English
This, bhikkhus, is entirely a heap of unwholesome things, namely – the five hindrances. Which five? The hindrance of sensual desire, the hindrance of ill will, the hindrance of sloth and torpor, the hindrance of restlessness and remorse, the hindrance of doubt. ‘A heap of unwholesome things,’ bhikkhus, when one rightly says this, one would say it of these five hindrances. This, bhikkhus, is entirely a heap of unwholesome things, namely – the five hindrances. ‘A heap of wholesome things,’ bhikkhus, when one rightly says this, one would say it of the four foundations of mindfulness. This, bhikkhus, is entirely a heap of wholesome things, namely – the four foundations of mindfulness. Which four? Here, bhikkhus, a monk dwells observing the body in the body, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, removing covetousness and displeasure concerning the world; in feelings… in mind… in phenomena he dwells observing phenomena, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, removing covetousness and displeasure concerning the world. ‘A heap of wholesome things,’ bhikkhus, when one rightly says this, one would say it of these four foundations of mindfulness, he would be speaking rightly. This, monks, is entirely a heap of wholesome things, that is—the four foundations of mindfulness.” The Fifth. 6. The Hawk Sutta “Once upon a time, monks, a hawk suddenly swooped down and seized a quail. Then, monks, the quail, being carried away by the hawk, lamented thus: ‘We are indeed unlucky, we are of little merit, who have roamed in a non-pasture, in another’s domain. If only today we had roamed in our own pasture, in our ancestral domain, this hawk would not have been able to fight with me.’ ‘But what, quail, is your own ancestral domain?’ ‘That is—a field prepared for plowing, a clod of earth.’ ” “Then, monks, the hawk, not being firm in her own strength, not relying on her own strength, released the quail: ‘Go then, quail, even if you go there, you will not escape me.’ ” “Then, monks, the quail went to the field prepared for plowing, to a clod of earth, and climbing onto a large clod of earth, stood speaking to the hawk: ‘Come now to me, hawk, come now to me, hawk!’ Then, monks, that hawk, not being firm in her own strength, not relying on her own strength, folded both wings and suddenly swooped down on the quail. When, monks, the quail knew: ‘This hawk has come very close to me,’ then he slipped into the space within that very clod. Then, monks, the hawk struck her breast right there. Thus, monks, it happens to one who roams in a non-pasture, in another’s domain. “Therefore, monks, do not roam in a non-pasture, in another’s domain. For monks, to those roaming in a non-pasture, in another’s domain, Mara will find an opportunity, Mara will find a foothold. And what, monks, is a monk’s What is the range, the alien domain? It is these – the five strands of sensual pleasure. Which five? Forms cognizable by the eye, desirable, lovely, agreeable, pleasing, connected with sensual desire, arousing passion; sounds cognizable by the ear... smells cognizable by the nose... tastes cognizable by the tongue... tactile objects cognizable by the body, desirable, lovely, agreeable, pleasing, connected with sensual desire, arousing passion – this, monks, is the monk's improper range, his alien domain. "Monks, range in your own proper range, your ancestral domain. When you, monks, range in your own proper range, your ancestral domain, Māra will not find an opening, Māra will not find a foothold. And what, monks, is a monk's proper range, his ancestral domain? It is these – the four foundations of mindfulness. Which four? Here, monks, a monk dwells contemplating the body in the body, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having put away covetousness and distress concerning the world; contemplating feelings in feelings... contemplating mind in mind... contemplating phenomena in phenomena, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having put away covetousness and distress concerning the world – this, monks, is a monk's proper range, his ancestral domain." The Sixth. 7. The Discourse on the Monkey 373. "Monks, there are rugged, uneven regions in the Himālaya, the king of mountains, where neither monkeys nor humans roam. Monks, there are rugged, uneven regions in the Himālaya, the king of mountains, where monkeys indeed roam, but not humans. Monks, there are level, delightful tracts of land in the Himālaya, the king of mountains, where both monkeys and humans roam. There, monks, hunters set out a sticky trap in the monkey-trails to catch monkeys. "There, monks, those monkeys that are not foolish by nature, not greedy by nature, seeing that sticky trap, avoid it from afar. But that monkey who is foolish by nature, greedy by nature, approaches that sticky trap and grasps it with his hand. He gets stuck there. 'I will free my hand!' he grasps it with his second hand. He gets stuck there. 