2.
The Discourse on All Mental Corruptions
14. 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 - "I will teach you, monks, the exposition on the restraint of all mental corruptions. Listen to that, pay close attention, I will speak." "Yes, venerable sir," those monks assented to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this -
15. "I say, monks, the elimination of mental corruptions is for one who knows, for one who sees, not for one who does not know, not for one who does not see. And what, monks, knowing what and seeing what do I say there is elimination of mental corruptions? Wise attention and unwise attention. Monks, for one attending unwisely, unarisen mental corruptions arise, and arisen mental corruptions increase; but, monks, for one attending wisely, unarisen mental corruptions do not arise, and arisen mental corruptions are abandoned.
16. "There are, monks, mental corruptions to be abandoned by seeing, there are mental corruptions to be abandoned by restraint, there are mental corruptions to be abandoned by using, there are mental corruptions to be abandoned by endurance, there are mental corruptions to be abandoned by avoidance, there are mental corruptions to be abandoned by removal, there are mental corruptions to be abandoned by meditative development.
Mental Corruptions to be Abandoned by Seeing
17. "And what, monks, are the mental corruptions to be abandoned through seeing? Here, monks, 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 - does not understand things that should be attended to, does not understand things that should not be attended to. He, not understanding things that should be attended to, not understanding things that should not be attended to, attends to things that should not be attended to, and does not attend to things that should be attended to.
"And what, monks, are the things that should not be attended to which he attends to? Whatever things, monks, when attended to, the unarisen mental corruption of sensuality arises, or the arisen mental corruption of sensuality increases; the unarisen mental corruption of existence arises, or the arisen mental corruption of existence increases; the unarisen mental corruption of ignorance arises, or the arisen mental corruption of ignorance increases - these are the things that should not be attended to which he attends to.
"And what, monks, are the things that should be attended to which he does not attend to? Whatever things, monks, when attended to, the unarisen mental corruption of sensuality does not arise, or the arisen mental corruption of sensuality is abandoned; the unarisen mental corruption of existence does not arise, or the arisen mental corruption of existence is abandoned; the unarisen mental corruption of ignorance does not arise, or the arisen mental corruption of ignorance is abandoned - these are the things that should be attended to which he does not attend to.
"For him, through attention to things that should not be attended to and through inattention to things that should be attended to, unarisen mental corruptions arise and arisen mental corruptions increase.
18. "He thus unwisely attends - 'Did I exist in the past period of time? Did I not exist in the past period of time? What was I in the past period of time? How was I in the past period of time? Having been what, what did I become in the past period of time? Shall I exist in the future period of time? Shall I not exist in the future period of time? What shall I be in the future period of time? How shall I be in the future period of time? Having been what, what shall I become in the future period of time?' Or regarding the present period of time at this moment, he is internally doubtful - 'Am I? Am I not? What am I? How am I? Where has this being come from? Where will he be going?'
19. "For one thus attending unwisely, one of six views arises. Either the view arises in him as true and reliable: 'There is a self for me'; or the view arises in him as true and reliable: 'There is no self for me'; or the view arises in him as true and reliable: 'I perceive self by means of self'; or the view arises in him as true and reliable: 'I perceive non-self by means of self'; or the view arises in him as true and reliable: 'I perceive self by means of non-self'; or else he has such a view: 'This self of mine that speaks and experiences, that experiences here and there the result of good and bad actions - this self of mine is permanent, stable, eternal, not subject to change, and will remain the same for eternity.' This is called, monks, wrong view, the thicket of views, the wilderness of views, the wriggling of views, the writhing of views, the mental fetter of wrong view. Monks, bound by the mental fetter of wrong view, the ignorant worldling is not released from birth, from ageing, from death, from sorrows, from lamentations, from sufferings, from displeasures, from anguishes; 'He is not released from suffering', I say.
20. "But, monks, 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 - understands things that should be attended to and understands things that should not be attended to. He, understanding things that should be attended to and understanding things that should not be attended to, does not attend to things that should not be attended to, and attends to things that should be attended to.
