u/wisdomperception

>... the Buddha advises him to train so his mind remains unafflicted despite physical decline. The venerable Sāriputta then clarifies this teaching.

Sorrowing Old Man (At Eternity's Gate), Van Gogh, c. 1890

Thus have I heard—At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling among the Bhaggans in Crocodile Mountain, in the Deer Park at Bhesakaḷā Grove.

Then the householder Nakulapitā approached the Blessed One; having approached, he paid homage to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, the householder Nakulapitā said to the Blessed One:

“I am now, venerable sir, aged, old, elderly, advanced in years, and have reached the final stage of life; my body is afflicted, and I am frequently sick. Moreover, venerable sir, I rarely get to see the Blessed One and the esteemed bhikkhus. May the Blessed One exhort me, venerable sir; may the Blessed One instruct me, venerable sir, for my welfare and happiness for a long time.”

“So it is, householder, so it is, householder. For this body of yours, householder, is afflicted, frail, and encumbered. For one carrying around this body, householder, to claim even a moment of health—what is that if not foolishness?

Therefore householder, you should train yourself thus: ‘Even though my body is afflicted, my mind will not be afflicted.’ Thus should you train yourself, householder.

Then the householder Nakulapitā, having delighted and rejoiced in the Blessed One’s words, rose from his seat, paid homage to the Blessed One, keeping him on his right, and approached the venerable Sāriputta. Having approached, he paid homage to the venerable Sāriputta and sat down to one side. As the householder Nakulapitā was sitting to one side, the venerable Sāriputta said to him:

“Your faculties are clear, householder; your facial complexion is pure and bright. Did you get to hear a Dhamma talk in the presence of the Blessed One today?”

“How could it be otherwise, venerable sir? Just now, venerable sir, I was sprinkled with the nectar of a Dhamma talk by the Blessed One.”

“And in what way, householder, were you sprinkled with the nectar of a Dhamma talk by the Blessed One?”

“Here, venerable sir, I approached the Blessed One; having approached, I paid homage to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, venerable sir, I said to the Blessed One: ‘I am now, venerable sir, aged, old, elderly, advanced in years, and have reached the final stage of life; my body is afflicted, and I am frequently sick. Moreover, venerable sir, I rarely get to see the Blessed One and the esteemed bhikkhus. May the Blessed One exhort me, venerable sir; may the Blessed One instruct me, venerable sir, for my welfare and happiness for a long time.’ When this was said, venerable sir, the Blessed One said to me: ‘So it is, householder, so it is, householder. For this body of yours, householder, is afflicted, frail, and encumbered. For one carrying around this body, householder, to claim even a moment of health—what is that if not foolishness? Therefore, householder, you should train yourself thus: “Even though my body is afflicted, my mind will not be afflicted.” Thus should you train yourself, householder.’ In this way, venerable sir, I was sprinkled with the nectar of a Dhamma talk by the Blessed One.”

“But did it not occur to you, householder, to question the Blessed One further: ‘In what way, venerable sir, is one afflicted in body and afflicted in mind, and in what way is one afflicted in body but not afflicted in mind?’”

“Even from far away, venerable sir, we would come to venerable Sāriputta to learn the meaning of this statement. It would be good if venerable Sāriputta himself would clarify the meaning of this statement.”

“Well then, householder, listen to this and pay close attention; I will speak.”

“Yes, venerable sir,” the householder Nakulapitā replied to the venerable Sāriputta. The venerable Sāriputta said this:

Afflicted in Body and Afflicted in Mind

“And how, householder, is one afflicted in body and afflicted in mind? Here, householder, an uninstructed ordinary person, who has no regard for the Noble Ones and is unskilled and untrained in the Dhamma of the Noble Ones; who has no regard for persons of integrity and is unskilled and untrained in the Dhamma of persons of integrity, perceives form as self, or self as possessing form, or form as being in self, or self as being in form. He is obsessed with the thought, ‘I am form, form is mine.’ As he is obsessed with the thought, ‘I am form, form is mine,’ that form of his then changes and alters. With the change and alteration of form, there arise in him sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair.

He perceives feeling as self, or self as possessing feeling, or feeling as being in self, or self as being in feeling. He is obsessed with the thought, ‘I am feeling, feeling is mine.’ As he is obsessed with the thought, ‘I am feeling, feeling is mine,’ that feeling of his then changes and alters. With the change and alteration of feeling, there arise in him sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair.

He perceives perception as self, or self as possessing perception, or perception as being in self, or self as being in perception. He is obsessed with the thought, ‘I am perception, perception is mine.’ As he is obsessed with the thought, ‘I am perception, perception is mine,’ that perception of his then changes and alters. With the change and alteration of perception, there arise in him sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair.

He perceives intentional constructs as self, or self as possessing intentional constructs, or intentional constructs as being in self, or self as being in intentional constructs. He is obsessed with the thought, ‘I am intentional constructs, intentional constructs are mine.’ As he is obsessed with the thought, ‘I am intentional constructs, intentional constructs are mine,’ those intentional constructs of his then change and alter. With the change and alteration of intentional constructs, there arise in him sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair.

He perceives consciousness as self, or self as possessing consciousness, or consciousness as being in self, or self as being in consciousness. He is obsessed with the thought, ‘I am consciousness, consciousness is mine.’ As he is obsessed with the thought, ‘I am consciousness, consciousness is mine,’ that consciousness of his then changes and alters. With the change and alteration of consciousness, there arise in him sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair.

That is how, householder, one is afflicted in body and afflicted in mind.

Afflicted in Body but Not Afflicted in Mind

And how, householder, is one afflicted in body but not afflicted in mind? Here, householder, the learned disciple of the Noble Ones, who has regard for the Noble Ones and is skilled and well-trained in the Dhamma of the Noble Ones; who has regard for persons of integrity and is skilled and well-trained in the Dhamma of persons of integrity, does not perceive form as self, nor self as possessing form, nor form as being in self, nor self as being in form. He is not obsessed with the thought, ‘I am form, form is mine.’ Because he is not obsessed with the thought, ‘I am form, form is mine,’ when that form of his changes and alters, there do not arise in him sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair.

He does not perceive feeling as self, nor self as possessing feeling, nor feeling as being in self, nor self as being in feeling. He is not obsessed with the thought, ‘I am feeling, feeling is mine.’ Because he is not obsessed with the thought, ‘I am feeling, feeling is mine,’ when that feeling of his changes and alters, there do not arise in him sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair.

He does not perceive perception as self, nor self as possessing perception, nor perception as being in self, nor self as being in perception. He is not obsessed with the thought, ‘I am perception, perception is mine.’ Because he is not obsessed with the thought, ‘I am perception, perception is mine,’ when that perception of his changes and alters, there do not arise in him sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair.

He does not perceive intentional constructs as self, nor self as possessing intentional constructs, nor intentional constructs as being in self, nor self as being in intentional constructs. He is not obsessed with the thought, ‘I am intentional constructs, intentional constructs are mine.’ Because he is not obsessed with the thought, ‘I am intentional constructs, intentional constructs are mine,’ when those intentional constructs of his change and alter, there do not arise in him sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair.

He does not perceive consciousness as self, nor self as possessing consciousness, nor consciousness as being in self, nor self as being in consciousness. He is not obsessed with the thought, ‘I am consciousness, consciousness is mine.’ Because he is not obsessed with the thought, ‘I am consciousness, consciousness is mine,’ when that consciousness of his changes and alters, there do not arise in him sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair.

That is how, householder, one is afflicted in body but not afflicted in mind.”

The venerable Sāriputta said this. The householder Nakulapitā was delighted and pleased with the words of venerable Sāriputta.

