English
The Discourse on Brevity 63. Then indeed a certain monk approached the Blessed One... sitting to one side, that monk said this to the Blessed One: "It would be good for me, venerable sir, if the Blessed One would teach me the Dhamma in brief, so that having heard the Dhamma from the Blessed One, I might dwell alone, secluded, diligent, ardent, and resolute." "Just so, some foolish men here entreat me, and when the Dhamma is taught, they think they should follow me." "Venerable sir, let the Blessed One teach me the Dhamma in brief, let the Fortunate One teach me the Dhamma in brief. Perhaps I might understand the meaning of what the Blessed One has spoken, perhaps I might be an heir to what the Blessed One has spoken." "Therefore, monk, you should train thus: 'My mind within will be steady, well-established, and arisen evil unwholesome states will not overwhelm my mind.' Thus, monk, you should train." "When indeed, monk, your mind within is steady, well-established, and arisen evil unwholesome states do not overwhelm your mind, then, monk, you should train thus: 'My liberation of mind through loving-kindness will be developed, made much of, made a vehicle, made a basis, established, well-practiced, well-undertaken.' Thus, monk, you should train." "When indeed, monk, this concentration is thus developed, made much of, then, monk, you should develop this concentration with initial application and sustained application, without initial application, only sustained application, should develop, without initial application..." you should develop it without initial and sustained application, you should develop it with rapture, you should develop it without rapture, you should develop it accompanied by pleasure, you should develop it accompanied by equanimity. “When, monks, this concentration has been developed and well-developed in this way, then, monks, you should train yourselves thus: ‘My liberation of mind through compassion… my liberation of mind through appreciative joy… my liberation of mind through equanimity will be developed, made much of, made a vehicle, made a basis, established, practiced, and well-commenced.’ Thus, monks, you should train yourselves. “When, monks, this concentration has been developed and well-developed in this way, then, monk, you should develop this concentration with initial and sustained application, you should develop it with only sustained application, you should develop it without initial and sustained application, you should develop it with rapture, you should develop it without rapture, you should develop it accompanied by pleasure, you should develop it accompanied by equanimity. “When, monks, this concentration has been developed and well-developed in this way, then, monks, you should train yourselves thus: ‘I will dwell contemplating the body in the body, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure concerning the world.’ Thus, monks, you should train yourselves. “When, monks, this concentration has been developed and made much of in this way, then, monk, you should develop this concentration with initial and sustained application, you should develop it with only sustained application, you should develop it without initial and sustained application, you should develop it with rapture, you should develop it without rapture, you should develop it accompanied by pleasure, you should develop it accompanied by equanimity. “When, monks, this concentration has been developed and well-developed in this way, then, monks, you should train yourselves thus: ‘I will dwell contemplating feelings in feelings, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure concerning the world’; ‘I will dwell contemplating mind in mind, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure concerning the world’; I will dwell contemplating phenomena in phenomena, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure in the world. Thus, bhikkhu, should you train. When, bhikkhu, this concentration of yours is thus developed, made much of, then, bhikkhu, you should develop this concentration with initial application and sustained application, you should develop it with only sustained application, you should develop it without initial application and without sustained application, you should develop it with rapture, you should develop it without rapture, you should develop it accompanied by pleasure, you should develop it accompanied by equanimity. When, bhikkhu, this concentration of yours is thus developed, well-developed, then, bhikkhu, wherever you walk, you will walk at ease, wherever you stand, you will stand at ease, wherever you sit, you will sit at ease, wherever you lie down, you will lie down at ease. Then that bhikkhu, having been exhorted by the Blessed One with this exhortation, rose from his seat, saluted the Blessed One, circumambulated him, and departed. Then that bhikkhu, dwelling alone, secluded, diligent, ardent, resolute, not long after, by realizing for himself with direct knowledge, in this very life, that unsurpassed goal of the holy life for the sake of which clansmen rightly go forth from home into homelessness, entered upon and dwelt in it. He directly knew: “Destroyed is birth, the holy life has been lived, what was to be done has been done, there is no more for this state of being.” And that bhikkhu became one of the Arahants. The third. 