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B0102041102anussativaggo (recollection chapter)

English

those teachings that are good in the beginning, good in the middle, good in the end, with meaning and with letter, proclaiming the entirely complete, utterly pure holy life... they speak pleasantly, such are his teachings, much-learned, held in mind, familiar by speech, contemplated by mind, well-penetrated by view. And also, Subhūti, when a bhikkhu is much-learned, and so on, well-penetrated by view, this too, Subhūti, is a ground for faith for one who has faith. Furthermore, Subhūti, a bhikkhu is a good friend, a good companion, a good associate. And also, Subhūti, when a bhikkhu is a good friend, a good companion, a good associate, this too, Subhūti, is a ground for faith for one who has faith. Furthermore, Subhūti, a bhikkhu is amenable, endowed with qualities that make him amenable, patient, accepting instruction respectfully. And also, Subhūti, when a bhikkhu is amenable, endowed with qualities that make him amenable, patient, accepting instruction respectfully, this too, Subhūti, is a ground for faith for one who has faith. Furthermore, Subhūti, a bhikkhu is skillful and diligent in the various duties of his fellow practitioners, endowed with an investigative approach for that purpose, able to do and able to arrange. And also, Subhūti, when a bhikkhu is skillful and diligent in the various duties of his fellow practitioners, endowed with an investigative approach for that purpose, able to do and able to arrange, this too, Subhūti, is a ground for faith for one who has faith. Furthermore, Subhūti, a bhikkhu is fond of the Dhamma, delights in speaking of it, and has great joy in the Abhidhamma and Abhivinaya. And also, Subhūti, when a bhikkhu is fond of the Dhamma, delights in speaking of it, and has great joy in the Abhidhamma and Abhivinaya, this too, Subhūti, is a ground for faith for one who has faith. Furthermore, Subhūti, a bhikkhu dwells with aroused energy for the abandoning of unwholesome qualities, for the acquiring of wholesome qualities, strong, firm in effort, not laying aside the burden in wholesome qualities. And also, Subhūti, when a bhikkhu dwells with aroused energy for the abandoning of unwholesome qualities, for the acquiring of wholesome qualities... for the attainment of wholesome states, strong, firm in effort, not abandoning the burden in wholesome states. This too, Subhūti, is an act of faith for one who has faith. Furthermore, Subhūti, a monk is a gainer at will, without difficulty, without trouble, of the four jhānas, pertaining to the higher mind, a pleasant abiding in this very life. That a monk, Subhūti, is a gainer at will, without difficulty, without trouble, of the four jhānas, pertaining to the higher mind, a pleasant abiding in this very life, this too, Subhūti, is an act of faith for one who has faith. Furthermore, Subhūti, a monk recollects his manifold past existences, that is to say: one birth, two births, three births, four births, five births, ten births, twenty births, thirty births, forty births, fifty births, a hundred births, a thousand births, a hundred thousand births, many eons of cosmic contraction, many eons of cosmic expansion, many eons of cosmic contraction and expansion. 'There I was of such a name, of such a clan, of such a color, of such a food, experiencing such and such pleasure and pain, with such a lifespan. Passing away from there, I arose yonder. There too I was of such a name, of such a clan, of such a color, of such a food, experiencing such and such pleasure and pain, with such a lifespan. Passing away from there, I arose here.' Thus he recollects his manifold past existences with their aspects and details. That a monk, Subhūti, recollects his manifold past existences, that is to say, one birth, two births... thus he recollects his manifold past existences with their aspects and details, this too, Subhūti, is an act of faith for one who has faith. Furthermore, Subhūti, a monk with the divine eye, purified and surpassing that of humans, sees beings passing away and reappearing, inferior and superior, fair and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate, and he understands beings as they fare according to their kamma: 'These worthy beings, indeed, are endowed with misconduct of body, endowed with misconduct of speech... endowed with mental misconduct, revilers of the noble ones, holding wrong views, undertaking actions based on wrong views, they, at the breaking up of the body, after death, are reborn in a state of woe, a bad destination, a downfall, hell. Or these beings, sirs, endowed with bodily good conduct, endowed with verbal good conduct, endowed with mental good conduct, not revilers of the noble ones, holding right views, undertaking actions based on right views, they, at the breaking up of the body, after death, are reborn in