hathigama, shall come again to this world. This, sir, is the eighth marvelous and wonderful quality found in me. Indeed, sir, these are the eight, but I know not of what eight I am declared by the Exalted One to be possessed. Then as in the preceding sutta, the monk goes and tells the exalted one of this conversation, who declares that these are just those to which he referred. That's the end of the sutta. So this sutta is a little similar to the previous one, but there are a few qualities of this householder which is quite wonderful. The first one, he was actually drunk. He was enjoying himself in the in the gardens, the botanical gardens, and he was drunk already, but when he saw the Buddha, his mind became tranquil and his drunkenness vanished. Now this is quite a wonderful thing, and it shows, to me it implies that this person had cultivated strong samadhi in his previous life. And because of having cultivated strong samadhi in this life, when he saw the Buddha, something reminded him that this person was very familiar to him, and his mind became one-pointed. The mind became one to morning and his drunkenness just vanished. And then the other qualities that the devas used to come and tell him that such and such a person was an Arya or an evil person, etc. And then when he gives to the monks, he does not think This monk I will give little, that monk I will give much. He gives impartially to the monks, because he thinks he is supporting the Sangha. He is not supporting a particular monk. And then this person is also anagamin. So these are the wonderful qualities of this Uga, the householder of Hatigama. There are other sutras concerning other wonderful We will talk about it in the next talk. The last two suttas we were talking about the layman disciples of the Buddha who are anagamis. Now we come to another one, sutta 8.3.23. Once the exalted one was staying at Alavi. At Agalava, near the shrine there, then he addressed the monks, saying, Hold it through, monks, that Hathaka of Alavi is endowed with seven marvellous and wonderful qualities. With what seven? Monks, Hathaka of Alavi has faith, is virtuous, is conscientious, fears blame, is a great listener, is charitable and wise. All the true monks that Hataka is so endowed, thus spoke the Exalted One, and arising from his seat, the well-bearer entered the dwelling. Then a monk went to Hataka so that the Exalted One had said, and Hataka said, I trust, sir, there were no white-robed laymen present. No, indeed, friend, there were none such there. It is well, sir. Then after he returned from his alms round, the monk went and told the exalted one all that had happened. And the exalted one said, Well done, well done, monk. The clansman is modest. He does not wish his good qualities to be known to others. Holy true monk, that Hathaka of Allavi is endowed with this eighth wonderful and marvelous quality, namely modesty. The next sutra, 8.3.24. Once while the Exalted One was dwelling in Alavi at Agalava near the shrine there, Hathaka surrounded by 500 lay disciples came and saluted and sat down at one side. And the Exalted One said to him, seated there, This following of yours, Sataka, is very large. How do you manage to gather it together?" And he said, Lord, it is by those four bases of gatherings which have been declared by the Exalted One that I gather this following together. Lord, when I realize that this man may be enlisted by a gift, I enlist him in this way. When by a kindly word, then in that way. When by a good turn, then so. Or when I know that he must be treated as an equal, if he is to be enlisted, then I enlist him by equality of treatment. Moreover, Lord, there is wealth in my family, and they know that such is not rumoured of a poor man." And the Buddha said, Well done, well done, Hathaka. This is just the way to gather together a large following. Whosoever in the past gathered together a large following did so on these four bases. Likewise, whosoever shall do so in the future, yes, whosoever now gathers a following together, gathers it on these four bases. Then Hataka of Alavi, being instructed, stimulated, aroused and gladdened by the Exalted One's Dharma discourse, rose from his seat, saluted him and departed, passing him by on his right. Now not long after the departure of Hathaka, the Exalted One addressed the monks, saying, Holy True Monks, that Hathaka of Alavi is endowed with eight marvelous and wonderful qualities. What eight? Monks, Hathaka of Alavi has faith. Hathaka of Alavi is virtuous. Hathaka of Alavi is conscientious. Hathaka of Alavi has a sense of remorse. Hathaka of Alavi is a great listener. Hathaka of Alavi is charitable. Hathaka of Alavi is wise. Hathaka of Alavi is modest. Monks, hold it true that Hathaka is so endowed. This is the end of the sutra. This Hathaka of Alavi is another one quite well-known disciple, lay disciple of the Buddha and also supposed to be an anagami, the fruition arya. The next sutra is 8.3.25. It's quite a good sutra. Once the Exalted One dwelt among the Sakyans in Banyan Tree Park at Kapilavatthu. There Mahanama the Sakyan came and visited him, and after saluting sat down at one side. There addressing the Exalted One, he said, Lord, how becomes a man a lay disciple? And the Buddha answered, When Mahānāma he has found refuge in the Buddha, found refuge in the Dharma, found refuge in the Sangha, then he is a lay disciple. Lord, how is a lay disciple virtuous? When Mahanama, a lay disciple, abstains from taking life, abstains from taking what is not given to him, abstains from lustful and evil conduct, abstains from lying, and abstains from spirits and intoxicants, the cause of indolence, then a lay disciple is virtuous. Lord, how does a lay disciple help on his own welfare, but not that of another? When Mahanama, he has achieved faith for himself, but strives not to compass faith in another, has achieved virtue for self, but strives not to compass virtue in another, has achieved himself renunciation, but strives not to compass renunciation in another, longs himself to see the monks, but strives not for this sight for another, longs himself to hear sat-dharma, or true dharma, but strives not for this hearing for another, is mindful himself of dharma he has heard, but strives not that another should be mindful of it, reflects himself upon the meaning of dharma he is mindful of, but strives not for another to reflect thereon, And he knows himself both the letter and the spirit of Dharma, and walks in conformity therewith, but strives not for another so to walk. Then a lay disciple helps on his own welfare, but not that of another. And how, Lord, does a lay disciple help on both his own welfare and the welfare of another? When indeed Mahanama, he has achieved faith himself and strives to compass faith in another, has achieved virtue himself and strives to compass virtue in another, renunciation, longs to see the monks, to hear saddhama, is mindful, reflects, when he knows both the letter and the spirit of Dhamma, and walks in conformity therewith, and strives to make another so to walk. Then Mahanama, a lay disciple, helps on his own welfare and the welfare of another. This sutra is quite important because here it gives a definition of a lay disciple. A lay disciple is one who has taken refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. And you just have to take refuge on your own and you are already considered a lay disciple. It's only nowadays, sometimes there is a ceremony, but there don't need to be a ceremony. If you on your own, in your own heart, take refuge with the Buddha, Dharma and the Sangha, then you are already a lay disciple. And a lay disciple is virtuous by keeping the five precepts. So the five precepts are the practice of a lay disciple. And then a lay disciple helps himself if he achieves these few things. He has faith, has virtue, practices renunciation, he hears the true dhamma, sad dhamma, which means the discourses, the original discourses of the Buddha. and he is mindful of Dhamma, he reflects upon the meaning of Dhamma that he has heard, and then knowing both the letter and the spirit of Dhamma, he walks in conformity therewith. And he practices all these things, then he is helping himself. But if he practices these things and tries to help others to practice these things, then he not only benefits himself, but benefits others. That's why in one of the suttas, the Buddha said, those people that you love, those who are near and dear to you, especially your family members, it is good to bring them to have faith in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. That way you will benefit them a lot. And also, if you hope to meet them in the future life, it is also important to bring them to have faith in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. Because the Buddha said, if we want, if two persons are to meet together in the next life, four things should be the same. One is faith, Another one is conduct, moral conduct, that means equally virtuous or equally evil. And the third one is charity, equally generous or equally selfish. And the fourth one is wisdom. are equally wise or equally foolish. So if we bring our near and dear relatives and friends to have faith in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha and practice like we practice, then the chances of meeting them together in the next life would be better.

20-AN-Book-8E-(8.3.27-to-8.4.35).txt

The next sutra is 8.3.27. The Buddha said, monks, there are these eight attributes. What eight? The attribute of children is crying, of women folk, scolding, of thieves, fighting, of rajas, ruling, of fools, contention, of wise men, suavity, being smooth. of the learned scrutiny, of recluse and religious man patience. These monks are the eight attributes." Because this sutra, the important point for a monk would be that a monk has to practice patience. Next sutra is 8.3.29. The Buddha said, Timely for action is the world. Timely for action is the world. Thus say the unlearned many folk, or ordinary folk. But they know not when it is timely or untimely. Monks, there are these eight untimely, unseasonable occasions for living the holy life. What eight? Take the case, monks, when a Tathāgata arises in the world, an arahant, fully awakened one, replete with practice and knowledge, a welfareer, world-knower, incomparable tamer of tamable men, teacher of devas and men, an exalted one. And Dharma is taught which is tranquilizing, cooling, leading to awakening, declared by the welfareer. And suppose a person arises in hell, this month is the first untimely, unseasonable occasion for living the holy life. Again, suppose a Tathagata arise, and Dharma be taught, and a person arises in the animal kingdom, or among the ghosts, petas, or among the long-lived deva community, or in the outlying countries, among unintelligent barbarians, where there is no scope for monks, nuns, for lay disciples, male or female. or in the middle countries, but he holds wrong views, is perverted in vision, and thinks that gifts, offerings, and sacrifices are as not, that the fruit and result of good and bad deeds done are as not, that this world does not exist, nor the next world, that there are neither mothers nor fathers, nor beings born spontaneously. nor any recluses or holy men in the world, who have found the highest, who have won to the highest, who make declaration of this world and the next, after realization by personal knowledge. Or in the middle countries, but he is foolish and dull, a witless imbecile, unable to distinguish whether a matter has been spoken well or ill. This, monks, is the seventh untimely, unseasonable occasion for living the holy life. Moreover, monks, take the case when no Tathagata arises in the world, Dhamma is not declared, and a person is born in the middle country, and is intelligent and not dull, nor a witless imbecile, but able to tell whether a matter has been spoken well or ill. This, monks, is the eighth untimely and seasonable occasion for living the holy life. These, monks, are the eight occasions. Monks, there is just one occasion which is timely, seasonable for living the holy life. What one? Take the case, monks, when a Tathāgata arises in the world, an arahant, fully awakened one, replete with practice and knowledge, welfareer, world-knower, incomparable tamer of tamable men, teacher of devas and men, an exalted one, And Dharma, tranquilizing, cooling, leading to awakening, declared by the well-farer, is taught. And a person is born in the middle country, and is intelligent, not dull, nor witless imbecile, but can tell whether a matter has been spoken well or ill. This month is just the one occasion which is timely, seasonable, for living the holy life." That's the end of the sutra. This Uttara is saying that if the Buddha arises in the world and Dhamma is taught and available. But if a person arises in the wrong places, like is born in hell, or in the animal kingdom, or among the ghosts, or among the long-lived devas, or in the outlying countries, then there is no scope for practice of the holy life. The outlying countries, means those countries out of the middle region, or middle country where the Dhamma is available. This middle country, the Pali word is Majjhima Padesa and it refers to the area around the Ganges River Valley. because the Buddha used to live and travel around this area, the Ganges Valley. And so, if you are born out of this area, then you have no chance to know the Dharma. Or if a person is born in the middle country, but he holds wrong view, And in the wrong view here is stated to mean he does not believe that making offerings, gifts and sacrifices are of any use, that there is no result of good and bad deeds, that this world does not exist, the next world does not exist, There are no beings born spontaneously. There are no holy men who have realized the highest realization, etc. Or if a person is born in the middle country but he is foolish and dull and cannot understand the Dhamma. Or no Buddha arises in the world and there is no Dhamma. to be heard even though a person is born in the middle country. These conditions are not suitable for living the holy life. There is just one occasion which is suitable. That is when Buddha rises in the world and Dharma is declared and a person is born in the middle country. That was spoken during the time of the Buddha, but nowadays it is also a very suitable time to live the holy life, because the Buddha has arisen in the world, and Dharma is available to us, especially now almost all of the suttas of the Buddha are available to us in book form, and so we can practice the holy life. especially like we are in this country where there are monks and nuns and lay supporters. And if a person is intelligent enough to understand the Dhamma, then we can practice the holy life. So we are considered very lucky we are actually considered to be born during the era, the time of the Buddha, because the Dhamma is still available to us. And if we listen to the Dhamma or read the books, it is as though the Buddha is just at our side, speaking the Dhamma to us. The next sutta is also a very good and important sutta, 8.3.30. Once the Exalted One was staying among the Bagis on Crocodile Hill at the Deer Park in Besakala Grove. Now at that time the Venerable Anuruddha was dwelling among the Chetis in the eastern bamboo forest, and there these reflections occurred to him as he dwelt alone and secluded. This dharma is for one who wants little. This dharma is not for one who wants much. This dharma is for the contented, not for the discontented. This dharma is for the aloof, not for one fond of society. This dharma is for the energetic, not for the lazy. This dharma is for one who has set up mindfulness, not for the laggard in mindfulness. This dharma is for the concentrated, not for the unconcentrated. This dharma is for the wise, not for the unwise. Now the Exalted One, knowing these reflections of the Venerable Aniruddha, as easily as a strong man might stretch forth and bend back his arm, disappeared from the deer park of Besakala Grove and appeared before him. And the Exalted One sat down on the seat which was made ready. Then the verbal Anuruddha saluted him and sat down at one side. So seated, the Exalted One addressed him thus, ìWell done, well done, Anuruddha. Well have you pondered over the seven thoughts of a great man. That is to say, this dharma is for one who wants little, not for one who wants much, for the contented, not for the discontented. for the aloof, not for one who is fond of society, for the energetic, not for the lazy, for one who has set up mindfulness, not for the laggard therein, for the concentrated, not for the unconcentrated, for the wise, not for the unwise. But Aniruddha, do you also ponder over this eighth thought of a great man, Similarly, this dharma is for the composed and for one who delights in being composed. This dharma is not for the scatterbrained or for him who delights in being scatterbrained. When Anuruddha, you ponder over these eight thoughts of a great man, you may and you will enter and abide in the first jhana, or in the second jhana, or in the third jhana, or in the fourth jhana. When Aniruddha, you ponder over these eight thoughts of a great man and obtain easily, at will and without trouble, these four jhanas of the higher mind. bringing comfort both here and now. Then will your dust-heaped robe seem to you as seems a clothed chest full of many-colored garments to some householder or to some householder's son, a thing designed to satisfy for joy, for health, for well-being, for faring to the cool. When you ponder thus, then will your scraps of alms food seem to you as seems a mess of rice, cleaned of black grains, served with curries and condiments to some householder or his son, a thing designed to satisfy. Then will your lodging at the root of some tree Seem to you as seems a gabled house, All plastered over, with doors barred and shutters closed, Draught-free to a householder, a thing designed to satisfy. Then will your bed and seat be strewn with grass, Seem to you as seems a divan or divan, With a fleecy cover, woolen cloth or coverlet, spread with rugs of deer skins with awnings over it, with crimson cushions at either end, to a householder, a thing designed to satisfy. And when Anuruddha, you ponder over these eight thoughts of a great man and attain easily, at will and without trouble, to these four jhanas of the higher mind, bringing comfort both here and now, then will your medicine of strong-smelling urine seem to you as seems the varied medicines, butter, fresh and clarified, oil, honey and the juice of sugar, to some householder, a thing designed to satisfy, for joy, for health, for well-being, for faring to the cool. Therefore Anurudda dwelt here in this eastern bamboo forest among the Chetis during the coming rainy season. And the Venerable Anurudda replied, Yes, Lord, to the Exalted One. Then the Exalted One, when He had charged the Venerable One with this counsel, as a strong man might bend or stretch forth his arm, vanished from the Chaiti's eastern bamboo forest and appeared in the deer park of Besakala Grove on Crocodile Hill among the buggies. Now the Exalted One sat down on the seat which was made ready and spoke to the monks thus, ''Monks, I will make known to you the eight thoughts of a great man. Listen, give heed, I will speak.'' ''Yes, Lord,'' they replied. And the Exalted One said, ''Monks, what are these eight?'' This dharma is for one who wants little, not for one who wants much. For the contented, not for the discontented. For the aloof, not for one who is fallen of society. For the energetic, not for the lazy. For one who has set up mindfulness, not for the unmindful. for the concentrated, not for the unconcentrated, for the wise, not for the unwise, for the composed and for one who delights in being composed, not for the scatterbrained, or for one who delights therein. Monks, this dharma is for one who wants little. This dharma is not for one who wants much. Thus it is said. But why is this said? Here in monks, a monk wanting little does not wish, may they know me as wanting little, or being contented, or being given or given to being aloof, or energetic, or mindful, or concentrated, or wise, or delighting in being composed, does not wish may they know me as such. Monks, this dharma is for one who wants little. This dharma is not for one who wants much. So what is said is said on that account. This dharma is for the contented. This dharma is not for the discontented. Thus it is said. But why is this said? Here in monks, a monk is contented with each requisite, robe, alms, lodging, the medicines for illness. So what is said is said on that account. Monks, this dharma is for the aloof. This dharma is not for one who is fond of society. Thus it is said. But why is this said? Here in monks, while a monk dwells in seclusion, there come visitors, namely monks and nuns, lay brothers and lay sisters, rajas and their chief ministers, co-setters and their disciples. Then the monk, with heart inclined towards seclusion, leaning towards seclusion, bending towards seclusion, abiding in seclusion, and delighting in renunciation, entirely confines his talk to the subject of going apart. So what he said is said on that account. Monks, this dharma is for the energetic, this dharma is not for the lazy. Thus it is said. But why is this said? Here in monks, a monk abides stirred to energy to be rid of unwholesome states and to take to wholesome states, firm and steadfast. He lays not aside the burden of wholesomeness. So what is said is said on that account. monks. This dharma is for one who sets up mindfulness. This dharma is not for the unmindful. Thus it is said. But why is this said? Here in monks, a monk is mindful. He is endowed in the highest degree with intentness of mind and recollection. He recollects and recalls to mind both the doings and the sayings of long ago. So what he said is said on that account. Monks, this dharma is for the concentrated, this dharma is not for the unconcentrated. Thus it is said. But why is this said? Here in monks, a monk alludes from sense desires, etc. enters and abides in the first jhāna, in the second, third, fourth jhāna. So what is said is said on that account. Monks, this Dharma is for the wise. This Dharma is not for the unwise. Thus it is said. But why is this said? Hearing monks, a monk is wise. He is wise as to the way of growth and decay, with Aryan penetration into the way to the complete destruction of Dukkha. So what is said is said on that account. Then to continue, the Buddha said, monks, this dharma is for the composed and for one who delights in being composed. This dharma is not for the scatterbrained or for him who delights in being scatterbrained. Thus it is said. But why is this said? Herein monks, the heart of a monk leaps up at the thought of the ending of being scattered, becomes calm, composed and free. This dhamma is for the composed and for one who delights in being composed. This dhamma is not for the scattered brain or for him who delights therein. So what he said is said on that account. And the Venerable Aniruddha dwelt among the cetis in the eastern bamboo forest for the duration of the rainy season. There, dwelling alone, secluded, earnest, zealous, resolute, he attained not long after, in this world, by his own knowledge, the realization of that unsurpassed consummation of the holy life, for the sake of which sons of clansmen rightly go forth from their homes to the homeless life. He realized, birth is destroyed, lived is the holy life, done is what had to be done, there is no more of this to come. And the Venerable Aniruddha was numbered among the Arahants. as the end of the sutra, is a very good sutra for a person to practice the Eight Thoughts of a Great Man. In the initial part of the sutra, the Buddha said that if a monk practices, ponders over these Eight Thoughts of a Great Man and attains the Four Jhanas and all his requisites, even though they are simple robe, or simple scraps of food and lodging under a tree. All these will become to him as being very comfortable and very satisfying because if he attains the four jhanas then he has a very blissful abiding in this very life. So all these simple things to him becomes It's enjoyable as a rich man enjoys all the things of the household life. And it's mentioned here also that medicine of strong smelling urine, you notice. Here, this is one of the places where it is mentioned, but in the Vinaya books for a monk, it is stated that when a monk takes the ordination, he is told by the preceptor that if he were to be sick, then he has to take urine. Here it is stated to be strong smelling urine and it is explained in the Vinaya books that a monk is supposed to take his urine and keep it for seven days with medicinal fruits, some medicinal fruits. You cut them and put them into the urine and keep for seven days. And urine is one thing if you If you, as soon as it comes out and you drink it, it's not so smelly, but if you keep it for a few days, it becomes smelly. And urine is a very good medicine which works for most illnesses. For most illnesses, we take it, it does work. Then the later part of the sutra talks about how to practice the eight thoughts of a great man. A great man is a Mahapurisa. The first one is the dharma is for one who wants little or few wants. And it is said, because a monk has few wants, he does not want people to know that he has good practice. He is not one who blows his trumpet. He is being modest. So he does not want people to know his accomplishments. That's basically what is meant by a monk who has few wants. The second one, he's contented, means he's contented with his requisites, whatever robe, arms, food, lodging, medicine that he's given, he's satisfied, contented. And then the practice of aloofness is A monk dwells usually in seclusion or in a secluded monastery, and when lay people or even monastics come to talk to him, then he limits his talk so that he can go aside to practice meditation. That is what is meant by being aloof. There are two types of aloofness or seclusion. One is bodily seclusion. In this case, they're talking about bodily seclusion. Another one is mental seclusion, where a monk practices to rid himself of the defilements. And if he rids himself of the defilements, then that is mental seclusion. And then after that, this dhamma is for the energetic, and it is stated here, energetic means he practices to get rid of unwholesome states and to take to wholesome states. For this, wholesome states and unwholesome states refer to the mental states. If we want to get rid of unwholesome states and to attain to wholesome states, we have to watch our mind all the time. Watching the mind is more important than watching the body. And the practice of meditation or contemplation is always to watch these two things, watch the mind and watch the body. But the mind is more important because the ego arises in the mind. and practice of meditation is not to watch outside things, especially the five sense doors of seeing, hearing, smelling, taste and touch. You're not supposed to watch those as stated in the suttas. This Dhamma is for one who sets up mindfulness, not for one who is unmindful. And here it is stated that he is endowed in the highest degree with intendedness of mind and recollection. He recollects and calls to mind both the doings and sayings of long ago. In the suttas, the definition of sati is always the ability to recall what you have done and said a long time ago. So this word sati, we always know sati as mindfulness, but we have to be very careful because that is only a translation. The real word sati means the ability to remember. And in meditation, what we have to remember is to contemplate the nature of body and mind. That's one aspect. Contemplate the nature of body and mind, not on external things. to put your mindfulness on body and mind because that is the source of the self, the five khandhas. That is one thing. The other thing is when you are contemplating body and mind, you have to be with the present, stay with the present, not running into the past or into the future by thinking. You're not supposed to be thinking when we are practicing contemplation. The other thing we have to remember when we practice sati is to remember that this body and this mind is not I, not mine, not myself. To try to see that the body and mind is not self, basically. And then the next one, this dhamma is for the concentrated, not for the unconcentrated. And here the Buddha defines a person who is concentrated as one who attains the four jhanas. Usually the definition of samadhi, concentration, is the four jhanas. Sometimes it is said to be one-pointedness of mind, which means even the first jhana. even the first jhāna, but generally the four jhānas are necessary because it is stated in the suttas that when a person attains the fourth jhāna, then things become very clear to him. yathā bhūtā niyāna yathā bhūtā nipā śiṣuṁ he sees things as they really are. And that is at the state of the fourth jhāna. But some people, because they have a lot of wisdom, they are very sharp. Even by attaining the first jhāna, they can attain. And then after that, this Dhamma is for the wise. And the wise is defined as a person who understands the way, the nature of arising and ceasing of everything in the world. Everything in the world arises and passes away because of impermanence. And so he understands the nature of impermanence. And so he understands the nature of dukkha, because impermanence brings about dukkha. Then this dharma is for the composed, not for the scatterbrained. I've used this translation, scatterbrained. The Pali word has to do with papanca, which means the proliferation of the mind. It means a person who thinks a lot, uses the mind a lot. You have one pot and it multiplies, that's the meaning of papanca, proliferation. And to overcome that proliferation of the mind, we have to practice samadhi, because it is stated in the Sakkapanha Sutra, That thinking, there is a happiness associated with thinking. We like to think, generally people like to think and like to imagine, that's why we like to see TV, like to see shows and all that, because there's a story. And so that's because of thinking we get that delight and happiness. But the Buddha said there is a higher happiness and the higher happiness is the happiness that comes from a state of no thinking. In the state of no thinking is actually the state of the second jhana. The state of the second jhana is also called the state of the Aryan silence where vittaka and vichara has ceased and you have piti and sukha. Piti and sukha is delight and pleasure which is a higher form of happiness than the happiness you get from thinking and imagining and daydreaming, etc. So only then can you let go of that happiness of thinking and you don't think so much. So these are the ways of practicing the eight thoughts of a great man and they are very practical advice. 8.4.35. Monks, there are these 8 rebirths due to making gifts. What 8? Here in monks, a man makes a gift to a recluse or brahmin in the shape of food, drink, clothes, vehicle, flowers, scent, ointment, bedding, dwelling and lights. He gives hoping for a return. He sees wealthy nobles, brahmins and householders surrounded by, attended by, enjoying the five strands of sensual pleasure. And he thinks, ah, if only I can be reborn among them on the breaking up of the body after death. And he fixes his mind on this thought, directs his attention to it, and makes the thought become. His mind, set on low things, is not made to become for the beyond, and he is reborn after death among the wealthy. And I say this of the virtuous, not of the vicious. Monks, the mental aspiration of the virtuous prospers because of its purity. Then again monks, a man making a similar gift and expecting a return, hearing that the company of the four royal devas, a long-lived, beautiful and very happy, might wish to be reborn among them. all among the Devas of the 33 Tavatimsa Heaven, all among the Yama Devas, all among the Tusita Devas, all among the Devas who delight in creating, all among the Devas who have power over others' creations. He fixes his mind on this thought, directs his attention to it, and makes the thought become. His mind set on low things is not made to become for the beyond, and He is reborn after death among those devas. And I say this of the virtuous, not of the vicious. Monks, the mental aspiration of the virtuous prospers because of its purity. All hearing that the devas of Brahma's retinue are long-lived, beautiful and very happy, he might wish to be reborn among them, and he fixes his mind thereon, and is reborn after death among those devas. And I say this of the virtuous, not of the vicious, of him who is rid of lust, not of him who lusts. For the mental aspiration of the virtuous monks prospers because of its lustlessness. Monks, these are the eight rebirths due to making gifts." That's the end of the sutra. So here the Buddha is saying that a person, a virtuous person makes offerings to recluses and brahmins and then he gives hoping to get something in return and he makes an aspiration to be born as a wealthy man or as a deva. And because he is virtuous, his aspiration succeeds and he is born among them. But this the Buddha said, his mind is set on low things. That means, low things means he wants to be reborn. So he does not go beyond. Beyond means out of this world. Whereas if a person makes a gift without any selfish thought of getting something in return, then he practices selflessly, then there is a chance for him to go to the beyond because the beyond is selfless. So it is not wise when we make an offering, when we do charity, to think of getting something in return.

21-AN-Book-8F-(8.4.36-to-8.5.49).txt

The next Uttara is 8.4.36. Monks, there are these three bases of meritorious action. What three? The base founded on gifts, the base founded on virtue, and the base founded on making mind become. I'll just stop here to comment. These three bases of blessings or merit is dana, sila, and bhavana. These are the three ways we get married. Dāna is making offerings of charity, Sīla is moral conduct, and Bhāvanā is development of the mind, which is meditation. Then the Buddha continued, Take the case, monks, of a man who only on a small scale creates the base of meritorious action founded on gifts. only on a small scale creates the base of meritorious action founded on virtue, and does not reach the base of meritorious action founded on making mind become, or developing the mind. He on the breaking up of the body after death is reborn among men of ill luck, Take the case, monks, of the man who creates the basis of meritorious action, founded on gifts and virtue to a medium degree, and does not reach the base of making mind become a developing mind. He is reborn among men of good luck. Take the case of a man who creates the basis of meritorious action founded on gifts and virtue to a high degree and does not reach the base of making mind become. He is reborn among the company of the four royal devas. There the four royal devas, having created the basis of meritorious action founded on gifts and virtue to a very high degree, surpassed the devas in their realm in ten ranges, that is to say, in divine life, beauty, happiness, pomp and power, in divine shapes, sounds, perfume, taste and touch. All he is reborn among the devas of the thirty-three. There Sakha, king of devas, because he created the two bases to a very high degree, surpasses the devas of that realm in the ten ranges. Or he is reborn among the Yama devas. There Suyama, son of devas, for the same reason surpasses the devas of that realm in the ten ranges. Or he is reborn among the Tusita devas, where son Tusita, son of devas, surpasses all others. or he is reborn among the devas who delight in creating, where Sunimitta, son of devas, surpasses all others. Take the case, monks, of a man who creates the base of meritorious action founded on gifts and virtue to a high degree, and does not reach the base founded on making mind become. He, on the breaking up of the body after death, is reborn among the devas who have power over others' creations. There, Vasavatin, son of Devas, having created the basis of meritorious action, founded on gifts and virtue to a very high degree, surpasses the Devas of that realm in ten ranges, that is to say, in divine life, beauty, happiness, pomp and power, in divine shapes, sounds, perfumes, taste and touch. Monks, these are the three bases of meritorious action. This is another sutra. This is a very interesting sutra. Firstly, you see that if a person does not practice charity or precepts, he does not get to be reborn as a man at all. He gets to be reborn in the woeful plains. So it's very important if we don't want to be reborn in the woeful plains, to remember that we have to at least practice charity and precepts, virtue, moral conduct. And a person who practices these two things on a small scale gets to be reborn a man, but with very poor luck. That means he might be very poor and among the lowest of men. But if a person practices charity and moral conduct to a medium degree, he gets to be reborn as a man of good luck. But if a person practices these two things to a high degree, then he gets to be reborn as a deva. But in all these cases, that person has not practiced bhavana, development of the mind, that means that person has not attained the jhanas, because if a person has attained the jhanas then he gets reborn into the form realm. These devas mentioned here are all the devas of the sensual or desire realm. the six heavens above the human realm. The first one is the four royal devas and then the Tavatimsa heaven where Sakadeva Raja is the king. Then among the Yama devas, there is mention here of Suyama as being the chief among the Yama devas. I think nowhere else you find the mention of the chief of these Deva realms mentioned except here. And then among the Tushita heavens, Tushita Devas, you have Sun Tushita is the chief among them. And then among the The Devas who delight in creating the fifth heaven above us is Unimitta, is the Deva Raja there. And then the sixth heaven above us, the highest heaven of the desire realm, Vasavatin, is the chief there. We know that Mara, the person known also as Satan, is in the sixth heaven above us, but he is not the chief there. He is one of the chieftains, but he is not the highest Deva there. The highest Deva mentioned here is Vasavatin. The next sutra is 8.4.37. Monks, he gives clean things, what is choice, proper, at fitting times, and with care. He gives repeatedly, and giving calms his mind. After giving he is glad. Monks, these are the eight gifts of a good man. That's the end of the sutra. So the good man practices giving, first he gives clean things, clean things not in the sense that they are What is meant here, they are not stolen. They are not stolen things. What is choice? What is good? He does not give what is fit to be thrown away. What is choice things? Proper things, fitting things to give. At fitting times, with care, he gives repeatedly, and giving calms his mind. And after giving, he is glad. These are the eight gifts of a good man. The next sutra is 8.4.38. Monks, when a worthy man is born into a family, it is for the good and benefit and happiness of many folk. It is for the good, happiness and benefit of his parents, of his wife and children, of his slaves, workmen and servants, of his friends and companions, of the ghosts of his ancestors, of the raja, of the devas, and of recluses and brahmins. Monks, just as abundance of rain brings to perfection all crops for the good benefit and happiness of many folk, even so, a worthy man is born into a family for the good benefit and happiness of many folk. So it's stated here, if you have a virtuous person, a good person, he can benefit many, many people. And it is mentioned here, even the ghosts of his ancestors get the benefit of his meritorious deeds, of his virtue. And we are at the chapter of the aids, the fourth book of the Yangutra Nikaya. Before I go to the suttas, I'd just like to mention I made two mistakes in pronunciation the last time. The last talk I mentioned I read imbecile. Actually it should be imbecile. Imbecile is a fool, a stupid fellow. And earlier, several talks earlier, I pronounce the word Mahout. The spelling is M-A-H-O-U-T. It's an elephant trainer. It should be pronounced Mahout. Mahout is an elephant trainer. When I come to the Sutta 8.4.39, the Buddha said, monks, there are these eight yields in merit and goodness, the food of happiness, celestial, resulting in happiness, leading heavenward, which are conducive to what is pleasing, lovely, precious, beneficial, and to happiness. What eight? Herein monks and Aryan disciples have found refuge in the Buddha. These monks is the first yield in merit and goodness, the food of happiness, etc. Again monks and Aryan disciples have found refuge in Dhamma. This is the second yield. Again, monks and Aryan disciples have found refuge in the Sangha. This is the third yield in merit and goodness, the food of happiness, celestial, resulting in happiness, leading heavenward, which conduces to what is pleasing, lovely, precious, beneficial, and to happiness. Monks, there are these five gifts, great gifts, recognized from the first, known for many a day, known by tradition, ancient and unconfounded. Not being confounded in the past, they have not become confounded, nor will they become confounded. They are not scorned by discerning recluse or brahmins. What five? Herein monks and Aryan disciples abandon staking life and abstains therefrom. Thus abstaining to unnumbered beings, he gives fearlessness, he gives non-hatred. he gives non-ill will, and in giving fearlessness, non-hatred, non-ill will, he becomes a partaker in unbounded fearlessness, enmity and goodwill. This monk is the first gift, unscorned by discerning recluse and brahmins. This monk This is the fourth yield in merit and goodness, the food of happiness, etc. Again monks and Aryan disciples abandoned stealing. and abandons all lustful evil ways, abandons lying, abandons the use of intoxicants which cause indolence and abstains therefrom. This month is the fifth gift, a great gift, recognized from the first, known for many a day, known by tradition, ancient and unconfounded. Not being confounded in the past, it has not become confounded, nor will it become confounded. It is not scorned by discerning recluse or Brahmin. This, monks, is the eighth yield in merit and goodness. The food of happiness, celestial, resulting in happiness, leading heavenward, which conduces to what is pleasing, lovely, precious, beneficial, and to happiness. Monks, these are the eight yields in merit and goodness." That's the end of the Sutta. So here the Buddha is saying there are eight things which are meritorious and results in leading a person to the heavens. And the first three are the three refuges, taking refuge in the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha. And that basically means a person understands the Dhamma. and after that there are the five precepts. So if a person has these eight things, the three refuges and the five precepts, that person will have a lot of merit and a lot of blessings that leads heavenwards, leads to what is pleasing, lovely, precious, beneficial and to happiness. The next sutta is 8.4.40. The Buddha said, monks, taking life when pursued, practiced, increased, brings one to hell, to an animal's womb, to the ghost realm. What is the very trifling result of taking life is the shortening of a man's life. Monks, stealing when pursued, brings one to hell, to an animal's womb, to the ghost realm. The very trifling result is man's loss of wealth. Monks, fleshly lusts when pursued, brings one to hell, to an animal's womb, to the ghost realm. The very trifling result is a man's rivalry and hatred. Monks, lying when pursued, brings one to hell, to an animal's womb to the ghost realm. The very trifling result is the slandering and false speaking of a man. Monks' malicious tail-bearing when pursued brings one to hell, to an animal's womb, to the ghost realm. The very trifling result is the breaking up of a man's friendship. Monks, harsh speech when pursued brings one to hell, to an animal's womb, to the ghost realm. The very trifling result is an unpleasing noise for a man. Monks, idle talk when pursued brings one to hell, to an animal's womb to the ghost realm. The very trifling result is unacceptable speech for a man. Monks, drinking strong drink when pursued, practice increased, brings one to hell, to an animal's womb, to the ghost realm. What is the very trifling result of drinking strong drink is madness for a man. That's the end of the sutta. Here, only concerning the precepts, we hear about the five precepts, but we notice in the suttas that sometimes the Buddha mentions seven precepts, and in this sutta, this mentions the seven precepts plus the liquor precept, which makes it the eight precepts. And it seems from the suttas that originally the Buddha made seven precepts. The first one is to abstain from killing. Second, to abstain from taking what is not given. The third is to abstain from adultery. The fourth is to abstain from lying. And another three are also connected with verbal kamma. The fifth is abstention from malicious tail bearing. That means not to, when you hear A talking bad about B, You don't repeat to be what he said to make them quarrel and fight. That is abstention from malicious tail-bearing. And the sixth one is harsh speech, abstention from harsh speech. The seventh is abstention from idle talk. And these were the original seven precepts. And if you look at the Aryan Eightfold Path, they are found there. And the fifth precept, the precept against drink, was added later. And it is also not found in the Aryan Eightfold Path. So you notice in these eight precepts, if we break these eight precepts constantly, then we will be reborn into the ghost realm. But even if we don't make a habit of breaking these eight precepts, these precepts, if we If we do break them, the first one, the result of killing, taking life, the trifling result is the shortening of a man's life. You have short life because you make other beings' life short. The second one, stealing, the trifling result of stealing is a man's loss of wealth. That means he will also your wealth will also be stolen. And then adultery, trifling result of adultery results in rivalry and hatred in the next life. And lying, the result of lying, the trifling result of lying is slandering and false speaking of that person in return. And then malicious tail bearing, the result is breaking up of a man's friendship, because you break up other person's friendships, so you will also suffer the same result. Then harsh speech, the result noise, Idle talk, the result is unacceptable speech in the future. And taking liquor and intoxicants, the trifling result of that is madness in the future life. So because of that, we have to be careful to keep these precepts purely. The next sutra is 8.5.46. Once the Exalted One was dwelling at Kosambi in Gosita Park. Now the Venerable Anuruddha had gone apart during the noon day rest. And there came to Him a host of lovely devis or fairies, who saluted and stood at one side. Thus standing, they addressed the Venerable One and said, Master Anuruddha, we are the fairies of lovely form. In three degrees we wield power and have dominion. We can assume in a moment any color we desire. We can produce in a moment any sound we desire. We can obtain in a moment any happiness we desire. We, Master Anuruddha, are the fairies of lovely form, and in these three degrees we have power and dominion. Then the Venerable Anuruddha thought, O that these fairies would become all blue, with blue faces, blue garments and blue finery. And those fairies, knowing his thoughts, became all blue, with blue faces, blue garments and blue finery. Then he thought, O that they would become all yellow, all red, all white, with white faces, white garments and white finery. and at each thought they became so. Now some of the fairies sang, some danced, and some clapped their hands. Just as the five instruments of music, when well-tuned, well-played, and properly struck by the skill, yield a sound at once sweet and charming, alluring, lovable and bewitching, even so was the music of those fairies, all bedecked at once sweet and charming, alluring, lovable and bewitching. But the Venerable Aniruddha kept his senses under control. Then thought the fairies, Master Aniruddha is not enjoying this, and immediately vanished. In the evening, the Venerable Anuruddha arose from solitude and came where the Exalted One was, and after saluting, he sat down at one side. So seated, he told the Exalted One all that had happened, adding, Lord, how many qualities have women who, on the breaking up of the body after death, are reborn among the fairies of lovely form. Eight qualities have women, Anruddha, who after death are reborn among the fairies of lovely form. What eight? Here in Anruddha, the husband to whom her parents give her, out of love for her, seeking her good, in loving kindness and fond regard, she will get up before him, retire after him, be obedient to his wishes, lovely in her ways and gentle in speech. Whosoever is honoured by her husband as mother, father, recluse or brahmin, such she reverences, honours, esteems and respects. On their arrival she offers a seat and water. Whatever her husband's home industries, whether in wool or cotton, therein she is deft and nimble, gifted with an inquiring turn of mind into all such undertakings. She is able to arrange and carry them out. of whatever her husband's household consists. Slaves, messengers, are workful. She knows the work of each by what has been done. She knows their remissness by what has not been done. She knows the strength and the weakness of the sick. She divides the hard and soft food, each according to his share. When her husband brings home money, corn, silver or gold, she keeps it secure by watch and ward. Of it she is no robber, thief, squanderer, wastrel. She is a lay disciple who has found refuge in the Buddha, in Dharma and Sangha. She keeps her precepts, abstaining from taking life, from stealing, from fleshly lusts, from lying, from drinking strong drink, the cause of sloth. She is charitable, dwelling at home with heart purged of the stain of stinginess, given over to charity, open-handed, taking delight in giving. Yoke made to asking, she finds joy in almsgiving. These Anuruddha are the eight qualities women have who after death are reborn among the fairies of lovely form. That's the end of the Sutta. It's quite an interesting sutra because the noble Anuruddha, he went to the forest after taking his meal at the middle of the day. He went into the forest and in the forest when a monk is alone, sometimes these spirits come to him because he's all alone. So these devis, fairies, came to him and showed their ability to change their colors and to play music, etc. But Venerable Aniruddha kept his senses under control, so the fairies left. And then when Venerable Aniruddha consulted the Buddha, the Buddha said that a woman who is born as this type of fairy of lovely form, she has eight qualities, she serves her husband, Secondly, she honors her husband's parents and monks. Third, she's capable of managing the husband's business. The fourth is capable in running the household. The fifth, she guards her husband's wealth. Sixth, she takes refuge in the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha. The seventh, she keeps the five precepts. And number eight, she's generous or charitable. So that's the way to become a very lovely woman. The next sutra is 8.5.49. Once while the Exalted One dwelt at Savatthi in an eastern park at the terraced house of Migara's mother, Visakha visited Him. And the Exalted One said to her, Endowed with four qualities, Visakha, women folk win power in this world. This world is in their grasp. With what four? Hearing Visakha, A woman is capable at her work. She manages the servants. In her ways she is lovely to her husband. She guards his wealth. And how, Visakha, is a woman capable at her work? Whatever her husband's home industries, whether in wool or cotton, therein she is deft and nimble, gifted with an inquiring turn of mind into all such undertakings. she is able to arrange and carry them out. In this way, a woman is capable at her work. And how does she manage the servants? Whatever her husband's household consists of, slaves, messengers, or work folk, she knows the work of each by what has been done. She knows their remissness by what has not been done. She knows the strength and weakness of the sick. She divides the hard and soft food, each according to his share. In this way she manages the servants. And how is she lovely in her ways to her husband! What her husband reckons to be unlovely, that she would not commit for very life's sake. Thus she is lovely in her ways to her husband. And how does she guard his wealth? Whatever money, corn, silver or gold her husband brings home, she keeps it secure by watch and ward, and of it she is no robber, thief, squanderer or wastrel. In this way she guards his wealth. Endowed with these four qualities, visakha, womenfolk win power in this world. This world is in their grasp. Endowed with four qualities, Visakha, women folk win power in the next world. The next world is in their grasp. With what four? Here in Visakha, a woman is accomplished in faith, virtue, charity and wisdom. And how is she accomplished in faith? She has faith and believes in the awakening of the Tathagata, thinking of the Truth. He is the Exalted One, Arahant, Samasambuddha. endowed with knowledge and practice, welfareer, world-knower, incomparable tamer of tamable men, teacher of devas and men, exalted one. Such is her faith. And how she accomplished in virtue. She abstains from taking life, from stealing, from the lusts of the flesh, from lying and from drinking liquor, the cause of sloth. Such is her virtue. And how she accomplished in charity. She dwells at home with heart purged of the stain of avarice, given over to charity, open-handed, delighting in giving, yoke-made to asking. She finds joy in almsgiving. Such is her charity. And how is she accomplished in wisdom? She is wise and is endowed with wisdom into the way of the rise and fall of things, with Aryan penetration of the way to the utter destruction of dukkha, or ill. Such is her wisdom. Endowed with these four qualities, visakha, women folk win power in the next world. The next world is in their grasp. That's the end of the sutra. So in this sutta we hear about four qualities where women win power in this world, and four qualities where women win power in the next world. And the last one is more important, to win power in the next world. And to get power in the next world, four things are important. To have faith in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. To have virtue, that means to keep the precepts, to be charitable and to have wisdom. These are the four important things.

