English
(8) 3. The Chapter on What One Wishes For 1. The Discourse on What One Wishes For At one time the Blessed One was staying at Sāvatthī, in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's Park. There, the Blessed One addressed the monks, saying: "Monks!" "Venerable Sir," those monks replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this: "Dwell, monks, complete in virtue, complete in the Pātimokkha. Dwell restrained by the Pātimokkha's restraint, perfect in conduct and resort, seeing danger in the slightest faults, and undertaking the training rules, train yourselves. "If, monks, a monk should wish: 'May I be dear to my fellow practitioners, pleasing, respected, and worthy of veneration,' he should be one who fulfills the virtues, devoted to internal tranquility of mind, not neglecting jhāna, endowed with insight, and a frequenter of secluded dwellings. "If, monks, a monk should wish: 'May I be a recipient of robes, almsfood, lodgings, and requisites for the sick, such as medicines,' he should be one who fulfills the virtues, devoted to internal tranquility of mind, not neglecting jhāna, endowed with insight, and a frequenter of secluded dwellings. "If, monks, a monk should wish: 'May those offerings of robes, almsfood, lodgings, and requisites for the sick, such as medicines, which I consume, be of great fruit and great benefit to those who give them,' he should be one who fulfills the virtues... ...and a frequenter of secluded dwellings. "If, monks, a monk should wish: 'May that be of great fruit and great benefit to my departed relatives and kinsmen who remember me with confident hearts,' he should be one who fulfills the virtues... ...and a frequenter of secluded dwellings. "If, monks, a monk should wish: 'May I be content with any kind of robes, almsfood, lodgings, and requisites for the sick, such as medicines,' he should be one who fulfills the virtues... ...and a frequenter of secluded dwellings. "If, monks, a monk should wish: 'May I be patient with cold, heat, hunger, thirst, gnats, mosquitoes, ...' of contact with heat, cold, and creeping things, of ill-spoken, ill-approached words, of arisen bodily feelings of pain, sharp, harsh, bitter, disagreeable, unpleasant, life-threatening, he would be of the kind to endure." He should be perfect in virtue... ...a developer of empty dwellings. "If, monks, a bhikkhu should wish: 'May I be one who overcomes discontent and content, and may discontent and content not overcome me, may I dwell having overcome, having overcome arisen discontent and content,' he should be perfect in virtue... ...a developer of empty dwellings. "If, monks, a bhikkhu should wish: 'May I be one who overcomes fear and terror, and may fear and terror not overcome me, may I dwell having overcome, having overcome arisen fear and terror,' he should be perfect in virtue... ...a developer of empty dwellings. "If, monks, a bhikkhu should wish: 'May I be a gainer at will, without difficulty, without trouble, of the four jhānas, which are of the higher mind, a pleasant dwelling in this very life,' he should be perfect in virtue... ...a developer of empty dwellings. "If, monks, a bhikkhu should wish: 'May I, by the destruction of the taints, enter and dwell in the taintless liberation of mind, liberation by wisdom, having realized it for myself with direct knowledge in this very life,' he should be perfect in virtue, a fulfiller of it, devoted to inner tranquility of mind, not neglecting jhāna, endowed with insight, a developer of empty dwellings. " 'Monks, dwell perfect in virtue, perfect in the Pātimokkha, dwell restrained with the restraint of the Pātimokkha, endowed with good conduct and resort, seeing danger in the slightest faults, undertaking and training in the training rules.' That which was said thus, was said with reference to this." The First. 2. The Discourse on Thorns 72. At one time the Blessed One was dwelling in Vesālī, in the Great Wood, in the Gabled Hall, together with many well-known elder disciples – with Venerable Cāla, with Venerable Upacāla, and with Venerable Kukkuṭa. and with Venerable Kakkaṭa, and with Venerable Kaḷimbha, and with Venerable Nikaṭa, and with Venerable Kaṭissaha; and with other well-known, well-known elder disciples. Now at that time, many well-known, well-known Licchavis, in fine, fine carriages, one after another, loud and noisy, were entering the great forest to see the Blessed One. Then it occurred to those venerables: "These many well-known, well-known Licchavis, in fine, fine carriages, one after another, loud and noisy, are entering the great forest to see the Blessed One. 