MN39 — Mahāassapurasutta

Thus have I heard: At one time the Blessed One was dwelling in the Anga country, in a town of the Angas named Assapura.

There, the Blessed One addressed the disciples:

People recognize you as ascetics, disciples. When asked who are you? you claim we are ascetics. Therefore for those of you recognized and claiming thus, We will undertake and practice those Dhammas that make one an ascetic and a Brahmin, so that our recognition and claim may be true and accurate.

And for those from whom we accept robes, almsfood, lodging, and medicinal requisites, our use of them will bring great fruit and benefit, and our going forth will not be in vain but fruitful and beneficial. Thus should you train.

And what are the Dhammas that make one an ascetic and a Brahmin? We will be endowed with moral shame and fear of wrongdoing. Thus should you train.

But it might be that you think: We are endowed with moral shame, our task is done, we have achieved what should be achieved, there is nothing further to be done, and you might be satisfied with that. I inform you I declare to you, disciples: Do not let the goal of liberation, for those who think there is something further to be done, be lost.

And what is further to be done? Our bodily conduct will be pure, open, clear, and restrained. And by being endowed with such pure bodily conduct, we will neither look down upon ourselves nor upon others. Thus should you train.

But it might be that you think: We are endowed with moral shame, our bodily conduct is pure; our task is done, we have achieved what should be achieved, there is nothing further to be done, and you might be satisfied with that. I inform you I declare to you, disciples: Do not let the goal of liberation, for those who think there is something further to be done, be lost.

And what is further to be done? Our verbal conduct will be pure, open, clear, and restrained. And by being endowed with such pure verbal conduct, we will neither look down upon ourselves nor upon others. Thus should you train.

But it might be that you think: We are endowed with moral shame, our bodily conduct is pure, our verbal conduct is pure; our task is done, we have achieved what should be achieved, there is nothing further to be done, and you might be satisfied with that. I inform you I declare to you, disciples: Do not let the goal of liberation, for those who think there is something further to be done, be lost.

And what is further to be done? Our mental conduct will be pure, open, clear, and restrained. And by being endowed with such pure mental conduct, we will neither look down upon ourselves nor upon others. Thus should you train.

But it might be that you think: We are endowed with moral shame, our bodily conduct is pure, our verbal conduct is pure, our mental conduct is pure; our task is done, we have achieved what should be achieved, there is nothing further to be done, and you might be satisfied with that. I inform you I declare to you, disciples: Do not let the goal of liberation, for those who think there is something further to be done, be lost.

And what is further to be done? Our livelihood will be pure, open, clear, and restrained. And by being endowed with such pure livelihood, we will neither look down upon ourselves nor upon others. Thus should you train.

But it might be that you think: We are endowed with moral shame, our bodily conduct is pure, our verbal conduct is pure, our mental conduct is pure, our livelihood is pure; our task is done, we have achieved what should be achieved, there is nothing further to be done, and you might be satisfied with that. I inform you I declare to you, disciples: Do not let the goal of liberation, for those who think there is something further to be done, be lost.

And what is further to be done? We will guard the doors of our sense faculties; upon seeing a form with the eye, we will not grasp at its signs or features. Since if we left the eye faculty unguarded, evil unwholesome states of covetousness and grief might invade us.

While dwelling, if covetousness and displeasure, evil unwholesome states, should invade one's mind, we will undertake restraint, we will guard the eye faculty, we will enter upon restraint of the eye faculty.

Upon hearing a sound with the ear…

Upon smelling an odor with the nose…

Upon tasting a flavor with the tongue…

Upon touching a tangible with the body…

Upon cognizing a mental object with the mind, not grasping at signs or features.

Because if the mind faculty is unrestrained, bad unwholesome states of covetousness and displeasure might invade one, for its restraint, we will undertake practice, we will guard the mind faculty, we will enter upon restraint of the mind faculty. Thus indeed should you train yourselves.

But it might be that you think:

We are endowed with moral shame, our bodily conduct is purified, our verbal conduct is purified, our mental conduct is purified, our livelihood is purified, we are guarding the doors of our sense faculties; enough is done, the purpose of the holy life has been reached, there is nothing further for us to do. And you might be satisfied with that.

I inform you I declare to you, disciples:

Let not the purpose of the holy life, the goal of the holy ones, be lost while there is still more to be done.

And what is more to be done?

We will be moderate in eating, reflecting wisely we will consume food, not for fun, not for pleasure, not for fattening, not for beautification, but only for the maintenance and nourishment of this body, for keeping it healthy, for pursuit of the holy life, thinking thus: I will terminate old feelings without arousing new feelings and I will be healthy and blameless and will live in comfort.

Thus indeed should you train yourselves.

But it might be that you think:

enough is done, the purpose of the holy life has been reached, there is nothing further for us to do. And you might be satisfied with that.

I inform you I declare to you, disciples:

Let not the purpose of the holy life, the goal of the holy ones, be lost while there is still more to be done.