22-AN-Book-8G-(8.6.51-to-8.6.58).txt

The next sutta is 8.6.51. It's quite an interesting sutta. Once while the Exalted One was staying among the Sakyans in Banyan Tree Park at Kapilavatthu, Mahapajapati the Gautamit came and visited him, and after saluting, stood at one side. Thus standing, she said to the Exalted One, Lord, well were it that women folk should be allowed to go forth from the home to homeless life into the Dhamma Vinaya declared by the Tathagata. And the Buddha said, Enough, Gautamit, set not your heart upon the going forth of women from the home to the homeless life into the Dhamma Vinaya declared by the Tathagata. But Mahāpajāpati beseeched him a second time and a third time in like manner, but the Exalted One replied as before. Then Mahāpajāpati, the Gautamī, seeing that the Exalted One would not permit women to go forth from the home, sad and sorrowful, in tears and sobbing, saluted him and departed, keeping him on her right. This Mahāpajāpati was actually the foster mother of our Buddha. When our Buddha was young, according to the legend, seven days after our Buddha was born, the real mother passed away, and then the mother's sister is this Mahāpajāpati. And Maha Bajapati was also the wife of the Buddha's father. In the olden days, a person could have as many wives as he could afford to keep. So in actual fact, Maha Bajapati was the auntie of the Buddha. And Maha Bajapati had her own son by the name of Nanda. And as she brought up Nanda, she also brought up and nursed our Buddha just like her own son. And when the Buddha had become enlightened and came back to see the Sakyins and taught them the Dharma. And at that time, this Mahapajapati was already fairly old, so she wanted to become a nun. And she was the first to ask the Buddha for permission to ordain. But as you see here, the Buddha refused her permission. Now the sutra continues. Now the Exalted One, when He had stayed at Kapilavatthu as long as He desired, set out on a journey to Vaisali, and in due course, going from place to place, arrived there. And the Exalted One dwelt near Vaisali in Mahavana at the Gabled Hall. Then Mahāpajāpati the Gautamī, having had her hair cut off and donned yellow robes, set out with a large company of Sākhyan women for Vesālī, and in due course they drew near to the gabled hall in Mahāvāna near Vesālī. And Mahāpajāpati stood outside the door, her feet swollen and her limbs covered with dust, sad and sorrowful, sobbing and in tears. Now the Venerable Ananda saw her standing thus, with swollen feet and in tears, and said to her, Wherefore, Gautamit, do you stand, sad and sorrowful, outside the door? And she said, It is because, Reverend Ananda, the Exalted One will not allow women to go forth from the home to the homeless life, into the Dhamma Vinaya declared by the Tathagata. And Venerable Ananda said, Then wait here, Gautamit, until I have asked the Exalted One to allow women to go forth from the home. And the Venerable Ananda went unto the Exalted One and saluted and sat down at one side. So seated, he spoke thus, Lord, Mahapajapati the Gautamik stands outside at the door, her feet swollen and her limbs covered with dust, sad and sorrowful, sobbing and in tears, saying, The Exalted One will not allow women to go forth. Lord, well were it that women should be allowed to go forth from the home to the homeless life, into the Dhamma Vinaya declared by the Tathagata. And the Buddha said, Enough, Ananda, set not your heart upon the going forth of women from the home to the homeless life. A second and a third time Ananda beseeched him in like manner, but the exalted one gave the same reply. Then thought the Venerable Ananda, The Exalted One will not allow women to go forth from the home to the homeless life. What if I were to ask the Exalted One in another way?" And he spoke thus, "'Lord, if women go forth from the home to the homeless life into the Dhamma-vinaya declared by the Tathagata, can they realize the fruit of stream-winning, of once-returning, of non-returning, and of arahantship? And the Buddha said, they can, Ananda. And Venerable Ananda said, Lord, if they can, since Mahāpajāpati has been of great service to the Exalted One, for as his aunt, nurse and foster mother, she gave him milk when the Exalted One's mother died, well were it that women should be allowed to go forth." And the Buddha said, If Ananda, Mahāpajāpati the Gautamī, receive these eight cardinal rules, it shall be for her the ordination. 1. Though she has been ordained a hundred years, a nun must pay respect, raise her hands in salutation, rise up from her seat, and salute a monk who has but that day been ordained. This is a rule to be honored, respected, revered, venerated, and never to be transgressed during her life. 2. A nun must not spend the rainy season where there is no resident monk. This is a rule never to be transgressed. 3. Twice a month, a nun must question the Sangha concerning the date of the Uposatha day and the next time of preaching. This is a rule never to be transgressed. 4. After the rainy season, a nun must keep the pavarana before both sanghas in respect of three matters, those seen, those heard, and those suspected. This is a rule never to be transgressed. 5. A nun guilty of a serious offence must undergo a penance before both sanghas for the half month. This is a rule never to be transgressed. 6. After training for two rainy seasons in the six rules, a nun must seek full ordination of both sanghas. This is a rule never to be transgressed. 7. Not on any pretext must a nun revile or abuse a monk. This is a rule never to be transgressed. 8. From today, Ananda, admonition by nuns of monks is forbidden, but admonition of nuns by monks is not forbidden. This is a rule to be honored, respected, revered, venerated, and never to be transgressed during life. If Mahapajapati receives these eight cardinal rules, it shall be for her the ordination. Now when the Venerable Ananda had learned these eight rules from the Exalted One, he went to Mahapajapati and told her all the Exalted One had said, and she answered him and said, Parent Ananda, just as a woman or man, young and tender in years and fond of dress, would, after washing the head, receive with both hands a garland of lotus flowers, of jasmine flowers, or of some sweet-scented creeper, and place it on top of the head. Even so, I, sir, received these eight cardinal rules, never to be transgressed all my life. Then the Venerable Ananda returned to the Exalted One, saluted Him and sat down at one side. So seated, he said, Lord, Mahāpajāpati the Gautamī has received the eight rules. And the Buddha said, If, ananda, women had not been allowed to go forth from the home to the homeless life, into the dhamma-vinaya declared by the Tathagata, then long would have lasted the holy life. For a thousand years would have such dhamma or true dhamma would sat-dharma or true dharma have lasted. But now, Ananda, since women have gone forth, not for long will the holy life last. Now, Ananda, just for five hundred years will the true dharma last. Just as those clans that have many women and but few men easily fall a prey to robbers and pot thieves, even so, Ananda, in whatever dharma-vinaya women are allowed to go forth from the home to the homeless life, that holy life will not last long. Just as when the disease, known as white as bones, falls upon a field of ripened rice, that field does not last long. Even so, Ananda, in whatever dharma-vinaya women are allowed to go forth, that holy life will not last long. Just as when the disease known as red rust falls upon a field of ripened sugarcane, that field does not last long. Even so, Ananda, in whatever dhamma-vinaya women are allowed to go forth, that holy life will not last long. And now, Ananda, just as a man might build a dike to a great reservoir with a view to the future so that no water could pass beyond it, even so I, Ananda, with a view to the future, have laid down for nuns these eight cardinal rules which must not be transgressed so long as they live." That's the end of the sutta. So you see from here, after Mahapajapati could not get permission of the Buddha to go forth, then he followed the Buddha all the way, walking from Kapilavatthu to Vesali. And according to the commentary, that was a distance of about 200 miles. So that was a pretty long way to walk. So the Venerable Ananda asked the Buddha again for permission for women to go forth and three times the Buddha refused him. And then after that he thought of another way to get around it and reminded the Buddha that the Buddha owed very much to Maha Bajapati, who brought her up, gave her milk when she was small, etc. And so the Buddha relented. And the Buddha made eight rules for nuns. The first one is that even a nun has been ordained a long time, she must pay respect to a monk, any monk, even though he's very newly ordained. Then second rule is that a monk must not spend the rainy season, the Vasa, where there is no resident monk. In the Theravada tradition, every year during the rainy season in India, they had the rainy season, the winter and the summer seasons, three seasons. And three months out of the four months, a monk or a nun must stay in a fixed place. and not leave the place more than six continuous nights. So, for a nun, she must spend the Vassa in a place where there are monks, at least one monk. And the third condition is that twice a month, a nun must ask the Bhikkhu Sangha for the date of the Uposatha, because I think they have to recite the precepts. in front of the monk, and then the time of preaching, because every two weeks they would have to be given a teaching by a senior monk. And the fourth rule is, after the rainy season, a nun must keep the pavarana before both sanghas. Pavarana is an invitation to criticize. It is also practiced by monks. When monks have spent the Basa, the rainy season, and after the three months of the rainy season, sometimes there is some ill will between monks. So they have to, each one of them, they have to In a Sangha gathering, starting from the most senior monk, they have to invite criticism from the other monks. Invite the monks to criticize them in case any of the monks has seen or heard or suspected anything wrong. Then the monk invites criticism. In the case of a nun, she has to invite the nuns to criticise her and later she has to invite the monks to criticise her as well. The fifth rule is a nun, if she has undergone a serious offence, meaning a sangha decease. The second most serious offence for a monk or a nun is a sangha decease. For example, to touch somebody of the opposite sex. purposely, out of a lustful desire, or to say some lewd words, some vulgar words, etc. So for this class of serious offence, a nun must undergo a penance before both sanghas, the monks and the nuns. The sixth rule, after training for two rainy seasons, that means for two years in the six rules, A nun, she cannot immediately become a nun. She has to keep six precepts for two years. That was partly because once there was a nun who came to ordain, and after she was ordained, then she became pregnant. And that was not because she did anything wrong, but because she was married before she ordained. So after she ordained, she conceived and then people talked bad about her. So this was probably the main reason why the Buddha made a rule that a nun must spend two years before she gets the full ordination. And then the seventh rule is that a nun must not revile or abuse a monk. And the eighth rule is that monks can criticize nuns, but nuns are not allowed to criticize monks. Now, sometimes women are not happy with this kind of discrimination against women. But it's partly because women are more emotional than men. So that if they are kind, then they are kinder than men. But if they are angry or hateful, then they become much more hateful than men. Towards the end, the Buddha told Ananda that if women had not been allowed to go forth, then the true Dharma would have lasted 1000 years. But because women had gone forth, then the true Dharma would now last only 500 years. And so we can see that the Dharma was unadulterated for 500 years. And after 500 years, after the Buddha's passing away, from that time onwards, new books were written. new books that contradicted the earlier discourses of the Buddha, so that if we study the suttas, we find the earliest four Nikayas, the Digha Nikaya, Majjhima Nikaya, Samyutta Nikaya, And Anguttara Nikaya, these are the earliest discourses of the Buddha. If you read the suttas, there are no contradictions generally. But if you read later books, then you find there is contradiction. Older books and then the newer books, they contradict. each other as well. So we have to be very careful now that the dharma has become polluted. It doesn't mean that the true dharma is lost. The true dharma is still here, but it is mixed up with a lot of a-dhamma, what is contrary to dhamma, so it is very difficult for people to distinguish between the real dhamma and the fake dhamma. And so, if you don't get the proper guidance, because most people don't have the time to study all the books to find out, then you might get some wrong views. So you see, the reason the Buddha at first refused permission for women to go forth was actually to protect the Dharma. He wanted the Dharma to last longer, to benefit more people. And he said, once women have gone forth, then the sasana, the Buddhist religion, has become weakened. the teachings have become weakened. And the Buddha gave an example. Just as there are those clans that have many women but few men, easily fall prey to robbers and pot thieves. So in the same way, once you have women in the holy life, then the sasana is weakened. Next Sutta, 8.6.52. Once while the Exalted One was staying at the Gable Hall in Mahavana near Vaisali, the Venerable Ananda came to Him and saluted and sat down at one side. So seated, He spoke thus to the Exalted One. Lord, how many qualities must a monk have to be considered a spiritual advisor of nuns? A monk Ananda must have eight qualities. What eight? Here in Ananda, a monk is virtuous. He undertakes and trains himself in the precepts. He is learned. the doctrines he has fully understood in theory. To him both patimokkha have been properly and fully handed down, sectioned, regulated and resolved into detail. He has a pleasant voice, his enunciation is good, his speech is obeying, distinct, free from hoarseness and informative. He is able to instruct, incite, rouse and gladden the Sangha of nuns with religious discourse. Generally, he is dear to and liked by the nuns. Previous to his taking this exalted one as his authority for going forth for donning the yellow robe, he has been guilty of no serious crime. He has been ordained twenty years or more. A monk ananda must have these eight qualities to be considered a spiritual advisor for nuns. That's the end of the sutra. I just recapitulate these conditions. The first one, a monk must be virtuous. He keeps the precepts. Secondly, he must be learned in the Dharma. Thirdly, both patimokkas, the monk's patimokka and the nun's patimokka, he fully understands. Number four, he has a pleasant voice. Number five, he is able to instruct the nuns with religious discourse, with the dharma. Number six, he is liked by the nuns. 7. He has been guilty of no serious crime. 8. He has been ordained 20 years or more. A monk who has been ordained 10 years or more is called a Thera. A monk who has been ordained 20 years or more is called a Maha Thera. So these are the qualities. The next sutta is 8.6.53. Once in the Gable Hall at Vaisali, Mahapajapati the Gautamit spoke thus to the Exalted One, Well worried for me, Lord, if the Exalted One would teach me dharma briefly, so that after hearing the Exalted One's word, I might dwell alone, secluded, earnest, zealous and resolute. And the Buddha said, those things of which you know thus, these things lead to passion, not to release therefrom. These lead to bondage, not to release therefrom. These lead to the piling of rebirth, not to the dispersion thereof. These lead to wanting much, not to wanting little. These lead to discontent, not to contentment. These lead to sociability, not to solitude. These lead to indolence, not to exertion. These lead to luxury, not to frugality. Of these things, hold definitely, this is not Dharma, this is not Vinaya, this is not the word of the teacher. But as to those things, Gautamit, which you know lead to dispassion, to release from bondage, to the dispersion of rebirth, to wanting little, to contentment, to solitude, to exertion, and to frugality, and in no case to their opposites. Be assured that they are Dharma, they are Vinaya, the word of the teacher." That's the end of the sutra. So here the Buddha is giving a Dharma teaching in brief to the foster mother, to the mother. And these are the things that Dhamma in concise form, those things that lead to dispassion, to release from bondage, to dispersion of rebirth, to wanting little, to contentment, to solitude, to exertion, to frugality, these are consistent with the Dhamma Vinaya, but not their opposite. The next sutra is 8.6.54. Once the Exalted One was dwelling among the Kolians at the market town called Kakarapata. There Long Ni, the Kolian clansman, visited the Exalted One, and after greeting Him, sat down at one side. So seated, he spoke thus to the Exalted One. Lord, we householders are immersed in the realm of pleasure. We are comforted with bread made in suns. We delight in the muslin cloth from Benares and in sandalwood. We deck ourselves with flowers, with garlands and cosmetics. Enjoy the use of both silver and gold, that is money. Lord, to such as us, let the Exalted One also teach Dharma, teach the things which will be to our advantage and for our happiness here on earth, for our advantage and happiness in the world to come. And the Buddha said, these four conditions, Tiger Foot, lead to a clansman's advantage and happiness here on earth. What four? Achievement in alertness, achievement in weariness, good company, and the even life. And what, Tiger Foot, is achievement in alertness? Stop here a moment. This tiger foot must be the nickname of this person. This long knee is Biyagapaja. His family name was Biyagapaja, which is tiger foot. And Long Nhi is Diga Janu, was his nickname. So here the Buddha addresses him by his family name. And what, Tigerfoot, is achievement in alertness? Herein, by whatsoever activity a clansman make his living, whether by the plow, by trading, or by cattle herding, by archery, or as a raja's man, or by any of the crafts, he is deft and tireless, gifted with an inquiring turn of mind into ways and means, he is able to arrange and carry out his job. This is called achievement in alertness. And what, Tigerfoot, is achievement in weariness? Herein, whatsoever wealth a clansman get together by work and zeal, collect by the strength of his arm, earn by the sweat of his brow, and justly obtain in a lawful manner, Such he keeps by watch and ward, thinking, now how can I arrange so that Rajas may not get this wealth out of me? Nor thieves steal it, nor fire consume it, nor water carry it off, nor treacherous heirs make off with it. This is called achievement in weariness. And what Tiger Foot is good company. Herein, in whatsoever village or market town a clansman dwell, he consorts, converses, engages in talk with householders or householder's sons, young men reared in virtue, old men old in virtue, full of faith, virtue, charity and wisdom. He emulates the fullness of faith in such as are full of faith. He emulates the fullness of virtue in such as are full of virtue. He emulates the fullness of charity in such as are full of charity. He emulates the fullness of wisdom in such as are full of wisdom. This is called good company. And what, Tigerfoot, is the even life? Herein, a clansman, while experiencing both gain and loss in wealth, continues his business serenely, not unduly elated or depressed. He thinks, thus my income, after deducting the loss, will stand at so much, and my outgoings will not exceed my income. Just as one who carries scales, or his apprentice, knows, on holding up the balance, that either by so much it has dipped down, or by so much it has tilted up, even so a tiger-foot, a clansman, experiencing both gain and loss, continues his business serenely. neither unduly elated nor unduly depressed, but realizes that after allowing for the loss, his income will stand at so much, and that his outgoings will not exceed his income. If Tigerfoot If this clansman have but small earnings and live on a grand scale, it will be rumoured of him. This clansman eats his wealth like a fig tree glutton, and if his earnings be great and he live meanly, rumour will say of him, this clansman will die like a starveling. Therefore, this clansman continues his business serenely, knowing that his outgoings will not exceed his income. This is called the even life. Tigerfoot, the four channels for the flowing away of amassed wealth are these. Looseness with women, debauchery in drinking, knavery in dice play and friendship, companionship and intimacy with evildoers. such just as in the case of a great reservoir with only four inlets and only four outlets. If a man should close the inlets and open the outlets, and there should be no proper fall of rain, a lessening is to be expected in that great reservoir and not an increase. Even so, Tiger Foot, there are these four channels for the flowing away of amassed wealth. Looseness with women, debauchery in drinking, knavery in dice play, and friendship, companionship, and intimacy with evil doers. Tigerfoot, the four channels for the flowing in of great wealth are these, abstinence from looseness with women, from debauchery in drinking, from knavery in dice play, and having friendship, companionship and intimacy with the good. Just as in the case of a great reservoir, with only four inlets and only four outlets, if a man should open the inlets, and close the outlets, and if there should be a proper fall of rain, an increase may be expected in that great reservoir and not a lessening. Even so, O Tiger Foot, there are these four channels for the flowing in of great wealth, abstinence from looseness with women, from debauchery in drinking, from knavery in dice play, and the friendship, companionship and intimacy with the good. These Tiger Foot are the four conditions which lead to a cleansement, advantage and happiness here on earth. These four conditions, Tiger Foot, lead to a cleansement, advantage and happiness in the world to come. What for? Achievement in faith, achievement in virtue, achievement in charity and achievement in wisdom. And what is achievement in faith? Herein a clansman has faith and believes in the awakening of the Tathagata, thinking of a truth he is the exalted one. This is called achievement in faith. And what is achievement in virtue? Herein a clansman abstains from taking life from from stealing, from adultery, from lying and from taking liquor. This is called achievement in virtue. And what is achievement in charity? Hearing a clansman dwells at home with hard perch of the stain of avarice, etc. etc. This is called achievement in charity. And what is achievement in wisdom? Hearing a clansman is wise and is endowed with wisdom into the rise and fall of things, etc. This is called achievement in wisdom. These tiger foot are the four conditions which lead to a clansman's advantage and happiness in the world to come. That's the end of the sutra. So this sutra is a very practical sutra for lay persons, and because this person who came to ask the Buddha, he said he still wants to enjoy life as a lay person, but what are the things that he should cultivate? So the Buddha told him that he should cultivate achievement in alertness, achievement in weariness, and keep good company and have an even life. And achievement in alertness is to be skillful in his work, in his job. Weariness is to be able to guard his wealth, his property. Good company is keeping company with good persons. And even life is to be able to spend his money wisely, not exceeding his income, and not to be unduly elated or depressed. And then the four channels for the flowing away of wealth is looseness with women, drinking, gambling and having evil friends. and the opposite leads to flowing in of great wealth. And then four things lead to person's advantage and happiness in the world to come, just as before, is the achievement in faith, having the faith in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, virtue, keeping the precepts, Charity, that means being generous and practicing charity. And the last one is wisdom, that means knowing that things are impermanent, that they arise and pass away. And that basically means understanding the Dhamma. So these are the things that will bring a person happiness in the world to come. And today we come to Sutta 8.6.58. The Buddha said, monks, a monk is endowed with eight qualities. A monk who is endowed with eight qualities, is worthy of offerings, worthy of gifts, worthy of oblations, deserves to be reverently saluted, the world's peerless field for merit. What aid? Hearing a monk is virtuous. 2. He is learned. 3. He dwells strenuous, steadfast, energetic, shirking not the burden of righteousness or wholesomeness. 4. He is a forest-dweller, having his bed and seat apart from mankind. Enduring likes and dislikes, dwelling in continuous mastery of dislikes which arise. 6. Enduring fear and dismay, dwelling in continuous mastery of fear and dismay which arise. 7. He attains to the four jhana states. Number eight, he destroys the asavas. He who is endowed with these eight qualities is worthy of offerings, worthy of gifts, worthy of oblations, deserves to be reverently saluted. The world's purest field for merit. That's the end of the sutta. So these are the eight qualities which makes a monk very virtuous and worthy of salutations. Number one, he's virtuous. Number two, he's learned. That means he's learned in the Dhamma, the Buddha's teachings, more specifically the Dhamma Vinaya, the Suttas and the Vinaya. And then number three, he is energetic, always getting rid of unwholesome states of mind and developing wholesome states of mind. Number four, he's a forest dweller. That means he dwells in seclusion, having his lodgings away from mankind. Number five, he's always trying to master dislikes which arise. And number six is always trying to master fear which arises. Fear which arises is more likely in lonely places. If a monk dwells alone in lonely places, sometimes at night, there might be certain things, certain sounds which make him afraid. So he has to master the fear. Number seven, he attains to the four jhanas. The four jhanas, the jhanas are considered uttari manusa dhamma, higher than human attainment. That is why if a person can attain the jhanas, he is worthy of reverence. The last one, he destroys the asavas, becomes liberated.

23-AN-Book-8H-(8.6.59-to-8.8.74).txt

An Exotar is 8.6.59. Monks, there are these 8 persons worthy of offerings, worthy of gifts, worthy of oblations, deserving to be reverently saluted, the world's purest field for merit. What aid? The stream-winner. That's number one. Number two, he who has entered the path for the realization of the fruit of stream winning. Number three, the once-returner or Sakadagami. Number four, he who attains to the path for the realization thereof. Number five, the non-returner or Anagami. 6. He who has entered the path for the realization of the fruit of non-returning. 7. The Arahant. 8. He who has entered on the path to Arahantship. That's the end of the Sutta. So here the Buddha is talking about eight persons who are ariyas and you notice it is eight persons not four persons because in the Abhidhamma the path attainment is supposed to be followed immediately the next moment by the fruition. But this is not so in the suttas. In the suttas you have eight persons, which means that path attainer actually exists for you to make offerings to. So it does appear in the sutras that path attainment and fruition attainment can take quite some time apart, quite some time apart, not necessarily one following the other immediately. The other thing you notice is that these terms, sotapanas, akatagamin, anagamin and arhan, are all fruition attainers. They're all fruition attainers. Here in this book, they have translated wrongly. They have translated the stream-winner and he who attains to the realization of the fruit of stream-winning. So from this translation, it appears like the stream-winner, Sutapanna, is a path-attainer. But actually, when I checked the Pali translation, I find that the terms suttapanna, sakadagamin, anagamin and arahan are fruition attainers. The next sutta is 8.7.62. Monks possessed of six qualities, a monk is enough for self, enough for others. What six? Hearing a monk is quick to grasp the subtle doctrines or dhamma. Number two, he remembers those hurt. Number three, he reflects on the meaning of those remembered. 4. Knowing both the letter and the spirit, he walks in conformity with Dhamma. 5. He has a pleasant voice, a good enunciation, is obeying in speech, distinct, free from hoarseness and informative. 6. He is one who instructs, incites, rouses and gladdens his companions in the holy light. And then possessed of these six, a monk is worth, is enough for self, enough for others. I'll just stop here for a while, just to recapitulate. There are six qualities which makes a monk, which benefits a monk as well as benefits others. Number one, he is quick. to understand the Dhamma. Number two, he remembers the Dhamma. Number three, he reflects on the meaning of the Dhamma. And number four, he walks in conformity with Dhamma. Number five, he has a pleasant voice. Number six, he is one who instructs and encourages his companions in the holy life. Now to continue. Likewise, possessed of five qualities, a monk is enough for self and enough for others. What five? He is not very quick in grasping the subtle doctrines, but he possesses the other five qualities. That means he remembers the Dhamma heard, he reflects on the meaning of the Dhamma remembered, And then number three, he walks in conformity with Dhamma, that he has a pleasant voice, and he instructs and encourages his companions in the holy life. Possess of these five is enough for self, enough for others. Possessed of four qualities, a monk is enough for self, but not for others. What for? He is quick to grasp the subtle doctrines. He remembers those heard. He reflects on those remembered. Knowing both the letter and the spirit, he walks in conformity with Dharma. But he does not have a pleasant voice, nor does he instruct, rouse and gladden his companions in the holy light. With these four, he is enough for self, but not for others. Possessed of four qualities, he is enough for others, but not for self. What for? He is quick to grasp the subtle doctrines, remembers them, but not he does not reflect on them or walk in conformity with Dhamma. Yet he has a pleasant voice, and he instructs his companions in the holy life. With these four, he is enough for others, but not for self. Possessed of three qualities, he is enough for self, but not for others. What three? He is not quick to grasp the subtle doctrines, but he remembers them, he reflects upon them. He walks in conformity with Dhamma, yet he has not a pleasant voice, nor does he instruct his fellows in the holy life. With these three, he is enough for self, but not for others. Possessed of three qualities, he is enough for others, but not for self. What three? He is not quick to grasp the subtle doctrines, but remembers them. Yet he does not reflect on them, does not walk in conformity with dharma, but he has a pleasant voice, and instructs his companions in the holy life. With these three, he is enough for others, but not for self. Possessed of two qualities, he is enough for self but not for others. What to? He is not quick to grasp the subtle doctrines, does not remember them, but he reflects on them and walks in conformity with Dhamma. Yet he has not a pleasant voice, nor does he instruct and rouse and incite his companions in the holy life, with enough for self but not for others. Monks Possessed of two qualities, a monk is enough for others but not for self. What to? Herein a monk is not very quick to grasp the subtle doctrines. He does not remember those heard, nor reflect on the meaning of those remembered. Knowing neither the letter nor the spirit, he does not walk in conformity with Dhamma. But he has a pleasant voice, a good enunciation, is urbane in speech, distinct, free from hoarseness and informative. He is one who instructs, incites, rouses and gladdens his companions in the holy life. Possessed of these two qualities, a monk is enough for others, but not for self." That's the end of the sutra. I'm not going to go through those qualities again. Perhaps if you have the tape, or if you remember, then you can reflect on it and slowly you'll understand. The next sutra is 8.7.63. A certain monk approached the Exalted One, paid homage, etc., and sat down and said, Lord, well were it for me if the Exalted One would teach me Dhamma briefly. After hearing it, I would abide alone, secluded, zealous, earnest, resolved. And the Buddha said, But this is just how some foolish fellows beg of me, and when they have heard me preach Dhamma, they think I am just the one to be followed. And the monk said, Lord, let the Exalted One teach me Dhamma briefly. Let the Welfarer teach me Dhamma briefly. Perhaps I might understand the purpose of the Exalted One's word. Perhaps I might become an heir to the word of the Exalted One. And the Buddha said, Therefore, monk, you must train yourself thus. Inwardly, my mind shall become firm and well composed, and evil and unwholesome states, which arise and overwhelm the mind, shall find no footing. Thus indeed, monk, must you train yourself." I just stopped here for a moment. This advice the Buddha gave is a very good advice. He's telling the monk to Make the mind firm and well composed so that the evil and unwholesome states of mind can find no footing to arise. That is the purpose of samadhi, strong concentration. The purpose is that these hindrances, these unwholesome states of mind, shall not arise because they have no footing to arise. Now the Buddha continued, When, monk, inwardly your mind is firm and well composed, and evil and unwholesome states which arise and overwhelm the mind find no footing, then, monk, you must train yourself thus. Radiation of good will by the mind shall become made become by me. continuously developed, made a vehicle of, made a basis, exercised, augmented, thoroughly set going. Thus indeed, mang, must you train yourself. When mang, this concentration is thus made become, and developed by you, then you should make become this concentration with initial and sustained application. Make it become without initial application, but with sustained application only. Make it become without either initial or sustained application. Make it become with rapture or delightner piti. Make it become without rapture. Make it become accompanied by pleasure, sukha. Make it become accompanied by equanimity. When monk, this concentration is made become by you, and well made become. Then monk, you must train yourself thus. Radiation of compassion, joy, equanimity by the mind shall be made become by me, continuously developed, made a vehicle of, made a basis, exercised, augmented, thoroughly set going. Thus indeed, monk, must you train yourself. When, monk, these concentrations are thus made become and developed by you, then you should make these concentrations become with initial and sustained application, etc. Make them become accompanied by equanimity. I'll just stop here for a moment. So here you see the Buddha is advising the monk, firstly, to make the mind firm and composed. Then after that he asked the monk to practice radiation of goodwill by the mind, metta. goodwill or loving kindness to develop the metta. And then after that, to develop the concentration without, sorry, with initial and sustained application, that is vitaka and vichara. Then make it become without initial application but with sustained application. Then make it become without either initial or sustained application. That is the second jhāna. With initial and sustained application is the first jhāna. Without initial and sustained application is the second jhāna. Then make it become with delight or rapture, piti, and then make it without and then make it accompanied by pleasure, accompanied by equanimity. These are different stages of jhāna, going from the first to the second to the third to the fourth jhāna, because the fourth jhāna is a state of pure equanimity and mindfulness. And then after that, the Buddha advised the monk to practice compassion, joy, and equanimity. The other four Brahma-viharas, these are all the Brahma-viharas. And after developing them, practicing it, to practice the concentrations one by one. Now to continue, when monk, these concentrations are made become by you and made well become, then monk, you must train yourself thus. As to the body, looking upon the body, I will live strenuous, mindful and aware, overcoming the hankering and dejection common in this world. Thus indeed, mang, you must train yourself. When mang, this concentration is thus made become and developed by you, then make this concentration become with initial and sustained application, without initial application, but with sustained application, then without initial and sustained application, etc. When, monk, this concentration is made become by you, and well made become, then, monk, you must train yourself thus, as to feelings, looking upon feelings, etc., as to the mind, looking upon mind, as to dhamma, looking upon dhamma. I will live strenuous, self-possessed and mindful, overcoming the hankering and dejection common in this world. Thus indeed, monk, you must train yourself. I'll stop here for a moment. So here the Buddha is advising the monk after developing the concentration to practice the Satipatthana mindfulness with regard to abide contemplating the body, contemplating feeling, contemplating mind, and contemplating Dhamma. These are the four objects of Satipatthana. Then the Buddha continues, when this concentration is thus made, become and developed by you, then you should make this concentration become with initial and sustained application, make it become without initial application, but with sustained application only. Make it become without either initial or sustained application. Make it become with rapture. Make it become without rapture. Make it become accompanied with pleasure. Make it become accompanied with equanimity. When monk, this concentration is made become by you, and well made become, then monk, just to whatever place you go, you shall go in comfort. Wherever you stand, you shall stand in comfort. Wherever you sit, you shall sit in comfort. And wherever you make your bed, you shall lie down in comfort. And the monk, roused by the Exalted One's exhortation, got up from his seat, saluted the Exalted One, and departed, passing Him by on his right. Now not long after, dwelling alone, secluded, zealous, earnest, resolved, That monk attained to and abode in that unsurpassed goal of the holy life, realizing it by personal knowledge in this life, for the sake of which clansmen rightly go forth from the home to the homeless life. And he fully realized, birth is destroyed, lived is the holy life, done is what had to be done, there is no more of this to come. And that monk was numbered among the Arahants." That's the end of the Sutta. So in this last part, the Buddha is again asking the monk to practice the concentrations in stages very systematically, and then the Buddha says when he has developed up to the concentration accompanied by equanimity, which is the fourth jhana, then the Buddha says, when this concentration is made become, or developed by you, and well made become, then monk, just to whatever place you shall go, you shall go in comfort. Wherever you stand, you shall stand in comfort. Wherever you sit, you shall sit in comfort. And wherever you make your bed, you shall lie down in comfort. This is the result of attaining the fourth jhāna. In some other suttas, the Buddha has also mentioned this, and it shows that the effect of samādhi lasts for a while. It's not that immediately you come out of samādhi, all the hindrances come back. And it is precisely because the hindrances are in abeyance that this monk can go everywhere in comfort. In comfort means he is not disturbed by the hindrances, by the defilements of mind, as I mentioned earlier. In another sutta, it was quite plain, the Buddha said even an external ascetic, there's a mention of an external ascetic by the name of Suneta, the Buddha said because he had developed the jhanas, he was free of the passions, which are basically the hindrances. So that's the end of the sutra. You notice that the Buddha is a very systematic teacher. He talks about attaining the jhanas in many different levels. It's very, very systematic. You can see he asked the monk to practice the first stage with initial and sustained application. Then get rid of the initial application and go into that state with sustained application only. And then after that to go to the next stage without initial or sustained application. And then after that the next stage with pity. And then the next stage without pity. and then again with sukha, pleasure. Then after the next state, after that, after dropping sukha, then you abide in equanimity. So you can see the Buddha is a very systematic teacher. He practiced very systematically and he taught very systematically. That is one of the advantages of studying the suttas. We learn to do things very systematically according to the teachings of the Buddha. The next sutta, 8.7.64. Once the Exalted One was staying on Gaya, head at Gaya, and there He addressed the monks, saying, monks, Lord, they replied. And the Exalted One said, monks, before my awakening, while I was not yet completely awakened, and but a being awakening. I perceived auras, but I saw no forms. Monks, to me there came the thought, if I were both to perceive auras and to see forms, seeing and knowing jnana-darsana within me would be thus better purified. Monks, later on, living zealous, earnest, resolute, I both perceived the auras and saw the forms, but I did not stand with, talk to, or engage in conversation any of those devas." Let's just stop here for a moment. The Buddha is saying that first he perceived the auras of these devas, sort of a brightness, of the devas, but he could not see the devas properly. So he decided that if he could both see the auras as well as see the forms of the devas, then his jnana dasana, seeing and knowing, would be better purified. And then the Buddha continues, monks, to me came the thought, if I were to perceive the auras, see the forms, stand with, talk to and engage those devas in conversation, knowledge, seeing and knowing within me would thus be better purified. Monks, later on, living resolute, I did these things, but I knew not of those devas. These devas are from such and such a deva community. Monks, to me came the thought, if I were to perceive the auras and to know that these, if I were to perceive the auras, see the forms of the devas, be able to talk to and engage the devas in conversation, and to know that these devas are from such and such a community, seeing and knowing within me would be better purified. Monks, later on, living resolute, I did all these things. But I knew not of those devas. These devas are the result of their deeds passed away from here and arose there. These devas also thus. I knew not such is the food of these devas, such their experiences, such their pleasure and pain of those devas also. I knew not these devas lived so long, they have a lifespan of such length, those devas also. I knew not whether I had dwelt with those devas formerly or not. Monks, to me came the thought, if I were to perceive the auras, see the forms of the devas, talk with Engage those devas in conversation. Know they are of such a community. Know their faring on was thus because of their deeds, their food, experiences, pleasure and pain. Their lives and life span so long. Know whether I had dwelt with them before or not. Seeing and knowing within me would be better purified. Monks, later on, living zealous, earnest, resolute, I did and knew all these things. Monks, so long as this eightfold series of seeing and knowing of the higher devas was not fully purified in me, I did not realize as one wholly awakened to the highest awakening unsurpassed in the world of devas with its Maras and Brahmas, or in the world of mankind with its recluses and brahmins, devas and men. But when the eightfold series of seeing and knowing of the higher devas was fully purified in me, then monks I realized as one wholly awakened to the highest awakening unsurpassed. Then seeing and knowing arose in me, or knowledge and vision, and I knew, sure is my heart's release. This is my last birth. There is now no more becoming for me." That's the end of the sutra. It's quite an interesting sutra because it shows that the Buddha here is using psychic power as a stepping stone to full awakening, jnana, dasana, And it is very clear from here that the Buddha cultivated the psychic powers in stages. And because of that, the Buddha said he had the full awakening as a Sammasambuddha. So this sutra contradicts what some monks say about psychic power, that psychic power, that you should not cultivate psychic power, etc. That there's a greed, that you might have a greed for psychic power. But here the Buddha is saying that he's using the perfection of the psychic powers to perfect his seeing and knowing, jnana, dasana. so that he obtained the full enlightenment of a Buddha. So, in the Buddha's teachings, psychic powers are part of the higher knowledges, abhinya. The Buddha talked about six abhinya, six higher knowledges, and five of them are psychic powers, different types of psychic powers. Only the last, number six, is the destruction of the asavas. So, if psychic powers were not important, the Buddha would not have mentioned these five psychic powers as the higher knowledge, but because they are stepping stones to enlightenment, he mentioned them. Now, the next sutra is 8.7.65. Monks, there are these eight spheres of mastery, Abhibayatana. What eight? 1. When personally conscious of body, anyone sees forms exterior to himself, whether limited, lovely or ugly. He is thus conscious. Having mastered them, I know, I see them. This is the first sphere of mastery. 2. When personally conscious of body, anyone sees forms exterior to himself. Whether boundless, lovely or ugly, he is thus conscious. Having mastered them, I know I see them. This is second sphere of mastery. 3. When personally unconscious of body, anyone sees forms exterior to himself. Whether limited, lovely or ugly, he is thus conscious. Having mastered them, I know I see them. This is the third sphere of mastery. 4. When personally unconscious of body, anyone sees forms exterior to himself. Whether boundless, lovely or ugly, he is thus conscious. Having mastered them, I know I see them. This is the fourth sphere of mastery. 5. When personally unconscious of body, anyone sees forms exterior to himself, blue, blue in color, blue in appearance, reflecting blue, he is thus conscious. Having mastered them, I know I see them. This is the fifth sphere of mastery. 6. When personally unconscious of body, anyone sees forms exterior to himself. Yellow. He is thus conscious. Having mastered them, I know I see them. This is the sixth sphere of mastery. 7. When personally unconscious of body, anyone sees forms exterior to himself. Red. He is thus conscious, having mastered them, I know I see them. This is the 7th sphere of mastery. 8. When personally unconscious of body, anyone sees forms exterior to himself, white in color, white in appearance, reflecting white, he is thus conscious, having mastered them, I know I see them. This is the 8th sphere of mastery. Monks, these are the 8 spheres of mastery. These are called the Rabiba Yatana. 1. Conscious of body, he sees external forms which are limited. 2. Conscious of body, he sees external forms boundless. 3. Unconscious of body, he sees external forms limited. 4. Unconscious of body, he sees external forms boundless. 5. Unconscious of body, he sees external forms blue, all blue. 6. Unconscious of body, he sees external forms yellow. 7. Unconscious of body, he sees external forms red, all red. 8. Unconscious of body, he sees external forms all white. These four colors are the four colors in the casino meditations. And these are the four out of the ten casino meditations. Meditation on colors. And these particular colors are useful for that type of meditation. Blue, yellow, red and white. The next sutra is 8.7.69. Monks, there are these eight assemblies. What eight? Assemblies of nobles, of brahmins, of householders, of recluses, of devas, of the four royal devas, of the thirty-three devas, of maras and of brahmas. Now monks, I call to mind having visited many hundreds of times an assembly of nobles, of brahmins, of householders, of recluses, of the four Royal Devas, of Devas of the 33, of Maras, of Brahmas, and before even I had seated myself among them, or had spoken to them, or had engaged them in conversation, whatever their colour, that I became, whatever their language, that became mine. And I instructed them, incited them, roused them, and gladdened them with Dharma discourse. And they knew me not when I spoke, but reasoned among themselves, saying, Who is this who speaks, man or deva? Then when I instructed, incited, roused, and gladdened them with Dharma discourse, I vanished. And they knew me not when I was gone, but questioned each other, who is this who has vanished, man or deva? Monks, these are the eight assemblies." That's the end of the sutra. Here's another interesting sutra where the Buddha shows that he used his psychic power to visit various types of devas. man and he assumed their form and he spoke their language and he gave them dharma teachings and then after that he just vanished and they were surprised who they were they're wondering who he was and he just disappeared The next sutra is 8.8.74. It was at Nadika, in the brick hall, and the Exalted One addressed the monks, saying, Mindfulness of death, monks, when made, become, when developed, is very fruitful, of great advantage, merging and ending in the deathless. And how, monks, is it so? Take the case of a monk who, when the day declines and night sets in, he reflects thus, many indeed are the chances of death for me. A snake or a scorpion or a centipede might bite me and cause my death. That would be a hindrance to me. I might stumble and fall. The food I have eaten might make me ill. Bile might convulse me, phlegm choke me, winds within me with their scissor-like cuts give me a shivering fit. or men or non-humans might attack me and might cause my death, that would be a hindrance to me. Monks, that monk must reflect thus. Are there any evil and wrong states within me that have not been put away and that would be a hindrance to me were I to die tonight? If monks, on consideration, who realize that there are such states, tend to put away just those evil and wrong states, an intense resolution, effort, endeavor, exertion, struggle, mindfulness and awareness must be made by that monk. Monks, just as a man whose turban is on fire, or whose hair is burning, would make an intense resolution, effort, endeavor, exertion, struggle, mindfulness and awareness to put out his burning turban or hair, even so, monks, an intense resolution, effort, endeavor, exertion, struggle, mindfulness and awareness must be made by that monk to put away just those evil and wrong states. But if that monk on review realized that there are no such states within him that have not been put away, which would be a hindrance to him, were he to die that night, then let that monk live verily in joy and gladness, training himself day and night in the ways of righteousness or wholesomeness. Take the case, monks, of a monk who reflects likewise. When the night is spent and day breaks, he must reflect in the same way. And if he finds evil and wrong states, he must make an effort to put them away. But if he discovers no such states, let him live in joy and gladness, training himself. Monks, mindfulness of death, when so made, become so developed, is very fruitful of great advantage, merging and ending in the deathless. That's the end of the sutta. So this is one of the ways in which we practice mindfulness. of death for a monk, because in the Buddha's days, monks used to live in the forest, in the caves, and in the open air, etc. At night, sometimes he might think there might be danger from wild animals around. there might be danger of non-humans, especially at night. So he can very well think that there is a possibility that he might be killed at night. or even some sickness might make him die. So he would have to reflect whether there are any evil and unwholesome states in him that he has not put away. Then he should make an effort to put them away. or during the daytime, then the chances of being killed are not so much from non-humans, but from humans and animals, etc., and he can make the same contemplation. So in the same way, even though we don't have that type of dangers, there are other dangers. Of course, life nowadays is much more secure than before, but still, As we go on the streets, we might get knocked down in a car or we drive a car, might get involved in an accident and die. So we still can make such contemplation. The point here is that we must examine ourselves and see whether we have any unwholesome states in us which have to be got rid of. Otherwise, if we were to die, then these unwholesome states would pull us down to awful planes of existence. So sometimes, to understand our unwholesome states, we have to see how people treat us. Sometimes, if we have conflicts with other people, then that is a good chance to learn our unwholesome states, because sometimes it's not easy for us to admit the unwholesome states, the defects in our character, but other people can see them. And when other people see them and don't like it, then they cause problems for us. Then that is a good way to understand our weaknesses.

24-AN-Book-8I-(8.8.79-to-8.9.88).txt

The next sutra is 8.79. The Buddha said, monks, these eight conditions in a monk when training lead to failure. What eight? Delight in work, delight in gossip, delight in sleeping, delight in society, having the senses unguarded, immoderation in eating, delight in association, and delight in diffuseness or proliferation of thinking. Monks, these are the eight conditions. And the converse conditions lead to success. What are these eight conditions we reflect again? The first one is delight in work. That means too much work, because if a monk has got too much work, then it's difficult to maintain his concentration, his mindfulness, etc. And work sometimes might be justified, but then the Buddha said even if work is justified, a monk is advised to spend a certain time in work and to spend a certain time in his meditation. Sometimes if a monk is too involved in work, then he loses his mindfulness and his The second one is delight in gossip or idle talk. Third one, delight in sleeping. And then the fourth one, delight in society. That means liking to stay in a place with many people. Then the next one, having the senses unguarded, not guarding the sense doors. Then the next one, in moderation in eating. Then the next one, delight in association. Delight in association means always liking to contact other people, to engage other people in conversation instead of being aloof. And then the last one, delight in diffuseness or proliferation of thinking, using the thinking mind. Using the thinking mind, that's an obstacle to meditation. The next sutra is 8.8.80. Or he has done some work and thinks that he is tired and lies down without putting forth energy. This is the second basis of indolence. Or he has to make a journey and thinks that it will tire him and he lies down without putting forth energy. This is the third basis. Or he has made a journey and thinks that he is tired and he lies down without putting forth energy. This is the fourth basis. Or wandering for alms to village or town and not getting enough coarse or dainty fare for his needs, he thinks. I've wandered for alms to village and town, and have not gotten enough coarse or dainty fare for my needs. My body is tired and unpliable. Well, I lie down. And he does so without putting forth energy. This is the fifth basis. Or, getting enough, and he thinks that his body is heavy and unpliable, like a load of soaked beans, and he lies down without putting forth energy. This is the sixth basis. Or there arises some slight illness in the monk, and he thinks, this slight illness has arisen. There is good reason to lie down. Well, I'll lie down. And he lies down without putting forth energy. This is the seventh basis. Again, monks. A monk has recovered from some ailment, has arisen recently from sickness, and thinks, I've recovered from that ailment. I've recently arisen from sickness, and my body is weak and unpliable. Well, I'll lie down. and he lies down without putting forth energy to attain the unattain, to master the unmastered, to realize the unrealized. This is the eighth basis of indolence. Verily, monks, these are the eight basis of indolence. Monks, these are the eight basis of energy. What eight? Here in monks, there is some work to be done by a monk and he thinks, there's some work for me to do, but if I do it, not easy will it be to fix my mind on the Buddha's message. Well, I provide for them and put forth energy to attain the unattain, to master the unmastered, to realize the unrealized. And he puts forth energy to attain the unattain, to master the unmastered, to realize the unrealized. These monks is the first basis of energy. Or he has done some work and thinks that he has been unable to fix his mind on the Buddha's message, so should put forth energy to attain the unattained, and he does so. This is the second basis. Or he has to make a journey and thinks that it will not be easy to fix his mind on the Buddha's message, so should put forth energy to attain the unattained, and he does so. This is the third basis. Or he has made a journey and thinks that he has been unable to fix his mind on the Buddha's message, so should put forth energy to attain the unattain, and he does so. This is the fourth basis. Or wandering for alms through village or town and not getting his needs, he thinks that his body is buoyant and pliable, and that he should put forth energy to attain the unattain, and he does so. This is the fifth basis. or getting enough food, he thinks that his body is strong and pliable, and that he should put forth energy to attain the unattain, and he does so. This is the sixth basis. Or there arises some slight illness in him, and he thinks that it is possible that his illness may grow worse, and that he should put forth energy to attain the unattain, and he does so. This is the seventh basis. Again monks, a monk has recovered from some ailment, has arisen recently from sickness, and he thinks, I've recovered from that ailment, I've recently arisen from sickness, it is possible that that ailment may return to me. Well, I'll provide for that and put forth energy to attain the unattain, to master the unmastered, to realize the unrealized. And he puts forth energy to attain the unattain, to master the unmastered, to realize the unrealized. These monks is the eighth basis of energy. Early monks, these are the eight basis of energy. That's the end of the sutra. From this sutra, you can see the Buddha is advising his disciples to be very energetic in their practice. Even though they are tired, that they should practice instead of lying down. Even though they have just recovered from a sickness, they should practice instead of lying down, etc. And that shows the character of the Buddha. The Buddha himself had such a strong willpower that he did all these things. And that is why he became a Sammasambuddha. Most of us, we don't have that kind of inclination, so it's not possible for us to become a Sammasambuddha. The next sutra is 8.9.81. Monks, when mindfulness and awareness are lacking, conscientiousness and sense of remorse are caused to be destroyed. When conscientiousness and sense of remorse are lacking, The control of the senses is caused to be destroyed. When the control of the senses is lacking, moral practice, sila, is caused to be destroyed. When moral practice is lacking, right concentration is caused to be destroyed. When right concentration is lacking, Seeing and knowing of things as they really are are cause to be destroyed. When seeing and knowing of things as they really are are lacking, weariness and dispassion are cause to be destroyed. When weariness and dispassion are lacking, seeing and knowing of liberation are caused to be destroyed. Monks, just as in the case of a tree which is devoid of branches and foliage, and the shoots thereof come not to maturity, nor the bark, nor the sapwood, nor the core, even so, monks, when mindfulness and awareness are lacking, conscientiousness and sense of remorse are caused to be destroyed. When conscientiousness and sense of remorse are lacking, control of the senses is caused to be destroyed, etc. etc. Monks, when mindfulness and awareness are present, conscientiousness and sense of remorse are caused to be complete. When conscientiousness and sense of remorse are present, the control of the senses is caused to be complete. When the control of the senses is present, moral practice is caused to be complete. When moral practice is present, right concentration is caused to be complete. When right concentration is present, seeing and knowing of things as they really are is caused to be complete. When seeing and knowing of things as they really are, are present, weariness and dispassion are caused to be complete. When weariness and dispassion are present, seeing and knowing liberation are caused to be complete. Monks, just as in the case of a tree possessing branches and foliage, The shoots thereof come to maturity, so likewise the bark, the sapwood, and the core. Even so, monks, when mindfulness and awareness are present, conscientiousness and sense of remorse are caused to be complete, etc., etc." That's the end of the sutta. So here you can see liberation comes from several causes and conditions, and all these have to be present, and they are very systematic. leads to another. You see mindfulness and awareness leads to conscientiousness and sense of remorse and conscientious and sense of remorse leads to control of the senses, and control of the senses leads to moral practice, and moral practice leads to right concentration, which leads to seeing and knowing of things as they really are, and that leads to weariness and dispassion, and weariness and dispassion leads to seeing and knowing liberation, liberation itself. Now of all these things, some of the important points to note is that moral practice leads to right concentration. Without sila, precepts, it's very difficult to get right concentration because the mind is disturbed with remorse. A person keeps sila, moral practice, he has no remorse to disturb his mind, so he easily gets into right concentration. And right concentration leads to seeing and knowing things as they really are. This is an important point. That is the purpose of right concentration, samadhi, strong concentration, is to get rid of the hindrances so that we can see things as they really are. Without strong concentration, it is impossible to see things as they really are. We only see things as they seem to us. And then, seeing and knowing things as they really are leads to weariness and dispassion. Weariness is Nibbida, I think, and dispassion is Viraga. And when we are weary of the things in this world, we become dispassionate towards them. There's no more the passion for worldly things, and that leads to liberation. Now we come to Sutta number 8.9.82. Now the Venerable Punya paid a visit to the Exalted One and sat down at one side and said, Lord, what is the cause, what is the reason why sometimes it occurs to the Tathagata to preach Dharma and sometimes it does not? Suppose Punya, a monk, is a believer but does not visit him. then it does not occur to the Tathāgata to preach Dharma. But when a monk is a believer and visits the Tathāgata, then it occurs to him to preach Dharma. Or a monk is a believer and visits the Tathāgata but does not sit down to listen, then it does not occur to the Tathāgata to preach Dharma. Or he sits down to listen but does not question the Tathāgata, Or he questions the Tathagata, but does not listen to Dhamma with attentive ear. Or he listens with attentive ear, but when he has heard it, does not bear Dhamma in mind. Or he bears what he has heard in mind, but does not examine the truth of the doctrines he has heard. Or he examines the truth of the doctrines, but walks not in conformity with Dhamma, though knowing both letter and spirit. Then it does not occur to the Tathagata to preach Dhamma. But when Punya, a monk is a believer, and visits the Tathagata, sits down to listen, questions the Tathagata, listens with attentive ear, bears what he has heard in mind, examines the truth of the doctrines heard, and knowing both the letter and the spirit, walks in conformity with Dhamma. Then it occurs to the Tathāgata to preach Dhamma. When these eight conditions come to pass, Punya, then it most occurs to the Tathāgata to preach Dhamma." That's the end of the sutta. So from this sutta we find that sometimes people come to visit the Buddha, sometimes he preaches Dhamma to them and sometimes he does not. And these are the reasons he gives. Sometimes that person is not inclined to listen, or sometimes he listens but does not question the Buddha anymore, or he questions but does not listen with attentive ear, etc. And the Buddha thought that it is we should have reverence of the Dhamma and a lay person especially has to show respect and be desiring to hear the Dhamma before the Dhamma is taught. Then we find in the Vinaya rules the Buddha laid down that if a lay person's If a lay person sits higher than a monk, he is not to be taught the Dhamma, or he wears a hat, or he claps the knees, grasps the knees, or he carries a weapon. etc., then the monk is not supposed to teach that person the Dharma. In other words, the Dharma is something that is invaluable, so we should show respect for it before it will be taught to us. The next sutra is 8.9.83. Monks, if wanderers of other views should question you thus, wherein, sirs, are all things rooted? What is their origin? What gives rise to all things? What is their confluence? What is their chief state? What is their master state? What is their further state? And of all things, what is most precious? Monks, thus question, how would you answer those wanderers of other views? Lord, our ideas have their foundation in the Exalted One. They are guided by the Exalted One and are protected by Him. Well, indeed, were it for us, if the Exalted One were to make clear the purpose of this speech, then on hearing it, the monks would bear it in mind. Wherefore, monks, listen, pay heed, I will speak. Yes, Lord, they replied. And the Exalted One said, If monks, wondrous of other views, should so question you, answer them thus. Reverences, all things are rooted in desire. They have their origin in attention. Contact gives rise to them. Their confluence is feeling. Their chief state is concentration. Mindfulness is their master state. Wisdom their further state. And of all things, liberation is the most precious. Monks, thus questions so should you answer." These things, I think you have to think about them, contemplate. To see the meaning, I won't explain them. 8.9.86. Once the Exalted One, while wandering for alms with a great company of monks among the Kosalis, came to the Brahmin village called Ichanangala, belonging to them. And there He dwelt at Ichanangala Wood. Now the Brahmin householders of Ichanangala heard the news. It is said that Master Gautama the Sakyan, a wanderer from the Sakyan clan, has arrived at Ichanangala and dwells in the wood nearby. And of that same Master Gautama, this good repute is noised abroad. He is the exalted one, Arahant, Samasambuddha, etc. Well indeed it is to see such Arahants. So at the end of that night, the Brahmin householders of Ichanangala, taking with them much hard and soft wood, went to Ichanangala wood. and waited outside the gateway, making there a great din and uproar. Now at that time, the Venerable Nāgītā was the personal attendant of the Exalted One. Then the Exalted One called the Venerable Nāgītā and said, Who are these Nāgītā that make this great din and uproar? Just like fisherfolk, it seems, with a great haul of fish. Lord, these are the Ichanangala Brahmin householders who wait outside the gateway. They have brought much hard and soft food for the use of the Exalted One and the monks of the Sangha. I have not to do with homage, Nargita, nor has homage anything to do with me. Whosoever cannot obtain at will, easily and without difficulty, this happiness of renunciation, this happiness of seclusion, this happiness of calm, this happiness of awakening, which I can obtain at will, easily and without difficulty, Let him enjoy that midden or downhill of happiness, that down-like happiness, that happiness-garden of gains, favors, and flattery. Lord, let the exalted one accept their offering. Let the welfarer accept. Now, Lord, is the time for the blessed one to accept. For wheresoever the exalted one shall now go, the Brahmin householders of town and country will be just as inclined to give. Lord, just as when the sky deva rains big drops, the water flows with the slope of the ground, even so, Lord, wheresoever the Exalted One shall now go, the Brahmin householders of town and country will be bent on making offerings. And why is that? It is, Lord, because of the virtue, wisdom and knowledge of the Exalted One. I have not to do with homage, Nagita, nor has homage anything to do with me. Whosoever cannot obtain that riddle, This happiness of renunciation, seclusion, calm and awakening, which I can obtain. Let him enjoy that midden or dunghill of happiness, that dung-like happiness, that happiness-garden of gains, favors and flattery. Some devas, Nāgita, cannot obtain at will this happiness which I can obtain." Stop here for a moment to comment. This venerable Nāgita, Before the Buddha took Venerable Ananda as his personal assistant, he had other assistants, and Venerable Nāgita was one of them. But they did not stay long as the Buddha's assistants. Only later, when the Buddha chose the Venerable Ananda, and the Venerable Ananda was so devoted to the Buddha, that he kept on as abandoned for the last, I think, about 25 years of the Buddha's life. So you find up to here that because these Brahmin householders came with offerings, but they made a lot of noise and the Buddha was not happy. So the Buddha didn't want to see them. And this shows this is a part of the Buddha's personality, his character. He didn't like noise. Some books like to comment that the Buddha was so perfect that he did not show any personal, like his past personal traits and characters, but in the suttas we find it is not quite so. The Buddha still has certain characteristics, certain traits of character. In one of the previous suttas, we had heard that the Buddha said that before his enlightenment, he had five dreams. One of the dreams was that he walked on a hill of dung, meaning he likened the offerings of the requisites to dung or excrement, not to be soiled by them. So in the same way, now the Buddha said that He was not eager to accept the offerings of the Brahmin householders. eager to accept that type of happiness, which is to him like a shit-like happiness, they could do so. But the Buddha said he enjoyed the happiness of seclusion, the happiness of renunciation, the happiness of calm, the happiness of awakening. And this refers to the bliss of jhana. The bliss of jhana is called the happiness or the bliss of seclusion, the bliss of renunciation. Because for example, before a person can enter the first jhana, he has to be secluded. or aloof from sense desires, he has to be secluded or aloof from unwholesome states, then only he can enter the jhāna. So here as in some other suttas, the Buddha encouraged indulgence in jhānic bliss. He did not find anything wrong with them, with the indulgence in jhānic bliss. In fact, in the sutta, the Buddha said there are four advantages to be gotten from indulging in the happiness of jhāna, namely the fruit of sotapanna, sakadagamin, anagamin, and arahanthood, the four stages of fruition of aryan attainment. Now the Buddha continued, Now Gita, when you are assembled and met together and live enjoying company, I think thus, surely these worthies cannot obtain at will, easily and without trouble, this happiness of renunciation, this happiness of seclusion, this happiness of calm, of awakening, which I can obtain. So these worthies meet and come together, and live and join company. Or else, I see monks joking and making merry by poking one another with their fingers. Then I think, surely these worthies cannot obtain at will this happiness of renunciation, etc., which I can obtain, since they joke and make merry by poking one another with their fingers. Or else I see monks, after eating as much as their bellies will hold, giving themselves over to the delight of bed, to the delight of languor, to the delight of torpor, then I think, surely these worthies cannot obtain at will easily this happiness of renunciation, etc., which I can obtain. So they cram their bellies to the uttermost and give themselves over to the delight of bed, languor, and torpor. Or I see a monk living on the outskirts of some village, seated and composed, and I think some punk, servant, or novice will presently disturb this reverend sir and will oust him from that concentration. So I am not pleased, Nāgita, with that monk's abode lying on the outskirts of a village. Then I see a forest-dwelling monk seated, nodding in a forest. And then I think, Presently, when this reverend sir has got rid of this sleepiness, this lethargy, he will surely ponder on loneliness, making the forest his field of perception. So I am pleased, Nāgita, by that monk's forest abode. Or I see a forest-dwelling monk seated uncomposed in a forest, and I think, presently this reverend sir will compose his uncomposed mind, or will preserve a composed state of mind. So I am pleased, Nagita, with that monk's forest abode. Or I see Nāgita, a forest-dwelling monk, seated composed in a forest, and I think, presently this reverend sir will free the unfreed mind, or will preserve a state of mind which is free. So I am pleased, Nāgita, with that monk's forest abode. What time, Nagita, I reach the high road and see no one either in front or behind me? I have leisure even for calls of nature." That's the end of the sutta. So in this second, this last part of the sutta, the Buddha said sometimes he sees his monk disciples enjoying company like like to sit down and talk with each other, or make merry by poking one another with their fingers, or eating as much as they can and going to sleep after their meal. And then he said, surely these monks cannot enjoy the happiness of seclusion, the happiness of renunciation, in other words, the jhanic bliss, otherwise they won't be behaving like this. Because one who can obtain the jhānas tends to spend more time in the bliss of jhāna, like the Buddha and his Arahant disciples. In the suttas we find the Buddha and his Arahant disciples spend most of their days in jhāna, absorbed in jhāna, and the Buddha found no fault in that. Then the other part, the Buddha talked about some monk staying in some park, and he can be reached by people, and if people come and visit him and disturb his concentration, then the Buddha is not pleased with that abode of the monk. And whereas the type of abode that the monk, that the Buddha approved is seen here to be like a really secluded place, the forest or cave, et cetera, where nobody is likely to reach the monk, then the Buddha approves of this type of total isolation But it's not easy for a monk to get used to staying alone, and so the Buddha allowed monasteries to be built for monks to stay together, and those monks from there who progressed and wanted to live in seclusion, then he encouraged the monks to go off and live alone in seclusion. And once a monk has gotten used to living alone in seclusion, he would prefer to stay in seclusion. It's a different type of life. 8.9.87. Monks, the Sangha, if it wish, may turn over the bowl to a lay disciple who is possessed of eight qualities. Of what eight? He goes about to bring loss to the monks. He goes about to harm them. He goes about to evict them from their dwellings. He reviles and defames them. He causes disunion between monk and monk. He speaks in disgrace of the Buddha. He speaks in disgrace of Dhamma. He speaks in disgrace of the Sangha. Monks, the Sangha, if it wish, may turn down the bowl of a lay disciple who is possessed of these eight qualities." Now this concerns a Vinaya rule. The Buddha said that if a lay person does any one of these eight things, he talks bad about the monk. He harms them in some way in their reputation or something, or he tries to chase them out of their dwelling. or he causes disharmony between monk and monk, or he speaks bad about the Buddha, Dhamma, or Sangha, then for any one of these reasons, a monk, the Sangha, if it wishes, can decide to turn over the bowl to this lay disciple. That means if the lay disciple, this lay disciple, wants to make an offering to the monks, they can turn their bowl upside down so that they don't accept his offerings or her offerings. This is one of the things the Buddha allowed. If certain lay persons are harmful to the monk or to the sangha, then the monk or the sangha can refuse to accept offerings from that person. If a monk refuses to accept offerings from that person, then that person has no chance to make merit. That person will suffer for it. The next sutra, 8.9.88. Monks, lay disciples, should they wish, may express disapproval of a monk who is possessed of eight qualities. What eight? He goes about to bring loss to householders. He goes about to bring harm to householders. He reviles and defames them. He causes disunion or disharmony between householder and householder. He speaks in disgrace of the Buddha or of Dhamma or of the Sangha. They see him in evil horns. Monks, lay disciples, should they wish, may express disapproval of a monk who is possessed of these eight qualities." Now this is the reverse of the earlier sutta. This one is that if a monk has certain bad qualities, similar bad qualities as mentioned earlier, that means he brings loss to householders, he brings harm to householders, he reviles and defames them, he causes disharmony between householder and householder, speaks in disgrace of Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha, or he goes to, he frequents evil haunts. This last one, he frequents evil haunts, means he often goes to certain places which are not proper for a monk. For example, always going to visit a prostitute, always going to visit a widow, always going to visit an unmarried lady, always going to visit a homosexual, or you know. Another one always quote this, if he does these things, then a lay person can express disapproval. Express disapproval means they bring it up to some senior monk to complain about this monk, or they speak to the monk directly.

