English
Just as, friends, a man who has eaten delicious food would not desire stale food. Now, friends, if someo would say – 'Now this man will not again desire food.' Would he, friend, speaking thus, speak rightly? No, friend. It is possible, friend, that this man, having eaten delicious food, as long as that vigor remains in his body, will not desire other food. But when that vigor disappears, then he will again desire that food. Just so, friend, some individual here, with the fading of rapture… enters and dwells in the third jhāna. He, thinking, 'I am an attainer of the third jhāna,' associates with monks… renounces the training and reverts to a lower state. Here again, friend, some individual, with the abandoning of pleasure and the abandoning of pain… enters and dwells in the fourth jhāna. He, thinking, 'I am an attainer of the fourth jhāna,' associates with monks… renounces the training and reverts to a lower state. Just as, friend, in a mountain hollow, a pool of water, sheltered from wind, is free from waves. Would he, friend, who says this – 'Now in this pool no wave will again arise' – would he, friend, speaking thus, speak rightly? No, friend. It is possible, friend, that a strong wind and rain might come from the eastern direction. That would generate waves in that pool. Or from the western direction… or from the northern direction… or from the southern direction a strong wind and rain might come. That would generate waves in that pool. Just so, friend, some individual here, with the abandoning of pleasure and the abandoning of pain… enters and dwells in the fourth jhāna. He, thinking, 'I am an attainer of the fourth jhāna,' associates with monks… renounces the training and reverts to a lower state. Here again, friend, some individual, by not attending to all signs, enters and dwells in the signless concentration of mind. delights. He thinks, "I have attained the signless concentration of mind," and he associates with monks, nuns, male lay followers, female lay followers, kings, royal ministers, sectarians, and their disciples. As he associates, becomes familiar, open, and engages in talk, lust assails his mind. With his mind assailed by lust, he renounces the training and reverts to a lower state. Just as, friends, a king or a royal minister, traveling a long road with a four-fold army, might stay for one night in a certain forest grove. There, the sound of elephants, the sound of horses, the sound of chariots, the sound of infantry, the sound of drums, kettledrums, conchs, and tom-toms would drown out the sound of crickets. If someone, friends, were to say, "Now, in that forest grove, the sound of crickets will never appear again," would he be speaking correctly, friends? "No, indeed, friend." "It is possible, friends, that the king or royal minister might depart from that forest grove, and then the sound of crickets would appear again. In the same way, friends, some individual here, not attending to any signs, enters and dwells in the signless concentration of mind. He thinks, "I have attained the signless concentration of mind," and he associates with monks, nuns, male lay followers, female lay followers, kings, royal ministers, sectarians, and their disciples. As he associates, becomes familiar, open, and engages in talk, lust assails his mind. With his mind assailed by lust, he renounces the training and reverts to a lower state." Then, at a later time, Venerable Citta Hatthisāriputta renounced the training and reverted to a lower state. Then, the companion monks of Citta Hatthisāriputta approached Venerable Mahākoṭṭhika; having approached, Having met Venerable Mahākoṭṭhika, they said this to him: "Has Venerable Mahākoṭṭhika known Citta Hatthisāriputta, encompassing his mind with your mind, 'Citta Hatthisāriputta is a recipient of these and these attainments of dwelling, but he will renounce the training and revert to a lower state'? Or have devas reported this matter, 'Venerable sir, Citta Hatthisāriputta is a recipient of these and these attainments of dwelling, but he will renounce the training and revert to a lower state'?" "I have known, friends, encompassing his mind with my mind, 'Citta Hatthisāriputta is a recipient of these and these attainments of dwelling, but he will renounce the training and revert to a lower state'. Devas also reported this matter to me, 'Venerable sir, Citta Hatthisāriputta is a recipient of these and these attainments of dwelling, but he will renounce the training and revert to a lower state'." Then the companion monks of Citta Hatthisāriputta approached the Blessed One. Having approached, they saluted the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Seated to one side, those monks said this to the Blessed One: "Venerable sir, Citta Hatthisāriputta is a recipient of these and these attainments of dwelling, but he will renounce the training and revert to a lower state." "Monks, Citta will not long remember renunciation." Then Citta Hatthisāriputta, not long after, shaved off his hair and beard, put on saffron robes, and went forth from the home life into homelessness. Then Venerable Citta Hatthisāriputta, dwelling alone, secluded, diligent, ardent, and resolute, not long after— for the sake of which young men rightly go forth from the home life into homelessness— that unsurpassed culmination of the holy life— having realized it for himself with direct knowledge in this very life, he entered upon it and dwelt therein. "Birth is destroyed, the holy life has been lived, what was to be done has been done, there is no more..." This is enough for this state of being!'' And Venerable Citta Hatthasāriputta became one of the Arahants. The Sixth. 