1.
The Discourse to Kandaraka
1. Thus have I heard - On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Campā on the bank of the Gaggarā pond together with a large Community of monks. Then Pessa, the elephant driver's son, and Kandaraka the wandering ascetic approached the Blessed One; having approached, Pessa the elephant driver's son paid respect to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. But the wandering ascetic Kandaraka exchanged friendly greetings with the Blessed One. Having concluded the pleasant and memorable talk, he stood to one side. Standing to one side, the wandering ascetic Kandaraka, having surveyed the Community of monks who were silent, completely silent, said this to the Blessed One - "It is wonderful, Master Gotama, it is marvellous, Master Gotama, how well the Community of monks has been rightly guided by Master Gotama! Those who, Master Gotama, were Worthy Ones, Fully Enlightened by themselves in the past period of time, those Blessed Ones too rightly guided the Community of monks just such a supreme - just as now the Community of monks has been rightly guided by Master Gotama. Those who, Master Gotama, will be Worthy Ones, Fully Enlightened by themselves in the future period of time, those Blessed Ones too will rightly guide the Community of monks just such a supreme - just as now the Community of monks has been rightly guided by Master Gotama."
2. "So it is, Kandaraka, so it is, Kandaraka. Those who, Kandaraka, were Worthy Ones, Fully Enlightened by themselves in the past period of time, those Blessed Ones too rightly guided the Community of monks just such a supreme - just as now the Community of monks has been rightly guided by me. Those who, Kandaraka, will be Worthy Ones, Fully Enlightened by themselves in the future period of time, those Blessed Ones too will rightly guide the Community of monks just such a supreme - just as now the Community of monks has been rightly guided by me.
"There are indeed, Kandaraka, monks in this Community of monks who are Worthy Ones, who have eliminated the mental corruptions, who have lived the holy life, who have done what was to be done, who have laid down the burden, who have attained their own welfare, who have completely destroyed the fetter of becoming, who are completely liberated through final knowledge. There are indeed, Kandaraka, monks in this Community of monks who are trainees, of continuous morality, of continuous conduct, prudent, of prudent conduct; they dwell with minds well established in the four establishments of mindfulness. In which four? Here, Kandaraka, a monk dwells observing the body in the body, ardent, fully aware, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure regarding the world; he dwells observing feelings in feelings, ardent, fully aware, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure regarding the world; he dwells observing mind in mind, ardent, fully aware, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure regarding the world; he dwells observing mental phenomena in mental phenomena, ardent, fully aware, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure regarding the world."
3. When this was said, Pessa the elephant driver's son said this to the Blessed One: "Wonderful, Venerable Sir, marvellous, Venerable Sir! How well laid down are these four establishments of mindfulness by the Blessed One for the purification of beings, for the transcendence of sorrow and lamentation, for the passing away of pain and displeasure, for the achievement of the true method, for the realisation of Nibbāna. We too, venerable sir, laypeople clad in white, from time to time dwell with minds well established in these four establishments of mindfulness. Here we, venerable sir, dwell observing the body in the body, ardent, fully aware, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure regarding the world; we dwell observing feelings in feelings, ardent, fully aware, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure regarding the world; we dwell observing mind in mind, ardent, fully aware, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure regarding the world; we dwell observing mental phenomena in mental phenomena, ardent, fully aware, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure regarding the world. Wonderful, venerable sir, marvellous, venerable sir! How well the Blessed One knows what is beneficial and harmful for beings when such a thicket of humans, such impurity of humans, such fraudulence of humans exists. For this is a thicket, venerable sir, namely humans; this is manifest, venerable sir, namely animals. For I, venerable sir, am able to remind an elephant in training. In whatever interval it will make a journey to and from Campā, it will reveal all those fraudulent behaviours, deceitful behaviours, crooked behaviours, and dishonest behaviours. But our slaves, venerable sir, or servants, or labourers, they behave one way with the body, another way with speech, and their mind is yet another way. Wonderful, venerable sir, marvellous, venerable sir! How well the Blessed One knows what is beneficial and harmful for beings when such a thicket of humans, such impurity of humans, such fraudulence of humans exists. For this is a thicket, venerable sir, namely humans; this is manifest, venerable sir, namely animals."