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Key Terms:

• Bhaggans [bhaggā] ≈ name of the people of Bhagga
• Crocodile Mountain [susumāragira] ≈ name of the capital city of Bhagga
• Nakulapitā [nakulapitā] ≈ name of a householder; lit. Nakula’s father
• frail [aṇḍabhūta] ≈ fragile; lit. become an egg
• health [ārogya] ≈ wellness, freedom from disease
• foolishness [bālya] ≈ ignorance; lit. fool state
• uninstructed [assutavant] ≈ uninitiated, untaught, untrained
• who has no regard for [adassāvī] ≈ lit. who has not seen
• Dhamma [dhamma] ≈ teachings of the Buddha that point to the nature of reality, the ultimate truth
• form [rūpa] ≈ materiality, material existence, experience of the material world, i.e. encompassing both one’s body and external objects, whether near or far, gross or subtle, deficient or refined; first of the five aggregates
• feeling [vedanā] ≈ pleasant, neutral, or painful sensation, the experience felt on contact through eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind; second of the five aggregates
• perception [sañña] ≈ The mental process of recognizing and giving meaning to experience. It marks sensory information by signs, labels, or associations drawn from memory and the field of contact. Perception shapes how one experiences the world; third of the five aggregates
• intentional constructs [saṅkhārā] ≈ the constructive activity that shapes each moment of experience, expressed as bodily, verbal, and mental formations; the accumulated conditioning — patterns, tendencies, and habits — produced by prior action
• consciousness [viññāṇa] ≈ quality of awareness — distinctive knowing that arises in dependence on the meeting of eye and form, ear and sound, nose and odor, tongue and taste, body and tangible object, mind and mind object

Related Teachings:

• It would be better to take as self this body rather than the mind (SN 12.61) - The Buddha explains how difficult it is for an uninstructed person to become disenchanted with the mind. A learned disciple of the Noble Ones wisely applies the mind to dependent co-arising.
• Subject to illness, aging, and death (AN 5.57), how should one see beings who exist in accordance with their nature.
• When venerable Ānanda remarks on the Buddha’s aging body (SN 48.41) the Buddha reminds him of the inevitability of aging and death.

>Recalling a past life spent speeding across space, the deity Rohitassa learns from the Buddha that suffering ends not by traversing the physical cosmos, but by awakening within this conscious fathom-long body.

Travellers - A series of bronze sculptures by Bruno Catalano

At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthi, in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park.

Then, when the night had advanced, the young deity Rohitassa, with a radiant appearance, illuminating the entire Jeta’s Grove, approached the Blessed One. Having approached, he paid homage to the Blessed One and stood to one side. Standing to one side, the young deity Rohitassa said to the Blessed One:

“Is it possible, venerable sir, that by traveling one can know, see, or reach the end of the world where one is not born, does not age, does not die, does not pass away, and is not reborn?”

“As to that end of the world, friend, where one is not born, does not age, does not die, does not pass away, and is not reborn—I say that it cannot be known, seen, or reached by traveling.”

“It is wonderful, venerable sir, it is marvelous, venerable sir! How well this has been stated by the Blessed One: ‘As to that end of the world, friend, where one is not born, does not age, does not die, does not pass away, and is not reborn—I say that it cannot be known, seen, or reached by traveling.’

Once in the past, venerable sir, I was a seer named Rohitassa, son of Bhoja, endowed with psychic power, a sky walker. My speed was such, venerable sir, that I could move just as swiftly as a firm-bowed archer—trained, skilful, practised, experienced—could easily shoot past the shadow of a palm tree with a light arrow. Such was my stride, venerable sir, that it seemed to reach from the eastern ocean to the western ocean. Then, venerable sir, endowed with such speed and such a stride, such a wish arose in me: ‘I will reach the end of the world by traveling.’ Possessing such speed, venerable sir, and with such a stride, and having a life span of a hundred years, living for a hundred years, I traveled for a hundred years, without pausing except to eat, drink, chew, or taste food, to defecate and urinate, to sleep and dispel fatigue; yet I died along the way without having reached the end of the world.

It is wonderful, venerable sir, it is marvelous, venerable sir! How well this has been stated by the Blessed One: ‘As to that end of the world, friend, where one is not born, does not age, does not die, does not pass away, and is not reborn—I say that it cannot be known, seen, or reached by traveling.’”

“‘Where one is not born, does not age, does not die, does not pass away, and is not reborn—I say that it cannot be known, seen, or reached by traveling.’ However, friend, I say that without having reached the end of the world, there is no making an end of suffering. It is, friend, in just this fathom-long body endowed with perception and mind that I declare the world, the arising of the world, the cessation of the world, and the way of practice leading to the cessation of the world.

One cannot reach the end of the world
through traveling at any time;
yet without having reached the end of the world,
there is no release from suffering.

Therefore, truly, the world-knower, the wise one,
gone to the world’s end, who has lived the spiritual life;
having known the end of the world, at peace,
longs not for this world or another.”

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Key Terms:

• Rohitassa [rohitassa] ≈ lit. red horse
• seer [isi] ≈ sage, hermit, monk
• psychic power [iddhi] ≈ supernormal ability, psychic potency, spiritual power
• sky walker [vehāsaṅgama] ≈ one who travels through the air
• fathom-long [byāmamatta] ≈ measuring about six feet, the span of outstretched arms
• body [kaḷevara] ≈ corpse, physical body
• world-knower [lokavidū] ≈ one who understands all realms of existence, an epithet of the Buddha
• spiritual life [brahmacariya] ≈ a life of celibacy, contemplation, and ethical discipline lived for the sake of liberation; oriented toward inner development rather than sensual pleasures
• at peace [samitāvī] ≈ calmed, tranquil, one who has quelled defilements

Related Teachings:

• Associate with those whose path leads to the end of suffering (ITI 89) - The Buddha explains how Devadatta, overcome by evil desires, bad friendship, and abandoning the training, arrived at a state of prolonged suffering. Though once esteemed, his envy led to ruin. The wise should associate with those whose path leads to the end of suffering.
• One is incapable of ending suffering without directly knowing and fully understanding the five aggregates (SN 22.18) - One is incapable of ending suffering without directly knowing and fully understanding the five aggregates, without becoming dispassionate towards them and without abandoning them.
• Seven qualities that when sought out, lead to the fruit of stream-entry (From MN 48) - The Buddha then outlines seven qualities that when sought out, lead to the fruit of stream-entry. Checking for their presence in oneself also serves as the means to verify stream-entry.

>... and a seventh flail too if they seek future existence. Using the parable of the captive asura lord Vepacitti, whose bonds tightened or vanished based solely on his thoughts, the Buddha illustrates how conceiving “I am” is a subtle, subjective trap.

Barley at sunrise, Woodblock print, Tsukioka Kogyo, c. 1890s

“Suppose, bhikkhus, a sheaf of barley were placed at a crossroads. Then six men would come with flails in hand. They would beat the sheaf of barley with the six flails. Thus, bhikkhus, that sheaf of barley would be thoroughly beaten, being beaten by six flails. Then a seventh man would come with a flail in hand. He would beat that sheaf of barley with a seventh flail. Thus, bhikkhus, that sheaf of barley would be even more thoroughly beaten, being beaten by a seventh flail.

In the same way, bhikkhus, an uninstructed ordinary person is beaten in the eye by agreeable and disagreeable forms ... is beaten in the tongue by agreeable and disagreeable flavors ... is beaten in the mind by agreeable and disagreeable mental objects. If, bhikkhus, that uninstructed ordinary person intends for a renewed existence in the future, then that misguided person is even more thoroughly beaten, just like that sheaf of barley being beaten by a seventh flail.

Once in the past, bhikkhus, a battle was fought between the devas and the asuras. Then, bhikkhus, Vepacitti, lord of the asuras, addressed the asuras: ‘Good sirs, if in the ensuing battle between the devas and the asuras, the asuras win and the devas are defeated, bind Sakka, lord of the devas, with a fivefold bond at the neck and bring him to my presence in the city of the asuras.’

Sakka, lord of the devas, also addressed the devas of the Thirty-Three: ‘Good sirs, if in the ensuing battle between the devas and the asuras, the devas win and the asuras are defeated, bind Vepacitti, lord of the asuras, with a fivefold bond at the neck and bring him to my presence in the Sudhamma assembly hall.’

In that battle, bhikkhus, the devas won and the asuras were defeated. Then, bhikkhus, the devas of the Thirty-Three bound Vepacitti, lord of the asuras, with a fivefold bond at the neck and brought him into the presence of Sakka, lord of the devas, in the Sudhamma assembly hall.

There, bhikkhus, Vepacitti, lord of the asuras, was bound by the fivefold bond at the neck. Whenever, bhikkhus, it occurred to Vepacitti, lord of the asuras: ‘The devas are righteous, the asuras are unrighteous; I will go to the city of the devas right now’—then he saw himself freed from the fivefold bond at the neck, and supplied and endowed with the five divine sensual pleasures, he amused himself.

But whenever, bhikkhus, it occurred to Vepacitti, lord of the asuras: ‘The asuras are righteous, the devas are unrighteous; I will go right back there to the city of the asuras’—then he saw himself bound by the fivefold bond at the neck, and he was deprived of the five divine sensual pleasures.

So subtle, bhikkhus, is Vepacitti’s bond. But subtler than that is Māra’s bond. By conceiving, bhikkhus, one is bound by Māra; by not conceiving, one is freed from the Evil One.

