MN107 — Gaṇakamoggallāna Sutta
Thus have I heard: At one time the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in the Eastern Park, in Migāra's mother's mansion.
Then Gaṇakamoggallāna, a brahmin, approached the Blessed One; having approached, he exchanged greetings with the Blessed One. After exchanging courteous and amiable talk, he sat down to one side. Seated to one side,
Gaṇakamoggallāna the brahmin said to the Blessed One: Just as, Lord Gotama, for this mansion of Migāra's mother, there is a gradual training, a gradual action, a gradual practice, that is: up to the last step of the staircase; so too, for these brahmins, there is a gradual training, a gradual action, a gradual practice, that is:
in the study; so too, for these archers, there is a gradual training, a gradual action, a gradual practice, that is: in archery.
So too, for us, Lord Gotama, being accountants, living by accounting, there is a gradual training, a gradual action, a gradual practice, that is: in calculation.
For we, Lord Gotama, having taken a student, first teach him counting as: one by one, two by two, three by three, four by four, five by five, six by six, seven by seven, eight by eight, nine by nine, ten by ten; we also count by hundreds, and even more.
Is it possible, Lord Gotama, to lay down a gradual training, a gradual action, a gradual practice in this Dhamma and Discipline?
It is possible, brahmin, to lay down a gradual training, a gradual action, a gradual practice in this Dhamma and Discipline.
Just as, brahmin, a skilled horse trainer obtains a fine thoroughbred and first trains it in the preliminary tasks, then further tasks; similarly, the Tathāgata, having obtained a person to be tamed, first trains him thus:
Come, disciple, be virtuous, restrained with the restraint of the Patimokkha, be endowed with conduct and resort, seeing danger in the slightest faults, undertaking the training rules.
When, brahmin, a disciple is virtuous... he further trains him:
Come, disciple, guard the doors of your sense faculties. Seeing a form with the eye, do not grasp at its signs and features... Similarly with the ear and sounds... nose and smells... tongue and tastes... body and touches... mind and mental objects, do not grasp at its signs and features.
When, brahmin, a disciple guards the doors of his sense faculties... he further trains
him:
Come, disciple, be moderate in eating. Reflecting wisely, you should take food neither for amusement nor for intoxication nor for the sake of physical beauty and attractiveness, but only for the support and maintenance of this body, for avoiding harm, and for assisting the spiritual life: considering: Thus I shall terminate old feelings without arousing new feelings and I shall be healthy and blameless and shall live in comfort.
When, brahmin, a disciple is moderate in eating... he further trains him:
Come, disciple, be devoted to wakefulness. During the day, cleanse your mind of obstructive states... In the first watch of the night... in the middle watch of the night lie down on the right side in the lion's posture... in the last watch of the night, upon rising, walk back and forth and sit, purifying your mind of obstructive states.
When, brahmin, a disciple is devoted to wakefulness... he further trains him:
Come, disciple, be possessed of mindfulness and full awareness. Act with full awareness when going forward and returning... looking ahead and looking away... bending and stretching... wearing robes and carrying the outer robe and bowl... eating, drinking, chewing, and tasting... defecating and urinating... walking, standing, sitting, falling asleep, waking up, talking, and keeping silent.
When, brahmin, a disciple is possessed of mindfulness and full awareness...
Being endowed with clear knowing, the Tathagata further instructs him: Come, disciple, frequent a secluded dwelling - a forest, the root of a tree, a mountain, a cave, a cemetery, a forest haunt, an open space, a heap of straw.
He frequents a secluded dwelling - a forest, the root of a tree, a mountain, a cave, a cemetery, a forest haunt, an open space, a heap of straw. After his meal, on returning from his alms round, he sits down, folding his legs crosswise, setting his body erect, and establishing mindfulness on itself.
He lives with a mind free from covetousness, cleansing his mind of covetousness; he lives with a mind free from ill-will, compassionate for the welfare of all living beings, cleansing his mind of ill-will; he lives free from sloth and torpor, perceiving light, mindful and fully aware, cleansing his mind of sloth and torpor; he lives free from restlessness and remorse, with an inner tranquility, cleansing his mind of restlessness and remorse; he lives free from doubt, having crossed over doubt, unperplexed about wholesome states, cleansing his mind of doubt.