25-AN-Book-9A-(9.1.3-to-9.1.5).txt

Now the next sutra, we come to chapter 9.1.3. This is quite a good, interesting and important sutra. Once when the Venerable Meghia was his attendant, the Exalted One stayed at Chalika on the hill there. Now the approached the Exalted One, saluted him and stood at one side. So standing, he said to the Exalted One, Lord, I would like to visit Jantugama for alms. Do now as you think timely. So the Venerable Megia, dressing himself before noon, taking bowl and robe, entered the Gama for alms. And when he had wandered about for alms and returned therefrom and finished his meal, he came to the bank of the Kimikala River. Now while stretching his legs and two and four along the river bank, the Venerable Megia saw a mango grove. pleasing and beautiful, and at the sight he thought, truly this mango grove is pleasing and beautiful. Proper indeed is it to strive here, for a clansman wanting to strive. If the Exalted One would permit me, I will come and strive in this mango grove. And the Venerable Megheya returned to the Exalted One, saluted Him and sat down at one side, and told Him all that had taken place, and, if the Exalted One permits me, I will go to that mango grove and strive. And the Buddha said, Stay a while, Meghia, till some other monk appear, for we are alone. A second time the Venerable Meghia spoke, saying, Lord, for the Exalted One there is nothing further to be done. There is no adding to His accomplishments. But for me, Lord, there is more to be done. To what is done there is more to be added. If the Exalted One permit me, I will go to that mango grove and strive. Stay a while, Magia, till some other monk appear, for we are alone." A third time the Venerable Magia spoke, saying, Lord, for the Exalted One there is nothing further to be done. There is no adding to His accomplishments. But for me, Lord, there is more to be done. To what is done there is more to be added. If the Exalted One permit me, I will go to the mango grove and strive. And the Buddha said, What can we say to you, Meghya, when you repeat, I would strive. Do now, Meghya, as you think fit. Then the venerable Meghya rose from sitting, saluted the Exalted One, and keeping Him on his right, went to the mango grove. And having come, he entered the grove and sat down at the foot of a tree to spend the noonday rest. And there in that mangrove grove, three wicked evil thoughts kept coming to the Venerable Magya, that is to say, sensual thoughts, malign thoughts or thoughts of ill-will, and cruel thoughts. And the Venerable Magya wondered thus. It is amazing and astonishing, sir. By faith alone have I gone forth from home to this homeless state. Yet I am still dogged by these three wicked evil thoughts, sensual thoughts, malign thoughts, cruel thoughts." So the Venerable Magdhya returned to the Exalted One and said to Him, Lord, while I stayed at Mangrove Grove, three wicked evil thoughts kept coming to me, sensual thoughts, malign thoughts, and cruel thoughts. And I thought, how amazing and astonishing it was that I had gone forth from the home to the homeless life by faith alone. For Lord, I am still dogged by these three wicked evil thoughts, sensual thoughts, malign thoughts, cruel thoughts." And the Buddha said, For the emancipation of the mind of the unripe or unmatured, five conditions, Meghia, are conducive to their ripening or maturing. What five? Here in Meghia, a monk has a good friend, a good companion, Kalyanamitta, a good comrade. For the emancipation of the mind of the unripe, this is the first condition conducive to the ripening. Again, among his virtuous and dwells restraint by the restraint of the patimokkha, he is perfect in behavior and resort, seeing danger in the smallest fault, undertaking the training he trains himself accordingly. This is the second condition. Then the talk which is serious and a help to the mind's release. That is, talk on wanting little, on contentment, on seclusion, on aloofness, on strenuous endeavor, on virtue, on concentration, on wisdom, on emancipation, on the knowledge and vision of emancipation. A monk obtains at will, easily and without difficulty. This is the third condition. Then a monk dwells strenuous in purpose. putting away unrighteous conditions, taking to righteousness or wholesomeness, persevering and energetic. He shirks not the burden of righteousness or wholesomeness. This is the fourth condition. Moreover, a monk has wisdom. He is endowed therewith as to the way of growth and decay, with Aryan penetration concerning the way to the utter destruction of dukkha. This is the fifth condition conducive to the ripening." Then the Buddha continued, These four conditions, Magia—virtue, beneficial talk, strenuous endeavor, and wisdom—may be expected of a monk who has a good friend, a good companion, a good comrade. Then Meghia, when that monk is established in those five conditions, four more must be made to become by him. Reflection on unattractiveness to put away passion, on metta or goodwill to put away ill will, mindfulness in inhaling and exhaling to cut off distraction, and the thought of impermanence to uproot the conceit I am. For a monk Magya who thinks on impermanence, the thought of not-self endures. Thinking on there being no self, he wins to the state wherein the conceit I am has been uprooted to the cool even in this life." That's the end of the sutta. So this is quite an interesting sutta. We find that this monk, he wanted to go off. He was supposed to be the attendant of the Buddha. That's why he was staying there alone with the Buddha and he wanted to take off and go and practice meditation in the mango grove. But the Buddha advised him not to go, saying that they were alone. But he insisted on going and after Praying with the Buddha three times, the Buddha allowed him to go. And as the Buddha expected, he went there and he couldn't meditate. He was disturbed by sensual thoughts, thoughts of ill will or anger, and cruel thoughts. And because he couldn't meditate with all these thoughts in his mind, he came back to the Buddha. Generally, it is not advisable for a new monk to go and stay alone. You can see from here why. And in the Vinaya, the Buddha instructed that new monks should stay at least five years with their preceptor or teacher, who teaches them the Dhamma, the Vinaya. how to serve the senior monk, practicing obedience, humility, etc. And all this is part of the training. There's a lot of things a new monk can learn from a senior monk. And when he has all the foundation laid, then it is good for a monk to go off and live alone. Very few monks can go off and live alone from the start. And the Buddha gave him this advice that five things are necessary for an unripe mind to ripen. The first one, he should have a good friend, a kalyāṇamitā. This good friend, kalyāṇamitā, represents a senior monk. A senior monk, a teacher, is called a good friend in the dhamma, in the suttas. A good friend who can guide a new monk along the spiritual path. The second quality, he should practice the precepts. be restrained by the patimokkha. The patimokkha are the 227 precepts of the monk and other Vinaya rules also. And the third thing, Beneficial talk in the suttas refers to talk about having few wants, being contented on seclusion, on aloofness, The difference between seclusion and aloofness. Seclusion means staying in a place which is secluded from lay people generally, for example, in the forest or in a forest monastery. Whereas aloofness is even staying in a monastery, you try to be aloof from other people, not to talk with other persons unless it is necessary. That's the difference. Then, strenuous endeavor, making effort to strive. And then, virtue, concentration, wisdom, emancipation or liberation, and knowledge and vision of liberation. These are the things that are beneficial, considered beneficial talk. Number four is a monk should dwell strenuous in purpose. That means he strives hard. to get rid of unwholesome states and to cultivate wholesome states of mind. That's why a person on the spiritual path, he should be looking into the mind more than outside the mind. When we look into the mind, that is the source of all our problems. The ego, the mental suffering is all in the mind. And then the fifth one, the fifth quality that is necessary for ripening of the unripe mind is wisdom. And wisdom generally, we have to listen to the Buddha's words for a start, and then after that we meditate, then we get the wisdom. Then after that, the Buddha said, to obtain the last four conditions, virtue, beneficial thought, strenuous endeavor, and wisdom, these four things may be expected of a monk who has a good friend, a good companion, a kalyāṇamitā. That means if a monk, a new monk, dwells with a kalyāṇamitā, a senior monk, a good teacher, then that The teacher monk would teach him to acquire these other four qualities, virtue, beneficial talk, or give him beneficial talk, and then strenuous endeavour and wisdom. And the Buddha said four other things must be cultivated by a monk. Reflection, contemplation of the unattractiveness, that is the asubha. The unattractiveness of the body, to put away passion. Unattractiveness of the body refers to the cultivation of the 32 parts of the body. And then the second one, metta, to practice metta, to put away anger or ill will. Amitā is loving kindness or goodwill towards others. And the third one is anapanasati, mindfulness of breathing to cut off distraction. This is to stop our thinking because every day we are filled with a lot of thoughts and every time we have thoughts, the ego manifests. And the Buddha encourages us not to think. So we practice Anapanasati to cut off the thinking. And the last contemplation is the contemplation of impermanence to uproot the conceit I am. This one is very important, especially the contemplation of the different types of corpses. We contemplate that one day this body will die. and then after about 3 days it will become a corpse which is bloated, blue black, smelly and the liquids start coming out from the openings Suppose we have nine openings in the body, and all this smelly liquid will start oozing out, and then later, after the body swells up, it will burst, it will open up, and then it will be eaten by all the worms, all the maggots. If we contemplate a dead dog on the roadside, how different stages of decay. One day our body will also be like that. And then we keep on contemplating like this to uproot the conceit that I, that I am, that I exist. So these are all very practical advice by the Buddha. The first one to recapitulate, five conditions are important for the maturing of a monk. The first one, he has to dwell with a good friend, a good companion. It's mentioned in some other sutra. If we dwell with a teacher, then we learn to respect and to love that teacher, to be obedient to that teacher. And the second condition is virtue. The third one is beneficial thought. If you dwell with a good monk, you can obtain beneficial thought. Number four is you have to strive. Number five, have wisdom. These are the five factors. And then after that, four other contemplations are very useful. The contemplation of unattractiveness of the body to put away. passion, contemplation of metta, practice of metta, goodwill or loving kindness to put away anger or ill will. Then anapanasati, mindfulness of breathing, to cut off distraction, impermanence, to uproot the conceit I am. The next sutta is also quite a good sutta, an important one, 9.1.4. Once when the Exalted One was staying near Savatthi at Jeta Grove in Anathapindika's park, the Venerable Nandaka gave dharma discourse to the monks in the service hall. taught them, roused them, incited them and gladdened them. I'll just stop here for a moment. The Venerable Nandaka was supposed to be the chief among the monks who taught the other monks. He was very good in teaching other monks. He was an arahant. And the sutta continues. Now in the evening, the exalted one rose from seclusion and approached the service hall. Having come, he stood outside the doorway, waiting for the discourse to end. And when he knew that the discourse was ended, he coughed and tapped on the board. Then those monks opened the door to the Exalted One, and He entered the hall and sat down on the appointed seat. When He had seated Himself, the Exalted One spoke thus to the Venerable Nandaka, Surely, Nandaka, this Dhamma discourse which you preached to the monks was a long one. My back ached as I stood outside the doorway, waiting for the discourse to end. When he had thus spoken, the Venerable Nandaka, being embarrassed, said to him, Ne Lord, we knew not that the Exalted One stood outside the door. Had we known, Lord, we would not have said so much. Now the Exalted One knew that the Venerable Nandaka was embarrassed, so he said to him, Well done, well done, Nandaka. This is right for you, clansmen, who by faith have gone forth from the home to the homeless life, when you may be seated around for Dharma discourse. For you assembled in Nandaka, there are two courses. either discourse on Dhamma or maintain the Aryan silence. I'll stop here for a moment. So just now we saw the Buddha stood outside the door waiting for Nandaka to finish speaking. And this shows the Buddha's humility. The sutta continues. A monk, Nandaka, has faith but is not virtuous, so in that part he is not perfect. Therefore, that part must be perfected. Let him think, would that I might have both faith and virtue. And when Nandaka, the monk, has both faith and virtue, then is he in that part perfect. A monk Nandaka has faith and virtue, but cannot obtain calm of mind within, so in that part he is not perfect. Therefore that part must be perfected. Let him think, would that I might have faith and virtue, and obtain calm of mind within. And when Nandaka, the monk has faith and virtue and can obtain calm of mind within, then is he in that part perfect. A monk Nandaka has faith and virtue and can obtain calm of mind within, but cannot obtain the higher wisdom by contemplation of Dhamma. So in that part he is not perfect, just as some four-footed creature may have one foot short and stunted, and so not be perfect in that limb. Even so, Nandaka, a monk has faith and virtue, and can obtain calm of mind within, but cannot obtain the higher wisdom by contemplation of Dhamma. So in that part he is not perfect. Therefore, that part must be perfected. Let him think, would that I might have faith and virtue, and obtain calm of mind within. can obtain the higher wisdom by contemplation of Dhamma. And when Nandaka, the monk has faith and virtue, and can obtain calm of mind within, and the higher wisdom by contemplation of Dhamma, then in that path he is perfect. Thus spoke the Exalted One. And when the Exalted One had finished speaking, he rose from his seat and entered his abode. Now not long after the Exalted One had gone, the Venerable Nandaka addressed the monks, saying, Reverend Sirs, the Exalted One has just set forth the holy life, which is perfect and pure in its entirety, in four steps, and now He has got up and gone to His abode. I'll just stop here to comment. So here the Buddha is teaching that the four steps in perfecting the holy life. The first one, faith, saddha, refers to unshakable faith in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. And when you obtain unshakable faith, it means you have right view. And in the Majjhima Nikaya number 43, there are two conditions to give us right view. One is listening to the Dhamma, the other one is having proper attention. So these two things, if we listen to the Dhamma, that means the suttas, and we pay attention, then When we have listened to enough of the dharma and of the suttas, then we have right view. And when we have right view, then we have unshakable faith. The second one, virtue, that means the monk must keep the precepts, cultivate the precepts. And the third quality is calm of mind within. And this most probably refers to the jhanas because samadhi in the suttas always refer to the jhanas. Perfect samadhi is the one-pointedness of mind. And the fourth quality is contemplation, the higher wisdom by contemplation of dhamma. So we obtain calm and then we practice contemplation of the Dharma to obtain the wisdom. So these are the four qualities. And the Sutta continues. And the Venerable Nandaka told the monks all that the Exalted One had said. Continuing. Now, there are, reverences, these five advantages from listening to Dhamma at the proper time and from discussing Dhamma at the proper time. What five? Take the case, reverences, of a monk who teaches the monks Dhamma, lovely in the beginning, lovely in the middle, and lovely in the end, setting forth, both in spirit and in letter, the holy life, perfect and pure in its entirety. Reverend Sirs, as often as the monk teaches the monk's Dhamma, lovely in the beginning, lovely in the middle, and lovely in the end, setting forth, both in spirit and in letter, the holy life, perfect and pure in its entirety. Just so often is the teacher dear to him, loved, esteemed and reverenced by him. This, sirs, is the first advantage from listening to Dhamma at the proper time and from discussing Dhamma at the proper time. Again, as often as he teaches Dhamma, setting forth the holy life, so often is he a partaker of the Word and in the meaning of this Dhamma. This reverence is the second advantage. Again, as often as he teaches Dhamma, so often does he see in that Dhamma as he penetrates it by wisdom, its profound import. This reverence is the third advantage. Again, as often as he teaches Dhamma, so often do his fellows in the holy life revere him the more, saying, Of a truth this reverend sir has attained, or will attain. This reverend sir's is the fourth advantage. 10. In the case of a monk who teaches the monk's dharma, lovingly in the beginning, lovingly in the middle, and lovingly in the end, setting forth, both in spirit and in letter, the holy life, perfect and pure in its entirety, as soon as the monk teaches dharma and sets forth the holy life, Everywhere those monks who are but learners, who have not attained mastery of the mind, abide resolved on the unsurpassed peace from effort, and having heard that Dhamma, strive with zeal to attain the unattained, to master the unmastered, to realize the unrealized. And the Arahant monks there, who have destroyed the Asavas, lived the holy life, done what was to be done, laid down the burden, attained perfection, burst the bonds of becoming, and are free through perfect knowledge. On hearing Dharma, dwell comfortably. here and now. These reverences is the fifth advantage from listening to Dhamma at the proper time and from discussing Dhamma at the proper time. Reverences, these are the five advantages from listening to Dhamma at the proper time and from discussing Dhamma at the proper time. That's the end of the Sutta. Here, the last part, even though it says listening to Dhamma and discussing Dhamma, actually these are the advantages of teaching Dhamma. advantages of a monk teaching Dhamma. The first one, as often as a monk teaches Dhamma, just so often is the Buddha dear to him, loved, esteemed and revered by him. This is the first advantage. The second one, as often as he teaches Dhamma, so often is he a partaker of the world and in the meaning of this Dhamma. 3. As often as he teaches Dhamma, so often does he see in that Dhamma its profound importance. He sees the importance of the Dhamma, he realizes the importance of the Dhamma as he teaches. 4. As often as he teaches Dhamma, so often do his fellows in the holy life revere him the more. Then number five, as he teaches Dhamma to the monks, then the monks who have not attained arahanthood, then they strive to attain even harder, having heard the word of the Buddha. And even the arahants find comfort in the words of the Buddha here and now. So these are the advantages of teaching Dhamma. Next Uttara is 9.1.5. Monks, there are these four powers. What four? The power of wisdom, of energy, of wholeness, and of sympathy. And what monks is the power of wisdom? Such conditions as are bad are reckoned so. Such as are good, I reckon so. Such as are blameworthy, I reckon so. Such as are faultless, I reckon so. Such as are dark, I reckon so. Such as are bright, I reckon so. Such as are not to be sought after, I reckon so. such as are to be sought after are reckoned so, such as are not truly aryan are reckoned so, such as are truly aryan are reckoned so. All these things are clearly seen and by wisdom well examined. This, monks, is called the power of wisdom. I'll just stop here to comment. So the power of wisdom means a monk is able to differentiate things. And the sutra continues. What is the power of energy? Such conditions as are bad, I reckon so. Such as are blameworthy in dark, not to be sought after, not truly are in, I reckon so. To rid himself of such, he puts forth his whole desire, exerts himself, makes strenuous endeavour, bends his mind, and so resolves. But such as are good, I reckon so, are faultless, bright to be sought after, are Aryan, I reckon so. To gain all those, he puts forth his whole desire, exerts himself, makes strenuous endeavour, bends his mind and so resolves. This, monks, is called the power of energy." I'll just stop here to comment. This power of energy means unwholesome states. He strives to get rid of unwholesome states and he strives hard to develop wholesome states of mind. And the sutra continues, and what is the power of faultlessness? Herein monks and Aryan disciples is faultless in the act of body, is faultless in the act of speech, is faultless in the act of mind. This, monks, is called the power of faultlessness. Stop here again. This means the three karmas of body, speech and mind are faultless. And the sutra continues, what is the power of sympathy? There are these four pieces of sympathy, gifts, kindness, doing good and equal treatment. Monks, this is the best gift, the gift of dharma. Monks, this is the best kindness, teaching dharma again and again to the good and attentive listener. Monks, this is the best of good deeds, inciting, instilling, establishing the ways of faith in an unbeliever, inciting, instilling, establishing the ways of virtue in the immoral, inciting, instilling, establishing the ways of generosity in the mean, inciting, instilling, establishing the ways of wisdom in the foolish. Monks, this is the best equality, that which exists between stream-winner and stream-winner, sotapanna, between once-returner and once-returner, sakadagamin, between non-returner and non-returner, anagamin, between arahant and arahant. These monks is called the power of sympathy. These monks are the four powers. Monks, the Aryan disciple who is endowed with these four powers has passed by five fears. What five? The fear of wrong livelihood, of ill fame, of embarrassment in assemblies, of death, of a miserable afterlife. So, I stop here for this sutra. Here, if a monk has, if a person has these four powers, then he does not fear that he has wrong livelihood. He does not fear ill fame, bad reputation. He's not embarrassed in an assembly of people. He's not afraid of death, and he's not afraid of a miserable rebirth. So these are four important powers. The power of wisdom, of energy, of thoughtlessness, and of sympathy. The last one, just now we discussed the power of sympathy. The Buddha said the best gift is the gift of Dhamma. This sometimes people don't realize. If you are able to have the opportunity to read the suttas or to hear the suttas, you should make use of that. The best kindness is teaching Dhamma again and again to the good and attentive listener. This also sometimes people don't realize. They are receiving kindness from getting this dharma preaching, dharma teaching. The best of deeds is inciting four qualities in a person. First one is faith in the triple gem. The second one is virtue, the third one is generosity, and the fourth one is wisdom. These four qualities are very beneficial qualities. Faith, virtue, generosity, and wisdom.

26-AN-Book-9B-(9.1.7-to-9.2.12).txt

Today we come to 9.1.7. Once, when the Exalted One was staying near Raja Gaha on Mount Vulture Peak, Sutavan, the wanderer, came and paid him a visit. After greeting the Exalted One and exchanging the usual complimentary speeches, he sat down at one side. So seated, he addressed the Exalted One thus, Now on one occasion, Lord, when the Exalted One was staying here at Rajagaha on Giribhaja, I heard this from the mouth of the Exalted One. From His own mouth I learnt it. The Arahant monk Suthavan, who has destroyed the Asavas, lived the holy life, done what was to be done, laid down the burden, won to the goal, burst the bonds of becoming, and is freed by the fullness of knowledge, cannot transgress the five standards. A monk in whom the Asavas are destroyed cannot deliberately take the life of any living thing, cannot with intention to steal, take what is not given, cannot indulge in carnal intercourse, cannot intentionally tell a lie, cannot enjoy pleasures from savings as of before when a householder. Pray, Lord, have I heard the matter rightly from the Exalted One? Have I grasped it rightly? Have I borne it in mind rightly? Have I understood it rightly? And the Buddha said, Certainly, Suttavan, you have heard the matter rightly, grasped it rightly, borne it in mind rightly, and understood it rightly. Both in the past and now, Suttavan, I verily declare The Arahant monk who has destroyed the Asavas, lived the holy life, done what was to be done, laid down the burden, won to the goal, birthed the bonds of becoming, and is freed by the fullness of knowledge, cannot transgress nine standards. A monk in whom the Asavas are destroyed cannot deliberately take the life of any living thing, cannot with intention to steal take what is not given, cannot indulge in carnal intercourse, cannot intentionally tell a lie, cannot enjoy pleasures from savings as of before when a householder, A monk in whom the asavas are destroyed cannot go astray through desire, cannot go astray through hate, cannot go astray through delusion, cannot go astray through fear. Both in the past and now, Suttaban, I verily declare, an Arahant monk who has lived the life, the holy life, done what was to be done, laid down the burden, run to the goal, burst the bonds of becoming, and is freed by the fullness of knowledge, cannot transgress these nine standards. This is quite an interesting sutra. Here the Buddha is saying that an Arahant monk An enlightened person cannot break these nine standards. 1. He cannot intentionally kill. 2. He cannot intentionally steal. 3. He cannot indulge in sexual intercourse. 4. He cannot tell a lie. 5. He cannot save up something to use. later, in other words, something, food or something, because he's not worried about whether he lives or not. And then after that, he cannot do something wrong because of desire or greed, he cannot do something wrong because of hatred, he cannot do something wrong because of delusion, and he cannot do something wrong because of fear. So these are the nine standards to judge arahant. This is from the earlier suttas, but sometimes If you're not careful, you'll read some later books, they may say something which is contrary to this. For example, they may claim that such and such a person is enlightened, yet he can break these precepts, then he cannot be an enlightened person, if that is so. Next sutra is 9.1.9. Monks, these nine persons are found living in the world. What nine? The arahant, he who has entered on the path to arahantship. The anagamin or non-returner, he who has entered on the path to the realization of the fruit of the non-returner. The sakadagamin or once-returner, he who has entered on the path to the realization of the fruit of the once-returner, the Sotapanna or stream-winner, he who has entered on the path to the realization of the fruit of the stream-winner, and the ordinary man, Putujana. Amongst these nine persons are found living in the world. That's the end of the sutra. There's a few implications from this sutra. The fact that these nine persons are found living in the world shows that path attainers are to be found in the world. That's why in some other sutra, in the Majjhima Nikaya, I think, it is mentioned that you can make an offering to a path-attainer. So it is not that the path-attainer exists for just one moment. He does exist. Another implication that can be drawn from here, you see here is mentioned the eight Aryans plus the Putujana, that makes nine persons. And it is not mentioned here about the Sammasambuddha and the Pacekabuddha. So what is meant here is that the Sammasambuddha and the Pacekabuddha, they are arahants. In fact in the suttas you find that the Buddha calls himself the arahant. And that term arahant during the Buddha's time was not used for his disciples. The Buddha referred to his enlightened disciples as Aryan disciples. Aryan disciples who are liberated by wisdom or liberated by mind. So the Arahant includes the Arahant disciple, the Sammasambuddha, and the Pacekabuddha. Pacekabuddha is the type of Buddha who does not teach the Dharma to the world. Another thing you notice here is that the Bodhisattva is not mentioned. But the Bodhisatta in our early sutras is either can be a Putujana, or he can be a Sotapanna, or he can be a Sakadagamin, stream-winner or once-returner, because a Bodhisatta comes back to the world. So he must be one of these three, an ordinary person, a stream-winner, or a once-returner. And it's only the later books that say that the Bodhisatta must be a Bhutujana, but that is not seen in the suttas. The other thing here is that the terms sotapanna, sakadagamin, anagamin and arahan, they refer to the fruition attainers. fruition attainers, not path attainers, although the translation here in the book here, Book of the Kindred, Gradual Sayings, they have translated it as though the Suttapana, Sakadagamin, Anagamin, and Arahant are path attainers, but check the Pali, they are actually fruition attainers. The next sutra is 9.1.10. Monks, these nine persons are venerable, worthy of honor, worthy of gifts, worthy of salutations, the world's unsurpassed field for making merit. The Arahant He who has entered on the path to arahantship, the anagamin or non-returner. He who has entered on the path to the realization of the fruit of the non-returner, the sakadagamin or once-returner. He who has entered on the path to the realization of the fruit of the once-returner. the Sotapanna, or stream-winner, he who has entered on the path to the realization of the fruit of the stream-winner, and he who has become one of the clan, Gotrabhu. Monks, these nine persons are venerable, worthy of honor, worthy of gifts, worthy of salutations, the world's unsurpassed field for making merit. That's the end of the sutta. What is interesting about this sutra is that it mentions the eight Aryans plus a person called the Gotrabhu. Now, according to the commentary, the Gotrabhu is one endowed with exceedingly powerful insight and thought, with immediate prospects of attaining to the state of the stream-winner and the Way. Which means that the Gotrabu, or one of the clan, is not an Aryan. He's not an Aryan, but he's very close to becoming a stream-winner. He is fairly familiar with the suttas. So even that type of person is considered venerable, worthy of honor, worthy of gifts, worthy of salutations. The world's unsurpassed field for making merit. So these are the nine persons who are described as such. The next sutta is 9.2.11. Once when the Exalted One was staying near Savatthi at Jeta Grove in Anathapindika's park, the Venerable Sariputta came and visited Him, saluted and sat down at one side. So seated, the Venerable Sariputta said to the Exalted One, Lord, I have spent the rainy season here in Savatthi, and I now wish to go into the country. And the Buddha said, Now is the time, Sariputta, to do as you think fit. So the Venerable Sariputta got up, saluted, and took his departure, keeping the Exalted One on his right. Now not long after his departure, a certain monk addressed the Exalted One and said, Lord, the Venerable Sariputta has offended me, and without asking my pardon, has set out on a journey. And the Exalted One said to a monk, Go, monk, and in my name bid Sariputta come, saying, The teacher calls you, Sariputta. Yes, Lord, replied the monk, and he went and gave the venerable Sariputta the Exalted One's message. Yes, Reverend Sir, he replied. Then went the Venerable Mahamoggalana and the Venerable Ananda with their keys from lodging to lodging, saying, Hasten you, reverences, and come, for the Venerable Sariputta will now roar his lion's roar in the presence of the Exalted One. And the Venerable Sariputta went to the Exalted One and saluted Him and sat down at one side. And the Exalted One said to him, There is here Sariputta, a fellow wayfarer who has a grievance. He says, Lord, the Venerable Sariputta has offended me and without asking my pardon has set out on a journey. And the Venerable Sariputta said, True it is, Lord. that he in whom mindfulness of the body's actions is not present might set out on a journey without asking pardon of a fellow wayfarer in the holy life whom he has offended. Lord, just as on the earth they cast things clean and foul, dung, urine, spittle, pus, and blood, yet for all that the earth is not filled with horror, loathing, even so, Lord, Like the earth, I abide with mine, large, abundant, measureless, feeling no hatred nor ill-will. True it is, Lord, that he in whom mindfulness is not present might set out on a journey without asking pardon of a fellow wayfarer whom he had offended. Lord, just as in water they wash things clean and foul, dung, urine, spittle, pus, and blood, yet for all that the water is not filled with horror, loathing, or disgust. Even so, Lord, like water I abide with mine, large, abundant, measureless, feeling no hatred nor ill will. True it is, Lord, that he in whom mindfulness is not present might set out on a journey without asking pardon of a fellow wayfarer whom he had offended. Lord, just as fire burns things clean and foul, dung, urine, spittle, pus, and blood, yet for all that the fire is not filled with horror, loathing, or disgust. Even so, Lord, like fire, I abide with mine large, abundant, measureless, feeling no hatred nor ill-will. True it is, Lord, that he in whom mindfulness is not present might set out on a journey without asking pardon of a fellow wayfarer whom he had offended. Lord, just as the wind blows on things clean and foul, dung, urine, spittle, pus, and blood, yet for all that, the wind is not filled with horror, loathing, or disgust. Even so, Lord, like the wind, I abide with mine, large, abundant, measureless, feeling no hatred nor ill will. True it is, Lord, that he in whom mindfulness is not present might set out on a journey without asking pardon of a fellow wayfarer whom he had offended. Lord, just as a duster wipes up things, clean and foul, dung, urine, spittle, pus, and blood, yet for all that, the duster is not filled with horror, loathing, or disgust. Even so, Lord, like a duster, I abide with mine, large, abundant, smeasureless, feeling no hatred nor ill will. True it is, Lord, that he in whom mindfulness is not present might set out on a journey without asking pardon of a fellow wayfarer whom he had offended. Lord, just as a boy or girl of the scavenger class, clad in rags with begging tray in hand, on entering village or town, assumes a humble mien, and then goes in, Even so, Lord, like a scavenger boy, I abide with mine, large, abundant, measureless, feeling no hatred nor ill-will. True it is, Lord, that he in whom mindfulness is not present might set out on a journey without asking pardon of a fellow wayfarer whom he had offended. Lord, just as a bull would cut horns, mild, wild, well-tamed, well-trained, roaming from street to street, from crossroad to crossroad, harms nothing with its feet or horns. Even so, Lord, like a bull with cut horns, I abide with mine, large, abundant, measureless, feeling no hatred nor ill-will. True it is, Lord, that he in whom mindfulness is not present might set out on a journey without asking pardon of a fellow wayfarer whom he had offended. Lord, just as a woman, man, or a lad, having washed the head and dressed up, would be filled with horror, loathing, and disgust if the carcass of a snake, dog, or human being were slung around his neck, even so, Lord, I am filled with horror, loathing, and disgust at this foul body of mine. True it is, Lord, that he in whom mindfulness is not present might set out on a journey without asking pardon of a fellow wayfarer whom he had offended. Lord, just as a man might carry around a bowl of fat, full of holes and slits, oozing, dripping, even so, Lord, I carry around this body of mine, full of holes and slits, oozing, dripping. True it is, Lord, that he in whom mindfulness of the body's actions is not present, might set out on a journey without asking pardon of a fellow wayfarer in the holy life whom he had offended. Then that monk got up from his seat, arranged his upper robe over one shoulder, and fell at the feet of the exalted one, exclaiming, Lord, transgression has overtaken me, as a fool, a blind man, an evil man. I have accused the Venerable Sariputta untruly, vainly, lyingly. Lord, let the Exalted One pardon this transgression of mine as a transgression to the end that I may restrain myself in the future." And the Buddha said, Venerable monk, transgression has overtaken you. As a fool, as a blind man, as an evil man, you have accused the Venerable Sariputta untruly, vainly, lyingly. But since you have seen the transgression as such and recognized it as such, we pardon you. Verily, monk, there is growth in the discipline of the Aryan, for him who, seeing and recognizing his transgression as such, makes amends to the end that he may be restrained in the future. Then the Exalted One said to the Venerable Sariputta, Pardon this foolish man, Sariputta, before his head splits into seven pieces, even where he stands. And the Venerable Sariputta said, Lord, I do pardon that Venerable one if he speaks thus to me, and let him too pardon me. That's the end of the Sutta. So you see this Sutta is quite a moving Sutta. This stupid monk was probably filled with jealousy that Sariputta was so famous and so well respected that he simply blamed Venerable Sariputta for something that he had not done. So Sariputta here is giving his lines raw. He is saying that Just like earth, water, fire, and wind, he abides, feeling no hatred. Even though you cast dirty things like dung, urine, spittle, pus, and blood, if you throw this on the earth, water, fire, and wind, it does not react, it does not It is not filled with horror or loathing or disgust. So the verbal Sariputta, because he is an arahant, he has no self, he's just like the four elements. And the simile here is like the dung, urine, spittle, pus and blood, it's like all the wrong accusations, all the unwholesome things that you say about him, he does not feel hatred, he does not react. And also he says that he's like a duster that sweeps the road or something, does not react even though he sweeps all the dirty things, or like a boy or a girl of the scavenger class with begging for his food. When he goes into the town, he assumes a humble demeanor, a humble face, and then goes in. So even then, his reputa is like that, or like a bull with the horns cut. A bull with horns is very fierce, but without the horns, it can do nothing, so it's very tame. So in the same way, the ego, has been removed from the Arahant and he is completely tame, he cannot harm anybody. And then lastly he says he looks upon his body with horror just like a carcass or a bowl of fat with holes and slits oozing and dripping. So after all these descriptions, the monk realized that this person is really an arahant and he asked for forgiveness. And the Buddha asked Sariputta to forgive him, but Sariputta said he would forgive him if the monk asked him. Because the monk actually should ask the Venerable Sariputta for forgiveness, not the Buddha. So in the same way, sometimes people read that if you accuse a monk wrongly or you have a lot of hatred towards a monk, you have to be very careful because if a monk is an Arya, like the Venerable Sariputta, then your offence is very, very great, your karmic offence is very great. And the Buddha said, you are digging a hole to bury yourself in the earlier sutta that we read. That's why generally it is not wise for a lay person to be critical of a monk, especially one who keeps the precepts and understands the Dhamma. We were at Sutta No. 9.2.12. Once when the Exalted One was staying near Savatthi at Jeta Grove in Anathapindika's park, the Venerable Sariputta before noon dressed and with bowl and rope went towards Savatthi. Then thought he, too early is it? Too early is it yet to go about for alms in Savatthi. Suppose I were to go and visit the park of the Wanderers of Other Views." So the Venerable Sariputta went to their park, and after exchanging with them the usual compliments, sat down at one side. Now at that time, this happened to be the topic of their talk as they sat gathered around. All who die with some attached remainder are not altogether freed from hell. rebirth in the womb of an animal, the realm of ghosts, nor from the untoward way, the ill way, the abyss hell. And the Venerable Sariputta neither applauded nor disparaged their speech, but without comment rose from his seat and departed, saying to himself, I will learn the truth of the matter from the Exalted One. So the Venerable Sariputta, after going about for alms in Savatthi, When he had returned therefrom and eaten his meal, visited the Exalted One, and after saluting sat down at one side, so seated he told the Exalted One all that had taken place. The Buddha said, Sariputta, some of these wanderers of other views are fools and without understanding, but some will know of one who has attachment, he has some attached remainder, and some will know of one who has no attachment, he has none. Sariputta, there are these nine persons who when they die with some attached remainder, are all together freed from hell, rebirth in the womb of an animal, the realm of ghosts. 9. Consider Sariputta, the person who is accomplished in the precepts, accomplished in concentration, but not in wisdom. He destroys the five lower factors and becomes completely cool after an interval. This Sariputta is the first person who, dying with some attached remainder, is altogether freed from hell, rebirth in the womb of an animal, the realm of ghosts. Again, Sariputta, consider the person who is accomplished in the precepts, accomplished in concentration, but not in wisdom. He destroys the five lower factors and becomes completely cool after lessening his period. Again, consider the person who is accomplished in the precepts, accomplished in concentration, but not in wisdom. He destroys the five lower factors and becomes completely cool without exertion. Again, Sariputta, consider the person who is accomplished in the precepts. accomplished in concentration but not in wisdom. He destroys the five lower factors and becomes completely cool after some exertion. Again, Sariputta, consider the person who is accomplished in the precepts, accomplished in wisdom, sorry, accomplished in concentration but not in wisdom. He destroys the five lower factors. and he ascends the stream of existence up to the Akanitta heaven. This Sariputta is the fifth person who, dying with some attached remainder, is altogether freed from hell, rebirth in the womb of animal, the realm of ghosts. I stop here for a moment to comment. Here the Buddha is talking about nine persons who die with some attached remainder, that means they have not attained arahanthood. And here the first five the Buddha is talking about is the anagamin, the non-returner. And the non-returner, there are five types. And we came across these five types earlier in this Angutta Nikaya 7.6.52. And so I think we don't need to discuss them here. And this anagamin is one here, the Buddha says, is accomplished in the precepts, accomplished in concentration, but not in wisdom. In other words, he has perfect moral conduct, perfect concentration, that means one-pointedness of mind, but not perfect wisdom. And the sutta continues, again Sariputta, consider the person who is accomplished in the precepts but not in concentration nor in wisdom. By destroying the three factors, reducing lust, hatred and delusion, he becomes a once-returner, Sakadagamin, who returns to this world once again. only once again and makes an end of ill. This Sariputta is the sixth person. Again Sariputta considered the person who is accomplished in the precepts but not in concentration nor in wisdom. By destroying the three fetters, he becomes one, germinating only once more, ekabijin. And on being born into the state of man, just once he makes an end of ill. This Sariputta is the seventh person. Again Sariputta, consider the person who is accomplished in the precepts, is moderately successful in concentration, is moderately successful in wisdom. By destroying the three factors, he becomes a clan to clan goer. And running on, faring on through two or three clans, he makes an end of ill. This Sariputta is the eighth person. Again Sariputta considered the person who is accomplished in the precepts and is moderately successful in concentration, moderately successful in wisdom. By destroying the three fetters, he becomes one who will be reborn seven times at most, and running on, faring on among devas and men for seven times at most, he makes an end of ill. This Sariputta is the ninth person who, dying with some attached remainder, is altogether freed from hell. from rebirth in the womb of an animal from the realm of ghosts. Sariputta, some wanderers of other views are fools and without understanding, but some will know of one who has attachment, he has some attached remainder, and some will know of one who has no attachment, he has none. Verily, Sariputta, these nine persons who die with some remainder are freed from hell, rebirth in the womb of an animal, the realm of ghosts. Not until now, Sariputta, has this Dharma discourse been declared to monk or nun, to layman or laywoman. And why? Lest, after hearing this Dharma discourse, they bring on themselves the habit of idleness. Moreover, Sariputta, this Dharma discourse was only declared by me because I am of my being questioned. That's the end of the Sutta. So the last four types of persons discussed here, the first one is the Sakadagamin, once returner, who has perfect moral conduct, but not perfect concentration and wisdom. He destroys the three fetters and has reduced lust, hatred and delusion. And he returns to this world, that means as a human being, only once more. And then the other three asutapanas, stream enterers, they have all destroyed the three factors. They are also perfect in moral conduct, but not in concentration and wisdom. So here you can see that the Sotapanna and the Sakadagamin, they don't need perfect concentration, that means they don't need jhana, they don't need one-pointedness of mind. Now, the Sotapanna is reborn a maximum of seven times only among devas and men. And the other thing mentioned here is that the Buddha said, some wanderers of other views are fools and without understanding, but some will know of one who has attachment and some will know of one who has no attachment, which means that not all external ascetics are ignorant, some also know. And at the last part, the Buddha said, not until now, Sariputta, has this dharma discourse been declared to monk or nun, to layman or layperson. And why? Just after hearing this dharma discourse, they bring on themselves a habit of idleness. So the Buddha here says that at first he did not want to talk about this sutra in detail, because here he is saying, for example, that Sotapanna and Asakadagamin, first and second fruition persons, don't need jhana. And in the Majjhima Nikaya 43, the Buddha said that the right view can be attained only by two conditions, with only two conditions. One is listening to the Dharma, and the other one is happy having yoniso manasikara, proper attention. So, you can see that sotapanna can be attained by listening to the Dharma only. And the Buddha did not want to say this because the Buddha doesn't want his Aryan disciples who are not yet arahant to be idle. He wants them to finish their work in this very life. That's why the Buddha did not give the details of this sutta earlier.

27-AN-Book-9C-(9.2.14-to-9.2.20).txt

Now we come to the next sutra, 9.2.14. Now the Venerable Samīdī visited the Venerable Sariputta, saluted him and sat down at one side, and the Venerable Sariputta spoke to him so seated. What, Samīdī, is the basis of purposive thoughts, saṅkāpa-vitāka? or sometimes translated as intentional thoughts, and he answered, mentality, materiality, sir, namarupa, what gives them their variety, the elements, dhatu, what gives rise to them, contact, Wherein have they common ground in feeling? When are they at their best in a state of concentration? What is their master state? Mindfulness. What is their still higher state? Wisdom. What is their very essence? The giving of liberation. Wherein are they finally merged? In the deathless. Such Samidhi are the questions and such are your answers. Well done, well done, Samidhi. Well have you answered the questions put to you, but be not vain on that account. That's the end of the sutta. This is one of the suttas which is quite deep and we have to think about it. So I just comment that The basis of purposive thoughts or intentional thoughts here is said to be Nama Rupa. And Nama Rupa is mentality, materiality, that means phenomena, phenomena that consciousness is conscious of. Quite often, Nama Rupa is wrongly translated as mind and matter. But if Nama is mind, then The basis of purposive thoughts should be mind, should be Nama, but here it is not Nama. The basis of purposive thoughts is Nama Rupa. So Nama Rupa is phenomena, mentality, materiality. Nama does not incorporate consciousness. Now dhatu, there are several types of dhatu, the four great elements, earth, water, fire, wind, but they are not actually earth, water, fire, wind. The characteristics of earth represents hardness. Water represents cohesion. Fire represents heat, wind represents motion. Datu could also refer to the 18 elements, the six sense organs, the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and mind. six sense organs, the six sense objects of form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and thoughts, and the six consciousness. These are the 18 elements, or it could also refer, Tattu could also refer to the six elements, the four great elements, earth, water, fire, wind, glass, space, glass consciousness. The next sutra is 9.2.15. The Buddha said, Imagine monks, a boil, which has been gathering for many years. It might have nine gaping wounds, nine natural openings. Hence, whatever might ooze out, foulness would certainly ooze out, stench would certainly ooze out. Loathsomeness would certainly ooze out, whatever might be discharged. Foulness would certainly be discharged. Stench would certainly be discharged. Loathsomeness would certainly be discharged. A boil, that is the name for the body, monks, made up of Made up as it is of the four great elements, procreated by mother and father, built up of gruel and sour milk, impermanent, subject to aeration, abrasion, dissolution and disintegration, with nine gaping wounds, nine natural openings, and from it whatever oozes out, foulness certainly oozes out, stench certainly oozes out, loathsomeness certainly oozes out. Whatever be discharged, foulness is certainly discharged, stench is certainly discharged, loathsomeness is certainly discharged. Wherefore, monks, be you disgusted with this body." That's the end of the Sutta. You see here that the Buddha's teaching is to be disgusted with the human body, that the body is a loathsome thing with nine openings of which discharges dirty things, foul things. But the worldly way is to see the body as something attractive, as something exciting. And here the Buddha is certainly trying to tell us the opposite so that we can be free of suffering. The next sutra is 9.2.19. It's quite an important sutra. This night, monks, when night was nearly spent, there visited me a host of devas of surpassing beauty, shedding their rays over almost the whole of Jeta Grove, and they saluted me and stood at one side. So standing, they spoke thus to me, Lord, when we dwelt among men in times gone by, homeless wanderers visited us, and though we arose out of respect, we did not salute them with raised hands. Lord, by not fulfilling this duty, we have suffered remorse and have been sorry since, for we have been reborn in a mean body. Monks, then another host of Devas approached me and said, Lord, when we dwelt among men in times gone by, homeless wanderers visited us, and though we arose and saluted them, we did not offer them seats. Lord, by not fulfilling this duty, we have suffered remorse and have been sorry since, for we have been reborn in a mean body. And another group came and said, though we arose and saluted them and offered them seeds, we did not share our food in accordance with our ability and power, and we have been sorry since wherefore we have been reborn in a mean body. And another group came and said, though we did all the formal things, plus sharing our food, we did not sit around to hear Dharma. And so we have also been sorry since we have been reborn in a mean body. And another group came and visited the Buddha and said, though we did all these former things and we sat around to hear Dhamma, we did not lend an ear and hearken to Dhamma, and we have been sorry since for we have been reborn in a mean body. And another group came and said that though they did all these things, the former things, though we lent an ear and hearken to Dhamma, we did not bear in mind what we had heard. and we have been sorry since, for we have been reborn in a mean body." And another group came to the Buddha and said, though we did all the former things, and we bore in mind what we heard, but we did not investigate the meaning of what we had learned, and we have been sorry since, for we have been reborn in a mean body. And another group came and said, that though we did all these former things, and we investigated the meaning of Dhamma we had learned, Knowing both the spirit and the letter, we did not walk in conformity with Dharma. Lord, by not fulfilling this duty, we have suffered remorse and have been sorry since, for we have been reborn in a mean body. Monks, yet another host of devas approached me and said, When we dwelt among men in times gone by, homeless wanderers visited us. Lord, we arose and saluted them, offered them seeds, shared our food in accordance with our ability and power, sat around to hear Dhamma, lent an ear and hearkened to Dhamma, bore in mind Dhamma we had heard, investigated the meaning of Dhamma we had learned, and knowing both the spirit and the letter of Dhamma, we walked in conformity therewith. Lord, by fulfilling these duties, we have suffered no remorse, nor have we been sorry since, for we have been born in an excellent body." And the Buddha continued, monks, behold these three roots, these empty places. Cultivate jhāna, monks, be not idle. Suffer not remorse afterwards, as did those first eight hosts of devas. That's the end of the sutta. It's quite an interesting sutra because you can see from here that these devas, when they were human beings before, like us now, they did not pay sufficient respect to the homeless renunciants or did not pay enough respect to the Dhamma. by listening to the Dhamma, bearing in mind what they had heard, etc. And as a result, all these, when they were reborn in heaven, They had a mean body, meaning that their body was not as beautiful or as bright as other heavenly beings. Compared to other heavenly beings, they were born with a mean body compared to the others. They were deficient in certain of their duties, so they have been sorry since. But then the final, the last group of devas, they did all the things that were good, and so they were born in an excellent body and they had no regrets. We should take note of this, that there are certain things that we should do and certain things that we should not do. And if we carry out all the things that we should do and avoid all the things that we should not do, then we would have no regret. But if we do certain things that we should not do, for example, criticize other people or criticize monks, then in the end we will be sorry because finally when we are about to pass away, other people's faults does not matter at all. It is our own faults that matter. It is our own faults that will weigh us down and pull us down, whereas others' faults, other people have to bear them. So we should not be concerned with other people's faults, but we should be concerned only with our faults, look within, because we are not responsible for other people, but we are responsible for ourselves. And finally the Buddha said in the last part, he told his monks to cultivate jhāna, jāyatā. The Pali word is jāyatā and it means cultivate jhāna. Sometimes some books translate it as practice meditation or meditate, but the actual meaning is to cultivate jhāna. So the Buddha in effect is telling his disciples that if they cultivate jhāna then they would not suffer remorse afterwards because jhāna is the last factor of the Aryan Eightfold Path. And if a person carries out all the factors, practices all the factors of the Aryan Eightfold Path, which culminates in jhana, then that person would have no regret later. But if we practice the Aryan Eightfold Path, Insufficiently, without cultivating jhana, if we miss out on any of the eight factors of the Aryan Eightfold Path, then we would have remorse and we would suffer later, like the devas. Even though they were born in heaven, yet they had some regrets for some of the things that they had not done. So in the same way, if we carry out the instructions of the Buddha's teachings fully, then we would carry out all the eight factors of the Aryan Eightfold Path. Sutta 9.2.20 is quite an important sutta. Once when the Exalted One was dwelling near Savatthi at Jeta Grove in Anathapindika's park, the householder Anathapindika visited him and after saluting sat down at one side, and the Exalted One addressed Anathapindika thus, His arms given in your family, householder, And he said, yes, Lord, but it consists of a coarse mess of broken rice grains together with sour gruel. I stop here for a moment. According to the commentary, the Buddha was asking Anathapindika, the biggest supporter of the Buddha, about whether he gives alms to, not to monks, but to the world at last, whether to beggars or whatever. And the Buddha continued, householder, whether one gives cause alms or choice alms, if one gives unattentively, without respect, not with one's own hand, give what is to be thrown away, and with a view or expectation in the future. Then wheresoever that almsgiving bear fruit, his mind will not turn to the enjoyment of excellent food, of fine clothing, of rich carriages, to the enjoyment of the excellencies of the five senses, and one's sons and one's daughters, one's slaves, messengers, and work folk, will have no desire to listen to one, nor lend an ear, nor bring understanding to bear on what one says, and why. Such is the result, householder, of deeds done casually. But whether one give cause alms or choice alms, householder, if one give attentively, sakacang, respectfully, citikattva, with one's own hand, give other than what is to be thrown away, and without a view or expectation in the future, Then wheresoever that almsgiving bear fruit, his mind will turn to the enjoyment of good food, of fine clothing, of rich carriages, of the excellences of the five senses, and one's sons and one's daughters, one's slaves, messengers, and workfolk, whose desire to listen to one will lend an ear and bring understanding to bear on what one says and why. Such is the result, householder, of deeds done considerably." I'll just stop here to comment. Here the Buddha is saying that if one gives, one should give attentively and respectfully, Like some people, if they give something to a beggar, they throw it without respect. That's not good. With one's own hand, if one is able to, it is best that one does the giving oneself. And give other than what is to be thrown away. That means give. not something that is too old or something that you don't value at all. And you should also give without an expectation in the future, without thinking of the reward. Then if that With that kind of giving, then the blessings will be much more. And the Buddha continued. Long ago, householder, there lived a Brahmin called Vellama. He gave very rich gifts such as these. He gave 84,000 golden bowls filled with silver. He gave 84,000 silver bowls filled with gold. He gave 84,000 copper bowls filled with treasure. He gave 84,000 steeds with trappings of gold, with banners of gold, covered with nets of gold thread. He gave 84,000 chariots spread with lion skins, tiger skins, leopard skins, saffron-colored blankets with golden trappings, golden banners, covered with nets of gold thread. He gave 84,000 milk cattle with tethers of fine jute, with milk pails of silver. He gave 84,000 maidens adorned with jeweled earrings. He gave 84,000 couches spread with fleecy covers, white blankets and woolen flower-embroidered coverlets. covered with rugs of antelope skins, with awnings above and crimson cushions at each end. He gave eighty-four thousand lengths of cloth, of finest flax, of finest silk, of finest wool, of finest cotton, and who shall tell of the food and the drink that he gave? Food, both hard and soft, sweet meats and syrups. They flowed, it seems, like rivers. Perhaps, householder, you may think thus. Maybe Vellama the Brahmin who made that very rich gift was someone else. But think not so, for it was I who at that time was Vellama the Brahmin. It was I who made that very rich gift. But when that alms was given householder, there was no one worthy to receive the gift. There was none to sanctify that gift. For though Brahmin Vellama gave that very rich gift, greater would have been the fruit thereof had he fed one person of right view. I stop here for a moment. So here the Buddha is saying that long ago he was a Brahmin by the name of Vellama and he gave a lot of things away. 84,000 golden bowls filled with silver, 84,000 silver bowls filled with gold, 84,000 copper bowls filled with treasure, etc. etc. Horses and chariots and clothings and slaves and cattle etc. This figure 84,000 does not exactly mean 84,000 but it signifies a very great number in that range of 84,000. So the Buddha is saying although he gave so much away, yet There was no one worthy to receive the gift. All the people at that time were puthujanas, ordinary people, because there was no Dhamma in the world. There being no Dhamma in the world, the people were ordinary people. So the Buddha said, in spite of all that gifts that he gave so much, greater would have been the merit or the blessings had he fed one person with right view. A person with right view is an ariya. That means here, it means a sotapanna. Sotapanna, one which either attained the first path or the first fruition. Why is it that he has given so much gifts, so much charity, yet he says there was It doesn't measure to giving one person the right view. In effect, this means that the blessings from all those gifts was not very, very much. That is because ordinary people, butujanas, they create more evil karma than good. That is why the Buddha said, most people are reborn in the woeful planes. Few come back to the human world or are reborn in the deva realm. But if one can give to an Arya, then the fruit would be very, very much. Then the Buddha continued, though he gave that very rich gift, although he fed a hundred persons of right view, that means Sotapanna, greater would have been the fruit at once we turn a second fruition person. Though he gave that very rich gift, although he fed a hundred once-returners, greater would have been the fruit thereof had he fed one non-returner Anagamin, third fruition person. Though he fed a hundred non-returners Anagamins, greater would have been the fruit thereof had he fed one Arahant, fourth fruition Arya. Though he fed a hundred arahants, greater would have been the fruit thereof had he fed one Pacheka Buddha. Though he fed a hundred Pacekabuddhas, greater would have been the fruit thereof had he fed one Tathagata Arahant samasambuddha. Though he fed the sangha of monks with the Buddha at the head, greater would have been the fruit thereof had he built a monastery for the use of the monks of the sangha of the surrounding country. Though he built a monastery, greater would have been the fruit if he took refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. Though with pious heart he took refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and the Sangha, Greater would have been the fruit thereof, had he with pious heart undertaken to keep the precepts, abstention from taking life, from taking what is not given, from adultery, from lying, from intoxicating liquor, the cause of sloth. Though with pious heart he undertook to keep these precepts, greater would have been the fruit thereof had he made become a mere passing fragrance of metta. That is goodwill or loving-kindness. Though he made become just the fragrance of metta, greater would have been the fruit thereof had he made become, just for a finger-snap, the thought of impermanence. And that's the end of the sutta. So here the Buddha continued that even if he had fed 100 Sotapanna, the fruition person, the merit would have been greater if he had fed one once-returner, Sakadagamin. And after that, even feeding 100 Sakadagamins is less than the blessings of feeding 1 non-returner Anagamin. And feeding 100 non-returners is less than the merit of feeding 1 Arahant. and the blessings of eating one arahant is less than the blessings of eating one pacekabuddha. A pacekabuddha is a buddha who does not spread the dharma, the teachings. He practices himself and stays by himself, but he shows a good example to the world, but he does not teach the Dhamma. And feeding a hundred Pacceka Buddhas is not equivalent to feeding one Sammasambuddha. What is the difference between an arahant and a Buddha? An arahant is one, actually an arahant is also used for a Buddha, All Buddhas are arahants, but all arahants are not Buddhas, in the sense like all doctors are human beings, but not all human beings are doctors. So, out of all the arahants, some are Buddhas, and they are Buddhas because they are self-enlightened. A Buddha has no teacher in his last life. He struggles by himself and attains enlightenment. Whereas arahant is normally used for a disciple of a Buddha. Having learned the Dhamma from the Buddha, it is easier for him to become enlightened because he has the guidance given by the Buddha. And even feeding the sangha of monks with the Buddha at the head, greater would be the merit of building a monastery. Why? The greatest gift that a person can give is the giving of Dhamma. And when we build a monastery, it helps to perpetuate the Sangha of monks. And when the Sangha of monks is continued, then the Dharma will last in the world. If the Sangha of monks is broken, the lineage of the sangha is broken, then the sasana, the religion will slowly die because the dhamma would not be spread or carried on by monks. So it is very important to support monks and especially build monasteries for monks to live and to ordain others so that the lineage of the Sangha can continue, so that the Dhamma will not die out. And building a monastery is not equivalent to taking refuge. You see, up to this point, building of the monastery is like the greatest material giving that you can give. The charity, the highest is building a monastery. After this point, it is self-cultivation. Self-cultivation because Cultivating oneself is different from giving. In giving, in making offerings, we are getting worldly merit, which brings us to a good rebirth, perhaps rebirth as a deva, heavenly being or human. But it does not get us out of the round of rebirths. To get us out of the round of rebirths, we have to cultivate ourselves. We have to practice the Aryan Eightfold Path. Namely, there can also said to be three things, sila, samadhi, panna. moral conduct, concentration, and wisdom. And this, in Chinese, this, if we cultivate ourselves, we get kong te, kong te, spiritual merit, whereas if we do charity, we do giving, that only gives us fu te. Fu te is worldly blessings, does not really take us out of samsara. So the first step in cultivating ourselves is to take refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. Rely on the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. And greater than that is the merit of cultivating the precepts, keeping the precepts. Greater than that is the merit of practicing metta, loving kindness, or goodwill. And greater than that is the thought of impermanence. Now this is all that is shown in this sutta. But there is another sutta in the Digha Nikaya, Sutta No. 5, called the Kuta Danta Sutta, where this list continues. Making become, the thought of impermanence, means in that sutta, it means that one renounces. One renounces, becomes a renunciant or a monk. And after that, greater than the merit of renouncing is attaining the jhanas, attaining the meditative absorptions, concentrations, jhanas, and greater than that is attaining the various abhinya, higher knowledges, the supernormal powers, the psychic powers, up to arahanthood. The attainment of arahanthood is the greatest merit that one can attain. A lot of people, if you don't understand the sutra like this, dhamma like this, we think that it is very, very important to do charity only. Charity is important because it helps us to get a good rebirth instead of getting a rebirth in the woeful planes. But if we understand the Dhamma, then we should not stop there. We should cultivate ourselves.