‘I am’ is a conceiving. ‘I am this’ is a conceiving. ‘I will be’ is a conceiving. ‘I will not be’ is a conceiving. ‘I will have form’ is a conceiving. ‘I will be formless’ is a conceiving. ‘I will be percipient’ is a conceiving. ‘I will be non-percipient’ is a conceiving. ‘I will be neither percipient nor non-percipient’ is a conceiving. Conceiving, bhikkhus, is a disease, conceiving is a tumor, conceiving is a dart. Therefore, bhikkhus, you should train yourselves thus: ‘We will dwell with a mind free from conceiving.’

‘I am’ is a perturbation. ‘I am this’ is a perturbation. ‘I will be’ is a perturbation. ‘I will not be’ is a perturbation. ‘I will have form’ is a perturbation. ‘I will be formless’ is a perturbation. ‘I will be percipient’ is a perturbation. ‘I will be non-percipient’ is a perturbation. ‘I will be neither percipient nor non-percipient’ is a perturbation. Perturbation, bhikkhus, is a disease, perturbation is a tumor, perturbation is a dart. Therefore, bhikkhus, you should train yourselves thus: ‘We will dwell with an imperturbable mind.’

‘I am’ is an agitation. ‘I am this’ is an agitation. ‘I will be’ ... ‘I will not be’ ... ‘I will have form’ ... ‘I will be formless’ ... ‘I will be percipient’ ... ‘I will be non-percipient’ ... ‘I will be neither percipient nor non-percipient’ is an agitation. Agitation, bhikkhus, is a disease, agitation is a tumor, agitation is a dart. Therefore, bhikkhus, you should train yourselves thus: ‘We will dwell with an unagitated mind.’

‘I am’ is a proliferation. ‘I am this’ is a proliferation. ‘I will be’ ... ‘I will not be’ ... ‘I will have form’ ... ‘I will be formless’ ... ‘I will be percipient’ ... ‘I will be non-percipient’ ... ‘I will be neither percipient nor non-percipient’ is a proliferation. Proliferation, bhikkhus, is a disease, proliferation is a tumor, proliferation is a dart. Therefore, bhikkhus, you should train yourselves thus: ‘We will dwell with a mind free from proliferation.’

‘I am’ is a conceit. ‘I am this’ is a conceit. ‘I will be’ is a conceit. ‘I will not be’ is a conceit. ‘I will have form’ is a conceit. ‘I will be formless’ is a conceit. ‘I will be percipient’ is a conceit. ‘I will be non-percipient’ is a conceit. ‘I will be neither percipient nor non-percipient’ is a conceit. Conceit, bhikkhus, is a disease, conceit is a tumor, conceit is a dart. Therefore, bhikkhus, you should train yourselves thus: ‘We will dwell with a mind that has struck down conceit.’”

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Key Terms:

• misguided person [moghapurisa] ≈ vain person
• Vepacitti [vepacitti] ≈ name of a daemon lord
• Sakka [sakka] ≈ name of the king of the deities
• Māra [māra] ≈ the ruler of the sensual realm, often depicted as a tempter who tries to obstruct beings from the path to liberation
• conceiving [maññamāna] ≈ imagining, thinking
• perturbation [iñjita] ≈ agitation, disturbance, movement, turmoil
• imperturbable [aniñjamāna] ≈ unshaken, undisturbed
• agitation [phandita] ≈ pulsation, trembling
• proliferation [papañcita] ≈ process of ever-expanding ideation; lit. expanded
• free from proliferation [nippapañca] ≈ not forming various opinions; epithet of Nibbāna
• conceit [māna] ≈ self-view expressed as comparison—seeing oneself as superior, inferior, or equal; the persistent “I am” conceit (asmimāna) that underlies identification

Related Teachings:

• Not veering toward eight obstacles, a practitioner cultivating right view slants, slopes, and inclines toward Nibbāna (SN 35.241) - The Buddha uses the simile of a log of wood carried by a river to explain the eight obstacles to reaching Nibbāna.
• Simile of the lute (SN 35.246) - The Buddha explains how to rein in the mind when desire, passion, aversion, illusion, or repulsion arises in regard to the six sense bases using the simile of a watchman and an ox and the simile of a lute.
• Deconstructing craving - Taṇhā sutta (AN 4.199) - In this discourse, the Buddha reveals that craving is not just a simple desire for objects, but a complex, mathematical “net” that sustains the “I am” conceit. By breaking down craving into 108 distinct mental stirrings, the Buddha shows that every act of wanting is actually a way of reinforcing a sense of self.

>... the Buddha explains their differing degrees of blameworthiness and persistence. He then teaches how to abandon each of these unwholesome roots through radical attention to specific meditative antidotes.

Flowers in Sunlight, Scott Prior, 2007

“If, bhikkhus, wanderers of other sects should ask you thus: ‘Friends, there are these three things. What three? Passion, aversion, delusion—these, friends, are the three things. What, friends, is the distinction, what is the disparity, what is the difference between these three things?’ Being asked thus, bhikkhus, how would you answer those wanderers of other sects?”

“Venerable sir, our teachings are rooted in the Blessed One, guided by the Blessed One, and have the Blessed One as their refuge. It would be good, venerable sir, if the Blessed One himself would clarify the meaning of this statement. Having heard it from the Blessed One, the bhikkhus will remember it.”

“Then listen to this, bhikkhus, and pay close attention; I will speak.”

“Yes, venerable sir,” the bhikkhus replied. The Blessed One said this:

“If, bhikkhus, wanderers of other sects should ask you thus: ‘Friends, there are these three things. What three? Passion, aversion, delusion—these, friends, are the three things. What, friends, is the distinction, what is the disparity, what is the difference between these three things?’ Being asked thus, bhikkhus, you should answer those wanderers of other sects like this: ‘Friends, passion is slightly blameworthy but slow to fade away; aversion is highly blameworthy but quick to fade away; delusion is highly blameworthy and slow to fade away.’

Superficial Attention

‘But what, friends, is the cause, what is the reason why unarisen passion arises, and arisen passion increases and expands?’ ‘“The sign of the beautiful,” you should answer. For one attending superficially to the sign of the beautiful, unarisen passion arises, and arisen passion increases and expands. This, friends, is the cause, this is the reason why unarisen passion arises, and arisen passion increases and expands.’

‘But what, friends, is the cause, what is the reason why unarisen aversion arises, and arisen aversion increases and expands?’ ‘“An aversive mental image,” you should answer. For one attending superficially to an aversive mental image, unarisen aversion arises, and arisen aversion increases and expands. This, friends, is the cause, this is the reason why unarisen aversion arises, and arisen aversion increases and expands.’

‘But what, friends, is the cause, what is the reason why unarisen delusion arises, and arisen delusion increases and expands?’ ‘“Superficial attention,” you should answer. For one attending superficially, unarisen delusion arises, and arisen delusion increases and expands. This, friends, is the cause, this is the reason why unarisen delusion arises, and arisen delusion increases and expands.’

Radical Attention

‘But what, friends, is the cause, what is the reason why unarisen passion does not arise, and arisen passion is abandoned?’ ‘“An unattractive mental image,” you should answer. For one attending radically to an unattractive mental image, unarisen passion does not arise, and arisen passion is abandoned. This, friends, is the cause, this is the reason why unarisen passion does not arise, and arisen passion is abandoned.’

‘But what, friends, is the cause, what is the reason why unarisen aversion does not arise, and arisen aversion is abandoned?’ ‘“The liberation of mind through loving-kindness,” you should answer. For one attending radically to the liberation of mind through loving-kindness, unarisen aversion does not arise, and arisen aversion is abandoned. This, friends, is the cause, this is the reason why unarisen aversion does not arise, and arisen aversion is abandoned.’

‘But what, friends, is the cause, what is the reason why unarisen delusion does not arise, and arisen delusion is abandoned?’ ‘“Radical attention,” you should answer. For one attending radically, unarisen delusion does not arise, and arisen delusion is abandoned. This, friends, is the cause, this is the reason why unarisen delusion does not arise, and arisen delusion is abandoned.’”