a good destination, a heavenly world. Thus, with the divine eye, purified and surpassing human, he sees beings passing away and reappearing, low and exalted, fair and ugly, well-faring and ill-faring, he understands beings according to their deeds. And further, Subhūti, that a monk, with the divine eye, purified... he understands beings according to their deeds, this too, Subhūti, is a ground for the faith of the faithful one. Furthermore, Subhūti, a monk, through the destruction of the taints, enters and dwells in the taintless liberation of mind, liberation by wisdom, having realized it for himself with direct knowledge in this very life. And further, Subhūti, that a monk, through the destruction of the taints... having realized it for himself, enters and dwells, this too, Subhūti, is a ground for the faith of the faithful one." When this was said, Venerable Subhūti said to the Blessed One: "These grounds for the faith of the faithful one, venerable sir, that have been spoken by the Blessed One, they are found in this monk, and this monk is seen in them. This monk, venerable sir, is virtuous, he dwells restrained by the Pātimokkha restraint, accomplished in conduct and resort, seeing danger in the slightest faults, he undertakes and trains in the training rules. This monk, venerable sir, is learned, he holds what he has heard, he accumulates what he has heard; those teachings that are good in the beginning, good in the middle, good in the end, that declare the holy life, complete and purified, with meaning and with letter, such teachings are much heard by him, held, familiarized by speech, examined by mind, penetrated by view." well-penetrated. “This monk, venerable sir, is a good friend, a good companion, a good associate. “This monk, venerable sir, is amenable… to instruction. “This monk, venerable sir, is skillful and not lazy in the various duties of his fellow celibates, endowed with a discerning inquiry into the means for accomplishing them, capable of doing them, capable of arranging them. “This monk, venerable sir, is fond of the Dhamma, delights in its exposition, and takes great joy in the Abhidhamma and Abhivinaya. “This monk, venerable sir, dwells with aroused energy… strong, firm in effort, not casting off the burden in wholesome states. “This monk, venerable sir, is a gainer at will, without difficulty, without trouble, of the four jhānas, which pertain to the higher mind, are a pleasant dwelling in this very life. “This monk, venerable sir, recollects his manifold past lives, that is, one birth, two births… thus he recollects his manifold past lives with their aspects and details. “This monk, venerable sir, with the divine eye, purified and surpassing that of humans… he understands beings as they pass away and reappear according to their kamma. “This monk, venerable sir, through the destruction of the taints… having realized it for himself, he enters and dwells in it. These acts of faith, venerable sir, spoken by the Blessed One for the faithful, are found in this monk, and this monk is seen in them.” “Excellent, excellent, Subhūti! Therefore, Subhūti, you should dwell with this faithful monk. And whenever you, Subhūti, wish to see the Tathāgata, you should approach the Tathāgata with this faithful monk to see him.” The Fourth. 5. Discourse on Loving-kindness “Monks, when the liberation of mind by loving-kindness is cultivated, developed, much practiced, made a vehicle, made a basis, established, consolidated, and well undertaken, eleven benefits are to be expected. Which eleven? He sleeps happily, he wakes up happily, he sees no bad dreams, he is dear to humans, he is dear to non-humans, deities protect him, neither fire nor poison nor weapon affects him, his mind is quickly concentrated, the color of his face brightens, he dies unconfused, and if he does not penetrate further, he goes to the Brahma-world. These, monks, are the eleven advantages to be expected from the liberation of mind by loving-kindness, when it is cultivated, developed, made much of, made a vehicle, made a basis, established, practiced, accumulated, and properly undertaken." Fifth. 6. The Discourse to Dasama the Citizen of Aṭṭhaka 16. At one time, the Venerable Ānanda was staying in Vesālī, at Beluvagāmaka. Now at that time, Dasama, the citizen of Aṭṭhaka, had arrived in Pāṭaliputta for some business. Then Dasama, the citizen of Aṭṭhaka, went to the Kukkuṭārāma, to a certain monk; having approached, he said to that monk: "Where, venerable sir, is the Venerable Ānanda staying now? We, venerable sir, wish to see the Venerable Ānanda." "That, householder, the Venerable Ānanda is staying in Vesālī, at Beluvagāmaka." Then Dasama, the citizen of Aṭṭhaka, having concluded that business in Pāṭaliputta, went to Vesālī, to Beluvagāmaka, to the Venerable Ānanda; having approached, and having saluted the Venerable Ānanda, he sat down to one side.