MN125 — Dantabhūmisutta

Thus have I heard: At one time, the Blessed One was staying in Rajagaha at the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrel Sanctuary.

Now at that time, the novice Aciravata was living in a forest hut.

Then Prince Jayasena, while walking for exercise, approached the novice Aciravata; having approached, he exchanged greetings with Aciravata.

After exchanging courteous and friendly talk, he sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, Prince Jayasena said to the novice Aciravata:

I have heard it said, friend Aggivessana, that a disciple who is diligent, ardent, and resolute could attain concentration of the mind.

That is so, Prince, that is so. A disciple who is diligent, ardent, and resolute could attain concentration of the mind.

Good, friend Aggivessana, let the venerable one teach me the Dhamma as he has heard it and learned it.

I am not able, Prince, to teach you the Dhamma as I have heard it and learned it. For if I were to teach you the Dhamma as I have heard it and learned it, you would not understand the meaning of my words, and that would be wearisome and troublesome for me.

Let the venerable one teach me the Dhamma as he has heard it and learned it. Perhaps I may understand the meaning of the venerable ones words.

I will teach you the Dhamma as I have heard it and learned it, Prince. If you understand the meaning of my words, that will be good. If you do not understand the meaning of my words, you should remain silent and not question me further.

Let the venerable one teach me the Dhamma as he has heard it and learned it. If I understand the meaning of the venerable ones words, that will be good. If I do not understand the meaning of the venerable ones words, I will remain silent and not question the venerable one further.

Then the novice Aciravata taught Prince Jayasena the Dhamma as he had heard it and learned it.

When this was said, Prince Jayasena said to the novice Aciravata:

It is impossible, friend Aggivessana, it cannot happen that a disciple who is diligent, ardent, and resolute could attain concentration of the mind.

Then Prince Jayasena, having declared the impossibility and nonexistence of such a thing, rose from his seat and departed.

Then the novice Aciravata, after Prince Jayasena had left, went to the Blessed One; having approached, he paid homage to the Blessed One, sat down to one side, and reported to the Blessed One his entire conversation with Prince Jayasena.

When this was said, the Blessed One said to the novice Aciravata:

Where could such a thing be possible, Aggivessana? That which should be known by renunciation, seen by renunciation, attained by renunciation, and realized by renunciation: could Prince Jayasena, living in the midst of sensual pleasures, enjoying sensual pleasures, being devoured by thoughts of sensual pleasures, burning with the fever of sensual pleasures, and being eager in the search for sensual pleasures, know, see, attain, or realize it? That is impossible.

Just as, Aggivessana, there are two tamable elephants, horses, or oxen, well tamed and well trained, and two untamed and untrained elephants, horses, or oxen. What do you think, Aggivessana, would the two well-tamed and well-trained elephants, horses, or oxen, being tamed, go to the tamers hand, and being tamed, reach the tamers ground?

Yes, venerable sir.

But would the two untamed and untrained elephants, horses, or oxen, being untamed, go to the tamers hand, and being untamed, reach the tamers ground, just as the two well-tamed and well-trained ones would?

No, venerable sir.

Even so, Aggivessana, that which should be known by renunciation, seen by renunciation, attained by renunciation, and realized by renunciation: could Prince Jayasena, living in the midst of sensual pleasures, enjoying sensual pleasures, being devoured by thoughts of sensual pleasures, burning with the fever of sensual pleasures, and being eager in the search for sensual pleasures, know, see, attain, or realize it? That is impossible.

Just as, Aggivessana, near a village or town, there is a great mountain. Two friends, having left the village or town, approach the mountain by the same path; having approached, one friend remains at the base of the mountain...

One friend would stand at the foot of the mountain, and another friend would climb up the mountain. The friend standing at the foot of the mountain would say to the friend standing on the mountain:

Hey, friend, what do you see standing on the mountain?

He would reply:

I see, friend, standing on the mountain, a delightful park, a delightful forest, a delightful land, a delightful lotus pond.

He would say:

It is impossible, friend, it is not possible that you, standing on the mountain, would see a delightful park, a delightful forest, a delightful land, a delightful lotus pond.

Then the friend standing on the mountain would come down to the foot of the mountain, take the other friend by the arm, lead him up the mountain, and after a moment of rest, say:

Hey, friend, what do you see standing on the mountain?

He would reply:

I see, friend, standing on the mountain, a delightful park, a delightful forest, a delightful land, a delightful lotus pond.

He would say:

Just now, friend, you said: It is impossible, friend, it is not possible that you, standing on the mountain, would see a delightful park, a delightful forest, a delightful land, a delightful lotus pond.