4. "So it is, Pessa, so it is, Pessa. For this is a thicket, Pessa, namely humans; this is manifest, Pessa, namely animals. There are these four persons, Pessa, existing and found in the world. Which four? Here, Pessa, a certain person is self-mortifying, devoted to the pursuit of self-mortification; here again, Pessa, a certain person is other-mortifying, devoted to the pursuit of mortifying others; here again, Pessa, a certain person is both self-mortifying, devoted to the pursuit of self-mortification, and other-mortifying, devoted to the pursuit of mortifying others; here again, Pessa, a certain person is neither self-mortifying nor devoted to the pursuit of self-mortification, nor other-mortifying nor devoted to the pursuit of mortifying others. He, being neither self-mortifying nor other-mortifying, in this very life dwells without hunger, quenched, become cool, experiencing happiness, with a self become divine. Of these four persons, Pessa, which person pleases your mind?"
"That person, venerable sir, who is self-mortifying, devoted to the pursuit of self-mortification, that person does not please my mind. That person, venerable sir, who is other-mortifying, devoted to the pursuit of mortifying others, that person too does not please my mind. That person, venerable sir, who is both self-mortifying, devoted to the pursuit of self-mortification, and other-mortifying, devoted to the pursuit of mortifying others, that person too does not please my mind. But that person, venerable sir, who is neither self-mortifying nor devoted to the pursuit of self-mortification, nor other-mortifying nor devoted to the pursuit of mortifying others, who being neither self-mortifying nor other-mortifying, in this very life dwells without hunger, quenched, become cool, experiencing happiness, with a self become divine - this person alone pleases my mind."
5. "But why, Pessa, do these three persons not please your mind?" "That person, venerable sir, who is self-mortifying, devoted to the pursuit of self-mortification, he scorches and torments himself who is longing for happiness and averse to pain - for this reason this person does not please my mind. That person, venerable sir, who is other-mortifying, devoted to the pursuit of mortifying others, he scorches and torments others who are longing for happiness and averse to pain - for this reason this person does not please my mind. That person, venerable sir, who is both self-mortifying, devoted to the pursuit of self-mortification, and other-mortifying, devoted to the pursuit of mortifying others, he scorches and torments both himself and others who are longing for happiness and averse to pain - for this reason this person does not please my mind. But that person, venerable sir, who is neither self-mortifying nor devoted to the pursuit of self-mortification, nor other-mortifying nor devoted to the pursuit of mortifying others, who being neither self-mortifying nor other-mortifying, in this very life dwells without hunger, quenched, become cool, experiencing happiness, with a self become divine; he neither scorches nor torments himself or others who are longing for happiness and averse to pain - for this reason this person pleases my mind. Well then, venerable sir, we will now go; we have much to do, we have many duties." "Now do as you think fit, Pessa." Then Pessa, the elephant driver's son, having delighted in and given thanks for what the Blessed One had said, rose from his seat, paid respect to the Blessed One, circumambulated him keeping him on his right, and departed.
6. Then the Blessed One, not long after Pessa the elephant driver's son had departed, addressed the monks - "Monks, Pessa the elephant driver's son is wise; monks, Pessa the elephant driver's son is of great wisdom. If, monks, Pessa the elephant driver's son had sat for a moment while I analyse these four persons in detail, he would have been connected with great benefit. But, monks, even so much, Pessa the elephant driver's son is connected with great benefit." "This is the time, Blessed One, this is the time, Fortunate One, that the Blessed One would analyse these four persons in detail. Having heard from the Blessed One, the monks will remember it." "If so, monks, listen, pay close attention, I will speak." "Yes, venerable sir," those monks assented to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this -
