MN2 — All the Taints Discourse
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, I will teach you the way of restraining all defilements. Listen to it, pay close attention, and I will speak.
Yes, Venerable Sir, those disciples replied to the Blessed One.
Disciples, I say that the destruction of defilements is for one who knows and sees, not for one who does not know and does not see.
And what is the knowing and vision that leads to the destruction of defilements?
Proper attention and improper attention.
When one attends improperly, unarisen defilements arise and arisen defilements increase. When one attends properly, unarisen defilements do not arise and arisen defilements are abandoned.
There are defilements to be abandoned by seeing, defilements to be abandoned by restraining, defilements to be abandoned by using, defilements to be abandoned by enduring, defilements to be abandoned by avoiding, defilements to be abandoned by removing, and defilements to be abandoned by developing.
1. Defilements to be abandoned by seeing
And what are the defilements to be abandoned by seeing?
Here an unlearned ordinary person who has no regard for noble ones, is unskilled and undisciplined in their Dhamma, has no regard for true persons, is unskilled and undisciplined in their Dhamma, does not understand what things are fit for attention and what things are unfit for attention.
Not understanding what things are fit for attention and what things are unfit for attention, he attends to things unfit for attention and does not attend to things fit for attention.
And what are the things unfit for attention that he attends to?
Whatever things, when attended to, lead to the arising of unarisen sensual desire, or to the increase of arisen sensual desire, to the arising of unarisen desire for existence, or to the increase of arisen desire for existence, to the arising of unarisen ignorance, or to the increase of arisen ignorance: these are the things unfit for attention that he attends to.
And what are the things fit for attention that he does not attend to?
Whatever things, when attended to, do not lead to the arising of unarisen sensual desire, or to the increase of arisen sensual desire, to the arising of unarisen desire for existence, or to the increase of arisen desire for existence, to the arising of unarisen ignorance, or to the increase of arisen ignorance: these are the things fit for attention that he does not attend to.
By attending to things unfit for attention and not attending to things fit for attention, unarisen defilements arise and arisen defilements increase.
He attends improperly thus:
Was I in the past? Was I not in the past? What was I in the past? How was I in the past? Having been what, what was I in the past?
Shall I be in the future? Shall I not be in the future? What shall I be in the future? How shall I be in the future? Having been what, what shall I be in the future?
Or else he is inwardly perplexed about the present thus:
Am I? Am I not? What am I? How am I? Where has this being come from? Where will it go?
When he attends improperly in this way, one of six views arises in him.
The view I have a self arises in him as true and established, or the view I have no self arises in him as true and established, or the view I perceive self with self arises in him as true and established, or the view I perceive not-self with self arises in him as true and established, or the view I perceive self with not-self arises in him as true and established, or else he has some such view as this:
It is this self of mine that speaks and feels and experiences here and there the result of good and bad actions; but this self of mine is permanent, everlasting, eternal, not subject to change, and it will endure as long as eternity.
This speculative view is called a thicket of views, a wilderness of views, a contortion of views, a writhing of views, a fetter of views.
Fettered by the fetter of views, the unlearned ordinary person is not freed from birth, aging, and death, from sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair; he is not freed from suffering, I say.
I say that one is released from suffering. And a learned noble disciple:
one who has seen the noble ones, who is skilled in the noble teachings, who is well-trained in the noble teachings, who has seen the good people, who is skilled in the teachings of the good people, who is well-trained in the teachings of the good people: knows the things that should be attended to and the things that should not be attended to.
Knowing the things that should be attended to and the things that should not be attended to, he does not attend to the things that should not be attended to, and he attends to the things that should be attended to.
And what are the things that should not be attended to, which he does not attend to?
When attending to things, if unarisen sensual desire arises or arisen sensual desire increases; if unarisen desire for existence arises or arisen desire for existence increases; if unarisen ignorance arises or arisen ignorance increases: these are the things that should not be attended to, which he does not attend to.
And what are the things that should be attended to, which he attends to?
When attending to things, if unarisen sensual desire does not arise or arisen sensual desire is abandoned; if unarisen desire for existence does not arise or arisen desire for existence is abandoned; if unarisen ignorance does not arise or arisen ignorance is abandoned: these are the things that should be attended to, which he attends to.
By not attending to the things that should not be attended to and by attending to the things that should be attended to, unarisen taints do not arise and arisen taints are abandoned.
He attends wisely to: This is suffering, This is the origin of suffering, This is the cessation of suffering, This is the path leading to the cessation of suffering.
By attending wisely in this way, three fetters are abandoned: identity view, doubt, and attachment to rites and rituals.
These are called the taints to be abandoned by seeing.
