English
Having thus considered what is suitable and beneficial, taking up a meditation subject according to his own inclination from among the thirty-eight meditation subjects, and going on alms round with that subject in mind, is called 'gocarasampajañña'. To explain this, this quatrain should be understood: Here, one bhikkhu takes up but does not bring back, one does not take up but brings back, one neither takes up nor brings back, one both takes up and brings back. Therein, the bhikkhu who, during the day, purifies his mind from obstructive qualities by walking and sitting, and likewise, having spent the first watch of the night and the middle watch lying down, spends the last watch also in sitting and walking, and early in the morning, having done the duties of the cetiya courtyard and the Bodhi courtyard, having poured water on the Bodhi tree, having provided drinking water and water for use, and undertaking all the duties of the chapters, such as the duties to the teacher and preceptor, having performed the bodily preparations, having entered the dwelling, warming two or three couches, applying himself to the meditation subject, having risen at the time for alms round, taking up his bowl and robe with the meditation subject in mind, having left the dwelling, keeping the meditation subject in mind, Approaching the monastery courtyard, if mindfulness of the Buddha is the meditation subject, without abandoning it, one enters the courtyard. If it is another meditation subject, standing at the foot of the steps, like holding an object in the hand, one sets it aside, taking up joy focused on the Buddha, ascends to the monastery courtyard. If it is a large shrine, one circumambulates three times, and pays homage at the four places. If it is a small one, circumambulating in the same way, one pays homage at the eight places. Having venerated the shrine, approaching the Bodhi tree courtyard, as if in the presence of the Blessed Buddha, showing prostration, the Bodhi tree should be venerated. Having thus venerated the shrine and the Bodhi tree, going to the place where the bowl was set aside, as if taking the bowl in hand, taking up the meditation subject that was set aside, near the village, with the meditation subject as the focus, robing oneself in the robe, one enters the village for alms. Then, seeing him, people, "Our venerable one has come!" going forth to greet him, taking the bowl, having him sit in the assembly hall or in the house, giving rice gruel, until the meal is finished, having washed his feet, anointing them with oil, sitting before him, they ask questions or desire to hear the Dhamma. Even if they do not speak, "For the sake of benefiting the people, a Dhamma talk should indeed be given," say the commentary masters. For there is no Dhamma talk that is free from the meditation subject. Therefore, with the meditation subject as the focus, having partaken of the food, having spoken the words of appreciation, even when being turned back by the people, followed by them, having turned them back there, one proceeds along the path. Then, having gone out earlier, having finished their meal outside the village, young novice monks, seeing him, going forth to greet him, take his bowl and robe. The elder monks, it seems, "He is our preceptor, he is our teacher," without looking at his face, they perform their duties, they perform them only with proper respect. They ask him, "Venerable sir, who are these people to you? Relatives from the mother's side, "Blindly following the flock?" "What have you seen that you ask?" "Their love and respect for you." "Venerable, what even parents find difficult, these people do for us. Even our bowl and robes belong to them. Through their support, we know no fear of danger, no hunger in starvation. Such benefactors we have none like them." Thus, he goes on, recounting their virtues. This is called "taking away, not bringing back." But one who, early on, practices the observances as described, whose energy of action blazes forth, releasing what is grasped, taking hold of what is not, sweat pours from his body, the meditation subject does not enter his mind, that one, early on, taking bowl and robe, quickly venerates the shrine, and at the time the cattle are leaving, enters the village for rice-gruel alms, obtains the gruel, goes to the refectory, and drinks. Then, after only two or three mouthfuls, the energy element, releasing what is grasped, takes hold of what is not, having attained the quenching of the heat element, as if bathed with a hundred pots, he partakes of the gruel with the meditation subject in mind, washes his bowl and mouth, and during the interval between meals, reflects on the meditation subject, and in the remaining time, goes for alms, partakes of the food with the meditation subject in mind, and from then on, taking up the meditation subject, attending to it without interruption, he comes. This is called "not taking away, bringing