Upāli Sutta

Then the Venerable Upāli approached the Blessed One, and after approaching, paid homage to the Blessed One and sat down to one side.

While seated to one side, the Venerable Upāli addressed the Blessed One:

I wish, Venerable Sir, to dwell in the forest, in remote jungle thickets.

Indeed, Upāli, remote jungle thickets are difficult to achieve.

Seclusion is challenging and hard to endure.

It seems the mind of a disciple who has not attained concentration is distracted by the wilderness.

If, Upāli, someone were to say, I will dwell in the forest, in remote jungle thickets, even though I have not attained concentration, it can be expected for him that he will founder or drift away.

Suppose, Upāli, there was a great lake and a royal elephant seven or eight cubits tall or even four and a half cubits tall were to come.

This would occur to him: Why don't I enter this lake, play with my ears in the water, and play with my back in the water?

Having played with my ears and back in the water, and after bathing and drinking, I will get out and go wherever I wish.

He would enter the lake, play with his ears in the water, and play with his back in the water; having played with his ears and back in the water and after bathing and drinking, he would get out and go wherever he wished.

Why is that?

Because, Upāli, the great body finds stability in the depths.

Then a hare or a cat might approach.

This would occur to him: Who am I?

Who is the royal elephant? Why don't I enter this lake, play with my ears in the water, and play with my back in the water? Having played with my ears and back in the water, and after bathing and drinking, I will get out and go wherever I wish.

He would suddenly plunge into the lake without proper reflection.

It can be expected for him that he will founder or drift away.

Why is that?

Because, Upāli, a small body does not find stability in the depths.

In the same way, Upāli, if someone were to say, I will dwell in the forest, in remote jungle thickets, even though I have not attained concentration, it can be expected for him that he will founder or drift away.

Just as, Upāli, a young boy with little understanding plays with his own urine and excrement while lying on his back, what do you think, Upāli, isn't this the entirety of childish play?

Yes, Venerable Sir.

Then that boy, Upāli, as time passes, grows up, matures in his faculties, and engages in whatever playthings are suitable for boys, like playing with toy plows, toy pots, toy mortar and pestles, toy carts, or toy bows. With these, he plays.

What do you think, Upāli, isn't this play more delightful and pleasing than his earlier play?

Yes, Venerable Sir.

Then that boy, Upāli, as more time passes, grows up further, matures in his faculties, and becomes engaged with the five strands of sense satisfaction, experiences them fully, and enjoys through forms recognizable by the eye:pleasant, attractive, and delightful forms; sounds recognizable by the ear; smells recognizable by the nose; tastes recognizable by the tongue; and tactile objects recognizable by the body, which are pleasant, attractive, and delightful.

What do you think, Upāli, isn't this experience more delightful and pleasing than his earlier play?

Yes, Venerable Sir.

But here, Upāli, a Tathāgata arises in the world, an Arahant, a Fully Enlightened One, perfect in knowing and conduct, blessed, knower of the worlds, incomparable in guiding people to be trained, teacher of gods and humans, awakened and blessed.

He declares this world with its devas, māras, and brahmās, this generation with its recluses and brahmins, its princes and people, having realized it through his own super-knowing.

He teaches the Dhamma that is good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, both in meaning and in expression; he reveals the fully perfected and purified spiritual life.

One listens to that Dhamma, whether a householder or a householder's son or someone born in some other family.

Having heard that Dhamma, he gains confidence in the Tathāgata.

Possessing this confidence, he considers thus: The household life is crowded and dust-laden; going forth is open and free.

It is not easy to live the household life and at the same time practice the complete and pure spiritual life, as if confined in a prison.

What if I were to shave off my hair and beard, don the yellow robe, and go forth from the household life to a life of homelessness?

At a later time, he, either having left behind a small or large amount of wealth, or having abandoned a small or large circle of relatives, shaves off his hair and beard, dons the yellow robe, and goes forth from the home life into homelessness.

