9.
The Greater Discourse at Assapura
415. Thus have I heard - On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling among the Aṅgas, where there was a market town of the Aṅgas named Assapura. There the Blessed One addressed the monks - "Monks." "Venerable sir," those monks assented to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this -
"People perceive you, monks, as 'ascetics, ascetics.' And when you are asked 'who are you?' you acknowledge 'we are ascetics'; for you, monks, who have such a designation, who have such an acknowledgment, 'we will undertake and practise those qualities that make one an ascetic and that make one a brahmin; thus this designation of ours will be true and our acknowledgment will be factual. And the services of those whose requisites of robes, almsfood, lodging and medicine for the sick we use will be of great fruit and great benefit to them, and this going forth of ours will not be barren but fruitful and yielding growth.' Thus indeed, monks, should you train.
416. "And what, monks, are the qualities that make one an ascetic and that make one a brahmin? 'We will be endowed with shame and moral fear' - thus indeed, monks, should you train. Now, monks, you might think thus - 'We are endowed with shame and moral fear, this much is enough, this much has been done, the goal of asceticism has been attained by us, there is nothing further to be done by us' - you might become satisfied with just that much. I inform you, monks, I announce to you, monks - 'Do not let the goal of asceticism decline for you who are a hundred seeking the goal of asceticism, when there is further to be done.'
417. "And what, monks, is further to be done? 'Our bodily conduct will be pure, manifest, unveiled, without faults, and restrained. And yet by that purity of bodily conduct, we will not exalt ourselves nor scoff at others' - thus indeed, monks, should you train. Now, monks, you might think thus - 'We are endowed with shame and moral fear, our bodily conduct is pure; this much is enough, this much has been done, the goal of asceticism has been attained by us, there is nothing further to be done by us' - you might become satisfied with just that much. I inform you, monks, I announce to you, monks - 'Do not let the goal of asceticism decline for you who are a hundred seeking the goal of asceticism, when there is further to be done.'
418. "And what, monks, is further to be done? 'Our verbal conduct will be pure, manifest, unveiled, without faults, and restrained. And yet by that purity of verbal conduct, we will not exalt ourselves nor scoff at others' - thus indeed, monks, should you train. Now, monks, you might think thus - 'We are endowed with shame and moral fear, our bodily conduct is pure, our verbal conduct is pure; this much is enough, this much has been done, the goal of asceticism has been attained by us, there is nothing further to be done by us' - you might become satisfied with just that much. I inform you, monks, I announce to you, monks - 'Do not let the goal of asceticism decline for you who are a hundred seeking the goal of asceticism, when there is further to be done.'
419. "And what, monks, is further to be done? 'Our mental conduct will be pure, manifest, unveiled, without faults, and restrained. And yet by that purity of mental conduct, we will not exalt ourselves nor scoff at others' - thus indeed, monks, should you train. Now, monks, you might think thus - 'We are endowed with shame and moral fear, our bodily conduct is pure, our verbal conduct is pure, our mental conduct is pure; this much is enough, this much has been done, the goal of asceticism has been attained by us, there is nothing further to be done by us' - you might become satisfied with just that much. I inform you, monks, I announce to you, monks - 'Do not let the goal of asceticism decline for you who are a hundred seeking the goal of asceticism, when there is further to be done.'
420. "And what, monks, is further to be done? 'Our livelihood will be pure, manifest, unveiled, without faults, and restrained. And yet by that purity of livelihood, we will not exalt ourselves nor scoff at others' - thus indeed, monks, should you train. Now, monks, you might think thus - 'We are endowed with shame and moral fear, our bodily conduct is pure, our verbal conduct is pure, our mental conduct is pure, our livelihood is pure; this much is enough, this much has been done, the goal of asceticism has been attained by us, there is nothing further to be done by us' - you might become satisfied with just that much. I inform you, monks, I announce to you, monks - 'Do not let the goal of asceticism decline for you who are a hundred seeking the goal of asceticism, when there is further to be done.'