back." And such monks, having drunk the gruel and begun insight meditation, attained arahantship in the Buddha's dispensation, beyond counting. In the island of Sri Lanka alone, in those various villages, in the refectory, there is no seat where monks, having drunk the gruel, did not attain arahantship. One who is living heedlessly, having cast aside his burden, breaking all observances, his mind bound by the five mental hindrances, living without even the thought, "There is such a thing as a meditation subject," enters the village for alms, associating with householders in an unwholesome way, Having walked and eaten, he goes out empty – this is called "neither taking nor bringing back." But he who is said to "both take and bring back" should be understood in terms of the practice of going and returning – for sons of good families, desiring benefit, having gone forth in the Teaching, living together in groups of ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, or a hundred, live making an agreement: "Friends, you have not gone forth because of debt, or fear, or loss of livelihood; you have gone forth here desiring to be freed from suffering. Therefore, suppress any defilement that arises while walking, right there while walking. Suppress any defilement that arises while standing, sitting, or lying down, right there while standing, sitting, or lying down." Having made such an agreement, while going on alms round, there are stones at intervals of half a league, a league, a league and a half, or two leagues; with that sign, they go along attending to the meditation subject. If defilement arises for someone while walking, he suppresses it right there. If he is unable, he stops. Then one coming behind him also stops. He, thinking, "This monk knows the thought that has arisen in you, this is not suitable for you," reproaches himself, develops insight, and attains the Noble Path. Likewise, if he is unable, he sits down. Then one coming behind him also sits down – such is the method. Even if unable to attain the Noble Path, having suppressed that defilement, he goes along attending to the meditation subject, he does not lift his foot with a mind separated from the meditation subject, and if he lifts it, he returns to the same original place, like the Elder Mahāphussadeva, who lived in the pavilion. It seems he lived for nineteen years fulfilling the practice of going and returning. People, plowing, sowing, treading, and doing other work in the middle of the road, seeing the Elder going along like that, would say, "This Elder goes back and forth again and again, is he lost, or has he forgotten something?" He, not paying attention to that, With his mind focused on meditation, practicing the ascetic life, he attained arahantship within twenty years. On the day he attained arahantship, the deity dwelling at the end of his walking path, lit a lamp with her fingers and stood there. The four great kings, Sakka, the king of gods, and Brahmā Sahampati, came to attend upon him. Seeing that radiance, Mahātissa Thera, who lived in the forest, asked him the next day, "Venerable sir, there was a radiance near you at night. What was that radiance?" The Thera, making excuses, said, "Radiance means the radiance of a lamp, or the radiance of a jewel," and so on. Then, when pressed, he acknowledged, saying "Yes," and explained. Like Mahānāga Thera, who lived at Kāḷavallimaṇḍapa. He, fulfilling his duties of going and returning, first resolved, "I will honor the great foundation of the Blessed One," and for seven years, he only stood and walked. Then, after fulfilling his duties of going and returning for sixteen years, he attained arahantship. With his mind focused on meditation, lifting his foot with a concentrated mind, and returning the lifted foot with a detached mind, he would go to the edge of the village, and stand in a place where it was questionable, "Is it a cow, or is it an ascetic?" He would cover himself with his robe, wash his bowl with water from his armpit, and make a mouthful of water. Why? "Lest the meditation be disturbed, even by the mere words, 'May you live long,' to people who come to give alms or to pay respects." But if asked, "Venerable sir, what day is it today?" or about the number of monks, or any question, he would swallow the water and then answer. If there were no questioners about the day or such, he would spit at the village gate just as he was leaving. Like the fifty monks, who had entered the rains retreat at Kalambatittha Vihāra. They, on the Āsāḷhi full moon day, made a pact, "Without attaining arahantship, we will not speak to each other." Entering the village for alms, they would make a mouthful of water before entering. If asked about the day or such, They practiced in the manner described above. There, people, seeing the places where they spat, knew, "Today one has come, today two." And they thought, "Why don't these men talk even with us, let alone with each other?