But now you say: I see, friend, standing on the mountain, a delightful park, a delightful forest, a delightful land, a delightful lotus pond.

He would say:

Indeed, friend, I was obstructed by this great mountain and could not see.

Similarly, Aggivessana, Prince Jayasena is obstructed, enveloped, covered, and surrounded by the mass of ignorance.

So, how could Prince Jayasena, living amidst sensual pleasures, indulging in sensual pleasures, being consumed by thoughts of sensual pleasures, burning with the fever of sensual pleasures, and being eager in the pursuit of sensual pleasures, know, see, or realize that which is to be known, seen, attained, and realized through renunciation?

There is no such possibility.

If, Aggivessana, these two similes were to occur to Prince Jayasena, it would not be surprising if he were to gain faith, and having gained faith, he would show signs of faith.

But, venerable sir, how could these two similes occur to Prince Jayasena, who has never heard them before, as they have been spoken by the Blessed One?

Just as, Aggivessana, a king, a noble, anointed on the head, would call a forest elephant trainer and say:

Come, good elephant trainer, mount the king's elephant, enter the forest, and having seen a wild elephant, bind it to the king's elephant's neck.

Yes, sire, the elephant trainer would reply to the king, the noble, anointed on the head, and having mounted the king's elephant, he would enter the forest, and having seen a wild elephant, he would bind it to the king's elephant's neck.

The king's elephant would then bring it out into the open.

To that extent, Aggivessana, the wild elephant has come out into the open.

For, Aggivessana, wild elephants are eager for the forest.

The elephant trainer would then report to the king, the noble, anointed on the head:

Sire, the wild elephant has come out into the open.

Then, Aggivessana, the king, the noble, anointed on the head, would call the elephant tamer and say:

Come, good elephant tamer, tame the wild elephant, subdue its wild habits, subdue its wild thoughts, subdue its wild distress, fatigue, and fever, make it delight in the village, and instill in it the habits dear to humans.

Yes, sire, the elephant tamer would reply to the king, the noble, anointed on the head, and having dug a large post into the ground, he would bind the wild elephant to it to subdue its wild habits, subdue its wild thoughts, subdue its wild distress, fatigue, and fever, make it delight in the village, and instill in it the habits dear to humans.

The elephant tamer would then address it with kind, gentle, pleasant, and agreeable words, words that are endearing, going to the heart, polite, liked by many, and pleasing to many.

When, Aggivessana, the wild elephant, being addressed by the elephant tamer with kind, gentle, pleasant, and agreeable words, words that are endearing, going to the heart, polite, liked by many, and pleasing to many, listens, pays attention, and focuses its mind, the elephant tamer would then provide it with grass, water, and food.

When, Aggivessana, the wild elephant, being provided with grass, water, and food by the elephant tamer...

He accepts the water for washing the feet, and the elephant trainer thinks: Now the wild elephant will live. The elephant trainer then gives further instructions: Take it, sir, put it down, sir. When the wild elephant obeys the trainers commands to take and put down, and responds to instructions, the trainer gives further instructions:

Come forward, sir, go back, sir. When the wild elephant obeys the trainers commands to come forward and go back, and responds to instructions, the trainer gives further instructions:

Stand up, sir, sit down, sir. When the wild elephant obeys the trainers commands to stand up and sit down, and responds to instructions, the trainer gives further training called steadying.

He ties a large plank to its trunk, and a man with a spear sits on its neck, surrounded by men with spears. The trainer stands in front with a long spear. When the elephant is being trained in steadying, it does not move its front or back legs, its front or back body, its head, ears, tusks, tail, or trunk.

It becomes a wild elephant that endures spear thrusts, sword cuts, arrows, and the sounds of drums, conches, and cymbals. It is fit for a king, worthy of a kings service, and goes to the kings presence.

In the same way, Aggivessana, a Tathāgata arises in the world, an Arahant, a Fully Enlightened One, perfect in knowing and conduct, a Well-Gone One, a Knower of the world, an unsurpassed leader of persons to be tamed, a teacher of gods and humans, an Enlightened One, a Blessed One.

He, having realized it by his own higher knowing, proclaims this world with its gods, Māras, and Brahmās, this generation with its recluses and brahmins, its princes and people.

He teaches the Dhamma, good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, with the right meaning and phrasing, and reveals a holy life that is utterly perfect and pure. A householder or householders son, or someone born in some other family, hears that Dhamma. Having heard that Dhamma, he gains faith in the Tathāgata. Possessing that faith, he reflects:

The household life is crowded and dusty; life gone forth is open and free. It is not easy, while living in a home, to lead the holy life utterly perfect and pure as a polished shell. Suppose I shave off my hair and beard, put on the yellow robe, and go forth from the home life into homelessness. After some time, he abandons a small or large fortune, and a small or large circle of relatives, shaves off his hair and beard, puts on the yellow robe, and goes forth from the home life into homelessness. This is how a noble disciple goes forth into homelessness.

