2.
The Discourse on Ānanda and a Single Excellent Night
276. Thus have I heard - On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's park. Now at that time the Venerable Ānanda was instructing, encouraging, inspiring, and gladdening the monks in the assembly hall with a talk on the Teaching, speaking the synopsis and analysis of one who has an auspicious night.
Then the Blessed One, in the evening, having emerged from seclusion, went to the assembly hall; having approached, he sat down on the prepared seat. Having sat down, the Blessed One addressed the monks: "Who now, monks, in the assembly hall instructed, encouraged, inspired, and gladdened the monks with a talk on the Teaching, and spoke the synopsis and analysis of one who has an auspicious night?" "The Venerable Ānanda, venerable sir, in the assembly hall instructed, encouraged, inspired, and gladdened the monks with a talk on the Teaching, and spoke the synopsis and analysis of one who has an auspicious night."
Then the Blessed One addressed the Venerable Ānanda - "In what way, then, Ānanda, did you instruct, encourage, inspire, and gladden the monks with a talk on the Teaching, and speak the synopsis and analysis of one who has an auspicious night?" "Thus, venerable sir, I instructed, encouraged, inspired, and gladdened the monks with a talk on the Teaching, and spoke the synopsis and analysis of one who has an auspicious night -
What is past has been abandoned, and the future has not yet arrived.
Unshakable, unagitated, knowing that, one should develop it.
For there is no bargaining with that one, Death with his great army.
That one indeed is called 'one who has an auspicious night,' the peaceful sage declares."
277. "And how, friends, does one follow after the past? 'I was of such matter in the past period of time,' therein one pursues delight; 'I was of such feeling in the past period of time,' therein one pursues delight; 'I was of such perception in the past period of time,' therein one pursues delight; 'I was of such activities in the past period of time,' therein one pursues delight; 'I was of such consciousness in the past period of time,' therein one pursues delight - thus, friends, one follows after the past.
"And how, friends, does one not follow after the past? 'I was of such matter in the past period of time,' therein one does not pursue delight; 'I was of such feeling in the past period of time,' therein one does not pursue delight; 'I was of such perception in the past period of time,' therein one does not pursue delight; 'I was of such activities in the past period of time,' therein one does not pursue delight; 'I was of such consciousness in the past period of time,' therein one does not pursue delight - thus, friends, one does not follow after the past.
"And how, friends, does one long for the future? 'May I be of such matter in the future period of time,' therein one pursues delight; 'May I be of such feeling,' etc. 'May I be of such perception,' 'May I be of such activities,' 'May I be of such consciousness in the future period of time,' therein one pursues delight - thus, friends, one longs for the future.
"And how, friends, does one not long for the future? 'May I be of such matter in the future period of time,' therein one does not pursue delight; 'May I be of such feeling,' etc. 'May I be of such perception,' 'May I be of such activities,' 'May I be of such consciousness in the future period of time,' therein one does not pursue delight - thus, friends, one does not long for the future.
"And how, friends, is one drawn away regarding present phenomena? Here, friends, an ignorant worldling, who does not see the noble ones, who is not skilled in the noble teaching, who is undisciplined in the noble teaching, who does not see good persons, who is not skilled in the teaching of good persons, who is undisciplined in the teaching of good persons, regards matter as self, or self as possessing matter, or matter as in self, or self as in matter; feeling... perception... activities... he regards consciousness as self, or self as possessing consciousness, or consciousness as in self, or self as in consciousness - thus, friends, one is drawn away regarding present phenomena.
"And how, friends, is one not drawn away regarding present phenomena? Here, friends, a learned noble disciple, who sees the noble ones, who is skilled in the noble teaching, who is well disciplined in the noble teaching, who sees good persons, who is skilled in the teaching of good persons, who is well disciplined in the teaching of good persons, does not regard matter as self, nor self as possessing matter, nor matter as in self, nor self as in matter; not feeling... not perception... not activities... he does not regard consciousness as self, nor self as possessing consciousness, nor consciousness as in self, nor self as in consciousness - thus, friends, one is not drawn away regarding present phenomena.
What is past has been abandoned, and the future has not yet arrived.
Unshakable, unagitated, knowing that, one should develop it.
For there is no bargaining with that one, Death with his great army.
That one indeed is called 'one who has an auspicious night,' the peaceful sage declares."
"Thus, venerable sir, I instructed, encouraged, inspired, and gladdened the monks with a talk on the Teaching, and spoke the synopsis and analysis of one who has an auspicious night."
278. "Good, good, Ānanda! Good indeed have you, Ānanda, instructed, encouraged, inspired, and gladdened the monks with a talk on the Teaching, and spoken the synopsis and analysis of one who has an auspicious night -
That one indeed is called 'one who has an auspicious night,' the peaceful sage declares."
"And how, Ānanda, does one follow after the past?... etc... Thus indeed, Ānanda, one follows after the past. And how, Ānanda, does one not follow after the past?... etc... Thus indeed, Ānanda, one does not follow after the past. And how, Ānanda, does one long for the future?... etc... Thus indeed, Ānanda, one longs for the future. And how, Ānanda, does one not long for the future?... etc... Thus indeed, Ānanda, one does not long for the future. And how, Ānanda, is one drawn away regarding present phenomena?... etc... Thus indeed, Ānanda, one is drawn away regarding present phenomena. And how, Ānanda, is one not drawn away regarding present phenomena?... etc... Thus indeed, Ānanda, one is not drawn away regarding present phenomena.
That one indeed is called 'one who has an auspicious night,' the peaceful sage declares."
This is what the Blessed One said. Delighted, the Venerable Ānanda rejoiced in what the Blessed One had said.
The Discourse on Ānanda and the Auspicious Single Night is concluded as second.