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B0102050402 dukanipāto (chapter two sutra)

English

who dwell delighting in harmlessness, rejoicing in harmlessness, this thought will frequently arise: ‘By this posture we harm nothing, neither moving nor stationary.’ Monks, dwell delighting in seclusion, rejoicing in seclusion. For you, monks, who dwell delighting in seclusion, rejoicing in seclusion, this thought will frequently arise: ‘What is unwholesome? What is not abandoned? What shall we abandon?’ This meaning the Blessed One spoke. And there it is said: The Tathāgata, the Buddha, the unconquered victor, two thoughts frequently arise for him; The thought of security is declared first, then seclusion is revealed as the second. The dispeller of darkness, gone to the far shore, the great sage, who has attained attainment, mastery, without defilements; Free from inner conflict, released by the destruction of craving, that sage, I say, bears the final body; Abandoning Māra, I call him one gone beyond old age. As one standing on a mountain peak, would see the people all around; So too the wise one, with all-seeing eye, having ascended the palace of Dhamma, Looks down, sorrowless, upon the sorrowing people, overcome by birth and old age. This meaning too was spoken by the Blessed One, so I heard. The First. 2. The Discourse on Teaching 39. This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I heard: Monks, for the Tathāgata, the Arahant, the Fully Self-Awakened One, there are two ways of teaching the Dhamma. Which two? ‘See evil as evil’—this is the first teaching of the Dhamma; ‘evil seeing what is evil, be disgusted there, be dispassionate, be liberated – this is the second teaching. Of the Tathagata, monks, the Arahant, the Fully Enlightened One, these two teachings are given in due course. The Blessed One spoke this meaning. Therein this is said: Of the Tathagata, the Buddha, compassionate to all beings; see the sequential teaching, and the two doctrines declared. See this evil, and be dispassionate towards it; then with minds dispassionate, you will make an end to suffering. This meaning too was spoken by the Blessed One, thus have I heard. The Second. 3. The Discourse on Knowledge 40. This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, thus have I heard – Ignorance, monks, is the forerunner for the arising of unwholesome states, followed by shamelessness and fearlessness of wrongdoing; and knowledge, monks, is the forerunner for the arising of wholesome states, followed by shame and fear of wrongdoing. The Blessed One spoke this meaning. Therein this is said: Whatever bad destinations there are, in this world and the next; all are rooted in ignorance, arising from craving and greed. When one is of evil wishes, shameless and disrespectful; then one produces evil, and by that goes to a bad destination. Therefore, abandoning craving and greed, and abandoning ignorance; a monk, generating knowledge, will abandon all bad destinations. This meaning too was spoken by the Blessed One, thus have I heard. The Third. 4. The Discourse on Lacking Wisdom 41. This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, thus have I heard – Those beings, monks, are utterly deprived who are deprived of noble wisdom. They dwell in suffering in this very life, with affliction, distress, and fever; with the breaking up of the body, after death, a bad destination is to be expected. Those beings, monks, are not deprived who are not deprived of noble wisdom. They dwell in happiness in this very life, without affliction, distress, or fever; with the breaking up of the body, after death without defilements, a happy destination is to be expected. This meaning the Blessed One spoke. Therein this is said: By the decline of wisdom, see the world with its devas; Attached to name-and-form, it thinks, "This is truth." Wisdom indeed is supreme in the world, which leads to penetration; By which one rightly knows the destruction of birth and becoming. Devas and humans envy those fully enlightened, mindful ones, who possess joyful wisdom, who bear their final body. This meaning also was spoken by the Blessed One, thus I have heard. The Fourth. 5. The Discourse on Wholesome Qualities 42. This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, thus I have heard: "These two wholesome qualities, monks, protect the world. Which two? Conscience and moral dread. If these two wholesome qualities, monks, did not protect the world, there would not be known here 'mother' or 'mother's sister' or 'maternal uncle's wife' or 'teacher's wife' or 'wives of respected ones'. The world would fall into promiscuity, like goats and sheep, chickens and pigs, dogs and jackals. But because, monks, these two wholesome qualities protect the world, therefore 'mother' or 'mother's sister' or 'maternal uncle's wife' or 'teacher's wife' or 'wives of respected ones' are known." This meaning the Blessed One spoke. Therein this is said: If for whom conscience and moral dread are never found; They have fallen from the roots of wholesomeness, they are bound for birth and death. And for whom conscience and moral dread are always rightly established; Their holy life has grown, they are peaceful ones, whose rebirths are exhausted. This meaning also was spoken by the Blessed One, thus I have heard. The Fifth. 