English
“When, Anuruddha, you shall reflect upon these eight thoughts of a great man, and you shall be a frequent obtainer, an unlaborious obtainer, an unarduous obtainer of these four jhānas, which are mental attainments, a comfortable abiding in this very life, then, Anuruddha, just as for a householder or a householder’s son there are various medicines, namely, ghee, fresh butter, oil, honey, molasses; even so, the medicine of putrid urine will be agreeable to you, living content, with unagitated joy, for comfortable living, for the approach to Nibbāna. Therefore, Anuruddha, you should reside for the coming rainy season right here in the Eastern Bamboo Grove in the Cetī country.” “Yes, venerable sir,” the Venerable Anuruddha replied to the Blessed One. Then the Blessed One, having exhorted the Venerable Anuruddha with this exhortation— just as a strong man might extend his flexed arm, or flex his extended arm— even so, the Blessed One vanished from the Eastern Bamboo Grove in the Cetī country and reappeared in the Bhesakaḷāvana deer park in Sumsumāragira in the Bhagga country. The Blessed One sat down on the prepared seat. Having sat down, the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: “Bhikkhus, I shall teach the eight thoughts of a great man. Listen to that… And what, bhikkhus, are the eight thoughts of a great man? This Dhamma, bhikkhus, is for one with few wishes, not for one with many wishes; this Dhamma, bhikkhus, is for the content, not for the discontent; this Dhamma, bhikkhus, is for the secluded, not for one fond of company; this Dhamma, bhikkhus, is for one with aroused energy, not for the lazy; this Dhamma is for one with established mindfulness This Dhamma, monks, is for the mindful, not for the unmindful. This Dhamma, monks, is for the concentrated, not for the unconcentrated. This Dhamma, monks, is for the wise, not for the unwise. This Dhamma, monks, is for one who delights in non-proliferation, who rejoices in non-proliferation, not for one who delights in proliferation, who rejoices in proliferation. "This Dhamma, monks, is for the one with few wishes, not for the one with many wishes." This has been said. What was this said in reference to? Here, monks, a monk, being one with few wishes, does not wish, "May they know me as one with few wishes." Being content, he does not wish, "May they know me as content." Being secluded, he does not wish, "May they know me as secluded." Having aroused effort, he does not wish, "May they know me as having aroused effort." Having established mindfulness, he does not wish, "May they know me as having established mindfulness." Being concentrated, he does not wish, "May they know me as concentrated." Being wise, he does not wish, "May they know me as wise." Delighting in non-proliferation, he does not wish, "May they know me as delighting in non-proliferation." "This Dhamma, monks, is for the one with few wishes, not for the one with many wishes." That which was said, was said in reference to this. "This Dhamma, monks, is for the content, not for the discontent." This has been said. What was this said in reference to? Here, monks, a monk is content with any robes, almsfood, lodging, and requisites for the sick and medicine. "This Dhamma, monks, is for the content, not for the discontent." That which was said, was said in reference to this. "This Dhamma, monks, is for the secluded, not for one who delights in company." This has been said. What was this said in reference to? Here, monks, when a monk lives secluded, there are those who approach him: monks, nuns, laymen, laywomen, kings Come, great royal ministers, sectarians, disciples of sectarians. There, a bhikkhu with a mind inclined to seclusion, tending to seclusion, leaning towards seclusion, established in seclusion, delighting in renunciation, speaks only talk connected with disengagement. 'This Dhamma, bhikkhus, is for one who is secluded, not for one who delights in company.' That which was said, was said with reference to this. "'This Dhamma, bhikkhus, is for one with aroused energy, not for one who is lazy.' This was said, but with reference to what was it said? Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu dwells with aroused energy for the abandoning of unwholesome states, for the acquiring of wholesome states, strong, firm in effort, not laying down the burden in wholesome states. 'This Dhamma, bhikkhus, is for one with aroused energy, not for one who is lazy.' That which was said, was said with reference to this. "'This Dhamma, bhikkhus, is for one with established mindfulness, not for one with forgotten mindfulness.' This was said, but with reference to what was it said? Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu is mindful, endowed with supreme mindfulness and clear comprehension, remembering and recollecting what was done and said long ago. 'This Dhamma, bhikkhus, is for one with established mindfulness, not for one with forgotten mindfulness.' That which was said, was said with reference to this. "'This Dhamma, bhikkhus, is for one who is concentrated, not for one who is unconcentrated.' This was said, but with reference to what was it said? Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu, quite secluded from sensual pleasures... ...enters and dwells in the fourth jhāna. 'This Dhamma, bhikkhus, is for one who is concentrated, not for one who is unconcentrated.' That which was said, was said with reference to this. "'This Dhamma, bhikkhus, is for one who is wise, not for one who is unwise.' This was said, but with reference to what was it said? Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu is wise, endowed with the wisdom that discerns rise and fall... Therefore, by the noble, penetrating, right path leading to the destruction of suffering. ‘This Dhamma, monks, is for the wise, not for the unwise,’ thus what was said, was said with reference to this. ‘This Dhamma, monks, is for one who delights in non-proliferation, who takes pleasure in non-proliferation, not for one who delights in proliferation, who takes pleasure in proliferation,’ thus it was said. And with reference to what was this said? Here, monks, when proliferation ceases, the mind of a monk enters, is purified, stands firm, and is liberated. ‘This Dhamma, monks, is for one who delights in non-proliferation, who takes pleasure in non-proliferation, not for one who delights in proliferation, who takes pleasure in proliferation,’ thus what was said, was said with reference to this. Then indeed, Venerable Anuruddha spent the next rainy season there in the Eastern Bamboo Grove among the Cetis. Then indeed, Venerable Anuruddha, dwelling alone, secluded, diligent, ardent, resolute, not long thereafter – for the sake of which noble sons rightly go forth from home to 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. He directly knew: “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.” And Venerable Anuruddha became one of the Arahants. Then indeed, Venerable Anuruddha, having attained Arahantship, on that occasion uttered these verses – Knowing my thought, the Teacher, unsurpassed in the world, came to me with a mind-made body, by psychic power. As my thought was, he taught even beyond that; the Buddha, delighting in non-proliferation, taught non-proliferation. Knowing his Dhamma, I dwelt delighting in the teaching; the three knowledges are attained, the Buddha's teaching has been done. The tenth. The third chapter on Householders. Its summary – Two Uggas, and two Hatthakas, Mahānāma, Jīvaka; Two Balas, Akkhaṇa are spoken of, by Anuruddha, these are ten.