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Key Terms:

• Passion [rāga] ≈ intense desire, strong emotion, infatuation, obsession, lust
• aversion [dosa] ≈ hatred, hostility, mental attitude of rejection, fault-finding, resentful disapproval
• delusion [moha] ≈ illusion, misperception, erroneous belief, false idea, misapprehension; a fundamental distortion of reality that sustains confusion, clouds discernment, and fuels further doubt
• The sign of the beautiful [subhanimitta] ≈ a beautiful mental image, an attractive object that is the basis for lust
• attending superficially [ayonisomanasikāra] ≈ attending unwisely, attending peripherally, content-bound reflection; lit. attention not from the source
• aversive mental image [paṭighanimitta] ≈ sign of resistance, mental image which agitates or disturbs one
• unattractive mental image [asubhanimitta] ≈ sign of the unattractive, repulsive mental image, unattractive appearance
• attending radically [yoniso + manasi + karoti] ≈ wisely attending, attending to the structural source, contextually reflecting; lit. attending from the source
• liberation of mind [cetovimutti] ≈ emancipated by mind/heart, samādhi obtained from fruition
• loving-kindness [metta] ≈ goodwill, friendliness, benevolence

Related Teachings:

• By actively guarding the mind from enticing, irritating, deceptive, and intoxicating phenomena (AN 4.117) ... a practitioner attains freedom from fear, wavering, and they do not go by the mere word of an ascetic.
• With superficial attention arises thoughts of sensuality, ill will, and harm (SN 9.11) - By turning his mind toward the Triple Gem and his own virtue, the practitioner can discover the uplifting joy needed to make an end of suffering.
• Whoever has not let go of passion (ITI 68) - Whoever has not let go of passion, aversion, and delusion is said to be bound by Māra, ensnared by Māra’s trap, at the mercy of the Evil One, and subject to his will.

>The Buddha explains that to enter upon the fixed course of rightness, one must not disparage the teaching, speaker, or oneself, but listen with a settled mind while paying radical attention.

Seated Buddha with Two Attendants, Mathura, Kushan period, c. 132 C.E.

“Bhikkhus, possessing five qualities, even when listening to the good Dhamma, one is incapable of entering upon the fixed course of rightness in wholesome qualities. What five?

1.) One disparages the talk; 2.) one disparages the speaker; 3.) one disparages oneself; 4.) one listens to the Dhamma with a distracted and scattered mind; 5.) one attends to it superficially. Possessing these five qualities, bhikkhus, even when listening to the good Dhamma, one is incapable of entering upon the fixed course of rightness in wholesome qualities.

Bhikkhus, possessing five qualities, when listening to the good Dhamma, one is capable of entering upon the fixed course of rightness in wholesome qualities. What five?

1.) One does not disparage the talk; 2.) one does not disparage the speaker; 3.) one does not disparage oneself; 4.) one listens to the Dhamma with a settled and unified mind; 5.) one attends to it radically. Possessing these five qualities, bhikkhus, when listening to the good Dhamma, one is capable of entering upon the fixed course of rightness in wholesome qualities.”

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Key Terms:

• good Dhamma [saddhamma] ≈ good teaching, true doctrine
• wholesome qualities [kusaladhammā] ≈ skillful actions, good habits
• disparages [paribhoti] ≈ disrespects
• talk [kathā] ≈ conversation, discussion
• superficially [ayoniso] ≈ carelessly, unwisely; lit. not according to the source
• with a settled [avikkhittacitta] ≈ with an unscattered mind
• unified mind [ekaggacitta] ≈ with a one-pointed mind; with an integrated, well-composed, concentrated mind
• radically [yoniso] ≈ wisely, prudently, thoroughly, carefully; lit. according to the source

Related Teachings:

• With superficial attention arises thoughts of sensuality, ill will, and harm (SN 9.11) - By turning his mind toward the Triple Gem and his own virtue, the practitioner can discover the uplifting joy needed to make an end of suffering.
• What and how you attend determines whether hindrances or awakening factors grow (SN 46.2) - Using the role of food as nutriment that sustains and endures the body, the Buddha describes the nutriments for the arising and growth of the five hindrances and the seven factors of awakening.
• Six qualities that determine one's capacity for progress when hearing the Dhamma (AN 6.88) - The Buddha contrasts two sets of six qualities that determine one's capacity for progress when hearing the Dhamma. One is incapable of growth in wholesome qualities if they are unwilling to listen, inattentive, misinterpret the meaning, and hold contrary views.

>The Buddha shows the wanderer Dīghanakha how obstinately clinging to the view that “nothing is acceptable” inevitably causes disputes and vexation. He then teaches the impermanence of the body and the naturally wearing-away nature of feelings. Hearing this, Sāriputta attains full liberation through non-clinging, while Dīghanakha attains the stainless Dhamma eye.

Vanitas still life, Aelbert Jansz van der Schoor, c. 1660 - 1665

Thus have I heard—At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling at Rājagaha in the Boar’s Cave on the Vulture’s peak mountain.

Then the wanderer Dīghanakha approached the Blessed One. Having drawn near, he exchanged greetings with the Blessed One. After the exchange of courteous and polite conversation, he stood to one side. Standing to one side, the wanderer Dīghanakha said to the Blessed One, “Sir Gotama, I assert this, I hold this view: ‘Nothing is acceptable to me.’”

“This view of yours, Aggivessana: ‘Nothing is acceptable to me’—is this view also not acceptable to you?”

“If this view of mine were acceptable to me, sir Gotama, it too would be the same, it too would be the same.”

“Well, Aggivessana, there are plenty in the world who say: ‘It too would be the same, it too would be the same,’ yet they do not abandon that view and they take up another view. There are few in the world, Aggivessana, who say: ‘It too would be the same, it too would be the same,’ and who abandon that view and do not take up another view.

“There are, Aggivessana, some ascetics and brahmins who assert this and hold this view: ‘Everything is acceptable to me.’ There are, Aggivessana, some ascetics and brahmins who assert this and hold this view: ‘Nothing is acceptable to me.’ There are, Aggivessana, some ascetics and brahmins who assert this and hold this view: ‘Some things are acceptable to me, some things are not acceptable to me.’ Among them, Aggivessana, the view of the ascetics and brahmins who hold: ‘Everything is acceptable to me’ is close to lust, close to bondage, close to delight, close to holding on, close to clinging. Among them, Aggivessana, the view of the ascetics and brahmins who hold: ‘Nothing is acceptable to me’ is close to non-lust, close to not being bound, close to non-delight, close to not holding on, close to non-clinging.”

When this was said, the wanderer Dīghanakha said to the Blessed One: “Sir Gotama praises my viewpoint! Sir Gotama fully praises my viewpoint!”

“Among them, Aggivessana, regarding the ascetics and brahmins who assert and hold this view: ‘Some things are acceptable to me, some things are not acceptable to me’—whatever is acceptable to them, that view is close to lust, close to bondage, close to delight, close to holding on, close to clinging. Whatever is not acceptable to them, that view is close to non-lust, close to not being bound, close to non-delight, close to not holding on, close to non-clinging.

Now, Aggivessana, a wise person among those ascetics and brahmins who assert and hold the view ‘Everything is acceptable to me’ considers thus: ‘If I obstinately adhere to and insist upon the view “Everything is acceptable to me” and declare: “Only this is true, anything else is wrong,” then I may clash with the two others: with an ascetic or brahmin who asserts and holds the view “Nothing is acceptable to me,” and with an ascetic or brahmin who asserts and holds the view “Some things are acceptable to me, some things are not acceptable to me.” I may clash with these two, and when there is a clash, there are disputes; when there are disputes, there are quarrels; when there are quarrels, there is vexation.’ Thus, foreseeing for himself clashes, disputes, quarrels, and vexation, he abandons that view and does not take up another view. This is how there comes to be the abandoning of these views; this is how there comes to be the relinquishing of these views.

A wise person among those ascetics and brahmins who assert and hold the view ‘Nothing is acceptable to me’ considers thus: ‘If I obstinately adhere to and insist upon the view “Nothing is acceptable to me” and declare: “Only this is true, anything else is wrong,” then I may clash with the two others: with an ascetic or brahmin who asserts and holds the view “Everything is acceptable to me,” and with an ascetic or brahmin who asserts and holds the view “Some things are acceptable to me, some things are not acceptable to me.” I may clash with these two, and when there is a clash, there are disputes; when there are disputes, there are quarrels; when there are quarrels, there is vexation.’ Thus, foreseeing for himself clashes, disputes, quarrels, and vexation, he abandons that view and does not take up another view. This is how there comes to be the abandoning of these views; this is how there comes to be the relinquishing of these views.

A wise person among those ascetics and brahmins who assert and hold the view ‘Some things are acceptable to me, some things are not acceptable to me’ considers thus: ‘If I obstinately adhere to and insist upon the view “Some things are acceptable to me, some things are not acceptable to me” and declare: “Only this is true, anything else is wrong,” then I may clash with the two others: with an ascetic or brahmin who asserts and holds the view “Everything is acceptable to me,” and with an ascetic or brahmin who asserts and holds the view “Nothing is acceptable to me.” I may clash with these two, and when there is a clash, there are disputes; when there are disputes, there are quarrels; when there are quarrels, there is vexation.’ Thus, foreseeing for himself clashes, disputes, quarrels, and vexation, he abandons that view and does not take up another view. This is how there comes to be the abandoning of these views; this is how there comes to be the relinquishing of these views.

