4.
The Discourse on Fear and Dread
34. Thus have I heard - On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's park. Then the brahmin Jāṇussoṇi approached the Blessed One; having approached, he exchanged friendly greetings with the Blessed One. Having concluded the pleasant and memorable talk, he sat down to one side. Seated to one side, the brahmin Jāṇussoṇi said this to the Blessed One - "These sons of good family, Master Gotama, who with faith have gone forth from home into homelessness with reference to Master Gotama, Master Gotama is their forerunner, Master Gotama is of great service to them, Master Gotama is their instigator; and that populace follows Master Gotama's example." "So it is, brahmin, so it is, brahmin! Those sons of good family, brahmin, who with faith have gone forth from home into homelessness with reference to me, I am their forerunner, I am of great service to them, I am their instigator; and that populace follows my example." "Remote forest and woodland lodgings are indeed difficult to endure, Master Gotama, solitude is difficult to practise, it is difficult to delight in being alone; methinks the forests carry away the mind of a monk who has not attained concentration." "So it is, brahmin, so it is, brahmin! Remote forest and woodland lodgings are indeed difficult to endure, brahmin, solitude is difficult to practise, it is difficult to delight in being alone; methinks the forests carry away the mind of a monk who has not attained concentration."
35. "To me too, brahmin, before the enlightenment, while still unenlightened, being just a Bodhisatta, this occurred - 'Remote forest and woodland lodgings are indeed difficult to endure, solitude is difficult to practise, it is difficult to delight in being alone; methinks the forests carry away the mind of a monk who has not attained concentration.' This occurred to me, brahmin: 'Whatever ascetics or brahmins with impure bodily action resort to remote forest and woodland lodgings, because of the fault of their impure bodily action, those venerable ascetics and brahmins indeed invoke unwholesome fear and dread. But I do not resort to remote forest and woodland lodgings with impure bodily action; I am one with pure bodily action. I am one of those noble ones with pure bodily action who resort to remote forest and woodland lodgings.' Seeing this purity of bodily action in myself, brahmin, I attained greater confidence for dwelling in the forest.
36. "This occurred to me, brahmin: 'Whatever ascetics or brahmins with impure verbal action... etc. with impure mental action... etc. with impure livelihood resort to remote forest and woodland lodgings, because of the fault of their impure livelihood, those venerable ascetics and brahmins indeed invoke unwholesome fear and dread. But I do not resort to remote forest and woodland lodgings with impure livelihood; I am one with pure livelihood. I am one of those noble ones with pure livelihood who resort to remote forest and woodland lodgings.' Seeing this purity of livelihood in myself, brahmin, I attained greater confidence for dwelling in the forest.
37. "This occurred to me, brahmin: 'Whatever ascetics or brahmins who are covetous, with intense lust for sensual pleasures, resort to remote forest and woodland lodgings, because of the fault of their covetousness and intense lust for sensual pleasures, those venerable ascetics and brahmins indeed invoke unwholesome fear and dread. But I do not resort to remote forest and woodland lodgings being covetous, with intense lust for sensual pleasures; I am non-covetous. I am one of those noble ones who are non-covetous who resort to remote forest and woodland lodgings.' Seeing this non-covetousness in myself, brahmin, I attained greater confidence for dwelling in the forest.
38. "This occurred to me, brahmin: 'Whatever ascetics or brahmins with corrupted minds and evil mental intentions resort to remote forest and woodland lodgings, because of the fault of their corrupted minds and evil mental intentions, those venerable ascetics and brahmins indeed invoke unwholesome fear and dread. But I do not resort to remote forest and woodland lodgings with a corrupted mind and evil mental intentions; I have a mind of friendliness. I am one of those noble ones with minds of friendliness who resort to remote forest and woodland lodgings.' Seeing this quality of having a mind of friendliness in myself, brahmin, I attained greater confidence for dwelling in the forest.
39. "This occurred to me, brahmin: 'Whatever ascetics or brahmins overcome by sloth and torpor resort to remote forest and woodland lodgings, because of the fault of being overcome by sloth and torpor, those venerable ascetics and brahmins indeed invoke unwholesome fear and dread. But I do not resort to remote forest and woodland lodgings overcome by sloth and torpor; I am free from sloth and torpor. I am one of those noble ones free from sloth and torpor who resort to remote forest and woodland lodgings.' Seeing this freedom from sloth and torpor in myself, brahmin, I attained greater confidence for dwelling in the forest.