421. "And what, monks, is further to be done? 'We will be with guarded doors in the faculties; having seen a form with the eye, 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, we will proceed to restrain it, we will guard the eye-faculty, we will commit 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, 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, we will proceed to restrain it, we will guard the mind faculty, we will commit to restraint of the mind faculty' - thus indeed, monks, should you train. Now, monks, you might think thus - 'We are endowed with shame and moral fear, our bodily conduct is pure, our verbal conduct is pure, our mental conduct is pure, our livelihood is pure, we are with guarded doors in the faculties; this much is enough, this much has been done, the goal of asceticism has been attained by us, there is nothing further to be done by us' - you might become satisfied with just that much. I inform you, monks, I announce to you, monks - 'Do not let the goal of asceticism decline for you who are a hundred seeking the goal of asceticism, when there is further to be done.'
422. "And what, monks, is further to be done? 'We will be knowing moderation in food, having reflected wisely we will take food, 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 us progress, blamelessness, and comfortable dwelling."' Thus indeed, monks, should you train. Now, monks, you might think thus - 'We are endowed with shame and moral fear, our bodily conduct is pure, our verbal conduct is pure, our mental conduct is pure, our livelihood is pure, we are with guarded doors in the faculties, knowing moderation in food; this much is enough, this much has been done, the goal of asceticism has been attained by us, there is nothing further to be done by us' - you might become satisfied with just that much. I inform you, monks, I announce to you, monks - 'Do not let the goal of asceticism decline for you who are a hundred seeking the goal of asceticism, when there is further to be done.'
423. "And what, monks, is further to be done? 'We will be devoted to wakefulness, during the day by walking and sitting we will purify the mind of obstructive mental states. During the first watch of the night by walking and sitting we will purify the mind of obstructive mental states. During the middle watch of the night we will lie down in the lion's posture on the right side, overlapping foot upon foot, mindful and fully aware, having attended to the perception of rising. During the last watch of the night, having risen, by walking and sitting we will purify the mind of obstructive mental states' - thus indeed, monks, should you train. Now, monks, you might think thus - 'We are endowed with shame and moral fear, our bodily conduct is pure, our verbal conduct is pure, our mental conduct is pure, our livelihood is pure, we are with guarded doors in the faculties, knowing moderation in food, devoted to wakefulness; this much is enough, this much has been done, the goal of asceticism has been attained by us, there is nothing further to be done by us' - you might become satisfied with just that much. I inform you, monks, I announce to you, monks - 'Do not let the goal of asceticism decline for you who are a hundred seeking the goal of asceticism, when there is further to be done.'
424. "And what, monks, is further to be done? 'We will be endowed with mindfulness and full awareness, acting with full awareness when going forward and returning, acting with full awareness when looking ahead and looking aside, acting with full awareness when bending and stretching, acting with full awareness when wearing the double robe, bowl and robes, acting with full awareness when eating, drinking, chewing and tasting, acting with full awareness when defecating and urinating, acting with full awareness when walking, standing, sitting, sleeping, waking, speaking and remaining silent' - thus indeed, monks, should you train. Now, monks, you might think thus - 'We are endowed with shame and moral fear, our bodily conduct is pure, our verbal conduct is pure, our mental conduct is pure, our livelihood is pure, we are with guarded doors in the faculties, knowing moderation in food, devoted to wakefulness, endowed with mindfulness and full awareness; this much is enough, this much has been done, the goal of asceticism has been attained by us, there is nothing further to be done by us' - you might become satisfied with just that much. I inform you, monks, I announce to you, monks - 'Do not let the goal of asceticism decline for you who are a hundred seeking the goal of asceticism, when there is further to be done.'
425. "And what, monks, is further to be done? Here, monks, a monk 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.
426. "Just as, monks, a man having taken a loan might engage in business activities. Those business activities of his might succeed. He might put an end to whatever former principal debts there were, and there might be something left over for the maintenance of his wife. He would think thus - 'I formerly having taken a loan engaged in business activities. Those business activities of mine succeeded. I put an end to whatever former principal debts there were, and there is something left over for the maintenance of my wife.' On that account he would obtain gladness, he would attain pleasure.