Now, Aggivessana, this body, made of material form, consisting of the four great elements, procreated by a mother and father, and built up out of rice and porridge, subject to impermanence, to being worn and rubbed away, to injury and destruction; should be regarded as impermanent, unsatisfactory, a disease, a boil, a dart, misery, an affliction, alien, disintegrating, empty, and not-self. When one regards this body as impermanent, as unsatisfactory, as a disease, a boil, a dart, misery, an affliction, alien, disintegrating, empty, and as not-self, whatever bodily desire, bodily affection, and bodily subservience one has is abandoned.

There are, Aggivessana, these three feelings: pleasant feeling, painful feeling, and neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling. Aggivessana, at the time one feels a pleasant feeling, one does not feel a painful feeling or a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling; one only feels a pleasant feeling at that time. Aggivessana, at the time one feels a painful feeling, one does not feel a pleasant feeling or a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling; one only feels a painful feeling at that time. Aggivessana, at the time one feels a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, one does not feel a pleasant feeling or a painful feeling; one only feels a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling at that time.

Pleasant feeling, Aggivessana, is impermanent, constructed, dependently arisen, naturally wearing away, subject to disintegration, subject to fading away, having the nature to end. Painful feeling, Aggivessana, is impermanent, constructed, dependently arisen, naturally wearing away, subject to disintegration, subject to fading away, having the nature to end. Neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, Aggivessana, is impermanent, constructed, dependently arisen, naturally wearing away, subject to disintegration, subject to fading away, having the nature to end.

Seeing thus, Aggivessana, a learned disciple of the Noble Ones becomes disenchanted with pleasant feeling, disenchanted with painful feeling, and disenchanted with neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling. Being disenchanted, he becomes dispassionate. Through dispassion, the mind is liberated. When liberated, there is the knowledge that [the mind] is liberated.

He knows clearly: ‘Birth is exhausted, the spiritual life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming to any state of existence.’

A bhikkhu whose mind is thus liberated, Aggivessana, does not side with anyone, does not dispute with anyone; he uses the speech of the world without clinging to it.”

At that time, the venerable Sāriputta was standing behind the Blessed One, fanning the Blessed One. Then this thought occurred to the venerable Sāriputta: “The Blessed One speaks of the abandoning of these various things through direct knowledge; the Fortunate One speaks of the relinquishing of these various things through direct knowledge.” As the venerable Sāriputta reflected on this, his mind was liberated from the taints through non-clinging.

Moreover to the wanderer Dīghanakha, there arose the stainless, immaculate Dhamma eye: ‘Whatever is subject to arising, is subject to cessation.’ Then the wanderer Dīghanakha—having seen the Dhamma, attained the Dhamma, understood the Dhamma, deeply penetrated the Dhamma, having crossed beyond doubt, with no more uncertainty, confident and self-assured, and become independent of others in the Teacher’s instruction—said to the Blessed One:

“Excellent, sir Gotama! Excellent, sir Gotama! Just as if one might set upright what had been overturned, reveal what had been concealed, point out the way to one who was lost, or hold up a lamp in the dark so that those with eyes could see forms, in the same way, sir Gotama, the Dhamma has been explained by you in many ways. I go for refuge to venerable Gotama, to the Dhamma, and to the Saṅgha of bhikkhus. May sir Gotama remember me as a lay follower who, from this day forward, has gone to refuge for life.”

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Key Terms:

• Rājagaha [rājagaha] ≈ name of a city; capital of Magadha; lit. king’s house
• Vulture’s peak [gijjhakūṭa] ≈ name of a mountain peak around Rājagaha; lit. vulture’s peak
• Dīghanakha [dīghanakha] ≈ name of a wandering ascetic; lit. long nails
• Aggivessana [aggivessana] ≈ name of a Brahman family clan; lit. descendant of Aggivessa
• lust [sārāga] ≈ infatuation, intense desire, obsession, passion
• not being bound [asaññoga] ≈ non-attachment; lit. not yoking together
• non-clinging [anupādāna] ≈ non-attachment, being without grasping, lit. not taking near
• relinquishing [paṭinissagga] ≈ letting go, releasing
• impermanent [anicca] ≈ not lasting, transient, unreliable
• unsatisfactory [dukkha] ≈ uncomfortable, unpleasant
• not-self [anatta] ≈ not suitable to identify with, impersonal, non-subjective, without an essence
• constructed [saṅkhata] ≈ compounded, conditioned, fabricated
• dependently arisen [paṭiccasamuppanna] ≈ casually produced, arisen together from a cause
• disenchanted with [nibbindati] ≈ disillusioned with
• becomes dispassionate [virajjati] ≈ is detached
• dispute [vivadati] ≈ argue, disagree
• direct knowledge [abhiññā] ≈ experiential realization
• stainless [viraja] ≈ dustless, pure, untainted
• Dhamma [dhamma] ≈ the ultimate truth that the Buddha’s teachings point to
• reveal [vivarati] ≈ uncover
• explained [pakāsita] ≈ illustrated
• Saṅgha [saṅgha] ≈ The community of monks and nuns practicing in line with the Buddha’s teachings. In the broader sense, this is the community of disciples who have realized the noble path and fruition through the Buddha’s teachings

Related Teachings:

• The world seems as if existing forever, but for one who sees, there is nothing to hold onto (Ud 7.10) - After King Udena's palace burns down and five hundred women headed by Sāmāvatī die, the Buddha confirms their spiritual attainments and expresses an inspired verse about the world in bondage to delusion.
• Nihilistic materialism arises from clinging to the five aggregates (SN 24.5) - The Buddha explains that the materialist view—which denies kamma, giving, and the afterlife—arises from clinging to the five aggregates. By seeing all phenomena as impermanent, a noble disciple abandons doubt and secures their destiny as a stream-enterer.
• Any quality can become fuel for conceit, or be met with non-identification - Sappurisa sutta (MN 113) - The Buddha contrasts a person of integrity with one lacking integrity. A person without integrity uses worldly status, ascetic practices, or deep meditative attainments to exalt themselves and disparage others. Conversely, a person of integrity prioritizes the Dhamma and non-identification, avoiding all conceit to realize the cessation of conceiving.

>Following Udāyī’s failure to answer, Ānanda outlines five subjects of recollection including the jhānas, perception of light, and contemplating the body’s impurities and mortality. The Buddha then adds a sixth one.

Buddha Shakyamuni and Prajnaparamita, Tibet, 13th century

Then the Blessed One addressed the venerable Udāyī: “How many subjects of recollection are there, Udāyī?”

When this was said, the venerable Udāyī was silent.

For a second time, the Blessed One addressed the venerable Udāyī: “How many subjects of recollection are there, Udāyī?” For a second time, the venerable Udāyī was silent. For a third time, the Blessed One addressed the venerable Udāyī: “How many subjects of recollection are there, Udāyī?”

For a third time, the venerable Udāyī was silent.

Then the venerable Ānanda said to the venerable Udāyī: “The Teacher is addressing you, friend Udāyī.”

“I am listening to the Blessed One, friend Ānanda.

Here, venerable sir, a bhikkhu recollects his manifold past lives, that is, one birth, two births, ․․․ Thus with their aspects and particulars, he recollects his manifold past lives. This, venerable sir, is a subject of recollection.”

Then the Blessed One addressed the venerable Ānanda: “I knew, Ānanda: ‘This misguided person Udāyī does not dwell devoted to the higher mind.’ How many subjects of recollection are there, Ānanda?”

“There are five subjects of recollection, venerable sir. What five?

1.) Here, venerable sir, a bhikkhu, entirely secluded from sensual pleasures ․․․ enters and dwells in the third jhāna. This subject of recollection, venerable sir, thus developed and thus cultivated, leads to a pleasant abiding in the here and now.

2.) Furthermore, venerable sir, a bhikkhu attends to the perception of brightness and resolves on the perception of daylight: as by day, so by night; as by night, so by day. Thus, with an open and unencumbered heart, he cultivates a mind full of radiance. This subject of recollection, venerable sir, thus developed and thus cultivated, leads to the attainment of knowledge and vision.

