AN8.30 — Anuruddhamahāvitakkasutta
One time, the Blessed One was residing among the Bhaggas in the Deer Park at Bhesakalā Forest in the Suṁsumāragira. At that time, Venerable Anuruddha was residing in the Eastern Bamboo Grove in the Cetī country.
Then, as Venerable Anuruddha was alone in seclusion, a reflection arose in his mind: This Dhamma is for one with few desires, not for one with many desires; this Dhamma is for one who is content, not for one who is discontent; this Dhamma is for one who is solitary, not for one who delights in company; this Dhamma is for one who is energetic, not for one who is lazy; this Dhamma is for one with mindful presence, not for one who is forgetful; this Dhamma is for one who is concentrated, not for one who is distracted; this Dhamma is for one who is wise, not for one who is foolish.
Then the Blessed One, knowing the state of Venerable Anuruddhas mind from afar, just as a strong man might stretch his bent arm or bend his outstretched arm, disappeared from Bhesakalā Forest in the Suṁsumāragira among the Bhaggas and reappeared before Venerable Anuruddha in the Eastern Bamboo Grove of the Cetī country.
The Blessed One sat down on the prepared seat. Venerable Anuruddha paid homage to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. After he had sat to one side, the Blessed One said to Venerable Anuruddha:
Well done, well done, Anuruddha. Well have you reflected on these great thoughts: This Dhamma is for one with few desires, not for one with many desires; this Dhamma is for one who is content, not for one who is discontent; this Dhamma is for one who is solitary, not for one who delights in company; this Dhamma is for one who is energetic, not for one who is lazy; this Dhamma is for one with mindful presence, not for one who is forgetful; this Dhamma is for one who is concentrated, not for one who is distracted; this Dhamma is for one who is wise, not for one who is foolish.
Therefore, Anuruddha, you should also develop this eighth great thought: This Dhamma is for one who delights in non-proliferation and who takes pleasure in non-proliferation, not for one who delights in and takes pleasure in proliferation.
When you, Anuruddha, reflect on these eight great thoughts, then, Anuruddha, whenever you wish, being secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, you will enter and abide in the first jhāna, which is accompanied by directed and sustained attention, with rapture and pleasure born of seclusion.
When you, Anuruddha, engage in these eight thoughts of a great man, then, Anuruddha, as far as you desire, by the calming of directed and sustained attention, you will experience inward tranquility, unifying your mind, and, free from directed and sustained attention, you will enter and dwell in the second jhāna, born of concentration, filled with rapture and happiness.
When you, Anuruddha, engage in these eight thoughts of a great man, then, Anuruddha, as far as you desire, with the fading of rapture, you will dwell in equanimity, mindful and discerning, and you will experience bodily happiness, which the noble ones declare.
When you, Anuruddha, engage in these eight thoughts of a great man, then, Anuruddha, as far as you desire, with the abandoning of pleasure and pain, and with the previous disappearance of joy and sorrow, you will enter and dwell in the fourth jhāna, which is neither-painful-nor-pleasant and is purified by equanimity and mindfulness.
When you, Anuruddha, engage in these eight thoughts of a great man, you will have mastery, not obtained with difficulty or toil, in the four jhānas, those heightened states of mind which are the dwelling in happiness in the present life. Then, Anuruddha, it will be for you as though a basket full of various colored garments belonging to a householder or householders son were your possession; similarly, your rag-robes will suffice for you with contentment, living without anxiety, comfortably experiencing the approach to Nibbāna.
When you, Anuruddha, engage in these eight thoughts of a great man, you will have mastery, not obtained with difficulty or toil, in the four jhānas, those heightened states of mind which are the dwelling in happiness in the present life. Then, Anuruddha, it will be for you as though a householder or householders son had cooked rice with black lentils, with many soups and many seasonings; similarly, your almsfood will suffice for you with contentment, living without anxiety, comfortably experiencing the approach to Nibbāna.
When you, Anuruddha, engage in these eight thoughts of a great man, you will have mastery, not obtained with difficulty or toil, in the four jhānas, those heightened states of mind which are the dwelling in happiness in the present life. Then, Anuruddha, it will be for you as though a householder or householders son had a storied house plastered inside and out, sheltered from the wind, with tightly fastened doors and windows;
Just so, your lodging at the roots of trees will be comfortable, as you dwell contentedly, without craving, enjoying ease, inclined towards Nirvana.
When you, Anuruddha, contemplate these eight great thoughts of a noble person, and attain mastery over the four jhānas, states of high consciousness, conducive to dwelling with happiness in this very life, without difficulty or strain, then, Anuruddha, just as a household or a rich mans couch, covered with a woolen cover, spreads, and fine silk spreads, is spread with a canopied cloth decked on all sides, will seem to you like the beds and seats made of straw and grass, as you dwell contentedly, without agitation, enjoying ease and inclined towards Nirvana.
When you, Anuruddha, contemplate these eight great thoughts of a noble person, and attain mastery over the four jhānas, conscious states conducive to happiness here and now, at your wish, without difficulty or strain, then, to you, Anuruddha, just as a household or a rich mans various medicines such as ghee, fresh butter, oil, honey, molasses are available, so too will your medicine of fermented urine seem as you dwell contentedly, without restlessness, enjoying ease and inclined towards Nirvana.