40. "This occurred to me, brahmin: 'Whatever ascetics or brahmins who are agitated and with unquiet minds resort to remote forest and woodland lodgings, because of the fault of their agitation and unquiet minds, those venerable ascetics and brahmins indeed invoke unwholesome fear and dread. But I do not resort to remote forest and woodland lodgings agitated and with an unquiet mind; I am one with a quiet mind. I am one of those noble ones with quiet minds who resort to remote forest and woodland lodgings.' Seeing this quietude of mind in myself, brahmin, I attained greater confidence for dwelling in the forest.
41. "This occurred to me, brahmin: 'Whatever ascetics or brahmins who are doubting and uncertain resort to remote forest and woodland lodgings, because of the fault of their doubt and uncertainty, those venerable ascetics and brahmins indeed invoke unwholesome fear and dread. But I do not resort to remote forest and woodland lodgings being one who is doubting and uncertain; I am one who has crossed over doubt. I am one of those noble ones who have crossed over doubt who resort to remote forest and woodland lodgings.' Seeing this state of having crossed over doubt in myself, brahmin, I attained greater confidence for dwelling in the forest.
42. "This occurred to me, brahmin: 'Whatever ascetics or brahmins who exalt themselves and disparage others resort to remote forest and woodland lodgings, because of the fault of self-exaltation and disparaging others, those venerable ascetics and brahmins indeed invoke unwholesome fear and dread. But I do not resort to remote forest and woodland lodgings exalting myself and disparaging others; I am one who does not exalt myself and does not disparage others. I am one of those noble ones who do not exalt themselves and do not disparage others who resort to remote forest and woodland lodgings.' Seeing this absence of self-exaltation and absence of disparaging others in myself, brahmin, I attained greater confidence for dwelling in the forest.
43. "This occurred to me, brahmin: 'Whatever ascetics or brahmins who are terrified and fearful by nature resort to remote forest and woodland lodgings, because of the fault of being terrified and fearful by nature, those venerable ascetics and brahmins indeed invoke unwholesome fear and dread. But I do not resort to remote forest and woodland lodgings being terrified and fearful by nature; I am one whose hair no longer stands on end. I am one of those noble ones whose hair no longer stands on end who resort to remote forest and woodland lodgings.' Seeing this freedom from hair standing on end in myself, brahmin, I attained greater confidence for dwelling in the forest.
44. "This occurred to me, brahmin: 'Whatever ascetics or brahmins desiring material gain, honour and fame resort to remote forest and woodland lodgings, because of the fault of desiring material gain, honour and fame, those venerable ascetics and brahmins indeed invoke unwholesome fear and dread. But I do not resort to remote forest and woodland lodgings desiring material gain, honour and fame; I have few wishes. I am one of those noble ones with few wishes who resort to remote forest and woodland lodgings.' Seeing this quality of having few wishes in myself, brahmin, I attained greater confidence for dwelling in the forest.
45. "This occurred to me, brahmin: 'Whatever ascetics or brahmins who are lazy and lacking in energy resort to remote forest and woodland lodgings, because of the fault of their laziness and lack of energy, those venerable ascetics and brahmins indeed invoke unwholesome fear and dread. But I do not resort to remote forest and woodland lodgings being lazy and lacking in energy; I am one putting forth strenuous energy. I am one of those noble ones putting forth strenuous energy who resort to remote forest and woodland lodgings.' Seeing this putting forth of strenuous energy in myself, brahmin, I attained greater confidence for dwelling in the forest.
46. "This occurred to me, brahmin: 'Whatever ascetics or brahmins who are unmindful and not fully aware resort to remote forest and woodland lodgings, because of the fault of their unmindfulness and lack of full awareness, those venerable ascetics and brahmins indeed invoke unwholesome fear and dread. But I do not resort to remote forest and woodland lodgings unmindful and not fully aware; I am one who has established mindfulness. I am one of those noble ones who, having established mindfulness, resort to remote forest and woodland lodgings.' Seeing this establishment of mindfulness in myself, brahmin, I attained greater confidence for dwelling in the forest.