3.) Furthermore, venerable sir, a bhikkhu reviews this very body from the soles of the feet upwards and from the top of the hair downwards, bounded by skin and full of various impurities thus: ‘In this body, there are hairs of the head, hairs of the body, nails, teeth, skin; flesh, sinews, bones, bone marrow, kidneys; heart, liver, inner membrane, spleen, lungs; intestines, mesentery, stomach contents, feces, [brain]; bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tears, grease, saliva, nasal mucus, synovial fluid, and urine.’ This subject of recollection, venerable sir, thus developed and thus cultivated, leads to the abandoning of sensual desire.

4.) Furthermore, venerable sir, a bhikkhu, just as if he saw a corpse thrown in a charnel ground one day dead, two days dead, or three days dead, bloated, discolored, and decomposing, he compares this very body to it thus: ‘This body too is of the same nature; it will become like that; it is not exempt from that fate.’

Or as if he were to see a corpse cast away in a charnel ground, being devoured by crows, hawks, vultures, dogs, jackals, or various kinds of worms. He compares this very body to it thus: ‘This body too is of the same nature; it will become like that; it is not exempt from that fate.’

Or just as if he saw a corpse thrown in a charnel ground, a skeleton with flesh and blood, held together by sinews ... or a skeleton without flesh but smeared with blood, held together by sinews ... or a skeleton devoid of flesh and blood, held together by sinews. Bones disconnected and scattered in all directions—here a hand bone, there a foot bone, here a shin bone, there a thigh bone, here a pelvis bone, there a rib, here a spine, there a shoulder blade, here a neck bone, there a jawbone, here a tooth, and there a skull; bones bleached white like the color of a conch shell; bones heaped in a pile, over a year old; or bones that are rotten and reduced to dust. He compares this very body to it thus: ‘This body too is of the same nature; it will become like that; it is not exempt from that fate.’ This subject of recollection, venerable sir, thus developed and thus cultivated, leads to the uprooting of the conceit ‘I am.

5.) Furthermore, venerable sir, a bhikkhu, with the abandoning of pleasure ... enters and dwells in the fourth jhāna. This subject of recollection, venerable sir, thus developed and thus cultivated, leads to the penetration of various elements. These, venerable sir, are the five subjects of recollection.”

“Good, good, Ānanda. Well then, Ānanda, you should also remember this sixth subject of recollection. 6.) Here, Ānanda, a bhikkhu goes forward mindfully and returns mindfully; he stands mindfully, sits mindfully, lies down in sleeping posture mindfully, and resolves on his tasks mindfully. This subject of recollection, Ānanda, thus developed and thus cultivated, leads to radical comprehension.”

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Key Terms:

• misguided person [moghapurisa] ≈ vain person
• higher mind [adhicitta] ≈ meditation, mental development, higher consciousness
• pleasant abiding in the here and now [diṭṭhadhammasukhavihāra] ≈ comfortable existence in this very life
• perception of brightness [ālokasaññā] ≈ perception of light
• resolves [adhiṭṭhāti] ≈ determines; lit. stands firmly
• perception of daylight [divāsaññā] ≈ concept of day
• knowledge and vision [ñāṇadassana] ≈ understanding and insight; (comm) gaining knowledge and vision via divine eye
• reviews [paccavekkhati] ≈ considers, reflects, regards
• sinews [nhāru] ≈ tendons and ligaments connecting muscle to bone
• bone marrow [aṭṭhimiñjaṁ] ≈ the soft tissue inside the bones
• inner membrane [kilomaka] ≈ the pleura or fascia wrapping the organs
• spleen [pihaka] ≈ the blood-filtering organ under the left ribs
• mesentery [antaguṇa] ≈ the tissue binding the intestines; lit. intestine string
• stomach contents [udariya] ≈ undigested food; lit. related to the belly
• feces [karīsaṁ] ≈ excrement, digested waste
• bile [pittaṁ] ≈ digestive fluid, usually visualized in the gall bladder
• phlegm [semha] ≈ mucus of the respiratory tract
• pus [pubba] ≈ fluid resulting from infection or decay
• sweat [seda] ≈ perspiration exuded from pore spaces
• fat [meda] ≈ thick, adipose tissue
• grease [vasā] ≈ liquid fat or skin oils (distinct from solid fat)
• nasal mucus [siṅghāṇikā] ≈ snot, fluid from the nose
• synovial fluid [lasikā] ≈ lubricating fluid inside the joints
• urine [mutta] ≈ liquid waste stored in the bladder
• conceit ‘I am [asmimāna] ≈ egotism, self-conceit, self comparison
• penetration of various elements [anekadhātupaṭivedha] ≈ comprehension of numerous elements
• radical comprehension [satisampajañña] ≈ complete comprehension of the arising, persisting, and fading away of phenomena, structural comprehension, discerning mindfulness

Note: This is a unique discourse in that it lists the jhānas as a subject of recollection. And further in that it separates jhāna 1-3 as one kind of recollection that leads to a pleasant abiding in the here and now, and jhāna 4 as another kind of recollection that leads to the penetration of the various elements instead of a typical clubbing of the four jhānas.

This discourse is also unique in that it shows how samma sati leads to samma samādhi through samādhi itself being an object of sati, i.e. for one who has frequently cultivated the jhānas, jhāna as a subject of recollection itself is a means to abide in it.

Related Teachings:

• The six frequent abidings of a stream-enterer who has cognized the Dhamma (AN 6.10) - When Mahānāma the Sakyan inquires about the abiding a stream-enterer frequently dwells in, the Buddha reveals six foundational recollections. A frequent cultivation of these recollections allows the stream-enterer to remain completely steady even when living amidst unbalanced and afflicted people.
• What is the unsurpassable in seeing, in hearing (AN 6.30) ... in acquisitions, in training, in service, and in recollection.
• Those who delight in cultivation always wake up thoroughly refreshed (DhP 292-301) - These verses share the paradox of the "unblemished slayer" and celebrate Gotama’s disciples. By immersing themselves in the Buddha, Dhamma, Saṅgha, non-violence, and mental cultivation day and night, the mindful always wake up thoroughly refreshed.

>In these short teachings, the Buddha contrasts the misdirected and well-directed mind, and explains the importance of directing the mind.

Photo by Norbert Braun on Unsplash

1.41

“Suppose there is a misdirected spike of rice or barley, and it is pressed by the hand or foot. It is impossible for it to pierce the hand or foot and draw blood. Why is that? Because the spike is misdirected. In the same way, it is impossible for a bhikkhu with a misdirected mind to pierce ignorance, arouse true knowledge, and realize Nibbāna. Why is that? Because the mind is misdirected.”

1.42

“Suppose there is a well-directed spike of rice or barley, and it is pressed by the hand or foot. It is possible for it to pierce the hand or foot and draw blood. Why is that? Because the spike is well-directed. In the same way, it is possible for a bhikkhu with a well-directed mind to pierce ignorance, arouse true knowledge, and realize Nibbāna. Why is that? Because the mind is well-directed.”

1.43

“I discern with the mind, after having examined a certain person with an upset mind as follows: ‘If this person were to die at this very moment, they would be reborn in hell, just as if they were carried and placed there.’ What is the reason for this? Because their mind is upset. Due to mental corruption, bhikkhus, some beings, with the breaking up of the body, after death, are reborn in a state of loss, in a bad destination, in a realm of downfall, in hell.”

1.44

“Having examined a certain person with a settled mind, I know through my mind that if this person were to die at this moment, they would be reborn in heaven, just as if they were carried and placed there. Why is that? Because their mind is settled. Due to mental clarity, bhikkhus, some beings, with the breaking up of the body, after death, are reborn in a good destination, in a heavenly world.”

1.45

“Suppose there is a lake that is murky, stirred up, and full of mud. A person with good eyesight standing on the shore would not be able to see the shells, gravel, or fish moving or staying still beneath the surface. Why is that? Because the water is murky. In the same way, it is impossible for a bhikkhu with a murky mind to understand their own welfare, the welfare of others, or the welfare of both, or to realize the distinction in knowledge and vision worthy of a noble person. Why is that? Because the mind is murky.”

1.46

“Suppose there is a lake that is clear, calm, and ripple-free. A person with good eyesight standing on the shore would be able to see the shells, gravel, or fish moving or staying still beneath the surface. Why is that? Because the water is clear. In the same way, it is possible for a bhikkhu with a clear mind to understand their own welfare, the welfare of others, or the welfare of both, and to realize the distinction in knowledge and vision worthy of a noble person. Why is that? Because the mind is clear.”

1.47

“Just as certain trees are considered the best because of their flexibility and malleability, in the same way, I do not see any other single thing that, when developed and frequently cultivated, becomes as gentle and malleable as the mind. Bhikkhus, a mind that is well-developed and frequently cultivated becomes gentle and malleable.”