Thus having gone forth, he cultivates the moral conduct and livelihood of the disciples. Abstaining from taking life, he dwells refraining from killing living beings, laying down the rod and weapon, conscientious, kindly, dwelling with compassion for all living creatures.

Abstaining from taking what is not given, he dwells refraining from taking what is not given, accepting only what is given, waiting for what is given, living purely with his own actions.

Abstaining from unchaste conduct, he becomes celibate, dwelling far from the misconduct of sensualities.

Abstaining from false speech, he dwells refraining from false speech, being a truth-speaker, reliable, trustworthy, not deceiving the world.

Abstaining from divisive speech, he dwells refraining from divisive speech, not repeating elsewhere what he has heard here to cause division, nor repeating here what he has heard elsewhere to cause division.

Thus he is a reconciler of those divided, a promoter of unity, delighting in harmony, rejoicing in harmony, speaking words that bring about harmony.

Abstaining from harsh speech, he dwells refraining from harsh speech.

Whatever words are gentle, pleasing to the ear, affectionate, going to the heart, polite, agreeable to many, delightful to many, he speaks such words.

Abstaining from idle chatter, he dwells refraining from idle chatter, speaking at the right time, speaking what is factual, interpreting the substance, speaking on the Dhamma and the Discipline, speaking words worth treasuring, timely, well-reasoned, well-defined, connected with the goal.

He abstains from injuring seeds and plant life.

He takes only one meal a day; refraining from eating at night, he abstains from untimely eating.

He abstains from watching dancing, singing, music, and shows.

He abstains from wearing garlands, perfumes, cosmetics, and adornments.

He avoids high and luxurious beds.

He refrains from accepting gold and silver.

He refrains from accepting raw grain.

He refrains from accepting raw meat.

He refrains from accepting women and girls.

He refrains from accepting male and female slaves.

He refrains from accepting sheep and goats.

He refrains from accepting fowl and pigs.

He refrains from accepting elephants, cattle, horses, and mares.

He refrains from accepting fields and lands.

He avoids running errands, and engaging in various sorts of messages.

He abstains from trading in body and goods, refrains from the deceit of scales, weights, and measures, avoids cheating, trickery, deceptive practices, and fraud.

He abstains from injury, killing, binding, robbery, and violence. He is content with robes to protect his body and with alms food to sustain his stomach. Wherever he goes, he proceeds with his requisites, just as a bird with wings is self-sufficient wherever it flies.

Likewise, a disciple is content with robes to protect the body and with alms food to sustain the stomach.

Wherever he goes, he goes with his requisites.

Thus endowed with this noble aggregate of morality, he experiences inner blameless happiness.

Having seen a form with the eye, he does not grasp at its attributes or features. If he lived with his faculty of sight unguarded, corrupt and unwholesome states of greed and dejection might assail him. Therefore, he practices restraint and guards his faculty of sight.

Similarly, having heard a sound with the ear, smelled an odor with the nose, tasted a flavor with the tongue, touched a tangible object with the body, or cognized a mental object with the mind, he does not grasp at its attributes or features.

If he lived with his faculty of mind unguarded, corrupt and unwholesome states of greed and dejection might assail him.

Therefore, he practices restraint and guards his faculty of mind. Thus endowed with this noble restraint of the faculties, he experiences inner unsullied happiness.

He acts with clear knowing whether going forward or returning, looking ahead or looking aside, bending and stretching, carrying his outer robe, bowl, and robes, eating, drinking, chewing, and savoring, attending to one's needs of nature, walking, standing, sitting, falling asleep, waking up, talking, or remaining silent.

Thus endowed with this noble aggregate of morality, equipped with this noble restraint of the faculties, supplied with this noble mindfulness and clear understanding, he resorts to a secluded resting place: a forest, the root of a tree, a mountain, a ravine, a hillside cave, a cemetery, a jungle thicket, an open space, a heap of straw.

He goes to the forest, or to the root of a tree, or to an empty place, and sits down cross-legged, holding his body erect and establishing mindfulness on itself.

He dwells having given up greed for the world, free from greed, and purifies his mind from greed.