7. The Discourse on the Middle 61. Thus have I heard: On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling in Bārāṇasī, at Isipatana, in the Deer Park. Now on that occasion, a number of elder bhikkhus, having returned from their alms round, after their meal, were sitting together in the maṇḍalamāḷa (circular hall). And this conversation arose among them: "Friends, this was said by the Blessed One in the Metteyya's Question in the Pārāyana: [Cūḷani. Tissa Metteyya's Question 67] 'He who, knowing both ends, is not defiled by the middle, Him I call a great man; he has crossed the seamstress (craving) of death.' "What, friends, is the one end? What is the second end? What is the middle? What is the seamstress?" When this was said, a certain bhikkhu said to the elder bhikkhus: "Friends, contact is the one end. The origin of contact is the second end. The cessation of contact is the middle. Craving is the seamstress; for craving sews him to the arising of this and that state of being. To this extent, friends, a bhikkhu knows what is to be known by direct knowledge, he fully understands what is to be fully understood. Knowing what is to be known by direct knowledge, fully understanding what is to be fully understood, he makes an end of suffering in this very life." When this was said, a certain bhikkhu said to the elder bhikkhus: "Friends, the past is the one end. The future is the second end. The present is the middle. Craving is the seamstress; for craving sews him to the arising of this and that state of being. To this extent, friends, a bhikkhu knows what is to be known by direct knowledge, he fully understands what is to be fully understood. Knowing what is to be known by direct knowledge, fully understanding what is to be fully understood, he makes an end of suffering in this very life." When this was said, a certain bhikkhu said to the elder bhikkhus: "Friends, pleasant feeling is the one end. Painful feeling is the second end. Feeling that is neither painful nor pleasant is the middle, craving is the seamstress; for craving sews him to the arising of this and that existence. By this much, friends, a bhikkhu directly knows what is to be directly known, fully understands what is to be fully understood; directly knowing what is to be directly known, fully understanding what is to be fully understood, in this very life he makes an end of suffering. When this was said, a certain bhikkhu said to the elder bhikkhus: "Name is one end, form is the second end, consciousness is the middle, craving is the seamstress; for craving sews him to the arising of this and that existence. By this much, friends, a bhikkhu directly knows what is to be directly known, fully understands what is to be fully understood; directly knowing what is to be directly known, fully understanding what is to be fully understood, in this very life he makes an end of suffering." When this was said, a certain bhikkhu said to the elder bhikkhus: "The six internal sense bases are one end, the six external sense bases are the second end, consciousness is the middle, craving is the seamstress; for craving sews him to the arising of this and that existence. By this much, friends, a bhikkhu directly knows what is to be directly known, fully understands what is to be fully understood; directly knowing what is to be directly known, fully understanding what is to be fully understood, in this very life he makes an end of suffering." When this was said, a certain bhikkhu said to the elder bhikkhus: "The body with its identity is one end, the origin of the body with its identity is the second end, the cessation of the body with its identity is the middle, craving is the seamstress; for craving sews him to the arising of this and that existence. By this much, friends, a bhikkhu directly knows what is to be directly known, fully understands what is to be fully understood; directly knowing what is to be directly known, fully understanding what is to be fully understood, in this very life he makes an end of suffering." When this was said, a certain bhikkhu said to the elder bhikkhus: "Indeed, friends, we have all declared our respective insights. Come, friends, let us go to the Blessed One." we will go; having gone, we will report this matter to the Blessed One.