English
is the holy life lived in the Blessed One?" "That which, friend, is unknown, unseen, unreached, unverified, uncomprehended, for its knowing, for its seeing, for its attaining, for its verifying, for its comprehending, the holy life is lived in the Blessed One." "'This is suffering,' friend, is unknown, unseen, unreached, unverified, uncomprehended. For its knowing, for its seeing, for its attaining, for its verifying, for its comprehending, the holy life is lived in the Blessed One. 'This is the origin of suffering,' friend... and so on... 'This is the cessation of suffering,' friend... and so on... 'This is the path leading to the cessation of suffering,' friend, is unknown, unseen, unreached, unverified, uncomprehended. For its knowing, for its seeing, for its attaining, for its verifying, for its comprehending, the holy life is lived in the Blessed One. This, friend, is unknown, unseen, unreached, unverified, uncomprehended. For its knowing, for its seeing, for its attaining, for its verifying, for its comprehending, the holy life is lived in the Blessed One." The third. 4. The Discourse on Samiddhi 14. Then indeed, the venerable Samiddhi approached the venerable Sāriputta; having approached and greeted the venerable Sāriputta, to one side. He sat down. To Venerable Samiddhi, sitting to one side, Venerable Sāriputta said this: "What is the object, Samiddhi, from which a person's thoughts and reflections arise?" "From name-and-form as object, venerable sir." "But where, Samiddhi, do they become diverse?" "In the elements, venerable sir." "But what is their origin, Samiddhi?" "Contact is their origin, venerable sir." "But what is their convergence, Samiddhi?" "Feeling is their convergence, venerable sir." "But what is their foremost, Samiddhi?" "Concentration is their foremost, venerable sir." "But what is their dominance, Samiddhi?" "Mindfulness is their dominance, venerable sir." "But what is their superior, Samiddhi?" "Wisdom is their superior, venerable sir." "But what is their essence, Samiddhi?" "Liberation is their essence, venerable sir." "But what is their immersion, Samiddhi?" "The Deathless is their immersion, venerable sir." "When asked, 'What is the object, Samiddhi, from which a person's thoughts and reflections arise?' you said, 'From name-and-form as object, venerable sir.' When asked, 'But where, Samiddhi, do they become diverse?' you said, 'In the elements, venerable sir.' When asked, 'But what is their origin, Samiddhi?' you said, 'Contact is their origin, venerable sir.' When asked, 'But what is their convergence, Samiddhi?' you said, 'Feeling is their convergence, venerable sir.' When asked, 'But what is their foremost, Samiddhi?' you said, 'Concentration is their foremost, venerable sir.' When asked, 'But what is their dominance, Samiddhi?' you said, 'Mindfulness is their dominance, venerable sir.' When asked, 'But what is their superior, Samiddhi?' you said, 'Wisdom is their superior, venerable sir.' When asked, 'But what is their essence, Samiddhi?' you said, 'Liberation is their essence, venerable sir.' When asked, 'But what is their immersion, Samiddhi?' you said, 'The Deathless is their immersion, venerable sir.' Excellent, excellent, Samiddhi! Well indeed, Samiddhi, when questioned [ asked a question, he answered, and do not think by that. The Fourth. 5. The Discourse on the Boil 15. Just as, monks, a boil of many years. That boil has nine openings for wounds, nine openings for breaking forth. From that, whatever might flow out – only impurity would flow out, only foul smell would flow out, only loathsomeness would flow out; whatever might be produced – only impurity would be produced, only foul smell would be produced, only loathsomeness would be produced. The term 'boil', monks, is a designation for this body, composed of the four great elements, born of mother and father, nourished by rice and gruel, subject to impermanence, anointing, massaging, breaking up, and disintegration. That boil has nine openings for wounds, nine openings for breaking forth. From that, whatever flows out – only impurity flows out, only foul smell flows out, only loathsomeness flows out; whatever is produced – only impurity is produced, only foul smell is produced, only loathsomeness is produced. Therefore, monks, be disgusted with this body. The Fifth. 6. The Discourse on Perceptions 16. These nine perceptions, monks, when developed and frequently practiced, are of great fruit, of great benefit, leading to the Deathless, ending in the Deathless. Which nine? Perception of impurity, perception of death, perception of loathsomeness in food, perception of non-delight in the whole world, perception of impermanence, perception of suffering in impermanence, perception of non-self in suffering, perception of abandoning, perception of dispassion – These, monks, are the nine perceptions, when developed and frequently practiced, are of great fruit, of great benefit, leading to the Deathless, ending in the Deathless. The Sixth. 