MN78 — Samaṇamuṇḍikasutta

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

At that time, the wanderer Uggāhamāna, the son of Samaṇamuṇḍika, was residing in the Mallikā's Park with a large company of wanderers, about five hundred in number, wearing bark garments of the Tinduka tree.

Then, Pañcakaṅga the carpenter left Sāvatthī during the day to see the Blessed One. Pañcakaṅga the carpenter thought: It is not the right time to see the Blessed One;

He is in seclusion. It is also not the right time to see the disciples who are pleasing to the mind; They are in seclusion. Why don't I go to where the wanderer Uggāhamāna, the son of Samaṇamuṇḍika, is staying in Mallikā's Park?

Then, Pañcakaṅga the carpenter went to where the wanderer Uggāhamāna, the son of Samaṇamuṇḍika, was staying. At that time, the wanderer Uggāhamāna, the son of Samaṇamuṇḍika, was sitting with a large company of wanderers, speaking loudly and boisterously on various topics such as: talk of kings, thieves, ministers, armies, fears, battles, food, drinks, clothes, beds, garlands, scents, relatives, vehicles, villages, towns, cities, countries, women, heroes, archers, the standing of pots, stories of the past, various stories, stories of the world, stories of the sea, stories of being and non-being, etc.

The wanderer Uggāhamāna, the son of Samaṇamuṇḍika, saw Pañcakaṅga the carpenter coming from afar.

Seeing him, he quieted his assembly: Be quiet, friends, do not make a noise;

Here comes Pañcakaṅga the a disciple of the ascetic Gotama. Among the disciples of the ascetic Gotama who are householders wearing white clothes living in Sāvatthī, he is one of them.

Those venerable ones like quiet, are trained in quiet, and praise quiet; Perhaps it would be considered proper to approach a quiet assembly. Then those wanderers became silent.

Pañcakaṅga the carpenter approached the wanderer Uggāhamāna, the son of Samaṇamuṇḍika; having approached, he exchanged greetings with him.

After their courteous and amiable talk was finished, he sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, the wanderer Uggāhamāna, the son of Samaṇamuṇḍika, said to him:

I declare a person to be skilled and supremely skilled in the highest attainment, a disciple who is beyond training, based on four qualities. What four?

Here one does not perform bad deeds with the body, does not speak bad words, does not think bad thoughts, and does not pursue a bad livelihood:

Based on these four qualities I declare a person to be skilled, supremely skilled, and in the highest attainment, a disciple who is beyond training.

Pañcakaṅga the carpenter neither approved nor disapproved of the words of the wanderer Uggāhamāna, the son of Samaṇamuṇḍika. Without approving or disapproving, he rose from his seat and left, thinking:

I shall learn the meaning of this statement in the presence of the Blessed One. Then, Pañcakaṅga the carpenter went to the Blessed One; having approached, he paid homage to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, Pañcakaṅga the carpenter reported to the Blessed One the entire conversation he had with the wanderer Uggāhamāna, the son of Samaṇamuṇḍika.

Having heard this, the Blessed One said to Pañcakaṅga the carpenter:

In that case, a young boy, tender, lying flat on his back, would be skilled, supremely skilled, and in the highest attainment, a disciple who is beyond training, according to the statement of the wanderer Uggāhamāna, the son of Samaṇamuṇḍika.

For a young boy, tender, lying flat on his back, does not even have a body, how could he perform bad deeds with the body, except by flailing about.

For a young boy, tender, lying flat on his back, does not even have speech, how could he speak bad words, except by crying.

For a young boy, tender, lying flat on his back, does not even have intentions, how could he think bad thoughts, except by fussing.

For a young boy, tender, lying flat on his back, does not even have a livelihood, how could he pursue a bad livelihood, except by lying there.

Even for a lazy person lying flat on their back, there is no livelihood, let alone a wrong livelihood, except by the support of a mother. Thus, O a young boy, lazy and lying flat on his back, will become skilled, very skilled, and reach the highest attainment as a disciple who is blameless, just as the saying of the wandering ascetic Samaṇamuṇḍikāputta when he is being carried.

I declare, O that a person endowed with four qualities is neither skilled, very skilled, nor has reached the highest attainment as a blameless disciple, but this young boy, lazy and lying flat on his back, remains after overcoming them. What are the four?

Here, O one does not perform bad actions by body, does not speak bad words, does not plan bad thoughts, and does not pursue a wrong livelihood: endowed with these four qualities, I declare, O that a person is neither skilled, very skilled, nor has reached the highest attainment as a blameless disciple, but this young boy, lazy and lying flat on his back, remains after overcoming them. With ten qualities, I declare, O a person to be skilled, very skilled, and having reached the highest attainment as a blameless disciple.

These are unwholesome moralities; I say, O they should be understood. These unwholesome moralities arise from here; I say, O they should be understood. Here, unwholesome moralities cease without remainder; I say, O they should be understood. Practicing in this way, one practices for the cessation of unwholesome moralities; I say, O they should be understood.

