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3. The Chapter on the Unsurpassed 1. The Discourse at Sāmaka 21. At one time the Blessed One was staying among the Sakyans, at Sāmagāmaka, by a pond. Then, a certain deity, when the night was far advanced, with radiant beauty, illuminating the entire pond, approached the Blessed One; having approached and paid homage to the Blessed One, she stood to one side. Standing to one side, that deity said to the Blessed One: “These three things, venerable sir, lead to a monk’s decline. Which three? Delight in work, delight in talk, delight in sleep – these three things, venerable sir, lead to a monk’s decline.” That deity said this. The Teacher approved. Then that deity, thinking, “My Teacher approves,” paid homage to the Blessed One, circumambulated him respectfully, and vanished right there. Then, when that night had passed, the Blessed One addressed the monks: “This night, monks, a certain deity, when the night was far advanced, with radiant beauty, illuminating the entire pond, approached me; having approached and paid homage to me, she stood to one side. Standing to one side, monks, that deity said to me: ‘These three things, venerable sir, lead to a monk’s decline. Which three? Delight in work, delight in talk, delight in sleep – these three things, venerable sir, lead to a monk’s decline.’ That deity said this, monks. Having said this, she paid homage to me, circumambulated me respectfully, and vanished right there. It is a loss for you, monks, it is ill-gained for you, when even deities know you are declining in wholesome states.” “I shall teach you, monks, other three things that lead to decline. Listen to that, pay careful attention; I shall speak.” “Yes, venerable sir,” those monks replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this: “And which, monks, are the three things that lead to decline?” What are the qualities? Delight in company, ill-spokenness, bad friendship – these, monks, are the three qualities of decline. Whoever, monks, in the past declined in wholesome qualities, all of them declined in wholesome qualities through these six qualities. And whoever, monks, in the future will decline in wholesome qualities, all of them will decline in wholesome qualities through these six qualities. And whoever, monks, now decline in wholesome qualities, all of them decline in wholesome qualities through these six qualities. The First. 2. The Discourse on Non-Decline 22. "Monks, I will teach you these six qualities of non-decline. Listen to it... And what, monks, are the six qualities of non-decline? Not delight in activity, not delight in talk, not delight in sleep, not delight in company, good-spokenness, good friendship – these, monks, are the six qualities of non-decline. Whoever, monks, in the past did not decline in wholesome qualities, all of them did not decline in wholesome qualities through these six qualities. And whoever, monks, in the future will not decline in wholesome qualities, all of them will not decline in wholesome qualities through these six qualities. And whoever, monks, now do not decline in wholesome qualities, all of them do not decline in wholesome qualities through these six qualities. The Second. 3. The Discourse on Fear 23. "'Fear,' monks, is a designation for sensual pleasures; 'suffering,' monks, is a designation for sensual pleasures; 'disease,' monks, is a designation for sensual pleasures; 'boil,' monks, is a designation for sensual pleasures; 'bondage,' monks, is a designation for sensual pleasures; 'mire,' monks, is a designation for sensual pleasures. And why, monks, is 'fear' a designation for sensual pleasures? Monks, one who is infatuated with sensual passion, bound by desire-passion, is not freed from fear in this present life, nor is he freed from fear in the future life. Therefore, 'fear' is a designation for sensual pleasures. And why, monks, are 'suffering'... 'disease'... 'boil'... 'bond'... 'mire' designations for sensual pleasures? Monks, one who is infatuated with sensual passion, bound by desire-passion, is not freed from mire in this present life, nor is he freed from mire in the future life. Therefore, 'mire' is a designation for sensual pleasures. Fear, suffering, disease, a boil, A bond, and mire, both of these; These are called sensual pleasures, Where the ordinary person is attached. Seeing fear in clinging, Which gives rise to birth and death; Without clinging, they are freed, In the destruction of birth and death. They, having attained security, are happy, Extinguished in this very life; Gone beyond all enmity and fear, They have transcended all suffering. The Third. 4. The Discourse on the Himalayas "Monks, a bhikkhu endowed with six qualities could shatter the Himālaya, the king of mountains. What then of trivial ignorance! What are these six? Here, monks, a bhikkhu is skilled in entering concentration, skilled in maintaining concentration, skilled in emerging from concentration, skilled in the readiness of concentration, skilled in the range of concentration, skilled in directing concentration. Indeed, monks, a bhikkhu endowed with these six qualities could shatter the Himālaya, the king of mountains. What then of trivial ignorance!" The Fourth. 