3.
The Discourse on the Trainee
22. Thus have I heard - On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling among the Sakyans at Kapilavatthu in the Nigrodha Monastery. Now at that time the Sakyans of Kapilavatthu had a new assembly hall, recently built, not yet inhabited by any ascetic or brahmin or any human being. Then the Sakyans of Kapilavatthu approached the Blessed One; having approached, they paid respect to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Seated to one side, the Sakyans of Kapilavatthu said this to the Blessed One - "Here, venerable sir, the Sakyans of Kapilavatthu have a new assembly hall, recently built, not yet inhabited by any ascetic or brahmin or any human being. May the Blessed One, venerable sir, use it first. When it has been first used by the Blessed One, afterwards the Sakyans of Kapilavatthu will use it. That would be for the welfare and happiness of the Sakyans of Kapilavatthu for a long time." The Blessed One consented by silence. Then the Sakyans of Kapilavatthu, having learned of the Blessed One's acceptance, rose from their seats, paid respect to the Blessed One, circumambulated him keeping him on their right, and approached the new assembly hall; having approached, they completely spread the assembly hall with coverings, prepared seats, set up a water jar, and lit an oil lamp, then approached the Blessed One; having approached, they paid respect to the Blessed One and stood to one side. Standing to one side, the Sakyans of Kapilavatthu said this to the Blessed One - "The assembly hall is completely spread with coverings, venerable sir, seats have been prepared, a water jar has been set up, an oil lamp has been lit. Now let the Blessed One do as he thinks fit, venerable sir." Then the Blessed One, having dressed, taking his bowl and robe, together with the Community of monks, approached the assembly hall; having approached, having washed his feet, he entered the assembly hall and sat down leaning against the middle pillar, facing east. The Community of monks too, having washed their feet, entered the assembly hall and sat down leaning against the western wall, facing east, with the Blessed One in front. The Sakyans of Kapilavatthu too, having washed their feet, entered the assembly hall and sat down leaning against the eastern wall, facing west, with the Blessed One in front. Then the Blessed One, having instructed, encouraged, inspired, and gladdened the Sakyans of Kapilavatthu with a talk on the Teaching for much of the night, addressed the Venerable Ānanda - "Let the practice of a learner occur to you, Ānanda, for the Sakyans of Kapilavatthu. My back aches; I will stretch it." "Yes, venerable sir," the Venerable Ānanda assented to the Blessed One. Then the Blessed One, having prepared the double robe folded in four, lay down in the lion's posture on his right side, overlapping foot upon foot, mindful and fully aware, having attended to the perception of rising.
23. Then the Venerable Ānanda addressed Mahānāma the Sakyan - "Here, Mahānāma, a noble disciple is accomplished in morality, is one with guarded doors in the sense faculties, is one who knows moderation in food, is devoted to wakefulness, is endowed with seven good qualities, and is one who obtains at will, obtains without difficulty, obtains without trouble, the four meditative absorptions pertaining to the higher mind, which are pleasant abidings in the present life.
24. "And how, Mahānāma, is a noble disciple accomplished in morality? Here, Mahānāma, a noble disciple is virtuous, dwells restrained by the restraint of the Pātimokkha, accomplished in good conduct and lawful resort, seeing danger in the slightest faults, having accepted the training rules he trains in them. Thus, Mahānāma, a noble disciple is accomplished in morality.
"And how, Mahānāma, is a noble disciple one with guarded doors in the sense faculties? Here, Mahānāma, a noble disciple, 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. Thus, Mahānāma, a noble disciple is one with guarded doors in the sense faculties.
"And how, Mahānāma, is a noble disciple one who knows moderation in food? Here, Mahānāma, a noble disciple, having reflected wisely, takes 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 me progress, blamelessness, and comfortable dwelling."' Thus, Mahānāma, a noble disciple is one who knows moderation in food.
"And how, Mahānāma, is a noble disciple devoted to wakefulness? Here, Mahānāma, a noble disciple during the day by walking and sitting purifies the mind of obstructive mental states, during the first watch of the night by walking and sitting purifies the mind of obstructive mental states, during the middle watch of the night lies 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 purifies the mind of obstructive mental states. Thus, Mahānāma, a noble disciple is devoted to wakefulness.
25. "And how, Mahānāma, is a noble disciple endowed with seven good qualities? Here, Mahānāma, a noble disciple has faith, he believes in the enlightenment of the Truth-finder - 'Thus indeed is the Blessed One: the Worthy One, the 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 has shame, he is ashamed of bodily misconduct, verbal misconduct, mental misconduct, he is ashamed of the attainment of evil unwholesome mental states. He has moral fear, he fears bodily misconduct, verbal misconduct, mental misconduct, he fears the attainment of evil unwholesome mental states. He is very learned, remembering what has been learnt, having great accumulation of learning. Whatever teachings that are good in the beginning, good in the middle, good in the end, with meaning and with phrasing, that assert the holy life that is complete in its entirety and pure, such teachings are very learned by him, retained, practised in speech, contemplated in mind, thoroughly penetrated by view. He dwells putting forth strenuous energy for the abandoning of unwholesome mental states and for the acquisition of wholesome mental states, steadfast, of firm effort, not shirking the responsibility regarding wholesome mental states. He is mindful, endowed with the highest mindfulness and discretion, remembering and recollecting what was done long ago and what was said long ago. He is wise, endowed with wisdom that discerns rise and fall, noble, penetrative, leading rightly to the complete destruction of suffering. Thus, Mahānāma, a noble disciple is endowed with seven good qualities.