28-AN-Book-9D-(9.2.21-to-9.4.34).txt

Now the next sutra is 9.2.21. Monks, in three ways, men of northern Kuru, uttara Kuru, excel both the Tavatimsa devas, devas of the 33, and men of Jambudipa, that means human beings. In what three? I'll stop here for a moment just to comment. This northern Kuru or Uttarakuru is supposed to be one of the four great islands or continents which was supposed to surround Mount Simeru. Every world system is supposed to have a sun and a Mount Simeru, which is surrounded by four continents. To the north is Uttarakuru, to the south is Jambudvipa, to the east is Puba-Diweha, and to the west is Apara-Goyana. Now, at the moment, we scientists can't see these four continents, but perhaps it could be that these are in the astral world, fine material world that we cannot see with the human eye, just like we cannot see devas, heavenly beings, and ghosts. But slowly now, scientists are able to take photographs of course, using infrared photography, so slowly they realize there are such things. So to continue the sutra, the Buddha said that the men of Uttarakuru excel the Tavatimsa devas. Tavatimsa devas are the devas of the thirty-three, whereas Akadevaraja is the chief. And men of Jambudvipa are us, we human beings. In what three, their special qualities are unselfishness, lack of greed, and fixity of lifespan. unselfishness, lack of greed, and fixity of lifespan. Monks, in these three ways, men of Uttarakuru excel both the Tavatimsa Devas and men of Jambudvipa. Monks, in three ways, the Tavatimsa Devas excel both the men of Uttarakuru and men of Jambudvipa. In what three? In their celestial life, beauty, and happiness. Monks in these three ways, the Tavatimsa devas, excel both the men of Uttarakuru and men of Jambudvipa. Monks, in three ways the men of Jambudvipa excel both the men of Uttarakuru and the Tavatimsa devas. In what three? They are heroic, possess mindfulness, and the holy life may be lived there. Monks, in these three ways, men of Jambudvipa excel both men of Uttarakuru and devas of the Tavatimsa heaven. That's the end of the sutra. So the thing about human beings stated here is we human beings are heroic, very brave. It has its good and its bad points. Its good point is that we are very heroic. The bad point, if you are very brave, is that sometimes men dare to do Totally frightening things, you know, like kill their parents, kill an Arahant. These things human beings dare to do. Lie and commit great evil deeds that bring them to the hells and the woeful planes. So this being heroic has its bad points also. And then we possess mindfulness. And the holy life may be lived here. We have the Sangha of monks, whereas in the heavens and in Uttarakuru, I think they don't have the Sangha of monks. And because we possess mindfulness, we can practice the holy life and we can get out of samsara. The next sutra is 9.3.23. Monks, I will teach the nine conditions rooted in craving. Listen, pay heed, I will speak. And what are the nine conditions rooted in craving? Seeking comes into being because of craving. Acquisition because of seeking. Decision making because of acquisition. Lustful desire because of decision making. Attachment because of lustful desire. Appropriation because of attachment. Avarice because of appropriation. Guarding because of avarice. At many, a bad and wicked state of things arises from the act of guarding, the taking up of stick and sword, quarrels, disputes, arguments, strife, abuse, lying, and other evil, unskilled states. These monks are the nine conditions that have their root in craving." That's the end of the sutta. So here the Buddha is saying that because of craving, We seek, and seeking brings about acquisition. Acquisition brings about decision making. Decision making brings about lustful desire. Lustful desire brings about attachment. Attachment brings about appropriation. Appropriation brings about guarding. And from guarding, those things that we desire, then we take up the stick and the sword and we quarrel and we lie and we fight, etc. The next sutra is 9.3.26. Once when the Venerable Sariputta and the Venerable Chandikaputta were dwelling near Rajagaha in the bamboo grove at the squirrel's feeding ground, the Venerable Chandikaputta addressed the monks, saying, Reverend Sirs, Devadatta taught Dhamma to the monks thus. When, sirs, the mind of a monk is heaped around with thoughtfulness, it is proper for that monk to explain, I know that birth is destroyed, the holy life lived, done is what was to be done, and there is no more of this to come. I'll just stop here for a moment. This Devadatta was one of the disciples of the Buddha, and at first he was a very good monk, and he attained the jhanas and attained the psychic powers. but later because of greed, because of wanting to take over the position of the Buddha, he lost his psychic powers, and later he even tried to harm the Buddha. So Devadatta had quite a reputation, so that is why this Reverend Chandrikaputta is quoting Devadatta. And the sutta continues. Now when he had thus spoken, the Venerable Sariputta said, Nay, Reverend Chandikaputra, Deva Datta taught not Dhammaso, but he taught the monks thus. When the mind of a monk is well heaped around with thoughtfulness, it is proper for that monk so to explain, I know that birth is destroyed, the holy life lived, done is what was to be done, and there is no more of this to come. The second time the Rambo Chandikaputra spoke in light manner, Second time, the Venerable Sariputta replied as before. A third time, the Venerable Chandrika said, Reverend Sirs, Devadatta taught Dhamma to the monks thus. Reverend Sirs, the mind of a monk is heaped around with thoughtfulness. It is proper for that monk to explain, I know that birth is destroyed, the holy life lived. Done is what was to be done and there is no more of this to come. When he had thus spoken, the Venerable Sariputta, for a third time, said, Nye, Reverend Chandrikaputta, Devadatta taught not dharma so, but he taught the monks thus. When the mind of a monk is well heaped around with thoughtfulness, it is proper for that monk so to explain, I know that birth is destroyed, the holy life lived, done is what was to be done, and there is no more of this to come. Now we come to Sutta 9.4.33. The Buddha said, monks, I will teach you these nine attainments of gradual abidings. Listen, pay heed, I will speak. And what, monks, are the nine attainments? Where sense-desires end, and those who have ended sense-desires so abide, surely those venerable men, craving not and cool, have by that very fact crossed over and gone beyond, I say. Where do sense-desires end, and who, having ended sense-desires, so abide? I know not this, I see not this. Who should speak thus? To him this ought to be said. Consider, Reverend Sir, the monk who, aloof from sense desires, aloof from unwholesome states, enters and abides in the first jhāna, which is accompanied by applied and sustained thought, with delight and pleasure born of seclusion. Their sense desires end, and those who have ended sense desires so abide. Surely the guileless man, without deceit, would rejoice and be glad at this response and say, well said, and thereafter would join hands, honor and reverence him. Just stop here for a moment. So here the Buddha is talking actually about jhana states, states of concentration. And in these states of concentration, starting from the first jhana, sense desires and And the Buddha says that where sense desires end and those who have ended sense desires so abide, surely those venerable men craving not and cool Nibbhuta have by that very fact crossed over and gone beyond Paragata. This statement They have become cool, nibuta, and have crossed over and gone beyond paragata. It's normally used for the arahant, a state where the arahant is supposed to have become enlightened. And the Buddha is using this for the jhana states, which shows the great respect and the great the Buddha puts in the jhana states, states of concentration. And then later the Buddha goes on to describe the first jhana. The state of the first jhana is among aloof from sense desires, aloof from unwholesome states, enters and abides in the first jhana. So to be able to enter the first jhana, you have to be aloof or secluded from sense desires, aloof or secluded from unwholesome states, which means that the first jhana is a state which is totally wholesome, wholly wholesome, because it is aloof from unwholesome states. So here the Buddha says that If you, after hearing this, that the person who abides in the first jhana there, sense desires, and the one who has ended sense desires abides in that state, then that person, then anyone who hears that should rejoice and be glad, and should honor and reverence him. And the Buddha continues, where applied thought and sustained thought end, and those who have ended such thoughts so abide. Surely those venerable men, craving not and cool, have by that very fact crossed over and gone beyond, I say. Where do they end, and who, having ended them, so abide? Consider, sir, the monk who, with the stilling of applied and sustained thought, enters and abides in the second jhāna, which has internal self-confidence and singleness of mind, without applied and sustained thought, with delight and pleasure born of concentration. Surely the godless man would rejoice at this response." So I stop here. So in the state of the second jhana, the Buddha says that the person has to still apply and sustain thought, apply and sustain thoughts, have to end. before he can enter the second jhana, which has internal self-confidence and singleness of mind, without applied and sustained thought, but with delight and pleasure born of concentration. Then the Buddha continues, where delight ends, and those who have ended delight so abide. Surely those venerable men, craving naught and cool, have by that very fact crossed over and gone beyond, I say. Where do they end, and who, having ended them, so abide? Consider, sir, the monk who, with the fading away of delight, abides in equanimity and mindful and aware, enters and abides in the third jhāna and experiences pleasure with his body, whereof the āryans declare, he that is equanimous and mindful has a joyful abiding. Their delight ends, and those who have ended it so abide. Surely the godless man would rejoice at this response." Stop here again. So here the state of the third jhana, you see, that delight has to fade away. And a monk, when he enters and abides in the third jhana, He is said to be equanimous and mindful and has a joyful abiding. So you see this state of the third jhana is very clear that it is a mindful state because some people They have a mistaken idea that jhanas are states of unmindfulness, as though in a trance, but states of jhana are intense states of mindfulness. The mind is very clear and very strong and equanimous. And because the mind is equanimous, that is why there is no tendency to lust for jhana, unlike sensual pleasures. Sensual pleasures There is delight, but the mind is not equanimous and because of that the mind is reactive. There is a tendency to lust for that kind of pleasure, but not with states of high concentration. And then the Buddha continues. Where equanimous pleasure ends and those who have ended it so abide, surely those venerable men, craving naught and cool, have by that very fact crossed over and gone beyond, I say. Where do they end, and who, having ended them, so abide? Consider, sir, the monk who, with the abandoning of bodily pleasure and the previous abandoning of bodily pain, by the fading away of joy and grief, he enters and abides in the fourth jhāna, which has complete purity of mindfulness and equanimity, and has neither pain nor pleasure. There, equanimous pleasure ends, and those who have ended it so abide. Surely the guileless man would rejoice at this response." Stop here again for a moment. So in the state of the fourth jhana, bodily pleasure and bodily pain, and mental joy and mental grief have ended before that person can enter into the fourth jhāna, which is a state of complete purity of mindfulness and equanimity. So here again you see that the fourth jhāna is a state of perfect mindfulness. It is not an unmindful state. And the Buddha continues, Where perceptions of form end, and those who abide, surely those venerable men, craving not and cool, have by that very fact crossed over and gone beyond, I say. Where do they end, and who, having ended them, so abide? Consider, sir, the monk who, unattentive to the perceptions of the manifold, enters and abides in the sphere of infinite space. Their perceptions of form end, and those who have ended them so abide. Surely the guileless man would rejoice at this response." Let's stop here again for a moment. So here the Buddha is talking about the first arupajana, which is the sphere of infinite space. Here the mind opens up to infinite space so that the mind becomes boundless in a way and in this state Perceptions of the manifold. Manifold, the Pali word is nanarta, and it also means diversity. Here, the monk is unattentive. He's not aware of perceptions of diversity. That means he doesn't see all beings as individuals. He doesn't consider all beings as individuals. And this is the beginning of the perception of no-self. the mind opens up and he feels as though all beings are one in his mind. That's why jhana states are very important for insight, for insight, the higher wisdom, because when a person comes out of those states, the insights are not the same as a person who uses the normal mind. Then the Buddha continues, where the perception of the sphere of infinite space ends, and those who have ended it so abide. Surely those venerable men, craving naught and cool, have by that very fact crossed over and gone beyond, I say. Where do they end, and who, having ended them, so abide? Consider, sir, the monk who, thinking consciousness is infinite, enters and abides in the sphere of infinite consciousness. There the perception of the sphere of infinite space ends, and those who have ended it so abide. Surely the guileless man would rejoice at this response. where the perception of the sphere of infinite consciousness ends, and those who have ended it so abide. Surely those venerable men, craving not and cool, have by that very fact crossed over and gone beyond, I say. Where do they end, and who, having ended them, so abide? Consider, sir, the monk who, thinking there is nothing, enters and abides in the sphere of nothingness. There the perception of the sphere of infinite consciousness ends, and those who have entered it so abide. Surely the guileless man would rejoice at this response. Where the perception of the sphere of nothingness ends, and those who have ended it so abide, surely those venerable men, craving not and cruel, have by that very fact crossed over and gone beyond, I say. Where do they end, and who, having ended them, so abide? Consider, sir, the monk who, passing wholly beyond the sphere of nothingness, enters and abides in the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception. There the perception of the sphere of nothingness ends, and those who have ended it so abide. Surely the guileless man would rejoice at this response. Where the perception of the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception ends, and those who have ended it so abide, surely those venerable men, craving naught and cool, have by that very fact crossed over and gone beyond, I say. Where ends the perception of this sphere, and who, having ended it, so abide? I know not this, I see not this. Who should speak thus? To him this ought to be said. Consider, Reverend Sir, the monk who, passing wholly beyond that sphere, enters and abides in the ending of perception and feeling. There the perception of the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception ends, and those who have ended it so abide. Surely the guileless man without deceit would rejoice and be glad at this response and say, well said, and thereafter would join hands, honour and reverence Him. Verily, monks, these are the nine attainments of gradual abidings. is the end of the sutta. So after that the Buddha goes on to the arupajana called the sphere of infinite consciousness. In that state the mind, the consciousness becomes infinite. And a person who has this kind of state, he can know things that happen in far away places because the mind opens up and he has infinite consciousness. And then this fear of nothingness in that state, he realizes that everything is like mind made, that there is nothing, it's all, the whole universe is mind made, exists in consciousness, and basically there is nothing, it is like imagination. And then, after that, this fear of neither perception or non-perception, where the mind is so still, the consciousness is almost about to be like a small flame about to be blown off. So sometimes that person is like perceives and another time is as though he doesn't perceive. That's why it's called the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception. And the final state is the state where perception and feeling ends. When perception and feeling ends, then the normal six consciousness also ends. And so these are the nine states where the Buddha praises Now the next few sutras all have to do with states of jhana, concentration. The next one is 9.4.34. Once the Venerable Sariputta dwelt near Rajagaha at the squirrel's feeding ground in the bamboo grove, and there he addressed the monk, saying, This cool Nibbana, reverend sirs, is happiness. This cool, reverend sirs, is happiness. Now when he had spoken thus, the Venerable Udayin said to him, But what herein, reverend sir, is the happiness which herein is not sensed? stop here for a moment. Nibbana is a state where the senses have stopped. So this monk Udainsa wants the parable Sariputta to explain. And the Venerable Sariputta continued, it is verily just that happiness which herein is not sensed. There are, Reverend Sir, these five strands of sensed desire. What five? There are forms cognized by the eye, longed for, alluring, pleasurable, lovely, bound up with passion and desire. There are sounds cognized by the ear, smells by the nose, tastes by the tongue, contacts or tangibles cognized by the touch, longed for, alluring, pleasurable, lovely, bound up with passion and desire. These, reverend sir, are the five strands of sense desire. And the happiness, the well-being arising therefrom is called sensual happiness. Consider, Reverend Sir, the monk who, aloof from sense desire, aloof from unwholesome states, enters and abides in the First Jhana. If while he abides in that abiding, perceptions and thoughts accompanied by sense desire beset him, it is indeed for him a disease. Just, sir, as some ill amounting to a disease might arise in a happy person, even so those perceptions and thoughts accompanied by sense desire beset him, and indeed it is for him a disease. Now disease is called ill by the Exalted One. Verily, Reverend sir, it is just in this way that the cool Nibbāna ought to be understood as happiness. Stop here for a moment. So here the Venerable Sariputta is explaining that when a monk enters the first jhana, he abides in a very peaceful and a very blissful abiding. And if perceptions and thoughts accompanied by sense desire should beset him, it sort of gets him out of the first jhana and it is like a happy person. becoming sick, so that is why sentient beings. So Sariputta is saying that the Kumbhana ought to be understood as happiness in this way. In other words, he is likening the state of the first jhāna itself to Kumbhana. It's a very happy, blissful abiding. And he continues, again, consider the monk who enters and abides in the second jhana, if perceptions and thoughts accompanied by Application, that means apply, beset him. It exists. It's just this way that the kundalini. In the third jhāna, if perceptions and thoughts accompanied by delight, pity, beset him. Or in the fourth jhāna, if perceptions and thoughts accompanied by pain, beset him. Or in this Or in the sphere of infinite space, if perceptions and thoughts accompanied by form beset him. Or in the sphere of infinite consciousness, if perceptions and thoughts accompanied by the sphere of infinite space beset him. Or in the sphere of nothingness, if perceptions and thoughts accompanied by the sphere of infinite consciousness beset him. Or in the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception, if perceptions and thoughts accompanied by the sphere of nothingness beset him. It is indeed for him a disease. Ill, amounting to a disease, might arise in a happy person. Even so, those things beset him, and indeed they are for him diseases. Now disease is called ill by the Exalted One. Verily, Reverend Sir, it is just in this way that the cool ought to be understood as happiness. And then, Reverend Sir, consider the monk who, passing wholly beyond the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception, enters and abides in the ending of perception and feeling, when by wisdom he sees that the asavas are completely destroyed. Verily, Reverend Sir, it is just in this way that the cool ought to be understood as happiness. That's the end of the Sutta. So similarly, Venerable Sariputta is saying, if a person abides in the jhana and some perceptions and thoughts accompanied by a lower state arises so that it moves him out of that jhana state. It is just like a happy man becoming sick. He is moved out of that blissful state. So those things that move him out of the blissful state are diseases. So that is why the Venerable Sariputta is giving the simile that when a monk abides in the jhanas, it is such a blissful, happy state, similar to Nibbana in a way. So you can see the arahants and the Buddha themselves, they sometimes liken the jhana states to Nibbana.

29-AN-Book-9E-(9.4.35-to-9.4.37).txt

The next sutra is 9.4.35. The Buddha said, monks, suppose a cow, mountain bred, foolish, witless, with no pasture sense, no good at roaming the rugged mountains, were to think, What if I were to go where I've never been before? What if I were to eat of the grasses I have never eaten of before? What if I were to drink of the waters I have never drunk of? And suppose she shifted her hind leg before she had plaited her foreleg firmly and well. She would neither go to that place where she had not been to before, nor eat of the grasses she had not eaten of before, nor drink of the waters she had not drunk of before, nor would she get back to that place safely where her feet had formerly been planted. when she thought to roam. And why? It is because monks, that cow, mountain-bred, foolish, witless, with no pastures sense, was no good at roaming the rugged mountains. In just the same way monks, some foolish, Witless monk with no pasture sense, unskilled in entering and abiding in the first jhāna, does not practice, make become, develop, nor fix the sign thereof so that it is well fixed. Yet he thinks, what if after suppressing applied and sustained thought, I were to enter and abide in the second jhāna? But he is not able to suppress such thoughts. So he thinks, what if, aloof from sense desires, I were to enter and abide in the first jhāna? But he is not able to do that. Monks, this monk is said to have fallen at both, failed at both, and it is just like that foolish, witless mountain-bred cow with no pasture sense, no good at roaming the rugged mountains." I'll just stop here for a while to comment. So the Buddha here is saying that a cow may be mountain-bred, bred in the mountains, but it may be foolish with no pasture sense. Then she is thinking of roaming the rugged mountains, but she has no skill. Before she can plant her four legs firmly in the ground, she starts to lift her hind leg and when you go up these steep mountains or go down the steep mountains, it is very dangerous. If the feet are not firmly planted and she starts to move, her feet, then she would fall down the steep slope and be killed. So in the same way, the Buddha is saying that if some monk enters in the first jhana, but before he has developed the skill in entering and abiding in the first jhāna, before he has developed enough skill in the first jhāna, he thinks of entering the second jhāna, then just like the mountain cow, he's not stable, so he cannot enter into the second jhāna. And later when he thinks of going back into the first jhāna, he's also unable to do that. because he has not developed the skill necessary for entering and abiding in the first jhāna. Then the Buddha continues, But suppose monks, a wise, intelligent, mountain-bred cow with pasture sense and good at roaming rugged mountains, were to think, What if I were to go where I have never been before, and eat and drink where I have never done before? She would lift her hind leg after she had well and firmly planted her foreleg, and would go to that place where she had never been before, eat of the grasses she had never eaten of before, drink of the waters she had not drunk of before, and would return safely from where she came. And why? It is because that mountain-bred cow was wise and intelligent, endowed with pasture sense, and good at roaming the rugged mountains. In just the same way monks, a wise, intelligent monk, possessing pasture sense, skilled in entering and abiding in the first jhāna, practices makes become, develops and fixes the sign thereof, so that it is well fixed, and thinks, What if, after suppressing applied and sustained thought, I were to enter and abide in the second jhāna? And without confounding the second jhāna, suppressing applied and sustained thought, he enters and abides in the second jhāna. and he practices, makes become, develops and fixes the sign thereof, so that it is well fixed. Then he thinks, what if I were to enter and abide in the third jhāna, the fourth jhāna, the sphere of infinite space, of infinite consciousness, of nothingness, of neither perception nor non-perception, and without confounding the ending of perception and feeling, passing wholly beyond the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception, He enters and abides in the ending of perception and feeling. Let's stop here for a moment. So the Buddha is saying, if a cow bred in the mountains has good pasture sense and he wants to roam the rugged mountains, then planting the feet very firmly, before she moves another foot, then she would be able to go where she wants to go, because she has the skill, the technique of climbing the mountains. In the same way, if a monk wants to go from one jhana to a higher jhana, he must practice that jhāna that he has attained and be able to enter the jhāna very well, with great skill, before he goes to the next higher jhāna, then just like that mountain cow, he is able to progress to a higher state. So that's the way for a monk to progress from one jhāna to another jhāna. And sometimes people don't understand, they say that a monk should not abide in jhāna for long. That is not true. In the suttas we can see that the Buddha encouraged his monks to abide in jhāna And to enjoy the bliss of jhana, because he has stated in the Digha Nikaya that there are four advantages to be gained from mastering the jhanas, abiding in the jhanas, and that is the attainment of the Aryan states, the first, second, third and fourth fruition state. So here you can see that It is necessary for a monk to abide long in the jhāna states and master those states before moving on. If a monk has not developed the skill to stay long in that jhāna state, he won't be able to. He will just stay in that jhāna state for a while and he will automatically come out of the state because it is not a normal state. So the mind is not used to it. When a monk enters the first jhāna initially, for the first few times, he's not able to stay long. He has to continue abiding in that jhāna. Then slowly he will be able to stay longer and longer and longer and longer in the jhāna state. According to this sutra, he should continue to progress, to continue to stay in that jhāna and master entering and abiding in that jhāna for a long time before he thinks of moving to the next jhāna. Sorry, now the Buddha continues. Verily, monks, when a monk both attains to and emerges from just that attainment, his mind becomes subtle, pliant, and with his mind subtle, pliant, boundless concentration is well made. become, and with boundless concentration well-made become. He bends the mind to the realization by psychic knowledge of whatever condition is realizable by psychic knowledge, and acquires the ability of an eyewitness in every case, whatever the range may be. Should he wish, I would experience psychic power in manifold modes. Being one, I would become many. Being many, I would become one. I would fare in body even as far as Brahma's world. He acquires the ability of an eyewitness in every case, whatever the range may be. Should he wish, I would with the Deva ear hear sounds far and near. He acquires the ability. Or encompassing mind with mind, I would know other beings' minds, other persons' minds. I would know the passionate mind as such, the emancipated mind as such, etc. He acquires the ability. I would recall many a dwelling place of bygone days, even one birth, two births, three, four, a hundred, a thousand, etc. I would recall the marks and points of each. He acquires the ability. Or I would with Deva I, very pure and surpassing man, no beings farings on according to their deeds. He acquires the ability. Or should he wish, having destroyed the Asavas, I would enter and abide in liberation by mind, he acquires the ability of an eyewitness in every case, whatever the range may be. It's the end of the sutta. So this last part, the Buddha is saying, when a monk both attains to and emerges from that attainment, that means the attainment of, I think the last one, the ending of perception and feeling, his mind becomes subtle, blind. and boundless concentration is developed. And with boundless concentration, then he can bend his mind to the various psychic powers that he would want. The first one, he can multiply the body as many as he can, as he is able to, depending on how great his psychic power is. And then he can walk through walls, he can dive into the ground like diving into water and come out again. He can float in the air, he can go up to fly up to the heaven even with his physical body. So this is the first psychic power. The second one is the deva ear. Having the heavenly ear, he can hear sounds far away or near. And the third one, he can read other beings' minds with his mind. With his mind encompassing the mind of some other person, he can read other people's thoughts. And then after that, he can recall the previous lives. One birth, two births, three, a hundred, a thousand births, etc. He can remember his past lives. And then the fifth one, he can possess the heavenly eye, where he can see a deva eye, just like devas. He can see beings in other worlds. And then the last one, he can, if he wants, destroy the as of us and become an arahant. So this is the power of boundless concentration. That is why the Buddha said in one of the suttas that if a person makes an offering to a monk who can abide in boundless concentration, then the merit is also boundless. Then you can understand why, because the boundless concentration is the basis, is the cause of wisdom to arise, is the cause for psychic powers to arise, and also the cause for a person to attain arahanthood. The Buddha is saying here, when the monk comes out of the last jhāna, his mind becomes subtle, pliant. and their concentration is boundless. And this fact that when a person emerges from a jhana state, the mind still is subtle and pliant, which means that the hindrances are abandoned even when he comes out of jhana. definitely for some time then this is an important point because there are some people say that jhana is of not much use because when you are in the state of jhana the hindrances are abandoned but when you come out of jhana the hindrances all resurface. This is not true. You can see from this sutra also. The next sutra is 9.4.36. The Buddha is saying, Verily monks, I say, asava destruction depends on the first jhāna. Verily I say, asava destruction depends on the second jhāna, on the third, on the fourth jhāna, on the sphere of infinite space. sphere of infinite consciousness, on the sphere of nothingness. Verily I say, asabha destruction depends on the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception. Monks, it is said, I say so. And wherefore is this said? Consider the monk who, aloof from sense desires, aloof from unwholesome states, enters and abides in the first jhana. Whatever occurs there of form, feeling, perception, volition or consciousness, he sees wholly as impermanent, as suffering, as a disease. a tumour, a dart, a calamity, an affliction, a something alien, disintegrating, empty, not-self, he turns his mind away from such conditions. And having done so, brings the mind towards the deathless element with the thought, this is the peace, this is the summit, justice, the tranquilization of all conditioners. the renouncing of all rebirth bases, the destroying of craving, passionlessness, ending the cool, and steadfast therein he wins to asava destruction. If not, just by reason of that dhamma delight, that dhamma sweetness, he snaps the five lower fetters and is born spontaneously, and being not subject to return from that world, becomes completely cool there. Monk, suppose an archer or his pupil were to practice on a straw man or heap of clay. Presently he would become a long shot, a rapid shot, a piercer of great thicknesses. Even so monks, the monk who alludes from sense desires, enters and abides in the first jhāna, and sees all form, feeling, perception, volition, consciousness, as impermanent, as suffering, etc., as not-self, turns his mind away from that and brings it towards the deathless element. With the thought, this is the peace, this is the summit, justice, the tranquilization of all conditioners, the renouncing of all rebirth bases, the destroying of craving, passionlessness, ending the cool, He wins to asava destruction or snapping the five lower fetters is born spontaneously and becomes completely cool. Verily monks, it is said, I say asava destruction depends on the first jana and it is for this reason that it is said. Monks, It is said, I say Asavā destruction depends on the second, the third, the fourth jhāna, on the sphere of infinite space, of infinite consciousness, sphere of nothingness. And wherefore, consider the monk who enters and abides in the second jhāna, third jhāna, fourth jhāna, sphere of infinite space, sphere of infinite consciousness, sphere of nothingness. Whatever occurs there of form, feeling, perception, volition, and consciousness, he sees wholly as impermanent, as suffering, etc. He turns his mind away from such conditions and brings the mind towards the deathless element, and he wins to asava destruction, or snaps the five lower factors. And it is for this reason that I said asava destruction depends on the jhanas. Thus, monks, as far as perception prevails, there is knowledge penetration. Moreover, monks, these shears, both the attainment of the shear of neither perception nor non-perception, and the ending of perception and feeling, are ones which I say are taught by jhāna attainers, skilled in attainment, skilled in emerging therefrom. after they have attained and emerged therefrom. That's the end of the sutta. So this is another very important sutta where the Buddha is saying that the attainment of arahanthood, which means the destruction of the asavas, the asavas are the uncontrolled mental outflows, Depends on the first jhāna, depends on the second jhāna, the third, the fourth jhāna, and the arūpa jhānas, infinite space, infinite consciousness, nothingness, neither perception or non-perception, and even the ending of perception and feeling. So here it is very clear from the Buddha's teachings here that attainment of Arahanthood must depend on the jhanas. But nowadays there are some teachings which say that jhana is not necessary and this contradicts the sutta here as well as some other sutta we heard earlier where the Buddha said Samadhi Mago, Samadhi Kumago. Concentration is the way, no concentration the wrong way. And here the Buddha explains why. The Buddha says if a monk enters the jhanas, Then he is able to see the five aggregates, form, feeling, perception, volition or consciousness, as impermanent, as suffering, as a disease, as a tumor, a dart, a calamity, an affliction, as something alien, disintegrating, empty, not-self. And so he turns his mind away from such conditions, and having done so, brings the mind towards the deathless element, saying that this is the peace, this is the summit, namely the tranquilization of all conditioners. The Pali is sabha-sankara-samato. That's why this word samatha, this tranquillisation, it is not inside tranquillisation of all conditions. The renouncing of all bases, the destroying of craving, passionlessness, ending the cold. And having brought the mind to the state of complete tranquillisation, then he attains to asava destruction or if he does not attain arahanthood then he destroys the five lower factors and becomes an anagami, a third fruition person who is born spontaneously and does not return from that world to this world. The next sutra, 9.4.37. Once the Venerable Ananda, while he dwelt at Kosambi in Gosita Park, addressed the monks, saying, Reverend Sirs, Reverend Sirs, they rejoined. And he said, it is wonderful, amazing, Reverend Sirs. How this way of escape from the nose awoke within the Exalted One, knower, seer, arahant, wholly awakened to purge man, pass by grief and lamentation, bring ill and unhappiness to an end, pursue the way and realize the cool. There will be just the eye, but no sensing of objects, and the sphere thereof. There will be the ear, but no sensing of sounds, and the sphere thereof. There will be the nose, but no sensing of smells, and the sphere thereof. There will be the tongue, but no sensing of taste, and the sphere thereof. There will be the body, but no sensing of touch, and the sphere thereof. Now when he had spoken thus, the Venerable Udayan said to him, Is then he who senses not a sphere, percipient, Reverend Ananda, or impercipient? The Venerable Ananda said, He is certainly percipient, Reverend Sir. And Udayan asked again, But how can he be percipient and yet not sense that sphere?" And Venerable Ananda explained, Consider, sir, a monk who, passing wholly beyond form perception, bringing to an end perception reaction, inattentive to the diverse perceptions, enters and abides in the sphere of infinite space, thinking space is infinite. He is thus percipient, but senses not that sphere. Again, Consider the monk who, passing wholly beyond the sphere of infinite space, enters and abides in the sphere of infinite consciousness, thinking consciousness is infinite. He is thus percipient, but senses not that sphere. Then consider the monk who, passing wholly beyond the sphere of infinite consciousness, enters and abides in the sphere of nothingness, thinking there is nothing. He is thus percipient, but senses not that sphere. Now at one time, Reverend Sirs, I dwelt in the deer park at Anjana Grove near Saketa, and there a nun of Jatila Gaha visited me, saluted and stood at one side. Thus standing, she said to me, Lord Ananda, this concentration which is neither bent away nor bent aside, in which the restraint is not controlled by conscious effort, but by its freedom is stable. but by its freedom it is steadfast, by its steadfastness it is content, by its content it is not disturbed. This concentration, Lord Ananda, what is its fruit said to be by the Exalted One? And when she had thus spoken, I replied, This Concentration Sister, which is neither bent away nor bent aside, in which the restrained is not controlled by conscious effort, but by its freedom is steadfast, by its steadfastness it is content, by its content it is not disturbed. This Concentration Sister is said by the Exalted One to have knowledge as its fruit. He is thus percipient, reverences, but he senses not that sphere. That's the end of the Sutta. This sutra verifies that when a monk enters the arupajana, the mind opens up and the five sense doors totally close. When a monk enters the arupajana states, he cannot sense forms, sounds, smells, tastes and touch. This is a very high state, Rupa Jnana state. It is said in some other sutra, when a monk abides in this arupajana state, Mara cannot see that person in that arupajana state. Totally Mara, Satan, cannot see him at all. In the arupajana state, he is beyond the reach of Mara, beyond the reach of Satan. But in the arupajana state, he is not only beyond the reach, Mara cannot see him at all because his mind opens up. And so he is conscious, he is percipient that the mind is like boundless space or like boundless consciousness. Yet he is not aware of the world around him, the normal world of the five senses. Now this, lastly, Venerable Ananda has mentioned that none of the I think it's a Jatila sect. The nun came to ask him about this concentration which is neither bent away nor bent aside, in which the restraint is not controlled by conscious effort. This is something very interesting. It's mentioned earlier, we already saw it earlier in some other sutra, that in the state of jhana, the restraint is not controlled by conscious effort. Restraint of what? Restraint of the hindrances. You don't need to make an effort to restrain the hindrances, and yet they are automatically restrained. And then, by its freedom, it is steadfast. By its steadfastness, it is content. And because of its content, it is not disturbed. And this kind of concentration has knowledge as its fruit, that means liberation, destruction of the asavas. There is another sutra I'd like to mention in the Sangyuta Nikaya, 22.53, where a part of the sutra reads as follows. If attachment for the element of body, feeling, perception, volition, consciousness, the five aggregates, monks, is abandoned by a monk, by that abandonment of attachment its object is cut off. and there is no support for consciousness. That unsupported consciousness, apatitaṁ viññāna, has no increase and is without conditioners, released. By its release of freedom, it is steadfast. By its content, it is not disturbed, not being disturbed. It just by itself attains nirvāṇa. This is quite interesting, this saying that when attachment for the five aggregates, these five things that we associate with the self, is abandoned, is let go by a monk, then the object for consciousness or the support for consciousness is cut off. And here the Buddha mentions about a type of consciousness which is not the normal consciousness, unsupported consciousness, apatitaṁ viññāna. This is a very interesting sutta because it talks about this type of consciousness which is seldom seen in the suttas, unsupported consciousness. has no increase, is without conditionness and it is released. By its release it is steadfast, by its steadfastness it is content, by its content it is not disturbed, not being disturbed, it just by itself it attains Nibbana. So this is one of the suttas where There are some monks who are of the opinion that even when the sixth normal consciousness dies away, it stops, there is still another type of consciousness. Similar to this apatitaṁ viññāna, unsupported consciousness which has no object, does not need an object. Normal six consciousness must have an object for it to arise. The seeing consciousness, hearing, smelling, tasting, touch and thinking consciousness, they need an object for it to arise. But this unsupported consciousness does not need an object. So this is one of the interesting suttas. In fact, there is another sutra, one of the very early sutras in the Samyutta Nikaya, where the Buddha mentioned something like, like when he's supported, then he sings, when he strives, He also sings or something and then without support and unstriving he crossed to the other side. So here also it hints about perhaps the unsupported consciousness.

30-AN-Book-9F-(9.4.38-to-9.4.39b).txt

Sutta 9.4.38 Now two brahmins, skilled in metaphysics or the philosophy of mind, visited the Exalted One, and after greeting Him and exchanging the usual compliments, sat down at one side. So seated, they said this to Him, Master Gautama, Puranakasapa, all-knowing, all-seeing, professes unlimited knowledge and vision. saying, whether I walk, stand, sleep, or wait, always, ever, knowledge and vision are present. And he has thus declared, with infinite knowledge I abide, knowing, seeing a finite world. Master Gautama, the Nighanta Nataputta, all-knowing, all-seeing, also professes unlimited knowledge and vision in like words. But he has declared thus, with infinite knowledge I abide, knowing, seeing, and infinite world. Of these two talkers on knowledge, Master Gautama, of these two who contradict each other, Which of the two speaks the truth, which lies? And the Buddha said, Enough, Brahmins. Which speaks the truth, which lies? Let it be. I will teach you Dharma, Brahmins. Listen, pay heed, I will speak. I'll just stop here for a while. These two external sect ascetic leaders mentioned here, Puranakasapa and Niganthanataputta, the jain, they are two of six well-known external sect teachers during the time of the Buddha. And Puranakasapa said that he has infinite knowledge. knowing and seeing a finite world, whereas Nigantha Nataputta says that he has infinite knowledge, knowing and seeing an infinite world. So these two Brahmins, they asked the Buddha, one says that the world is finite, the other one says that the world is infinite. which means that they contradict each other. So the Brahmins wanted to know which one was speaking the truth and which one was lying. But the Buddha, instead of telling them plainly that the two of them were lying, the Buddha decided to just ignore the questions and teach them Dhamma. Because if he spoke the truth and said that the two were lying, these two Brahmins may not believe him because they are not actually disciples of the Buddha yet. And why are they lying? Because they are saying that whether they walk, stand, sleep or awake, always, all the time, knowledge and vision are present in them. But in another sutra, the Buddha has said that this is not possible. It is not possible for a being, for a person to know everything all the time. Even the Buddha himself, he only knows when he contemplates, when he puts attention to what he wants to know, then he knows. If he does not want to know, for example, much of the time the Buddha spends in meditation, in deep meditation states, and a lot of things that goes on in the world he does not know because he's not much bothered to know. And because of that, sometimes, quite often, devas have to come and inform the Buddha, for example. that Devadatta, one of his former disciples, is planning to kill him or something. So the sutra continues. Yes sir, they replied. That means the Brahmins replied. And the Exalted One said, Imagine Brahmins, four men standing at the four corners of the world, each endowed with supreme pace and speed, with supreme length of stride, as an archer, mighty with bow, skilled, adept marksman, may wing with ease a slender shaft across a palm tree's shadow. Let such be their speed. As western sea from eastern sea such they stride. Now suppose the man standing at the eastern corner were to say, by walking I'll reach the end of the world. Though man's lifespan were a hundred years, and he lived a hundred years, and walked for a hundred years, except when eating, drinking, chewing, munching, answering nature's calls, and dispelling fatigue by sleep, he would die before he reached the end of the world. And suppose a man at the western corner, at the northern corner, and the man at the southern corner were to say likewise, though each walked for a hundred years except when eating and so forth, they would die before they reached the end of the world. And why? Not Brahmins by such journeys do I declare that the world's end may be known, seen, reached. Yet I declare, Brahmins, that without reaching the end of the world, there is no ending of ill. I stop here for a moment. The Buddha is saying, suppose four persons, they can walk at extremely fast speed, and their strides, if they took one step, they could go from the Western Sea to the Eastern Sea. Such great is their stride, and their speed, like an arrow shot by an expert archer, very fast. Yet if they kept walking for 100 years, they would not be able to reach the end of the world. Why? Because the world, the space has no limits. You can't find the boundaries of space. That's why if they keep on walking or flying, they can never reach the end of the world. There is a similar sutra called the Rohitasa Sutra. I think we have come across that sutta before, I think under the Book of the Force. It is also found in the Sankhyuta Nikaya. where a deva came to ask the Buddha whether by flying he could get out of the world, reach the end of the world, and the Buddha said, it is not possible. So the Buddha continues, Brahmins, these five strands of sense desire are called the world. In the code of the Aryan, what five shapes cognized by the eye Long for, alluring, pleasurable, lovely, bound up with passion and desire. Sounds cognized by the ear, smells by the nose, taste by the tongue, contacts cognized by the touch. Long for, alluring, pleasurable, lovely, bound up with passion and desire. These are the five strands of sense desire, brahmins. I'll stop here for a moment. Why are the five strands of science desire called the world? Because if we examine carefully where is the world, we would have to say we know a world exists because of seeing the forms in the world, hearing the sounds in the world. smelling the smells in the world, tasting the taste in the world, and touching the things in the world, contacts in the world. So because of these five senses, the world arises to us. Without the five senses, there is no world. That is why the five strands of sense desire are called the world in the Aryan code. And the Buddha continues, now consider Brahmins, the monk who allude from sense desire, enters and abides in the first jhana, he is said to have come to the world's end and abide at the world's end. And some say thus of him, this one is still world bound, still not gone out from the world. I too say this of him. He is still world-bound, still not gone out from the world. Then consider brahmins, the monk who enters and abides in the second jhana, the third, the fourth jhana, the sphere of infinite space, the sphere of infinite consciousness, the sphere of nothingness, the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception. In each case, he is said to have come to the world's end and abide there. and some say of him as before, and I too say of him, he is still world-bound, still not gone out from the world. Now consider Brahmins, the monk who, passing wholly beyond the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception, enters and abides in this ending of perception and feeling. and by wisdom sees that the asavas are completely destroyed. That monk is said to have come to the world's end and abide at the world's end, to have passed through the world's entanglement." That's the end of the sutra. So here the Buddha is saying, when a monk enters and abides in the jhanas, he comes to the world's end and abides at the world's end. But even though he comes to the world's end, he has still not gone out from the world. Why is it that he has? He is said to come to the world's end because when a monk enters the jhanas, the world recedes from him. The world of forms, sounds, smells, taste, touch, these recede from him. He is no more conscious of them. That's why he is come to the end of the world. But however, he has still not gone out from the world. He has still not gone out from the world. It is only when he attains the sphere of the ending of perception and feeling, when the sixth normal consciousness stops, then he and when the asavas are destroyed, then he has not only come to the world's end, he has gone out of the world. He is no more bound by the world. So, that's the end of the sutra. So, from here you can see that the Samatha meditation is very important, tranquilization of the mind, because to get out of the world, we have to practice samatha. Even before getting out of the world, to come to the end of the world, to abide at the world's end, we have to attain the jhanas. So samatha practice, the meditation, samatha meditation is very much the Buddha's teachings. It is suttas like this where it's very clear that if we want to come to the world's end, we must attain the jhanas. We attain the jhanas, we come to the world's end, and a little bit more effort. And with the samatha practice plus Vipassana, then we get out of the world. So Samatha and Vipassana, they go hand in hand. You cannot separate Samatha from Vipassana practice. Both are required in the Aryan Eightfold Path as the seventh and the eighth factor. Seventh is the right mindfulness, which is Vipassana practice, and the eighth is right concentration, which is Samatha practice for attaining the Jhanas. The next sutra is 9.4.39. The Buddha said, Monks, long ago a battle raged between the Devas and the Asuras. And in that battle, the Asuras won and the Devas were defeated. And the defeated Devas simply fled, with the Asuras facing north, hot after them. Then the Devas thought, the Asuras give chase, let us battle with them a second time. And a second time they fought, and a second time were defeated and pursued. And a third time they fought, and the Asuras won, and the Devas were defeated. And defeated and fearful, they just entered the Deva city. Monks, thus gone to that city, the Devas thought. Now that we have come to the refuge for the fearful, we will henceforth dwell by ourselves and have no dealings with the Asuras. And the Asuras thought also, gone indeed are the Devas to the refuge for the fearful, henceforth they will dwell by themselves and have no dealings with us. Monks, Long ago, another battle raged between the Devas and Asuras. But in that fight, the Devas won, and the Asuras were defeated. And the defeated Asuras fled, pursued by the Devas, facing south. Then thought the Asuras, the Devas pursue us, what if we fight a second time? And they did so, and were a second time defeated. And a third time they fought, and the Devas won, and the Asuras were defeated. And defeated and fearful, they just entered the Asura city. And thus gone to their city, the Asuras thought, Now that we've come to the refuge for the fearful, we will dwell by ourselves and have nothing to do with the Devas. And the Devas thought likewise. In just the same way, monks, what time a monk, aloof from sense desires, enters and abides in the first jhana, he thinks, now that I have come to the refuge for the fearful, I will henceforth dwell by myself and have no dealings with Mara. And Mara, the evil one, thinks, now that the monk has gone to the refuge for the fearful, he will dwell by himself and have no dealings with me. Monks, what time a monk enters and abides in the second jhana, the third, the fourth jhana, he thinks likewise, and Mara too thinks likewise. Monks, when a monk enters and abides in the sphere of infinite space, he is said to have put a darkness about Mara, and Mara's vision, being blotted out, is without range, and he has become invisible to the evil one. Monks, when a monk enters and abides in the sphere of infinite consciousness, in the sphere of nothingness, in the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception, and by wisdom sees that the asavas are completely destroyed, he is said to have put a darkness about Mara, and Mara's vision, being blotted out, is rangeless, and he has become invisible to the evil one, and has passed through the world's entanglement. That's the end of the sutta. So here the Buddha is giving a simile. When the devas and the asuras fight, and one of them is defeated, they go into the city and hide there. And because the city gates are locked, the enemies cannot come inside. So they dwell in their city, which is called the refuge for the fearful. So in the same way, the Buddha is saying, when a monk enters and abides in the first, second, third or fourth jhana, then he is beyond the reach of Mara or Satan. Why? Why is he beyond the reach of Mara or Satan? Because Mara, Mara's world is the world of the five senses, or you can, if you want to, you can add the world of the six senses, including thinking. Our six senses, our six sense doors are open and we go out and we pay attention to forms, especially beautiful forms, beautiful sounds, smells, tastes, touch and thoughts. Then Mara will tempt us and we can be caught or defeated by Mara. But when we go into the jhanas, the first, second, third and fourth jhana, then that is out of the range of Mara because Mara cannot enter the jhanas. Mara is unable to enter the jhanas. Mara can only bathe us. He can bathe us with beautiful forms, sounds, smells, tastes, touch and even thoughts. But when our mind is controlled, when we are one-pointed in jhana, Nothing can shape us. We are beyond the reach of Mara. That is why, for example, in the description of the first jhāna, the Buddha says, aloof from sense desires, aloof from unwholesome states, a monk enters and abides in the first jhāna. which is accompanied by delight, pity, and sukha, pleasure. So in the description of the first jhana, you can see that the first jhana is a state which is aloof from sense desires and also aloof from unwholesome states. aloof from unwholesome states. That means it is a totally wholesome state. Jhanas are totally wholesome states. There is nothing unwholesome about jhanas. It is not a state of sloth and torpor, not a trance state, not a sleepy state. It is a state of intense mindfulness. That is why because in the state of the first jhāna, the mind is in control of itself, that is why it's beyond the reach of Mahārāja. But when a person enters the arūpa jhānas, the spheres of infinite space, infinite consciousness, nothingness and neither perception nor non-perception, then the mind opens up, opens up to infinite space, infinite consciousness, etc. And when that happens, Mara cannot see you. You are beyond the vision of Mara. That's why here the Sutta says, you have put a darkness about Mara. Mara's vision is blotted out. So you see, these jhanas are great states. When you attain these jhana states, we have gone beyond the reach of Mara. So that is the way to attain liberation, to be freed of Mara, by attaining the jhanas. The next Uttara is 9.4.39. Monks, when bull or cow or young or baby elephant browsing on the grass tops, forestall some forest tusker about to take his feed, so that he is plagued, provoked and vexed. When bull or cow or young or baby elephant devours the bunches of broken boughs, when bull or cow or young elephant stirring up the water with his trunk or stalls the forest tusker gone down to the water hole, When cow elephants go and rub against the body of the tusker gone down to the waterhole, so that he is plagued, provoked and vexed. Then monks, the forest tusker, thinks, In faith, I live now in a crowd of bull elephants, cow elephants, young elephants, baby elephants. I eat merely grass stubble. They eat my bunches of broken boughs. I drink muddied water. And cow elephants come and rub against my body when I've gone to the water hole. What if I dwell alone, withdrawn from the herd? And presently monks he dwells alone, withdrawn from the herd. And he eats uncropped grass, and none devours his bunches of boughs. He drinks unmuddied water, and cow-elephants come not and rub against him in the waterhole. And at that time he thinks, in the past I dwelt in a crowd, but now I dwell alone, withdrawn. And breaking off a bunch of vows with his trunk, he rubs his body with it, and joyfully allays the itch. Let's stop here for a moment. Here the Buddha is talking about the forest tusker, like the leader of the herd. When he walks with his crowd of elephants and he wants to eat the grass, he finds that the other elephants has eaten the grass, so that the grass becomes very short for him to eat and he gets annoyed. And then because he's big, he breaks off the branches, the twigs, the leaves to eat. And when he breaks them off to the ground, before he starts to eat, the other elephants come and eat up these boughs that he has broken off, the bunches of twigs and leaves, etc. So he gets annoyed with them again. Then when he wants to go and drink in the water hole, to drink the clear water, all the other elephants go and disturb the water and churn up the mud so that it's not clean water that he gets to drink. So he gets annoyed with them again. When he goes down to the water to bathe, the other elephants come along and push him here and there, and he is annoyed again. So he decides to go off on his own and dwell alone. And this is what he does. You see, normally elephants, they are in danger of being attacked by a bunch of lions, for example. So that is why they group together, so that they get protection from each other. But sometimes these big Elephants, because they are annoyed with the crowd, they wander off alone, and because they are big and strong, they are not afraid to wander off alone, but not the young ones. So the Buddha continues, and it is just so monks, when a monk lives in a crowd of monks, nuns, lay disciples, both men and women, rajas, their ministers, cause setters, and their disciples, and he thinks, truly I now live in a crowd, What if I were to live alone, withdrawn from the horde?" And he resorts to some secluded dwelling, forest, tree-root, mountain, glen, cliff-cave, cemetery, wooded upland, open space or heap of straw, and come to the forest, tree-root or empty hut. It sits cross-legged, holds his body erect, and sets mindfulness before him. And putting away worldly coveting, he abides with mind freed therefrom. He purges his mind of coveting, putting away ill-will and hatred, he abides with mind freed therefrom. Kindly compassionate towards all creatures, he purges his mind of ill-will and hatred. Putting away sloth and torpor, he abides freed therefrom, conscious, alert, mindful and aware. He purges his mind of sloth and torpor. Putting away restlessness and worry, he abides unflurried. With mind inwardly calmed, he purges his mind of restlessness and worry. Putting away doubt, he abides with doubt passed by. No how, how? Questioner, he purges his mind of doubtness to right things. And putting away these five hindrances, weakening the mind's corruptions by wisdom, aloof from sense desires, aloof from unwholesome states, he enters and abides in the first jhana. joyous at having allayed the irritant. Suppressing applied and sustained thought, he enters and abides in the second jhāna, then in the third jhāna, fourth jhāna, sphere of infinite space, sphere of infinite consciousness, sphere of nothingness, sphere of neither perception nor non-perception. in the ending of perception and feeling, and seeing by wisdom that the āsavas are completely destroyed, rejoices greatly at having allayed the irritant." That's the end of the sutta. So here in the same way the Buddha says when a monk lives in a crowd of people, monks, nuns, lay disciples, rajas, ministers, etc., then he is irritated and he decides to go off and live alone in a cave or somewhere. And living alone he purges his mind. of the five hindrances, sensual desire, ill will, sloth and torpor, restlessness and worry, and doubt, by practicing mindfulness and meditation. And after that he attains the first jhana, second jhana, etc., until the ending of perception and feeling, and his asavas are destroyed by wisdom. and then he has completely allayed the irritants or the annoyances. So that is the way the Buddha says that we should practice. That is why in the suttas we find very often the Buddha encourages a monk to go off and live alone because in a crowd of people it is very difficult to practice. There are a lot of irritants, things to annoy a monk. Whereas if a monk lives alone, then it is much easier to attain the jhanas, states of deep meditation, and from there to destroy the asavas and attain liberation.

