MN127 — Anuruddhasutta

Thus have I heard: At one time, the Blessed One was staying at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.

Then Pañcakaṅga the carpenter addressed a certain man:

Come, good man, go to the Venerable Anuruddha; having gone, in my name, bow down with your head at his feet and say:

Pañcakaṅga the carpenter bows down with his head at the feet of the Venerable Anuruddha;

and say this:

May the Venerable Anuruddha consent to come tomorrow for a meal with three other disciples; and may the Venerable Anuruddha come early;

Pañcakaṅga the carpenter has many duties and much work to do for the king.

Yes, sir, the man replied to Pañcakaṅga the and he went to the Venerable Anuruddha; having gone, he bowed down to the Venerable Anuruddha and sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, the man said to the Venerable Anuruddha:

Pañcakaṅga the carpenter bows down with his head at the feet of the Venerable

Anuruddha, and he says this:

May the Venerable Anuruddha consent to come tomorrow for a meal with three other disciples; and may the Venerable Anuruddha come early;

Pañcakaṅga the carpenter has many duties and much work to do for the king.

The Venerable Anuruddha consented by silence.

Then, when the night had passed, the Venerable Anuruddha, having dressed in the morning and taken his bowl and outer robe, went to the residence of Pañcakaṅga the carpenter; having gone, he sat down on the prepared seat.

Then Pañcakaṅga the with his own hand, served and satisfied the Venerable Anuruddha with choice food and drink.

Then Pañcakaṅga the when the Venerable Anuruddha had eaten and put away his bowl, took a low seat and sat down to one side.

Sitting to one side, Pañcakaṅga the carpenter said to the Venerable Anuruddha:

Here, venerable sir, some elder disciples came to me and said:

Develop the immeasurable liberation of mind, householder.

Some other elder disciples said:

Develop the exalted liberation of mind, householder.

Now, venerable sir, this immeasurable liberation of mind and this exalted liberation of mind: are these states different in meaning and different in phrasing, or are they the same in meaning and only different in phrasing?

Then let it occur to you in this way, and it will be for your benefit.

Venerable sir, it occurs to me thus:

This immeasurable liberation of mind and this exalted liberation of mind are the same in meaning and only different in phrasing.

Householder, this immeasurable liberation of mind and this exalted liberation of mind are different in meaning and different in phrasing.

But this should be understood by an example, how these states are different in meaning and different in phrasing.

And what is the immeasurable liberation of mind?

Here a disciple dwells pervading one direction with a mind imbued with goodwill, likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth; so above, below, and all around, everywhere, and to all as to himself, he dwells pervading the entire world with a mind imbued with goodwill, vast, exalted, immeasurable, without hostility, without ill will.

With a mind imbued with compassion...

With a mind imbued with empathetic joy...

With a mind imbued with equanimity, he dwells pervading one direction, likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth; so above, below, and all around, everywhere, and to all as to himself, he dwells pervading the entire world with a mind imbued with equanimity, vast, exalted, immeasurable, without hostility, without ill will.

This is called the immeasurable liberation of mind.

And what is the exalted liberation of mind?

Here a disciple, having pervaded as far as a single tree root, dwells with a mind that is exalted.

This is called the exalted liberation of mind.

Here a disciple, having pervaded as far as two or three tree roots, dwells with a mind that is exalted.

This too is called the exalted liberation of mind.

Here a disciple, having pervaded as far as a single village field, dwells with a mind that is exalted.

This too is called the exalted liberation of mind.

Here a disciple, having pervaded as far as two or three village fields, dwells with a mind that is exalted.

This too is called the exalted liberation of mind.

Here a disciple, having pervaded as far as a single great kingdom, dwells with a mind that is exalted.

This too is called the exalted liberation of mind.

Here a disciple pervades and abides, having resolved upon the thought of the vastness of two or three great kingdoms. This too is called the vast liberation of mind. Here a disciple pervades and abides, having resolved upon the thought of the vastness of the earth bounded by the ocean. This too is called the vast liberation of mind. By this method it should be understood that these states are different in meaning and different in expression. There are four kinds of rebirth. What are the four? Here someone pervades and abides, having resolved upon the thought of limited radiance. After the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in the company of the gods of limited radiance. Here someone pervades and abides, having resolved upon the thought of boundless radiance. After the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in the company of the gods of boundless radiance. Here someone pervades and abides, having resolved upon the thought of defiled radiance. After the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in the company of the gods of defiled radiance. Here someone pervades and abides, having resolved upon the thought of pure radiance. After the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in the company of the gods of pure radiance. These are the four kinds of rebirth. There comes a time when those deities gather together, and when they gather together, their differences in color are apparent, but not their differences in radiance. Just as a man might bring many oil lamps into one house. When they are brought into one house, their differences in flames are apparent, but not their differences in radiance. Similarly there comes a time when those deities gather together, and when they gather together, their differences in color are apparent, but not their differences in radiance. There comes a time when those deities disperse, and when they disperse, their differences in color and radiance are apparent. Just as a man might take those many oil lamps out of that house. When they are taken out, their differences in flames and radiance are apparent. Similarly there comes a time when those deities disperse, and when they disperse, their differences in color and radiance are apparent. It is not that those deities think: This is permanent, this is stable, this is eternal. But wherever those deities are reborn, there they delight. Just as flies being carried away by a body or a basket do not think: This is permanent, this is stable, this is eternal. But wherever those flies are reborn, there they delight. Similarly it is not that those deities think: This is permanent, this is stable, this is eternal. But wherever those deities are reborn, there they delight. When this was said, the venerable Sabhiya Kaccāna said to the venerable Anuruddha: Good, venerable Anuruddha. But I have a further question. Are all those deities of limited radiance, or are some of them of boundless radiance? Friend Kaccāna, some of those deities are of limited radiance, and some are of boundless radiance. What is the reason, venerable Anuruddha, what is the cause, that among those deities reborn in the same divine group, some are of limited radiance and some are of boundless radiance? Friend Kaccāna, I will ask you about this. Answer as you see fit. What do you think, friend Kaccāna, a disciple who pervades and abides, having resolved upon the thought of the vastness of one tree root, and a disciple who pervades and abides, having resolved upon the thought of the vastness of two or three tree roots: which of these two mental developments is more vast? Venerable sir, the disciple who pervades and abides, having resolved upon the thought of the vastness of two or three tree roots: this mental development is more vast. What do you think, friend Kaccāna, a disciple who pervades and abides, having resolved upon the thought of the vastness of two or three tree roots, and a disciple who pervades and abides, having resolved upon the thought of the vastness of one village field: which of these two mental developments is more vast?

