MN131 — Bhaddekarattasutta

Thus have I heard:

At one time, the Blessed One was staying at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.

There the Blessed One addressed the disciples:

Disciples.

Venerable Sir, those disciples replied to the Blessed One.

The Blessed One said this:

Disciples, I will teach you the summary and analysis of the One Who Has Had a Single Excellent Night.

Listen and pay close attention, I will speak.

Yes, venerable sir, those disciples replied to the Blessed One.

The Blessed One said this:

Do not pursue the past,

Do not long for the future.

What is past is left behind,

The future is as yet unreached.

Whatever quality is present,

You clearly see right there, right there.

Not taken in, unshaken,

That's how you develop the mind.

Ardently do what should be done today,

Who knows, death may come tomorrow.

There is no bargaining with Mortality and his great army.

Whoever lives thus ardently,

Relentlessly both day and night,

Has truly had an excellent night,

So the peaceful sage has declared.

And how does one pursue the past?

He gets carried away with the thought: I was of such form in the past, he gets carried away with the thought: I was of such feeling in the past, he gets carried away with the thought: I was of such perception in the past, he gets carried away with the thought: I was of such formations in the past, he gets carried away with the thought: I was of such consciousness in the past.

That is how one pursues the past.

And how does one not pursue the past?

He does not get carried away with the thought: I was of such form in the past, he does not get carried away with the thought: I was of such feeling in the past, he does not get carried away with the thought: I was of such perception in the past, he does not get carried away with the thought: I was of such formations in the past, he does not get carried away with the thought: I was of such consciousness in the past.

That is how one does not pursue the past.

And how does one long for the future?

He gets carried away with the thought: May I be of such form in the future, he gets carried away with the thought: May I be of such feeling in the future, he gets carried away with the thought: May I be of such perception in the future, he gets carried away with the thought: May I be of such formations in the future, he gets carried away with the thought: May I be of such consciousness in the future.

That is how one longs for the future.

And how does one not long for the future?

May I be like this in the future, he does not delight in that. May I have such feelings in the future, he does not delight in that. May I have such perceptions in the future, he does not delight in that. May I have such mental formations in the future, he does not delight in that. May I have such consciousness in the future, he does not delight in that:

Thus one does not expect the future.

And how does one get carried away by present phenomena?

Here an unlearned ordinary person, who has not seen the noble ones, who is unskilled in the noble teachings, who is undisciplined in the noble teachings, who has not seen the good persons, who is unskilled in the teachings of the good persons, who is undisciplined in the teachings of the good persons,

regards form as self, or self as possessing form, or form as in self, or self as in form;

regards feeling as self, or self as possessing feeling, or feeling as in self, or self as in feeling;

regards perception as self, or self as possessing perception, or perception as in self, or self as in perception;

regards mental formations as self, or self as possessing mental formations, or mental formations as in self, or self as in mental formations;

regards consciousness as self, or self as possessing consciousness, or consciousness as in self, or self as in consciousness:

Thus one gets carried away by present phenomena.

And how does one not get carried away by present phenomena?

Here a learned noble disciple, who has seen the noble ones, who is skilled in the noble teachings, who is well disciplined in the noble teachings, who has seen the good persons, who is skilled in the teachings of the good persons, who is well disciplined in the teachings of the good persons,

does not regard form as self, or self as possessing form, or form as in self, or self as in form;

does not regard feeling as self, or self as possessing feeling, or feeling as in self, or self as in feeling;

does not regard perception as self, or self as possessing perception, or perception as in self, or self as in perception;

does not regard mental formations as self, or self as possessing mental formations, or mental formations as in self, or self as in mental formations;

does not regard consciousness as self, or self as possessing consciousness, or consciousness as in self, or self as in consciousness:

Thus one does not get carried away by present phenomena.

One should not pursue the past,

nor expect the future.

What is past is left behind.

The future is as yet unreached.

Whatever quality is present

you clearly see right there, right there.

Not taken in, unshaken,

thats how you develop the mind.

Ardently doing what should be done today,

for: who knows?: tomorrow death.

There is no bargaining

with Mortality & his mighty horde.

Whoever lives thus ardently,

relentlessly both day & night,

has truly had an auspicious day:

so says the peaceful sage.

Disciples, I will teach you the summary and analysis of the One Who Has Had an Auspicious Day:

Thus was it said, and in reference to this was it said.

This is what the Blessed One said.

Satisfied, the disciples delighted in the Blessed Ones words.

The Discourse on the One Who Has Had an Auspicious Day is finished.

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