31-AN-Book-9G-(9.4.40-to-9.4.44).txt

Now we come to the next one, 9.4.40. Once when the Exalted One dwelt among the malas near their market town called Uruvela Kappa and had one morning robed early, taken bowl and cloak, entered Uruvela Kappa for alms, gone his rounds, returned and eaten his meal. He called the Venerable Ananda and said, Please wait here, Ananda, while I am gone into Mahavana for the midday rest. I'll stop here for a moment. Mahavana means the great grove or the great forest. And normally after eating their meals, the monks go to secluded places, forests. So here the Buddha wanted to go into the great forest. And Venerable Ananda replied, Yes, Lord. And the Exalted One entered Mahavana for the midday rest and sat down at the foot of a tree. Now the good man Tapusa visited the Venerable Ananda, saluted him and sat down at one side, and so seated he said thus, We householders, Rev. Ananda, are pleasure-seekers, pleasure-fond, pleasure-doting, pleasure-mad, and being so, it seems a real precipice to us, this giving up of all. Yet I have heard, Rev. Sir, that in this Dhamma Vinaya, the heart of every young monk leaps up at this giving up or renouncing, becomes calm, steadfast, and inclined thereto. Seeing it is the peace. There, reverend sir, is the difference in this manner between the ordinary person, I mean in this giving up." Venerable Ananda said, This indeed is a topic for talk, good man. Let us go and see the Exalted One. We will visit Him and tell Him the matter. And as the Exalted One explains, so we will bear it in mind. Very well, sir," replied the good man to the Venerable Ananda. And the Venerable Ananda went with the good man Tapusa and visited the Exalted One, saluted and sat down at one side. And the Venerable Ananda told the Exalted One all the good man had said. And the Buddha said, it is verily so, Ananda, it is verily so. When I was but a being awakening, Ananda, and not wholly awakened. Before there was full awakenment, I thought thus, good is the giving up of all, good it is to go apart. But my mind leaped not up, became not calm, steadfast, not inclined to this giving up, though I saw it is the peace. And I thought, now what's the cause, the reason? Then I thought, the peril of pleasures is not seen by me, is not made much of by me. The advantage of this giving up is not won, is not enjoyed by me. So my mind leaps not up, becomes not calm, steadfast, nor inclined to this giving up, though I see it is the peace. And I thought, if seeing the peril of pleasures I were to make much of it, If, winning the advantage of this giving up, I were to enjoy it, it would surely happen that my mind would leap up, become calm, steadfast, and inclined to this giving up, on seeing it to be the peace. I'll just stop here for a moment. So here the Buddha is saying that even though when he first renounced, he thought it is good to give up, to go apart, but his mind did not really welcome it and did not become calm or inclined to this giving up. And he realized that because the danger of sense pleasures was not seen by him. So you can see that it is necessary to see or to realize the danger of sensual pleasures, to see that it leads to a greater craving. If we indulge in sensual pleasures, it leads to a greater craving for it, because it cannot be satisfied. And the Buddha gave a parable in the Majjhima Nikaya about a butcher and a dog. Buddha said a hungry dog saw a butcher carving the meat from the bones. So it went near the butcher and sat down there, waiting for the butcher to give him a bone with the flesh. The butcher, after carving up the meat, threw him a big bone without any flesh. And happily the dog carried this bone to one corner and started to chew on it, to gnaw on it. But in spite of chewing and gnawing on the bone, Because there was no flesh, the dog was still hungry. And in the same way, the Buddha said, when we indulge in sensual pleasures, it is not something that is satisfying. It is only for a moment it satisfies us, but our desire becomes greater. Sensual desires, the Buddha said, is like a disease. In the Magandya Sutta, in the Majjhima Nikaya, the Buddha gave a parable of a leper. Buddha says this leper is diseased, the flesh is rotting, so there is a terrible itch which makes him scratch his flesh, the rotting flesh. But the more he scratches the flesh, the more it rots, the more pus comes out, blood comes out, the more foul-smelling it becomes. But he has no choice because the itch is so terrible that he has to keep on scratching himself until more blood comes out, more pus comes out. In spite of that, he can't stand the itch which goes to his very bone. What does he do? He goes to find a burning ember. He takes a burning ember and he burns his flesh. Then that satisfies the itch for a while. And later, he again has to scratch and find some other ember to burn his flesh. But the more he scratches and burns his flesh, the more the flesh oozes blood, more pus develops, more foul smelling it becomes. And the worse his condition becomes, it doesn't become better. So in the same way, when we indulge in sensual pleasures, it is like this disease of the leper, more, we become more sick, more craving is developed. So that is why suttas are very important. When we listen to suttas and we listen to parables like this, beautiful parables like this given by the Buddha, then we understand the nature of sense desires. And we also understand the danger of sense desires. And when we see it, then we are more inclined to renouncing, more inclined to giving up. And the Buddha continued, and presently ananda, on seeing the peril or danger, I made much of it. On winning the advantage, I enjoyed it, and my mind leaped up, became calm, steadfast, and inclined to this giving up. On seeing it was the peace. And presently ananda, aloof from sense desires, I entered and abode in the first jhana. But as I abode in this abiding, thoughts and distractions of a sensual kind beset me, and it was for me a disease, just as some ill amounting to a disease might arise in some happy person anonder. Even so, such thoughts and distractions beset me, and it was for me a disease. Stop here for a moment. So here the Buddha is saying when he tried to practice the jhanas and he entered the first jhana, very soon he was distracted with sensual thoughts. Why was the Buddha distracted with sensual thoughts? Because before he renounced, as a lay person, he was from a rich family. And he was surrounded by a lot of slaves, and there were a lot of female slaves who attended to him like a deva. And he said during the rainy season, he would stay in this big mansion which his father built for him. There were three seasons in India, and every season he would stay in a different mansion. And during the rainy season, when it rained a lot, for four months he stayed in this big mansion, surrounded by all the female slaves, with no men around. So he enjoyed a lot of sensual pleasures. And because of that, when he became a monk and tried to practice, these sensual memories of sensual desire came and disturbed him. And when he entered the jhanas, thoughts of sensual kind distracted him and he came out of the jhanas. Jhanas are states that we have to practice continually to be able to abide long in them. Otherwise, you enter a jhana for a short while and you just come out of it automatically. Then the Buddha continued, Then I thought, what if I were to suppress, apply and sustain thought, and enter and abide in the second jhāna, the third, the fourth jhāna, the sphere of infinite space, of infinite consciousness, of nothingness, of neither perception nor non-perception, in the ending of perception and feeling. And presently, Ananda, passing wholly beyond the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception, I entered and abode in the ending of perception and feeling, and I saw by wisdom that the asavas were completely destroyed. And so long, Ananda, as I attained not to emerge, not from, these nine attainments of gradual abidings, both forwards and backwards, I realized not completely, as one wholly awakened, The full, perfect awakening, unsurpassed in the world with its gods, Maras and Brahmas, on earth with its recluses, Brahmins, Devas and men. But when I attained to and emerged from these, abiding such-wise, then wholly awakened, I realized completely in the full awakening, unsurpassed. Then knowledge and vision arose up within me. The mind is released. This release is unshakable. This birth is final. There is now no more becoming again. That's the end of the sutta. So in this last part, the Buddha is saying that he managed to control his mind and attain all the jhanas, all the four rupa jhanas. The four are rupa jhanas. and finally attain the ending of perception and feeling, cessation of perseveration, destroy the ass of us. And the Buddha has said in this last part, So long, Ananda, as I attain not to emerge, not from, these nine attainments of gradual abidings, both forwards and backwards, I realize not completely, as one wholly awakened, the full perfect awakening, unsurpassed in the world. So the Buddha said, as long as he did not attain these nine gradual abidings, namely the jhanas, you can call them all the nine jhanas, both forwards and backwards. He did not attain full awakening, full enlightenment, but after he had attained all the nine jhanas, forwards and backwards, then only he attained the supreme enlightenment. which shows the importance of attaining the jhanas. But however, it doesn't mean that psychic power, you know, some people confuse jhanas with psychic power, they think that. By attaining jhanas, automatically one attains the psychic powers. This is not so because we find that Venerable Sariputta in the Majjhima Nikaya, it is stated that Venerable Sariputta has attained all the jhanas. However, Venerable Sariputta has none of the psychic powers. So we must not confuse the jhanas with psychic powers. The next sutra is 9.4.42. Once when the Venerable Ananda was dwelling near Kosambi in Gosita Park, the Venerable Ananda visited him, and after exchanging the usual polite talk, sat down at one side. And so seated, he said to the Venerable Ananda, This, Reverend Sir, was said by the Deva Panchala Chanda. From noose escape he found quick sage who woke to jhana, awakened seer, adept, withdrawn. Now what, sir, is the noose and what the way of escape declared by the exalted one? And the Venerable Ananda replied, These five strands of sense desire, reverend sir, are called the noose by the exalted one. Forms cognized by the eye, long for, alluring, pleasurable, lovely, bound up with passion and desire. Sounds cognized by the instincts, tastes by the tongue, contacts by the touch, long for, alluring, pleasurable, lovely, bound up with passion and desire. These five strands of sense desire are called the noose. by the Exalted One. Consider, Reverend Sir, the monk who, aloof from sense desire, enters and abides in the First Jhana. Thus far, Reverend Sir, in one particular did the Exalted One declare a way of escape from the noose. And there, too, is the noose. And what is there, insofar as thought applied and sustained, is not ended, that there is the noose. Now consider, sir, the monk who enters and abides in the second jhāna, the third, the fourth, in a sphere of infinite space, of infinite consciousness, of nothingness, of neither perception nor non-perception, in the ending of perception and feeling, and sees by wisdom that the āsavas are completely destroyed, thus far, and with no further particular did the Exalted One declare a way of escape from the noose." That's the end of the sutta. So here, The monk is asking the Venerable Ananda, what is the noose? The noose is like the rope that is tied around one's neck. When you are going to hang somebody, you put a noose around his neck, this rope around his neck. So, the Venerable Ananda is saying, the five strands of sense desire Forms, sounds, smells, taste and touch. These are the things that bind us like a nose around our neck. We are caught by Mara. Mara has put a rope around our neck and we are in control. of Mara because of the five senses. And the way of escape that the Buddha has declared is the first jhāna, the second jhāna, third, fourth jhāna, sphere of infinite space, of infinite consciousness, nothingness, either perception or non-perception, and in the ending of perception and feeling. These are the ways of escape from Mara's nose. And this is another sutra that shows how important the jhanas are if we want to escape from the noose that Mara has put around our neck. So definitely the jhanas are the teachings of the Buddhas. In the suttas, the Buddha has declared that the way of escape, of liberation from samsara and from mara is by attaining the jhanas. Because from the jhanas, when we attain the jhanas, the five hindrances are abandoned. And when the five hindrances are abandoned, then we see things clearly as they really are. And from there we get inside wisdom. The next sutra is 9.5.43. body witness, body witness, he is called Sir. And as to what has the body witness been declared by the Exalted One? Consider, Sir, the monk who alludes from sense desire, enters and abides in the first jhāna, and to the extent of that sphere abides with body attuned to it. Thus far, Sir, in one particular, has the body witness been declared? by the Exalted One. And similarly for the second jhana, third jhana, fourth jhana, sphere of infinite space, infinite consciousness, nothingness, neither perception nor non-perception, and the ending of perception and feeling. So here this sutta is talking about body-witness, kaya-sakin. Kaya Sakin is a person who has, sometimes it is translated as testified with the body, but probably you can also call it body witness. He has become a witness with his body, which means usually this person, body witness, Kaya Sakin, is a person who has developed the jhanas, who has developed concentration as his main point. His strength is in attaining the jhanas. And this is one of the Aryans, one of the seven types of Aryans mentioned in the Kittagiri Sutta, in the Majjhima Nikaya. And this body witness is not yet an arahant. He is a seka, one who is possibly a sakadagamin, second fruition person, or a third fruition person, or a fourth path attainer, but not yet a fourth fruit attainer, not yet an arahant, so this is the body witness. The next sutra is 9.4.44. Liberated by wisdom, paññāvimuttu, liberated by wisdom, he is called so. And as to what has the one liberated by wisdom been declared by the Exalted One? And the one who alludes from sense desire enters and abides in the first jhāna and by wisdom understands it. Thus far so in one particular has the one liberated by wisdom been declared by the exalted one. Similarly for the second jhana, third jhana, fourth jhana, sphere of infinite space, sphere of infinite consciousness, nothingness, neither perception nor non-perception, ending of perception and feeling. So this sutra is talking about the pāññāvimuttu. Pāññāvimuttu is the one liberated by wisdom. And this refers to an arahant. Just now I mentioned Aryans mentioned in the Kirtagiri Sutta. Two of them are arahants. One is this one, liberated by wisdom. And liberated by wisdom means a person attains the jhanas as mentioned in this sutta. He attains the he has attained the jhanas. But when he is liberated, at the moment of liberation, he does not use the jhanas. For example, Venerable Sariputta. Venerable Sariputta had attained all the jhanas. And one day when the Buddha was talking to an external ascetic, Venerable Sariputta stood by the side of the Buddha and took a fan and was fanning the Buddha. And he was fanning the Buddha, he was listening to the conversation between the Buddha and the external ascetic. And suddenly he attained insight and he attained liberation. So such a person is called liberated by wisdom because at the moment of liberation, the faculty of wisdom is strong, the strongest. He is not using jhana at that moment, he is using wisdom. That's why he is said to be liberated by wisdom. But even here, as is mentioned in this sutra, even one who is liberated by wisdom still needs the first jhana, or the second, or the third, or the fourth jhana, or the other jhanas, the arupa jhanas. So jhanas are always needed for liberation. But it is interesting here that even a person who attains the first jhana can attain liberation, but this is not always the case. Usually the Buddha mentions that the fourth jhāna is needed. But sometimes in certain persons whose faculty of wisdom is very strong, even with the first jhāna they can become an arahant. The next sutta is 9.5.45. Liberated both ways, he is called Sir, and as to what has the one liberated both ways, being declared by the Exalted One. Consider, Sir, the monk who alludes from sense desire, enters and abides in the First Jhana, and to the extent of that sphere abides with body attuned to it, and by wisdom understands it. Thus far, Sir, in one particular, has the one liberated by liberated both ways, been declared by the Exalted One. Similarly, with the stilling of applied and sustained thought, enters and abides in the second jhāna, the third jhāna, fourth jhāna and the other jhānas. abides with body attuned to it and by wisdom understands it. And then in that particular has the one liberated both ways been declared by the exalted one. So here this sutta is talking about the Ubbato bhaga vimotto, one who is liberated by both ways. This one who is liberated by both ways means that he is an arahant, liberated by wisdom and liberated by mind. Now if you compare with other suttas, you find that this person is an arahant, liberated by wisdom and by mind. Now in certain suttas, he is also said to be one liberated by mind. Citta vimutto, liberated by mind. These are all the same. Liberated both ways, liberated by wisdom and by mind, and liberated by mind. These are all the same arahant. And what it means is that this person, at the moment of liberation, he is liberated by wisdom and by mind at the same time. What it means is this person attained He attained the jhanas, and after attaining the jhanas, he used that still mind to, like the Buddha, contemplate the past lives. The Buddha attained the three knowledges. First knowledge was the recollection of past lives. The second one was using the deva eye, seeing beings dying and being reborn according to karma. That's the second knowledge. The third one is the contemplation of the Four Noble Truths. And from there he attains Arhanthood. So this one, liberated both ways, is the one who attains the jhanas and using that still state. after the jhanas to contemplate and attain liberation. In other words, during meditation, a person who attains the jhanas during meditation and becomes an arahant is one who is liberated both ways, different from the one who is liberated by wisdom, who just listens or contemplates without attaining the jhanas and attains liberation.

32-AN-Book-10A-(10.1-to-10.8).txt

Okay, so this is the book of the gradual sayings I'm reading from, which is the Pali Text Society translation of the Anguttara Nikaya. This is the fifth book, the book of the tenths and elevenths, so the first sutta. Thus have I heard, on a certain occasion the Exalted One was staying near Savatthi at Jeta Grove in Anathapindika's path. Then the Venerable Ananda came to see the Exalted One, and on coming to Him saluted the Exalted One and sat down at one side. So seated, the Venerable Ananda said this to Him, Praise Sir, what is the object, what is the profit of good conduct or moral conduct? And the Buddha said, why Ananda? Freedom from remorse is the object. Freedom from remorse is the profit of moral conduct. I'll stop here for a while to just make a few comments. The Exalted One is a translation of the Pali term Bhagavata. Bhagavata is one of the ten names of the Buddha. And here it's mentioned that the Buddha was staying at Savatthi in Jetha's Grove or Jetavana, Anathapindika's Park. This monastery is called Jetavana or Anathapindika's Park because it was donated by Anathapindika, a very rich man, who bought it from Prince Jeta. That's why it's also called Jetavana. And this monastery is the monastery where the Buddha spent most of the Vasa, most of the Vasa, 45 years of Vasa. He spent most of them in savatthi. So that's why you find many of the suttas mention savatthi in Jeta Vana. Then Venerable Ananda asked the Buddha about the object and profit of Here it says good conduct, actually it's moral, another translation would be moral conduct, and the Pali word is sila. Sila or moral conduct means abstention from harming other living beings, keeping the precepts which helps us not to harm other living beings. For example, in the five precepts of a Buddhist layman, the first precept is not to kill. We abstain from killing. And the second precept is not to take what is not given to us. The third is not to commit adultery. The fourth is not to lie. The fifth is not to take intoxicants or drugs that cause heedlessness. So these precepts help us to abstain from evil, from harming other living beings. So that is why when we abstain from harming other living beings, the profit of it is freedom from remorse. That is also you could say non-remorse, not regretting. Now to continue, then Venerable Ananda asked, This translation here, praise, sir, actually that's old English, modern day English would be please, sir. So he said, praise, sir, or please, sir. What is the object? What is the profit of freedom from remorse? And the Buddha said, joy ananda. Joy is the object. Joy is the profit of freedom from remorse. Again he asked, but sir, what is the object? What is the profit of joy? Delight Ananda is the object. Delight is the profit of joy. But please sir, what is the object? What is the profit of delight? Calm Ananda is the object. Calm is the profit of delight. But sir, what is the object? What is the profit of calm? Happiness, ananda, is the object. Happiness is the profit of calm. Pray, sir, what is the object? What is the profit of happiness? Concentration, ananda, samadhi, is the object. Concentration is the profit of happiness. But pray, sir, what is the object? What is the profit of concentration? Knowing and seeing things as they really are, ananda, is the object and profit of concentration. What is the object, sir? What is the profit of knowing and seeing things as they really are? Revulsion or weariness and dispassion or disenchantment, ananda, is the object of it. Pray, sir, what is the object and profit of revulsion and dispassion? Release or liberation by knowing and seeing Ananda is the object and profit of these. So you see Ananda. Moral conduct has freedom from remorse as object and profit. Freedom from remorse has joy. Joy has delight. Delight has calm. Calm has happiness. Happiness has concentration. Concentration has seeing things as they really are. Seeing things as they really are has revulsion and dispassion. Revulsion and dispassion have released by knowing and seeing as their object and profit. So you see, Ananda, moral conduct leads gradually up to the summit. That's the end of the sutta. So to recapitulate, the sila or moral conduct leads to non-remorse, and non-remorse leads to joy. The Pali is kamoja, joy, and joy leads to delight, piti. I use the translation delight, whereas the book says rapture, because delight is supposed to be a subtle, subtle feeling, whereas the later books say that pity could be very strong, but in the Digha Nikaya it is stated that this Piti and sukha, subtle feeling that arises in meditation. And then delight, piti, leads to calm, pasadi. And calm leads to happiness, and happiness leads to concentration. So you see, basically sila gives us non-remorse and that leads to delight, and delight leads to calm and which later leads to concentration. Concentration Samadhi is defined in the suttas generally as the four jhanas or one-pointedness of mind, which is also explained as the four jhanas. And then concentration is a condition for knowing and seeing things as they really are, and which later leads to liberation or release. So this samadhi is a very important factor for you to know things, know and see things as they really are. And that is why jhana is a very important factor in the Noble Eightfold Path. It is the last factor that enables us to know and see things as they really are before liberation. And knowing and seeing things as they really are leads to nibbidā. Nibbidā here is translated as revulsion. You could also say weariness. When you see things as they really are, that means you see that everything in the world has no stability. Everything in the world is changing. It arises and passes away, arises and passes away. So if a person sees that nothing you can hold on to in this world, everything must pass away. So you get tired of it. You get weary of it. And that leads to viraga. Raga is generally translated as passion or craving. So viraga is dispassion, dispassion or disenchantment. And when a person is disenchanted with the world, he lets go of the world, and only when you let go of the world can you attain liberation by knowing and seeing. So these conditions that finally lead to liberation is a kind of dependent origination. Normally when we talk about dependent origination, we talk about paticcasamuppada, which is the twelve links that lead you to the end of suffering, or it also explains how suffering arises. But here it is a series of steps that lead you to liberation. So sometimes this series of steps in this sutta is called transcendental dependent origination. And something like this sutra is also found elsewhere in the Anguttara Nikaya 8.81 and 11.1, and also Samyutta Nikaya 12.23. So to ... Just to say again, this series of transcendental dependent origination starts with sila, so sila is a very important factor that finally leads to liberation. Some people, not being aware of this type of suttas, they think just by meditation alone and not being bothered with other things like keeping sila, doing dana and all that, they think they can get liberation. But you can see from this sutta that you need to keep good sila to attain that happiness that leads to concentration, and that concentration leads to seeing things clearly so that you can be liberated. The other thing I'd like to mention here is that you see by keeping sila, joy can arise. Joy can arise. So even if a person leads the holy life, wears the robe, and even if he does not succeed in meditation, does not attain jhana and all that, just by keeping good sila, That person has joy within him. That is why people can continue to wear the robe because you have joy in wearing the robe. If there is no joy in wearing the robe, nobody will want to wear the robe. Yes or no? So we wear the robe. Initially we have suffering because on the physical aspect you are disadvantaged in the sense that all your food is dependent on people's donation and all that. And nothing you can buy on your own. You have to depend entirely on the support of others. So for a person not used to it, initially it would be a bit of a dukkha, but by keeping good sila, joy arises, then that person can continue to lead the holy life. And then if he meditates and attains deep concentration, then greater joy arises. In fact, the Buddha mentioned in some suttas like in the Majjhima Nikaya, Buddha said the joy of attaining the jhanas surpasses heavenly bliss, by which he means the heavenly bliss of the sensual realm or the desire realm. Like Sakka Devaraja, he does not experience this jhanic bliss which is even higher than what Sakka Devaraja can experience. So if a monk actually practices the holy life well, then he has great happiness within. and that makes up for all the physical discomforts that we could experience. Now we come to another sutra, 10.2. The Buddha said, monks, for one who is virtuous, in full possession of virtue, there is no need for the purposeful thought, may freedom from remorse arise in me. This, monks, is in accordance with nature, that for one who is virtuous, in full possession of virtue, freedom from remorse arises. Now, this word, who is virtuous, you could also say for one who has moral conduct, in full possession of moral conduct, there is no need for the purposeful thought or intentional thought. May freedom from remorse arise in me. This is in accordance with dhamma, here they translate as nature, that for one who is virtuous, freedom from remorse arises. So once you have virtue, you don't have to think that you want to have non-remorse. Non-remorse automatically follows if you have sealed up. And then the Buddha continued, monks, for one who is free from remorse, there is no need for the purposeful thought, may joy arise in me. This, monks, is in accordance with nature, that for one who is free from remorse, joy arises. Monks, for one who is joyous, there is no need for the purposeful thought, may delight arise in me. This, monks, is in accordance with nature, that for one who is joyous, delight arises. Monks, for one whose mind is delighted, there is no need for the purposeful thought, may my body be calmed. This, monks, is in accordance with nature, that for one whose mind is delighted, the body is calmed. Monks, for one whose body is calm, there is no need for the thought, may I feel happiness. This, monks, is in accordance with nature, that one whose body is calm feels happiness. Monks, for one who is happy, there is no need for the thought, may my mind be concentrated. It follows that a happy man's mind is concentrated. Monks, for one who is concentrated, there is no need for the thought, may I know and see things as they really are. It follows naturally that one who is concentrated does so. Monks, for one who knows and sees things as they really are, there is no need for the thought, may I feel revulsion, may passion fade in me. It follows naturally that such a one feels revulsion and dispassion. Bounds. For one who feels revulsion and dispassion, there is no need for the thought. May I realize release by knowing and seeing. It follows naturally that he who feels revulsion and dispassion realizes release by knowing and seeing. So you see, monks, release by knowing and seeing is the object and profit of revulsion and dispassion. Revulsion and dispassion is the object and profit of seeing and knowing things as they really are. Seeing and knowing things as they really are is the object and profit of concentration. Concentration is the object and profit of happiness. Happiness is the object and profit of calm. Calm is the object and profit of joy. Joy is the object and profit of freedom from remorse. Freedom from remorse is the object and profit of moral conduct. That's monks. One state just causes another state to swell. One state just causes the fulfilment of another state for the sake of going from this side to the beyond. That's the end of the sutta. The beyond or the further shore refers to Nibbana. So you see this sutta. It says that one condition arises, another follows naturally without having to make a wish for it. And this is a bit similar to the sutta in the Anguttara Nikaya 5.43 where the Buddha said if you want certain things in this world, for example to have long life, to be happy, to be wealthy, and after death to have a good rebirth, et cetera. Buddha said it's no use praying for it or making a vow. You have to walk the path that brings you to what you want to get. For example, if you want to have long life, you must not kill. If you kill, then even you pray and you make a vow, you will still get short life because you don't have the condition necessary to give you long life. From this sutta, you know that you have to work for whatever you want to get, and only if there is a condition for it, you will get what you want to get. For example, if you want to be happy and to have a happy rebirth, then you must give happiness to other beings, then you deserve happiness. Otherwise, there is no condition for happiness. It's just like a person, if he sees the newspaper, there's a vacancy for a doctor, but he does not have the qualification of a doctor. How can he apply for the doctor's job? Yes or no? However, a person is applying for a lawyer's job, he has to have the qualification of a lawyer before he can apply for a lawyer's job. So in the same way, whatever we want, we've got to have the necessary condition to get what we want. So this sutta is telling us if we want to be happy, then we've got to have sila, we have moral conduct. So because we don't harm others, then we have non-remorse, and non-remorse leads to joy, et cetera. And the rest of the sutta is a bit similar to the previous one. So this is another sutta that also shows if you want to attain liberation, then you've got to have all these conditions that leads to liberation. Now we go to another sutta, it's 10.8. The Buddha said, monks, a monk may be a believer but yet not be virtuous, thus in that respect he is incomplete. That defect must be remedied by the thought, how can I be both a believer and virtuous? But monks, when a monk is both of these, he is complete in that respect. And I stop here for a moment. Here, to be a believer, a monk may be a believer. Here actually you could say a monk may have faith and yet not be virtuous and yet not have moral conduct. So that monk has faith, but that's the only thing he has, so he has to develop moral conduct. Then he's complete up to that respect. Then the Buddha continued, monks, a monk may be both a believer and virtuous, yet not learned. He may be a believer, virtuous and learned, yet no Dharma preacher. He may be a believer, virtuous, learned, and a Dharma preacher, yet not a frequenter of debates. He may be all of these, yet not be confident in expounding Dharma in a company. He may be all of these, yet not expert in monastic discipline, Vinaya. He may be all of these, yet no forest dweller, a lodger in solitude. He may be all of these, yet not be one who attains at will, without difficulty and without trouble, the four jhanas which belong to the higher mind, which even in this same visible state are blissful to abide in. Nor does he, by destroying the asavas in the same visible state, comprehending it of himself, realise the release by mind, the release by wisdom, and attaining it abide therein. So in that respect he is incomplete. That defect must be remedied by the thought, How can I be both a believer and virtuous? Also learned, a Dhamma preacher, a frequenter of debates, and confident in expounding Dhamma in a company. Also expert in the monastic discipline, a forest dweller, a lodger in solitude, and one who attains at will the Four Jhanas. And by destroying the asavas, realize the release by mind, the release by wisdom, and attaining it, abide therein. Then monks, when he has attained each one of these ten things, he is complete in that respect. Monks, if he be endowed with these ten qualities, a monk is altogether charming and complete in every attribute." That's the end of the sutra. So you find this sutta is giving practical advice to monks to attain these various qualities that make for veneration, and some of these qualities are also repeated elsewhere. So these qualities are very good qualities that a monk should develop. The first one, he should have faith. Having faith means having faith in the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha, the triple gem. Having faith in the Buddha means having faith or believing that the Buddha is enlightened, and then having faith in the Dhamma means believing in the things that are taught in the Dhamma, having faith that they are the words of an enlightened person. And then having faith in the Sangha is having faith in the monk bhikkhu Sangha. Sometimes people think that the Sangha only refers to Arya, but actually you find in like the Majjhima Nikaya, I think, Sutta number 142, Dakina Vibhanga Sutta, where the Buddha says that the Sangha refers to the community of monks or nuns. So because if you take refuge with the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha, if you just take refuge with the Arya Sangha, who is the Aryan? You don't know who is the Aryan. Whereas if you say you take refuge with the Sangha of monks, then you know those people who wear the robe. That's why you find in the suttas, for example, some anagami lay disciples like Citta, or ataka, when monks come to the house or alms round and they pay respect to the monk, they don't think, oh, I'm an anagami, this monk is only a putujana or a sotapanna, not worthy of my paying respect. They never think like that. because the monk has renounced and he represents the nuncian disciples of the Buddha, so they pay respect to the monk. So that is having faith. And then the second one, having moral conduct. Having moral conduct is keeping the precepts, and basically the precepts that are important are those precepts which help us not to harm other living beings. And then number three is learned, or sometimes they say much learning. The Pali word is bahusutta, or sometimes the equivalent is bahusacca. Bahu means much, sutta means hearing, much hearing of the words of the Buddha, and bahusacca is much hearing of the ... sacca is truths. Truths means the truths found in the Dhamma or the Buddha's words. So it also means the same thing, being knowledgeable about the Buddha's teachings, the Buddha's words in particular. Later we'll find some other sutra where some of these terms are explained in more detail. a Dhamma preacher. So after a monk has faith, then he keeps his sila. Then after he has sila, he should be learned in the Buddha's teachings. And after he's learned, then he should try to teach the Buddha's teachings to others by a Dhamma preacher. Then after that, he should be a frequenter of debates. Actually here a frequenter of debates, you could also say that he is one who discusses the Dhamma with others, because discussion of Dhamma is also very important to help us understand the Dhamma. There are certain points of Dhamma when we read the suttas we are not very clear, so when we discuss with other people who also study the suttas, then sometimes they might understand certain topics a bit better than us and we could learn something from them. As they say, more heads are better than one. So here the number five is frequenter of debates or frequenter of dhamma discussions. And then after that, confident in expounding dhamma in a company. This part also needs some training. Usually monks, if they're not used to teaching Dhamma to a crowd of people, then initially you will have a lot of fear when you face a crowd of people. So it takes practice slowly to get used to teaching to many people. That's number six. Then number seven is expert in Vinaya. Vinaya is monastic discipline. That means for the discipline that is taught to monastics, those who are monks and nuns. And because this Vinaya is important for a monk to understand so that he knows how to conduct himself, otherwise if a person is not knowledgeable about Vinaya, he conducts himself like a layperson. And people, by noticing his conduct or his deportment, people might be sort of put off. So it is important for a monk or a nun to know how to conduct himself. That is taught in the Vinaya. And then after that he should ... us to be a forest dweller, a lodger in solitude. This is for those who want to attain liberation, to leave samsara, and it is good if they could stay alone. But that also needs training. If you don't have a certain degree of samadhi, of concentration, then it's difficult to stay alone. Then after that, he's encouraged to attain the four jhanas. So if he stays in solitude, the chances of attaining the jhanas are much higher. Then after that, that leads to release by mind and release by wisdom. That's attaining of arahanthood. So these are the qualities that A monk is encouraged to develop. That's why a lot of the things in the suttas are very practical instructions. As we study the suttas, we know how to practice the holy life.

33-AN-Book-10B-(10.11-to-10.13).txt

Now the next sutra is Anguttara Nikaya 10.11. The Buddha said, Complete in five factors monks, a monk who follows after and resorts to the lodging place which is complete in five factors in no long time by destroying the asavas realises In this same visible existence, the release by mind, the release by wisdom, thoroughly comprehending it of himself, and having attained it, abides therein. I stop here for a while. So here the Buddha is saying that a monk should have five factors. Then he should stay in a lodging place, a dwelling, which also has another five factors. Then he can attain the liberation by mind and liberation by wisdom. So these are very important conditions. If a monk wants to attain liberation or end the round of rebirths, these are the factors that he should know. Just now I didn't mention by destroying the asavas. Asavas here they translate as cankers. Asavas, I think a better translation is uncontrolled mental outflows, the mind flows, because literally asavas means outflows, and mental outflows means even the consciousness flowing. It's because the consciousness keeps flowing and flowing, that is why the whole world is created in our consciousness. So when the asavas are destroyed, the mind doesn't flow anymore, then The world doesn't arise in consciousness and that's the end of samsara around rebirth. And then the Buddha continued, how is a monk complete in five factors? Herein, a monk is a believer or a monk has faith. He believes. He is that Exalted One, Arahant, Samasambuddha, perfect in knowledge and practice, a welfareer, a world-knower, trainer unsurpassed of men to be trained, teacher of devas and mankind, awakened One, Exalted One." So this is the first factor. The monk has to have faith that the Buddha is enlightened. Then, moreover, he is little troubled by sickness and disease. He is furnished with digestive power, not too hot or too cold, but even and suitable for striving. 3. He is honest, no deceiver. He is one who shows himself as he really is to the teacher, to his discerning companions in the holy light. 4. He dwells resolute in energy, ever striving to abandon bad qualities, stout and strong to acquire good qualities, not shirking the burden in good qualities. 5. He is a man of wisdom, possessed of wisdom, foreseeing the rise and fall of things, wisdom that is aryan, penetrating, going on to the utter destruction of ill. In this way a monk is complete in five factors. And how is one's lodging place complete in five factors? Here in monks, a lodging place is not too far and not too near, but suitable for coming and going, by day not frequented, by night quiet and undisturbed by noise, not plagued with contact of flies, mosquitoes, wind, rain and creeping things. Moreover, for one dwelling in such a lodging place, the supply of robes and arms, food, of bed and lodging, comforts in sickness and medicaments, comes about with little trouble. Further in that lodging place dwell elder monks who have heard much, who are versed in the sayings, who know the teachings thoroughly, who know the monastic discipline and summaries by heart. Consorting with them from time to time, He inquires of them and questions them. Thus, how is this your reverence? What is the meaning of this? Those worthies then opened up to Him what was sealed. He made clear what was obscure, and on diverse doubtful points of doctrine, they resolved his doubts. That monk is how one's lodging place is complete in five factors. Indeed, monks, complete in five factors, a monk who follows after and resorts to the lodging place, complete also in five factors, in no long time, by destroying the asavas, realizes in this same visible existence the release by mind, the release by wisdom, thoroughly comprehending it of himself, and having attained it, abides therein." That's the end of the Sutta. So the five factors a monk should have is that first he must have faith that the Buddha is enlightened. Number two, he must be healthy. healthy and strong, not sickly, so that he can strive energetically. Number three, he must be honest, honest to his teacher and to his companions. He must not be the type of person who is always hiding his bad qualities. He must show himself as he really is. to his teacher, to his companions, so that they can help him by criticizing him. We can only improve if we are willing to change ourselves. If we are not willing to change ourselves, we can never improve. That is why this is important. We must not hide our bad qualities. We must let others know so that they can criticize us. Number four, a monk must be energetic and striving, striving to abandon his bad qualities and to acquire good qualities. And number five, he must have wisdom, wisdom to be able to see How things arise and pass away, arise and pass away. How things in this world all arise and pass away, that there is nothing stable in this world, nothing we can hold on to. Everything has to arise and pass away. So these are the five qualities that monk must personally have. Then he must stay in a place which has another five qualities. Firstly, that lodging place must be a suitable place. For a monk, like a forest monastery is very good. If a monk has stayed in the forest by himself alone, he will find that if you stay in the forest by yourself alone, sometimes you are disturbed by insects. Sometimes the place where you are sleeping, you might be sleeping on top of an ant nest. In the middle of the night, you get bitten by ants all over and you can't even see properly. Sometimes you sleep on the ground in the forest, a snake might come and crawl into where you are sleeping. So all these things could disturb you, but if you sleep in a kuti, in a hut, in a forest hut, then you can practice much better. This is why the forest monasteries are very suitable for striving, because it has these qualities, it's not too far, not too near, and not too many people come during the daytime, and at night it's quiet, etc. Then the second quality, the monk must be able to get the supply of requisites, food, robes, medicines, and a proper dwelling place. So these must be suitable. Number three, that place where he stays should have Elder monks who have heard much. Elder monks means Theras or Theru. That refers to a monk who has taken the higher ordination at least 10 years or more. And here it says the elder monks must be those who have heard much, that means those who are very familiar with the suttas. Why doesn't he mention those elder monks who are very good in meditation? Here, this is more important. If the monk is very familiar with the suttas, then he has right view, and if he has right view, he can bring the other younger monks to have Right View. And Right View is the most important factor in the Noble Eightfold Path. And that's why it is put as the first factor of the Noble Eightfold Path. Only when you attain Right View have you entered the Noble Eightfold Path. And you have not attained Right View, you have not entered the Noble Eightfold Path. Also, a person who has attained Right View, he is already an Arya. In the suttas, a person with the right view is an Arya. So once you enter an Arya, then you are already secure, you are safe, you'll never fall into the woeful planes again. It's only a matter of time before the Arya will become liberated. That's why it's very important to be familiar with the suttas. That's why if the monastery has senior monks who are who are much learned, who know the suttas very well, and the discipline also of Vinaya very well, then they can teach the younger monks to have right view. So that's the third condition. Then the fourth one, that monk must ask those senior monks what he doesn't understand. He inquires questions about doubtful points of the Dhamma and Vinaya. And number five, those monks must be willing to resolve his doubts by answering him, guiding him in the Dhamma and Vinaya. So these are the five and five important conditions. The first five important conditions that the monk must have, firstly he must have faith. Faith in the enlightenment of the Buddha. Number two, he must be strong and healthy so that he can strive. For example, if you stay alone in the forest, for a monk to stay alone in the forest, he has to stand the cold. Sometimes you sleep on the bare floor. The floor can be very cold. Sometimes you sleep in a cave. You can have wind blowing. You're not strong enough. You cannot stand. And sometimes you go and beg for the food. Sometimes you might get food that does not suit you. Sometimes you may not get enough food. So if your body is not strong, you cannot stand all these things. So that monk has to be strong. Then number three, he has to be honest and show himself as he really is to his teacher and to his companions so that he can get guidance. Then number four, he must be willing to strive, energetic in striving. And number five, he must have a certain amount of wisdom. amount of wisdom to attain insight. So these are the five personal factors that he should have. Then the other five factors, he should stay in a lodging place which is suitable, which is quiet and undisturbed where not too many people come to disturb. not too far, not too near, etc. And number two, the requisites that are necessary, food, robes, etc., he can get easily. Number three, the dwelling place should have elder monks who are much learned in the Dhamma and Vinaya, so can guide him in the Dhamma and Vinaya. Number four, he should be able to ask them about Dhamma and Vinaya. Number five, they must be willing to help him overcome all his doubts and all his questions. So these are the five. The next sutra is 10.13. The Buddha said, there are these ten fetters, monks, Factors is a translation for some yojana. And these factors are things that bind us to the world. It's like in Chinese, I think the translation is shuo shuo. It's like a, shuo is like a, something that, in Hokkien, shuo lu, shuo lu, shuo tao, that one, shuo lu. So what are the ten factors? The five factors leading to the lower world and the five leading to the higher world. And what monks are the five leading to the lower world? The first one is Sakaya Dittin. Here they put the view of an individual group. But nowadays, some of the newer translations, they put the view of a personality, personality view. But I prefer to translate it as the view of a body being or a being in the body. I'll explain this afterwards. Second one is vijikiccha, sceptical doubt. Number three is silapatta paramahamsa, clinging to rules and rituals. Number four is kamaraga, sensual desire or sensual craving. And number five is vayapada or vyapada, ill will or malevolence. These are the five leading to the lower world. Now what are the five leading to the higher world? The first one is rūpa-rāga, craving for fine material existence. The second one is arūpa-rāga, craving for immaterial existence. Number three is māna, conceit. Number four is udacca, restlessness. Number five is avijja, ignorance. These are the five factors leading to the higher world. What do you mean by five factors leading to the lower world. That means they lead us to the sensual realm or desire realm. The desire realm is the realm where sensual desire or lust pervades. All beings have this sensual lust. So the first factor is Sakaya Ditti. Sakaya Ditti, if you translate as personality view, personality view is like a view of a self, view of a self. But then, according to the suttas, When a person attains Sotapanna, the first fruition, first fruit arya, he has already destroyed Sakkayaditti. He has destroyed Sakkayaditti, but he still has a self. Only the Arahant does not have a self. Even up to Anagami, they still have a self. So this cannot be something like a view of a self. To me the view of a body being is probably more correct because Sakaya could be made out of two words, satta and kaya. Satta is being, kaya is body. Why I say this, because in some other sutra, the Buddha said it is easier for a person to see that this body is not the self. It is very hard for us to see that there is no self even in the mind. So to see that the body is not the self, is easier. Hence, I think that a sotapanna could see that this body is not the Self, although for most people, most ordinary people, kutujanas, they think that this body is the Self. So that is why I think that the Sakaya Diti means that you can see that this body is not the self, but you still have a self even though you are an Arya, a Suttapanna, or a Sakadagami or Anagami. So this Sakaya Diti is seeing that this body is associated with the self. But when you break this, then you see that the body is not the self. The second one is vicikiccha, sceptical doubt, having doubt about the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, doubting that the Buddha is enlightened. Doubting that the Dhamma is a true teaching and having doubt about the Sangha, having doubt about the training, having doubt whether this is wholesome or what is wholesome, what is unwholesome, having doubt whether this is the proper path to walk or this is not the proper path to walk, etc. Only when a person has some understanding of the Dhamma, then he has no more doubt about the Dhamma. Then the third one is silabhata paramasa. So you notice the first word is sila. Silabhata paramasa. So this is clinging to rules and rituals. So even rules, you could cling to it. So that is why the Buddha said in some other sutra that the Dhamma Vinaya is for us to cross over on the other shore. Suppose you needed to cross over to the other show on the other bank, so you make a boat or something, and once you have crossed over, you don't still carry the boat on your head, and you put the boat down and you walk without the boat. So what the Buddha is saying is that rules and rituals has a certain purpose, so you must know what is the purpose of the rules and rituals, and don't cling to it. If you cling to it, then it becomes a show, making a show of it instead of understanding what it is for. And then the fourth one is karma-raga, sensual craving or sensual lust. The fifth one is vyapada, ill-will or malevolence. And these are the five factors that bring us to the lower world, the world of sensual desire and the desire realm. And then the five higher ... The first one is craving for fine material existence, rūpa-rāga. Rūpa refers to the form realm, the realm where those who attain jhāna are reborn, where the body is very fine, that's why it's called fine material existence. So some people like to be reborn there, especially some people who don't understand the Dhamma, but they have attained jhāna. That is why some of those early Indians, they wanted to be reborn as the Mahabrahma. This is craving for fine material existence. Second one is craving for immaterial existence, arupa raga. This is craving to be reborn in the arupa realm, formless realm. And then the third one is conceit mana. still having that conceit. Conceit is like a self, still having that self. And then the fourth one is udacca, restlessness. And the fifth one is avijja, ignorance. Ignorance about the Dhamma basically. So out of these ten factors, if a person has attained the first path, he has not destroyed any of the factors. But in the suttas, we find that normally a person attains the first path by listening to the Dhamma, and after listening to the Dhamma and understanding the Four Noble Truths, usually he has attain the first path. Then the Buddha said, such a person is an Arya, and before he dies, he will, that first path attained, Arya will have attained the first fruition, Sotapanna, before he dies automatically. Sometime or other before he dies, he must attain the first fruit. So when the person becomes a Sotapanna, he destroys the first three factors. Sakkayaditti, the view of a body being, Sivijikiccha, sceptical doubt, and Silabhata Paramasa, clinging to rules and rituals, he would have destroyed. That is a Sotapanna. And then the Sakadagamin, the second fruit, Arya, he would have destroyed this first tree. as well as weaken sensual craving and weaken ill-will, Vyapada. So these two are weakened for Sakadagami, the second fruit Arya, which means since this sensual craving and ill-will, Vyapada, they are Two of the hindrances, if they are weakened, it probably means that the Sakadagami has a certain degree of concentration, not yet attained jhāna, but he has a certain degree of concentration which enables him to weaken the sensual craving and ill-will. But an anagamin would have completely destroyed all these five lower factors. Anagamin, the third fruit, arya, he would have destroyed cakaya-diti, view of a body being, he would have destroyed sceptical doubt, destroyed clinging to rules and rituals, destroyed sensual craving, and destroyed ill-will. That is anagamin, third fruit, arya. And then the Arahant would have destroyed all the ten factors, even those leading to the higher world, the Arahant has destroyed.