And what is more to be done?

We will be devoted to wakefulness, during the day, walking back and forth and sitting, we will purify our minds of unwholesome states.

In the first watch of the night, walking back and forth and sitting, we will purify our minds of unwholesome states.

In the middle watch of the night, we will lie down on the right side in the lions pose, placing foot on foot, mindful and fully aware, after setting our minds to the idea of waking up.

In the last watch of the night, upon rising, walking back and forth and sitting, we will purify our minds of obstructive states. Thus indeed should you train yourselves.

But it might be that you think:

We are endowed with moral shame, our bodily conduct is purified, our verbal conduct is purified, our mental conduct is purified, our livelihood is purified, we are guarding the doors of our sense faculties, we are moderate in eating, we are devoted to wakefulness; enough is done, the purpose of the holy life has been reached, there is nothing further for us to do. And you might be satisfied with that.

I inform you I declare to you, disciples:

Let not the purpose of the holy life, the goal of the holy ones, be lost while there is still more to be done.

And what is more to be done?

We will be endowed with mindfulness and unobstructed awareness, unobstructed awareness when going forward and returning, unobstructed awareness when looking ahead and looking away, unobstructed awareness when flexing and extending limbs, unobstructed awareness when wearing robes and carrying the outer robe and bowl, unobstructed awareness when eating, drinking, consuming food, and tasting, unobstructed awareness when defecating and urinating, unobstructed awareness when walking, standing, sitting, falling asleep, waking up, speaking, and keeping silent. Thus indeed should you train yourselves.

But it might be that you think:

We are endowed with moral shame, our bodily conduct is purified, our verbal conduct is purified, our mental conduct is purified, our livelihood is purified, we are guarding the doors of our sense faculties, we are moderate in eating, we are devoted to wakefulness, we are equipped with mindfulness and full awareness; enough is done, the purpose of the holy life has been reached, there is nothing further for us to do. And you might be satisfied with that.

I inform you I declare to you, disciples:

Let not the purpose of the holy life, the goal of the holy ones, be lost while there is still more to be done. And what is more to be done?

Here a disciple frequents a secluded lodging: a forest, the root of a tree, a mountain, a ravine, a hillside cave, a charnel ground, a jungle grove...

He sits down cross-legged after his meal, having returned from his alms round, setting his body erect and establishing mindfulness on itself. He lives with a mind free from covetousness for the world, cleansing his mind of covetousness; free from ill-will and harm, compassionate for the welfare of all living beings, cleansing his mind of ill-will; free from sloth and torpor, alert and mindful, cleansing his mind of sloth and torpor; free from restlessness and remorse, calm in mind, cleansing his mind of restlessness and remorse; free from doubt, having crossed over doubt, confident in skillful qualities, cleansing his mind of doubt.

Just as a person would take a loan for a venture, and the venture succeeds, he would then repay his old debts and still have surplus for supporting his family, thinking, I took a loan for a venture, it succeeded, I repaid my debts and have surplus for my family, and he would be joyful and happy.

Similarly, a sick person, suffering and severely ill, unable to eat and lacking strength, later recovers, can eat and regains strength, thinking, I was sick, suffering, unable to eat, now I am recovered, can eat, and have regained strength, and he would be joyful and happy.

Just as a person imprisoned would later be released safely without loss of property, thinking, I was imprisoned, now I am released safely without loss of property, and he would be joyful and happy.

Just as a slave would later be freed, becoming independent and free to go where he wishes, thinking, I was a slave, now I am free and independent, and he would be joyful and happy. Just as a wealthy person traveling through a dangerous road would emerge safely without loss of property, thinking, I traveled through a dangerous road and emerged safely without loss of property, and he would be joyful and happy.

In the same way a disciple sees these five hindrances un-abandoned in himself as debt, sickness, imprisonment, slavery, and a dangerous road. When these five hindrances are abandoned, he sees himself as debt-free, healthy, released from prison, freed from slavery, and in a safe place.

Having abandoned these five hindrances, impurities of the mind that weaken wisdom, secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskillful qualities, he enters and remains in the first jhana, which is accompanied by applied and sustained thought, with rapture and pleasure born of seclusion.

He suffuses, drenches, fills, and irradiates his body with the rapture and pleasure born of seclusion, so that there is no part of his body not suffused by the rapture and pleasure born of seclusion.

Just as a skilled bathman or his apprentice would knead water into bath powder so that the ball of bath powder is soaked and saturated with moisture, enveloped inside and out yet does not drip; in the same way, a disciple suffuses his body with the rapture and pleasure born of seclusion.

He enters and dwells in the second jhana, which is without directed thought and evaluation, has unification of awareness, and is born of concentration, filled with rapture and pleasure.

He drenches, steeps, fills, and suffuses this very body with the rapture and pleasure born of concentration, so that there is no part of his whole body not suffused by the rapture and pleasure born of concentration.

