AN10.72 — Kaṇṭakasutta

At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling in Vesālī, in the Great Forest, in the Hall with a Peaked Roof, together with many well-known elder disciples: with the venerable Cāla, the venerable Upacāla, the venerable Kukkuṭa, the venerable Kaḷimbha, the venerable Nikaṭa, the venerable Kaṭissaha; and with other well-known elder disciples.

At that time, many well-known Licchavis, in excellent and splendid vehicles, were making a great noise, a loud sound, entering the Great Forest to see the Blessed One.

Then it occurred to those venerable ones:

These many well-known Licchavis, in excellent and splendid vehicles, making a great noise, a loud sound, are entering the Great Forest to see the Blessed One.

Noise is indeed a thorn to meditation, as said by the Blessed One.

Perhaps we should approach the Gosiṅga Sāla-tree Wood.

There we could live quietly and undisturbed.

Then those venerable ones approached the Gosiṅga Sāla-tree Wood; there they lived quietly and undisturbed.

Then the Blessed One addressed the disciples:

Where are Cāla, Upacāla, Kukkuṭa, Kaḷimbha, Nikaṭa, Kaṭissaha; where have those elder disciples gone?

Here, venerable sir, it occurred to those venerable ones:

These many well-known Licchavis, in excellent and splendid vehicles, making a great noise, a loud sound, are entering the Great Forest to see the Blessed One. Noise is indeed a thorn to meditation, as said by the Blessed One. Perhaps we should approach the Gosiṅga Sāla-tree Wood. There we could live quietly and undisturbed.

Then, venerable sir, those venerable ones approached the Gosiṅga Sāla-tree Wood.

There they are living quietly and undisturbed.

Good, good as those great disciples have properly explained, noise is indeed a thorn to meditation, as I have said.

These are the ten thorns. What ten?

For one who delights in solitude, the desire for company is a thorn; for one devoted to the perception of the unattractive, the pursuit of the perception of the attractive is a thorn; for one guarding the senses, the indulgence in sense pleasures is a thorn; for one living the holy life, association with women is a thorn; for the first jhāna, sound is a thorn; for the second jhāna, applied and sustained thought are thorns; for the third jhāna, rapture is a thorn; for the fourth jhāna, in-and-out breathing is a thorn; for the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling, perception and feeling are thorns; lust is a thorn, hatred is a thorn, delusion is a thorn.

Live without thorns, disciples.

Live without afflictions, disciples.

Live utterly free from thorns, disciples.

Those without thorns are arahants;

Those without afflictions are arahants;

Those utterly free from thorns are arahants.

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