1.48

“I do not see any other single thing that changes as quickly as the mind. Bhikkhus, it is not easy to find a simile to describe just how quickly the mind changes.”

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Key Terms:

• ignorance [avijjā] ≈ fundamental unawareness or misunderstanding of the true nature of reality, not experientially understanding the four noble truths
• true knowledge [vijjā] ≈ wisdom, the direct realization of truth
• Nibbāna [nibbāna] ≈ complete cooling, letting go of everything, deathless, freedom from calamity, the non-disintegrating; lit. blowing away
• upset [paduṭṭha] ≈ angry, irritable, offended; lit. corrupted
• hell [niraya] ≈ a place of intense suffering, lit. no good fortune
• placed [nikkhitta] ≈ dropped, set aside
• state of loss [apāya] ≈ state of misery
• realm of downfall [vinipāta] ≈ realm of misery
• settled [pasanna] ≈ confident, bright, pure or pleased
• good destination [sugati] ≈ fortunate place
• murky [āvilena] ≈ unclear, cloudy, agitated, disturbed
• clear [anāvilena] ≈ still, tranquil, undisturbed
• gentle [mudu] ≈ soft, pliable
• malleable [kammañña] ≈ ready, workable, suitable for use

Related Teachings:

• The untamed and the tamed mind (AN 1.31-40)
• The role of right view, right effort, and right mindfulness in the cultivation of the factors of the eightfold path (MN 117)
• What one frequent ponders upon becomes the inclination of the mind (MN 19)

>Using a parable of a quail and a hawk, the Buddha explains that straying into the domain of sensual pleasures makes one vulnerable to Māra. A practitioner who stays within their own ancestral resort cannot be overcome by Māra.

Quail, Kitao Masayoshi, ca. 1930s

“Once in the past, bhikkhus, a hawk suddenly swooped down and seized a quail. Then, bhikkhus, as the quail was being carried off by the hawk, it lamented thus: ‘We are so unlucky, we have so little merit, that we strayed out of our own resort into the domain of others. If today we had stayed in our own resort, in our own ancestral domain, this hawk would not have stood a chance against us in a fight.’

‘But what is your own resort, quail, what is your own ancestral domain?’

‘A [freshly] ploughed field covered with clods of earth.’

Then, bhikkhus, the hawk, confident in its own strength, without bragging of its own strength, released the quail: ‘Go, quail, but even there you will not escape me.’

Then, bhikkhus, the quail went to the [freshly] ploughed field covered with clods of earth, climbed up on a large clod, and stood challenging the hawk: ‘Come get me now, hawk! Come get me now, hawk!’

Then, bhikkhus, that hawk, confident in her own strength, without bragging of her own strength, folded both her wings and suddenly swooped down on the quail. When the quail knew, ‘This hawk has come too close,’ she slipped inside that very clod. And the hawk shattered her breast right there.

So it is, bhikkhus, for one who strays out of their own resort into the domain of others.

Therefore, bhikkhus, do not wander out of your own resort into the domain of others. Māra will gain access to those who wander out of their own resort into the domain of others; Māra will get a hold on them.

And what, bhikkhus, is not a bhikkhu’s own resort, but the domain of others? It is the five cords of sensual pleasure. What five? Forms cognizable by the eye that are desirable, lovely, agreeable, pleasing, sensual, and enticing; sounds cognizable by the ear ․․․ odors cognizable by the nose ․․․ tastes cognizable by the tongue ․․․ tangible objects cognizable by the body that are desirable, lovely, agreeable, pleasing, sensual, and enticing. This, bhikkhus, is not a bhikkhu’s own resort, but the domain of others.

Wander in your own resort, bhikkhus, your own ancestral domain. Māra will not gain access to those who wander in their own resort, in their own ancestral domain; Māra will not get a hold on them.

And what, bhikkhus, is a bhikkhu’s own resort, his own ancestral domain? It is the four establishments of mindfulness. What four? 1.) Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu dwells observing the body in and of itself, with continuous effort, clearly aware and with excellent recollection, having removed craving and distress with regard to the world; 2.) he dwells observing the felt experience ․․․ 3.) he dwells observing the mind ․․․ 4.) he dwells observing the mental qualities in and of themselves, with continuous effort, clearly aware and with excellent recollection, having removed craving and distress with regard to the world. This, bhikkhus, is a bhikkhu’s own resort, his own ancestral domain.”

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Key Terms:

• Māra [māra] ≈ the ruler of the sensual realm, often depicted as a tempter who tries to obstruct beings from the path to liberation
• Forms [rūpe] ≈ visible objects such as beautiful sights, faces, expressions, art, ornaments, possessions, status symbols, admired appearances, enticing scenery, or objects of desire and attachment
• enticing [rajanīya] ≈ arousing, tantalizing
• sounds [saddā] ≈ auditory experiences such as speech, music, praise, blame, ambient noise, verbal expression, or melodic tones—any sound that can stir emotion, craving for praise, aesthetic delight, or attachment to communication and identity
• odors [gandhā] ≈ smells and fragrances experienced through the nose, including perfumes, flowers, food aromas, earth after rain, incense, or even stench—any olfactory experience that may evoke craving, aversion, nostalgia, comfort, or sensual pleasure
• tastes [rasā] ≈ flavors experienced through the tongue such as sweetness, bitterness, sourness, saltiness, spiciness, richness, or subtle tastes like umami or astringency—any gustatory experience that can become an object of craving, indulgence, comfort, or sensory delight
• tangible objects [phoṭṭhabba] ≈ tangible contact such as the feel of skin, warmth, softness, intimacy, physical affection, or sensations like massage, breath, water, air, pressure—anything felt through the body that can become an object of desire, arousal, comfort, or emotional attachment
• craving and distress [abhijjhā + domanassa] ≈ greediness and dissatisfaction, wanting and unhappiness, craving and aversion
• mental qualities [dhammā] ≈ characteristics, traits, and tendencies of the mind, shaped by repeated actions and sustained attention, guided by particular ways of understanding; they may be wholesome or unwholesome, bright or dark

Related Teachings:

• Cultivation of the four establishments of mindfulness is beneficial at the start, beneficial in the middle, and beneficial in the end (SN 47.4) - The Buddha explains that all bhikkhus should cultivate the four establishments of mindfulness, clarifying how the practice serves different purposes based on one's development - for new bhikkhus to know reality, and for trainees to gain full understanding. The perfectly awakened ones also abide in them, now disentangled.
• Do not wander in an unsuitable place, in another's domain | Makkaṭasutta - The Monkey (SN 47.7) - The Buddha uses the simile of a monkey caught in a sticky trap to illustrate the dangers of wandering in unsuitable places and the importance of mindfulness.
• The four establishments of mindfulness are the direct way for the purification of beings (SN 47.18) - The Buddha describes the direct path to purification, for the realization of Nibbāna, which is the four establishments of mindfulness. Brahmā Sahampati confirms this teaching and praises the one who understands it.

>The Buddha uses the simile of a log of wood carried by a river to explain the eight obstacles to reaching Nibbāna.

Wooden raft floats serenely on water | Photo by jony Y on Unsplash

At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling at Kosambi on the bank of the river Ganges.

The Blessed One saw a big log of wood being carried along by the current of the river Ganges. Having seen this, he addressed the bhikkhus: “Do you see, bhikkhus, that big log of wood being carried along by the current of the river Ganges?”

“Yes, venerable sir.”

“If, bhikkhus, that log of wood does not veer towards the near shore, does not veer towards the far shore, does not sink in mid-stream, does not get cast up on high ground, does not get caught by humans, does not get caught by non-humans, does not get sucked in by a whirlpool, and does not become inwardly rotten—then, bhikkhus, that log of wood will slant towards the ocean, slope towards the ocean, and incline towards the ocean. For what reason? Because, bhikkhus, the current of the river Ganges itself slants toward the ocean, slopes toward the ocean, and inclines toward the ocean.

In the same way, bhikkhus, if you do not veer towards the near shore, do not veer towards the far shore, do not sink in mid-stream, do not get cast up on high ground, do get caught by humans, do net get caught by non-humans, do not get sucked in by a whirlpool, and do not become inwardly rotten—then, bhikkhus, you will slant towards Nibbāna, slope towards Nibbāna, and incline towards Nibbāna. For what reason? Because, bhikkhus, right view itself slants toward Nibbāna, slopes toward Nibbāna, and inclines toward Nibbāna.”