5. The Discourse on Recollection Abodes "Monks, there are these six abodes of recollection. What are the six? Here, monks, a noble disciple recollects the Tathāgata: 'Indeed, that Blessed One is... Teacher of gods and humans, the Buddha, the Blessed One.' Monks, at whatever time a noble disciple recollects the Tathāgata, his... At that time, the mind is beset by greed, not beset by hatred, not beset by delusion; at that time, his mind is straight, it is gone forth, released, risen from entanglement. ‘Entanglement,’ monks, is a designation for these five strands of sensual pleasure. Taking this as an object, monks, some beings are thus purified. Furthermore, monks, a noble disciple remembers the Dhamma: ‘The Dhamma is well-proclaimed by the Blessed One… to be personally realized by the wise.’ At such a time, monks, when a noble disciple remembers the Dhamma, at that time, his mind is not beset by greed, not beset by hatred, not beset by delusion; at that time, his mind is straight, it is gone forth, released, risen from entanglement. ‘Entanglement,’ monks, is a designation for these five strands of sensual pleasure. Taking this as an object, monks, some beings are thus purified. Furthermore, monks, a noble disciple remembers the Sangha: ‘The Sangha of the Blessed One’s disciples is practicing well… an unsurpassed field of merit for the world.’ At such a time, monks, when a noble disciple remembers the Sangha, at that time, his mind is not beset by greed, not beset by hatred, not beset by delusion; at that time, his mind is straight, it is gone forth, released, risen from entanglement. ‘Entanglement,’ monks, is a designation for these five strands of sensual pleasure. Taking this as an object, monks, some beings are thus purified. Furthermore, monks, a noble disciple remembers his own virtues: unbroken… conducive to concentration. At such a time, monks, when a noble disciple remembers his virtues, at that time, his mind is not beset by greed, not by hatred The mind is not obsessed, the mind is not obsessed by delusion; at that time his mind is straight, gone forth, released, risen from greed. "Greed," monks, is a designation for these five strands of sensual pleasure. Taking this as an object, monks, some beings are thus purified. Again, further, monks, a noble disciple recollects his own generosity – ‘How fortunate I am! How well-gained for me… (etc.)… I am one who gives to those who ask, delighting in sharing gifts.’ At that time… (etc.)… some beings are thus purified. Again, further, monks, a noble disciple recollects the devas – ‘There are devas of the Four Great Kings, there are devas of the Thirty-three, there are Yāma devas, there are Tusita devas, there are Nimmānaratī devas, there are Paranimmitavasavattī devas, there are devas of Brahmā’s Retinue, there are devas beyond that. With such faith endowed, those devas, having passed away from here, were reborn there; such faith is found in me too. With such virtue… learning… generosity… wisdom endowed, those devas, having passed away from here, were reborn there; such wisdom is found in me too.’ Monks, at that time when a noble disciple recollects his own faith, virtue, learning, generosity, and wisdom, and that of those devas, at that time his mind is not obsessed by lust, his mind is not obsessed by hatred, his mind is not obsessed by delusion; at that time his mind is straight, gone forth, released, risen from greed. "Greed," monks, is a designation for these five strands of sensual pleasure. Taking this as an object, monks, some beings are thus purified. "These, monks, are the six bases for recollection." The Fifth. 6. The Mahākaccāna Sutta 26. There, indeed, the venerable Mahākaccāna addressed the monks – "Friends, monks!" "Friend!" replied those monks... listened to the Venerable Mahākaccāna. The Venerable Mahākaccāna said this: “Wonderful, friends; amazing, friends! How that by the Blessed One, the Knower, the Seer, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened One, the attainment of space in a confined place has been understood for the purification of beings, for the overcoming of sorrow and lamentation, for the disappearance of pain and displeasure, for the attainment of the path, for the realization of Nibbāna— namely, these six recollections. “Which six? Here, friends, a noble disciple recollects the Tathāgata: ‘Indeed, that Blessed One is… …teacher of gods and humans, the Buddha, the Blessed One.’ At whatever time, friends, a noble disciple recollects the Tathāgata, at that time his mind is not overcome by lust, his mind is not overcome by hatred, his mind is not overcome by delusion; at that time his mind is straight, released, freed, risen from greed. ‘Greed,’ friends, is a designation for