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The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha

Page 70

by Bhikkhu Nanamoli


  9. “Suppose, Udāyin, my disciples honoured, respected, revered, and venerated me, and lived in dependence on me, honouring and respecting me, with the thought: ‘The recluse Gotama eats little and commends eating little.’ Now there are disciples of mine who live on a cupful or half a cupful of food, a bilva fruit’s or half a bilva fruit’s quantity of food, [7] while I sometimes eat the full contents of my almsbowl or even more. So if my disciples honoured me…with the thought: ‘The recluse Gotama eats little and commends eating little,’ then those disciples of mine who live on a cupful of food…should not honour, respect, revere, and venerate me for this quality, nor should they live in dependence on me, honouring and respecting me.

  “Suppose, Udāyin, my disciples honoured, respected, revered, and venerated me, and lived in dependence on me, honouring and respecting me, with the thought: ‘The recluse Gotama is content with any kind of robe and commends contentment with any kind of robe.’ Now there are disciples of mine who are refuse-rag wearers, wearers of coarse robes; they collect rags from the charnel ground, rubbish heaps, or shops, make them into patched robes, and wear them. But I sometimes wear robes given by householders, robes so fine that pumpkin hair is coarse in comparison. So if my disciples honoured me…with the thought: ‘The recluse Gotama is content with any kind of robe and commends contentment with any kind of robe,’ then those disciples of mine who are refuse-rag wearers, wearers of coarse robes…should not honour, respect, revere, and venerate me for this quality, nor should they live in dependence on me, honouring and respecting me.

  “Suppose, Udāyin, my disciples honoured, respected, revered, and venerated me, and lived in dependence on me, honouring and respecting me, with the thought: ‘The recluse Gotama is content with any kind of almsfood and commends contentment with any kind of almsfood.’ Now there are disciples of mine who are almsfood eaters, who go on unbroken almsround from house to house, who delight in gathering their food; when they have entered among the houses they will not consent even when invited to sit down. But I sometimes eat on invitation meals of choice rice [8] and many sauces and curries. So if my disciples honoured me…with the thought: ‘The recluse Gotama is content with any kind of almsfood and commends contentment with any kind of almsfood,’ then those disciples of mine who are almsfood eaters…should not honour, respect, revere, and venerate me for this quality, nor should they live in dependence on me, honouring and respecting me.

  “Suppose, Udāyin, my disciples honoured, respected, revered, and venerated me, and lived in dependence on me, honouring and respecting me, with the thought: ‘The recluse Gotama is content with any kind of resting place and commends contentment with any kind of resting place.’ Now there are disciples of mine who are tree-root dwellers and open-air dwellers, who do not use a roof for eight months [of the year], while I sometimes live in gabled mansions plastered within and without, protected against the wind, secured by door bolts, with shuttered windows. So if my disciples honoured me…with the thought: ‘The recluse Gotama is content with any kind of resting place and commends contentment with any kind of resting place,’ then those disciples of mine who are tree-root dwellers and open-air dwellers…should not honour, respect, revere, and venerate me for this quality, nor should they live in dependence on me, honouring and respecting me.

  “Suppose, Udāyin, my disciples honoured, respected, revered, and venerated me, and lived in dependence on me, honouring and respecting me, with the thought: ‘The recluse Gotama is secluded and commends seclusion.’ Now there are disciples of mine who are forest dwellers, dwellers in remote resting places, who live withdrawn in remote jungle-thicket resting places and return to the midst of the Sangha once each half-month for the recitation of the Pātimokkha. But I sometimes live surrounded by bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs, by men and women lay followers, by kings and kings’ ministers, by other sectarians and their disciples. So if my disciples honoured me…with the thought: ‘The recluse Gotama is secluded and commends seclusion,’ [9] then those disciples of mine who are forest dwellers…should not honour, respect, revere, and venerate me for this quality, nor should they live in dependence on me, honouring and respecting me. Thus, Udāyin, it is not because of these five qualities that my disciples honour, respect, revere, and venerate me, and live in dependence on me, honouring and respecting me.

  10. “However, Udāyin, there are five other qualities because of which my disciples honour, respect, revere, and venerate me, and live in dependence on me, honouring and respecting me. What are the five?

  (I. THE HIGHER VIRTUE)

  11. “Here, Udāyin, my disciples esteem me for the higher virtue thus: ‘The recluse Gotama is virtuous, he possesses the supreme aggregate of virtue.’ This is the first quality because of which my disciples honour, respect, revere, and venerate me, and live in dependence on me, honouring and respecting me.