When this was said, a certain bhikkhu addressed the Blessed One:

“Venerable Sir, what is the near shore? What is the far shore? What is sinking mid-stream? What is getting cast up on high ground? What is getting caught by humans? What is getting caught by non-humans? What is being sucked in by a whirlpool? And what is inward rottenness?”

“‘The near shore,’ bhikkhu, is a designation for the six internal sense bases.

‘The far shore,’ bhikkhu, is a designation for the six external sense bases.

‘Sinking mid-stream,’ bhikkhu, is a designation for delight and passion.

‘Getting cast up on high ground,’ bhikkhu, is a designation for the conceit ‘I am

And what, bhikkhu, is getting caught by humans? Here, a certain person lives closely associated with householders, sharing in their joys and sorrows, being happy when they are happy and miserable when they are miserable, and he involves himself in their affairs and duties. This, bhikkhu, is called getting caught by humans.

And what, bhikkhu, is getting caught by non-humans? Here, a certain person lives the spiritual life with the aspiration [to be reborn] into a certain order of Gods, thinking: ‘By this virtue or observance or asceticism or spiritual life, I will become one of the Gods.’ This, bhikkhu, is called getting caught by non-humans.

‘Getting sucked in by a whirlpool,’ bhikkhu, is a designation for the five cords of sensual pleasure.

And what, bhikkhu, is inward rottenness? Here, a certain person is unprincipled, endowed with harmful qualities, of impure and suspicious behavior, who is underhanded in business, no ascetic but claiming to be one, not celibate but pretending to be celibate, rotten inside, oozing with lust, and filthy. This, bhikkhu, is called inward rottenness.”

Now on that occasion, the cowherd Nanda was standing near the Blessed One. He then said to the Blessed One:

“Venerable Sir, I will not veer towards the near shore, I will not veer towards the far shore, I will not sink in mid-stream, I will not get cast up on high ground, I will not get caught by humans, I will not get caught by non-humans, I will not get sucked in by a whirlpool, I will not become inwardly rotten. May I receive the going forth under the Blessed One, may I receive the higher ordination.”

“In that case, Nanda, return the cows to their owners.”

“The cows will go back on their own accord, venerable sir, out of longing for the calves.”

“Return the cows to their owners, Nanda.”

Then the cowherd Nanda, having returned the cows to their owners, went to where the Blessed One was. Having drawn near, he said: “The cows have been returned to their owners, venerable sir. May I receive the going forth under the Blessed One, may I receive the higher ordination.”

Then the cowherd Nanda received the going forth under the Blessed One, and he received the higher ordination. And soon, not long after his higher ordination, dwelling alone, secluded, diligent, resolute, and with continuous effort, soon realized with direct knowledge in this very life, the unsurpassed culmination of the spiritual life, for the purpose of which sons of good families rightly go forth from the household life to the homeless life, and having personally attained it, he dwelled in it.

He directly knew: “Birth is exhausted, the spiritual life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming to any state of existence.” And the cowherd Nanda became one among the Arahants.

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Key Terms:

• Nibbāna [nibbāna] ≈ complete cooling, letting go of everything, deathless, freedom from calamity, the non-disintegrating; lit. blowing away
• right view [sammādiṭṭhi] ≈ view that is in line with the Dhamma - teachings of the Buddha that point to the nature of reality, the ultimate truth
• six internal sense bases [cha + ajjhattika + āyatana] ≈ the six internal sense faculties—eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind—that enable sensory experience
• six external sense bases [cha + bāhira + āyatana] ≈ the six external sense objects—forms, sounds, smells, tastes, tangibles, and mental objects—that correspond to the six internal sense bases and serve as their respective fields of experience
• delight [nandi] ≈ pleasure, enjoyment, relish
• passion [rāga] ≈ intense desire, strong emotion, infatuation, obsession, lust
• conceit ‘I am [asmimāna] ≈ egotism, self-conceit, self comparison
• unprincipled [dussīla] ≈ without regard for ethical conduct
• endowed with harmful qualities [pāpadhamma] ≈ one who has had a long association of harmful mental qualities - of negligence, laziness, having many wishes, irrational application of mind, lack of situational awareness, having bad friends, pursuing bad habits
• directly knew [abbhaññāsi] ≈ understood experientially; lit. completely knew
• Arahants [arahant] ≈ fully awakened ones, free from all mental defilements; worthy of offerings and veneration; also an epithet of the Buddha

Related Teachings:

• Ūmibhaya sutta - Peril Of Waves (AN 4.122) - The Buddha describes four perils that can be encountered by those who have gone forth into homelessness, drawing an analogy to the dangers faced when entering water. These perils are anger and irritation (waves), gluttony (crocodiles), sensual pleasures (whirlpools), and lust (carnivorous fish).
• Being unrestrained in the sense faculties can lead to death or deadly suffering (SN 20.10) - The Buddha uses a simile of a cat to illustrate how not setting up mindfulness and being unrestrained in the sense faculties can lead to death or deadly suffering.
• Four practices that lead to non-decline (AN 4.37) shares four practices including application of sense restraint that leads to non-decline, to growth.

>... these seven individuals attain liberation, ranging from Arahants who exhaust the taints in this life to different types of Non-Returners.

Red maple leaf in close up photography | Photo by Cole Keister on Unsplash

“Bhikkhus, these seven persons are worthy of offerings, worthy of hospitality, worthy of gifts, worthy of reverential salutation, and are the unsurpassed field of merit for the world. What seven?

1.) Here, bhikkhus, a certain person dwells observing impermanence in all conditions, perceiving impermanence, experiencing impermanence, constantly, continuously, and uninterruptedly resolving on it with the mind, and fathoming it with wisdom. Through the wearing away of the taints, he realizes with direct knowledge ․․․ he dwells in it. This, bhikkhus, is the first person worthy of offerings, worthy of hospitality, worthy of gifts, worthy of reverential salutation, and is the unsurpassed field of merit for the world.

2.) Furthermore, bhikkhus, here a certain person dwells observing impermanence in all conditions, perceiving impermanence, experiencing impermanence, constantly, continuously, and uninterruptedly resolving on it with the mind, and fathoming it with wisdom. For him, the exhaustion of the taints and the exhaustion of life occur simultaneously. This, bhikkhus, is the second person worthy of offerings, ․․․ and is the unsurpassed field of merit for the world.

3.) Furthermore, bhikkhus, here a certain person dwells observing impermanence in all conditions, perceiving impermanence, experiencing impermanence, constantly, continuously, and uninterruptedly resolving on it with the mind, and fathoming it with wisdom. With the total ending of the five lower fetters, he becomes one who attains final Nibbāna in the interval ...

4.) ... he becomes one who attains final Nibbāna upon landing ...

5.) ... he becomes one who attains final Nibbāna without exertion ...

6.) ... he becomes one who attains final Nibbāna with exertion ...

7.) ... he becomes one bound upstream, heading towards the Akaniṭṭha realm. This, bhikkhus, is the seventh person worthy of offerings, worthy of hospitality, worthy of gifts, worthy of reverential salutation, and is the unsurpassed field of merit for the world.

These seven persons, bhikkhus, are worthy of offerings, worthy of hospitality, worthy of gifts, worthy of reverential salutation, and are the unsurpassed field of merit for the world.”

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Key Terms:

• observing impermanence [aniccānupassī] ≈ watching instability
• all conditions [sabbasaṅkhāra] ≈ all activities, all processes, all fabrications, all formations
• resolving [adhimuccamāna] ≈ determining
• taints [āsavā] ≈ outflows, discharges; (comm) mental defilements
• final Nibbāna [parinibbāyi] ≈ complete cooling, full quenching, total emancipation, dying one’s final death
• heading towards the Akaniṭṭha realm [akaniṭṭhagāmī] ≈ headed to the highest deva realm

Related Teachings:

• A Lump of Foam | A series a similes for reflecting on the five aggregates (SN 22.95) - The Buddha presents a series of similes for the aggregates: physical form is akin to a lump of foam, feelings akin to water bubbles, perception like a mirage, choices are like a tree without a core, and consciousness is similar to a magic show.
• Benefits of developing the recognition of impermanence (SN 22.102) - The Buddha shares vivid similes to illustrate the benefits of developing the recognition of impermanence. This practice gradually exhausts all passion for sensual pleasure, materiality, becoming, ignorance, and uproots the conceit ‘I am.’
• Uncertain and unknown is the life of mortals here - Salla sutta (SnP 3.8) - Verses depicting the uncertain, brief, and suffering-laden nature of mortal life, emphasizing the inevitability of death for all beings, like ripe fruits fated to fall. The Buddha counsels against futile grief and lamentation over the departed, urging the wise to understand the world’s relentless course of decay and death.