7. "And what, monks, is the person who is self-mortifying, devoted to the pursuit of self-mortification? Here, monks, a certain person is a naked ascetic, of loose habits, licking his hands, not one who comes when asked 'Come, venerable sir,' not one who stops when asked 'Stop, venerable sir'; he does not accept food brought to him, nor food specifically prepared for him, nor an invitation. He does not accept food from the mouth of a pot, nor from the mouth of a bowl, nor across a threshold where a goat stands, nor across a stick, nor across a pestle, nor from two eating together, nor from a pregnant woman, nor from a nursing woman, nor from a woman who has gone among men, nor from where food has been collected, nor where a dog is standing by, nor where flies are swarming; nor fish, nor meat, nor liquor, nor fermented drink, nor rice-water does he drink. He is a one-house man taking one morsel, or a two-house man taking two morsels, etc. or a seven-house man taking seven morsels; he sustains himself with one small dish of food, he sustains himself with two small dishes of food, etc. he sustains himself with seven small dishes of food; he takes food once a day, he takes food once every two days, etc. he takes food once every seven days - thus he dwells devoted to the practice of eating food in rotation even up to half a month. He is one who feeds on vegetables, or one who feeds on millet, or one who feeds on wild rice, or one who feeds on leather scraps, or one who feeds on moss, or one who feeds on rice bran, or one who feeds on rice scum, or one who feeds on sesame flour, or one who feeds on grass, or one who feeds on cow dung; he sustains himself on forest roots and fruits, feeding on fallen fruits. He wears hempen garments, he wears mixed garments, he wears shroud-cloth, he wears rag-robes, he wears bark-cloth, he wears cheetah hide, he wears a cloak of cheetah hide, he wears kusa-grass garments, he wears bark garments, he wears wood-shaving garments, he wears a blanket of human hair, he wears a blanket of horse-tail hair, he wears owl-feather garments; he is one who plucks out hair and beard, being devoted to the practice of plucking out hair and beard, he is one who stands upright having rejected seats, he is one who squats being devoted to the striving of squatting, he is one who lies on thorns making his sleeping place on a bed of thorns; he dwells devoted to the practice of going down into the water three times including the evening - thus he dwells devoted to the practice of mortifying and tormenting the body in manifold ways. This is called, monks, the person who is self-mortifying, devoted to the pursuit of self-mortification.
8. "And what, monks, is the person who is other-mortifying, devoted to the pursuit of mortifying others? Here, monks, a certain person is a sheep-butcher, a pig-butcher, a fowler, a deer-hunter, a hunter, a fish-killer, a thief, an executioner of thieves, a cattle-butcher, a prison-keeper, or whatever others there are engaged in cruel activities. This is called, monks, the person who is other-mortifying, devoted to the pursuit of mortifying others.
9. "And what, monks, is the person who is both self-mortifying, devoted to the pursuit of self-mortification, and other-mortifying, devoted to the pursuit of mortifying others? Here, monks, a certain person is either a king of the warrior caste, anointed on the head, or a brahmin of great wealth. He, having had a new assembly hall built to the east of the city, having shaved off his hair and beard, having put on a rough cheetah hide, having anointed his body with ghee and oil, scratching his back with a deer horn, enters the new assembly hall together with the chief queen and the brahmin chaplain. There he makes his sleeping place on the bare ground smeared with green vegetation. From one cow with a calf of the same colour, the milk from one teat sustains the king, the milk from the second teat sustains the chief queen, the milk from the third teat sustains the brahmin chaplain, the milk from the fourth teat is poured into the fire, and with the remainder the calf sustains itself. He speaks thus: 'Let this many bulls be slaughtered for the sacrifice, let this many bullocks be slaughtered for the sacrifice, let this many heifers be slaughtered for the sacrifice, let this many goats be slaughtered for the sacrifice, let this many rams be slaughtered for the sacrifice, let this many trees be cut down for sacrificial posts, let this many kusa-grasses be reaped for the sacred grass.' And those who are his slaves, or servants, or labourers, they too, threatened by punishment, threatened by fear, with tearful faces, weeping, make the preparations. This is called, monks, the person who is both self-mortifying, devoted to the pursuit of self-mortification, and other-mortifying, devoted to the pursuit of mortifying others.