Just as if there were a lake whose waters welled up from below and it had no inflow from east, west, north, or south, and would not be replenished from time to time by showers of rain, then the cool fount of water welling up in the lake would drench, steep, fill, and suffuse the lake with cool water, so that there would be no part of the whole lake not suffused with cool water.

In the same way, he drenches, steeps, fills, and suffuses this very body with the rapture and pleasure born of concentration, so that there is no part of his whole body not suffused by the rapture and pleasure born of concentration.

Furthermore, with the fading of rapture, he dwells equanimous, mindful, and fully aware, feeling pleasure with the body, he enters and dwells in the third jhana, of which the noble ones declare, Equanimous and mindful, he has a pleasant abiding.

He drenches, steeps, fills, and suffuses this very body with the pleasure devoid of rapture, so that there is no part of his whole body not suffused by the pleasure devoid of rapture.

Just as in a pond of blue, red, or white lotuses, some lotuses born and growing in the water might flourish while immersed in the water, without rising above it, and the cool water would drench, steep, fill, and suffuse them to their tips and roots, so that there would be no part of those lotuses not suffused with cool water.

In the same way, he drenches, steeps, fills, and suffuses this very body with the pleasure devoid of rapture, so that there is no part of his whole body not suffused by the pleasure devoid of rapture.

Furthermore, with the abandoning of pleasure and pain, and with the previous disappearance of joy and grief, he enters and dwells in the fourth jhana, which is neither painful nor pleasant and includes the purification of mindfulness by equanimity.

He sits, suffusing his body with a pure, bright mind, so that there is no part of his whole body not suffused by the pure, bright mind. Just as if a man were sitting wrapped from head to foot with a white cloth so that there would be no part of his whole body not suffused by the white cloth. In the same way, he sits, suffusing his body with a pure, bright mind, so that there is no part of his whole body not suffused by the pure, bright mind.

With his mind thus concentrated, purified, cleansed, unblemished, rid of imperfections, malleable, wieldy, steady, and attained to imperturbability, he directs and inclines it 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. Just as if a man went from his own village to another village, and then from that village to yet another village, and then returned from that village to his own village. He would think, I went from my own village to that village; there I stood in such a way, sat in such a way, talked in such a way, and remained silent in such a way.

From that village, I went to that other village, and there too, I stood in such a way, sat in such a way, talked in such a way, and remained silent in such a way. Now I have come back to my own village. In the same way, he recollects his manifold past lives with their aspects and particulars.

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.

Just as if there were two houses with doors, and a man with good sight standing there could see people coming and going, entering and leaving. In the same way, with the divine eye, which is purified and surpasses the human, he sees beings passing away and reappearing.

He understands beings as they arise, whether they are low or high, in a good or bad state, according to their actions. Thus, with a concentrated mind that is pure, cleansed, without blemishes, free from defilements, soft, workable, established, and having reached imperturbability, he directs his mind towards the knowing of the destruction of the taints.

He truly understands: This is suffering, This is the origin of suffering, This is the cessation of suffering, and This is the path leading to the cessation of suffering. He truly understands: These are the taints, This is the origin of the taints, This is the cessation of the taints, and This is the path leading to the cessation of the taints. For one who knows and sees in this way, the mind is liberated from the taint of sensual desire, from the taint of being, and from the taint of ignorance.

In the liberated one, there arises the knowing: 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. Just like in a mountain pool, clear, undisturbed, and serene, where a person standing on the shore can see shells, gravel, and fish moving about or staying still.

He knows: This pool is clear, undisturbed, and serene. Here are these shells, gravel, and fish moving about or staying still. In the same way, a disciple truly understands suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path leading to its cessation.

He knows: There is no more coming to any state of being. This is called a disciple who is a recluse, a Brahmin, a bathed one, a knower of the Vedas, a learned one, a noble one, an arahant. How does a disciple become a recluse? His evil unwholesome states that are defiling, leading to future birth, associated with distress, resulting in suffering, and leading to future old age and death, are calmed. Thus, a disciple becomes a recluse.

How does a disciple become a Brahmin? His evil unwholesome states are expelled. Thus, a disciple becomes a Brahmin. How does a disciple become a bathed one? His evil unwholesome states are washed away. Thus, a disciple becomes a bathed one.

How does a disciple become a knower of the Vedas? His evil unwholesome states are known. Thus, a disciple becomes a knower of the Vedas. How does a disciple become a learned one? His evil unwholesome states are heard and learned. Thus, a disciple becomes a learned one.

How does a disciple become a noble one? His evil unwholesome states are distanced. Thus, a disciple becomes a noble one.

How does a disciple become an arahant? His evil unwholesome states are distanced. Thus, a disciple becomes an arahant.

The Blessed One said this.

The disciples were pleased and delighted in the Blessed One's words.

The Great Discourse at Assapura is concluded.