Venerable sir, which is more exalted?

Friend Kaccāna, this disciple who pervades and abides having resolved upon one village field as exalted: this is more exalted than both of these mental developments.

What do you think, friend Kaccāna, this disciple who pervades and abides having resolved upon one village field as exalted, and this disciple who pervades and abides having resolved upon two or three village fields as exalted: which of these two mental developments is more exalted?

Venerable sir, this disciple who pervades and abides having resolved upon two or three village fields as exalted: this is more exalted than both of these mental developments.

What do you think, friend Kaccāna, this disciple who pervades and abides having resolved upon two or three village fields as exalted, and this disciple who pervades and abides having resolved upon one great kingdom as exalted: which of these two mental developments is more exalted?

Venerable sir, this disciple who pervades and abides having resolved upon one great kingdom as exalted: this is more exalted than both of these mental developments.

What do you think, friend Kaccāna, this disciple who pervades and abides having resolved upon one great kingdom as exalted, and this disciple who pervades and abides having resolved upon two or three great kingdoms as exalted: which of these two mental developments is more exalted?

Venerable sir, this disciple who pervades and abides having resolved upon two or three great kingdoms as exalted: this is more exalted than both of these mental developments.

What do you think, friend Kaccāna, this disciple who pervades and abides having resolved upon two or three great kingdoms as exalted, and this disciple who pervades and abides having resolved upon the earth bounded by the ocean as exalted: which of these two mental developments is more exalted?

Venerable sir, this disciple who pervades and abides having resolved upon the earth bounded by the ocean as exalted: this is more exalted than both of these mental developments.

This, friend Kaccāna, is the reason, this is the cause, whereby among those deities who have been reborn in one divine group, there are some deities who are of limited radiance, and there are some deities who are of unlimited radiance.

Good, venerable Anuruddha. But I have another question to ask. Venerable sir, are all the deities of radiance defiled, or are there some deities who are pure?

Friend Kaccāna, there are some deities who are defiled by a certain aspect, and there are some deities who are pure by a certain aspect.

What, venerable Anuruddha, is the reason, what is the cause, whereby among those deities who have been reborn in one divine group, there are some deities who are defiled, and there are some deities who are pure?

Friend Kaccāna, I will give you a simile. For some wise men understand the meaning of what is said by means of a simile. Just as, friend Kaccāna, when an oil lamp is burning, if the oil is impure and the wick is impure, it burns dimly because of the impurity of the oil and the impurity of the wick. Similarly, friend Kaccāna, here a certain disciple pervades and abides having resolved upon defiled radiance. His bodily coarseness is not well subdued, his sloth and torpor are not well removed, his restlessness and worry are not well subdued. Because his bodily coarseness is not well subdued, his sloth and torpor are not well removed, his restlessness and worry are not well subdued, he burns dimly like an impure oil lamp. After the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in the company of deities who are defiled by radiance.

Just as, friend Kaccāna, when an oil lamp is burning, if the oil is pure and the wick is pure, it does not burn dimly because of the purity of the oil and the purity of the wick. Similarly, friend Kaccāna, here a certain disciple pervades and abides having resolved upon pure radiance. His bodily coarseness is well subdued, his sloth and torpor are well removed, his restlessness and worry are well subdued. Because his bodily coarseness is well subdued, his sloth and torpor are well removed, his restlessness and worry are well subdued, he does not burn dimly like a pure oil lamp. After the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in the company of deities who are pure by radiance. This, friend Kaccāna, is the reason...

This is the condition by which some of those deities who have been reborn in a certain group of deities are impure, while some of those deities are pure.

When this was said, the Venerable Sabhiya Kaccāna said to the Venerable Anuruddha:

Good, Venerable Anuruddha.

Venerable Anuruddha did not say:

Thus have I heard or Thus it should be,

but rather, Venerable Anuruddha spoke thus:

Some deities are like this, and some deities are like that.

Therefore, it occurs to me, Venerable Anuruddha, that you must have previously lived together with those deities, conversed with them, and engaged in discussions with them.

Indeed, friend Kaccāna, this statement has been made after approaching and considering,

but I will explain to you:

For a long time, friend Kaccāna, I have previously lived together with those deities, conversed with them, and engaged in discussions with them.

When this was said, the Venerable Sabhiya Kaccāna said to the householder Pañcakaṅga:

Fortunate are you well-gained is your fortune

that you have abandoned that state of doubt, and we have obtained the opportunity to hear this teaching.

The discourse of Anuruddha is finished.

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