4.
The Greater Discourse to Mālukya
129. 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 - "Do you remember, monks, the five lower mental fetters taught by me?"
When this was said, the Venerable Mālukyaputta said this to the Blessed One - "I, venerable sir, remember the five lower mental fetters taught by the Blessed One." "In what way, then, Mālukyaputta, do you remember the five lower mental fetters taught by me?" "I, venerable sir, remember identity view as a lower mental fetter taught by the Blessed One; I, venerable sir, remember sceptical doubt as a lower mental fetter taught by the Blessed One; I, venerable sir, remember adherence to moral rules and austerities as a lower mental fetter taught by the Blessed One; I, venerable sir, remember sensual desire as a lower mental fetter taught by the Blessed One; I, venerable sir, remember anger as a lower mental fetter taught by the Blessed One. Thus, venerable sir, I remember the five lower mental fetters taught by the Blessed One."
"To whom indeed, Mālukyaputta, do you remember these five lower mental fetters as having been taught thus? Would not, Mālukyaputta, heterodox wandering ascetics reprove you with this reproof using the simile of the young child? For a young boy, Mālukyaputta, a foolish infant lying on his back, does not even have the notion of 'identity', so from where would identity view arise in him? Yet the underlying tendency to identity view underlies in him. For a young boy, Mālukyaputta, a foolish infant lying on his back, does not even have the notion of 'mental phenomena', so from where would sceptical doubt regarding mental phenomena arise in him? Yet the underlying tendency to sceptical doubt underlies in him. For a young boy, Mālukyaputta, a foolish infant lying on his back, does not even have the notion of 'moral rules', so from where would adherence to moral rules and austerities regarding moral rules arise in him? Yet the underlying tendency to adherence to moral rules and austerities underlies in him. For a young boy, Mālukyaputta, a foolish infant lying on his back, does not even have the notion of 'sensual pleasures', so from where would sensual desire for sensual pleasures arise in him? Yet the underlying tendency to sensual lust underlies in him. For a young boy, Mālukyaputta, a foolish infant lying on his back, does not even have the notion of 'beings', so from where would anger towards beings arise in him? Yet the underlying tendency to anger underlies in him. Would not, Mālukyaputta, heterodox wandering ascetics reprove you with this reproof using the simile of the young child?" When this was said, the Venerable Ānanda said this to the Blessed One - "This is the time, Blessed One, this is the time, Fortunate One, that the Blessed One would teach the five lower mental fetters. Having heard from the Blessed One, the monks will remember it." "If so, Ānanda, listen, pay close attention; I will speak." "Yes, venerable sir," the Venerable Ānanda assented to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this -
130. "Here, Ānanda, 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, dwells with a mind pervaded by identity view, overcome by identity view; and he does not understand as it really is the escape from arisen identity view. That identity view of his, having become strong, undisciplined, is a lower mental fetter. He dwells with a mind pervaded by sceptical doubt, overcome by sceptical doubt; and he does not understand as it really is the escape from arisen sceptical doubt. That sceptical doubt of his, having become strong, undisciplined, is a lower mental fetter. He dwells with a mind pervaded by adherence to moral rules and austerities, overcome by adherence to moral rules and austerities; and he does not understand as it really is the escape from arisen adherence to moral rules and austerities. That adherence to moral rules and austerities of his, having become strong, undisciplined, is a lower mental fetter. He dwells with a mind pervaded by sensual lust, overcome by sensual lust; and he does not understand as it really is the escape from arisen sensual lust. That sensual lust of his, having become strong, undisciplined, is a lower mental fetter. He dwells with a mind pervaded by anger, overcome by anger; and he does not understand as it really is the escape from arisen anger. That anger of his, having become strong, undisciplined, is a lower mental fetter.
131. "But, Ānanda, 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 dwell with a mind pervaded by identity view, nor overcome by identity view; and he understands as it really is the escape from arisen identity view. That identity view of his with underlying tendencies is abandoned. He does not dwell with a mind pervaded by sceptical doubt, nor overcome by sceptical doubt; and he understands as it really is the escape from arisen sceptical doubt. That sceptical doubt of his with underlying tendencies is abandoned. He does not dwell with a mind pervaded by adherence to moral rules and austerities, nor overcome by adherence to moral rules and austerities; and he understands as it really is the escape from arisen adherence to moral rules and austerities. That adherence to moral rules and austerities of his with underlying tendencies is abandoned. He does not dwell with a mind pervaded by sensual lust, nor overcome by sensual lust; and he understands as it really is the escape from arisen sensual lust. That sensual lust of his with underlying tendencies is abandoned. He does not dwell with a mind pervaded by anger, nor overcome by anger; and he understands as it really is the escape from arisen anger. That anger of his with underlying tendencies is abandoned.