Having abandoned these five hindrances, imperfections of the mind that weaken wisdom, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, he enters and remains in the first jhana, which is accompanied by applied and sustained thought, with rapture and pleasure born of seclusion. With the stilling of applied and sustained thought, he enters and remains in the second jhana... With the fading away of rapture, he enters and remains in the third jhana... With the abandoning of pleasure, he enters and remains in the fourth jhana...
For those disciples who are trainees, who have not attained their mind's ideal, seeking the supreme sanctuary, I instruct them in this way. But for those disciples who are Arahants, with taints destroyed, who have lived the holy life, done what had to be done, laid down the burden, reached their own goal, destroyed the fetters of being, and are completely liberated through final knowing, these states conduce both to a pleasant abiding here and now and to mindfulness and clear knowing.
Thus said, the Brahmin Ganaka Moggallana asked the Blessed One: Do all the disciples of Master Gotama, being advised and instructed by Master Gotama in this way, attain ultimate Nibbana, or do some not attain it? Some of my disciples, Brahmin, being advised and instructed by me in this way, attain ultimate Nibbana, and some do not, replied the Blessed One.
What is the reason, Master Gotama, what is the condition, why Nibbana exists, the path leading to Nibbana exists, you are present to encourage, yet when advised and instructed by you in this way, some of your disciples attain ultimate Nibbana, and some do not?
Let me ask you a question in return, Brahmin. Answer as you see fit. Are you skilled in the path to Rajagaha? Yes, Master, I am skilled in the path to Rajagaha. Suppose a person comes to you wanting to go to Rajagaha, and you give him directions... If he takes a wrong path and goes the opposite direction, that is not your fault.
Another person, following your directions correctly, reaches Rajagaha safely. What is the reason, Brahmin, what is the condition, why Rajagaha exists, the path leading to Rajagaha exists, you are present to encourage, yet one person, being advised and instructed by you, does not reach Rajagaha, and another does?
Even if I were to advise and instruct in this way, one person might take a wrong path and go backwards, while another might safely reach Rajagaha. What can I do in this situation, O Gotama? I am a teacher of the path, O Gotama. Just so, Brahmin, Nibbana remains, the path leading to Nibbana remains, I stand advising; yet, while being advised and instructed by me in this way, some of my disciples achieve the ultimate goal of Nibbana, and some do not. What can I do in this situation, Brahmin?
The Tathagata is a teacher of the path, Brahmin. Upon hearing this, the Brahmin Ganaka Moggallana said to the Blessed One: Those individuals, O Gotama, who lack faith and leave the household life for homelessness out of desire for livelihood, who are deceitful, fraudulent, pretentious, impulsive, talkative, loose-spoken, unguarded in their senses, immoderate in eating, not devoted to wakefulness, indifferent in solitude, not taking training seriously, lazy, leading in negligence, lacking energy, forgetful, lacking awareness, uncollected, with scattered minds, lacking wisdom, foolish, do not live with you, Gotama.
But those noble sons who have faith and leave the household life for homelessness, who are not deceitful, not fraudulent, not pretentious, not impulsive, not talkative, not loose-spoken, guarded in their senses, moderate in eating, devoted to wakefulness, diligent in solitude, serious about training, energetic, established in mindfulness, aware, collected, with unified minds, wise, not foolish, live with you, Gotama. Just as, O Gotama, among all root fragrances, black musk is considered the best; among all sap fragrances, red sandalwood is considered the best; among all flower fragrances, jasmine is considered the best; similarly, your advice, O Gotama, is supreme among the highest teachings.
Wonderful, O Gotama, wonderful, O Gotama. Just as one might set upright what had been overturned, reveal what was hidden, show the way to one who was lost, or hold up a lamp in the dark so that those with eyes could see forms; in the same way, you have illuminated the Dhamma in many ways.
I go to the Blessed One Gotama for refuge, to the Dhamma, and to the Sangha of disciples.
May the Blessed One Gotama remember me as a lay follower who has taken refuge from today onward for life.