6.
The Discourse on Mental Rigidity
185. Thus have I heard - On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's park. There the Blessed One addressed the monks - "Monks." "Venerable sir," those monks assented to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this -
"For whatever monk, monks, the five mental rigidities have not been abandoned, the five bondages of mind have not been cut off, that he should attain growth, increase, and expansion in this Teaching and discipline - this is impossible.
"What are his five mental rigidities that have not been abandoned? Here, monks, a monk is uncertain about the Teacher, doubts sceptically, does not resolve upon it, is not confident. Monks, a monk who is uncertain about the Teacher, doubts sceptically, does not resolve upon it, is not confident, his mind does not incline to ardour, to pursuit, to perseverance, to striving. One whose mind does not incline to ardour, to pursuit, to perseverance, to striving - thus this is his first mental rigidity that has not been abandoned.
"Furthermore, monks, a monk is uncertain about the Teaching, doubts sceptically, does not resolve upon it, is not confident... etc. thus this is his second mental rigidity that has not been abandoned.
"Furthermore, monks, a monk is uncertain about the Community, doubts sceptically, does not resolve upon it, is not confident... etc. thus this is his third mental rigidity that has not been abandoned.
"Furthermore, monks, a monk is uncertain about the training, doubts sceptically, does not resolve upon it, is not confident. Monks, a monk who is uncertain about the training, doubts sceptically, does not resolve upon it, is not confident, his mind does not incline to ardour, to pursuit, to perseverance, to striving. One whose mind does not incline to ardour, to pursuit, to perseverance, to striving - thus this is his fourth mental rigidity that has not been abandoned.
"Furthermore, monks, a monk is angry towards his fellows in the holy life, displeased, with a struck mind, with barrenness arisen. Monks, a monk who is angry towards his fellows in the holy life, displeased, with a struck mind, with barrenness arisen, his mind does not incline to ardour, to pursuit, to perseverance, to striving. One whose mind does not incline to ardour, to pursuit, to perseverance, to striving - thus this is his fifth mental rigidity that has not been abandoned. These are his five mental rigidities that have not been abandoned.
186. "What are his five bondages of mind that have not been cut off? Here, monks, a monk is not free from lust towards sensual pleasures, with non-disappearance of desire, with non-disappearance of affection, with non-disappearance of thirst, with non-disappearance of fever, with non-disappearance of craving. Monks, a monk who is not free from lust towards sensual pleasures, with non-disappearance of desire, with non-disappearance of affection, with non-disappearance of thirst, with non-disappearance of fever, with non-disappearance of craving, his mind does not incline to ardour, to pursuit, to perseverance, to striving. One whose mind does not incline to ardour, to pursuit, to perseverance, to striving - thus this is his first bondage of mind that has not been cut off.
"Furthermore, monks, a monk is not free from lust towards the body... etc. thus this is his second bondage of mind that has not been cut off.
"Furthermore, monks, a monk is not free from lust towards material form... etc. thus this is his third bondage of mind that has not been cut off.
"Furthermore, monks, a monk, having eaten as much as he likes to fill his belly, dwells devoted to the pleasure of sleeping, the pleasure of lying on his side, the pleasure of torpor. Monks, a monk who, having eaten as much as he likes to fill his belly, dwells devoted to the pleasure of sleeping, the pleasure of lying on his side, the pleasure of torpor, his mind does not incline to ardour, to pursuit, to perseverance, to striving. One whose mind does not incline to ardour, to pursuit, to perseverance, to striving - thus this is his fourth bondage of mind that has not been cut off.
"Furthermore, monks, a monk lives the holy life having aspired to a certain order of gods - 'By this morality or by this ascetic practice or by this austerity or by this holy life I shall become a god or an inferior deity.' Monks, a monk who lives the holy life having aspired to a certain order of gods - 'By this morality or by this ascetic practice or by this austerity or by this holy life I shall become a god or an inferior deity,' his mind does not incline to ardour, to pursuit, to perseverance, to striving. One whose mind does not incline to ardour, to pursuit, to perseverance, to striving - thus this is his fifth bondage of mind that has not been cut off. These are his five bondages of mind that have not been cut off.
"For whatever monk, monks, these five mental rigidities have not been abandoned, these five bondages of mind have not been cut off, that he should attain growth, increase, and expansion in this Teaching and discipline - this is impossible.
187. "For whatever monk, monks, the five mental rigidities have been abandoned, the five bondages of mind have been well cut off, that he should attain growth, increase, and expansion in this Teaching and discipline - this is possible.