"And what, monks, are the things that should not be attended to which he does not attend to? Whatever things, monks, when attended to, the unarisen mental corruption of sensuality arises, or the arisen mental corruption of sensuality increases; the unarisen mental corruption of existence arises, or the arisen mental corruption of existence increases; the unarisen mental corruption of ignorance arises, or the arisen mental corruption of ignorance increases - these are the things that should not be attended to which he does not attend to.
"And what, monks, are the things that should be attended to which he attends to? Whatever things, monks, when attended to, the unarisen mental corruption of sensuality does not arise, or the arisen mental corruption of sensuality is abandoned; the unarisen mental corruption of existence does not arise, or the arisen mental corruption of existence is abandoned; the unarisen mental corruption of ignorance does not arise, or the arisen mental corruption of ignorance is abandoned - these are the things that should be attended to which he attends to.
"For him, through inattention to things that should not be attended to and through attention to things that should be attended to, unarisen mental corruptions do not arise and arisen mental corruptions are abandoned.
21. "He attends wisely: 'This is suffering'; he attends wisely: 'This is the origin of suffering'; he attends wisely: 'This is the cessation of suffering'; he attends wisely: 'This is the practice leading to the cessation of suffering.' For one thus attending wisely, three mental fetters are abandoned - identity view, sceptical doubt, adherence to moral rules and austerities. These are called, monks, mental corruptions to be abandoned by seeing.
Mental Corruptions to be Abandoned by Restraint
22. "And what, monks, are the mental corruptions to be abandoned by restraint? Here, monks, a monk dwells restrained with the restraint of the eye-faculty, having reflected wisely. For whatever mental corruptions, vexations, and fevers would arise for one dwelling unrestrained in the restraint of the eye-faculty, monks, for one dwelling restrained in the restraint of the eye-faculty, those mental corruptions, vexations, and fevers do not exist. He dwells restrained with the restraint of the ear-faculty, having reflected wisely... etc. He dwells restrained with the restraint of the nose-faculty... etc. He dwells restrained with the restraint of the tongue-faculty... etc. He dwells restrained with the restraint of the body-faculty... etc. He dwells restrained with the restraint of the mind-faculty. For whatever mental corruptions, vexations, and fevers would arise for one dwelling unrestrained in the restraint of the mind-faculty, monks, for one dwelling restrained in the restraint of the mind-faculty, those mental corruptions, vexations, and fevers do not exist.
"For whatever mental corruptions, vexations, and fevers would arise for one dwelling unrestrained in restraint, monks, for one dwelling restrained in restraint, those mental corruptions, vexations, and fevers do not exist. These are called, monks, mental corruptions to be abandoned by restraint.
Mental Corruptions to be Abandoned by Using
23. "And what, monks, are the mental corruptions to be abandoned by using? Here, monks, a monk, having reflected wisely, uses the robe - 'only for warding off cold, for warding off heat, for warding off the contact of gadflies, mosquitoes, wind, sun, and creeping creatures, only for the purpose of covering the parts that arouse shame.'
"Having reflected wisely, he uses almsfood - 'not for amusement, not for intoxication, not for adornment, not for beautification, only for the presence and sustenance of this body, for the cessation of harm, for the support of the holy life, thus: "I shall ward off the old feeling and shall not give rise to a new feeling, and there will be for me progress, blamelessness, and comfortable dwelling."'
"Having reflected wisely, he uses lodging - 'only for warding off cold, for warding off heat, for warding off the contact of gadflies, mosquitoes, wind, sun, and creeping creatures, only for the purpose of dispelling the dangers of the seasons and for the delight of seclusion.'
"Having reflected wisely, he uses the requisite of medicines for the sick - 'only for warding off arisen afflicting feelings, with freedom from affliction as the highest aim.'
"For whatever mental corruptions, vexations, and fevers would arise for one not using, monks, for one using thus, those mental corruptions, vexations, and fevers do not exist. These are called, monks, mental corruptions to be abandoned by using.