There, Aggivessana, the Tathāgata further trains him: Come, disciple, be virtuous, restrained by the Pātimokkha, be perfect in conduct and resort, and seeing fear in the slightest fault, train by undertaking the training precepts. When the noble disciple is virtuous, restrained by the Pātimokkha, perfect in conduct and resort, seeing fear in the slightest fault, and trains by undertaking the training precepts, the Tathāgata further trains him: Come, disciple, guard the doors of your sense faculties.

Having seen a form with the eye, do not grasp at its signs and features... (as in the discourse to Gaṇaka Moggallāna, it should be elaborated in detail). He, having abandoned these five hindrances, the defilements of the mind that weaken wisdom, dwells contemplating the body in the body, ardent, fully aware, and mindful, having removed covetousness and grief in regard to the world. He dwells contemplating feelings in feelings... mind in mind... phenomena in phenomena, ardent, fully aware, and mindful, having removed covetousness and grief in regard to the world.

Just as, Aggivessana, the elephant trainer plants a large post in the ground and ties the wild elephant to it by the neck to subdue its wild habits, its forest habits, its distress, fatigue, and fever, and to make it enjoy the village and adopt human habits, so too, Aggivessana, these four foundations of mindfulness are the bindings for the mind of the noble disciple to subdue his household habits, his distress, fatigue, and fever, and to attain the true way. For the realization of Nibbāna.

Then the Tathāgata further instructs him:

Come, disciple, dwell contemplating the body in the body, and do not think thoughts connected with sensual pleasures.

In feelings...

in mind...

dwell contemplating the mind in the mind, and do not think thoughts connected with sensual pleasures.

With the subsiding of thinking and pondering, he enters and dwells in the second jhāna, which has internal confidence and unification of mind, is without thinking and pondering, and has joy and happiness born of concentration.

He enters and dwells in the third jhāna...

the fourth jhāna.

With his mind thus concentrated, purified, bright, unblemished, rid of defilement, pliant, workable, steady, and attained to imperturbability, he directs his mind to the knowing of the recollection of past lives.

He recollects his manifold past lives, that is, one birth, two births... thus with their aspects and particulars he recollects his manifold past lives.

With the divine eye, which is purified and surpasses the human, he sees beings passing away and reappearing, inferior and superior, fair and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate, and he understands how beings pass on according to their actions.

He understands as it really is: This is suffering, he understands as it really is: This is the origin of suffering, he understands as it really is: This is the cessation of suffering, he understands as it really is: This is the way leading to the cessation of suffering.

He understands as it really is: These are the taints, he understands as it really is: This is the origin of the taints, he understands as it really is: This is the cessation of the taints, he understands as it really is: This is the way leading to the cessation of the taints.

When he knows and sees thus, his mind is liberated from the taint of sensual desire, from the taint of being, and from the taint of ignorance.

When it is liberated, there comes the knowing: It is liberated.

He understands: Birth is destroyed, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming to any state of being.

He becomes a disciple who is able to endure cold, heat, hunger, thirst, contact with gadflies, mosquitoes, wind, sun, and creeping things, abusive language and unwelcome words, and arisen bodily feelings that are painful, racking, sharp, piercing, disagreeable, distressing, and menacing to life.

He is a recipient of offerings, worthy of hospitality, worthy of gifts, worthy of reverential salutation, an unsurpassed field of merit for the world.

Even if an old royal elephant, Aggivessana, untrained and undisciplined, dies, it is considered to have died an untrained death; similarly, a middle-aged royal elephant, Aggivessana.

Even if a young royal elephant, Aggivessana, untrained and undisciplined, dies, it is considered to have died an untrained death; similarly, a middle-aged disciple, Aggivessana, who is not free from taints, dies, it is considered to have died an untrained death; similarly, a novice disciple, Aggivessana.

Even if an old royal elephant, Aggivessana, well-trained and disciplined, dies, it is considered to have died a trained death; similarly, a middle-aged royal elephant, Aggivessana...

Even if a young royal elephant, Aggivessana, well-trained and disciplined, dies, it is considered to have died a trained death; similarly, a middle-aged disciple, Aggivessana, who is free from taints, dies, it is considered to have died a trained death; similarly, a novice disciple, Aggivessana, who is free from taints, dies, it is considered to have died a trained death.

Thus spoke the Blessed One.

The novice Aciravata was delighted and rejoiced in the Blessed One's words.