'Noises are thorns to absorption,' said the Blessed One. What if we were to go to the Gosiṅga Sāla-tree Wood? There we could dwell quietly, uncrowded, at ease." Then those venerables went to the Gosiṅga Sāla-tree Wood; there those venerables dwelt quietly, uncrowded, at ease. Then the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: "Where now, bhikkhus, is Cāla? Where is Upacāla? Where is Kukkuṭa? Where is Kaḷimbha? Where is Nikaṭa? Where is Kaṭissaha? Where now, bhikkhus, have those elder disciples gone?" "Here, venerable sir, it occurred to those venerables: 'These many well-known, well-known Licchavis, in fine, fine carriages, one after another, loud and noisy, are entering the great forest to see the Blessed One. "Noises are thorns to absorption," said the Blessed One. What if we were to go to the Gosiṅga Sāla-tree Wood? There we could dwell quietly, uncrowded, at ease.' Then, venerable sir, those venerables went to the Gosiṅga Sāla-tree Wood. There those venerables dwell quietly, uncrowded, at ease." "Good, good, bhikkhus, where..." Indeed, those great disciples, explaining correctly, would explain: 'The jhānas, monks, have sound as a thorn,' as I have said. These ten, monks, are thorns. Which ten? For one delighting in seclusion, delighting in company is a thorn. For one engaged in the contemplation of the foul, the contemplation of the beautiful is a thorn. For one with guarded sense-doors, seeing distracting sights is a thorn. For the holy life, association with women is a thorn. For the first jhāna, sound is a thorn. For the second jhāna, initial and sustained thought are thorns. For the third jhāna, rapture is a thorn. For the fourth jhāna, in-breathing and out-breathing are thorns. For the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling, perception and feeling are thorns. Greed is a thorn. Hatred is a thorn. Delusion is a thorn. Dwell thornless, monks. Dwell free from thorns, monks. Dwell thornless and free from thorns, monks. Thornless, monks, are the Arahants; free from thorns, monks, are the Arahants; thornless and free from thorns, monks, are the Arahants. These ten things, monks, are desirable, agreeable, pleasing, and hard to obtain in the world. Which ten? Wealth is desirable, agreeable, pleasing, and hard to obtain in the world. Beauty is desirable, agreeable, pleasing, and hard to obtain in the world. Health is desirable, agreeable, pleasing, and hard to obtain in the world. Virtue is desirable, agreeable, pleasing, and hard to obtain in the world. The holy life is desirable, agreeable, pleasing, and hard to obtain in the world. Friends are desirable, agreeable, pleasing, and hard to obtain in the world. Extensive learning is desirable, agreeable, pleasing, and hard to obtain in the world. Wisdom is desirable, agreeable, pleasing, and hard to obtain in the world. Dhamma is desirable, agreeable, pleasing, and hard to obtain in the world. Heaven is desirable, agreeable, pleasing, and hard to obtain in the world. For these ten things, monks, which are desirable, agreeable, pleasing, and hard to obtain in the world, there are ten things that are obstacles – laziness... Inactivity is an obstacle to wealth. Lack of adornment and embellishment is an obstacle to beauty. Unsuitable actions are an obstacle to health. Bad companionship is an obstacle to virtue. Lack of sense restraint is an obstacle to the holy life. Deceit is an obstacle to friendships. Lack of recitation is an obstacle to learning. Lack of listening and questioning is an obstacle to wisdom. Lack of application and reflection is an obstacle to the Dhamma. Wrong practice is an obstacle to heavenly realms. These ten things, monks, are obstacles to these ten desirable, agreeable, pleasing, and rare things in the world. These ten things, monks, are the nourishment for these ten desirable, agreeable, pleasing, and rare things in the world: Diligence and freedom from laziness are the nourishment for wealth. Adornment and embellishment are the nourishment for beauty. Suitable actions are the nourishment for health. Good companionship is the nourishment for virtue. Sense restraint is the nourishment for the nourishment for the holy life. Non-deceit is the nourishment for friendships. Recitation is the nourishment for learning. Listening and questioning are the nourishment for wisdom. Application and reflection are the nourishment for the Dhamma. Right practice is the nourishment for heavenly realms. These ten things, monks, are the nourishment for these ten desirable, agreeable, pleasing, and rare things in the world. 4. Growth Monks, by growing in ten kinds of growth, a noble disciple grows with noble growth, and becomes one who takes the essence, one who takes the best of the body. Which ten? He grows in fields and land. He grows in wealth and grain. He grows in children and spouses. He grows in slaves, workers, and servants. He grows in quadrupeds. He grows in faith. He grows in virtue. He grows in learning. He grows in generosity. He grows in wisdom. Monks, by growing in these ten kinds of growth, a noble disciple grows with noble growth, and becomes one who takes the essence, one who takes the best of the body. With wealth and grain, and here in he thrives, With sons, with wives, and with four-footed beasts; He is wealthy, glorious, honored, By relatives, by friends, and also by kings.