34-AN-Book-10C-(10.14-to-10.17).txt

We are at the Book of Tenths. Today we start with Anguttanikāya 10.14, the Buddha said, monks. In whatsoever monk or nun, five mental obstructions are not abandoned, and five bondages of the mind are not well rooted out. In such a one, come night, come day, decline, not growth, in good states may be looked for." I stopped here for a while. These five mental obstructions are called cetokila. and the five bondages of the mind are called cetasovinibandha. In the Venerable Jnanatiloka's dictionary, Buddhist dictionary, he says that cetokila, the mental obstructions, are five things which stiffen and hinder the mind from making right exertion. and cetaso vinibandha, mental bondages, are five things which hinder the mind from making right exertion. So basically, these two things are what hinders the mind or obstructs the mind from making effort, striving exertion. Now, these two things are also described in the Majjhima Nikaya, Sutta number 16. And then the Buddha continued, and of what sort are the five mental obstructions not abandoned? Herein a monk has doubts and waverings about the teacher. He is not drawn to him. He is not sure about him. In a monk who so doubts and wavers, who is not drawn to and is not sure about the teacher, the mind of such a one inclines not to exertion, to application, to perseverance, to striving. In him whose mind inclines not to these things, this first mental obstruction is not abandoned. Again, monks, a monk has doubts about Dhamma. He has doubts about the Sangha, about the training. He is annoyed or vexed with his companions in the holy life, displeased, troubled in mind. In a monk who is thus, his mind inclines not to exertion, et cetera, to striving. In him whose mind inclines not to these things, these are the five mental obstructions not abandoned. And of what sort are the five mental bondages not well rooted out? Herein, a monk has craving for sensual pleasures. Desire, affections, thirsting, distress, and lust have not gone from him. In a monk who is such, the mind inclines not to exertion, to application, perseverance, and striving. In him whose mind inclines not to these things, this first mental bondage is not well rooted out. Again, a monk has craving for the body. He has craving for forms. Having eaten his belly full, he lies given to the pleasure of lying down on back or side, a prey to torpor. Or he leads the holy life with a view to join some order of devas, with the thought, by virtue of this way of life or practice or austerity, O holy life, I shall become some deva or other. Whatsoever monk has such an object and view, his mind inclines not to exertion, to application, to perseverance and striving. In him whose mind inclines not to these things, this fifth mental bondage is not well rooted out. Monks, in whatsoever monk or nun, these five mental obstructions are not abandoned, and these five mental bondages are not well rooted out. In such a one, come night, come day, decline, not growth, in good states may be looked for. Just as monks, in the dark period of the moon, come night, come day, it wanes in beauty, wanes in roundness, wanes in splendor, wanes in the height and compass of its orbit. Even so, in whatsoever monk or nun, these five mental obstructions be not abandoned, or these five mental bondages be not well rooted out. In such a one, come night, come day, decline, not growth, in good states may be looked for. But in whatsoever monk or nun, they are abandoned and rooted out, growth, not decline, in good states may be looked for." That's the end of the Sutta. The rest I'm not going to read. It's the reverse, the vice versa. So, now I explain a bit about the first one, cetokila, five mental obstructions. The first one is the monk has doubts about the teacher. Here, the sutra is referring to the Buddha because our real teacher is the Buddha. Other monks are supposed to be good spiritual friends who introduce you to the Buddha's teaching. The real teacher, the original teacher is the Buddha. So the first one, he has doubts about the Buddha. The second one is to have doubts about Dhamma. Doubts about Dhamma, the Buddha's teachings. The third one is to have doubts about the Sangha. Now, the Sangha normally refers to the community of monks. This you can see from the Majjhima Nikaya. Every time somebody takes refuge with the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha, they refer to the Bhikkhu Sangha. Also in the Dakina Vibhanga Sutta in the Majjhima Nikaya Sutta 142, it is stated that if you make an offering to monks or nuns for the sake of the Sangha, then the merit, the blessings is immeasurable, boundless. And it surpasses the merit of giving to any single individual, including the Buddha. And even if the monks or nuns that you make an offering to are corrupt, They don't keep the precepts, etc. Still, if you make that offering for the sake of the Sangha, then your merit is boundless. So that is the Sangha. Again, some people say when you say Sangha, it refers to the Arya Sangha. This is not quite true because even though it is mentioned sometimes that the Sangha consists of the eight types of ārya, that is the ideal case. And if you take refuge with the ārya Sangha and you don't know who is an ārya, how do you take refuge? Whereas if you take refuge with the Bhikkhu Sangha, the Sangha of monks, then anybody who wears the robe represents the Sangha of monks. Just as for example, nowadays doctors, when you say, when you refer to a doctor, a physician, who is a doctor? A doctor nowadays is somebody who is registered with a medical association, right? MMA, Malaysian Medical Association. He's registered, that means he is qualified as a doctor because he has graduated from some university. and so he is given the license to practice. So you see that person who is registered with the medical association and practicing as a doctor is called a doctor. But ideally, a doctor is one who helps sick people, who helps sick people for the sake of doing so and not for the sake of money. Even if a person who helps people to get well, physically well, and even though he's not registered with the medical association and, for example, he keeps the Hippocratic Oath because doctors are supposed to take an oath to help people, and they are supposed to do the best of their ability to help people who are sick and in need of help. Ideally, that person is a physician, a doctor. But sometimes you find, for example, a person may be registered as a medical doctor, but that person he acts, sometimes you do find that some doctors or physicians, they are more concerned with money, right? So sometimes, like for example, in a big city like Kuala Lumpur, to get a doctor to make a house call is quite difficult. There are some who make house calls, but when you approach many doctors, they don't make house calls, they don't make night calls, right? So that is actually not very good because when they take the Hippocratic oath, they are supposed to help people. So in the same way, monks are also like that. Ideally, monks should be Arya. But not all monks are Arya, and not all monks keep the precept, right? But still, because they wear the robe, they are recognized as monks. That's why when we take refuge with the Sangha, we take refuge with the order of monks. So that is the Sangha. And then the fourth one, he has doubts about the training. Training means training of sila, samadhi, and pannaya, morality, concentration, and wisdom. And under the training of morality, it means keeping the precepts, keeping sila. And sometimes people think that the training is only sila. Sila is only part of the training. The full training is sila, samadhi, pannaya. So it includes keeping moral conduct, it includes meditation, and it includes studying the suttas so that it will also help you to get wisdom. So that is the training. And then the fifth one, he is vexed or annoyed with his companions in the holy life. So, If a monk is critical of his companions in the holy life, then he finds fault with them, he's not happy with them, he doesn't mix with them, et cetera, then that is an obstruction to him, fault finding. And these are the five mental obstructions that hinder a monk from practicing well. And then the five mental bondages of the heart is craving for sensual pleasures, craving for the body, craving for forms or visual objects. And then the fourth one, he sleeps a lot, a prey to sloth and torpor. And then the fifth one, he leads the holy life with a wrong motive to be reborn as a deva or heavenly being. So these are the five mental bondages that also obstruct a monk from practicing well, craving for sensual pleasures, craving for the body, craving for forms, pray to sloth and topper, and practicing the holy life too in order to become, to be reborn as a deva, a heavenly being. The next sutra is 10.17. The Buddha said, monks, do you live warded, not warderless? Sorrowfully dwells the warderless monk. Stop here for a moment. This word warded means protected. So what the Buddha is saying is, monks, do you live warded or protected? Not unprotected. Sorrowfully dwells the unprotected monk. So the Buddha is trying to tell the monks that you must do certain things to get protection. Then the Buddha continued, monks, there are these ten states that make for warding or protection. What ten? Herein, a monk is virtuous, restrained with the restraint of the patimokkha. Perfect in conduct and resort, seeing danger in the slightest false, and undertaking the precepts, trains himself therein. Insofar as a monk is such a one, this is a state that makes for warding. Then again, a monk has heard much. He bears in mind what he has heard. He stores up what he has heard. Whatsoever teachings, lovely at the beginning, lovely midway, lovely at the end, in spirit and letter, do stress the holy life in all its fullness and utter purity, such teachings are much heard by him, born in mind, repeated aloud, pondered, and well penetrated by vision or view. Insofar as a monk is such a one, this too is a state that makes for warding." Then again, a monk has a good friend, Lyanamitta. a good ally, a good companion. Insofar as a monk has such friendship, this too is a state that makes forwarding. Again, a monk is pleasant to speak to. He is blessed with qualities that make him easy to speak to. He is patient and clever at grasping instruction given. Insofar as a monk is such, this too is a state that makes forwarding. Then again, in all the undertakings of his companions in the holy life, Bidet matters weighty or trivial. He is shrewd and energetic, possessing ability to give proper consideration thereto as to what is the right thing to do and how to manage it. Insofar as a monk is such a one, this too is a state that makes for warding. Then again, a monk delights in Dhamma, is pleasant to converse with, rejoices exceedingly in higher Dhamma and higher Vinaya. Insofar as a monk is such a one, this state also makes for warding. Again, a monk dwells resolute in energy for the abandonment of bad qualities, stout and strong to acquire good qualities, not shirking the burden in good qualities. Insofar as a monk is such a one, this too is a state that makes for warding. Again, a monk is content with whatsoever supply of robes, alms, food, lodging, comforts, and medicines for sickness he may get. Insofar as a monk is such a one, this too is a state that makes for warding. Again, a monk has recollection, possessed of supreme recollection and prudence, able to call to mind and remember things done and said long ago. This too is a state that makes for warding. Again monks, a monk is possessed of wisdom. He has wisdom for seeing the rise and fall of things, wisdom which is aryan, penetrating, going to the utter destruction of ill. Insofar as a monk has all these ten qualities, this too is a state that makes for warding. Monks, do you live warded, not warderless? Sorrowful dwells the warderless monks." These then are the ten states that make for warding. That's the end of the Sutta. Now I'll comment. The first one that makes for protection is virtue or moral conduct. The monk is, here is mentioned the patimokkha. Patimokkha is the code of precepts 227 that a monk is supposed to hold as best as he can because it's not possible for a monk to be perfect in all the precepts. And so, however well he can uphold the precepts, he is supposed to try as best as he can. Then, so if a monk has virtue, this is a state that makes for protection. The second one, the monk has much learning. Usually there is a word that occurs in the suttas quite often. It's called bahusacca and sometimes bahusutta. Bahusutta means much hearing. much hearing means much hearing of the Dhamma or much hearing of the suttas, the discourses of the Buddha. And then bahu sacca, bahu means much, sacca means truths, so it also means much hearing of the truths. So here the second quality for a monk, a second good quality a monk should have is to hear much of the suttas, much of the dhamma, and remember or repeat, memorize so that he can remember. Then the This much learning is very important, especially nowadays, because there's a lot of wrong teachings. So if a person wants to practice the holy life, he should be very familiar with the original teachings of the Buddha so that he can have right view and not get wrong view from some other teacher. And the third quality is to have a good friend. Good friend is a kalyāṇamitta. Now in Chinese they translate that as a good knowing advisor, but actually literally it means a good friend. That means a good monk friend, and normally it refers to a monk teacher, a monk teacher who can guide you along the right path of practice. So in one of the suttas, the Venerable Ananda said half of the holy life has to do with having a good friend, a good monk teacher. And the Buddha said not so Ananda. The Buddha said all of the holy life has to do with having a good monk teacher. So having a good teacher is very important because firstly he will guide you to the right teachings. the right teachings of the Buddha. Secondly, from his experience, he can save you a lot of time because he himself has gone through many years of practice and he has wasted much time from not having a good teacher perhaps. And then if you obtain guidance from somebody with experience, then you save a lot of time and effort. That's number three. Number four is a monk is pleasant to speak to. He's blessed with qualities that make him easy to speak to. He's patient and clever at grasping instruction given. So this one is to be easy to talk to, easy to give instructions to. There are some people who are very stubborn, who don't take instructions. That is an obstruction. If you are that type of the person, then the teacher is not inclined to give you much instruction because you don't listen, you don't obey. So having this quality of being easy to talk to, easy to teach, is a state that makes for protection. Then number five, he is shrewd and energetic, possessing ability to give proper consideration to the undertakings of his companions in the holy life. Sometimes when monks stay together, they have duties to do. So a monk who is able to help by carrying out his duties properly, then that is a good quality to have. And then his companionship will be much valued by the other monks. Number six, among delights in Dhamma, delights in the higher Dhamma and higher Vinaya. The higher Dhamma here in Pali is called Abhidhamma, and usually when the word Abhidhamma occurs in the suttas, it comes together with Abhivinaya, the higher Dhamma and the higher Vinaya. And this Haya Dhamma does not refer to the seven books of the Abhidhamma that nowadays some monks teach. Those seven books of the Abhidhamma came later. This Haya Dhamma refers to the higher dhamma that you practice to get out of samsara. And sometimes the Buddha does mention that it refers to the 37 bodhipakya dhamma, the four satipatthana, the four right efforts samapadana, and then the four idipada, Then the five bala, the five indriya, the seven bhojanga, and the noble eightfold path. This is the things that you cultivate to get out of samsara. So this is supposed to be the higher dhamma. And the higher vidaya is the higher discipline which is more for monks. Number seven, the monk dwells resolute in energy for the abandonment of bad qualities and to acquire good qualities. So this one making a strong effort to Progress, this is another good quality that makes for protection. Number eight, to be content with whatever requisites that he obtains. to be contented. Number nine is to have sati. Here you can see the standard definition of sati. He has recollection, possessed of supreme recollection and prudence, able to call to mind and remember things done and said long ago. Very often nowadays they translate sati as mindfulness, but from the definition of sati, here you can see it means being able to remember what was said and done a long time ago. So it is the quality of remembering. So recollection is a good word because it means the same thing as remembering. What do you mean by recollection? Recollection means calling to mind, calling to mind, remembering. That means remembering to practice. And in the practice of sati, basically the Buddha advised that we should put our mind on a useful object of contemplation. If we don't put our mind on the Useful object of contemplation, the mind tends to run all over the place, be very scattered, and think of worldly things. So that is why sati is calling to mind four things, contemplate four things, the body, feelings, the nature of the mind, and dhamma, the Buddha's teachings. So that is the purpose of sati, is to put our mind, to remember to put our mind on the right place, in the right place, and not let it be scattered. And then number ten is to have wisdom, and usually wisdom as is shown here refers to having the wisdom to see the arising and the ceasing. of everything in this world. Because if you can see the rising and the ceasing of everything, either physical or mental, then you will see that there is no security in this world. Everything is falling apart. Everything is born and ceases, born and dies away. So because that is the nature of the world, impermanence, then you begin to realize it is a frightening world. There is no security, no permanence in anything. So that is the wisdom. The Buddha's notion of wisdom is not like worldly wisdom. Worldly wisdom is to know a lot of things, but no, the Buddha's wisdom is concerned with seeing impermanence, and because of impermanence, dukkha, which is suffering or stress or distress. Stop here for a moment. So just now, those ten qualities, if a monk possesses, it helps to protect him. I'll just repeat. The first one is having virtue or moral conduct. The second one is to have much learning or much knowledge of the Buddha's teachings. the original Buddha's teachings. The third one is to have a good friend or a good monk teacher. Then the fourth one is being pleasant to speak to, pleasant to instruct. Then the number five is to have the ability to carry out duties of the Sangha. And then number six is to delight in the Dhamma, to have an affinity for the Dhamma. Number seven is to be very energetic to practice or cultivate and abandon bad qualities and acquire good qualities. Number eight is to be content. Number nine is to have sati, recollection. Number ten is to have wisdom.

35-AN-Book-10D-(10.20-to-10.27).txt

Sutta number 20, 10.20. Once the Exalted One was staying among the Kurus at Kamasadamma, a township of the Kurus. On that occasion, the Exalted One addressed the monks saying, monks, there are these 10 ways of Aryan living or abiding. according to which Aryans have lived, do live, and shall live. What then? Herein, a monk has abandoned five factors, is possessed of six factors, guards one factor, observes the four bases or supports, has got rid of individual beliefs or views, has utterly given up longings, His thoughts are unclouded. His body conditioner is tranquilized. He is well released by mind. He is well released by wisdom. These are the ten ways of Aryan living, according to which Aryans have lived, do live, and shall live. I'll just stop here for a moment. So here, what the Buddha is saying is that Aryans practice these ten things. But it doesn't mean that all Aryans possess these ten things. The highest Aryan, which is the Arahant, would possess all these ten qualities, but other Aryans, for example, the Sotapanna or Sakadagamin or Anagamin, they may have slightly less than all these ten qualities, just like the Noble Eightfold Path. If a monk possess the Noble Eightfold Path completely, then he is an arahant. but other Aryans do not possess the Noble Eightfold Path completely or perfectly. And then the Buddha continued, and how is a monk one who has abandoned five factors? Hearing a monk has abandoned sensual desire, ill will, sloth and torpor, restlessness and worry, doubt and wavering. Thus he is one who has abandoned five factors. And how is a monk one who is possessed of six factors? Herein a monk, seeing an object with the eye, is not elated or depressed, but dwells equanimous, mindful and collected. Hearing a sound with the ear, smelling a scent with the nose, tasting a flavor with the tongue, contacting an object with the body, With mind cognizing mental states, he is not elated or depressed, but dwells equanimous, mindful and collected. Thus is a monk possessed of six factors. And how does a monk guard one factor? By guarding recollection, or sometimes they translate as mindfulness, he is composed or collected. Thus he guards one factor. And how does a monk observe the four bases? Herein, a monk deliberately develops one thing, deliberately nurtures or promotes another thing, restrains one thing, abandons or suppresses another thing. Thus a monk observes the four bases. And how is a monk one who has got rid of individual beliefs or views? Herein, monks, whatsoever individual views generally prevail among recluses and Brahmins, namely, the world is eternal, the world is not eternal, the world is finite, it is infinite, the soul and the body are the same, the soul and the body are different. A Tathāgata exists after death. A Tathāgata exists not after death. Or he both exists and yet exists not. Or he neither exists nor exists not after death. All these views are shaken off, put away, given up, let go, abandoned and dismissed. Thus is a monk one who has got rid of individual views. And how is a monk one who has utterly given up longings? Herein in a monk longing for things sensual is abandoned, longing for existence is abandoned, longing for practicing the holy life has calmed down. Thus is a monk one who has utterly given up longings. And how are a monk's thoughts unclouded? Herein a monk has abandoned thoughts sensual, thoughts malicious, thoughts of harming. Thus are his thoughts unclouded. And how is a monk's body conditioner tranquilized? Herein a monk, by abandoning pleasure and pain, by coming to an end of the ease and discomfort that which he had before, attains and abides in the state of neither pain nor pleasure, and utter equanimity, which is the fourth jhana. Thus, his body conditioner is tranquilized. And how is a monk well released by mind? Hearing a monk's mind is released from passion, hate, and delusion, or greed, hatred, and delusion. And how is a monk well released by wisdom? Hearing a monk knows for certain Greed or passion is abandoned in me, cut off at the root, made like a palm tree stump, made not to become again, of a nature not to arise again in future. Hatred, delusion is abandoned in me. not to arise again in future time. Thus is a monk well released by wisdom. Monks, whatsoever Aryans have in the past lived according to the Aryan living, all of them lived according to these ten ways of Aryan living. Whatsoever Aryans shall in future time so live, whatsoever Aryans do now so live, all of them shall live and do live according to these ten ways of Aryan living. These monks are the ten ways of Aryan living. That's the end of the sutta. Now I just explain. The first one, a monk has abandoned five factors. That means sensual desire, ill will, sloth and torpor, restlessness, and doubt. Now these five things are called the five hindrances, panca nivarana. And these are the things that obstruct wisdom. The Buddha said these are evil things. Only when you get rid of these five hindrances can you have wisdom because they obstruct you from seeing things clearly, from seeing things as they really are. Now how to get rid of these five hindrances? In a sutta in the Majjhima Nikaya, the Buddha did explain that you must attain the jhana to get rid of the five hindrances. So the first one is to abandon the five hindrances. The second one, a monk is possessed of six factors. Seeing an object with the eye, he is not elated or depressed, but dwells equanimous, mindful, and collected. And similarly with hearing a sound, smelling a smell, et cetera. So here it means guarding, mindful of the six sense doors. And practicing here in Pali is called sattva-sampajano. Sato refers to sati, having recollection, and sampajano means mindfulness or full awareness, full awareness. These two terms tend to come together because when you practice mindfulness and then you tend to have sati. Sampajano or sampajania means having full awareness or mindfulness and Sati is to remember to put your mind in the right direction at the four objects of sati. Then number three is to guard one factor. Here this factor is also sati. Sati, recollection, this is guarding one factor. Sati is quite important for a monk who is practicing putting the mind on the body, the feelings, the mind and the dhamma. And number four, how is to observe the four bases. These four bases are the four right efforts. Deliberately develop one thing. Deliberately nurture or promote another thing. Restrain or avoid one thing. Abandon or suppress another thing. This refers to wholesome states and unwholesome states. The first one is wholesome states. Wholesome states that have not developed, you must develop it. They have not arisen, you have to develop it so that it arises. And then wholesome states that have already arisen, you should mature or promote it so that it continues to arise. Then unwholesome states that have not arisen, you should avoid or restrain it from arising. And unwholesome states which have already arisen, you try to suppress it or abandon it. So these are the four right efforts. And number five, the monk has got rid of individual views. All kinds of views exist in the world, that the world is eternal, the world is not eternal, the world is finite or infinite, etc. These all have to do with an ego. Once you have a view of a self, then you tend to think about all these things. So the monk has got rid of all these views. Number six is to have given up longings. Here longings refers to sensual longings, longing for existence, and longing for practicing the holy life has come down. The first one you can understand, sensual objects, longing for sensual things, you abandon. Longing for existence also you abandon when you become an ariya. But the third one, longing for practicing the holy life has calmed down. This one looks a bit strange. In the first sutta of the Samyutta Nikaya, the Buddha said that some deva asked him, how did you cross the flood? And the Buddha said, not striving and not standing still, I crossed the flood." The Buddha said, when I strove, I was swirled about. When I stood still, I sank. Thus, without striving, without standing still, I crossed the flood." What the Buddha meant was if he made too much effort, then he was swirled around if you make too much effort. But if you make no effort at all, also, That means he sank in the middle of the, suppose a person is trying to cross the river. He make too much effort, he'll go in a circle. So if he make no effort, he'll be, he'll sink in the water. So the Buddha said, neither striving nor standing still, he crossed the flood. In other words, to have an equanimous mind. If you have too much desire to get liberated for a monk, that is also bad. Having no desire to get liberated, also bad. So the mind must be equanimous and then only he could cross the flood. Number seven, how are a monk's thoughts unclouded? A monk has abandoned thoughts sensual, thoughts malicious, and thoughts of harming. These are the wrong thoughts. So he has abandoned wrong thoughts and so his thoughts are unclouded. And number nine, his body conditioner is tranquilized. This one, kaya sankara. Kaya-sankara refers, the body conditioner refers to the breath because the breath is conditioned by, sorry, the body is conditioned by the breath and the body exists because of the breath. So the body conditioner refers to the breath, and here it means the breath has stopped because when a person attains the fourth jhana, the breath stops. So here this ariyan has attained the fourth jhana. And normally that is a condition for an anagamin and an arahant. an anagami, a third fruition, and an arahant, fourth fruition, ariya, they must attain the four jhanas. And then number nine, a monk is released by mind. Here he is released from greed, hatred, and delusion, or passion, hatred, and delusion. And then how is a monk released? By wisdom. Also he is released from passion or greed, hatred, and delusion. So these are the ten things that Aryans practice and all they attain to become Aryans. Some of them you find refers only to the arahant, for example the last two, release or liberated by mind and release or liberated by wisdom. This only refers to the arahant. Now the next sutta is number 27, 10.27. Once the Exalted One was staying near Savatthi at Jeta Grove in Anathapindika's park. Then a great number of monks, robing themselves in the morning and taking bowl and rope, set out for Savatthi, questing for alms food. Now it occurred to those monks thus, it is too early yet to arrange sabbati for alms food. Suppose we visit the park of the wondrous holding other views. Accordingly, they did so, and on getting there, greeted them courteously, and after the exchange of greetings and reminiscent talk, sat down at one side. So seated, those wondrous of other views said this to them, Your Reverences, Gautama the recluse thus teaches Dhamma. Come you monks, do you thoroughly grasp all Dhamma? Do you dwell ever and always thoroughly grasping all Dhamma? Now Your Reverences, we also thus teach Dhamma to our followers. Come Your Reverences, do you thoroughly grasp all Dhamma? Do you ever and always dwell thoroughly grasping all Dhamma? Hearing your references, pray or please, what is the distinction, what is the specific feature, what is the difference between Gautama the recluse and ourselves, that is, between his teaching of Dhamma and ours, or his way of instruction and ours? Thereupon those monks made no reply, either of approval or of disapproval, to those wondrous holding other views. But without expressing either approval or disapproval, they rose up and went away, saying, We will learn the meaning of this saying in the company of the Exalted One. So those monks, after arranging savati for alms food, on returning from their alms round, and after eating their meal, went to see the Exalted One, and on coming to Him, saluted Him, and sat down at one side." Saluted here means being homage. So seated, they said this to the Exalted One. Sir, here in the morning we robed ourselves, etc., etc." And they related the entire incident and how they went away without answering the wanderers. And the Buddha said, monks, When wanderers holding other views speak thus, they should be spoken to thus. The one question, the one statement, the one explanation. The two questions, the two statements, the two explanations. The three, the four, the five, etc., up to the ten questions, the ten statements, the ten explanations. Thus question monks, the wondrous holding other views, will fail to answer, and further will come to discomfiture. or uncomfortableness. Why so? Because monks, that is beyond their scope. Monks, I behold not in the world with its devas, its maras, its brahmas, its host of recluses and brahmins, together with its devas and mankind. I behold not one who could convince the mind with an explanation to these questions, save only the wayfarer or one of his disciples. or one who has heard it from that source." Just stop a moment. The Wayfarer must be referring the translation for the Tathagata. Just now we also read the word Tathagata is one of the names of the Buddha. And then the Buddha continued, as to the saying, the one question, the one statement, the one explanation, owing to what was it said? Monks, if in one thing a monk rightly feels revulsion, rightly feels fading interest in the world, rightly be released, rightly have sight to the furthest bounds, and rightly comprehend the meaning of things, then in this same visible state, or same lifetime, he makes an end of ill or dukkha. In what one thing? In this, namely, All beings are persistents by food or all beings subsist by food or nutriment. In this one thing monks, if a monk rightly feels revulsion, rightly feel fading interest, etc., he makes an end of ill. The one question, the one statement, the one explanation was said because of this. As to the saying, the two questions, the two statements, the two explanations, owing to what was it said? Monks, if in two things a monk rightly feel revulsion, rightly feel fading interest, etc., then in this same visible state he makes an end of ill. In what two things? in mentality-materiality, nama-rupa. In these two things, if a monk rightly feel revulsion, he makes an end of ill. The two questions, the two statements, the two explanations were said because of this. As to the saying, the three questions, the three statements, the three explanations, owing to what was it said? Monks, if in three things a monk rightly feel revulsion, feel fading interest, etc., he makes an end of ill. In what three things? The three feelings, vedana. In these three things, if a monk rightly feel revulsion, etc., he makes an end of ill. As to the saying, the four questions, the four statements, the four explanations, going to what was it said? Monks, if in four things a monk rightly feel revulsion, et cetera, he makes an end of ill. In what four things? The four nutriments or sustenances of food, ahara. If in these four things a monk rightly feel revulsion, he makes an end of ill. As to the saying, the five questions, the five statements, the five explanations, owing to what was it said? Monks, if in five things a monk rightly feel revulsion, etc., he makes an end of ill. What five things? The five aggregates of attachment. If in these five things a monk rightly feel revulsion, he makes an end of ill. As to the saying, the six questions, the six statements, the six explanations, owing to what was it said? Monks, if in six things a monk rightly feels revulsion, etc., he makes an end of ill. What six things? The six fears in the self, that means the six internal bases. If in these six things a monk rightly feels revulsion, he makes an end of ill. As to the saying, the seven questions, the seven statements, the seven explanations, owing to what was it said? Monks, if in seven things a monk rightly feel revulsion, etc., he makes an end of ill. What seven things? The seven stations of consciousness. As to the saying, the eight questions, the eight statements, the eight explanations, owing to what was it said? Monks, if in eight things a monk rightly feel revulsion, etc., it makes an end of ill. What eight things? The eight worldly conditions. As to the saying, the nine Questions, the nine statements, the nine explanations, owing to what was it said? Monks, if in nine things a monk rightly feel revulsion, etc., he makes an end of ill. What nine things? The nine abodes of beings. As to the saying, the ten questions, the ten statements, the ten explanations, owing to what was it said? Monks, if in ten things a monk rightly feel revulsion, rightly feel fading interest in the world, rightly be released, rightly have sight to the furthest bounds, and rightly comprehend the meaning of things. Then in this same visible state he makes an end of ill. What ten things, the ten wrong ways of action or kamma." That's the end of the sutta. So here in this sutta you find sometimes, like in here, these external ascetics, they They think that their teaching and the Buddha's teaching is basically the same. So when they asked these Buddha's disciples, the Buddha's disciples could not answer them. But the Buddha said, you should ask them these 10 things. If you ask them these 10 things, they surely will not be able to explain it. What are these 10 things the Buddha said? If a monk feels revulsion, feels fading interest in these 10 things, then he will be released from dukkha. The first one is all being subsist by food or nutriment. So if a person understands that we continue to live because of food, excuse me, then he will start to feel not so, have such great passion for greed for food. So here it's interesting that all beings subsist by food because some people think once you become a heavenly being, you don't need any food. It's not true. All beings need some kind of food. After later and talk about four things, you will find what are these, what this food refers to. The two things, The two things is mentality, materiality, nama-rupa. Nama-rupa, it is said in the suttas that nama-rupa arises together with consciousness. Whenever consciousness arises, nama-rupa must arise, and when consciousness ceases, nama-rupa also ceases. So nama-rupa is actually the object of consciousness, vijnana. So being the object of consciousness, it is called phenomenal. phenomena, whatever consciousness is conscious of. And there are two parts here. One is the mental part, which is called mentality. The other is the physical part, which is called materiality. So everything in this world, our external world and our internal world, consists of these two things, the mental part and the material part. So basically it is the whole world. So if you are tired of the world, you are tired of mentality and materiality. And the third one refers to the three feelings. The three feelings, the Buddha said all feelings are dukkha. Even sukha feelings are dukkha in a way, in a sense. In what sense? Because it is impermanent. Because whatever sukha feelings we have, we tend to cling to it. Happy feelings or pleasant feelings, we tend to cling to it. But because it is impermanent, it is a source of dukkha. It will fade. You cannot hold on to it, so it is also a source of dukkha. And of course, the other two feelings are dukkha itself, unpleasant feelings, and the third one is neither Sukkha nor Dukkha, neither pleasant or unpleasant feelings. So all these three feelings are unsatisfactory. So four things, four things here refers to the four nutrients, ahara. The four nutrients that are being subsist on, the first one is solid food, like we take solid food. The second one is contact. Because of contact, then you have feeling, you have perception, et cetera. So contact is considered a nutrient, a source of nutrient. a kind of nutriment. The third one is mental intention or volition. For example, the will to live, that is a kind of nutriment. Then the fourth one is consciousness. Consciousness is another kind of nutriment. So the five things refers to the five aggregates of attachment, panca, upadana, kanda. Five aggregates of attachment refers to the body, feeling, perception, volition, and consciousness. These five things, these five aggregates, we take either to be the self or as belonging to the self or as being in the self or the self as being in the five aggregates. So whenever we refer to ourself, we always refer to the five aggregates. So if a person feels revulsion for these five aggregates, then slowly he will make an end of ill, he will be liberated. The six things refers to the six internal bases. Six internal bases, the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind. If you feel revulsion for these six internal bases of the body and mind, then you will also make an end of ill, become liberated. The seven things refers to the seven stations of consciousness. What are these seven stations of consciousness? These are the seven stations of consciousness where beings can exist. The first one is where beings are similar in body and similar in perception. Another one is, another type is the beings are similar in body and different in perception. Another type is where the beings are different in body and different in perception. Another one is where the beings are different in body and same, similar in perception. So that makes for four. Then the fifth one is the base of boundless space. Then the sixth is the base of boundless consciousness. The seventh is the base of nothingness. So these are the seven stations of consciousness where beings exist. So if you become tired of these things, slowly you will make an end of ill. The eight things refers to the eight worldly conditions. That means pleasure and pain, gain and loss, fame and ill repute, and then praise and blame. These are the eight worldly conditions that move beings. We want one and we don't want the second type. For example, we want gain and we don't want loss. We want pleasure, we don't want pain. We want to be famous, we don't want to have a bad reputation. We want to be praised, we don't want to be blamed. So if you are tired of all these worldly conditions, you feel revulsion for it, slowly you are on your way out of samsara. The nine things refers to the nine abodes of beings. Just now we heard the seven stations of consciousness plus two other Abodes of beings is the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception, and the asanya-satta. Asanya-satta refers to those beings without perception. If a being does not have perception, basically he has also no consciousness. This is a type of being in the fourth jhana plane. So these are the nine abodes of beings. If you are tired of it, also you are on your way out of samsara. Then the last one is the ten wrong ways of action or karma. That means the three wrong ways of body karma, the four wrong ways of verbal karma, and the three wrong ways of mental karma. What are the three wrong body karmas or evil body karma? Killing, stealing, committing adultery. These are the three wrong bodhikamas. The four verbal one is lying, carrying tales so that as to make people quarrel and fight. That means you hear somebody say, talk bad about some person and you repeat it elsewhere. and you cause people to quarrel and fight. Then the third one is coarse speech or rough speech. And then the fourth one is gossip or unbeneficial talk, pointless talk. And then the three mental evil kamma is covetousness, excessive greed, excessive hatred, and having wrong view. So these are the ten wrong kamas. So if a person feels revulsion for these things described, then he's on his way out of samsara, out of the realm of rebirth.

36-AN-Book-10E-(10.29).txt

Today we shall continue on the Anguttara Nikaya Book of Tense. Now we are at Sutta 29, the Kosala. The Buddha said, monks, as far as the Kasi Kosalans extend, as far as the rule of Pasenadi, the Kosalan Raja extends, therein Pasenadi, the Kosalan Raja is reckoned chief. Yet monks, even for Pasenadi, the Kosalan Raja, there is change and reverse. So seeing the learned Aryan disciple feels revulsion, on feeling revulsion his interest in the topmost states, not to speak of the low. Monks, as far as the moon and sun move in their course and light up all quarters with their radiance, so far extends the thousand-fold world system. Therein are a thousand moons, a thousand suns, a thousand simulus, lords of mountains. Therein are a thousand Jambudipas. a thousand Aparaguayanas, a thousand Uttarakurus, a thousand Pumbavidena, 4,000 mighty oceans, 4,000 mighty rulers, 1,004 great kings, 1,000 heavens of the 33, 1,000 Yama worlds, 1,000 Tushita heavens, 1,000 Heavens of the Devas will delight in creation in Manarati. One thousand heavens of those Devas will delight in others' creations, Para-Nimitta-Vasavati, and one thousand Brahma worlds. As far amongst as the thousand-fold world system extends, therein the great Brahma is reckoned chief. Yet even for the great Brahma monks, there is change and reverse. So seeing, the learned Aryan disciple feels revulsion. In him so feeling revulsion, interest in the topmost fades, not to speak of the lower. I'll stop here for a while to comment. This is quite an interesting sutra. It talks about the thousand-fold world systems. This is what nowadays in modern science we call a galaxy. This is also mentioned in the Anguttara Nikaya Sutta 3.80, where the Buddha talked about the thousand-fold world systems, and then he also talks about the thousand-thousand middle world system, and then he also talks about the thousand-thousand-thousand great world system. So these are some of the things that the Buddha has seen 2,500 years ago. And even up to now, science has not yet discovered. This world system, the Buddha says, one world system consists of one sun, and that sun is also what we call a star. So if we look into the sky at night, we can see the stars, and each one is a world system. And so the small world system is a thousandfold system where you have a thousand stars. And a thousand of these one thousand world systems, a thousand of them makes up the thousand thousand middle world system. And a thousand of these middle world systems makes up the thousand, thousand, thousand great world system. You see the Buddha's psychic power was so great that he could see all this. And here it says that the thousand fold world system consists of a thousand moons, a thousand suns, a thousand Mount Simeru's, Then a thousand of these four continents called Jambudipa, Aparaguayana, Uttarakuru, and Puba Videha. And these are separated by four oceans, four oceans. Each one world system has four oceans, four continents. And these, Science has not been able to see possibly because these continents might be fine material continents, just like our human eyes cannot see devas, heavenly beings, and our human eyes cannot see ghosts, but people with psychic power are able to see. And then the Buddha talks about 4,000 mighty rulers. This one I think elsewhere is not mentioned. It might be 4,000 mighty rulers means each world system would have four mighty rulers or great kings, and these might refer, for example, in our world system which belongs to Jambudvipa, might be talking about the universal monarch, that means the king who rules the whole earth. So, because there are four continents, there might be four world rulers. These world rulers, they appear once in a long time, not always. Then after that, a thousand four great kings. This one in Bali is Chatumaharajika. In Hokkien we call it Sitaikimkong. And this is the lowest heaven above the lowest heaven. It is very near to our human realm. And then above that is the heavens of the 33. The Pali is Tavatimsa heaven where Sakadeva Raja recites, Thingkong recites. And then after that you have the Yama heaven. Then you have the Tusita heaven. Then you have the Nimana Rati heaven where the Blessings is so great that they can wish for anything they want and it disappears. They can create whatever they want. And then above that is Paranimitta Vassavati. They use others to create what they want. So these are six heavens in the sensual realm because every world system consists of three realms. The lowest is the sensual or desire realm. where you have male and female, and then you are dominated by lust, and then above that is the jhana planes, form realm, and then above that is the formless realm. So, Now, when we talk about the desired realm, the lowest, there are six heavens directly above us. Then here it's also mentioned the Brahma worlds, 1,000 Brahma worlds. Now, so here when the Buddha talks about a 1,000-fold world system, here he says great Brahma is the chief. is the greatest being in the thousandfold world system. Actually, there are higher heavens. So why does the Buddha mention Great Brahma? Because the Great Brahmas, Mahabrahmas, their spiritual might is so powerful that their light can shine one thousand world systems. and then they can even shine 2,000, 10,000, I think even 100,000 world systems. But that is as far as the small world system, 1,000 pole world system, their light can shine only a little bit. possibly a bit more than a thousandfold system, but it cannot extend up to the middle world system, the thousand, thousand middle world system. That's why as far as the thousandfold world system, the highest is Brahma, Panchen Ong. So if you talk about higher heavens, then they supersede the thousandfold world system, like the second jhana realm. The Abhasara devas, their light goes beyond this thousand fold world system. As far as the thousand-fold world system, this Maha Brahma, he is the chief. And in other suttas, you find that the Buddha mentions that he's like a ball of light, great ball of light. And when he wants to visit, for example, Sakka Devaraja, this ball of light, they can see in the long distance, flying very fast towards them. And they know it's Brahma coming, so they will stand up out of respect. Then when Mahabrahma arrives, he will change his shape. So since he wants to talk to Jingkong, Sakadeva Raja, he will make his form just like one of them, and then he'll talk to them, and after that he will leave, the ball of light will leave again. So this is quite interesting, this description of the thousand-fold world system. So here the Buddha says that even the great Mahabrahma, the great Brahma, there is change and reverse. That means there is impermanence. Even the Mahabrahma, so great a heavenly being, one day must die. So the Buddha says because of that we should feel revulsion towards even the thousand-fold world system, not to talk about lower beings. And then the Buddha continues. There comes a time, monks, when this world system contracts. As the world system contracts, beings are generally reborn as radiant ones. This is the Abhashara Heaven. There they are made as if of mine, feeding on joy, self-radiant, faring through the air or the sky, in splendor abiding. For a long, long time they stand fast. Monks, when the world system contracts, it is the radiant devas who are reckoned chief. Yet for the radiant devas there is change and reverse. So seeing, the learned Aryan disciple feels revulsion. In him so feeling revulsion, interest in the topmost fades, not to speak of the low." I'll stop here for a while again. This is another interesting point that the suttas talk about, that the world systems can contract. And in some other sutra, the Buddha mentions world systems, these galaxies, they can contract and after they can also expand. There's a time when it expands, there's a time when it contracts. Now in this sutra, in the sutras the Buddha doesn't actually explain clearly what is meant by the world system expanding and contracting. But now science informs us that when they look into the stars, when we look into the sky, we see these stars. Now these stars are moving away from us. moving away from us. So now, scientists are wondering whether these stars, when they move away from us, will they continue moving indefinitely or will they come to a stop? Now, according to the Buddha, they will come to a stop. It will expand, expand, expand. The stars will expand, and then after a certain time, it will stop. And then after that, it will contract. This is what he's talking about. But it contracts. Now when it contracts, what happens? The stars will come closer and closer and closer and closer to each other. Now in the suttas, the Buddha says, one day the world will come to an end. And the Buddha also says very clearly, when the world comes to an end, what happens? Now we have one sun near us, right? You can see one sun near us. And because of the sun, we feel warm. The sun gives us the warmth, right? Now, the Buddha says after a long time, a second sun will appear. It will come near to us. When the second sun comes near to us, our whole world, our earth, begins to become overheated and plants start to die, animals start to die, human beings start to die. So after a long time, a third sun will appear, then a fourth sun, then even the rivers will dry up, the lakes will dry up, and then the ocean starts to become shallower and shallower and shallower. then the fourth sun, then the fifth sun, then the sixth sun. When the seventh sun appears, the world will burst into flames. Our earth will burst into flames, and it will burn until, and there's nothing left. When it burns, there's nothing left. And this fire will go up to the Brahma heaven. So that's why even Brahma heaven also is unsafe. So when the Buddha mentions this then we can see it is very probable why this thing happens is as just now I said that the world system is contracting. The world system is contracting and all the stars are coming closer and closer and closer to each other. So when they come too close to us, then the effect of the heat on us and the beings start to die. So when they all come together, then they burn and then they form a solid mass. When they form a solid mass, it becomes so dense, so solid that This is the thing that probably becomes the black hole. Nowadays, scientists talk about the black hole in outer space. And this black hole is supposed to be a dense, very extremely dense mass of substance. And it is so dense, it acts like a magnet. Anything that flies near it is pulled into it. It's like a big body attracting a small body. So it is so dense that even its own light, it actually has fire. It's like a star burning. But because it is so huge a mass that the light, the photons cannot be emitted. As soon as the light goes out, it is pulled back. The light goes out and it's pulled back, so it becomes a black hole. So these things, strangely enough, it's only in the Buddha suttas that you find these explanations on the real cosmology, on our world systems. You don't find other religions explaining this. Only our Sammasambuddha. His psychic power was so great, he could see all these things. He could explain all these things. So when the world system contracts and it forms into this dense mess, then all the beings die. So when the beings die, they have to get to the second jhāna realm, the second jhāna heaven, which is the Abhāsāra heaven. That's why the Buddha said at that time beings are generally reborn as radiant ones in the Abhāsāra heavens. Even they, the radiant devas, they will also die one day. Everything is impermanent. So the Buddha said, when you see this, that even this so high devas can die, then you feel revulsion. You feel ... Then you feel revulsion towards the high, then not to speak of the lower things. Now, the Buddha talks about the casinas. The Buddha said, monks, there are these ten ranges of the casinas. What ten? I'll just stop here a while to comment. These kasinas are objects that are used in meditation, and they were used before the Buddha's time, and was also used by the Buddha and his disciples. What are these devices, these kasinas? They are earth, water, fire, wind. and then the colors blue, yellow, red, white, and then space, and then consciousness. These are the ten objects of meditation. If you meditate on these objects of meditation, you can get into deep states of concentration. And because they are very useful objects, even the Buddha and his disciples used them. So the Buddha said, what are these ten? One person perceives the earth casino as above, below, across, undivided, immeasurable. Another person perceives the water casino. Another, the fire casino. Another, the wind casino. Another, blue. Another, yellow. Another, red. Another, white casino. Another, the space casino. Another perceives the consciousness casino. as above, below, across, as undivided, immeasurable." These are the ten ranges of the kāsinas. Of these ten ranges of the kāsinas, this is the topmost when a person perceives the consciousness kāsina as above, below, across, undivided, immeasurable. There are indeed monks, persons who thus perceive. Yet to persons thus perceiving, there is change and reverse. So seeing, the Aryan disciple feels revulsion. In him thus feeling revulsion, his interest in the topmost fades, not to speak of the low. I stop here for a moment to comment. Here, when a person meditates on these ten kasinas, the Buddha said the highest is the consciousness kasina. And you meditate on the consciousness kasina until your consciousness becomes immeasurable, boundless, boundless. So the mind becomes boundless. So a person who can attain this, he can know what is happening on another side of the world and all that. So that is why this is the highest of the kassinas. And even for such a person, he one day also will grow old and he will die. So that's why the Buddha said when you realize this, then you feel revulsion for the world. Just one other point I want to mention. In one of the suttas, the Buddha said that time has no beginning, time has no end, and also the Buddha said that space is boundless, and he also said that consciousness can be cultivated to be boundless. So now science has agreed, scientists like this Professor Stephen Hawkins, he says that time has no beginning and time has no end, just like what the Buddha said. He also said that space is boundless, but scientists have not yet discovered that consciousness can be boundless if you are able to cultivate it. Then the Buddha continues, Monks, there are these eight spheres or stations of mastery. This is the Abhibayattana. What eight? A certain one, being conscious of material quality in his own person, sees objects external to himself to be limited, fair or foul. Having mastered them with the thought, I know, I see, he is thus conscious. This is the first station of mastery. A certain person, being conscious of material quality in his own self, sees objects external to himself to be immeasurable, fair or foul. Having mastered them, he is conscious. This is the second station of mastery." A certain one, being unconscious of material quality in his own person, sees objects external to himself to be limited, fair or foul, to be immeasurable, fair or foul. Having mastered them, he is conscious. These are the third and fourth stations of mastery. A certain one, being unconscious of material quality in his own person, sees objects external to himself to be blue, of the color blue, blue to look at, blue as a shimmering mass. This as, for instance, the flower of flax is blue, of the color blue, blue to look at, a shimmering mass of blue, or just as Benares muslin, smooth on both sides, a muslin cloth, Smooth on both sides is blue, so blue are the external objects that he sees. Having mastered them, he is thus conscious. This is the fifth station of mastery. A certain one, being unconscious of material quality in his own person, sees objects external to himself as yellow, of the color yellow, yellow to look at, a shimmering mass of yellow. Just as, for instance, the Kanikara flower is yellow. or just as that Benares muslin cloth smooth on both sides is yellow, so yellow are the external objects that he sees. Having mastered them, he is thus conscious. This is the sixth station of mastery. A certain one, being unconscious of material quality in his own person, sees objects external to himself to be blood-red. of colour blood-red, blood-red to look at, a shimmering mass of blood-red, just as the bandhu jīvaka flower is blood-red. or that Benares muslin cloth is blood-red, so are the external objects that he sees blood-red. Having mastered them, he is thus conscious. This is the seventh station of mastery. A certain one, being unconscious of material quality in his own person, sees objects external to himself to be white. White in colour, white to look at, a shimmering mass of white. She says, for instance, the star of healing is white, white in colour, white to look at, a shimmering mass of white. or just as that Benares muslin cloth, smooth on both sides, is white. Even so, white are the external objects that he sees. Having mastered them with the thought, I know, I see, he is thus conscious. This is the eighth station of mastery." These monks are the eighth stations of mastery. Now monks, of these eight stations of mastery, the topmost is that in which a certain one, being unconscious of material qualities in his own person, sees objects external to himself to be white, white in color, white to look at, a shimmering mesh of white, and having mastered them with the thought, I know, I see, is thus conscious. Indeed, monks, there are beings thus conscious. Yet for beings thus conscious, there is change and reverse. So seeing, the learned Aryan disciple feels revulsion. So feeling revulsion, his interest in the topmost fades, not to speak of the low." I'll stop here for a moment. So of all these stations of mastery, the highest is supposed to be a person he He's not conscious of his own body, but he's conscious of white. Everywhere is white. So even for him, one day he will grow old and die. So if you realize that, then you can feel revulsion for the world. And the Buddha continues, monks, there are these four modes of progress. What for? The painful mode of progress with sluggish intuition or knowledge. The painful mode of progress with swift intuition. The pleasant mode of progress with sluggish intuition. The pleasant mode with swift intuition. These are the four. Now monks, of these four modes of progress, the topmost is the pleasant mode with swift intuition. There are indeed beings who have thus progressed. Yet for beings who have thus progressed, there is change and reverse. So seeing monks, the learned Aryan disciple feels revulsion. His interest in the topmost fades, not to speak of the low." I stopped here for a moment to comment. These four types of progress, when you say painful mode, it means a person who is cultivating the holy path, he feels a lot of Suffering, and this is a person whose lust, anger, and delusion are strong. So if a person, for example, a monk, his lust, anger, and delusion are strong, when he practices the holy life, he feels a lot of suffering. And then on the other hand, if his lust, ill will, or anger, and delusion are very minimal, then he doesn't feel suffering or painful. In fact, he feels happy, pleasant. mode of progress. Then this sluggish and swift intuition means the ability to progress slow or fast. Sluggish is slow, swift is fast. And this is dependent on the five faculties, faith, energy, recollection or sakti, then concentration, and wisdom. And out of these five, the one that's important I think is energy, energetic effort. If a person puts a lot of effort, then he will progress much faster than a person with little effort. Then the Buddha continues, monks, there are these four modes of perception. What four? A certain one perceives the limited, another the extensive, another the immeasurable, and another perceives there is nothing at all, the sphere of nothingness. These are the four. Now monks, of these four, the topmost is the perception, there is nothing at all, the sphere of nothingness. There are indeed beings who thus perceive, yet for such there is change and reverse. So seeing, the learned Arian disciple feels revulsion, etc." I'll stop here for a moment. When you talk about the limited, this one is more like a monk who cultivates until he attains the light within him so he can have a kind of psychic power where he can see. So the limited might refer to him seeing all the things in his kuti. In his hut, he's only able to see. His light can only shine within his hut, so he can see only the things in his hut, even with his eyes closed. And then the extensive is like he's able to see outside, even with his eyes closed. He can see outside, say for example, within the monastery where he's staying. And then the immeasurable refers to much further. You can see for a very, very far distance. And the fourth one, he perceives there is nothing at all. What it means is that he realizes like everything that is conjured in the world is actually conjured by consciousness, conjured by the mind. So it's like a dream like that. There is nothing real, just kind of nothing in the whole world. It's all just like A dream. So out of these four, this last one, the sphere of nothingness is the highest. Even for such a person, he will die one day. So when you realize this, then you feel revulsion for the world. Then the Buddha continued, amongst of external sect followers who hold views, this view, were I not then, it would not now be mine. I'll not become, it will not become in me. This view is the topmost. Of one who holds this view, monks, this may be looked for, that feeling of no disgust in becoming will not become for him, and that feeling of disgust at ending, becoming, will not become for him. Indeed, monks, there are beings who hold this view, yet for such beings there is change and reverse. So seeing the learned Aryan disciple feels revulsion. I stop here to commend them. It's now that part where the Buddha says, of one who holds this view, monks, this may be looked for or this may be expected. That feeling of no disgust in becoming will not become for him. This means that he will have disgust in becoming or existence and then that feeling of disgust at ending becoming will not become for him. That means he has no disgust in ending becoming or in ending existence. So as to that saying, were I not then, it would not now be mine. I'll not become, you will not become in me. The first sentence, were I not then, what he means is if I did not exist before, it would not now be mine. This body would not be mine now. In other words, if I did not exist before, this body would not be mine. Then the second sentence, I'll not become. It will not become in me. What it means is I'll not become. This body will not become in me. In other words, in future, I will not become. I will not exist. And then this body will not exist also. So the first line is talking about the past. that because we have existed in the past, that's why this body is now existing. This body is now mine, but in the future I will practice to get out of samsara so that I will not exist again and I will not have this body again. So this, a person who has such a view, he would have disgust in existence, and then he would have no disgust in ending existence. In other words, he would feel revulsion for the world. Even such a person, one day he will die. So the learned Aryan disciple, realizing this, feel revulsion for the world. And the Buddha continues, monks, there are some recluses and Brahmins who proclaim purification as the greatest blessing. Of those who do so, topmost is He who, passing beyond the sphere of nothingness, attains the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception, and so abides. They teach Dhamma for the thorough comprehension of that. For the realization of that, indeed monks, there are beings who make this claim. Yet for those who do so, there is change and reverse. So seeing the unlearned Aryan disciple feels revulsion, etc. So here Buddha is talking about a person who can attain this base of neither perception or non-perception. This is supposed to be the highest jhana. You can attain the highest meditative state other than the cessation of consciousness or cessation of feeling and perception. Even for such a person, there is change and reverse. Then the Buddha continues, monks, there are some recluses and Brahmins who proclaim as chief Nibbana in this visible state or this life. Of those who so proclaim, the topmost achievement is the liberation without grasping, by seeing as it really is, the arising and the ceasing, the attraction and the danger, and the escape from the six fears of contact. I, monks, am one who make this claim and announcement, and some recluses and brahmins accuse me of unreality, hollowness, falsehood, and untruth. Saying, Gautama, the recluse, proclaims not the full comprehension of passions, proclaims not the full comprehension of objective forms, proclaims not the full comprehension of feelings. But monks, it is just of passions that I do proclaim full comprehension. It is just of objective forms of feelings that I do proclaim full comprehension. In this same visible state or life, hungering no more, vain, grown cool, do I proclaim the full Nibbana without grasping." So the Buddha says that's the end of the sutta. that the Buddha says that he teaches full liberation and he teaches the full comprehension of passions, forms, and feelings. So that's the end of the sutta. So here the sutta was talking about different things. So I think probably there's no need to recapitulate.