26. "And how, Mahānāma, is a noble disciple one who obtains at will, obtains without difficulty, obtains without trouble, the four meditative absorptions pertaining to the higher mind, which are pleasant abidings in the present life? Here, Mahānāma, a noble disciple, 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, with internal confidence... etc. he enters and dwells in the second meditative absorption; with the fading away of rapture... etc. 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... etc. he enters and dwells in the fourth meditative absorption. Thus, Mahānāma, a noble disciple is one who obtains at will, obtains without difficulty, obtains without trouble, the four meditative absorptions pertaining to the higher mind, which are pleasant abidings in the present life.
27. "Since, Mahānāma, a noble disciple is thus accomplished in morality, is thus one with guarded doors in the sense faculties, is thus one who knows moderation in food, is thus devoted to wakefulness, is thus endowed with seven good qualities, is thus one who obtains at will, obtains without difficulty, obtains without trouble, the four meditative absorptions pertaining to the higher mind, which are pleasant abidings in the present life, this is called, Mahānāma, a noble disciple who is a learner in the practice, attained to the state of not being a rotten egg, capable of breaking through, capable of highest enlightenment, capable of the achievement of the unsurpassed freedom from bondage. Just as, Mahānāma, 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. Even so, Mahānāma, since a noble disciple is thus accomplished in morality, is thus one with guarded doors in the sense faculties, is thus one who knows moderation in food, is thus devoted to wakefulness, is thus endowed with seven good qualities, is thus one who obtains at will, obtains without difficulty, obtains without trouble, the four meditative absorptions pertaining to the higher mind, which are pleasant abidings in the present life, this is called, Mahānāma, a noble disciple who is a learner in the practice, attained to the state of not being a rotten egg, capable of breaking through, capable of highest enlightenment, capable of the achievement of the unsurpassed freedom from bondage.
28. "That noble disciple, Mahānāma, having come to this very unsurpassed purity of mindfulness due to equanimity, recollects manifold past lives, as follows - one birth, two births, etc. Thus with aspects and terms he recollects manifold past lives. This is his first breaking forth, like a chick from the egg-shell.
"That noble disciple, Mahānāma, having come to this unsurpassed purity of mindfulness due to equanimity, 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, etc. he understands beings according to their actions. This is his second breaking forth, like a chick from the egg-shell.
"That noble disciple, Mahānāma, having come to this very unsurpassed purity of mindfulness due to equanimity, with the elimination of the mental corruptions, in this very life, having realised by direct knowledge himself, having attained, dwells in the liberation of mind and liberation by wisdom that are without mental corruptions. This is his third breaking forth, like a chick from the egg-shell.
29. "Since, Mahānāma, a noble disciple is accomplished in morality, this too is his conduct; since, Mahānāma, a noble disciple is one with guarded doors in the sense faculties, this too is his conduct; since, Mahānāma, a noble disciple is one who knows moderation in food, this too is his conduct; since, Mahānāma, a noble disciple is devoted to wakefulness, this too is his conduct; since, Mahānāma, a noble disciple is endowed with seven good qualities, this too is his conduct; since, Mahānāma, a noble disciple is one who obtains at will, obtains without difficulty, obtains without trouble, the four meditative absorptions pertaining to the higher mind, which are pleasant abidings in the present life, this too is his conduct.
"And since, Mahānāma, a noble disciple recollects manifold past lives, as follows - one birth, two births, etc. thus with aspects and terms he recollects manifold past lives, this too is his true knowledge; since, Mahānāma, a noble disciple 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, etc. he understands beings according to their actions, this too is his true knowledge. Since, Mahānāma, a noble disciple, with the elimination of the mental corruptions, in this very life, having realised by direct knowledge himself, having attained, dwells in the liberation of mind and liberation by wisdom that are without mental corruptions, this too is his true knowledge.
"This is called, Mahānāma, a noble disciple 'accomplished in true knowledge', and also 'accomplished in conduct', and also 'accomplished in true knowledge and conduct'.
30. "This verse too, Mahānāma, was spoken by Brahmā Sanaṅkumāra -
One accomplished in true knowledge and conduct, he is foremost among gods and humans.'
"Now this verse, Mahānāma, was well sung by Brahmā Sanaṅkumāra, not badly sung, well spoken, not badly spoken, connected with benefit, not connected with harm, and is approved by the Blessed One."
Then the Blessed One, having risen, addressed the Venerable Ānanda - "Good, good, Ānanda, good indeed have you, Ānanda, spoken the practice of a learner to the Sakyans of Kapilavatthu."
This the Venerable Ānanda said. The Teacher was approving. The Sakyans of Kapilavatthu, delighted, rejoiced in what the Venerable Ānanda had said.
The Discourse on the Learner is concluded as third.