These are wholesome moralities; I say, O they should be understood. These wholesome moralities arise from here; I say, O they should be understood. Here, wholesome moralities cease without remainder; I say, O they should be understood. Practicing in this way, one practices for the cessation of wholesome moralities;

I say, O they should be understood. These are unwholesome intentions; I say, O they should be understood. These unwholesome intentions arise from here; I say, O they should be understood. Here, unwholesome intentions cease without remainder; I say, O they should be understood.

Practicing in this way, one practices for the cessation of unwholesome intentions; I say, O they should be understood. These are wholesome intentions; I say, O they should be understood. These wholesome intentions arise from here; I say, O they should be understood. Here, wholesome intentions cease without remainder; I say, O they should be understood. Practicing in this way, one practices for the cessation of wholesome intentions; I say, O they should be understood.

What, O are unwholesome moralities? Unwholesome bodily action, unwholesome verbal action, wrong livelihood: these, O are called unwholesome moralities. And, O what is the origin of these unwholesome moralities? Their origin is also stated. They are said to arise from the mind. What mind? For the mind is indeed diverse, manifold, and varied. The mind that is with greed, with hatred, with delusion, from here arise unwholesome moralities. And, O where do these unwholesome moralities cease without remainder? Their cessation is also stated.

Here, O a disciple abandons wrong bodily conduct and develops right bodily conduct, abandons wrong verbal conduct and develops right verbal conduct, abandons wrong mental conduct and develops right mental conduct, abandons wrong livelihood and leads a life with right livelihood: here these unwholesome moralities cease without remainder.

How, O does one practice for the cessation of unwholesome moralities? Here, O a disciple generates desire, applies effort, arouses energy, grasps the mind, and strives to prevent the arising of unarisen unwholesome states, to abandon arisen unwholesome states, to arouse unarisen wholesome states, and for the maintenance, non-confusion, increase, expansion, development, and fulfillment of arisen wholesome states.

Practicing in this way, O one practices for the cessation of unwholesome moralities. What, O are wholesome moralities? Wholesome bodily action, wholesome verbal action, and I say, O even pure livelihood is in morality. These, O are called wholesome moralities. And, O what is the origin of these wholesome moralities? Their origin is also stated. They are said to arise from the mind. What mind?

Indeed, the mind is manifold, diverse, and of various kinds. The mind that is free from lust, free from hatred, free from delusion, from which wholesome virtues arise. And these where do these wholesome virtues cease without remainder? Their cessation too has been declared.

Here a disciple is virtuous but not made of virtue, and he understands liberation of mind, liberation by wisdom as they really are; where these wholesome virtues cease without remainder for him. How does one practice for the cessation of wholesome virtues?

Here a disciple generates desire, exerts effort, arouses energy, takes hold of his mind, and strives to prevent the arising of unarisen evil, unwholesome states; for the abandoning of arisen evil, unwholesome states… for the arising of unarisen wholesome states… for the maintenance, non-confusion, increase, expansion, development, and fulfillment of arisen wholesome states. Thus practiced one practices for the cessation of wholesome virtues.

And what are unwholesome intentions? Intentions of sensuality, ill-will, and harm: these are called unwholesome intentions. And these unwholesome intentions, from what do they arise? Their arising too has been declared. They arise from perception. Which perception? For perception too is manifold, diverse, and of various kinds. Perception of sensuality, ill-will, and harm: from these arise unwholesome intentions.

And these where do these unwholesome intentions cease without remainder? Their cessation too has been declared. Here a disciple, having secluded himself from sensual pleasures… enters and dwells in the first jhana; there these unwholesome intentions cease without remainder.

How does one practice for the cessation of unwholesome intentions? Here a disciple generates desire, exerts effort, arouses energy, takes hold of his mind, and strives to prevent the arising of unarisen evil, unwholesome states; for the abandoning of arisen evil, unwholesome states… for the arising of unarisen wholesome states… for the maintenance, non-confusion, increase, expansion, development, and fulfillment of arisen wholesome states.

Thus practiced one practices for the cessation of unwholesome intentions. And what are wholesome intentions? Intentions of renunciation, non-ill-will, and non-harm: these are called wholesome intentions. And these wholesome intentions, from what do they arise? Their arising too has been declared. They arise from perception. Which perception?

For perception too is manifold, diverse, and of various kinds. Perception of renunciation, non-ill-will, and non-harm: from these arise wholesome intentions. And these where do these wholesome intentions cease without remainder? Their cessation too has been declared. Here a disciple, with the stilling of applied and sustained thought… enters and dwells in the second jhana; there these wholesome intentions cease without remainder. How does one practice for the cessation of wholesome intentions?

Thus practiced one practices for the cessation of wholesome intentions. And by which do I describe a person endowed with ten qualities as skilled in the good, supreme in the good, having reached the highest attainment, a disciple beyond training?

Here a disciple is endowed with perfect right view, perfect right intention, perfect right speech, perfect right action, perfect right livelihood, perfect right effort, perfect right mindfulness, perfect right concentration, perfect right knowing, perfect right liberation: with these ten qualities I describe a person as skilled in the good, supreme in the good, having reached the highest attainment, a disciple beyond training.

Thus I have heard. The Blessed One said this. The group of five disciples was delighted with what the Blessed One had spoken.

The Discourse on the Ascetic Muṇḍika is finished.