6. The Discourse on the Unborn 43. This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, thus I have heard: "There is, monks, the unborn, the unbecome, the unmade, the unconditioned. If indeed, monks, there were not the unborn, the unbecome, the unmade, the unconditioned, there would not be known here an escape for the born, for the become, for the made, for the conditioned." And because, monks, there is the unborn, the unbecome, the unmade, the unconditioned, therefore, an escape from the born, the become, the made, the conditioned is discernible. This meaning the Blessed One declared. And there, this is said: The born, the become, the arisen, the made, the conditioned, the impermanent; a mass of aging and death, a nest of disease, fragile. Arising from the leading of nutriment, it is not fit to delight in it. Its escape is peaceful, beyond the sphere of logic, permanent. The unborn, the unarisen, the sorrowless, dustless state; the cessation of suffering phenomena, the calming of formations is bliss. This meaning too was declared by the Blessed One, thus have I heard. The Sixth. 7. The Discourse on the Elements of Nibbāna 44. This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, thus have I heard – “These two, monks, are the elements of Nibbāna. Which two? The Nibbāna element with residue remaining, and the Nibbāna element with no residue remaining. “And what, monks, is the Nibbāna element with residue remaining? Here, monks, a monk is an Arahant, with defilements destroyed, who has lived the holy life, done what had to be done, laid down the burden, attained his own true goal, with the fetters of existence utterly destroyed, freed through right knowledge. For him, while his five sense faculties still remain, due to their not being impaired, he experiences agreeable and disagreeable things, he feels pleasure and pain. For him, the destruction of lust, the destruction of hatred, the destruction of delusion – this, monks, is called the Nibbāna element with residue remaining. “And what, monks, is the Nibbāna element with no residue remaining? Here, monks, a monk is an Arahant, with defilements destroyed, who has lived the holy life, done what had to be done, laid down the burden, attained his own true goal, with the fetters of existence utterly destroyed, freed through right knowledge. For him, monks, right here, all feelings, no longer delighted in, will become cool. This, monks, is called the Nibbāna element with no residue remaining. These, monks, are the two Nibbāna elements.” The Blessed One declared this meaning. In this regard, it is said: These two Nibbāna-elements were made known by the Seer, the Tathāgata, unattached. One element here is in this very life, with residue remaining, the destruction of the craving for existence. The other, without residue remaining, is for the future, where all existences utterly cease. Those who, having understood this unconditioned state, with minds liberated, have destroyed the craving for existence, They, having attained the essence of the Dhamma, delight in destruction, those Tathāgatas have abandoned all existences. This meaning was also declared by the Blessed One, so I heard. The Seventh. 8. Discourse on Seclusion 45. This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I heard: "Monks, dwell devoted to seclusion, delighting in seclusion, committed to inner tranquility of mind, not abandoning jhāna, endowed with insight, fostering empty dwellings. For monks who dwell devoted to seclusion, delighting in seclusion, committed to inner tranquility of mind, not abandoning jhāna, endowed with insight, fostering empty dwellings, one of two fruits is to be expected: either final knowledge in this very life, or, if there is residue remaining, non-returning." The Blessed One declared this meaning. In this regard, it is said: Those with tranquil minds, discerning, mindful, and meditative; They rightly discern the Dhamma, unattached to sensual pleasures. Delighting in diligence, tranquil, seeing danger in heedlessness; They are incapable of decline, they are indeed close to Nibbāna. This meaning was also declared by the Blessed One, so I heard. The Eighth. 9. Discourse on the Benefits of Training 46. This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I heard: "Monks, dwell with the benefits of training, with wisdom as the highest, liberation as the essence, mindfulness as the chief. For monks who dwell with the benefits of training, with wisdom as the highest, liberation as the essence, mindfulness as the chief, one of two fruits is to be expected: either final knowledge in this very life, or, if there is residue remaining,