47. "This occurred to me, brahmin: 'Whatever ascetics or brahmins who are unconcentrated with wandering minds resort to remote forest and woodland lodgings, because of the fault of being unconcentrated with wandering minds, those venerable ascetics and brahmins indeed invoke unwholesome fear and dread. But I do not resort to remote forest and woodland lodgings unconcentrated with a wandering mind; I am accomplished in concentration. I am one of those noble ones accomplished in concentration who resort to remote forest and woodland lodgings.' Seeing this accomplishment in concentration in myself, brahmin, I attained greater confidence for dwelling in the forest.
48. "This occurred to me, brahmin: 'Whatever ascetics or brahmins who are unwise, idiots, resort to remote forest and woodland lodgings, because of the fault of being unwise idiots, those venerable ascetics and brahmins indeed invoke unwholesome fear and dread. But I do not resort to remote forest and woodland lodgings being unwise, an idiot; I am accomplished in wisdom. I am one of those noble ones accomplished in wisdom who resort to remote forest and woodland lodgings.' Seeing this accomplishment in wisdom in myself, brahmin, I attained greater confidence for dwelling in the forest.
The sixteen expositions are concluded.
49. "This occurred to me, brahmin: 'What if I, on those nights that are well-known and marked - the fourteenth, the fifteenth, and the eighth of the fortnight - on such nights, were to dwell in such lodgings as park shrines, forest shrines, and tree shrines that are frightful and hair-raising, perhaps I might see that fear and dread.' So I, brahmin, at a later time, on those nights that are well-known and marked - the fourteenth, the fifteenth, and the eighth of the fortnight - on such nights, I dwell in such lodgings as park shrines, forest shrines, and tree shrines that are frightful and hair-raising. And while I was dwelling there, brahmin, a wild animal would come, or a peacock would knock down a piece of wood, or the wind would stir a heap of leaves; this occurred to me, brahmin: 'Surely this is that fear and dread coming.' This occurred to me, brahmin: 'Why indeed do I dwell always expecting fear? What if, in whatever posture that fear and dread comes upon me, in that same posture I were to dispel that fear and dread.' While I was walking up and down, brahmin, that fear and dread came upon me. So I, brahmin, would neither stand nor sit down nor lie down until, while still walking up and down, I had dispelled that fear and dread. While I was standing, brahmin, that fear and dread came upon me. So I, brahmin, would neither walk up and down nor sit down nor lie down. Until, while still standing, I had dispelled that fear and dread. While I was sitting, brahmin, that fear and dread came upon me. So I, brahmin, would neither lie down nor stand nor walk up and down until, while still sitting, I had dispelled that fear and dread. While I was lying down, brahmin, that fear and dread came upon me. So I, brahmin, would neither sit down nor stand nor walk up and down until, while still lying down, I had dispelled that fear and dread.
50. "There are indeed, brahmin, some ascetics and brahmins who perceive night as day when it is actually night, and perceive day as night when it is actually day. This I call an abiding in confusion for those ascetics and brahmins. But I, brahmin, perceive night as night when it is actually night, and perceive day as day when it is actually day. Whatever, brahmin, one speaking rightly would say - 'A being having the nature of non-confusion has arisen in the world for the welfare of many people, for the happiness of many people, out of compassion for the world, for the good, welfare, and happiness of gods and humans', this indeed one speaking rightly would say of me - 'A being having the nature of non-confusion has arisen in the world for the welfare of many people, for the happiness of many people, out of compassion for the world, for the good, welfare, and happiness of gods and humans.'
51. "My energy, brahmin, was aroused and unsluggish, mindfulness was established and unconfused, the body was calm and not excited, the mind was concentrated and fully focused. So I, brahmin, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome mental states, entered and dwelt in the first meditative absorption, which is accompanied by applied thought and sustained thought, with rapture and happiness born of seclusion. With the subsiding of applied and sustained thought, I entered and dwelt in the second meditative absorption, which has internal confidence and unification of mind, is without applied thought and without sustained thought, with rapture and happiness born of concentration. With the fading away of rapture, I dwelt equanimous, mindful and fully aware, and experienced happiness with the body; that which the noble ones declare - 'One who is equanimous and mindful, one who dwells in happiness' - I entered and dwelt in the third meditative absorption. With the abandoning of pleasure and with the abandoning of pain, and with the previous disappearance of joy and displeasure, I entered and dwelt in the fourth meditative absorption, which has neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant and purity of mindfulness due to equanimity.
