English
Sitting to one side, Dasama, the citizen of Aṭṭhaka, said to the Venerable Ānanda: "Is there, venerable Ānanda, one teaching well-expounded by that Blessed One, the Knower, the Seer, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened One, by practicing which a monk, diligent, ardent, and resolute, may have his unliberated mind liberated, or his unexhausted defilements come to an end, or attain the unexcelled security from bondage not yet attained?" "There is, householder, by that Blessed One, the Knower, the Seer, the Arahant, the Fully Self-Awakened One, one teaching was well declared, where a monk, diligent, ardent, resolute, dwelling, either his unreleased mind is released, or his unexhausted defilements go to exhaustion, or he attains the unexcelled security from bondage that he had not yet attained. "But which, Venerable Ananda, is that one teaching well declared by that Blessed One, the Knower, the Seer, the Arahant, the Fully Self-Awakened One, where a monk, diligent, ardent, resolute, dwelling, either his unreleased mind is released, or his unexhausted defilements go to exhaustion, or he attains the unexcelled security from bondage that he had not yet attained?" "Here, householder, a monk, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, enters and dwells in the first jhana, with initial and sustained application, born of seclusion, with rapture and pleasure. He reflects thus: 'This first jhana, too, is conditioned, is volitionally produced.' 'Whatever is conditioned, whatever is volitionally produced, that is impermanent, subject to cessation,' he understands. Standing there, he attains the destruction of the defilements; if he does not attain the destruction of the defilements, then, through that very delight in Dhamma, through that very joy in Dhamma, with the destruction of the five lower fetters, he becomes an apparitional rebirth, there attaining final Nibbana, not liable to return from that world. This, too, householder, is that one teaching well declared by that Blessed One, the Knower, the Seer, the Arahant, the Fully Self-Awakened One, where a monk, diligent, ardent, resolute, dwelling, either his unreleased mind is released, or his unexhausted defilements go to exhaustion, or he attains the unexcelled security from bondage that he had not yet attained. "Furthermore, householder, a monk, with the calming of initial and sustained application, with internal assurance, with the unification of mind, without initial application, without sustained application, enters and dwells in the second jhana, born of concentration, with rapture and pleasure... the third jhana... the fourth having entered and remained in the fourth jhana. He reflects thus: 'This fourth jhana, too, is conditioned and volitionally produced.' He understands: 'Whatever is conditioned and volitionally produced is impermanent and subject to cessation.' Having stood there, he attains the destruction of the taints. If he does not attain the destruction of the taints, then, by that very delight in the Dhamma, by that very joy in the Dhamma, with the destruction of the five lower fetters, he becomes an apparitional rebirth, there attaining final Nibbana, never to return from that world. This, too, householder, is a single Dhamma well-expounded by that Blessed One, the Knower, the Seer, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened One, where a bhikkhu, diligent, ardent, and resolute, dwelling, either his unliberated mind is liberated, or his unexhausted taints are exhausted, or he attains the unreached supreme security from bondage. Again, householder, a bhikkhu dwells pervading one direction with a mind imbued with loving-kindness, likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth. Thus, above, below, around, everywhere, in all ways, he dwells pervading the entire world with a mind imbued with loving-kindness, abundant, exalted, immeasurable, without hostility, without ill-will. He reflects thus: 'This liberation of mind by loving-kindness, too, is conditioned and volitionally produced.' He understands: 'Whatever is conditioned and volitionally produced is impermanent and subject to cessation.' Having stood there, he attains the destruction of the taints. If he does not attain the destruction of the taints, then, by that very delight in the Dhamma, by that very joy in the Dhamma, with the destruction of the five lower fetters, he becomes an apparitional rebirth, there attaining final Nibbana, never to return from that world. This, too, householder, is a single Dhamma well-expounded by that Blessed One, the Knower... ...or he attains the unreached supreme security from bondage. Again, householder, a bhikkhu with a mind imbued with compassion... with a mind imbued with appreciative joy… …with a mind imbued with equanimity he dwells pervading one direction; likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth. Thus above, below, across, everywhere, in all ways, the entire world with a mind imbued with equanimity, vast, exalted, immeasurable, without hostility, without ill-will, he dwells pervading. He thus reflects: ‘This liberation of mind through equanimity, indeed, is conditioned, is volitionally produced.’ ‘Whatever is conditioned, volitionally produced, that is impermanent, subject to cessation’ – thus he knows. Standing there, he attains the destruction of the taints; if he does not attain the destruction of the taints, then through that attachment to Dhamma, through that delight in Dhamma, with the destruction of the five lower fetters, he becomes an apparitional rebirth, there attaining final Nibbāna, not returning from that world. This too, householder, by that Blessed One who knows… …attains the unexcelled security from bondage that has not been attained. Furthermore, householder, a monk, by completely transcending perceptions of form, by the disappearance of perceptions of sensory impact, by not attending to perceptions of diversity, (thinking) ‘space is infinite’, enters and dwells in the sphere of infinite space. He thus reflects: ‘This attainment of the sphere of infinite space, indeed, is conditioned, is volitionally produced.’ ‘Whatever is conditioned, volitionally produced, that is impermanent, subject to cessation’ – thus he knows. Standing there, he attains the destruction of the taints; if he does not attain the destruction of the taints, then through that attachment to Dhamma, through that delight in Dhamma, with the destruction of the five lower fetters, he becomes an apparitional rebirth, there attaining final Nibbāna, not returning from that world. This too, householder, by that Blessed One who knows… …attains the unexcelled security from bondage that has not been attained. Furthermore, householder, a monk, by completely transcending the sphere of infinite space, (thinking) ‘consciousness is infinite’, enters and dwells in the sphere of infinite consciousness. displeasure… having entirely transcended the dimension of consciousness, he enters and abides in the dimension of nothingness, thinking, ‘There is nothing.’ He reflects thus: ‘This attainment of the dimension of nothingness is also conditioned and volitionally produced.’ He understands: ‘Whatever is conditioned and volitionally produced is impermanent and subject to cessation.’ Abiding there, he attains the destruction of the taints. If he does not attain the destruction of the taints, then, through that very Dharma-passion and Dharma-delight, with the destruction of the five lower fetters, he becomes an apparitional rebirth, there attaining final Nibbāna, never to return from that world. This too, householder, is what the Blessed One, knowing… attains the unexcelled security from bondage that has not yet been attained.” When this was said, Dasama, the householder of Aṭṭhaka, said to Venerable Ānanda: “Just as, Venerable Ānanda, a man seeking one treasure-door might find eleven treasure-doors at once; even so, Venerable sir, seeking one door to the Deathless, I have found eleven doors to the Deathless at once for practice. Just as, Venerable sir, a man’s house has eleven doors. If that house were on fire, he could save himself through any one door; even so, Venerable sir, I shall be able to save myself through any one of these eleven doors to the Deathless. Indeed, Venerable sir, other sectarians will seek the teacher’s fee for their teacher. Why should I not pay homage to Venerable Ānanda!” Then Dasama, the householder of Aṭṭhaka, having assembled the community of monks from Vesālī and Pāṭaliputta, with exquisite food He did not personally satisfy and provide them with food. And he clothed each and every bhikkhu with a pair of robes, and the Venerable Ānanda with a set of three robes. He had five hundred monasteries built for the Venerable Ānanda. The Sixth. 7. The Discourse on the Cowherd 17. "Monks, a cowherd endowed with eleven qualities is unable to tend his herd and make it prosper. Which eleven? Here, monks, a cowherd is not a knower of forms, is not skilled in characteristics, is not one who removes the dung, is not one who covers wounds, is not one who makes smoke, does not know the ford, does not know the drinking place, does not know the path, is not skilled in pasturage, and is one who milks completely dry, and those bulls, the fathers of the herd, the leaders of the herd, he does not honor with special reverence. Monks, a cowherd endowed with these eleven qualities is unable to tend his herd and make it prosper. "Even so, monks, a bhikkhu endowed with eleven qualities is unable to achieve growth, increase, and fullness in this Dhamma and Discipline. Which eleven? Here, monks, a bhikkhu is not a knower of forms, is not skilled in characteristics, is not one who removes the dung, is not one who covers wounds, is not one who makes smoke, does not know the ford, does not know the drinking place, does not know the path, is not skilled in pasturage, and is one who milks completely dry,