10. "And what, monks, is the person who is neither self-mortifying nor devoted to the pursuit of self-mortification, nor other-mortifying nor devoted to the pursuit of mortifying others, who being neither self-mortifying nor other-mortifying, in this very life dwells without hunger, quenched, become cool, experiencing happiness, with a self become divine? Here, monks, a Truth-finder arises in the world, a Worthy One, a One Enlightened by himself, accomplished in true knowledge and conduct, the Fortunate One, knower of the world, unsurpassed trainer of persons to be tamed, Teacher of gods and humans, the Enlightened One, the Blessed One. He, having realised by direct knowledge himself, proclaims this world with its gods, with its Māras, with its Brahmās, this generation with its ascetics and brahmins, with its gods and humans. He teaches the Teaching, good in the beginning, good in the middle, good in the end, with meaning and with phrasing; he reveals the holy life that is complete in its entirety and pure. A householder, or a householder's son, or one reborn in some other family, hears that Teaching. Having heard that Teaching, he gains faith in the Truth-finder. Endowed with that acquisition of faith, he considers thus: 'The household life is confinement, a path of dust; going forth is the open air. It is not easy for one dwelling in a house to live the holy life that is completely perfect, completely pure, polished like a conch shell. What if I were to shave off my hair and beard, put on ochre robes, and go forth from home into homelessness?' At a later time, having abandoned a small or a large mass of wealth, having abandoned a small or a large circle of relatives, he shaves off his hair and beard, puts on ochre robes, and goes forth from home into homelessness.
11. "Having thus gone forth, having attained the training and way of life of monks, having abandoned the killing of living beings, he abstains from killing living beings; with rod laid down, with knife laid down, one who has shame, compassionate, he dwells concerned for the welfare of all living beings. Having abandoned taking what is not given, he abstains from taking what is not given; taking only what is given, expecting only what is given, he dwells in purity through non-stealing. Having abandoned unchaste conduct, he lives the holy life, keeping far away, abstaining from sexual intercourse, which is a village practice. Having abandoned false speech, he abstains from false speech; he speaks the truth, is devoted to truth, reliable, trustworthy, not a deceiver of the world. Having abandoned divisive speech, he abstains from divisive speech; having heard something here, he does not repeat it elsewhere to divide these people, or having heard something elsewhere, he does not repeat it here to divide those people - Thus he is one who reunites those who are divided, a promoter of those who are united, rejoicing in concord, delighting in concord, taking delight in concord, he is a speaker of words that create concord. Having abandoned harsh speech, he abstains from harsh speech; he speaks such words as are gentle, pleasing to the ear, affectionate, going to the heart, urbane, pleasing and agreeable to many people. Having abandoned idle chatter, he abstains from idle chatter; he speaks at the right time, speaks what is factual, speaks what is beneficial, speaks on the Teaching, speaks on the discipline; he speaks words worth treasuring, timely, reasonable, well-defined, connected with the goal. He abstains from damaging seed and plant life, he eats only one meal a day, abstaining from eating at night, abstaining from food at improper times; he abstains from watching dancing, singing, music and shows; he abstains from wearing garlands, using perfumes, cosmetics, ornaments and decorations; he abstains from high and luxurious beds; he abstains from accepting gold and silver; he abstains from accepting raw grain; he abstains from accepting raw meat; he abstains from accepting women and girls; he abstains from accepting male and female slaves; he abstains from accepting goats and sheep; he abstains from accepting fowl and swine; he abstains from accepting elephants, cattle, horses and mares; he abstains from accepting fields and land; he abstains from running messages and errands; he abstains from buying and selling; he abstains from using false weights, false metals, and false measures; he abstains from cheating, deceiving, fraud and crooked dealings; he abstains from cutting, killing, imprisoning, highway robbery, plunder and violence.
"He is content with a robe for tending the body, with almsfood for tending the belly. Wherever he goes, he goes having taken only these with him. Just as a winged bird, wherever it flies, flies with its wings as its only burden; just so a monk is content with a robe for tending the body, with almsfood for tending the belly. Wherever he goes, he goes having taken only these with him. He, endowed with this noble aggregate of morality, experiences internally a blameless happiness.
12. He, having seen a form with the eye, is not one who grasps at signs, nor one who grasps at features. Since, if he were to dwell with the eye-faculty unrestrained, covetousness, displeasure, and evil unwholesome mental states would flow in upon him, he proceeds to restrain it, he guards the eye-faculty, he commits to restraint of the eye-faculty. Having heard a sound with the ear. Etc. Having smelled an odour with the nose... etc... Having tasted a flavour with the tongue... etc. Having touched a tangible object with the body... etc... Having cognised a mental object with the mind, he is not one who grasps at signs, nor one who grasps at features. Since, if he were to dwell with the mind faculty unrestrained, covetousness, displeasure, and evil unwholesome mental states would flow in upon him, he proceeds to restrain it, he guards the mind faculty, he commits to restraint of the mind faculty. He, endowed with this noble restraint of the faculties, experiences internally an untainted happiness.