"Just as, monks, a man might be sick, afflicted, severely ill; and food would not be agreeable to him, and there would be no strength in his body. At a later time he might be freed from that illness; and food would be agreeable to him, and there would be strength in his body. He would think thus - 'I was formerly sick, afflicted, severely ill; and food was not agreeable to me, and there was no strength in my body. Now I am freed from that illness; and food is agreeable to me, and there is strength in my body.' On that account he would obtain gladness, he would attain pleasure.
"Just as, monks, a man might be bound in a prison. At a later time he might be freed from that bondage safely and without fear, and there would be no loss of his wealth. He would think thus - 'I was formerly bound in a prison. Now I am freed from that bondage safely and without fear, and there is no loss of my wealth.' On that account he would obtain gladness, he would attain pleasure.
"Just as, monks, a man might be a slave, not self-dependent, dependent on others, not able to go where he wishes. At a later time he might be freed from that slavery, self-dependent, not dependent on others, a freeman, able to go where he wishes. He would think thus - 'I was formerly a slave, not self-dependent, dependent on others, not able to go where I wished. Now I am freed from that slavery, self-dependent, not dependent on others, a freeman, able to go where I wish.' On that account he would obtain gladness, he would attain pleasure.
"Just as, monks, a man with wealth and possessions might proceed along a highway through a wilderness. At a later time he might cross over that wilderness safely and without fear, and there would be no loss of his wealth. He would think thus - 'I formerly with wealth and possessions proceeded along a highway through a wilderness. Now I have crossed over that wilderness safely and without fear, and there is no loss of my wealth.' On that account he would obtain gladness, he would attain pleasure.
"Even so, monks, a monk regards these five hindrances not abandoned within himself just as a debt, just as an illness, just as a prison, just as slavery, just as a highway through a wilderness. Just as, monks, just as freedom from debt, just as health, just as release from bondage, just as freedom, just as a place of security; even so, a monk regards these five hindrances as abandoned within himself.
427. "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. He drenches, steeps, fills, and pervades this very body with the rapture and happiness born of seclusion, so that there is no part of his entire body unpervaded by the rapture and happiness born of seclusion. Just as, monks, a skilled bathman or his apprentice, having scattered bath powder in a bronze dish, might knead it by sprinkling it again and again with water. That ball of bath powder is permeated with moisture, pervaded by moisture, within and without, pervaded by moisture, yet does not drip. Just so, monks, a monk drenches, steeps, fills, and pervades this very body with the rapture and happiness born of seclusion, so that there is no part of his entire body unpervaded by the rapture and happiness born of seclusion.
428. "Furthermore, monks, with the subsiding of applied and sustained thought, a monk 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. He drenches, steeps, fills, and pervades this very body with the rapture and happiness born of concentration, so that there is no part of his entire body unpervaded by the rapture and happiness born of concentration. Just as, monks, a lake with a spring. It has no inlet for water from the eastern direction, no inlet for water from the western direction, no inlet for water from the northern direction, no inlet for water from the southern direction, and the rain god would not send down proper showers from time to time. Then cool streams of water, having sprung up from that very lake, would drench, steep, fill, and pervade that very lake with cool water, so that there would be no part of the entire lake unpervaded by cool water. Just so, monks, a monk drenches, steeps, fills, and pervades this very body with the rapture and happiness born of concentration, so that there is no part of his entire body unpervaded by the rapture and happiness born of concentration.
429. "Furthermore, monks, with the fading away of rapture, a monk dwells equanimous, 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. He drenches, steeps, fills, and pervades this very body with happiness free from rapture, so that there is no part of his entire body unpervaded by happiness free from rapture. Just as, monks, in a pond of water lilies, or a pond of lotuses, or a pond of white lotuses, some water lilies, or lotuses, or white lotuses are born in the water, grow in the water, do not rise above the water, and are nourished while submerged within, and they, from their tips to their roots, are drenched, steeped, filled, and pervaded with cool water, so that there is no part of the entire water lilies, or lotuses, or white lotuses unpervaded by cool water. Just so, monks, a monk drenches, steeps, fills, and pervades this very body with happiness free from rapture, so that there is no part of his entire body unpervaded by happiness free from rapture.
