English
If, Ananda, for that monk dwelling in this way, his mind inclines to sitting, he sits, thinking: ‘Thus, while I am sitting, evil unwholesome states of covetousness and displeasure will not flow in upon me.’ Thus, there he is fully aware. If, Ananda, for that monk dwelling in this way, his mind inclines to lying down, he lies down, thinking: ‘Thus, while I am lying down, evil unwholesome states of covetousness and displeasure will not flow in upon me.’ Thus, there he is fully aware. If, Ananda, for that monk dwelling in this way, his mind inclines to speaking, he (thinks): ‘This talk which is low, vulgar, pot... Low talks, un-noble, unbeneficial, not conducive to disillusionment, to dispassion, to cessation, to tranquility, to direct knowledge, to full enlightenment, to Nibbāna, such as: talks of kings, talks of robbers, talks of ministers, talks of armies, talks of fear, talks of war, talks of food, talks of drink, talks of clothes, talks of beds, talks of garlands, talks of perfumes, talks of relatives, talks of vehicles, talks of villages, talks of market towns, talks of cities, talks of countries, talks of women, talks of heroes, talks of streets, talks of watering places, talks of departed spirits, talks of various kinds, talks of the world, talks of the ocean, talks of becoming and not becoming— 'I will not engage in such talk.' Thus he is clearly comprehending there. But, Ānanda, that talk which is conducive to mental purification, suitable for removing hindrances from the mind, leading exclusively to disillusionment, to dispassion, to cessation, to tranquility, to direct knowledge, to full enlightenment, to Nibbāna, such as: talks of fewness of wishes, talks of contentment, talks of seclusion, talks of non-entanglement, talks of aroused energy, talks of virtue, talks of concentration, talks of wisdom, talks of liberation, talks of the knowledge and vision of liberation— 'I will engage in such talk.' Thus he is clearly comprehending there. If, Ānanda, while a bhikkhu is dwelling in this way, his mind inclines to thoughts, he thinks: 'Those thoughts that are low, vulgar, of the common person, un-noble, unbeneficial, not conducive to disillusionment, to dispassion, to cessation, to tranquility, to direct knowledge, to full enlightenment, to Nibbāna, such as: thoughts of sensual desire, thoughts of ill-will, thoughts of harm— I will not engage in such thoughts.' Thus he is clearly comprehending there. But, Ānanda, those thoughts that are noble, leading out, leading the one who practices them to the complete destruction of suffering, such as: thoughts of renunciation, thoughts of non-ill-will, thoughts of non-harm— 'I will engage in such thoughts.' 'I will think by means of thought.' Thus, there he is clearly comprehending. 190. "These five, Ananda, are sense pleasures. Which five? Forms cognizable by the eye, desirable, lovely, agreeable, pleasing, connected with sensual desire, arousing passion; Sounds cognizable by the ear... Odors cognizable by the nose... Tastes cognizable by the tongue... Tangibles cognizable by the body, desirable, lovely, agreeable, pleasing, connected with sensual desire, arousing passion – These five, Ananda, are sense pleasures, where a monk should frequently review his own mind: 'Does a mental stirring arise in me regarding any one of these five sense pleasures, in any one of these sense spheres?' If, Ananda, a monk, reviewing, thus understands: 'Indeed, a mental stirring arises in me regarding any one of these five sense pleasures, in any one of these sense spheres,' then, Ananda, the monk thus understands: 'The desire-passion for these five sense pleasures has not been abandoned by me.' Thus, there he is clearly comprehending. But if, Ananda, a monk, reviewing, thus understands: 'Indeed, no mental stirring arises in me regarding any one of these five sense pleasures, in any one of these sense spheres,' then, Ananda, the monk thus understands: 'The desire-passion for these five sense pleasures has been abandoned by me.' Thus, there he is clearly comprehending. 191. "These five, Ananda, are the aggregates of clinging, where a monk should dwell observing rise and fall: 'Such is form, such is the origin of form, such is the passing away of form; such is feeling... such is perception... such are mental formations... such is consciousness, such is the origin of consciousness, such is the passing away of consciousness.' As he dwells observing rise and fall in these five aggregates of clinging, the conceit 'I am' regarding these five aggregates of clinging is abandoned. Then, Ananda, the monk thus understands. —saying: ‘The conceit ‘I am’ regarding these five aggregates of clinging, that is abandoned by me.’ Thus, he is fully aware there. These, Ananda, are truly wholesome states, leading to welfare, noble, supramundane, untouched by evil. What do you think, Ananda, seeing what benefit, should a disciple follow the Teacher, even if being driven away?” “Our teachings, venerable sir, have the Blessed One as their root, the Blessed One as their guide, the Blessed One as their refuge. It would be good, venerable sir, if the Blessed One himself would reveal the meaning of this statement. Having heard from the Blessed One, the monks will remember it.” 192. “Indeed, Ananda, a disciple should not follow the Teacher for the sake of discourses, mixed prose and verse, or expositions. Why is that? For a long time, Ananda, those teachings have been heard by you, held in mind, familiarized by speech, contemplated by mind, and well-penetrated by understanding. But if there is, Ananda, a talk that is conducive to purification, suitable for removing mental hindrances, leading entirely to disenchantment, dispassion, cessation, tranquility, direct knowledge, full enlightenment, Nibbana— namely, talk on fewness of wishes, talk on contentment, talk on seclusion, talk on non-entanglement, talk on the arousal of energy, talk on virtue, talk on concentration, talk on wisdom, talk on liberation, talk on the knowledge and vision of liberation— for the sake of such a talk, Ananda, a disciple should follow the Teacher, even if being driven away. In such a case, Ananda, there is trouble for the teacher, in such a case, there is trouble for the pupil, in such a case, there is trouble for the fellow practitioners. 193. “And how, Ananda, is there trouble for the teacher? Here, Ananda, some teacher resorts to a secluded dwelling: a forest, the root of a tree, a mountain, a ravine, a cave, a charnel ground, a jungle thicket, open air, a heap of straw. To him, living in such seclusion, come flocking brahmins and householders, both townspeople and country folk. He, when brahmins and householders, townspeople and country folk come flocking, desires infatuation, falls into greed, turns to abundance. This, Ananda, is called a troubled teacher. By the trouble of the teacher, evil, unwholesome states overcome him: defiling, leading to renewed existence, accompanied by suffering, with painful results, leading to birth, aging, and death in the future. Thus indeed, Ananda, is the trouble of the teacher. 194. ‘‘And how, Ananda, is there the trouble of a pupil? But Ananda, the very disciple of that teacher, cultivating the seclusion of that teacher, resorts to a secluded dwelling: a wilderness, the root of a tree, a mountain, a ravine, a mountain cave, a charnel ground, a forest grove, the open air, a heap of straw. To him, living in such seclusion, come flocking brahmins and householders, both townspeople and country folk. He, when brahmins and householders, townspeople and country folk come flocking, desires infatuation, falls into greed, turns to abundance. This, Ananda, is called a troubled pupil. By the trouble of the pupil, evil, unwholesome states overcome him: defiling, leading to renewed existence, accompanied by suffering, with painful results, leading to birth, aging, and death in the future. Thus indeed, Ananda, is the trouble of the pupil. 195. ‘‘And how, Ananda, is there the trouble of a holy life? Here, Ananda, a Tathagata arises in the world: an Arahant, perfectly enlightened, endowed with knowledge and conduct, well-gone, knower of the worlds, unsurpassed leader of persons to be tamed, teacher of gods and humans, the Buddha, the Blessed One. He resorts to a secluded dwelling: a wilderness, the root of a tree, a mountain, a ravine, a mountain cave, a charnel ground, a forest grove, the open air, a heap of straw. To him, living in such seclusion... Then householder brahmins, townsfolk and countryfolk, follow after him. When householder brahmins, townsfolk and countryfolk, follow after him, he does not desire infatuation, he does not fall into greed, he does not turn to abundance. But, Ananda, a disciple of that Teacher, cultivating the Teacher's seclusion, resorts to a secluded dwelling: a forest, a tree root, a mountain, a ravine, a mountain cave, a charnel ground, a jungle thicket, an open space, a heap of straw. As he dwells thus withdrawn, householder brahmins, townsfolk and countryfolk, follow after him. When householder brahmins, townsfolk and countryfolk, follow after him, he desires infatuation, he falls into greed, he turns to abundance. This, Ananda, is called a danger to the holy life. By this danger to the holy life, evil, unwholesome states that are defiling, leading to renewed existence, accompanied by suffering, with painful results, leading to birth, aging, and death in the future, overtake him. Thus, Ananda, there is a danger to the holy life. Among these, Ananda, this danger to the holy life, compared to the danger to the teacher and the danger to the pupil, is more painful in its result and more bitter in its result, and moreover, it leads to ruin. Therefore, Ananda, treat me with friendliness, not with enmity. That will be for your long-term welfare and happiness. And how, Ananda, do disciples treat the Teacher with enmity, not with friendliness?