  (II. KNOWLEDGE AND VISION)

  12. “Again, Udāyin, my disciples esteem me for my excellent knowledge and vision thus: ‘When the recluse Gotama says “I know,” he truly knows; when he says “I see,” he truly sees. The recluse Gotama teaches the Dhamma through direct knowledge, not without direct knowledge; he teaches the Dhamma with a sound basis, not without a sound basis; he teaches the Dhamma in a convincing manner, not in an unconvincing manner.’ This is the second quality because of which [10] my disciples honour me…

  (III. THE HIGHER WISDOM)

  13. “Again, Udāyin, my disciples esteem me for the higher wisdom thus: ‘The recluse Gotama is wise; he possesses the supreme aggregate of wisdom. It is impossible that he should not foresee the implications of an assertion761 or that he should not be able to confute with reasons the current doctrines of others.’ What do you think, Udāyin? Would my disciples, knowing and seeing thus, break in and interrupt me?”—“No, venerable sir.”—“I do not expect instruction from my disciples; invariably, it is my disciples who expect instruction from me. This is the third quality because of which my disciples honour me…

  (IV. THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS)

  14. “Again, Udāyin, when my disciples have met with suffering and become victims of suffering, prey to suffering, they come to me and ask me about the noble truth of suffering. Being asked, I explain to them the noble truth of suffering, and I satisfy their minds with my explanation. They ask me about the noble truth of the origin of suffering…about the noble truth of the cessation of suffering…about the noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of suffering. Being asked, I explain to them the noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of suffering, and I satisfy their minds with my explanation. This is the fourth quality [11] because of which my disciples honour me…

  (V. THE WAY TO DEVELOP WHOLESOME STATES)

  (1. The Four Foundations of Mindfulness)

  15. “Again, Udāyin, I have proclaimed to my disciples the way to develop the four foundations of mindfulness. 762 Here a bhikkhu abides contemplating the body as a body, ardent, fully aware, and mindful, having put away covetousness and grief for the world. He abides contemplating feelings as feelings…He abides contemplating mind as mind…He abides contemplating mind-objects as mind-objects, ardent, fully aware, and mindful, having put away covetousness and grief for the world. And thereby many disciples of mine abide having reached the consummation and perfection of direct knowledge.763

  (2. The Four Right Kinds of Striving)

  16. “Again, Udāyin, I have proclaimed to my disciples the way to develop the four right kinds of striving. Here a bhikkhu awakens zeal for the non-arising of unarisen evil unwholesome states, and he makes effort, arouses energy, exerts his mind, and strives. He awakens zeal for the abandoning of arisen evil unwholesome states...He awakens zeal for the arising of unarisen wholesome states…He awakens zeal for the continuance, non-disappearance, strengthening, increase, and fulfilment by development of arisen wholesome states, and he makes effort, arouses energy, exerts his mind, and strives. And thereby many disciples of mine abide having reached the consummation and perfe
ction of direct knowledge.

  (3. The Four Bases for Spiritual Power)

  17. “Again, Udāyin, I have proclaimed to my disciples the way to develop the four bases for spiritual power. Here a bhikkhu develops the basis for spiritual power consisting in concentration due to zeal and determined striving. He develops the basis for spiritual power consisting in concentration due to energy and determined striving. He develops the basis for spiritual power consisting in concentration due to [purity of] mind and determined striving. He develops the basis for spiritual power consisting in concentration due to investigation and determined striving. And thereby many disciples of mine abide having reached the consummation and perfection of direct knowledge.

  (4. The Five Faculties)

  18. “Again, Udāyin, I have proclaimed to my disciples the way to develop the five spiritual faculties. Here [12] a bhikkhu develops the faculty of faith, which leads to peace, leads to enlightenment. He develops the faculty of energy…the faculty of mindfulness… the faculty of concentration…the faculty of wisdom, which leads to peace, leads to enlightenment. And thereby many disciples of mine abide having reached the consummation and perfection of direct knowledge.

  (5. The Five Powers)

  19. “Again, Udāyin, I have proclaimed to my disciples the way to develop the five powers. Here a bhikkhu develops the power of faith, which leads to peace, leads to enlightenment. He develops the power of energy…the power of mindfulness…the power of concentration…the power of wisdom, which leads to peace, leads to enlightenment. And thereby many disciples of mine abide having reached the consummation and perfection of direct knowledge.

  (6. The Seven Enlightenment Factors)

  20. “Again, Udāyin, I have proclaimed to my disciples the way to develop the seven enlightenment factors. Here a bhikkhu develops the mindfulness enlightenment factor, which is supported by seclusion, dispassion, and cessation, and results in relinquishment. He develops the investigation-of-states enlightenment factor…the energy enlightenment factor…the rapture enlightenment factor…the tranquillity enlightenment factor… the concentration enlightenment factor…the equanimity enlightenment factor, which is supported by seclusion, dispassion, and cessation, and results in relinquishment. And thereby many disciples of mine abide having reached the consummation and perfection of direct knowledge.

  (7. The Noble Eightfold Path)

  21. “Again, Udāyin, I have proclaimed to my disciples the way to develop the Noble Eightfold Path. Here a bhikkhu develops right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. And thereby many disciples of mine abide having reached the consummation and perfection of direct knowledge.