37-AN-Book-10F-(10.30-to-10.44).txt

I'll go to the next sutta, 10.30. Once on a time, the Exalted One was staying near Savatthi in Jeta Grove in Anathapindika's park. On that occasion, the Raja, King Pasenadi of Kosala, had just returned from a sham fight. Having been victorious and attained his object, Then the Raja or king turned in the direction of the path. So far as the cart road went, he rode in his chariot and then got down and reached the residence. Now at that time, a number of monks were walking up and down in the open air. Then Pasenadi, the Raja of Kosala, went towards those monks and on reaching them, thus accosted them. Pray or please your reverences, where now is the exalted one staying? That Arahant, Samasambuddha, I long to behold that exalted one." And they said, "'Yonder is his lodging, Maharaja, with the door shut. Do you go up quietly without nervousness? Enter the verandah, cough and rattle the door bar. The exalted one will open the door to you. I'll just stop here to comment. This Buddha was a citizen of the country of Kosala, and the king of Kosala was Pasenadi. Sometimes people say that the Buddha's father was the king. That is not true. Buddha's father was not the king of the country. King of the country was Pasenadi king. Buddha's father was just a member of the warrior caste. Just like in this country, we have these Tungkus and Rajas. Not everyone is a sultan. Some of the Tungkus can be poor. So in the same case, you have many people belonging to the warrior caste or the noble family, and the Buddha's father was just one of them. Pasenadi, King Pasenadi, he was a disciple of the Buddha. So in his old age, He came to see the Buddha. Actually, there is a very similar sutta to this in the Majjhima Nikaya, middle-length discourses, and that is Majjhima Nikaya number 89, called the Dhamma Cetiya Sutta. There, it's a bit longer than the description here, and it's a very beautiful sutta, but this one, because it appears here, I'll read it. for you all to read or to understand also. So you see, if you want to see a monk, you go to his kuti or his hut, you hear the monk's advice, the king, he cough, cough and rattle the door bar or he knock. There are some people, they come to visit a monk, without knocking, without making any sound, they open the door and go in. It's a bit ill-mannered. It's good manners if you want to enter the kuti of a monk, you knock first. Make some sound, cock and knock. So the Raja Pasenadi of Kosala went up to the lodging as he was told, coughed and rattled the door bar, and the Exalted One opened the door. Then Pasenadi the king entered the lodging, fell with his head at the feet of the Exalted One, kissed his feet, and stroked them with his hands. and announced his name saying, Sir, I am Pasenadi, the Raja of Kosala. Pasenadi, the Raja of Kosala and I. I stop here for a moment. It is an Indian custom that when a lay person pays respect to a monk, he puts his head at the feet of the monk. Even some Sri Lankans also do that. And even in Malaysia, once in a long time, sometimes I meet an Indian. Indian lay person, sometimes they also do this. They touch your feet with their head out of respect. So this king, he has such great respect for the Buddha. He put his head at the feet of the Buddha and stroked the Buddha's feet. Then the Buddha said, but Maharaja, seeing what significance therein, do you show me this profound humility and pay such affectionate veneration to this body of mine? And he said, to show my gratitude, sir, to show my thankfulness to the Exalted One, do I show this profound humility and pay such affectionate veneration? So he said, to show my gratitude, sir, to show my thankfulness to the Exalted One, do I show this profound humility and pay such affectionate veneration. For the Exalted One, sir, is one who is set on the Prophet, on the happiness of many folk. He is one who establishes many folk in the Aryan knowledge, that is, conformity with the beneficial and good Dharma. As much as the Exalted One is such a one, that is why I show my gratitude, my thankfulness in this way. Then again, Sir, the Exalted One is virtuous. He has the Buddha virtues, the Āryan, the goodly virtues. He is possessed of the goodly virtues. That is another reason for my showing this profound humility. Again, Sir, The Exalted One has for many a day been a forest dweller, a haunter of forest solitudes, resorting to the solitary lodging of the forest. That is another reason. Yet again, sir, the Exalted One is well content with whatever offerings of robes and alms, food, lodging and bed, supply of medicines and requisites in sickness He may receive. That is another reason. and he is worshipful, worthy of honour, worthy of offerings, of salutations, with clasped hands. He is a field of merit unsurpassed for the world. That, sir, is another reason. Yet again, sir, as regards talk that is serious, fit for opening up the mind, that is to say, talk about few ones, or wanting little, about contentment, about aloofness, about seclusion, putting forth energy, talk about virtue, concentration of mind, wisdom, liberation, knowledge and vision of liberation. Such talk as this, the Exalted One gives at pleasure, without pain and without stinginess. Since the Exalted One does this, that is a further reason. Then again, Sir, the Exalted One attains at pleasure, without pain and without trouble, the four jhanas of meditative absorption, which are of the higher mind. a happy abiding in this same visible lifetime. Since the Exalted One does this, that is a further reason. Again, Sir, the Exalted One can be called His manyfold previous lifetimes, thus one birth, two births, three, ten, up to a hundred thousand births, likewise through the diverse contracting world cycles, the diverse expanding world cycles, the diverse contracting and expanding world cycles. Remembering, at that time I had such a name, was of such a family, of such complexion, so supported, thus and thus experiencing weal and woe, of such and such a life span. I, thus deceasing, rose up again at that time. There too I had such a name, was of such a family, of such complexion, etc. Thus with all detail and characteristics, he can recall his many-fold previous lifetimes. Since the Exalted One does this, that is another reason. Then again, sir, the Exalted One with the heavenly eye, purified and surpassing that of men, beholds beings diseasing and rising up again, beings both mean and excellent, fair and foul, gone to a happy rebirth, gone to an ill rebirth, according to their deeds. Thus, These beings given to the practice of evil deeds, of evil words, of evil thoughts, scoffing at the Aryans, of perverted view, reaping the fruit of their perverted view. These beings, when body broke up beyond death, rose up again in the ways, the ill-born, the downfall in hell. Or, those beings given to the practice of good deeds, of good words, of good thoughts, not scoffing at the Aryans, but of sound view, and reaping the fruit of their sound view. These beings, when body broke up beyond death, rose up again in the happy bond in the heaven world. Thus with the heavenly eye, purified and surpassing that of man, He beholds beings. Since the Exalted One does this, that is another reason. Yet again, sir, by the disruption of the Asavas, The Exalted One in this same visible life attains the liberation by mind, the liberation by wisdom, Himself acquiring it by His own comprehension and realizing it abides therein. Since the Exalted One does so, seeing this significance do I thus show this profound humility and pay such affectionate veneration to the Exalted One. Well now, sir, we must be going. We are busy folk and have much to do." And the Buddha said, do what seems appropriate to you, Maharaja. So Pasenadi, the Raja of Kosala, rising from his seat, saluted the exalted one and keeping his right towards him, he departed. That's the end of the sutta. So here, This sutra is about how the king had such great respect for the Buddha, and he gave all the reasons why he had such great respect for the Buddha. In the Majjhima Nikaya Sutra 89, it's slightly different, and that sutra is a little bit more comprehensive than this one. Now we come to Anguttanikaya Sutta 10.31. Now the Venerable Upali came to see the Exalted One, and on coming to Him, saluted Him and sat down at one side. So seated, he said this to the Exalted One, Please, sir, with what object in view was the training enjoined or imposed on the disciples of the Katagata and the Patimokkha pronounced? I'll just stop here for a moment to comment. This Upali was one of the senior disciples of the Buddha, and he was supposed to be the most knowledgeable in the Vinaya, the disciplinary code for monks or nuns. This training, training sikapada, normally refers to the training of the Noble Eightfold Path. So it includes sila, moral conduct, or the precepts, and then also concentration and wisdom. Usually, Siddhapada is more training, is more on the precepts. And this Buddha here is mentioned Tathagata. Tathagata is one of the terms for the Buddha. Thus formed one. And the Patimokkha refers to the 227 precepts of a monk. So, he's asking, what is the object of making the patimokkha, all these 227 precepts for the monks? And the Buddha said, it was done with 10 objects in Vipali. What 10? For the excellence of the Sangha. that is the bhikkhu sangha, a monk's order, for the well-being of the sangha, for the control of ill-conditioned monks and the comfort of well-behaved monks, for the restraint of the asavas in this same visible state or life, for protection against the asavas in the future lifetime, to give confidence to those with little confidence, to give more confidence to those with confidence, to establish true Dhamma, and to support the Vinaya monastic discipline. These Upali are the ten objects in view of which the training was enjoined or imposed on the Tathagata's disciples and the Patimokkha pronouns. So I'll stop here for a moment. So basically it was for the well-being of the Sangha and for the control of the badly behaved monks and for the, here it says restraint of the asavas. Asavas refers to the uncontrolled mental outflows. Our mind tends to flow. and this gives us a lot of suffering. And this flowing is what normally we say like stray thoughts, 打妄想 in Chinese. We think of this, we think of that, and the mind is always leaking. And this tendency of these asavas to flow is so strong that every night when we go to sleep, we dream. The dream is still the mind flowing. So when we meditate, it is ultimately to stop the mind from flowing. Because when the mind flows, it is consciousness flowing also. Ultimately, it is consciousness flowing. and it is consciousness that creates the whole world. So if we stop the mind from flowing by meditating, making the mind one-pointed, when the mind becomes one-pointed, it does not flow. You fix your mind on one object, it does not flow. Then slowly you are able to make it stop. flowing, and then when the mind stops flowing completely, a person becomes an arahant. That is a definition of an arahant, when he has destroyed the asavas. So, for the restraint of the asavas, of protection against the asavas in a future lifetime, to give confidence to those with little confidence, to give more confidence to those with confidence, to establish the true Dhamma and the Vinaya. And then the member Upali asked again, what is the nature of the suspension of the patimokkha? And the Buddha said, the suspension of the patimokkha upali is of ten sorts. What ten? When a transgressor or parajiko is seated in that company, when debate about the transgressor is unfinished, when a person not fully ordained is seated in that company, when debate about such a one is unfinished, when one who has renounced the training is seated in that company, when debate on that subject is finished, When a eunuch, or eunuch means a frustrated person, is seated in that company, when debate about such a one is unfinished, when one who has seduced a nun is seated in that company, when debate about such a one is unfinished, these are the ten suspensions of the patimokkha. That's the end of the sutra. What do you mean by suspension of the patimokkha? For a monk, a bhikkhu, he is supposed to recite the patimokkha or the precepts once in every two weeks on the 15th day of the lunar calendar and the 30th, the last day of the lunar calendar. If there's no 30, then it's 29. So these are the two days when the monks come together and recite the Patimokkha or the precepts. So when they are reciting the precepts, if something happens, they have to suspend the Patimokkha. They stop the reciting. One is when a person who has broken the most serious precept, a monk who has broken the most serious precept, The most serious precept is called the parājikā. Parājikā, a person has committed, a monk has committed a parājikā if he does a few things, four things. One is if he engages in sexual intercourse. Number two, if he steals something of great value. Number three, if he kills a person. Number four, if he lies about supernormal attainment, and if it's not an ariya, he lies that he's an ariya. If he has not attained jhana, he claims that he has attained jhana. So if a monk of that sort is seated with the other pure monks, they will stop reciting the Praradhika. And then when debate about him is unfinished, also they stop. Then when a person not fully ordained, that means a person who is not a fully ordained monk, a bhikkhu, is seated, also they will stop reciting. When debate about this is unfinished, also they stop. And one who has renounced the training, one who has disrobed, is seated, then also they stop. When debate about this is unfinished, when a eunuch is a frustrated man seated in the company, also they stop. When debate about this is unfinished, when one who has seduced a nun is seated there, also they stop. When debate about such a one is unfinished. So these are the various occasions when the patimokkha is stopped. Another sutra, 10.44. Once the Exalted One was staying at Kusinara in the Wood of Offerings. On that occasion, the Exalted One addressed the monks, saying, monks, yes sir, replied those monks to the Exalted One, who said this, monks, a monk who desires to admonish or advice another monk should do so after investigation of five conditions in his own self and after setting up five conditions in his own self. What are the five conditions he should investigate in his own self? A monk who desires to admonish another must thus investigate, am I or am I not one who practices utter purity in body? Am I or am I not possessed of utter purity in body, flawless and untainted? Is this quality manifest in me, or is it not? If he not be so, there are found folk who say to him, Come now, let your reverence practice conduct as to body. Folk are found to speak thus, Again monks, a monk who desires to admonish another should thus investigate, am I or am I not one who practices utter purity in speech, flawless and untainted? Is this quality manifest in me or is it not? If he not be so, there are found folk to say to him, Come now, let your reverence practice conduct such as conduct as to speech. Folk are found to speak thus. Again monks, a monk who desires to admonish another should thus investigate. Is a mind of goodwill free from malice established in me towards my fellows in the holy life? Is this quality manifest in me or is it not? If it not be so, there are found folk who say to him, Come now, let your reverence practice the mind of goodwill. Folk are found to speak thus. Then again monks, among who desires to admonish another, should thus investigate, Am I or am I not one who has heard much? who bears in mind what he has heard, who holds up what he has heard, those teachings which, lovely, at the beginning, the middle, and the end, proclaim in the Spirit and in the letter, they all fulfill utterly purified holy life. Have such teachings been much heard by me, born in mind, practiced in speech, pondered in the heart, and rightly penetrated by view? Is this quality manifest in me, or is it not? Then, monks, will he be not one who has heard much, etc., if those teachings have not been rightly penetrated by view? Then folk are found to say to him, Come now, let your reverends complete knowledge of the Agamas. Folk are found to speak thus, Again monks, I'll just stop here for a moment. These agamas refer to the earliest four collections of discourses of the Buddha. In other words, the Giga Nikaya, Long Discourses, Majjhima Nikaya, Middle Length Discourses, Samyutta Nikaya, and Anguttara Nikaya. Again monks, a monk who desires to admonish another should thus investigate, are the patimokkhas in full thoroughly learned by heart, well analysed with thorough knowledge of The meaning, clearly divided section by section and in minute detail by me. Is this condition manifest in me or is it not? Or if not, there are found folk who say to him, but where was this said by the Exalted One, Your Reverence? When thus questioned, he cannot explain. Then there will be those who say, Come now, let Your Reverence train himself in the Vinaya. there will be found folk who speak thus. These five conditions must be investigated in its own self." And what five conditions must be set up in its own self? He considers, do I speak in season or not? Do I speak of facts or not? Gently or harshly? Do I speak words fraught with profit or not? with a kindly heart or inwardly malicious. These five conditions he must set up in his own self. Monks, these five conditions are to be investigated in his own self, and these five other conditions are to be set up in his own self by a monk who desires to admonish another." That's the end of the sutta. So here, the sutta is saying that if a monk wants to criticize another monk, He should see whether he has these five qualities. First, he must be pure in body, his body conduct. must be pure. Secondly, his verbal conduct must be pure. Thirdly, he should have a mind of goodwill or metta and not anger towards his brothers in the holy life, other monks. Number four, he should be one who has heard much, who is very familiar, with the Dhamma, the discourses of the Buddha. Then number five, he should be very familiar with the Vinaya, the precepts, the monastic discipline. So he must have these conditions and then he should set up five other conditions. Number one, he must speak in season, that means speak at the right time. Sometimes we want to criticize another person. If you speak at the wrong time, the other person may not accept. So number one, you must speak at the right time. Number two, you must speak of facts. That means you must speak the truth. Number three, you must speak gently. Gently. Number four, you must speak words of benefit. a virtue of benefit to the other person. Number five, you must have a kind heart. You speak with a kind heart, not with a lot of anger. So, these are the five conditions he must set up in his own self. These are basically for a monk, but sometimes lay people, when you hear this kind of sutta, and you want to criticize your friend, Also, you must remember these conditions. You must speak in the right time. You must speak only of facts. You must speak gently, and then you must speak beneficial words, and then you must speak with a kind heart.

38-AN-Book-10G-(10.46-to-10.50).txt

Now we are at the Book of the Tenths, Anguttara Nikaya, Sutta number 46. Once the Exalted One was staying among the Sakyans at Kapilavatthu in Banyan Park. At that time, a number of Sakyan lay followers. That day, being the Uposatha, came to visit the Exalted One. And on coming to Him, saluted Him and sat down at one side. So seated, the Exalted One said this to those Sakyan lay followers. Sakyans, are you keeping the Uposatha with the eight precepts? I stop here for a moment to make some comments. This Uposatha, they translate as the Sabbath, the day when the lay people are supposed to keep the eight precepts and this was a tradition in India even before the Buddha's time that is why the Buddha asked his lay disciples to follow and This tradition of keeping the Uposatha, it's on the 8th day of the lunar calendar, the 15th, the 23rd and the 30th or 29th. which means approximately once a week. And from there, you can see other religions like the Christians, they also keep the Sabbath, but for the Christians it's the Sunday. And for the Buddhists, they keep the eight precepts. The eight precepts, the first precept is not to kill, the second is not to take what is not given, the third is not to engage in sexual conduct, the fourth is not to lie, the fifth is not to take intoxicants, the sixth is not to eat, afternoon, the period between noon and the next morning dawn. The seventh precept is not to adorn the body and also not to watch shows, not to enjoy music, etc. And the eighth precept is not to sleep on high and wide or luxurious beds. These are the eight precepts. Now to continue with the Sutta, so the Sakyans replied, sometimes Sir, we do so, but maybe sometimes we don't. And the Buddha said, Well, Sakyans, in those matters, it is no gain to you. It is ill gotten by you, since inner life does conjoin to fear of grief, inner life does conjoin to fear of death. You sometimes do and sometimes maybe do not keep the Upasata with the eight precepts. But thank you, Sakyans. Suppose a man here, without meeting an unlucky day, were to earn half a kahapana in some business or other. Might not folk well say of him, a clever fellow, full of energy. Stop here for a moment to comment. This kahapana is a measure of money used in the Buddha's days. Then they replied, Yes, sir, they might. And the Buddha said, Why, thank you, Sakyans. Suppose a man here, without meeting an unlucky day, were to earn a kahapana or two or more, up to fifty kahapanas in some business or other. Might not folk well say of him, a clever fellow, full of energy? Yes, sir, they might. Now what do you think, Sakyans? Suppose that man, day by day, earning a hundred or a thousand kahapanas and hoarding up what he got, were to reach a hundred years, were to live a hundred years, would not he amass great wealth? He would, sir. Well, Sakyans, what think you? Would that man, because of his wealth, on account of his wealth, in consequence of his wealth, would that man, for a single night or a single day, or even half a night or half a day, live in the enjoyment of utter happiness? Surely not, sir. And why not? Because, sir, sensual pleasures are impermanent, hollow, false, of the nature of deception. I stop here for a moment. Here, utter happiness seems to refer to the heavenly happiness or the bliss of jhāna, meditative absorption. In other suttas, the Buddha has said that But maybe here it refers more to sensual pleasures, because here it is said that sensual pleasures are impermanent, hollow, false, of the nature of deception. And in some other suttas, the Buddha has said that sensual pleasures can be likened to a bone without any meat thrown to a hungry dog. When a dog is very hungry and you throw a piece of bone, a big piece of bone, it will bite at the bone, gnaw at the bone, but the hunger cannot be satisfied. So it is the same with sensual pleasures. It just gives us fleeting happiness, but it is very, very impermanent. So that is why it is said that it is hollow and false of the nature of deception. Now the Buddha said, Now Sakyans, suppose here a follower of mine, living serious, ardent and resolved, were to live faring onward as I have advised for ten years, he would spend a hundred years, a hundred times a hundred years, a hundred times a thousand years, a hundred times a hundred thousand years, enjoying utter happiness. and he would be a once-returner, or a non-returner, or a winner of surety, a stream-winner. Stop here for a moment. In the heavens, the lifespan is in terms of millions of years. That's why here the Buddha said, such a long time this person can enjoy. A once-returner is Sakadagamin, is a person who has attained the second fruit of Ariya-hood. And a non-returner is an Anagami, the third fruit of Ariya-hood. And the stream winner is the Tuso Tapana, the first fruit arya. Then the Buddha continued. Let alone ten years Sakyans, suppose here a follower of mine were to live faring onwards as I have advised, for nine, eight, seven, six, or even for a single year, he would live a hundred years. a hundred times a hundred thousand years, enjoying utter happiness, and he would be a once-returner, or a non-returner, or, at any rate, a stream-winner. Let alone a single year, Sarkians. Suppose here a follower of mine, living serious, ardent, and resolved, were to live faring onward, as I have advised, for ten months, for nine, eight, up to a single month, or even half a month, even ten days and nights, for seven, six, five, even if he were to live this for a single night and day, he would spend a hundred years, a hundred times a hundred years, a hundred times a thousand years, a hundred times a hundred thousand years, enjoying utter happiness, and he would be a once-returner, or a non-returner, or a winner of surety, a stream-winner. In these matters, sākhyāns, it is no gain to you, this ill gotten by you, since in a life thus conjoined to fear of grief, in a life thus conjoined to fear of death, you sometimes do and sometimes do not keep the upasātā with the eight precepts. Then they said, Then, sir, from this day forth, we here will observe the upasātā with the eight precepts. So you see, the Buddha is saying that if you keep the eight precepts constantly on the Uposatha days, that means approximately once a week, then the merit is very great. that will lead you to a rebirth in heaven. And life is very uncertain. We don't know when we are going to pass away. Just recently, about a week ago, a former Kapi'ah of mine, Peng Lim, just 49 years old, passed away. Those of you who have been following me for the last 10 years or so would know him. So you see, he is even younger than me. I don't expect him to pass away and suddenly he just passed away. So life is so uncertain. We don't know when we are going to pass away. So we should always be prepared as the Scout motto says. Sutta number 47. Once the Exalted One was staying near Vesali in Great Wood. the house of the peak roof. Then Mahali, the Licchavite, came to see the Exalted One and said this to Him, Sir, what is the reason, what is the cause of doing an evil deed, of committing an evil deed? And the Buddha said, Greed, Mahali, is the reason. Greed is the cause of doing an evil deed, of committing an evil deed. Hatred, Mahali, is the reason and cause. Delusion is the reason and cause, not having thorough consideration, wrongly directed thought. These are the reasons, these are the causes of doing an evil deed, of committing an evil deed. I just stop here for a moment to comment. These five things, five causes of doing evil. The first one is greed. Pali word is lobha. The second is hatred, dosa. The third is delusion, moha. The fourth is not having thorough consideration. A yoniso manasikara. That means not having the ability to consider properly. The fifth one is wrongly directed thought, mica panihitang. Wrongly directed thought. These are the causes. And then they asked, Sir, what is the reason, what is the cause of doing a good deed, of committing a lovely deed? And the Buddha replied, non-greed mahali is the reason, non-greed is the cause, non-hatred, non-delusion, thorough consideration, rightly directed thought, mahali, is the reason, the cause, of doing a good deed or committing a lovely deed. These are the reasons and the causes of it. Moreover, mahali, if these ten dharmas or qualities were not found existing in the world, there would be here no proclaiming of wrong living and crooked living, or of right living and straight living. But since mahali, these ten qualities are found existing in the world, therefore is proclaiming of wrong and crooked living, of right and straight living. That's the end of the Sutta. Here these ten qualities probably refers to these five causes of doing an evil deed and the five causes of doing a good deed. That means greed, hatred, delusion, not having thorough consideration, wrongly directed thought, and then the converse. The other five is non-greed, non-hatred, non-delusion, having thorough consideration, rightly directed thoughts. So five plus five is these ten dharmas. The first five contributes to wrong living and then the second five contributes to right living. Greed, you all understand what it is. Hatred also. Delusion. Delusion is not understanding the nature of things. Not being able to see clearly because most of us are enveloped by the five hindrances that cover us and do not enable us to see things as they really are. And then thorough consideration. Yoniso manasikara means able to contemplate a problem up to the source of it, up to the root of the problem. So not having thorough consideration is not having the ability to consider a problem thoroughly. Wrongly directed thought is the thought that is directed in wrong ways. For example, having sensual desire in the thoughts, or hatred, malice, and then hinsa, harmful, harmfulness, the wrong thoughts. The Buddha said, monks, these ten conditions must again and again be contemplated by one who has gone forth from the home life. What ten? He must again and again contemplate these facts. 1. I am now come to a state of being an outcast. 2. My very life is dependent on others. 3. I must now conduct myself differently. 4. Do I reproach myself as to my virtues? 5. Would my wise companions in the holy life, after examining me, find me reproachable as to my virtues? 6. All that is mine, beloved and pleasing, will become otherwise, will become separated from me. 7. I am the owner of my kamma, heir to my kamma. born of my kamma, related to my kamma, abide supported by my kamma. Whatever kamma I shall do, for good or for ill, of that I shall be the heir. 8. How do I spend my days and nights that are relentlessly passing by? 9. Do I take delight in a secluded dwelling? 10. Have I any supernormal attainment? any Aryan vision and knowledge, whereby, when questioned by my companions in the holy life, I shall not be confounded. These monks are the ten conditions to be again and again contemplated by one who has gone forth from the home life. That's the end of the Sutta. This Sutta is principally for monks, and these are very important contemplations a monk has to make. First one, he has to remember that he is now an outcast, an outcast from society. He has dissociated himself from society. And because he has no status, in the sense that he has no money, has no position in the world, so most people in the world will also not want to associate with him. So he has become an outcast, which suits him ideally if he wants to practice and cultivate the holy life. And number two, my very life is dependent on others. This is a fact for a monk, which is quite frightening for a normal lay person. That's why it's not easy for a lay person to become a monk. Number three, I must now conduct myself differently, et cetera. So the others I shall not bother to explain. It is small for monks to contemplate. Now the sutta number 50. Once the Exalted One was staying near Savati at Jeta Grove in Anathapindika's park. On that occasion, a number of monks, after returning from their alms round and eating their meal, as they sat assembled together in the service hall, remained in strife and uproar and dispute, abusing each other with the weapons of the tongue. Now the Exalted One, in the evening, rising from His seclusion, approached the service hall, and on reaching it, sat down on a seat made ready. When he had sat down, the Exalted One addressed the monks, saying, Monks, in what talk were you engaged as you sat here, and what was the topic of your talk left unfinished? And they said, Yes, sir. After returning from our alms round and eating our meal, we sat assembled together in the service hall and remained in strife, uproar and dispute, abusing each other with the weapons of the tongue. And the Buddha said, monks, it is not seemly for you, clansmen, who in faith went forth from the home to the homeless life, thus to abide in strife, uproar and dispute, abusing each other with the weapons of the tongue. Monks, there are these ten conditions to be remembered, which, as they make for affection and respect, do conduce to fellow feeling, to not quarreling, to concord and unity. What ten? Herein a monk is virtuous, restrained with the restraint of the patimokkha, proficient in following the practice of right conduct, seeing ground for fear in the minutest faults, and takes upon and trains himself in the rules of morality. Insofar as a monk is virtuous and so trains himself, this is a condition to be remembered, which, as it makes for affection and respect, thus conduce to fellow feeling. to not quarreling, to concord and unity. 2. Then again, a monk has heard much. He bears in mind what he has heard. He hoards up what he has heard. Those teachings which are lovely in the beginning, middle, and end, proclaim in spirit and in letter, they all fulfilled. utterly purified holy life, such like are the teachings he has heard much, borne in mind, practiced in speech, pondered in the heart, and rightly penetrated by view. Insofar as he has heard much, etc., this is a condition to be remembered, which conduces to concord and unity. 3. Again, a monk has a good friend. a good companion, a good intimate, insofar as he is such, this is a condition to be remembered. 4. Again, a monk is easy to speak to, possessed of qualities which make him easy to speak to. He is tractable, capable of being instructed. Insofar as he is such, this is a condition to be remembered. 5. In all the undertakings of his fellows in the holy life, be they matters weighty or trivial, he is shrewd and energetic, having ability to give proper consideration, therefore, as to what is the right thing to do and how to manage it. Insofar as a monk is such, this is the condition. to be remembered, which conduces to unity and concord. 6. Again, a monk delights in Dhamma, is pleasant to converse with, rejoices exceedingly in higher Dhamma, in higher Vinaya. Insofar as a monk is such, this is a condition to be remembered. 7. Again a monk dwells resolute in energy for the abandoning of bad qualities, stout and strong to acquire good qualities. Insofar as a monk is such, this is the condition to be remembered. 8. Then again, a monk is content with whatsoever supply of robes, alms, food, bed and lodging, comforts and necessaries in sickness he may get. Insofar as a monk is such, this is a condition to be remembered. Again, a monk is collected, possessed of mindful discrimination in the highest degree, able to call to mind and remember a thing done and said long ago. Insofar as a monk is such, this is a condition to be remembered. 10. Lastly, a monk is possessed of wisdom. He has wisdom for tracing out the arising and ceasing of things, wisdom which is Aryan, penetrating, going on to the utter destruction of ill. Insofar as a monk has such wisdom, this also is a condition to be remembered, which, as it makes for affection and respect, thus conduce to fellow feeling, to not quarrelling, to concord and unity. These monks are the ten conditions to be remembered which conduce to concord and unity. That's the end of the sutta. So this is another sutta more for monks and also another very practical sutta where a monk is encouraged to cultivate these ten qualities. because they conduce to concord and unity, harmony in the Sangha. The first one, the monk should be virtuous. He should be restrained by the restraint of the patimokkha. Patimokkha is the code of precepts, contains 227 precepts of a Theravada monk. So a monk is supposed to abide by these precepts as much as he can. Number two, a monk should have much knowledge of the Dhamma and he should understand the Dhamma, meaning the suttas, the discourses of the Buddha. He should ponder in his mind and understand these suttas. The second thing that conduces to harmony and unity of the Sangha Number three, the monk should have a good friend. Here, a good friend is a kalyāṇamitā. In Mahāyāna books, they translate it as a good-knowing advisor. He's supposed to be a teacher, a fellow monk who can guide a monk in the Dhamma Vinaya, in the holy life. Number four, The monk should be easy to speak to, not stubborn. In other words, he should be willing to listen to instructions, to listen to advice and carry them out. That means he is willing to listen. Number five, he should He should share in all the duties and work of the Sangha in the monastery and do his best to carry out all the duties, whether it's a heavy duty or a light duty, as well as he can. This also conduces to harmony and unity of the Sangha. Number six, a monk should delight in Dhamma, in the higher Dhamma and the higher Vinaya. higher Dhamma, Abhidhamma, here refers to the higher teachings in the Dhamma, not the later seven books, because the later set of seven books of Abhidhamma definitely was written much later. So here in the Suttas, normally when the Buddha talks about the higher Dhamma, He usually refers to those Dhammas that you cultivate to get out of samsara. Usually the Buddha mentions a set of 37 requisites of enlightenment. That's Pali's Bodhipakya Dhammas. And these 37 requisites of enlightenment is also equivalent to the Noble Eightfold Path. And here normally, when the Buddha talks about the higher Dhamma, he also talks about the higher Vinaya, the higher monastic discipline. There is no set of books called Abhivinaya. Just as during the Buddha's time, there was no set of teachings called the Abhidhamma. Then number seven. A monk should be resolute in energy, should make a lot of effort to practice the holy life. to abandon these bad qualities and to acquire good qualities. Bad qualities are like greed, hatred, delusion, sensual desire, ill will, sloth and topper, restlessness, doubt. These are the five hindrances. Jealousy, arrogance, etc. Number eight, The monk should be content with whatever supply of requisites that he receives. Food, robes, bed and lodging, medicines, etc. Contentment comes from within. It is a quality, not dependent so much on outside things. It's a quality of mind that has to be cultivated. And number nine, here is talking about sati. Sati here, recollection, the definition is given here as in some other suttas, is able to call to mind and remember a thing done and said long ago. So sati is the quality of remembering. And when applied to the practice of the holy life, it means to remember what you have to practice. It means to remember your object of meditation, to remember that life is anicca, impermanent, life is dukkha. suffering, and life is anatta, there is no self, etc. So this sati is a quality of remembering whatever you want to practice. So number 10 is a quality of wisdom, wisdom to able to be able to see the arising and ceasing of everything in the world. Everything that arises must cease. Because if you see the impermanent nature of the world, then you can become weary, disenchanted with everything in the world.

39-AN-Book-10H-(10.51-to-10.61).txt

51. Once the Exalted One was staying near Savatthi at Jeta Grove in Anathapindika's park. On that occasion, the Exalted One addressed the monks, saying, Monks, though a monk be not skilled in the habit of others' thoughts, at least he can resolve, I will be skilled in the habit of my own thought. Thus, monks, should you train yourselves. Stop here for a moment. Here the Buddha is saying that even though a monk is not able to read other people's minds, at least he should be able to read his habitual thoughts, his own mind. So he should train himself to always read his own mind. Then the Buddha continued, And how is a monk skilled in the habit of his own thought? Just as if monks, a man or woman, or a young lad, fond of self-adornment, examining the reflection of his own face in a bright, clean mirror or bowl of clear water, should see therein a stain or speck, and strive for the removal of that stain or speck, and when he no longer sees it there, is pleased and satisfied thereat, thinking, again it is to me that I am clean. Even so, a monk's introspection is most fruitful in good conditions. Thus, do I or do I not generally live covetous? That means greedy for others' things. Do I or do I not generally live malevolent in heart or with ill will. Do I or do I not generally live possessed by sloth and torpor? Do I or do I not generally live restless in mind? Do I or do I not generally live in doubt and wavering? Do I or do I not generally live wrathful or with soiled thoughts or with body passionate, or sluggish without energy, or do I live uncontrolled, or not? Monks, if on self-examination a monk finds thus, I generally live covetous, malevolent in heart, possessed by sloth and topper, excited in mind, doubtful and wavering, wrathful, with soil thoughts, with body passionate, sluggish and uncontrolled. then that monk must put forth extra desire, effort, endeavor, exertion, impulse, mindfulness and attention for the abandoning of those wicked, unprofitable states. Just as monks, when one's turban or head is ablaze for the extinguishing thereof, one must put forth extra desire, effort, endeavor, exertion, unflagging mindfulness and attention Even so, for the abandoning of those wicked, unprofitable states, one must do the same. But if, on self-examination, a monk finds thus, I do not generally live covertures, etc., then that monk should make an effort to establish just those profitable states, and further to destroy the asavas." That's the end of the suttas. Asavas here means uncontrolled mental outflows. If a person destroys the asavas, he becomes an arahant. So here, this sutta is talking about the practice of right effort. Practice of right effort, we are supposed to examine these qualities, those bad, unwholesome qualities inside us, we should get rid of and cultivate good qualities. So this is, you know, in the Noble Eightfold Path, right effort is one of the factors pertaining to meditation. Sometimes people practice meditation, they forget to examine their own mind. Sometimes some people observe a lot of things outside. They are very mindful of a lot of things outside. But meditation must begin from inside. We must see all these things that pass through our mind. So what is unwholesome, we should get rid of. Here it's mentioned, five things, covetousness, malevolence, sloth and torpor, restlessness, doubt. These five things are called the five hindrances. The five hindrances that prevent us from seeing things as they really are. So these we have to get rid of and other unwholesome qualities like soil thoughts, passionate thoughts, sluggish mind, no energy, uncontrolled mind, etc. So this is another very practical sutta in teaching us how to practice the Dhamma. The next sutta is number 60. Once the Exalted One was staying near Savatthi in Jeta Grove, Anathapindika's park. Now on that occasion, the Venerable Girimananda was sick, suffering, stricken with a sore disease. And the Venerable Ananda came to see the Exalted One and said this to him, after paying respect, etc. Sir, the Venerable Girimananda is sick, suffering, stricken with a sore disease. It would be well, sir, if the Exalted One were to visit him out of compassion for him. And the Buddha said, if you, Ananda, were to visit the monk Virimananda and recite to him the ten perceptions, there are grounds for supposing that when he hears them, that sickness will be allayed there and then. In other words, cured there and then. What are the ten perceptions? Sannyāsa. The perception of impermanence, of not-self, of the foul or unattractiveness, of wretchedness, of abandoning, of dispassion, of cessation, of distaste for the world, of impermanence in all conditioners, of recollection of breathing. And what, Ananda, is the perception of impermanence? Herein, a monk who has gone to the forest, or to the root of a tree, or a lonely place, thus contemplates, impermanent is objective form, impermanent are feelings, impermanent are perceptions, impermanent are volitions and impermanent is consciousness. Thus he abides seeing impermanence in these five grasped aggregates. This is called the perception of impermanence. I stop here for a moment. This first perception the Buddha says to contemplate is the perception of impermanence, Anicca or Anicca Sannyāsa. Here, the Buddha says we should contemplate that these five things are impermanent. Form, feeling, perception, volition, consciousness. Form means the body, and the others refer to the mind. Feeling, perception, volition, and consciousness. Now these five things, all beings generally take to be the self, because we associate these five things with ourself. Either we think that they are the self, or they belong to the self, or they are inside the self, or the self is inside these five aggregates. So these are called the five grasp aggregates. clung at aggregates. So we should see them as impermanent. So if we see that these five aggregates, we perceive that they are impermanent, then we won't cling to them so much. If we cling to these five aggregates, we cling to this body and mind, then because they are impermanent, they will change. It will grow old, it will become sick and it will die. And if we cling to it, we will suffer when it changes. That is why we have to see the impermanence in this body and mind. Then the Buddha continued, And what, Ananda, is the perception of not-self? Anathasanya. Hearing a monk who has gone to the forest, etc., thus contemplates, the eye is not the self, objective form is not the self, the ear is not the self, sounds are not the self, nose and sense are not the self, tongue and taste are not the self, body and tangibles are not the self, mind and thoughts are not the self. Thus he abides seeing not-self in those six outer and inner bases. This ananda is called the perception of not-self. Stop here for a moment to explain. Here the Buddha talks about six outer and six inner bases. The six inner bases are the six sense organs, the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and the mind. And then the six outer sense bases are form that the eye sees, sound that the ear hears, smells, taste, touch and thoughts. So we should perceive that the six inner sense bases and the six outer sense bases are not self because they are impermanent. This anatta means something, means not-self. And not-self means, self means atta, self means that which is permanent, never changing, never changing. But everything in the world is changing, everything in the world is impermanent. So there is nothing in the world that is self. Then the third one, and what ananda is the perception of the foul or unattractiveness, asubhasanya. Herein a monk examines the body, upwards from the soles of the feet, downwards from the top of the head, enclosed by skin, full of manifold impurities. There are in this body, there are head hair, body hair, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, sinews, bones, bone, marrow, kidney, heart, liver, midriff, spleen, lung, bowel, entrail, gorge, dung, brain, bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tear, grease, pittle, snot, all of the joint urine. Thus he abides observant of the foul or unattractiveness of the body. This Ananda is called the perception of the foul or unattractiveness of the body. So this, I stop here for a moment to comment. This is called the meditation on the unattractiveness of the body. Normally, we are attracted to the body of the opposite sex because we see it as very attractive, because we only see the outer part of the body. As they say, beauty is only skin deep. When you go deeper than the skin, then you find all these things which are inside the body. And we contemplate these 32 things of the body, then we will find the body is not attractive as we thought. So if we practice this contemplation long, then when we look at a person, we are able to perceive not only the outside, but also the inside of the body. And that helps us to cut lust, cut sensual desire for the body. And then the next one. And what, Ananda, is the perception of wretchedness? Adināva, sannyāsa. Herein a monk who has gone to the forest, etc., thus contemplates. This body has many ills, many wretchednesses. Thus in this body arise diverse diseases, such as disease of eyesight and hearing, of nose, tongue, trunk, head, ear, mouth, teeth. There is cough, asthma, running nose, fever, feebleness, decrepitude. bellyache, fainting, diarrhea, griping or intestinal pain, cholera, leprosy, eczema, tuberculosis, epilepsy, skin disease, itch, scab, scabies, jaundice, diabetes, piles, boils, ulcers, diseases arising from bile, from phlegm, from wind, from bodily humors, from changes of the seasons, from stress of circumstances, from the ripeness of one's karma, and also cold and heat, hunger and thirst, bowel movement and urination. Thus he abides observant of the wretchedness of this body. This ananda is called the perception of wretchedness. Stop here for a moment. So here we can see that this body gives us all kinds of wretchedness, all kinds of suffering, of the many, many types of sickness that we can get. So we should constantly contemplate this. And then the Buddha continued, and what Ananda is the perception of abandoning. Pahana Sannyā. Herein a monk admits not sensual thinking that has arisen, but abandons, restrains, makes an end of it, forces it not to recur. He admits not malicious thinking, harmful thinking. evil, unprofitable states that arise from time to time, but abandons, restrains, makes an end of them, forces them not to recur. This ananda is called the perception of abandoning. I'll stop here for a moment. So here, abandoning means examining all the wrong thoughts we have, abandoning all the wrong thoughts. of sensual thoughts, malicious thoughts, malicious means ill will, having ill will, and harmful thoughts. And the Buddha continued, and what ananda is the perception of dispassion, viraga, sannya. Hearing a monk who has gone to the forest, etc., thus contemplates, this is the real, this is the excellent, namely the calming of all conditioners, the casting off of every basis, the destruction of craving, dispassion, nibbana. This ananda is called the perception of dispassion. Let's stop here for a moment. Raga is passion, so viraga is dispassion. Dispassion for all the things of the world. And then calming down of all the conditioners. Conditioners are, this Pali word is sankara. Sometimes it's translated as conditioned things. Probably conditioners is a better translation. It means everything in the world. Because everything in the world is conditioned as well as conditioning other things. So it is also known as conditioners. So, if all the things in the world are calmed down, then you have this destruction of craving, dispassion, then you arrive at Nibbana. And the Buddha continued, and what is the perception of cessation? Nirodha. Hearing a monk who has gone to the forest, etc., thus contemplates, this is the real, this is the excellent. And the same way, namely the calming of all conditioners, the casting off of every basis, the destruction of craving, cessation, nibbana. This ananda is called the perception of cessation. Stop here for a moment. This is almost the same as the previous one, but instead of dispassion, here we have cessation. And then to continue. And what ananda is the perception of distaste, for the whole world. Sabba loke anabhirata sannya. Hearing a monk by abandoning, by not clinging to those graspings of systems, those mental standpoints and dogmatic bias that are in the world, delights not therein. This is called the perception of distaste for the whole world. I stop here for a moment. That means This monk is no more concerned with all the views in the world. He's put down all the views. He develops a distaste for the whole world. Vatananda is the perception of impermanence of all conditioners. Sabha Sankaresu Anicca Sannya. Hearing a monk is troubled by, ashamed of, and disgusted with all the conditioned things or conditioners. This is called the perception of impermanence of all conditioners. Let's stop here for a moment. This is also similar to the perception of impermanence, that everything in the world is impermanent, so it's disgusted with it, and to continue. And what Ananda is the recollection of the breath, anapanasati. Herein a monk who has gone to the forest or to the root of a tree or a lonely place sits down cross-legged, holding the body upright and setting mindfulness in front of him. He breathes in mindfully and mindfully breathes out. As he draws in a long breath, he knows, A long breath I draw in. As he breathes out a long breath, he knows, A long breath I breathe out. As he draws in a short breath, he knows, a short breath I breathe in. As he breathes out a short breath, he knows, a short breath I breathe out. He puts into practice the intention, I shall breathe in, feeling it go through the whole body. Feeling it go through the whole body, I shall breathe out. Calming down the body aggregate, I shall breathe in. Calming down the body aggregate, I shall breathe out. Feeling the thrill of zest, the thrill of Piti, delight, I shall breathe in and out. Feeling the sense of ease, I shall breathe in and out. Aware of all mental factors, I shall breathe in and out. Calming down the mental factors, I shall breathe in and out. Gladdening my mind, I shall breathe in and out. Composing my mind, I shall breathe in and out. Detaching my mind, I shall breathe in and out. contemplating impermanence such as breathing in and out, contemplating dispassion, contemplating ending, contemplating renunciation such as breathing in and out. This Ananda is called the recollection of breathing. Now Ananda, if you were to visit the monk Girimananda and recite to him these ten perceptions, there is ground for supposing that on his hearing them, that sickness of his will straight away be cured. Thereupon the Venerable Ananda, having learned by heart these ten perceptions in the presence of the Exalted One, visited the Venerable Girimananda and recited them. On his hearing them, that sickness of the Venerable Girimananda was straightaway cured, and he rose up from that sickness, and in this way that sickness was banished from the Venerable Girimananda. So you see here, that's the end of the sutta, that for a monk such as this Venerable Girimananda, who has great love of the Dhamma, when he hears this type of Dhamma recited, he's so happy that the sickness was cured. So, Venerable Moggallana also at one time was sick. and the Buddha went to see him and also chanted to him the Bojangas, the factors of enlightenment. And he was so happy to hear that he also got cured of the sickness. So, these ten perceptions here are quite useful things to contemplate. The perception of impermanence, of not-self, of unattractiveness of the body, the wretchedness of the body, of abandoning, of dispassion, of cessation, distaste for the whole world, impermanence of all conditioners, and recollection of breathing. The next sutta, I think I have time to talk on. Sutta number 61. The Buddha said, monks, the extreme point of ignorance is not apparent so that one may say. Ignorance was not before, it has since come to be. And this statement monks is made. Nevertheless, one thing is apparent. Ignorance is conditioned by this or that. Ignorance, I declare monks, has its nutriment. It is not without nutriment. And what is the nutriment of ignorance? The five hindrances should be the reply. I declare, monks, that the five hindrances have their nutriment, are not without nutriment. And what is the nutriment of the five hindrances? The three wrong ways of conduct should be the reply. Dutcarita. They too have their nutriment. What? Non-restraint of the sense faculties should be the reply. They too have their nutriment. What is that? Lack of mindfulness and self-composure should be the reply. That too has its nutriment, I declare. What is that? Unthorough consideration. Ah, yoniso manasikara, should be the reply. And what is the nutriment of that? Lack of faith should be the reply. What is the nutriment of that? Not listening to true dhamma. I declare, monks, that not listening to true Dharma has its nutriment, is not without nutriment. And what is the nutriment of not listening to true Dharma? Not following after the true man should be the reply. Thus, monks, the act of not following after the true man completes not listening to the true Dharma. Not listening to the true Dharma completes lack of faith. or leads to lack of faith. Lack of faith leads to unthorough consideration, which leads to lack of mindfulness and self-composure, which leads to non-restraint of the sense faculties, and which leads to the three wrong ways of conduct. And that leads to the five hindrances. And the five hindrances leads to ignorance. Such is the nutriment of this ignorance, such is its fulfillment. Just as when monks on a mountain, the rain falls in heavy drops, that water flowing down onwards, according to the slope, fills up the mountain clefts and rifts and gullies, and they, when filled up, fill up the little pools, and the little pools in turn fill up the big pools, and they in turn fill up the small rivers, they fill the large rivers, and the large rivers in turn fill up the sea, the mighty ocean. Thus is the nutriment of the mighty ocean, and thus its fulfillment. In the same way, monks, not following after the true man, leads to not listening to the true Dharma, which leads eventually to the five hindrances and to ignorance. Conversely, released-by-knowledge monks, I declare, has its nutriment. It is not without nutriment. And what is the nutriment of released-by-knowledge? The seven factors of enlightenment, bojanga, should be the reply. The seven factors of enlightenment, I declare, have their nutriment. What? The four intense states of recollection, satipatthana, should be the reply. They, too, have their nutriment. The three right ways of conduct, And they too have the nutriment, control of the sense faculties. And the nutriment of these is mindfulness and self-possession. And the nutriment is thorough consideration. And the nutriment is faith. And the nutriment of that is listening to the true Dharma. And the nutriment of that is following after the true man. Thus monks, following after the true man, when complete, completes listening to the true Dharma. Listening to true Dharma completes faith. Faith completes or leads to thorough consideration. and that leads to mindfulness and self-control, and that to control of the sense faculties, and that to the three right ways of conduct, and that leads to the four intense states of recollection, and that leads to the seven factors of enlightenment, and that leads to liberation or release by knowledge. So this sutta is telling us that if we want to practice and get out of samsara, we have to start by associating with a true man. A true man is one who understands the Dhamma, who understands the discourses of the Dhamma, of this Buddha. And if you listen to the teachings of a true man, you are listening to the teachings of the Buddha. And then, if you listen to the teachings of the Buddha, then you will have faith. And when you have faith, then you will cultivate this thorough consideration, yoniso manasikara. So when you cultivate yoniso manasikara, then you have mindfulness and self-possession or mindfulness and recollection, and that leads to control of the sense faculties, and that leads to the three right ways of conduct, and that leads to the four intense states of recollection, and that leads to the seven factors of enlightenment, which leads to liberation. So associating with a true man and listening to the true Dhamma and being able to listen to the true Dhamma is very very important because it leads us to have faith and also it teaches us the way to practice the true Dhamma that will eventually lead us to liberation. So I think I'll stop here for tonight. And if you have any comments or questions, we can discuss. Anybody has any question? The Buddha said, whatever among teachers. You have to compare it with the Suttas and the Vinaya. So if you compare what among teachers is consistent with the Suttas, then you can accept his teachings. But if it's not consistent with the Suttas, then you should not learn from him. So the criterion is always the Dhamma. It is not the man himself, it is the Dhamma. Whether the Dhamma conforms to the suttas or not. So if you're not familiar with the suttas, you can't judge. Yes or no? You have no basis to judge if you are not familiar with the suttas. You must always have a foundation If you want to build something, you must have always a foundation. So in the same way, you want to be able to judge a teacher, you must have that foundation of the suttas to compare with. So if you don't have that foundation, then you just have to trust your luck. Because a lot of people don't have that foundation to judge, so they follow a teacher for many years. If they are lucky, they follow a teacher for many years, and they are not disappointed in the end. But there are some people, unfortunately, they can spend many years following a teacher, and at the end of it, they become very disappointed.

