AN10.99 — Upāli Sutta
Then the venerable Upāli approached the Blessed One; having approached, having paid homage to the Blessed One, he sat down at one side. Sitting at one side, the venerable Upāli said to the Blessed One:
I wish, venerable sir, to live in remote forest and woodland lodgings.
It is difficult, Upāli, to maintain remote forest and woodland lodgings. Solitude is hard to achieve and not delightful. I think the forests carry away the mind of a disciple who does not attain concentration. If someone were to say: Without attaining concentration, I will maintain remote forest and woodland lodgings, it should be expected that he will either sink or drift away.
Just as, Upāli, a great lake. Then a royal bull elephant with seven or eight factors might come. He might think: Let me plunge into this lake, play a game with my trunk, play a game with my back. Having played a game with my trunk, played a game with my back, having bathed and drunk, I will leave as I wish. He would plunge into the lake, play a game with his trunk, play a game with his back; having played a game with his trunk, played a game with his back, having bathed and drunk, he would leave as he wished. Why is that? Because, Upāli, a great being finds a firm footing in the deep. Then a hare or a cat might come.
He might think: Who am I, and who is a royal bull elephant? Let me plunge into this lake, play a game with my trunk, play a game with my back; having played a game with my trunk, played a game with my back, having bathed and drunk, I will leave as I wish. He would suddenly, without consideration, jump in. It should be expected that he will either sink or drift away. Why is that? Because, Upāli, a small being does not find a firm footing in the deep.
In the same way, Upāli, if someone were to say: Without attaining concentration, I will maintain remote forest and woodland lodgings, it should be expected that he will either sink or drift away. Just as, Upāli, a young boy, weak, lying on his back, plays with his own urine and feces.
What do you think, Upāli, isn't that just mere child's play? Yes, venerable sir. That boy, Upāli, in time, having grown, having matured, would engage in games suitable for young boys, such as toy plows, tip-cat, hoop, pinwheel, toy windmill, toy cart, toy bow.
What do you think, Upāli, isn't this play more excellent and refined than the former? Yes, venerable sir. That boy, Upāli, in time, having grown, having matured, would enjoy himself provided and endowed with the five cords of sensual pleasure: forms cognizable by the eye that are wished for, desired, agreeable and likable, connected with sensual desire, and provocative of lust. Sounds cognizable by the ear... Odors cognizable by the nose... Flavors cognizable by the tongue... Tangibles cognizable by the body that are wished for, desired, agreeable and likable, connected with sensual desire, and provocative of lust.
What do you think, Upāli, isn't this play more excellent and refined than the former ones? Yes, venerable sir. Here, Upāli, the Tathāgata appears in the world, accomplished, fully enlightened, perfect in true knowing and conduct, sublime, knower of worlds, incomparable leader of persons to be tamed, teacher of gods and humans, enlightened, blessed.
He declares this world with its gods, Māras, and Brahmās, this generation with its recluses and brahmins, its princes and people, which he has himself realized with direct knowing. He teaches the Dhamma good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, with the right meaning and phrasing, and he reveals a holy life that is utterly perfect and pure.
A householder or householder's son or one born in some other clan hears that Dhamma. Having heard that Dhamma, he acquires faith in the Tathāgata. Possessing that faith, he considers thus: Household life is crowded and dusty; life gone forth is wide open. It is not easy, while living in a home, to lead the holy life utterly perfect and pure as a polished shell.
What if I shave off my hair and beard, put on the ochre robe, and go forth from the home life into homelessness? After some time he abandons a small or large fortune, leaves a small or large circle of relatives, shaves off his hair and beard, puts on the ochre robe, and goes forth from the home life into homelessness.
Leaving behind a small or large family circle, having shaved off his hair and beard, donning yellow robes, he goes forth from home to homelessness. Thus gone forth, adhering to the training and way of life of disciples, he abstains from taking life, becomes averse to taking life, laying aside the rod and weapon, he is modest, compassionate, living for the welfare of all living beings.
Abandoning the taking of what is not given, he lives purely, accepting what is given, expecting what is given, living with a mind purified by honesty. Abandoning misconduct in sensual pleasures, he lives celibately, walking and acting free from sexual activity. Abandoning false speech, he becomes averse to false speech, speaks the truth, is reliable, trustworthy, not deceptive to the world.
Abandoning divisive speech, he does not repeat elsewhere what he has heard here to cause division, and vice versa; thus, he is a reconciler of those divided, a promoter of friendships, enjoying concord, rejoicing in concord, delighting in concord, speaking words that promote concord.
Abandoning harsh speech, he speaks words that are gentle, pleasing to the ear, loving, going to the heart, courteous, desired by many, agreeable to many. Abandoning idle chatter, he speaks at the right time, speaks what is factual, what is in accordance with the goal, the Dhamma, and the discipline; his speech is like a treasure, spoken at the right time, accompanied by reasons, moderate, and full of sense.
