AN11.9 — Saddhasutta
One time, the Blessed One was residing at Nādika in the Brick House. Then, Venerable Saddha approached the Blessed One; having approached him, he paid homage and sat down to one side. As Venerable Saddha was sitting to one side, the Blessed One addressed him:
Engage in noble development, Saddha; do not engage in unsteady development. And how is development unsteady? Just as, Saddha, an untrained horse tied to a post developes upon fodder, fodder. What is the reason for this? For, Saddha, an untrained horse tied to a post does not think, What will the horse trainer do with me today, and how will I respond? Rather, it simply developes upon fodder, fodder.
In the same manner, Saddha, here a man, even if gone to the forest, to a root of a tree, or to an empty hut, dwells with a mind overcome by sensual lust, not understanding as it truly is the escape from arisen sensual lust. He developes by making sensual lust his object, dwelling overcome by ill will, ... overcome by sloth and torpor, ... overcome by restlessness and worry, ... overcome by doubt, not understanding as it truly is the escape from arisen doubt. He developes by making doubt his object.
He developes depending on the earth, he developes depending on water, he developes depending on fire, he developes depending on air, he developes depending on the realm of infinite space, he developes depending on the realm of infinite consciousness, he developes depending on the realm of nothingness, he developes depending on the realm of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, he developes depending on this world, he developes depending on the other world, and whatever has been seen, heard, sensed, cognized, attained, sought after, examined by the mind, he developes depending on that. In this way, Saddha, there is unsteady development.
And how, Saddha, is there noble development? A good, noble horse tied to a post does not develope upon fodder, fodder. What is the reason for this? For, Saddha, a good, noble horse tied to a post considers, What will the horse trainer do with me today, and how will I respond?
Bound to the cart, the ox does not ponder, Grass, grass. Indeed, a noble steed is an eminent stallion which sees clearly how it burdens against an obligation, how it bears a yoke, how it takes a harness, how it follows a path. In the same way, O faithful one, a noble individual who is deep in the forest, sitting at the base of a tree, or residing in an empty dwelling, does not dwell with a mind overwhelmed by sensual desire or enslaved by it, but knows as it actually is the escape from arisen sensual desire.
Nor does he dwell with a mind overwhelmed by ill-will... or by sloth and torpor... or by restlessness and remorse... or by doubt, or oppressed by it, but knows as it actually is the escape from arisen doubt.
He does not develope dependent on earth, nor on water, nor on fire, nor on air, nor on the sphere of infinite space, nor on the sphere of infinite consciousness, nor on the sphere of nothingness, nor on the sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, nor dependent on this world, nor on the other world, nor on what is seen, heard, sensed, cognized, attained, sought after, pondered by the mind; and yet, he does develope.
And this kind of development, O faithful one, for a noble individual, even gods with Śakra, Brahmā, and Pajāpati revere him from afar:
Homage to you, noble one,
Homage to you, supreme being;
We do not perceive what you are dependent on to develope.
When this was said, the Venerable Saddha addressed the Blessed One:
Revered Sir, how does such a noble individual develope without dependence on earth, nor on water, nor on fire, nor on air, nor on the sphere of infinite space, nor on the sphere of infinite consciousness, nor on the sphere of nothingness, nor on the sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, nor dependent on this world, nor on the other world, nor on what is seen, heard, sensed, cognized, attained, sought after, pondered by the mind; and yet, he does develope?
And how do gods with Śakra, Brahmā, and Pajāpati revere such a noble being from afar:
Homage to you, noble one,
Homage to you, supreme being;
To whom we do not know what you rely upon to develope.
Here, indeed, when a faithful, noble individual, in whom the perception of earth in earth is dissolved, the perception of water in water is dissolved, the perception of fire in fire is dissolved, the perception of wind in wind is dissolved, the perception of the sphere of infinite space in the sphere of infinite space is dissolved, the perception of the sphere of infinite consciousness in the sphere of infinite consciousness is dissolved, the perception of the sphere of nothingness in the sphere of nothingness is dissolved, the perception of the sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception in the sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception is dissolved, the perception of this world in this world is dissolved, the perception of the other world in the other world is dissolved, whatever is seen, heard, sensed, cognized, attained, sought after, and explored by the mind, even there, perception is dissolved.
Such a developed being, indeed, when faithful, a noble gentleman does not develope by relying upon the earth... or whatever is seen, heard, sensed, cognized, attained, sought after, and explored by the mind, upon that he does not rely to develope; yet, he indeed developes.
Yet, such a developed being faithful, noble gentleman is respected from afar by the devas with Indra, with Brahmā, and with Pajāpati.
Homage to you, the noble man,
homage to you, the supreme man;
To whom we do not know,
what it is that you rely upon to develope.