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.