'I will free both hands!' he grasps it with his foot... He grasps. He is caught there. "I will free both hands and a foot," he grasps with the second foot. He is caught there. "I will free both hands and feet," he grasps with his snout. He is caught there. Thus, monks, that monkey, five-times ensnared, lies lamenting, fallen into misfortune, fallen into calamity, to be dealt with as the hunter wishes. Then, monks, the hunter, having pierced it, throws it onto those very wood-embers, and goes wherever he wishes. So it is, monks, for one who wanders in the wrong pasture, in another's domain. Therefore, monks, do not wander in the wrong pasture, in another's domain. For those wandering in the wrong pasture, in another's domain, Māra finds an opening, Māra finds a support. And what, monks, is a monk's wrong pasture, another's domain? That is, the five strands of sensual pleasure. Which five? Forms cognizable by the eye, desirable, lovely, agreeable, pleasing, associated with sensual desire, arousing passion; sounds cognizable by the ear… smells cognizable by the nose… tastes cognizable by the tongue… tactile objects cognizable by the body, desirable, lovely, agreeable, pleasing, associated with sensual desire, arousing passion. This, monks, is a monk's wrong pasture, another's domain. Wander, monks, in your own pasture, your ancestral domain. For those wandering in their own pasture, their ancestral domain, Māra finds no opening, Māra finds no support. And what, monks, is a monk's own pasture, his ancestral domain? That is, the four foundations of mindfulness. Which four? Here, monks, a monk dwells contemplating the body in the body, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having put away covetousness and displeasure concerning the world; in feelings… in mind… in mental qualities, contemplating mental qualities, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having put away covetousness and displeasure concerning the world. This, monks, is a monk's own pasture, his ancestral domain. The Seventh. 8. The Cook Sutta Just as, monks, a foolish, unskilled, incompetent cook… knowing a king or a chief minister he might be served with various kinds of curries— with sour-tasting ones, with bitter-tasting ones, with pungent-tasting ones, with sweet-tasting ones, with alkaline ones, with non-alkaline ones, with salty ones, with non-salty ones. That foolish, unskilled, unskillful cook, monks, does not grasp the sign of his master— 'This curry of my master pleases him today, or he takes this one, or he takes much of this one, or he praises this one. Or a sour-tasting curry of my master pleases him today, or he takes the sour-tasting one, or he takes much of the sour-tasting one, or he praises the sour-tasting one. Or a bitter-tasting one today... Or a pungent-tasting one today... Or a sweet-tasting one today... Or an alkaline one today... Or a non-alkaline one today... Or a salty one today... Or a non-salty one of my master pleases him today, or he takes the non-salty one, or he takes much of the non-salty one, or he praises the non-salty one.' That foolish, unskilled, unskillful cook, monks, does not gain clothing, does not gain wages, does not gain gifts. For what reason? Because, monks, that foolish, unskilled, unskillful cook does not grasp the sign of his master. In the same way, monks, some foolish, unskilled, unskillful monk here dwells observing the body in the body, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure concerning the world. As he dwells observing the body in the body, his mind does not become concentrated, his defilements are not abandoned. He does not grasp that sign. He dwells observing feelings in feelings... He dwells observing mind in mind... He dwells observing phenomena in phenomena, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure concerning the world. As he dwells observing phenomena in phenomena, his mind does not become concentrated, his defilements are not abandoned. He does not grasp that sign. That indeed, Monks, a foolish, inexperienced, unskillful monk does not gain pleasant abiding in this very life, nor does he gain mindfulness and clear comprehension. For what reason? Because, monks, that foolish, inexperienced, unskillful monk does not grasp the sign of his own mind. Just as, monks, a wise, experienced, skillful cook might serve a king or a royal minister with various kinds of curries— some sour, some bitter, some pungent, some sweet, some salty, some unsalty, some seasoned, some unseasoned. That wise, experienced, skillful cook, monks, grasps the sign of his master: ‘Today, my master likes this curry, he takes more of this, he takes a lot of this, he praises this. Today, my master likes the sour curry, he takes more of the sour, he takes a lot of the sour, he praises the sour. Today, my master likes the bitter… Today, my master likes the pungent… Today, my master likes the sweet… Today, my master likes the salty… Today, my master likes the unsalty… Today, my master