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B0102051614tuvaṭṭakasuttaniddeso (luxury sutra commentary)

English

or a trainee monk. “How does a monk, having seen, attain Nibbāna?” “Not clinging to anything in the world.” Not clinging, not grasping, not adhering, not being obsessed by the four clingings. “In the world” means in the realm of misery, in the human realm, in the divine realm, in the realm of aggregates, in the realm of elements, in the realm of sense bases. “Anything” means anything related to form, related to feeling, related to perception, related to volitional formations, related to consciousness— “not clinging to anything in the world.” Therefore, that created being said: “I ask you, Kinsman of the Sun, He sought seclusion and the state of peace; How does a monk, having seen, attain Nibbāna, Not clinging to anything in the world?” 151. “Having understood the root of proliferation, [Thus said the Blessed One] And having suppressed all ‘I am’ conceit; Whatever craving there is internally, By the removal of those cravings, Always mindful, one should train. The root of proliferation-designation, by thinking "I am a knower," one stops all. Proliferation-designation is just proliferation. Proliferation-designation of craving, proliferation-designation of views. What is the root of craving-proliferation? Ignorance is the root, unwise attention is the root, the conceit "I am" is the root, shamelessness is the root, fearlessness of wrongdoing is the root, restlessness is the root – this is the root of craving-proliferation. What is the root of view-proliferation? Ignorance is the root, unwise attention is the root, the conceit "I am" is the root, shamelessness is the root, fearlessness of wrongdoing is the root, restlessness is the root – this is the root of view-proliferation. "Bhagavā" is a term of respect. And also, Bhagavā is one whose passion is broken, whose hatred is broken, whose delusion is broken, whose conceit is broken, whose views are broken, whose thorns are broken, whose defilements are broken, who has shared, distributed, expounded the jewel of the Dhamma, who has put an end to existences, whose body is developed, whose virtue is developed, whose mind is developed, whose wisdom is developed; or Bhagavā is one who partakes of remote abodes in forests and wildernesses, with little noise, little clamor, solitary places, secluded from people, suitable for retreat; or Bhagavā is one who partakes of robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines for the sick; or Bhagavā is one who partakes of the essence of meaning, the essence of Dhamma, the essence of liberation, higher virtue, higher mind, higher wisdom; or Bhagavā is one who partakes of the four jhānas, the four immeasurables, the four formless attainments; or Bhagavā is one who partakes of the eight liberations, the eight mastery-bases, the nine successive abidings; or Bhagavā is one who partakes of the ten perception-developments, the ten kasiṇa-attainments, the concentration on mindfulness of breathing, the attainment of foulness; or Bhagavā is one who partakes of the four foundations of mindfulness, the four right exertions, the four bases of psychic power, the five faculties... of the five powers, of the seven factors of awakening, of the Noble Eightfold Path, thus is the Blessed One. Or the Blessed One is a partaker of the ten powers of the Tathāgata, of the four confidences, of the four analytical knowledges, of the six higher knowledges, of the six Buddha-qualities, thus is the Blessed One. This name 'Blessed One' was not made by a mother, nor made by a father, nor made by a brother, nor made by a sister, nor made by friends and associates, nor made by relatives and kinsmen, nor made by ascetics and brahmins, nor made by deities. This is a name for liberation for the Buddhas, the Blessed Ones, at the root of awakening, together with the attainment of omniscience, a true designation, namely 'Blessed One'. "The root of mental proliferation," thus said the Blessed One. "By wisdom, 'I am' is entirely suppressed." Wisdom is called 'mantā'. That wisdom, understanding... ...non-delusion, investigation of phenomena, right view. "I am" in form, "I am" is conceit, "I am" is desire, "I am" is underlying tendency; in feeling... in perception... in mental formations... in consciousness, "I am" is conceit, "I am" is desire, "I am" is underlying tendency. "The root of mental proliferation," thus said the Blessed One. "By wisdom, 'I am' is entirely suppressed." The root of mental proliferation and the conceit "I am" — by wisdom, one should suppress, entirely suppress, cease, calm, make to set, make to subside, all of it. "The root of mental proliferation," thus said the Blessed One, "by wisdom, 'I am' is entirely suppressed." "Whatever craving is internal." "Whatever" is a statement encompassing all, in every way, completely, without remainder, without exception – "whatever." Craving means craving for forms... ...craving for phenomena. "Internal" means