Therefore, Anuruddha, you should remain here in the Ceti country in the Eastern Bamboo Grove for the coming rainy season.
Yes, venerable sir, replied venerable Anuruddha to the Blessed One.
Then the Blessed One, having instructed venerable Anuruddha with this guidance, just as a strong man might extend his drawn-in arm or draw-in his extended arm, disappeared from the Eastern Bamboo Grove in the Ceti country and reappeared at the Bhesakalā Forest in the Deer Park of Bhesakala in the country of Bhagga.
The Blessed One sat down on the prepared seat.
Having sat down, the Blessed One addressed the disciples:
Disciples, I shall teach you the eight great thoughts of a noble person; listen to that...
And what, disciples, are the eight great thoughts of a noble person?
This Dhamma is for one who is content, disciples, not for one who is discontented.
This Dhamma is for one who is satisfied, disciples, not for one who is unsatisfied.
This Dhamma is for one who delights in solitude, disciples, not for one who delights in socializing.
This Dhamma is for one who is energetic, disciples, not for one who is lazy.
Disciples, this teaching is established for one with mindfulness, not for one with forgetfulness. This teaching is for one who is concentrated, not for the un-concentrated. This teaching is for the wise, not for the unwise. This teaching is for one who delights in non-proliferation, not for one who delights in proliferation.
This teaching is for one with few desires, not for one with many desires. Thus, it has been said, and why was it said? Here, disciples, a disciple with few desires does not wish for others to know him as such; being content, he does not wish for others to know him as content; being secluded, he does not wish to be known as secluded; being energetic, he does not wish for others to know him as energetic; being mindful, he does not wish for others to know him as mindful; being concentrated, he does not wish to be known as concentrated; being wise, he does not wish to be known as wise; delighting in non-proliferation, he does not wish for others to know him as such.
This teaching is for one with few desires, not for one with many desires, thus it has been said, and this was said because of that. This teaching is for the contented, not for the discontented, thus it has been said, and why was it said? Here, disciples, a disciple is content with whatever robe, alms food, shelter, and medicine he obtains.
This teaching is for the contented, not for the discontented, thus it was said, and this was said because of that. This teaching is for the secluded, not for the one who delights in company, thus it has been said, and why was it said? Here, disciples, when a disciple dwells secluded, there are those who approach him: disciples, nuns, laymen, laywomen, kings, royal ministers, other sectarians, and their followers.
Yet the disciple, with a mind inclined towards seclusion, devoted to seclusion, enjoying renunciation, is committed to discussions related to seclusion. This teaching is for the secluded, not for one who delights in company, thus it was said, and this was said because of that.
This Dhamma, Disciples, is for those with aroused energy, not for the indolent,—thus it was said, and what was the reason for this saying?
Here, Disciples, a disciple abides with aroused energy for abandoning unwholesome states and acquiring wholesome states, being strong, resolute, and not shirking the burden in the wholesome states.
This Dhamma, Disciples, is for those with aroused energy, not for the indolent,—this was said with this in mind.
This Dhamma, Disciples, is for those with established mindfulness, not for the forgetful,—thus it was said, and what was the reason for this saying?
Here, Disciples, a disciple is mindful, possessing supreme mindfulness and discernment, recollecting and remembering what was long done and long said.
This Dhamma, Disciples, is for those with established mindfulness, not for the forgetful,—this was said with this in mind.
This Dhamma, Disciples, is for the concentrated, not for the unconcentrated,—thus it was said, and what was the reason for this saying?
Here, Disciples, a disciple, secluded from sensual pleasures... enters upon and abides in the fourth jhāna.
This Dhamma, Disciples, is for the concentrated, not for the unconcentrated,—this was said with this in mind.
This Dhamma, Disciples, is for the wise, not for the unwise,—thus it was said, and what was the reason for this saying?
Here, Disciples, a disciple is wise, endowed with penetrating wisdom leading to the end of suffering, the noble wisdom.
This Dhamma, Disciples, is for the wise, not for the unwise,—this was said with this in mind.
This Dhamma, Disciples, is for those delighting in non-proliferation, not for those delighting in proliferation,—thus it was said, and what was the reason for this saying?
Here, Disciples, a disciples mind inclines towards, is satisfied with, and finds resting and liberation in the cessation of proliferation.
This Dhamma, Disciples, is for those delighting in non-proliferation, not for those delighting in proliferation,—this was said with this in mind.
Then the Venerable Anuruddha spent yet another rains retreat in the same region, in the Eastern Bamboo Grove of the Cetis.
Then, the venerable Anuruddha, having gone into seclusion, being diligent, ardent, and resolute, soon realized for himself here and now, through direct knowing, that supreme goal of the holy life for the sake of which sons of good families rightly go forth from the home into homelessness: the unexcelled culmination of the holy life. He lived having realized this with direct insight: Birth is destroyed, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more of this state of existence. And the venerable Anuruddha became one of the arahants.
Then, at that time, the venerable Anuruddha, having attained arahantship, spoke these verses:
Knowing my intention,
the unsurpassed Teacher in the world
approached me with the mind-made body,
through his psychic power.
As my thought arose,
he taught further;
The Tathāgata, free from proliferation,
taught the non-proliferation.
Understanding the Dhamma,
I dwelled, delighting in the dispensation;
The threefold knowing has been attained,
the Tathāgatas dispensation has been accomplished.