Mental Corruptions to be Abandoned by Endurance
24. "And what, monks, are the mental corruptions to be abandoned by endurance? Here, monks, a monk, having reflected wisely, is patient with cold and heat, with hunger and thirst. He is one who by nature endures the contact of gadflies, mosquitoes, wind, sun, and creeping creatures, ill-spoken and ill-expressed ways of speech, and arisen bodily feelings that are painful, sharp, rough, severe, disagreeable, unpleasant, and life-threatening.
For whatever mental corruptions, vexations, and fevers would arise for one not enduring, monks, for one enduring, those mental corruptions, vexations, and fevers do not exist. These are called, monks, mental corruptions to be abandoned by endurance.
Mental Corruptions to be Abandoned by Avoidance
25. "And what, monks, are the mental corruptions to be abandoned by avoidance? Here, monks, a monk, having reflected wisely, avoids a fierce elephant, avoids a fierce horse, avoids a fierce bull, avoids a fierce dog, a snake, a stump, a thorny place, a pit, a precipice, a cesspool, a sewer. Whatever improper seat one sitting on, whatever improper resort one frequenting, whatever evil friends one associating with, wise fellow monks would suspect one in evil matters - he, having reflected wisely, avoids that improper seat, that improper resort, and those evil friends.
For whatever mental corruptions, vexations, and fevers would arise for one not avoiding, monks, for one avoiding, those mental corruptions, vexations, and fevers do not exist. These are called, monks, mental corruptions to be abandoned by avoidance.
Mental Corruptions to be Abandoned by Removal
26. "And what, monks, are the mental corruptions to be abandoned by removal? Here, monks, a monk, having reflected wisely, does not accept an arisen sensual thought, he abandons it, dispels it, puts an end to it, brings it to obliteration; an arisen thought of anger... etc. an arisen thought of violence... etc. Whatever evil unwholesome mental states have arisen, he does not accept them, he abandons them, dispels them, puts an end to them, brings them to obliteration.
For whatever mental corruptions, vexations, and fevers would arise for one not removing them, monks, for one removing them, those mental corruptions, vexations, and fevers do not exist. These are called, monks, mental corruptions to be abandoned by removal.
Mental Corruptions to be Abandoned by Meditative Development
27. "And what, monks, are the mental corruptions to be abandoned by meditative development? Here, monks, a monk, having reflected wisely, develops the enlightenment factor of mindfulness, based upon seclusion, based upon dispassion, based upon cessation, maturing in release; having reflected wisely, he develops the enlightenment factor of investigation of phenomena... etc. He develops the enlightenment factor of energy... He develops the enlightenment factor of rapture... He develops the enlightenment factor of tranquillity... He develops the enlightenment factor of concentration... He develops the enlightenment factor of equanimity, based upon seclusion, based upon dispassion, based upon cessation, maturing in release.
"For whatever mental corruptions, vexations, and fevers would arise for one not developing, monks, for one developing, those mental corruptions, vexations, and fevers do not exist. These are called, monks, mental corruptions to be abandoned by meditative development.
28. "Monks, when for a monk those mental corruptions to be abandoned by seeing are abandoned by seeing, those mental corruptions to be abandoned by restraint are abandoned by restraint, those mental corruptions to be abandoned by using are abandoned by using, those mental corruptions to be abandoned by endurance are abandoned by endurance, those mental corruptions to be abandoned by avoidance are abandoned by avoidance, those mental corruptions to be abandoned by removal are abandoned by removal, those mental corruptions to be abandoned by meditative development are abandoned by meditative development; this is called, monks - 'a monk dwells restrained with the restraint of all mental corruptions, he has cut off craving, turned back the mental fetters, through the complete full realization of conceit he has made an end of suffering.'"
This is what the Blessed One said. Those monks, delighted, rejoiced in what the Blessed One had said.
The Discourse on All Mental Corruptions is concluded as second.