Having given up ill will and malevolence, he dwells with a mind free from ill will, compassionate towards all living beings, and purifies his mind from ill will.

Having given up sloth and torpor, he dwells free from sloth and torpor, perceiving light, mindful and fully aware, and purifies his mind from sloth and torpor.

Having given up restlessness and remorse, he dwells without restlessness, with an inwardly peaceful mind, and purifies his mind from restlessness and remorse.

Having given up doubt, he dwells having gone beyond doubt, not perplexed about wholesome things, and purifies his mind from doubt.

Having given up these five hindrances, the corruptions of the mind that weaken wisdom, he enters and dwells in the first jhāna, which is accompanied by directed and sustained attention, born of seclusion, filled with pīti and happiness.

What do you think, Upāli, isn't this dwelling more excellent and sublime than the previous dwellings?

Indeed, Venerable Sir.

In this way too, Upāli, my disciples, seeing the Dharma in themselves, frequent forest and thicket dwellings, solitary abodes, yet not all of them live having attained their true purpose.

Furthermore, Upāli, with the subsiding of directed and sustained attention, the disciple enters and dwells in the second jhāna, which has internal confidence and unification of mind, is without directed and sustained attention, born of concentration, filled with pīti and happiness.

What do you think, Upāli, isn't this dwelling more excellent and sublime than the previous dwellings?

Indeed, Venerable Sir.

In this way too, Upāli, my disciples, seeing the Dharma in themselves, frequent forest and thicket dwellings, solitary abodes, yet not all of them live having attained their true purpose.

Furthermore, Upāli, with the fading away of pīti, the disciple dwells equanimous, mindful, and fully aware, and he experiences with the body the happiness of which the noble ones declare, Equanimous and mindful, one dwells in happiness, thus he enters and dwells in the third jhāna.

What do you think, Upāli, isn't this dwelling more excellent and sublime than the previous dwellings?

Indeed, Venerable Sir.

In this way too, Upāli, my disciples, seeing the Dharma in themselves, frequent forest and thicket dwellings, solitary abodes, yet not all of them live having attained their true purpose.

Furthermore, Upāli, having given up pleasure and pain, with the fading away of previous joy and grief, the disciple enters into and abides in the fourth jhāna... [Further details of the text are incomplete but likely continue in logical sequence regarding the fourth jhāna based on context].

Again, Upāli, a disciple, by completely transcending perceptions of form, by the disappearance of perceptions of resistance, by not paying attention to perceptions of variety, [and] aware that space is infinite, enters and dwells in the realm of infinite space.

What do you think, Upāli, is this dwelling more excellent and sublime compared to the previous dwellings?

Indeed, venerable sir.

These too, Upāli, my disciples, seeing the Dhamma within themselves, frequent secluded forest dwellings and remote abodes, but they have not yet attained the ultimate goal.

Again, Upāli, a disciple, by completely transcending the realm of infinite space, aware that consciousness is infinite, enters and dwells in the realm of infinite consciousness...

By completely transcending the realm of infinite consciousness, aware that there is nothing, enters and dwells in the realm of nothingness...

By completely transcending the realm of nothingness, considering this is peaceful, this is sublime, enters and dwells in the realm of neither-perception-nor-non-perception.

What do you think, Upāli, is this dwelling more excellent and sublime compared to the previous dwellings?

Indeed, venerable sir.

These too, Upāli, my disciples, seeing the Dhamma within themselves, frequent secluded forest dwellings and remote abodes, but they have not yet attained the ultimate goal.

Again, Upāli, a disciple, by completely transcending the realm of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, enters and dwells in the cessation of perception and feeling; and by seeing with wisdom, the taints are completely destroyed.

What do you think, Upāli, is this dwelling more excellent and sublime compared to the previous dwellings?

Indeed, venerable sir.

These too, Upāli, my disciples, seeing the Dhamma within themselves, frequent secluded forest dwellings and remote abodes, and they attain the ultimate goal.

Now, Upāli, dwell within the Sangha.

Dwelling in the Sangha will be comfortable for you.

The ninth.