"What are his five mental rigidities that have been abandoned? Here, monks, a monk is not uncertain about the Teacher, does not doubt sceptically, resolves upon it, is confident. Monks, a monk who is not uncertain about the Teacher, does not doubt sceptically, resolves upon it, is confident, his mind inclines to ardour, to pursuit, to perseverance, to striving. One whose mind inclines to ardour, to pursuit, to perseverance, to striving - thus this is his first mental rigidity that has been abandoned.
"Furthermore, monks, a monk is not uncertain about the Teaching, does not doubt sceptically, resolves upon it, is confident... etc. thus this is his second mental rigidity that has been abandoned.
"Furthermore, monks, a monk is not uncertain about the Community, does not doubt sceptically, resolves upon it, is confident... etc. thus this is his third mental rigidity that has been abandoned.
"Furthermore, monks, a monk is not uncertain about the training, does not doubt sceptically, resolves upon it, is confident... etc. thus this is his fourth mental rigidity that has been abandoned.
"Furthermore, monks, a monk is not angry towards his fellows in the holy life, not displeased, without a struck mind, without barrenness arisen. Monks, a monk who is not angry towards his fellows in the holy life, not displeased, without a struck mind, without barrenness arisen, his mind inclines to ardour, to pursuit, to perseverance, to striving. One whose mind inclines to ardour, to pursuit, to perseverance, to striving - thus this is his fifth mental rigidity that has been abandoned. These are his five mental rigidities that have been abandoned.
188. "What are his five bondages of mind that have been well cut off? Here, monks, a monk is free from lust towards sensual pleasures, with disappearance of desire, with disappearance of affection, with disappearance of thirst, with disappearance of fever, with disappearance of craving. Monks, a monk who is free from lust towards sensual pleasures, with disappearance of desire, with disappearance of affection, with disappearance of thirst, with disappearance of fever, with disappearance of craving, his mind inclines to ardour, to pursuit, to perseverance, to striving. One whose mind inclines to ardour, to pursuit, to perseverance, to striving - thus this is his first bondage of mind that has been well cut off.
"Furthermore, monks, a monk is free from lust towards the body... etc. is free from lust towards material form... etc. does not, having eaten as much as he likes to fill his belly, dwell devoted to the pleasure of sleeping, the pleasure of lying on his side, the pleasure of torpor. Monks, a monk who does not, having eaten as much as he likes to fill his belly, dwell devoted to the pleasure of sleeping, the pleasure of lying on his side, the pleasure of torpor, his mind inclines to ardour, to pursuit, to perseverance, to striving. One whose mind inclines to ardour, to pursuit, to perseverance, to striving - thus this is his fourth bondage of mind that has been well cut off.
"Furthermore, monks, a monk does not live the holy life having aspired to a certain order of gods - 'By this morality or by this ascetic practice or by this austerity or by this holy life I shall become a god or an inferior deity.' Monks, a monk who does not live the holy life having aspired to a certain order of gods - 'By this morality or by this ascetic practice or by this austerity or by this holy life I shall become a god or an inferior deity,' his mind inclines to ardour, to pursuit, to perseverance, to striving. One whose mind inclines to ardour, to pursuit, to perseverance, to striving - thus this is his fifth bondage of mind that has been well cut off. These are his five bondages of mind that have been well cut off.
"For whatever monk, monks, these five mental rigidities have been abandoned, these five bondages of mind have been well cut off, that he should attain growth, increase, and expansion in this Teaching and discipline - this is possible.
189. "He develops the basis for spiritual power that possesses concentration due to desire and volitional activities of striving, develops the basis for spiritual power that possesses concentration due to energy and volitional activities of striving, develops the basis for spiritual power that possesses concentration due to mind and volitional activities of striving, develops the basis for spiritual power that possesses concentration due to investigation and volitional activities of striving, with enthusiasm as the fifth. That monk, monks, thus possessed of fifteen factors including enthusiasm, is capable of disgust with the world, capable of highest enlightenment, capable of the achievement of the unsurpassed freedom from bondage. Just as, monks, a hen's eggs, eight or ten or twelve. If they were properly sat upon by the hen, properly warmed, properly incubated. Even though such a wish might not arise in that hen - 'Oh indeed, may these chicks, having broken through the egg shell with the tips of their claws or with their beaks, hatch out safely!' Yet those chicks are capable of breaking through the egg shell with the tips of their claws or with their beaks and hatching out safely. Just so, monks, a monk thus possessed of fifteen factors including enthusiasm is capable of disgust with the world, capable of highest enlightenment, capable of the achievement of the unsurpassed freedom from bondage."
This is what the Blessed One said. Those monks, delighted, rejoiced in what the Blessed One had said.
The Discourse on Mental Rigidity is concluded as sixth.