132. "Ānanda, whatever path, whatever practice is for the abandoning of the five lower mental fetters - without following that path, without following that practice, one will know or see or abandon the five lower mental fetters - this is impossible. Just as, Ānanda, of a great tree standing with substance, without cutting through the bark, without cutting through the softwood, there will be a cutting of the substance - this is impossible; just so, Ānanda, whatever path, whatever practice is for the abandoning of the five lower mental fetters - without following that path, without following that practice, one will know or see or abandon the five lower mental fetters - this is impossible.
"But, Ānanda, whatever path, whatever practice is for the abandoning of the five lower mental fetters - following that path, following that practice, one will know or see or abandon the five lower mental fetters - this is possible. Just as, Ānanda, of a great tree standing with substance, having cut through the bark, having cut through the softwood, there will be a cutting of the substance - this is possible; just so, Ānanda, whatever path, whatever practice is for the abandoning of the five lower mental fetters - following that path, following that practice, one will know or see or abandon the five lower mental fetters - this is possible. Just as, Ānanda, the river Ganges is full of water, level to the brim, so that a crow could drink from it. Then a weak man might come along - 'I will cross this river Ganges, cutting across the stream with my arms, and go safely to the far shore'; he would not be able to cross the river Ganges, cutting across the stream with his arms, and go safely to the far shore. Just so, Ānanda, for whomever, when the Teaching is being taught for the cessation of identity, the mind does not spring forward, does not become clear, does not become settled, does not become liberated; just as that weak man, so should they be seen. Just as, Ānanda, the river Ganges is full of water, level to the brim, so that a crow could drink from it. Then a strong man might come along - 'I will cross this river Ganges, cutting across the stream with my arms, and go safely to the far shore'; he would be able to cross the river Ganges, cutting across the stream with his arms, and go safely to the far shore. Just so, Ānanda, for whomever, when the Teaching is being taught for the cessation of identity, the mind springs forward, becomes clear, becomes settled, becomes liberated; just as that strong man, so should they be seen.
133. "And what, Ānanda, is the path, what is the practice for the abandoning of the five lower mental fetters? Here, Ānanda, a monk, through seclusion from clinging, through the abandoning of unwholesome mental states, through the complete cessation of bodily inertia, 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. Whatever is there pertaining to matter, pertaining to feeling, pertaining to perception, pertaining to activities, pertaining to consciousness - he regards those mental states as impermanent, as suffering, as a disease, as a boil, as a dart, as misery, as an affliction, as alien, as disintegrating, as empty, as non-self. He turns away the mind from those mental states. Having turned away the mind from those mental states, he focuses the mind on the deathless element - 'This is peaceful, this is sublime, that is to say, the stilling of all activities, the relinquishment of all clinging, the elimination of craving, dispassion, cessation, Nibbāna.' He, steady in that, attains the elimination of mental corruptions; if he does not attain the elimination of mental corruptions, then by that very lust for mental states, by that delight in mental states, with the utter elimination of the five lower mental fetters, he becomes one of spontaneous birth, attaining final nibbāna there, not subject to return from that world. This too, Ānanda, is the path, this is the practice for the abandoning of the five lower mental fetters.
"Furthermore, Ānanda, with the subsiding of applied and sustained thought, a monk... etc. enters and dwells in the second meditative absorption... the third meditative absorption... he enters and dwells in the fourth meditative absorption. Whatever is there pertaining to matter, pertaining to feeling, pertaining to perception, pertaining to activities, pertaining to consciousness... not subject to return from that world. This too, Ānanda, is the path, this is the practice for the abandoning of the five lower mental fetters.
"Furthermore, Ānanda, with the complete transcendence of perceptions of material form, with the passing away of perceptions of sensory impingement, with inattention to perceptions of diversity, aware that 'space is infinite,' a monk enters and dwells in the plane of infinite space. Whatever is there pertaining to feeling, pertaining to perception, pertaining to activities, pertaining to consciousness... etc. not subject to return from that world. This too, Ānanda, is the path, this is the practice for the abandoning of the five lower mental fetters.
"Furthermore, Ānanda, with the complete transcendence of the plane of infinite space, aware that 'consciousness is infinite,' a monk enters and dwells in the plane of infinite consciousness. Whatever is there pertaining to feeling, pertaining to perception, pertaining to activities, pertaining to consciousness... etc. not subject to return from that world. This too, Ānanda, is the path, this is the practice for the abandoning of the five lower mental fetters.
"Furthermore, Ānanda, with the complete transcendence of the plane of infinite consciousness, aware that 'there is nothing,' a monk enters and dwells in the plane of nothingness. Whatever is there pertaining to feeling, pertaining to perception, pertaining to activities, pertaining to consciousness... etc. not subject to return from that world. This too, Ānanda, is the path, this is the practice for the abandoning of the five lower mental fetters."
"If this, venerable sir, is the path, if this is the practice for the abandoning of the five lower mental fetters, then why are some monks here liberated in mind and some monks liberated by wisdom?" "Here, Ānanda, I say it is the difference in faculties."
This is what the Blessed One said. Delighted, the Venerable Ānanda rejoiced in what the Blessed One had said.
The Greater Discourse on Mālukya is concluded as fourth.