that craving arises internally, or it arises within oneself – internal. Or "internal" is called the mind. That which is mind, thought, mentality, heart, intellect, mind, mind-base, mind-faculty, consciousness, the aggregate of consciousness, the corresponding mind-consciousness element. That craving, accompanied by the mind, co-arisen, conjoined, associated, having one arising, one cessation, one basis, one object – that too is "internal." – Whatever craving there is within. He trains in the discipline of these, ever mindful. "Ever" means always, at all times, at every moment, constantly, perpetually, continuously, uninterruptedly, in an unbroken succession, like a stream of water, like a shower of rain, before meals, after meals, in the first watch, in the middle watch, in the last watch, in the dark half, in the bright half, in the rainy season, in winter, in summer, in the first stage of life, in the middle stage of life, in the last stage of life. "Mindful" means mindful for four reasons: mindful, cultivating the establishment of mindfulness on the body in the body; mindful, cultivating… on feelings… mindful, cultivating… on mind… mindful, cultivating… on phenomena in phenomena. Mindful for another four reasons: mindful to avoid what is not mindfulness; mindful because of having done what is to be done with mindfulness; mindful because of having destroyed phenomena hostile to mindfulness; mindful because of not forgetting the signs of mindfulness. Mindful for yet another four reasons: mindful because of being endowed with mindfulness; mindful because of being skilled in mindfulness; mindful because of being proficient in mindfulness; mindful because of not falling back from mindfulness. Mindful for still another four reasons: mindful because of being settled; mindful because of being calmed; mindful because of being tranquil; mindful because of being endowed with tranquil qualities. Mindful through recollection of the Buddha, mindful through recollection of the Dhamma, mindful through recollection of the Saṅgha, mindful through recollection of virtue, mindful through recollection of generosity, mindful through recollection of deities, mindful through mindfulness of breathing, mindful through mindfulness of death, mindful through mindfulness of the body, mindful through recollection of peace. That mindfulness, recollection, remembrance, mindfulness, memory, retention, non-forgetfulness, non-confusion, mindfulness, the faculty of mindfulness, the power of mindfulness, right mindfulness, the enlightenment factor of mindfulness, the one-way path – this is called mindfulness. He who is endowed, fully endowed, approached, fully approached, attained, fully attained, possessed of this mindfulness, he is called mindful. "Trains" means the three trainings: the training in higher virtue, the training in higher mind, the training in higher wisdom. What is the training in higher virtue? Here, a monk is virtuous, he dwells restrained by the restraint of the Pātimokkha, endowed with good conduct and resort. Unaccomplished, seeing danger in the slightest faults, undertaking and training in the training rules, a small body of virtue… a great body of virtue, virtue is the foundation, the beginning, the conduct, the restraint, the guarding, the mouth, the chief for the attainment of wholesome states – this is the training in higher virtue. What is the training in higher mind? Here, a monk, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, enters and dwells in the first jhana, which is accompanied by initial application and sustained application, born of seclusion, filled with rapture and pleasure. With the fading away of initial application and sustained application, he enters and dwells in the second jhana, which has internal assurance and unification of mind, is without initial application and sustained application, born of concentration, filled with rapture and pleasure. With the fading of rapture, he dwells in equanimity, mindful and clearly comprehending, and experiences pleasure with the body, that of which the noble ones declare: "He dwells in equanimity, mindful, and at ease." He enters and dwells in the third jhana. With the abandoning of pleasure and pain, and with the previous disappearance of joy and sorrow, he enters and dwells in the fourth jhana, which is neither painful nor pleasant, and is purified by equanimity and mindfulness – this is the training in higher mind. What is the training in higher wisdom? Here, a monk is wise, endowed with wisdom that sees rise and fall, noble, penetrative, leading to the right destruction of suffering. He understands "This is suffering" as it really is, he understands "This is the origin of suffering" as it really is, he understands "This is the cessation of suffering" as it really is, he understands "This is the path leading to the cessation of suffering" as it really is, he understands "These are the taints" as it really is, he understands "This is the origin of the taints" as it really is,