2. Taints to be abandoned by restraint
And what are the taints to be abandoned by restraint?
Here a disciple, reflecting wisely, dwells restrained by the restraint of the eye faculty.
If while dwelling unrestrained in the eye faculty, taints of distress and fever might arise, by dwelling restrained in the eye faculty, those taints of distress and fever do not arise.
Reflecting wisely, he dwells restrained by the restraint of the ear faculty … he dwells restrained by the restraint of the nose faculty …
he dwells restrained by the restraint of the tongue faculty …
he dwells restrained by the restraint of the body faculty …
he dwells restrained by the restraint of the mind faculty.
If while dwelling unrestrained in the mind faculty, taints of distress and fever might arise, by dwelling restrained in the mind faculty, those taints of distress and fever do not arise.
If while dwelling unrestrained, taints of distress and fever might arise, by dwelling restrained, those taints of distress and fever do not arise.
These are called the taints to be abandoned by restraint.
3. Taints to be abandoned by using
And what are the taints to be abandoned by using?
Here a disciple, reflecting wisely, uses the robe: only for protection from cold, for protection from heat, for protection from contact with flies, mosquitoes, wind, sun, and reptiles, and only for the purpose of covering the private parts.
Reflecting wisely, he uses alms food: not for fun, not for indulgence, not for physical beauty, not for adornment, but only for the endurance and continuance of this body, for ending discomfort, and for assisting the holy life, considering, Thus I shall terminate old feelings without arousing new feelings, and I shall be healthy and blameless and live in comfort.
Reflecting wisely, he uses the lodging: only for protection from cold, for protection from heat, for protection from contact with flies, mosquitoes, wind, sun, and reptiles, and only for the purpose of warding off the perils of climate and for enjoying seclusion.
Reflecting wisely, he uses medicinal requisites for curing the sick: only for protection from arisen afflictive feelings and for complete freedom from disease.
If while not using these things, taints of distress and fever might arise, by using them, those taints of distress and fever do not arise.
These are called the taints to be abandoned by using.
4. Taints to be abandoned by enduring
And what are the taints to be abandoned by enduring?
Here a disciple, reflecting wisely, endures cold and heat, hunger and thirst. Flies, mosquitoes, wind, sun, and reptiles, harsh and unwelcome words.
He endures bodily feelings that are painful, severe, sharp, bitter, unpleasant, disagreeable, and life-threatening. If unendurable feelings arise in him, they do not cause defilements, distress, or fever. But if he endures them, those defilements, distress, and fever do not arise. These are called defilements to be endured.
5. Defilements to be avoided
And what are the defilements to be avoided? Here a disciple wisely avoids a wild elephant, a wild horse, a wild ox, a wild dog, a snake, a stump, a thorny place, a pit, a precipice, a cesspool, and a sewer. Just as a wise fellow disciple would avoid sitting in a place where there is no food, wandering in a place that is not suitable, and associating with bad friends, so he wisely avoids that place without food, that unsuitable place, and those bad friends.
If he does not avoid them, defilements, distress, and fever arise in him. But if he avoids them, those defilements, distress, and fever do not arise. These are called defilements to be avoided.
6. Defilements to be removed
And what are the defilements to be removed? Here a disciple wisely does not tolerate an arisen sensual thought, but abandons it, removes it, makes it cease, and brings it to non-existence. He does not tolerate an arisen thought of ill-will... an arisen thought of harming... any arisen evil, unwholesome states, but abandons them, removes them, makes them cease, and brings them to non-existence.
If he does not remove them, defilements, distress, and fever arise in him. But if he removes them, those defilements, distress, and fever do not arise. These are called defilements to be removed.
7. Defilements to be developed
And what are the defilements to be developed? Here a disciple wisely develops the mindfulness enlightenment factor, which is based on seclusion, dispassion, cessation, and leads to relinquishment; he wisely develops the investigation of states enlightenment factor... the energy enlightenment factor... the joy enlightenment factor... the tranquility enlightenment factor... the concentration enlightenment factor... the equanimity enlightenment factor, which is based on seclusion, dispassion, cessation, and leads to relinquishment. If he does not develop them, defilements, distress, and fever arise in him.
But if he develops them, those defilements, distress, and fever do not arise. These are called defilements to be developed.
When a disciple has abandoned the defilements to be abandoned by seeing, by restraint, by using, by enduring, by avoiding, by removing, and by developing, he is called a disciple who dwells restrained with the restraint of all defilements, who has cut off craving, turned away from the fetters, and, through right understanding, has made an end of suffering.
Thus spoke the Blessed One. The disciples were satisfied and delighted in the Blessed One's words.
The discourse on all defilements is finished.