430. "Furthermore, monks, with the abandoning of pleasure and with the abandoning of pain, and with the previous disappearance of joy and displeasure, a monk enters and dwells in the fourth meditative absorption, which has neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant and purity of mindfulness due to equanimity. He sits having pervaded this very body with a pure and bright mind, so that there is nothing of his entire body unpervaded by the pure and bright mind. Just as, monks, a man having wrapped himself up to the head with a white cloth might be seated, so that there would be no part of his entire body untouched by the white cloth. Just so, monks, a monk sits having pervaded this very body with a pure and bright mind, so that there is nothing of his entire body unpervaded by the pure and bright mind.
431. "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, etc. thus with aspects and terms he recollects manifold past lives. Just as, monks, a man might go from his own village to another village, and from that village might go to another village, and he might return from that village to his own village. He would think thus - 'I went from my own village to that village; there I stood thus, sat thus, spoke thus, remained silent thus; from that village I went to that village; there too I stood thus, sat thus, spoke thus, remained silent thus; I have returned from that village to my own village.' Just so, monks, a monk recollects manifold past lives, as follows - one birth, two births, etc. thus with aspects and terms he recollects manifold past lives.
432. "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... etc. Just as, monks, there are two houses with doors facing each other. There a man with eyes, standing in the middle, might see people entering the house and leaving, walking back and forth and wandering about. Just so, monks, a monk with the divine eye, which is pure and surpasses the human, sees beings passing away and arising, inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate, and he understands beings according to their actions... etc.
433. "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.'
"Just as, monks, there might be a lake on a mountain top, clear, bright, and undisturbed. There a man with eyes, standing on the bank, might see oysters and shells, gravel and pebbles, and shoals of fish, moving about or remaining still. He would think thus - 'This lake is clear, bright, and undisturbed. Here are these oysters and shells, gravel and pebbles, and shoals of fish moving about or remaining still.' Just so indeed, monks, a monk understands as it really is: 'This is suffering' etc. he understands: 'There is no more of this state of being.'
434. "This is called, monks, a monk who is an 'ascetic' and also a 'brahmin' and also 'one who has bathed' and also 'one who has attained the highest knowledge' and also 'a learned one' and also 'a noble one' and also 'a Worthy One'. And how, monks, is a monk an ascetic? For him evil unwholesome mental states have been calmed, that are subject to defilement, leading to rebirth, that give trouble, with painful results, leading to future birth, ageing and death. Thus, monks, a monk is an ascetic.
"And how, monks, is a monk a brahmin? For him evil unwholesome mental states have been warded off, that are subject to defilement, leading to rebirth, that give trouble, with painful results, leading to future birth, ageing and death. Thus, monks, a monk is a brahmin.
"And how, monks, is a monk one who has bathed? For him evil unwholesome mental states have been washed away, that are subject to defilement, leading to rebirth, that give trouble, with painful results, leading to future birth, ageing and death. Thus, monks, a monk is one who has bathed.
"And how, monks, is a monk one who has attained the highest knowledge? For him evil unwholesome mental states have been known, that are subject to defilement, leading to rebirth, that give trouble, with painful results, leading to future birth, ageing and death. Thus, monks, a monk is one who has attained the highest knowledge.
"And how, monks, is a monk a learned one? For him evil unwholesome mental states have flowed out, that are subject to defilement, leading to rebirth, that give trouble, with painful results, leading to future birth, ageing and death. Thus, monks, a monk is a learned one.
"And how, monks, is a monk a noble one? For him evil unwholesome mental states are far away, that are subject to defilement, leading to rebirth, that give trouble, with painful results, leading to future birth, ageing and death. Thus, monks, a monk is a noble one.
"And how, monks, is a monk a Worthy One? For him evil unwholesome mental states are far away, that are subject to defilement, leading to rebirth, that give trouble, with painful results, leading to future birth, ageing and death. Thus, monks, a monk is a Worthy One."
This is what the Blessed One said. Those monks, delighted, rejoiced in what the Blessed One had said.
The Discourse on the Greater Assapura is concluded as ninth.