He abstains from injuring seeds and plants. He eats once a day, abstaining from eating at night and outside the proper time. He abstains from dancing, singing, music, and seeing shows; from wearing garlands, using perfumes, and beautifying the body with cosmetics; from high and luxurious beds; from accepting gold and silver; from accepting raw grain; from accepting raw meat; from accepting women and girls; from accepting male and female slaves; from accepting goats and sheep; from accepting fowl and pigs; from accepting elephants, cattle, horses, and mares; from accepting fields and land; from running messages and errands; from buying and selling; from false weights, false metals, and false measures; from cheating, deceiving, defrauding, and trickery; from wounding, murdering, binding, theft, fraud, deceit, and foolishness.
He is content with robes to protect his body and with alms food to protect his stomach. Wherever he goes, he takes only these with him, just as a bird, wherever it goes, flies with its wings as its only burden. Thus, this disciple is content with robes to protect his body and with alms food to protect his stomach. Wherever he goes, he takes only these with him. Endowed with this noble aggregate of virtue, he experiences an unblemished happiness within himself. Seeing a form with the eye, he does not grasp at its signs or features.
Since, if he left the eye faculty unguarded, evil unwholesome states of covetousness and grief might invade him, he practices the way of its restraint, he guards the eye faculty, he undertakes the restraint of the eye faculty. Hearing a sound with the ear... smelling an odor with the nose... tasting a flavor with the tongue... touching a tangible with the body... cognizing a mental object with the mind, he does not grasp at its signs or features. Since, if he left the mind faculty unguarded, evil unwholesome states of covetousness and grief might invade him, he practices the way of its restraint, he guards the mind faculty, he undertakes the restraint of the mind faculty.
Endowed with this noble restraint of the faculties, he experiences an unsullied bliss within himself. In going forward and returning, he acts clearly knowing; in looking ahead and looking away... in bending and stretching... in wearing robes and carrying the outer robe and bowl... in eating, drinking, chewing, and tasting... in defecating and urinating... in walking, standing, sitting, falling asleep, waking up, talking, and keeping silent, he acts clearly knowing.
Endowed with this noble aggregate of virtue, this noble restraint of the faculties, and this noble mindfulness and full awareness, he resorts to a secluded resting place: the forest, the root of a tree, a mountain, a ravine, a hillside cave, a charnel ground, a jungle thicket, an open space, a heap of straw. Having gone to the forest, to the root of a tree, to an empty hut, he sits down; having folded his legs crosswise, set his body erect, and established mindfulness on itself, he, abandoning covetousness for the world, lives with a mind free from covetousness, he purifies his mind from covetousness.
He purifies his mind from covetousness. Abandoning ill-will and hatred, he dwells with a mind free from ill-will, compassionate for the welfare of all living beings, purifying his mind from ill-will and hatred. Abandoning sloth and torpor, he dwells free from sloth and torpor, perceiving light, mindful and fully aware, purifying his mind from sloth and torpor.
Abandoning restlessness and remorse, he dwells unagitated, with a mind inwardly peaceful, purifying his mind from restlessness and remorse. Abandoning doubt, he dwells having crossed over doubt, without doubting about wholesome states, purifying his mind from doubt. Having abandoned these five hindrances, imperfections of the mind that weaken wisdom, secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, he enters and dwells in the first jhāna, which includes applied and sustained thought, with rapture and pleasure born of seclusion. What do you think, Upāli, is not this abode more excellent and sublime than the previous abodes?
Yes, venerable sir.
This too, Upāli, my disciples, seeing the Dhamma in themselves, frequent remote forest and tree-root dwellings, yet they do not dwell having attained their goal. Furthermore, Upāli, a disciple, with the stilling of applied and sustained thought, enters and dwells in the second jhāna… Again, Upāli, a disciple, with the fading away of rapture… enters and dwells in the third jhāna. What do you think, Upāli, is not this abode more excellent and sublime than the previous abodes?
Yes, venerable sir.
This too, Upāli, my disciples, seeing the Dhamma in themselves, frequent remote forest and tree-root dwellings, yet they do not dwell having attained their goal. Furthermore, Upāli, a disciple, with the abandoning of pleasure… enters and dwells in the fourth jhāna…. Furthermore, Upāli, a disciple, having completely surpassed the perception of form, with the disappearance of the perception of resistance, not paying attention to the perception of diversity, thinking Infinite space, enters and dwells in the base of infinite space. What do you think, Upāli, is not this abode more excellent and sublime than the previous abodes?
Yes, venerable sir.
This too, Upāli, my disciples, seeing the Dhamma in themselves, frequent remote forest and tree-root dwellings, yet they do not dwell having attained their goal. Furthermore, Upāli, a disciple, having completely surpassed the base of infinite space, thinking Infinite consciousness, enters and dwells in the base of infinite consciousness…. Having completely surpassed the base of infinite consciousness, thinking There is nothing, enters and dwells in the base of nothingness…. Having completely surpassed the base of nothingness, This is peaceful, this is sublime, that is, the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, enters and dwells. What do you think, Upāli, is not this abode more excellent and sublime than the previous abodes?
Yes, venerable sir.
This too, Upāli, my disciples, seeing the Dhamma in themselves, frequent remote forest and tree-root dwellings, and they do dwell having attained their goal. Now, Upāli, dwell in the Sangha. It will be for your comfort in the Sangha.