"He acts with full awareness when going forward and returning, acts with full awareness when looking ahead and looking aside, acts with full awareness when bending and stretching, acts with full awareness when wearing the double robe, bowl and robes, acts with full awareness when eating, drinking, chewing and tasting, acts with full awareness when defecating and urinating, acts with full awareness when walking, standing, sitting, sleeping, waking, speaking and remaining silent.
13. "He, endowed with this noble aggregate of morality, endowed with this noble restraint of the faculties, endowed with this noble mindfulness and full awareness, resorts to a secluded lodging - a forest, the root of a tree, a mountain, a grotto, a mountain cave, a cemetery, a deep forest, an open space, a heap of straw. He, after the meal, having returned from his alms round, sits down, folding his legs crosswise, directing his body upright, having established mindfulness in front of him. He, having abandoned covetousness in the world, dwells with a mind free from covetousness; he purifies the mind of covetousness. Having abandoned anger and malice, he dwells with a mind free from ill-will, compassionate for the welfare of all living beings; he purifies the mind of anger and malice; having abandoned sloth and torpor, he dwells free from sloth and torpor, perceiving light, mindful and fully aware; he purifies the mind of sloth and torpor; having abandoned restlessness and remorse, he dwells unagitated, with a mind internally calmed; he purifies the mind of restlessness and remorse; having abandoned sceptical doubt, he dwells as one who has crossed over doubt, without uncertainty regarding wholesome mental states; he purifies the mind of sceptical doubt.
"He, having abandoned these five mental hindrances, impurities of the mind that weaken wisdom, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome mental states, enters and dwells 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, he enters and dwells 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, he dwells in equanimity, mindful and fully aware, and experiences happiness with the body - that which the noble ones declare: 'One who is equanimous and mindful, one who dwells in happiness' - he enters and dwells in the third meditative absorption; with the abandoning of pleasure and pain, and with the previous disappearance of joy and displeasure, he enters and dwells in the fourth meditative absorption, which has neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant and purity of mindfulness due to equanimity.
14. "When the mind is thus concentrated, pure, bright, without blemish, free from impurities, supple, wieldy, stable, and having attained imperturbability, he inclines the mind towards the knowledge of recollecting past lives. He recollects manifold past lives, as follows - 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 he recollects manifold past lives.
15. "When the mind is thus concentrated, pure, bright, without blemish, free from impurities, supple, wieldy, stable, and having attained imperturbability, he inclines the mind towards the knowledge of the passing away and rebirth of beings. With the divine eye, which is pure and surpasses the human, he sees beings passing away and arising, inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate, and he understands 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, he sees beings passing away and arising, inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate, and he understands beings according to their actions.
16. "When the mind is thus concentrated, pure, bright, without blemish, free from impurities, supple, wieldy, stable, and having attained imperturbability, he directs and inclines the mind towards the knowledge of the elimination of mental corruptions. He understands as it really is: 'This is suffering.' He understands as it really is: 'This is the origin of suffering.' He understands as it really is: 'This is the cessation of suffering.' He understands as it really is: 'This is the practice leading to the cessation of suffering.' He understands as it really is: 'These are the mental corruptions.' He understands as it really is: 'This is the origin of mental corruptions.' He understands as it really is: 'This is the cessation of mental corruptions.' He understands as it really is: 'This is the practice leading to the cessation of mental corruptions.' For one knowing thus, seeing thus, the mind becomes liberated from the mental corruption of sensuality, the mind becomes liberated from the mental corruption of existence, the mind becomes liberated from the mental corruption of ignorance. When liberated, there is the knowledge: 'Liberated.' He understands: '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 is called, monks, the person who is neither self-mortifying nor devoted to the pursuit of self-mortification, nor other-mortifying nor devoted to the pursuit of mortifying others. He, being neither self-mortifying nor other-mortifying, in this very life dwells without hunger, quenched, become cool, experiencing happiness, with a self become divine."
This is what the Blessed One said. Those monks, delighted, rejoiced in what the Blessed One had said.
The Discourse on Kandaraka is concluded as first.