7. The Discourse on Families 17. A family, monks, endowed with nine factors, is not fit to be approached, nor, having approached, is it fit to sit down. With which nine? Not pleasing They do not rise to greet, they do not greet with pleasantness, they do not offer a seat with pleasantness, they conceal what they have, they give little even of much, they give coarse even of fine, they give carelessly, not carefully, they do not sit near to hear the Dhamma, they do not listen to what is spoken. With these nine factors, monks, a family is not fit to be approached if not approached, nor fit to be sat with if approached. “With nine factors, monks, a family is fit to be approached if not approached, and fit to be sat with if approached. Which nine? They rise to greet with pleasantness, they greet with pleasantness, they offer a seat with pleasantness, they do not conceal what they have, they give much even of much, they give fine even of fine, they give carefully, not carelessly, they sit near to hear the Dhamma, they listen to what is spoken. With these nine factors, monks, a family is fit to be approached if not approached, and fit to be sat with if approached.” The seventh. 8. The Discourse on the Uposatha with Nine Factors 18. “With nine factors, monks, the Uposatha observed is of great fruit, of great benefit, of great splendor, of great pervasiveness. How, monks, is the Uposatha observed with nine factors of great fruit, of great benefit, of great splendor, of great pervasiveness? Here, monks, a noble disciple reflects thus: ‘For life, Arahants abandon the taking of life, they abstain from the taking of life, they have laid down the rod, they have laid down the weapon, they are conscientious, they are compassionate, they dwell with sympathy for all living beings; I too, this night and this day, having abandoned the taking of life, abstain from the taking of life, have laid down the rod, have laid down the weapon, am conscientious, am compassionate, and dwell with sympathy for all living beings. By this factor, I imitate the Arahants; and my Uposatha will be observed.’ He is endowed with this first factor… …and so on… “‘For life, Arahants, having abandoned high and large beds, abstain from high and large beds, and practice low sleeping – on a couch or on a grass mat. Today, for this night and this day, I too, having abandoned high and large beds, abstain from high and large beds, and practice low sleeping – on a couch or on a grass mat. By this factor, I imitate the Arahants; and my Uposatha will be observed. He is endowed with this eighth factor. He dwells pervading one direction with a mind imbued with loving-kindness; likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth. Thus, above, below, across, everywhere, in all ways, to the entire world, he dwells pervading it with a mind imbued with loving-kindness, ample, exalted, immeasurable, without hostility, without ill-will. He is endowed with this ninth factor. "Thus, monks, the Uposatha observed, endowed with these nine factors, is of great fruit, of great benefit, of great splendor, of great diffusion." The Eighth. 9. Devata Sutta 19. "This night, monks, many devas, when the night was far advanced, of surpassing beauty, illuminating the entire Jeta Grove, came to where I was; having approached and paid homage to me, they stood to one side. Standing to one side, monks, those devas said this to me – 'In the past, venerable sir, ascetics who had been human beings visited our homes. We, venerable sir, rose up for them, but we did not pay homage. We, venerable sir, with incomplete actions, regretful and remorseful, were reborn in a lower body.'" "Other devas too, monks, many of them, having approached me, said this – 'In the past, venerable sir, ascetics who had been human beings visited our homes. We, venerable sir, rose up for them and paid homage, but we did not offer them a seat. We... “This one, venerable sir, with incomplete deeds, regretful, remorseful, has been reborn into a lowly body.” “Again, monks, many other deities approached me and said this: ‘Venerable sir, formerly, when we were human beings, ascetics came to our homes. Venerable sir, we then rose up and saluted them, and offered them seats, but we did not share according to our ability and strength. We shared according to our ability and strength, but we did not sit down to listen to the Dhamma. We sat down to listen to the Dhamma, but we did not listen to the Dhamma with attentive ears. We listened to the Dhamma with attentive ears, but we did not retain the Dhamma after hearing it. We retained the Dhamma after hearing it, but we did not examine the meaning of the retained Dhamma. We examined the meaning of the retained Dhamma, but we did not practice according to the Dhamma, understanding the meaning and the Dhamma. Venerable sir, we then, with incomplete deeds, regretful, remorseful, have been reborn into a lowly body.’ ”