40-AN-Book-10I-(10.63-to-10.72).txt

Okay, now we are on the last book of the Anguttara Nikaya. Now we come to Sutta number 10.63. And the Buddha said, monks, whosoever have come to the goal in me, all of them are endowed with right view. Of five such endowed with right view, their goal is one here. of other such five, their goal is one on living here. Stop here for a moment to comment. Here they translate as goal. The Pali word is Nitta and it means the end, the completion, the finish. It means attaining Nibbana. And here view or right view means understanding the four noble truths. and here Ida means here they put brackets on earth it means in the human existence as a human a human existence and then leaving here Vihaya the Pali word also means having left here. That means not in the human existence. So the Buddha is saying all those who have come to the goal in him or through him, all of them have right view. That means he's talking about Arya. All Aryans have right view. And then five types of Aryans, they attain Nibbana here in the human existence. And then another five, they attain Nibbana after leaving here, that means in the heaven world. And then the Buddha continues, of which five is the gold one here? Of him who has but seven more birds at most, of him who is reborn in a good family, of the once-seeder, of the once-returner, Sakadagamin, and of him who in this same visible state is Arahant. Of such, the goal is won here, and of which five is the goal won on leaving here, of him who attains release midway, of him who attains release by reduction of his time, or without much trouble, or with some little trouble, and of the upstreamer who goes to the elders. Of such the goal is one on leaving here. Whosoever monks have come to the goal in me, all of them are endowed with right view. Of five such the goal is one here. Of other such five, the goal is one after leaving here. Now this Sutta is one of those Suttas, if you think carefully about it, it has very far reaching implications. Here the Buddha is saying that there are five types of Aryans who attain Nibbana in the human existence. There are three types of Sotapanna described here. The first type is one who has seven more rebirths at the most. Then the second type is one who is reborn among noble families two or three times. And the third type of Sotapanna is one who just takes one rebirth as a man and then makes an end of Dukkha. So there are three types of Sotapanna and then the Sakadagamin is the once-returner. That is the second fruit, Ariya. Then the last one is Arahant. These are those who attain Nibbana in the human existence. This Sutta, firstly, the first implication is that all Aryans have Right View. This is confirmed in other Suttas. How does one attain Right View? In the Majjhima Nikaya, Sutta 43, it is said that Right View is attained by listening to the Dhamma and then having yoniso manasikara is the other condition yoniso manasikara means the ability to have thorough consideration or thorough contemplation that means a person's mind is fairly clear so that he can consider thoroughly and so you can see all the Buddha's disciples who are Aryans they listen to the Dhamma first to get right view. That's why the Buddha's disciples are called Savakas, meaning hearers or listeners. So these five types of Aryans attained Nibbāna in this life. The other five types of Aryans who attained Nibbāna after leaving here, There are five types described here, all of them are anagamins, third fruit attainers, and all anagamins are generally reborn in the Suddhavasa abode, the fourth jhāna heavens, and from there they enter Nibbāna. So if they enter Nibbāna from there, that means they don't become Arahants. They don't become Arahants. They just enter Nibbāna upon passing away. Because it is said here that all Arahants enter Nibbāna as a human being. Now this contradicts the Abhidhamma because in the Abhidhamma it is stated that when the Buddha taught the Abhidhamma, millions of Devas attained Arahanthood. Now, if they attain arahanthood as devas, that means they will enter Nibbana as an arahant deva. But the Buddha says here that all arahants are humans. That is why you notice that all Buddhas come to the human plane to teach the Dhamma. Buddhas are never reborn in heaven to teach the devas. Always come to the human plane. Now this implication of Sotapanna and attaining Nibbana, this has never been well explained in Buddhist texts. And here we see that there are some who have seven more rebirths. After seven more rebirths, when they pass away, they enter Nibbāna. And there are some who come back to the human plane and reborn in a noble family two or three times and then they enter Nibbāna. Then the last type is one who takes one more birth as a human being and then enters Nibbāna. Now this last one is quite interesting because he has only one human birth as a human being. And we know from other suttas, for example, Anguttara Nikaya 3.85, that the Sotapanna, the first fruit, Arya, and the Sakadagamin, the second fruit, Arya, they only have perfect moral conduct. They only have perfect sila. They don't have samadhi and panna. whereas the Anagamin, the third fruit Arya, has perfect Sila and perfect Samadhi against Jhana. And the Arahant has perfect Sila, Samadhi and Panna. So a Sotapanna having only Sila, how does he enter Nibbana? We see from the Buddha's own experience in the Gatikara Sutta Majjhima Nikaya that the Buddha in a previous life was born as a Brahmin Jotipala and there he met the Buddha Kasapa and then when the Buddha Kasapa taught him the Dhamma he changed completely from having no respect for the Buddha he became a disciple of the Buddha and renounced and became a monk So from there we can see very probably the Buddha in that lifetime as Jyotipala had attained Sotapanna. And then after that he followed the Buddha as a monk and he attained Jhāna. Why we say he attained Jhāna? Because when he was reborn in his last life as a human being he said that when he was very young he attained the first Jhāna under the Jambu tree. So for him so young to attain jhāna, that means previous life, he had already attained jhāna. That means very probably under Buddha Kassapa he attained jhāna. So if he had attained jhāna, very probably also he became a Sakka Degamin. And after becoming a Sakka Degamin, he went to the Tusita heaven. And after the Tusita heaven, he came down to the human existence for the very last time. So we can see from here, from the Buddha's example, that probably all Arahants, sorry, all Buddhas, because Buddhas are self-enlightened beings, they strive very hard. like our Buddha and they became enlightened and there is something in them from the previous life that makes them strive very hard which is then that something must be that they have already become Arya in the previous life. So from this sutta we find that Sotapanas since they They attain Nibbana in this lifetime, that means some of them at least would attain Arahanthood. Especially for example the last type of Suttapanna, the one who comes back once only as a human being probably he strives and then attains Arahanthood or Buddhahood and then enters Nibbana. So the same with Sakka Degamin. Sakka Degamin also because they come back only once as a human being very probably that last time they strive and then they attain Arahanthood or Buddhahood and then enter Nibbana. And then the other five who attained Nibbana in the heavens, these Anagamin, the five types of Anagamin, there is a simile given in some other sutra on the Anagamin. It is stated that the anagamin is like a piece of heated metal you know which a blacksmith is hitting a blacksmith is hitting a red hot piece of metal and then a chip of iron flies off and this chip of iron flies off to the ground and then it cools down. That is a simile for an anagamin. That means an anagamin he goes to the Suddhavasa abode and cools down there and enters Nibbana. So there are some anagamins who when they go to the Suddhavasa abodes, the four jhana heavens, they strive and then they enter Nibbana very fast. There are some who don't make much effort to strive and then they enter Nibbana more slowly. That's why you have these five types of anagamins. Now, In the later books, they talk about the Buddhas making vows and cultivating paramis for a long time and then they become Buddhas. But there is no such evidence in the suttas. All we have in the suttas is that a person becomes an Arya from listening to the Dhamma and after becoming an Arya, then a person progresses from Sotapanna and either enters Nibbana or becomes a Sakadagamin and then enters Nibbana or Anagamin or Arahant and they enter Nibbana. So actually if we, this type of sutra, if we contemplate more on it, you can even find probably other implications. if we consider some more on a sutra like this. So this type of sutras are very interesting because when we contemplate them we find there are certain implications that have not been noticed by some of the monks who wrote the later commentaries. That is why their interpretation sometimes does not follow the suttas. They can come up with things like the Buddha became a Buddha by making vows and cultivating paramis. Now we come to the next sutta, Sutta 69, 10.69. Once the Exalted One was staying near Savatthi at Jeta Grove in Anathapindika's park. On that occasion, a number of monks, after returning from their alms round and eating their meal, had gathered and sat down in the assembly hall. There they stayed indulging in diverse sorts of aimless talk about such things as rajas or kings, robbers and ministers, talk of armies, dangers and battle, talk of food and drink, clothes, beds, garlands and perfumes, talk of relatives, vehicles, villages, townships, cities and countries, talk about women and heroes, about streets and gossip at the well, ghost stories, trifles and about the origin of land and sea and whether things exist or do not exist. Stop here for a moment. Here the monks were talking all this aimless talk which is called tiracana kata. It means animal talk. Animal talk. Why is it called animal talk? Because it is like base, low. Animal is considered very low. So this low type of talk. Then the Exalted One, rising from His solitude in the evening, went towards the Assembly Hall, and on reaching it sat down on a seat made ready. Being seated, the Exalted One addressed the monks, saying, Monks, on what subjects were you conversing, gathered together here, and what was the nature of the talk left unfinished by you? And they said, Sir, after returning from our alms round and eating our meal, we gathered and sat down in the assembly hall, and so stayed, indulging in diverse sorts of pointless talk, such as rajas, etc. And the Buddha said, Monks, it is not seemly that you clansmen, who in faith have gone forth from the home to the homeless life, should indulge in such talk. There are these ten topics of talk. What ten? Talk about having few wants, about contentment, seclusion, solitude, energetic striving, virtue, concentration, wisdom, release or liberation. and knowing and seeing release. These monks are the ten topics of talk. Monks, if you should engage again and again in talk on these ten topics, you would outshine in brilliance even the brilliance of the moon and sun, which are of such mighty power and majesty, not to speak of the brilliance of the wanderers who hold other views. That's the end of the Sutta. So here the Buddha is encouraging the monks to talk on 10 topics which are very beneficial to them. The first one is having few wants or wanting little or having few wants. Not wanting many things. About contentment, about seclusion. Seclusion is going to a quiet place to live, for example, in a forest monastery or in a cave. And then solitude. Solitude is like Keeping to yourself. For example, in a monastery there might be many monks. So if a monk wants to practice very hard, he doesn't want to talk a lot with other monks. He keeps to himself. And then energetic striving. Using a lot of energy to practice. And then virtue. Virtue is moral conduct. Sila. Concentration. Wisdom. and then liberation, and knowing and seeing liberation. So these are the ten types of talks which are very conducive to progress in the holy life. Now the next sutra is 10.72. Once the Exalted One was staying near Vesali in Great Grove. at the house with the peaked roof, together with a number of senior monks who were his disciples, namely the Venerable Cala, Upacala, Kakata, Kalimba, Nikata, and Katisaha, and other notable monks. Now on that occasion, a crowd of notable Licchavis, riding in their splendid cars in rivalry with Din and Abro, were dashing into Great Wood to see the Exalted One. Then those venerable ones thought, here is a crowd of notable Licchavites dashing into Great Wood to see the Exalted One. Now it has been said by the Exalted One that noise is a thorn to jana. Suppose we retreat to Gosinga Wood, where is the Sala Grove. There we can stay pleasantly, free from noise and crowds. Stop here for a moment. Jhāna here is the perfect state. Jhāna means a state of mental brightness. And it is attained when one's mind becomes one-pointed. And that is perfect concentration in the Buddha's teaching. So these monks, they said that all this noise is a disturbance to attaining Jhāna. It's an obstruction or thorn. to attaining jhāna. So they wanted to go to the Sāla Grove, where it was very quiet and they could practice. So those venerable ones retreated to Gosinga Wood, where is the Sāla Grove. And there they stayed pleasantly, free from noise and crowds. Later on, the exalted one called to the monks saying, Monks, where is Chāla? Where is Upacāla? Where are Kakāta and Kalimba, Nikāta and Katisaha? Where are those monks, my senior disciples, gone? And they said, as to that, sir, it occurred to those venerable ones. Here is a crowd of notable lichavis riding in their splendid cars in rivalry with din and uproar, dashing into great wood to see the Exalted One. Now it has been said by the Exalted One that noise is a thorn to jana. Suppose we retreat to Gosinga Wood, where is the Sala Grove. There we can stay pleasantly, free from noise and crowds. So, sir, those venerable ones are gone there. There they are staying pleasantly, free from noise and crowds. And the Buddha said, Well said, monks, well said. Those who should assert what those great disciples have asserted would rightly do so. Indeed, monks, I have said that noise is a thorn to jhāna. There are these ten thorns, monks. What ten? To one who delights in seclusion, delight in society is a thorn. To one devoted to concentration on the sign of the unattractiveness, concentration on the sign of the attractiveness is a thorn. To one guarding the doors of the sense faculties, the sight of shows is a thorn. To the holy life, consorting with women is a thorn. To the first jana, noise is a thorn. To the second jana, Thought directed and sustained is a thorn. To the third jhāna, delight or pity is a thorn. To the fourth jhāna, breathing, in-breathing and out-breathing is a thorn. To the attainment of cessation of perception and feeling. Perception and feeling are a thorn. Lust, hatred and delusion are thorns. So monks, do you abide thornless? Do you abide thorn removers? Do you abide thornless thorn removers? Monks, the thornless are arahants. The thornless thorn removers are arahants. That's the end of the sutta. So here the Buddha is saying, for a monk who delights in seclusion, delight in society is a thorn. To one devoted to concentration on the sign of the unattractiveness. Here it means the unattractiveness of the body. And then the sign of the attractiveness of the body is a thorn to progress in that meditation. To one guarding the doors of the sense faculties, the sight of shows, seeing shows like TV and all that is a thorn. To the holy life, consorting with women is a thorn. This one is quite a fact because many monks who disrobe, they do so because of some women. Many times a monk disrobes because of having become too familiar with some women and then some emotion or feeling develops. And then sometimes a monk, he finds the holy life quite difficult. So sometimes they disrobe and marry some women. To the first jhāna, thoughts, noise is a thorn. If you want to attain the first jhāna, you must stay in a quiet place. If you stay in a city area with a lot of sounds and all that, it's very difficult to attain. To the second jhāna, thought directed and sustained. Because thought directed and sustained is one of the factors of the first jhāna. So when you want to attain to the second jhāna, you must let go of that, those thoughts. To the third jhāna, delight, piti, is a thorn. Because in the third jhāna, there is no more delight, piti. For the fourth jhāna, breathing is a thorn, because a person who attains the fourth jhāna, the breathing stops. And then, to the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling, perception and feeling are a thorn. This cessation of perception and feeling is a state just like Nibbāna, where the consciousness stops. So, when the normal six consciousness, when the normal six consciousness stops, and then this perception and feeling also stop. So if you still have perception and feeling, that means you cannot enter that state of cessation. And then lust, hatred and delusion are thorns. So if we, the Buddha said, if a monk gets rid of all these thorns, then he can become an Arahant.

41-AN-Book-10J-(10.73-to-10.99).txt

Sutta 10.73 The Buddha said, Monks, these ten things are desirable, dear, charming, hard to win in the world. What ten? Wealth is desirable, dear, charming, hard to win in the world. Beauty, health, Virtue, the holy life, friends, much knowledge, wisdom, teachings, the heaven worlds are desirable, dear, charming, hard to win in the world. These are the ten. Stop here for a moment, just have a look at this. Wealth, everybody wants wealth. It's hard to get. Beauty also, especially women like to have beauty, also hard to get. Health, Health also, sometimes we take health for granted, but sometimes our health fails. Virtue, holy life, holy life means a spiritual life, becoming a monk or a nun. And then friends, then much knowledge and wisdom, and the teachings, the heaven worlds, all these are hard to attain. Then the Buddha said, monks, to these ten things desirable, dear, charming, hard to win in the world, Ten things are obstacles. Sloth and non-exertion is an obstacle to wealth. Lack of finery and adornment is an obstacle to beauty. Not exercising regularly is an obstacle to health. Friendship with the wicked is an obstacle to virtue. Non-restraint of the sense faculties is an obstacle to the holy life. Quarreling is an obstacle to having friends. Failure to repeat is an obstacle to much knowledge. Not to lend an ear and ask questions is an obstacle to wisdom. Lack of study and investigation is an obstacle to teaching. Wrong practice is an obstacle to gaining the heavens. These are the ten obstacles to these ten things which are desirable, dear, charming, hard to win in the world. Monks, ten things are helps to these ten things which are desirable, dear, charming, hard to win in the world. What are the ten? Energy and exertion are helps to getting wealth. Finery and adornment are helps to beauty. Regular exercise is a help to health. A lovely friendship is a help to virtue. Restraint of the sense faculties is a help to the holy life. Not quarrelling is a help to friendship. Repetition is a help to much knowledge. Lending an ear and asking questions. are helps to wisdom. Study and investigation are helps to teaching. Right practice is a help to the heaven world. These are the ten helps to these ten things which are desirable, dear, charming, hard to win in the world. That's the end of the Sutta. So you see these ten things most people want. So here the Buddha is telling us how to get them. If you want to have wealth, then you have to have energy and exertion. You have to work very hard. A lot of people, they want to pray for wealth, but it doesn't come that way. We have to work very hard. And then finery and adornment helps to beauty. If we want to look beautiful, then we have to make up and adorn the body, then it looks beautiful. Regular exercise is a help to health. Nowadays, people tend not to exercise so much. When we were younger, you find that a lot of people, they earn their livelihood by working very hard and sweating. Nowadays, people push the pen, as they say. It's all the exercise they do, push the pen. So, not much exercise. So, we need to take exercise, otherwise we cannot be healthy. One suggestion is you come to our vihara, plenty of exercise. A lovely friendship is a help to virtue. If you have a good friend, a good friend who will guide you the virtuous way, then another day you can go to heaven, have a good rebirth, and then you'll be very thankful to him. Restraint of the sense faculties is a help to the holy life. You have to guard our six senses if we want to practice the holy life. Not quarreling is a help to friendship. If you want to retain our friends, we don't want to be quarrelsome. Repetition is a help to much knowledge. This was especially true during the Buddha's time when they did not have books. So you have to repeat whatever you learn to remember and have much knowledge. Lending an ear and asking questions are helps to wisdom. If we want to have wisdom, we need to hear properly and ask questions. Whatever we don't understand, maybe we should ask and then we will know more. Study and investigation are helps to teaching. If we want to teach, then we have to study and investigate properly and then only we can teach others. Right practice is a help to the heaven world. That means doing the right things, for example, keeping your sila, keeping your precepts, having good moral conduct. Then the second thing is generosity. These two are very important if we want to have rebirth in the heaven worlds. Moral conduct and generosity or charity. Now the Sutta is 10.74. The Buddha said, Monks, by increasing in ten growths, the Aryan disciple grows in the Aryan growth, takes hold of the essential, takes hold of the best for his person. What ten? He grows in landed property, in wealth and granary, in child and wife, in slaves and folk who work for him, in four-footed beasts. He grows in faith and virtue, in love, generosity and wisdom. In these ten growths, the Aryan disciple grows in the Aryan growth, takes hold of the essential, takes hold of the best for his person. That's the end of the Sutta. This Sutta is more for lay people, lay people like you. The Buddha says these ten things are good for you in the Aryan discipline. Having more Landed property, that means having more land, property. Second one, having wealth and granary. Having a lot of money and property. But of course you must know how to use it properly, otherwise it would not be good. Then number three, child and wife. having a lot of children and maybe a lot of wives or so during the Buddha's time. Because at that time they were not monogamous. A man could have as many wives as he could support. Then number four, slaves and workers. Number five is four-footed beast, animal property, like cattle and pigs and all that. Number six, having faith, having more faith. Number seven, virtue or moral conduct. Number eight, love, love or what do you call it, loving kindness, metta. Number 9, generosity or charity. Number 10, wisdom. So these are good qualities to acquire, good things to acquire for lay people. Now we come to Sutra number 10.99. I skipped some suttas because I tried to finish this book. Read the important suttas. 10.99. Now the verbal Upali came to the Exalted One, paid homage and sat to one side. Seated to one side, he said to the Exalted One, Sir, I desire to frequent woodland haunts in the forest, to be a lodger in solitude. And the Buddha said, Upali, to frequent woodland haunts in the forest and to be a lodger in solitude are things hard to do. A hard thing it is to dwell secluded. It is hard to find delight in living alone. The wood strain the mind. I think of a monk who has not one concentration of mind. Who so Upali should say, though I have not one concentration of mine, yet I will frequent woodland horns in the forest, I will be a lodger in solitude. Of him it is to be expected that either he will sink to the bottom or float on the surface. Suppose Upali, there is a great pool of water, then comes a bull elephant, seven or eight cubits in height. Stop here for a moment. Here, cubit is the length of a forearm, slightly more than a foot. So this elephant is 7 or 8 cubits in height. And he thinks thus. Suppose I plunge into this pool of water and amuse myself with the spot of squirting water into my ears or over my back. When I have enjoyed this spot and washed and drunk and come out again, suppose I go whithersoever it pleases me. So in he goes and does so, comes out again, and goes with her so ever it pleases him. How can he do it? The great bulk of his person, Upali, finds a footing in deep water. But suppose a hare or a cat should come and say to itself, What difference is there between myself and a bull elephant? Suppose I plunge into this pool of water and amuse myself with the sport of squirting water into my ears or over my back. When I have enjoyed this sport and washed and drunk and come out again, suppose I go with her so ever it pleases me. So he springs into that pool of water hastily and without consideration. Then this is to be expected of him. Either he will sink to the bottom or float on the surface. Why so? The smallness of his person, Upali, finds no footing in deep water. Just in the same way, Upali, who so should say, though I have not one concentration of mine, yet I will frequent woodland haunts in the forest. I will be a lodger in solitude. Of him it is to be expected that either he will sink to the bottom or float on the surface. I'll stop here for a moment to comment. This monk Upali is not that famous Upali who was the monk most learned in the Vinaya. This was another monk. This Upali is not well known. So the Buddha told him that if he wants to stay in the forest and stay alone in the deep forest, he must at least get some concentration. Otherwise, he won't be able to practice. Because if our mind is not steady, we have not tamed the mind by attaining concentration. When we live alone, it can disturb us a lot. We can feel a lot of thoughts disturbing us and we won't be able to practice and a lot of other things. If your mind is not steady, you have a lot of hardship, nobody to confide in, nobody to consult, then you also cannot stand. Sometimes you might not get enough food to eat, or sometimes in the evening you might not feel very well or so, and nobody to comfort you, you are staying all by yourself. So you need to have a fairly strong mind. That's why not many monks are capable of staying alone, especially of staying alone long. There are some monks, they can stay alone for one or two weeks, or three weeks, or even three months. But if you ask them to stay year after year alone, it is very difficult for most people. Then the Buddha said, Again Upali, suppose a tender boy child, feeble and lying on his back, and playing with his own excrement. What think you, Upali? Does not this childish sport come to completion and fullness? And he said, he does... Well then, Upali, that boy child on another occasion, when he has grown older, following on the ripening of the sense faculties, plays with whatever may be the playthings of such children, such as a toy plough, tip-cat, somersaults, windmills, leaf-panikins, toy-cards and toy-bows. Now what think you, Upali? Does not this game come to be finer and more valued than the former?" And he said, Well, Upali, that child, later on, when he has grown older, owing to the ripening of his sense faculties, and has come into possession of the five sense pleasures, and is possessed by them, he becomes a prey to them, to objects cognizable by the eye, objects desirable, agreeable, fascinating, attractive, to sounds, to odors, taste, touch, etc., things concerned with sensual desires and passionate. Now what think you, Upali? Does not this game come to be finer and more valuable than the former? And he said, It does, sir. Now look you, Upali. A Tathagata arises in the world, an Arahant, a perfectly enlightened one, endowed with knowledge and conduct, etc. He makes known this world with its devas, its maras, its brahmas, its recluses and brahmins, its hosts of devas and mankind, himself realizing it by his own comprehension. He teaches dhamma, lovely in the beginning, lovely in the middle, lovely in the end, both in its meaning and its letter. He shows the holy life utterly fulfilled and purified. Then a householder's son, or one reborn in some family or other, hears that Dhamma. On hearing that Dhamma, he wins faith in the Tathāgata. In possession of that faith which he has won, he ponders thus, Oppressive is the home life, a way of dust. The way of going forth is of the open air. It is no easy thing for one living the household life to practice the holy life in all its completeness, in utter purity like a polished shell. What if I were to get my hair and my beard shorn, and donning the saffron robe, were to go forth from home to the homeless life? Then he, sometime later on, abandoning the whole mass of his wealth, whether small or great, abandoning his circle of relatives, whether small or great, gets his hair and his beard shorn and dons the saffron robes and goes forth from the home to the homeless life. Stop here for a moment. You see, normally for a person to go forth, he hears the Dhamma. After hearing the Dhamma, he understands the meaning of the Dhamma. And then he sees anicca, impermanence in life, that we all grow old and die. Then he goes forth. And then the Buddha continues. He, having thus gone forth, having entered upon the way of life in the training followed by the monks, abandoning the slaying of creatures, abstains therefrom. He lives as one who has laid down the rod, who has laid down the knife, who has scruples. He is kind and compassionate and is compassionate for every living being. Abandoning the taking of what is not given, he abstains therefrom. He lives as one who takes only what is given, who waits for what is given. He lives with a self that has become pure, not by stealth. Abandoning the unchaste life, he lives chaste. He lives a life aloof, abstaining from the sexual act, from dealings with women. Abandoning falsehood, he abstains therefrom. He speaks the truth, joins truth to truth, unswerving, reliable, no deceiver of the world. Abandoning slanderous speech, he abstains therefrom. When he hears something at one place, he spreads it not abroad elsewhere, to cause dissension among those folk. When he hears something at another place, he spreads it not abroad elsewhere, to cause dissension among these folk. Thus he reconciles those who are at variance, and confirms the friendly. He delights in harmony, finds pleasure therein, rejoices in harmony, and utters words that make for harmony. Abandoning bitter speech, he abstains therefrom. Whatever speech is blameless, pleasing to the ear, affectionate, speech that goes to the heart, is obeyed, delights many folk. Such speech does he utter. Abandoning idle gossip, he abstains therefrom. He is one who speaks in season, speaks of facts, speaks sense, speaks according to dhamma, speaks according to the discipline. He speaks words worth treasuring up, words seasonable, reasonable, discriminating and concerned with benefit. He is one who abstains from injury to seed life and plant life. He lives on one meal a day, refrains from food at night and at unseasonable hours, from flowers, scents, anguins, adornments, and finery. He abstains from shows of dancing and singing, from beds high and broad, from taking gifts of gold and silver, that is money, from gifts of uncooked grain, gifts of uncooked flesh, from gifts of women and girls, female and male slaves, of goats and sheep, fowls and pigs, elephants, cattle, horses, and mares. He abstains from gifts of fields, cultivated or waste, from buying and selling, abstains from sending messengers or going as such, from cheating with scales, copper vessels or measures, from taking bribes to pervert justice, from cheating and crooked ways. He abstains from cutting, flogging, binding, highway robbery, plundering and deeds of violence. Let's stop here for a moment. This is all a description of moral conduct. See, for monks. Then the Buddha continues. He is content with a robe sufficient to protect the body, with arms, foot sufficient for his belly's needs. Wherever he may go, he takes these with him. Just as, for instance, a bird upon the wing, wherever it may fly, flies with a load of its wings. Even so, a monk is content with a robe. I stop here for a moment. This is a description of contentment. The monk does not want many things. Then the Buddha continues, Seeing an object with the eye, he is not misled by its outer view or by its lesser details. Since coveting and dejection, evil, unprofitable states, might flow in upon one who lives with the faculty of the eye uncontrolled, he applies himself to such control, sets a guard over the faculty of eye and attains control thereof. Hearing a sound with the ear, or with the nose smelling a scent, or with the tongue tasting a savour, or with body contacting tangibles, or with mind cognizing mental states, He is not misled by their outer view or by their lesser details. But since coveting and dejection, evil, unprofitable states might flow in upon one who lives thus, he sets a guard over his sense faculties, attains control thereof. Thus possessed of this Aryan restraint of faculties, he experiences in himself unadulterated bliss. I'll stop here for a moment. This refers to the guarding of the sense faculties for a monk. And then to continue. In his goings out and his comings in, he acts composedly. In looking in front and looking behind, in bending or relaxing, in wearing his robe and bearing outer robe and bowl, in eating, drinking, chewing and tasting, in easing himself, in going, standing, sitting, sleeping, waking, in speaking and keeping silence, he acts composedly. This one, this refers to awareness, sampajaniya, a mindfulness in whatever he does. Let me continue. Possessed of this Aryan mass of morals and this Aryan restraint of the sense faculties and composure, he resorts to a secluded lodging place, a forest, the root of a tree, a hill, ravine, grotto or cave, a charnel field or cemetery, a jungle path, an open space, a heap of straw. Thus gone to the forest or root of a tree or a lonely place, he sits down cross-legged, keeping his body erect and fixing attention in front of him. Then, abandoning the hankering after the world, he abides with heart freed therefrom. He cleanses his heart of hankering. Abandoning the taint of ill-will, with heart free from ill-will, he abides having regard for the welfare and feeling compassion for every living being. being. He cleanses his heart of the taint of ill-will. Abandoning sloth and torpor, he remains freed therefrom, wide awake, mindful, composed, and cleanses his heart of sloth and torpor. Abandoning restlessness and worry, he abides restful at heart in the inner self. He cleanses his heart of restlessness and worry. Abandoning doubt and wavering, he abides as one who has transcended them, no longer questioning this or that in things profitable. He cleanses his heart of doubt and wavering. Stop here for a moment. This going to a secluded lodging place is not going to the deep forest, going to a quiet place, not so deep into the forest where he can come out easily. Then to continue. Thus abandoning these five hindrances, these stains of the heart which cause the weakening of wisdom, aloof from sense desires, aloof from unprofitable states, he enters into the first jhāna, which is accompanied by thought, directed and sustained, born of seclusion, delightful and easeful, and so abides. Now what think you, Upali? Is not this way of living more excellent and choice than his former ways? And he said, It is, sir. Now Upali, my disciples coming to see this dhamma in the cell, follow after woodland horns in the forest and solitary lodging, but not, if they have attained their own good, do they dwell there. Stop here for a moment. So here the Buddha is saying, if a monk attains the first jhāna, then he can go into the deep forest and stay alone by himself. And the Buddha continues. Again Upali, a monk by calming down, thought directed and sustained, attains the second jhāna. Now what think you, Upali, is not this way of living more excellent in choice than his former ways of living? It is, Indeed Upali, my disciples, coming to see this Dhamma in the cell, follow after woodland horns in the forest and solitary lodging, but not, if they have attained their own good, do they dwell there." Similarly, the Buddha goes into the third jhāna, fourth jhāna, and then the formless jhānas, the base of infinite space, the base of infinite consciousness, the base of nothingness, and the base of neither perception nor non-perception. And then passing beyond that, He attains a cessation of perception and feeling, and so abides. And by insight beholding it, he knows that in himself the asavas are destroyed. Now what think you, Upali, in each of these stages, is not this way of living more excellent in choice than his former ways?" And he said, And the Buddha said, My disciples Upali, because they behold this Dhamma in the self, follow after woodland horns in the forest and solitary lodging, but not if they have attained their own good, do they dwell there. Come then, Upali, do you dwell with the Sangha, or the dwelling with the Sangha will be pleasant for you. So that's the end of the sutta. So here the Buddha is telling this monk that he should not go into the forest because he has not attained sufficient concentration to support him. So the Buddha says only after a monk attains the first jhana then he is encouraged to go into the deep forest and live alone but not otherwise. Now we go to the next Sutta, 10.101 The Buddha said, Monks, three ideas of a recluse if made to grow, made much of, complete seven other conditions. What three? One, I am now come to a state of being an outcast. Two, my life is dependent upon others. Number three, I must now conduct myself differently. These three ideas of a recluse, if made to grow, made much of, complete seven other conditions. What seven? One, he is one who ever and always makes no pause in action or practice of virtue. He does no harm to anyone. He is without self-conceit. He is eager for the training. As regards the necessaries of life, he thinks, this is my object. It dwells ardent in energy. Thus monks, these three ideas of a recluse, if made to grow, if made much of, complete these seven conditions. So, that's the end of the sutta. So here the Buddha is saying that a monk should contemplate these three important things. First, that he has come, he has now come to the state of being an outcast. That means an outcast from society. a person who is not somebody in society. So he must always remember that. Because if he remembers that, then he will act quite differently. Number two, he must remember, my life is dependent upon others. Number three, I must now conduct myself differently. If a monk understands these three things, then he humbles himself. He knows that his life is in the hands of lay supporters. Then he will behave quite differently. So, these seven things the Buddha says, he will practice. Number one, he makes no pause in action. Here action is satatakari. He makes no pause in action. I don't know whether that means he's very energetic in striving. Number two, he makes no pause in the practice of virtue in his precepts. He remembers to uphold his precepts. Number three, he does no harm to anyone. Number four, he is without self-conceit. He becomes a humble person. Number five, he is eager for the training. The training is the Buddha's training in the Noble Eightfold Path of Sila Samadhipanya. 6. As regards the necessaries of life, he thinks, this is my object. In other words, he thinks my object is practicing the holy life. As far as the requisites of life, they are not so important. Whether I get a good robe, or I eat good food, or I sleep in a very comfortable bed or something, not so important. 7. He dwells ardent in energy. That means he's very energetic in cultivating the holy life. So these three conditions is very good for a monk to remember.

42-AN-Book-10K-(10.177-to-10.213).txt

Now we come to the next Sutta, 10.177. This is about transference of merit. Now the Brahmin Janusoni came to see the Exalted One, paid homage and sat down to one side. Then he said to the Exalted One, Master Gautama, let me tell you, we Brahmins, give charitable gifts. We make the Shraddha offerings to the dead, saying, May this gift to my relatives and blood relations who are dead and gone be of profit. May our kinsmen and blood relations who are dead and gone enjoy this offering. Master Gautama, does that gift profit our kinsmen and blood relatives dead and gone? Do they really enjoy that gift? Let's stop here for a moment. So you see from here that these Brahmins, when their relative passes away, they want to do some merit, some good for their relative. So they offer this food. And their custom is that they burn the food, you know, they burn whatever they offer, they burn. And he's not sure, this man is not sure that whether his relative actually gets the offering or not. So the Buddha said, well Brahmin, if there be ground for it, it does profit them, but not if there be no ground. Here ground you could say condition, if there is the condition they will get it. And then he asked, Master Gautama, what is ground and what is no ground? and the Buddha said, Here in Brahmin, a certain one takes life, takes what is not given, in sexual desires is a wrongdoer, is a slanderer, of bitter speech, an idle babbler, covetous, harmful in thought, and wrong in view. When body breaks up, after death, he rises up again in hell. There he subsists on food proper to dwellers in hell. On that he is grounded. This Brahmin is the no-ground, standing on which that gift profits him not. Stop here for a moment. So here the Buddha is saying that if a person is reborn in hell, he subsists or he maintains himself with the food found in hell and he cannot get the food that is offered by his relative. One thing you find in the teachings of the Buddha, that all beings must have food. All beings survive with food. Even you are born as a deva, a heavenly being, also you need food. You are born in hell, also you need food. Born as an animal or ghost, also you need food. Just as humans need food. Then the Buddha continues, Herein again a certain one takes life, etc. He, when body breaks up after death, rises up again in the womb of an animal. There also he subsists on food proper to creatures so born. On that he is grounded. This also Brahmin is no ground. Whereon standing, that gift profits him not. Stop here for a moment. So you see, a person born in the animal realm also cannot get the help that his relative wants to give him. Then the Buddha continues. Yet again, a certain one abstains from taking life, from taking what is not given, from wrong conduct in sexual desires, from falsehood, from slander, from bitter speech, from idol, gossip, he is not covetous, his thoughts are not harmful, and he has right view. When body breaks up after death, he rises up again in the company of human beings. There he subsists on food proper to human beings, on that he is grounded. But this also, Brahmin, is no ground, whereon standing, that gift profits him not. Stop here for a moment. So a person born as a human being as somebody's baby when the previous life relative is doing some Meritorious deed for him also he cannot get Here this one you find a person keeps the precepts and has right view and he's born as a human being what is right view here right view here is a Worldly right view, mundane right view, that means belief in karma, in core beliefs in karma, vipaka. Yet again, a certain one abstains from taking life and the rest, and he has right view. When body breaks up after death, he rises up again in the company of Devas, or heavenly beings. There he subsists on food proper to Devas. On that he is grounded. This also Brahmin is no ground, standing on which that gift profits him not. Stop here for a moment. So if a person is born in the heavens, also he does not get the merit that his relative is doing for him. But then in heaven he does not need also. And then the Buddha continues. Here again Brahmin, a certain one takes life etc. and has wrong view. When body breaks up after death, he rises up again in the realm of the ghost, Peta. There he subsists on whatever be the food proper to beings in that realm. On that he is grounded. Whatsoever offerings his friends and fellows or kinsmen and blood relations convey to him, on that he subsists, on that he is grounded. This indeed Brahman is the ground, standing on which that gift is of profit to him. I'll stop here for a moment. So you find if a person is reborn as a ghost, a peta, then he does get what his relative offers to him. Then the Brahmin asks, but Master Gautama, suppose that this blood relation who is dead and gone has not reached that place, the realm of the ghost, who then enjoys that offering? And the Buddha said, in that case, Brahmin, other blood relations, dead and gone, who have reached that place, the realm of ghosts, enjoy it. And then he asked, But suppose, Master Gautama, that both that blood relation and the others who are dead and gone have not reached that place, that ghost realm, who then enjoys that offering? And the Buddha said, That, Brahmin, is impossible. It cannot come to pass that that place should be empty for so long a time of blood relations, dead and gone. Anyhow, Brahmin, he who offers to the dead and gone is not without reward. I stop here this sutra. This sutra continues a bit more but then it is not important at all so I don't want to read it. So here the Buddha is saying that our relatives who have passed away and reborn in the ghost realm when we do good deeds for them they should be able to get it. And not only the recent blood, recent relatives who have passed away, even other relatives, maybe from the previous life, who have passed away and are in the ghost realm, they are probably waiting for us to help them. So that is why whenever we do any good deed, we should transfer to all beings. sometimes if we are going to do a good deed, especially for a relative who has recently passed away, or for example, even if you move into a new house, and as soon as you, before you move into that house, or as soon as you move into that house, then you want to do this dana, this offering, and you want to transfer the merit, then it's good, before you do that dana, to tell these spirits that you are going to do that dana on their behalf. because they have a ghost body, they cannot do that dana. So you tell them that you are doing it on their behalf, that you will transfer the merit to them, then they'll be very happy and they are waiting for you to do that dana. So especially if you move into a new house, you want to be at peace with all the spirits in the house and all the neighboring spirits, the Datuk Kong and everything. So it is good to make this dana for them. Even if you are staying in an old house or so, whenever you do any dana, it's also good to tell them and transfer the merit to them. Then your house will be quite peaceful. This is quite an important sutra because it shows that there is this act that we do for our dead relative and that they can benefit. if they are reborn as ghosts but not if they are not reborn as ghosts. Now the Buddha did not explain why only ghosts can get this merit but maybe it is because ghosts can come back. If a person is born in some other realm, he does not come back. That's why Chinese believe after seven days of passing away, the relative will come back. And sometimes there is evidence that they do come back. But if they do come back, then most probably they are born as ghosts. And they want you to know. That's why they maybe show some footsteps or make some noise in the house to tell you to please help. Now, today we are at this Book of the Tens, 10.205. The Buddha said, monks, I will teach you Dhamma teaching, Dhamma teaching on crookedness or sneakiness. Do you listen to it? Pay attention carefully and I will speak. We will, sir, reply those monks to the Exalted One who said, And what monks is Dharma teaching which teaches about crookedness? Monks, beings are the owners of their karma, heirs to their karma, born of their karma, related to their karma, abide supported by their karma. Whatever karma they do, be it good or evil, of that they will be the heirs. In this connection, monks, a certain one takes life. He is a hunter, bloody-handed, given over to killing and slaying, void of compassion to all living creatures. He goes crookedly in body, crookedly in speech, crookedly in mind. His action with body is crooked, so is that with speech and mind. Crooked is his born, and crooked his rising up again in birth. Moreover, monks, for one whose born is crooked, whose rebirth is crooked, for him there is one of two borns, either downright woe in hell, or to be born in the womb of an animal, one that creeps crookedly along. And of what sort, monks, is that birth in the womb of an animal, one that creeps crookedly along—a snake, a scorpion, a centipede, a mongoose, a cat, a mouse, an owl, or whatsoever other animal goes stealthily on seeing human beings? Herein again a certain one takes what is not given. is a wrongdoer in sensual desires, is a liar, a slanderer, a bitter speech of idle babble, covetous of harmful thoughts, of wrong view, of perverse view, holding that there is no gift, no offering, no sacrifice, there is no fruit or ripening of deeds well done or ill done, This world is not, the world beyond is not. There is no father, no mother, no being supernaturally born in other worlds. There are no recluses and brahmanas or holy men in the world who have gone the right way, who fare rightly. Men who by their own comprehension have realized this world and the world beyond and declare thus. He goes crookedly in body, speech, and mind. His actions with body, speech, and mind is crooked. His bond is crooked. For one whose bond is crooked, for him I declare that it is one of two bonds, either downright woe in hell, or to be born in the womb of an animal. a snake, a scorpion, a centipede, a mongoose, a mouse, a cat, an owl, or whatsoever other animal goes stealthily on seeing human beings. Monks. Beings are the owners of their kamma, heirs to their kamma, born of their kamma, related to their kamma, abide supported by their kamma, Whatever karma they do, be it good or evil, of that they will be the heirs. Herein again monks, a certain one abandons taking life, abstains therefrom. He lays aside the rod, he lays aside the knife. He dwells modest, charitable, feeling compassion for all living creatures. He goes not crookedly in body, speech and mind. His action with body, speech and mind is straight. Straightforward is His born, and straight His rebirth. Now, monks, for one whose born and rebirth are straight, I declare one of two borns, either those heaven worlds that are utter bliss or rebirth in whatsoever families are exalted, such as the families of nobles, or brahmins, or housefathers of great household, wealthy, of great resources, of great property, with great store of gold and silver, with great store of possessions, with great store of wealth and grain, thus become monks, is the rebirth of one who has come to be. What he does, by that he is reborn. When reborn, appropriate context contacts such a one. Thus I declare that beings are the heirs of their deeds. Herein again, monks, a certain one abandons taking what is not given. He abstains therefrom. He abandons wrong action in sensual desires. He abandons falsehood, slander, coarse speech or bitter speech, coveting. He is of harmless thoughts. He has right view. He holds the reasonable view that there is gift. that there is offering, sacrifice, that there is fruit and ripening of deeds done well or ill, that this world is, that the world beyond is, that there are mother and father and beings supernaturally born in other worlds, that in this world there are recluses and Brahmins who go the right way, who fare rightly, who by their own comprehension have realized both this world and the world beyond and so declare it. Such a one goes not crookedly in body, speech, and mind. His action of body, speech, and mind is straight, outright. Straightforward is his born, and straight is his rebirth. Now monks, for one whose born is straight, I declare one of two borns, either those heavens that are utter bliss or rebirth, in whatsoever families are exalted, with great store of wealth and grain, etc. Indeed, monks, beings are the owners of their kamma, heirs of their kamma, born of their kamma, related to their kamma, abide supported by their kamma. Whatever kamma they do, be it good or evil, of that they will be the heirs. Such monks is the Dhamma teaching, the teaching about crookedness. That's the whole Sutta. So here, the Buddha is saying that whatever nature we have, we will be reborn in the same way. So if a person is crooked, he is one who is very secretive, he grows stealthily along, he might be born as an animal that is of such a nature. a snake, scorpion, centipede, mongoose, cat, mouse, owl, such type of creature. And if he does a lot of evil deeds, he might even be reborn in hell. Here is mentioned the 10 deeds which are evil karma. Three are of the body. Three body evil kamma is killing, stealing and committing adultery. These are the three evil body kammas. And then the evil verbal kammas are four types. The first one is lying. The second one is carrying tales from A to B and making A and B quarrel. A person hears A talking bad about B and then he goes to tell B, A said such and such a thing about you. So B gets very angry and quarrels with A or fights with A. So he causes disharmony by carrying tails. That's the second type of evil verbal karma. The third type of evil verbal karma is coarse speech or harsh speech. Using foul words, swearing and all that. Always talking very heatedly, very angrily like that. The fourth type of evil verbal karma is idle gossip. Idle gossip, talking a lot of nonsense, frivolous words. So these are the four evil karmas, four verbal evil karmas. Then there are three types of evil mental karmas. The first one is being over greedy, covetousness. That means greedy for other people's property. The second one is ill will, having a lot of anger and hatred, always having a lot of ill will. Third one is having wrong view. Having wrong view means not believing in karma, believing that if you do good, you will get happiness, that if you do evil, you will suffer for it. And also not believing that there are holy men who have become enlightened and realize the truth about the nature of the world. And not believing that there is another world after you pass away, that there are heavenly beings and all other types of beings in the other world. So the ten good kamas are the opposite of the ten evil kamas. Refraining from killing, refraining from stealing, refraining from sexual misconduct, this adultery, refraining from lying, refraining from carrying tales and causing disharmony, refraining from coarse speech, refraining from idle gossip, and then the opposite of covetousness, which is renunciation, not being greedy, renunciation. Then another one is not having ill will, having a lot of good will, having a lot of loving kindness. That's the ninth good karma. And the tenth one is having right view, believing in karma, believing that there is another world after you pass away, believing that there are holy men who have realized the truth. So the Buddha says, if we perform the ten evil karmas, we will be reborn. The chances are that we will be reborn either in hell or as an animal. And if you do the ten good karmas, perform the ten good karmas, then the chances are that you may be reborn in heaven or at least as a human being. Now we go to the next sutra, 10.213. The Buddha said, monks possessing 40 qualities, one is cast into hell accordingly as he deserves. What 40? He takes life himself, encourages another to do so, approves of taking life, and speaks in praise of taking life. So here, we stop here for a moment. So here you find the first evil karma that will bring you to hell is to kill, to take other living beings' life. So here this person does four things. Firstly, he kills. Secondly, he encourages others to kill. Thirdly, he approves of killing, sokong, approves of killing. And the fourth one, he praises killing of other beings. So, the first one, by killing himself, he already performs a lot of evil karma. Secondly, if he encourages others to kill again, he performs more evil karma. Third one, he approves of other people killing, more evil karma. The fourth one, he praises the killing of living beings. Then he gets more evil karma. So the first evil karma, there are four ways of getting evil karma. Killing, encouraging, approving and speaking in praise. So same with the other nine. Second one is stealing. taking what is not given. So, he steals, he encourages others to steal, he approves of stealing and he speaks in praise of stealing. So, the third one is committing adultery. He commits adultery himself and encourages others to do so, approves of it and speaks in praise of it. So, every one of the evil karmas, there are four ways of getting more evil karma, of performing this evil karma. So 4 times 10, you get 40. So I just refresh your memory. What are these 10 evil kammas? Killing, stealing, committing adultery, lying, carrying tales so that people quarrel and fight. Speaking coarse words, rough words, and then idle gossip, and then covetousness, greed for other people's things. Another one is ill will or anger, having a lot of anger and hatred. and the last one is having wrong view. So each of these, if you perform them and then you encourage others to do, approve of it and speak in praise of it, so you get these 40 evil kammas, which will bring a person to hell. So you have to, so when we think of the reverse, it's also the same. If you perform the ten good kamas and then you encourage people to also do these good ten good kamas and you approve of it and you speak in praise of it then you get even more merit than just doing it yourself.

43-AN-Book-11-(11.6-to-11.16).txt

Now we come to the book of the 11s. Sutta 11.6. The Buddha said, monks, if any monk abuses and reviles, rails at the Aryans who are his fellows in the holy life, it is utterly impossible, it is unavoidable that he should not come to one or other of 11 disasters. What 11? He fails to attain the unattained. 2. From what he has attained, he falls away. 3. True Dharma is not made clear for him. 4. He is conceited about true Dharmas. 5. He follows the holy life without delight. 6. He commits some foul offence. 7. He gives up the training and falls back to the low life. That means the life as a layman. 8. He falls into some grievous sickness. 9. He goes out of his mind with distraction. 10. He makes an end with mind confused. That means he dies with mind confused. 11. When body breaks up beyond death, he rises up again in the waste, the ill-born, the downfall, in hell. Monks! If any monk abuses and reviles, rails at the Aryans, who are his fellows in the holy life, it is utterly impossible, it is unavoidable, that he should not come to one or other of these eleven disasters. So here, that's the end of the Sutta. So here the Buddha is saying, if we abuse holy men and Aryans, here he's talking about monks. If monks abuse other holy monks, then they can suffer one of these eleven disasters. Number one, he fails to attain the unattain. That means what? 2. What he has attained, he falls away. For example, if he has attained concentration, and then he gets angry with some holy monks then he might lose his concentration just like Devadatta Devadatta at one time he attained all the eight jhanas so that he had psychic power but later because he wanted to take over the Buddha's place as leader of the monks and the Buddha did not allow him so he schemed to kill the Buddha and he talked bad about the Buddha So all the psychic power that he had attained all fell away. He lost all his psychic power. Number three, true dharma is not made clear for him. He is not able to see the true dharma. Or he is conceited about true dharmas. He is swollen headed because he knows a bit of dharma. Number five, He does not delight in the holy life, that means he wears the robe, he is not happy. Or number six, he commits some foul offense, he breaks some precepts, some heavy precepts. Or number seven, he gives up the training as a monk and he goes back to the lay life. But number eight, he becomes sick, grievously sick. Just like Devadatta, after trying to kill the Buddha, later he became grievously ill. And then he felt sorry for what he did. And then when he wanted to come and apologize to the Buddha, it was too late. It was too late. He died before he could see the Buddha. Then number 9, he might go out of his mind with distraction. That means his mind is very restless, very scattered because of talking bad about holy men. So, his mind is very scattered. Number 10, he dies with mind confused. When he's about to die, his mind is very confused. Then number 11, After he has died, he might be reborn in hell because of reviling holy men. Now, Sutta 11.7. Whenever Ananda came to see the Exalted One, paid homage to the Exalted One and sat down to one side, then he asked the Buddha, he said, Pleaser, may it be that a monk's winning of concentration is of such a sort that in earth he is unperceptive of earth, in water, unperceptive of water, in fire, unperceptive of fire, in air, unperceptive of air, in the realm of unbounded space, unperceptive of it, in the realm of unbounded consciousness, unperceptive of it, in the realm of nothingness, unperceptive of it, in the realm of neither perception nor non-perception, also unperceptive of it, that in this world he is unaware of this, unperceptive of this world, in the world beyond he is unperceptive of the world beyond, that whatsoever is seen, heard, sensed, cognized, attained, sought after, thought over by mind, Of all that he is unperceptive, and yet he perceives. And the Buddha said, It may be so, Ananda. A monk's winning of concentration may be of such a sort that in earth he is unperceptive of earth, etc., etc. Then remember Ananda asked, But sir, in what way may a monk's winning of concentration be of such a sort that of all that he is unperceptive and yet he perceives. And then the Buddha said, Herein Ananda, among his conscious thus, this is the real, this is the best, namely the calming of all conditioners, the rejection of every substrate, the ending of craving, the fading of interest, stopping of cessation and ibana. In such way, Ananda, amongst winning of concentration, may be of such a sort that in earth he is unperceptive of earth, etc., that in whatsoever is seen, heard, sensed, cognized, attained, sought after, thought out by mind, of all that he is unperceptive, and yet at the same time he perceives. That's the end of the Sutta. It's quite an interesting Sutta. Here the Venerable Ananda is asking, can a monk attain a state of concentration such that he is in this world and yet he is not perceptive of this world? Usually, The Buddha talks about feeling and perception. If a person has feeling and perception, it means he has consciousness. He is conscious. So if a person has no perception, it also means he has no consciousness. But in this case, The Buddha is talking about a person who has attained a state of concentration that he is not aware of this world at all. He is not aware of whatever is seen, sensed, heard, cognized, thought over, etc. And yet, at the same time, he is conscious. So the Buddha said it is possible, it is possible and he can attain this stage when he calms down all his conditioners and he is disenchanted with everything in this world and he attains cessation and here he even says Nibbāna. So here Basically, what is being said is that this state of Nibbāna is of this sort. If a person attains Nibbāna, the Sixth Consciousness will stop working. Sixth Consciousness will stop working. And yet there appears to be another type of consciousness, another type of consciousness where that person is not even aware of himself. So sometimes some monks say when a person attains Nibbana there is totally no consciousness and not any type of consciousness at all. But in certain suttas like in the Kevada Sutta in the Digha Nikaya it is mentioned that in the state of Nibbana consciousness is boundless and luminous, all bright. And yet, in that state, there is no small, no big, no Nama, no Rupa. In other words, when you have Nama Rupa, you must have consciousness Vijnana. Vijnana always comes with Nama Rupa. Because Nama Rupa is the object of consciousness, mentality and materiality. It's always the object of consciousness. So if you don't have Nama Rupa, it means that you don't have consciousness. But yet the Buddha says there is a type of consciousness which is luminous, which is boundless. So probably here is also referring to the same thing. Now we come to the last Sutta, 11.16. The Buddha said, monks, eleven advantages are to be looked for from the radiation by mind of loving-kindness, by making loving-kindness grow, by making much of it, by making loving-kindness a vehicle and basis, by persisting in it, by becoming familiar with it, by well-establishing it. What are the eleven? One sleeps happy and wakes happy. He dreams no evil dream. He is dear to human beings and non-human beings alike. The devas or heavenly beings guard him. Fire, poison or sword affect him not. Quickly he concentrates his mind. His complexion is serene. He makes an end or he dies without bewilderment. And if he has penetrated no further, he reaches, upon dying, the Brahma world. These eleven advantages are to be looked for. from the radiation by mind of loving-kindness, by making loving-kindness grow, by making much of it, by making loving-kindness a vehicle and basis, by persisting in it, by becoming familiar with it, by well establishing it. That's the end of the sutta. Here I have translated this Radiation by Mind of Loving-Kindness. Here, in the Polytech Society book, they have it as the release of heart by the practice of enmity. Release is like liberation. Here I prefer the word radiate. You radiate loving kindness by the mind. In the suttas, the Buddha has said that to practice loving kindness, we should first attain the jhanas, at least the first jhana. Because if a person has attained jhana, the mind is strong. Then when he practices radiating out the loving-kindness, it is possible. But if we don't have a strong mind, we try to radiate the loving-kindness, other beings cannot feel it. So if a person can practice this radiation by mind of loving kindness, it means he has attained the jhanas. And if a person has attained the jhanas, so he gets these benefits by practicing metta. He sleeps happy and wakes happy. He dreams no evil dream. He is dear to human beings and non-human beings alike because he is always having metta. The devas guard him. Fire, poison or sword affect him not. This one is because the devas guard him. Sometimes people think, even if he takes poison, he won't die. But I don't think it's in that sense. It's a sense that because he's protected by devas, that even if he were to maybe take some poison or anything, or fire or sword, anything might want to harm him, but the devas will protect him. And then he can concentrate his mind quickly. His complexion is very serene. And he dies unconfused. And if he has not attained to Arahanthood, he will attain to the Brahma world. Brahma world is in the form realm rupa loka and in the form realm generally you should have jhana to be able to be reborn there. So these are the advantages of practicing metta, loving kindness. So with that I come to the end of the Anguttara Nikaya.