4. Gayāsīsa Sutta 64. At one time the Blessed One was dwelling in Gayā, at Gayāsīsa. There the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus… “Before my enlightenment, bhikkhus, when I was still an unawakened Bodhisatta, I perceived only light, but I did not see forms.” “Then, bhikkhus, it occurred to me: ‘If I were to perceive both light and see forms, then this knowledge and vision of mine would be complete…” would be purer.’ So then, monks, at a later time, dwelling heedful, ardent, resolute, I perceived a light, and I saw forms; but I did not stand with those deities, nor converse with them, nor engage in discussion. Then, monks, this thought occurred to me: ‘If I could perceive a light, and see forms, and stand with those deities, and converse with them, and engage in discussion; then this knowledge and vision of mine would be purer.’ So then, monks, at a later time, dwelling heedful, ardent, resolute, I perceived a light, and I saw forms, and I stood with those deities, and conversed with them, and engaged in discussion; but I did not know those deities: ‘These deities are from this or that divine assembly.’ Then, monks, this thought occurred to me: ‘If I could perceive a light, and see forms, and stand with those deities, and converse with them, and engage in discussion, and know those deities: “These deities are from this or that divine assembly”; then this knowledge and vision of mine would be purer.’ So then, monks, at a later time, dwelling heedful, ardent, resolute, I perceived a light, and I saw forms, and I stood with those deities, and conversed with them, and engaged in discussion, and I knew those deities: ‘These deities are from this or that divine assembly’; but I did not know those deities: ‘These deities, as a result of this kamma, having passed away from here, have reappeared there’… …(and so on, until) …and I knew those deities: ‘These deities, as a result of this kamma, having passed away from here, have reappeared there’; but I did not know those deities: ‘These deities, as a result of this kamma, have such and such food, experience such and such pleasure and pain’… …(and so on, until) …and those devas… I knew these deities: 'These deities, by the result of this kamma, are thus nourished, thus experience pleasure and pain.' But I did not know these deities: 'These deities are thus long-lived, thus long-enduring.' Then, I knew these deities: 'These deities are thus long-lived, thus long-enduring.' But I did not know these deities: whether I had lived with these deities before or whether I had not lived with them before. Then, bhikkhus, it occurred to me: 'If I could perceive the light, and see the forms, and stand with those deities, and converse with them, and engage in discussion with them, and know those deities: "These deities are from such and such a divine assembly," and know those deities: "These deities, by the result of this kamma, having passed away from here, have reappeared there," and know those deities: "These deities are thus nourished, thus experience pleasure and pain," and know those deities: "These deities are thus long-lived, thus long-enduring," and know those deities: whether I had lived with these deities before or whether I had not lived with them before; then this knowledge and vision of mine would be purer.' So then, bhikkhus, at a later time, dwelling heedful, ardent, and resolute, I perceived the light, and saw the forms, and stood with those deities, and conversed with them, and engaged in discussion with them, and I knew those deities: 'These deities are from such and such a divine assembly,' and I knew those deities: 'These deities, by the result of this kamma, having passed away from here, have reappeared there,' and I knew those deities: 'These deities are thus nourished, thus experience pleasure and pain,' and I knew those deities: 'These deities are thus long-lived, thus long-enduring,' and I knew those deities: whether I had lived with these deities before or whether I had not lived with them before. Unprecedented. As long as, monks, this eight-fold revolving divine knowledge and vision was not perfectly purified for me, I did not declare myself, monks, 'Fully awakened to the unsurpassed perfect self-awakening in the world with its devas, Māras, and Brahmās, among the generation with its recluses and brahmins, with its devas and humans.' But when, monks, this eight-fold revolving divine knowledge and vision