  (8. The Eight Liberations)

  22. “Again, Udāyin, I have proclaimed to my disciples the way to develop the eight liberations.764 Possessed of material form, one sees forms: this is the first liberation. Not perceiving form internally, one sees forms externally: this is the second liberation. One is resolved only upon the beautiful: this is the third liberation. [13] With the complete surmounting of perceptions of form, with the disappearance of perceptions of sensory impact, with non-attention to perceptions of diversity, aware that ‘space is infinite,’ one enters upon and abides in the base of infinite space: this is the fourth liberation. By completely surmounting the base of infinite space, aware that ‘consciousness is infinite,’ one enters upon and abides in the base of infinite consciousness: this is the fifth liberation. By completely surmounting the base of infinite consciousness, aware that ‘there is nothing,’ one enters upon and abides in the base of nothingness: this is the sixth liberation. By completely surmounting the base of nothingness, one enters upon and abides in the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception: this is the seventh liberation. By completely surmounting the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, one enters upon and abides in the cessation of perception and feeling: this is the eighth liberation. And thereby many disciples of mine abide having reached the consummation and perfection of direct knowledge.

  (9. The Eight Bases for Transcendence)

  23. “Again, Udāyin, I have proclaimed to my disciples the way to develop the eight bases for transcendence.765 Perceiving form internally, one sees forms externally, limited, fair and ugly; by transcending them, one perceives thus: ‘I know, I see.’ This is the first base for transcendence .766 Perceiving form internally, one sees forms externally, immeasurable, fair and ugly; by transcending them, one perceives thus: ‘I know, I see.’ This is the second base for transcendence. Not perceiving form internally, one sees forms externally, limited, fair and ugly; by transcending them, one perceives thus: ‘I know, I see.’ This is the third base for transcendence .767 Not perceiving form internally, one sees forms externally, immeasurable, fair and ugly; by transcending them, one perceives thus: ‘I know, I see.’ This is the fourth base for transcendence. Not perceiving form internally, one sees forms externally, blue, of blue colour, blue in appearance, with blue luminosity. Just like a flax flower, which is blue, of blue colour, blue in appearance, with blue luminosity, or just like Benares cloth smoothened on both sides, which is blue, of blue colour, blue in appearance, with blue luminosity; so too, not perceiving form internally, one sees forms externally…with blue luminosity; by transcending them, one perceives thus: ‘I know, I see.’ This is the fifth [14] base for transcendence. Not perceiving form internally, one sees forms externally, yellow, of yellow colour, yellow in appearance, with yellow luminosity. Just like a kaṇṇikāra flower, which is yellow, of yellow colour, yellow in appearance, with yellow luminosity, or just like Benares cloth smoothened on both sides, which is yellow, of yellow colour, yellow in appearance, with yellow luminosity; so too, not perceiving form internally, one sees forms externally…with yellow luminosity; by transcending them, one perceives thus: ‘I know, I see.’ This is the sixth base for transcendence. Not perceiving form internally, one sees forms externally, red, of red colour, red in appearance, with red luminosity. Just like a hibiscus flower, which is red, of red colour, red in appearance, with red luminosity, or just like Benares cloth smoothened on both sides, which is red, of red colour, red in appearance, with red luminosity; so too, not perceiving form internally, one sees forms externally…with red luminosity; by transcending them, one perceives thus: ‘I know, I see.’ This is the seventh base for transcendence. Not perceiving form internally, one sees forms externally, white, of white colour, white in appearance, with white luminosity. Just like the morning star, which is white, of white colour, white in appearance, with white luminosity, or just like Benares cloth smoothened on both sides, which is white, of white colour, white in appearance, with white luminosity; so too, not perceiving form internally, one sees forms externally…with white luminosity; by transcending them, one perceives thus: ‘I know, I see.’ This is the eighth base for transcendence. And thereby many disciples of mine abide having reached the consummation and perfection of direct knowledge.

  (10. The Ten Kasiṇas)

  24. “Again, Udāyin, I have proclaimed to my disciples the way to develop the ten kasiṇa bases.768 One contemplates the earthkasiṇa above, below, and across, undivided and immeasurable. Another contemplates the water-kasiṇa…Another contemplates the fire-kasiṇa…Another contemplates the air-kasiṇa…Another contemplates the blue-kasiṇa…Another contemplates the yellow-kasiṇa…Another contemplates the red-kasiṇa…Another contemplates the white-kasiṇa…Another contemplates the space-kasiṇa…Another contemplates the consciousness-kasiṇa [15] above, below, and across, undivided and immeasurable. And thereby many disciples of mine abide having reached the perfection and consummation of direct knowledge.

  (11. The Four Jhānas)

  25. “Again, Udāyin, I have proclaimed to my disciples the way to develop the four jhānas. Here, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the first jhāna, which is accompanied by applied and
sustained thought, with rapture and pleasure born of seclusion. He makes the rapture and pleasure born of seclusion drench, steep, fill, and pervade this body, so that there is no part of his whole body unpervaded by the rapture and pleasure born of seclusion.769 Just as a skilled bath man or a bath man’s apprentice heaps bath powder in a metal basin and, sprinkling it gradually with water, kneads it till the moisture wets his ball of bath powder, soaks it and pervades it inside and out, yet the ball itself does not ooze; so too, a bhikkhu makes the rapture and pleasure born of seclusion drench, steep, fill, and pervade this body, so that there is no part of his whole body unpervaded by the rapture and pleasure born of seclusion.

 

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