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Teacher of gods and humans, The Awakened One, the Blessed One." He is endowed with unwavering faith in the Dhamma: "The Dhamma is well-expounded by the Blessed One, Visible here and now, Timeless, Inviting one to come and see, Leading inwards, To be personally experienced by the wise." He is endowed with unwavering faith in the Saṅgha: "The Saṅgha of the Blessed One's disciples is practicing well, The Saṅgha of the Blessed One's disciples is practicing uprightly, The Saṅgha of the Blessed One's disciples is practicing wisely, The Saṅgha of the Blessed One's disciples is practicing dutifully, That is, the four pairs of persons, The eight types of individuals." persons. This assembly of the Blessed One's disciples is worthy of offerings, worthy of hospitality, worthy of gifts, worthy of reverential salutation, the unsurpassed field of merit for the world. And when his (defilements) are properly given up, vomited forth, released, abandoned, relinquished, he, (thinking) ‘I am endowed with unwavering faith in the Buddha,’ gains understanding of the meaning, gains understanding of the Dhamma, gains joy connected with the Dhamma. For one who is joyful, rapture arises; for one with a rapturous mind, the body becomes tranquil; one whose body is tranquil experiences happiness; for one who is happy, the mind becomes concentrated. (Thinking) ‘I am endowed with unwavering faith in the Dhamma,’ he gains understanding of the meaning, gains understanding of the Dhamma, gains joy connected with the Dhamma. For one who is joyful, rapture arises; for one with a rapturous mind, the body becomes tranquil; one whose body is tranquil experiences happiness; for one who is happy, the mind becomes concentrated. (Thinking) ‘I am endowed with unwavering faith in the Sangha,’ he gains understanding of the meaning, gains understanding of the Dhamma, gains joy connected with the Dhamma. For one who is joyful, rapture arises; for one with a rapturous mind, the body becomes tranquil; one whose body is tranquil experiences happiness; for one who is happy, the mind becomes concentrated. (Thinking) ‘My (defilements) are properly given up, vomited forth, released, abandoned, relinquished,’ he gains understanding of the meaning, gains understanding of the Dhamma, gains joy connected with the Dhamma. For one who is joyful, rapture arises; for one with a rapturous mind, the body becomes tranquil; one whose body is tranquil experiences happiness; for one who is happy, the mind becomes concentrated. That monk, O bhikkhus, thus virtuous, thus endowed with Dhamma, thus wise, even if he eats an alms-meal of fine rice, with various dark grains, with many curries, with many sauces, that does not become an obstacle for him. Just as, O bhikkhus, a cloth that is soiled, stained with dirt, becomes pure and clean by means of clear water, or by means of a furnace, gold becomes pure and clean, even so, O bhikkhus, that monk, thus virtuous, thus endowed with Dhamma, thus wise, even if he eats an alms-meal of fine rice, with various dark grains, with many curries, with many sauces, that does not become an obstacle for him. He dwells pervading one direction with a mind imbued with loving-kindness, similarly the second, similarly the third, similarly the fourth. Thus, he dwells having pervaded one direction with a mind accompanied by loving-kindness, abundant, exalted, immeasurable, without enmity, without ill-will; likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth. Thus, he dwells having pervaded the entire world—upwards, downwards, across, everywhere, in every respect—with a mind accompanied by loving-kindness, abundant, exalted, immeasurable, without enmity, without ill-will. He dwells having pervaded one direction with a mind accompanied by compassion… likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth. Thus, he dwells having pervaded the entire world—upwards, downwards, across, everywhere, in every respect—with a mind accompanied by compassion, abundant, exalted, immeasurable, without enmity, without ill-will. He dwells having pervaded one direction with a mind accompanied by altruistic joy… likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth. Thus, he dwells having pervaded the entire world—upwards, downwards, across, everywhere, in every respect—with a mind accompanied by altruistic joy, abundant, exalted, immeasurable, without enmity, without ill-will. He dwells having pervaded one direction with a mind accompanied by equanimity… likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth. Thus, he dwells having pervaded the entire world—upwards, downwards, across, everywhere, in every respect—with a mind accompanied by equanimity, abundant, exalted, immeasurable, without enmity, without ill-will. 78. “He understands: ‘This exists, this is inferior, this is excellent, there is a further escape beyond this perception.’ For him, thus knowing, thus seeing, his mind is liberated from the defilement of sensuality, his mind is liberated from the defilement of existence, his mind is liberated from the defilement of ignorance. When liberated, there arises the knowledge: ‘It is liberated.’ He understands: ‘Birth is destroyed, the holy life has been lived, what was to be done has been done, there is no more for this state of being.’ This, bhikkhus, is called ‘a bhikkhu who has bathed with the inner bathing.’” 79. Now at that time, the brahmin Sundarika Bhāradvāja was sitting not far from the Blessed One. Then the brahmin Sundarika Bhāradvāja said to the Blessed One: “Does Master Gotama go to the Bāhukā River to bathe?” “What, brahmin, is the Bāhukā River? What will the Bāhukā River do?” “The Bāhukā River, good Gotama, is considered by people to be auspicious, the Bāhukā River, good Gotama, is considered by people to be meritorious. Many people wash away their evil deeds in the Bāhukā River.” Then the Blessed One addressed the brahmin Sundarika Bhāradvāja with verses: “Bāhukā, and Adhikakkā, Gayā, and Sundarikā too; Sarasvatī, Payāga, And also the Bāhumatī River— Always the fool, entangled, with dark deeds, is not purified. What will Sundarikā do? What Payāga, what the Bāhukā river? A man who has made an enemy, who has committed evil, it will not purify him, the evil-doer. For the pure, indeed, always the festival, for the pure, the Uposatha always. For the pure, of pure deeds, always the vow is fulfilled. Bathe right here, brahmin, make peace with all beings. If you do not speak falsely, if you do not harm living beings; If you do not take what is not given, faithful, unselfish; What will you do going to Gayā? Even a well is your Gayā. 80. Thus spoken, the brahmin Sundarikabhāradvāja said to the Blessed One: "Excellent, good Gotama, excellent, good Gotama! Just as, good Gotama, one might set upright what was overturned, or reveal what was hidden, or point out the way to one who was lost, or hold up a lamp in the darkness so that those with eyes might see forms; even so has the Dhamma been made clear by the good Gotama in many ways. I go for refuge to the good Gotama, and to the Dhamma, and to the Sangha of bhikkhus. May I receive the going forth in the presence of the good Gotama, may I receive the full ordination." And indeed, the brahmin Sundarikabhāradvāja received the going forth in the presence of the Blessed One, he received the full ordination. Not long after his full ordination, Venerable Bhāradvāja, dwelling alone, secluded, diligent, ardent, and resolute, not long thereafter, by realizing it for himself with direct knowledge, in this very life, entered upon and abode in that unsurpassed culmination of the holy life for the sake of which clansmen rightly go forth from home into homelessness. He directly knew: "Destroyed is birth, the holy life has been lived, what was to be done has been done, there is no more for this state of being." And Venerable Bhāradvāja became one of the Arahants. The Discourse on the Cloth is finished, the seventh. 8. The Discourse on Effacement 81. Thus have I heard – at one The Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī, in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's monastery. Then indeed, the venerable Mahācunda, having risen from seclusion in the evening, approached the Blessed One; having approached and paid homage to the Blessed One, he sat down to one side. Seated to one side, the venerable Mahācunda said this to the Blessed One: "Bhante, these various views that arise in the world— whether connected with a self-theory or connected with a world-theory— is it, Bhante, by attending right from the beginning that for a monk there is the abandoning of these views, that there is the relinquishing of these views?" 82. "These various views, Cunda, that arise in the world— whether connected with a self-theory or connected with a world-theory— where these views arise, where they lie latent, and where they proliferate— that [should be seen as]: 'This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self'— seeing this as it actually is with right wisdom, thus there is the abandoning of these views, thus there is the relinquishing of these views. "It is possible, Cunda, that a certain monk quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, with initial and sustained application, with rapture and pleasure born of seclusion, might enter and dwell in the first jhāna. He might think: 'I am dwelling by effacement.' But these, Cunda, are not called effacements in the Noble One's discipline. These are called pleasant dwellings in this very life in the Noble One's discipline. "It is possible, Cunda, that a certain monk with the subsiding of initial and sustained application, with the internal pacification and unification of mind, without initial and sustained application, with rapture and pleasure born of concentration, might enter and dwell in the second jhāna. He might think: 'I am dwelling by effacement.' But these, Cunda, are not called effacements in the Noble One's discipline.