Saṁyutta Nikāya 47.20 2.

Discourse on the Beauty of the Country

Nālandavagga Janapadakalyāṇīsutta Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sumbhesu viharati sedakaṁ nāma sumbhānaṁ nigamo.

Thus have I heard: At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling among the Sumbhas, in a market town of the Sumbhas named Sedaka.

Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: “bhikkhavo”ti.

There, the Blessed One addressed the disciples: Disciples.

“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.

Venerable Sir, those disciples replied to the Blessed One.

Bhagavā etadavoca: “Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, ‘janapadakalyāṇī, janapadakalyāṇī’ti kho, bhikkhave, mahājanakāyo sannipateyya. ‘Sā kho panassa janapadakalyāṇī paramapāsāvinī nacce, paramapāsāvinī gīte.

The Blessed One said this: Disciples, just as if a great crowd were to gather, saying, The beauty of the country, the beauty of the country, indeed a great crowd would gather, thinking, This beauty of the country is the supreme dancer, the supreme singer.

Janapadakalyāṇī naccati gāyatī’ti kho, bhikkhave, bhiyyoso mattāya mahājanakāyo sannipateyya.

The beauty of the country dances, sings, indeed an even greater crowd would gather.

Atha puriso āgaccheyya jīvitukāmo amaritukāmo sukhakāmo dukkhappaṭikūlo.

Then a man desiring life, not desiring death, desiring happiness, averse to suffering, would come.

Tamenaṁ evaṁ vadeyya: ‘ayaṁ te, ambho purisa, samatittiko telapatto antarena ca mahāsamajjaṁ antarena ca janapadakalyāṇiyā pariharitabbo.

Someone would say to him: This, good man, is an oil lamp balanced evenly. It must be carried between the great assembly and the beauty of the country.

Puriso ca te ukkhittāsiko piṭṭhito piṭṭhito anubandhissati.

And a man with a drawn sword will follow right behind you.

Yattheva naṁ thokampi chaḍḍessati tattheva te siro pātessatī’ti.

Wherever you drop even a little, there your head will fall.

Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave, api nu so puriso amuṁ telapattaṁ amanasikaritvā bahiddhā pamādaṁ āhareyyā”ti?

What do you think would that man, neglecting that oil lamp, bring in negligence from outside?

“No hetaṁ, bhante”.

No, venerable sir.

“Upamā kho myāyaṁ, bhikkhave, katā atthassa viññāpanāya.

This is a simile made by me for the purpose of conveying a meaning.

Ayaṁ cevettha attho— samatittiko telapattoti kho, bhikkhave, kāyagatāya etaṁ satiyā adhivacanaṁ.

Here is the meaning: An oil lamp balanced evenly is a term for mindfulness immersed in the body.

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ: ‘kāyagatā sati no bhāvitā bhavissati bahulīkatā yānīkatā vatthukatā anuṭṭhitā paricitā susamāraddhā’ti. Evañhi kho, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban”ti. Dasamaṁ.

Therefore you should train thus: Mindfulness immersed in the body will be developed and cultivated by us, made much of, made a vehicle, made a basis, established, consolidated, and properly undertaken.

Nālandavaggo dutiyo. Tassuddānaṁ Mahāpuriso nālandaṁ, Cundo celañca bāhiyo; Uttiyo ariyo brahmā, Sedakaṁ janapadena cāti.

Thus should you train.