52. "When the mind was thus concentrated, pure, bright, without blemish, free from impurities, supple, wieldy, stable, and having attained imperturbability, I directed and inclined the mind towards the knowledge of recollecting past lives. I recollect manifold past lives, that is - one birth, two births, three births, four births, five births, ten births, twenty births, thirty births, forty births, fifty births, a hundred births, a thousand births, a hundred thousand births, many cosmic cycles of universe-contraction, many cosmic cycles of universe-expansion, many cosmic cycles of universe-contraction and expansion - 'There I was, having such a name, such a clan, such beauty, such food, experiencing such pleasure and pain, with such a life span; passing away from there, I arose there. There too I was, having such a name, such a clan, such beauty, such food, experiencing such pleasure and pain, with such a life span; passing away from there, I arose here.' Thus with aspects and terms I recollect manifold past lives. This, brahmin, was the first true knowledge attained by me in the first watch of the night; ignorance was destroyed, true knowledge arose, darkness was destroyed, light arose, as happens for one dwelling diligent, ardent, and resolute.
53. "When the mind was thus concentrated, pure, bright, without blemish, free from impurities, supple, wieldy, stable, and having attained imperturbability, I directed and inclined the mind towards the knowledge of the passing away and rebirth of beings. With the divine eye, which is pure and surpasses the human, I see beings passing away and arising, inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate, and I understand beings according to their actions - 'These beings indeed, sirs, endowed with bodily misconduct, endowed with verbal misconduct, endowed with mental misconduct, revilers of the noble ones, holding wrong views, undertaking actions based on wrong views; upon the body's collapse at death, they have arisen in a realm of misery, an unfortunate realm, a nether world, in hell. But these beings, sirs, endowed with bodily good conduct, endowed with verbal good conduct, endowed with mental good conduct, not revilers of the noble ones, holding right views, undertaking actions based on right views; upon the body's collapse at death, they have arisen in a fortunate realm, in a heavenly world.' Thus with the divine eye, which is pure and surpasses the human, I see beings passing away and arising, inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate, and I understand beings according to their actions. This, brahmin, was the second true knowledge attained by me in the middle watch of the night; ignorance was destroyed, true knowledge arose, darkness was destroyed, light arose, as happens for one dwelling diligent, ardent, and resolute.
54. "When the mind was thus concentrated, pure, bright, without blemish, free from impurities, supple, wieldy, stable, and having attained imperturbability, I directed and inclined the mind towards the knowledge of the elimination of mental corruptions. I directly knew as it really is: 'This is suffering'; I directly knew as it really is: 'This is the origin of suffering'; I directly knew as it really is: 'This is the cessation of suffering'; I directly knew as it really is: 'This is the practice leading to the cessation of suffering.' I directly knew as it really is: 'These are the mental corruptions'; I directly knew as it really is: 'This is the origin of mental corruptions'; I directly knew as it really is: 'This is the cessation of mental corruptions'; I directly knew as it really is: 'This is the practice leading to the cessation of mental corruptions.' For me knowing thus, seeing thus, the mind became liberated from the mental corruption of sensuality, the mind became liberated from the mental corruption of existence, the mind became liberated from the mental corruption of ignorance. When liberated, there was the knowledge: 'Liberated.' I directly knew: 'Birth is eliminated, the holy life has been lived, what was to be done has been done, there is no more of this state of being.' This, brahmin, was the third true knowledge attained by me in the last watch of the night; ignorance was destroyed, true knowledge arose, darkness was destroyed, light arose, as happens for one dwelling diligent, ardent, and resolute.
55. "Now, brahmin, you might think thus - 'Even today surely the ascetic Gotama is not free from lust, not free from hate, not free from delusion, therefore he resorts to remote forest and woodland lodgings.' But this, brahmin, should not be seen thus. Seeing two reasons, brahmin, I resort to remote forest and woodland lodgings - seeing my own pleasant abiding in the present life, and having compassion for future generations."
56. "Indeed, the later populace has been shown compassion by Master Gotama, as is natural for a Worthy One, a One Enlightened by himself. Excellent, Master Gotama! Excellent, Master Gotama! Just as, Master Gotama, one might set upright what had been overturned, or reveal what had been concealed, or point out the path to one who was lost, or hold up an oil lamp in the darkness - 'so that those with eyes might see forms'; just so, the Teaching has been made clear by Master Gotama in many ways. I go for refuge to Master Gotama, to the Teaching, and to the Community of monks. May Master Gotama remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge from this day forth for life."
The Discourse on Fear and Dread is concluded as fourth.