The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha

by Bhikkhu Nanamoli

  18. “Again, by completely surmounting the base of infinite space, aware that ‘consciousness is infinite,’ a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the base of infinite consciousness. This too is a state higher and more sublime than knowledge and vision.

  19. “Again, by completely surmounting the base of infinite consciousness, aware that ‘there is nothing,’ a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the base of nothingness. This too is a state higher and more sublime than knowledge and vision.

  20. “Again, by completely surmounting the base of nothingness, a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception. This too is a state higher and more sublime than knowledge and vision.

  21. “Again, by completely surmounting the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the cessation of perception and feeling. And his taints are destroyed by seeing with wisdom. This too is a state higher and more sublime than knowledge and vision. These are the states that are higher and more sublime than knowledge and vision.

  22. “I say that this person, brahmin, is like a man needing heartwood, seeking heartwood, wandering in search of heartwood, who came to a great tree standing possessed of heartwood, and cutting off its heartwood, took it away knowing it was heartwood; and so whatever it was he had to make with heartwood, his purpose will have been served.

  23. “So this holy life, brahmin, does not have gain, honour, and renown for its benefit, or the attainment of virtue for its benefit, or the attainment of concentration for its benefit, or knowledge and vision for its benefit. But it is [205] this unshakeable deliverance of mind that is the goal of this holy life, its heartwood, and its end.”

  24. When this was said, the brahmin Pingalakoccha said to the Blessed One: “Magnificent, Master Gotama! Magnificent, Master Gotama! Master Gotama has made the Dhamma clear in many ways, as though he were turning upright what had been overthrown, revealing what was hidden, showing the way to one who was lost, or holding up a lamp in the dark for those with eyesight to see forms. I go to Master Gotama for refuge and to the Dhamma and to the Sangha of bhikkhus. From today let Master Gotama remember me as a lay follower who has gone to him for refuge for life.”

  4

  The Great Division of Pairs

  (Mahāyamakavagga)

  Cūḷagosinga Sutta

  The Shorter Discourse in Gosinga

  1. THUS HAVE I HEARD. On one occasion the Blessed One was living at Nādikā in the Brick House.

  2. Now on that occasion the venerable Anuruddha, the venerable Nandiya, and the venerable Kimbila were living at the Park of the Gosinga Sāla-tree Wood.354

  3. Then, when it was evening, the Blessed One rose from meditation and went to the Park of the Gosinga Sāla-tree Wood. The park keeper saw the Blessed One coming in the distance and told him: “Do not enter this park, recluse. There are three clansmen here seeking their own good. Do not disturb them.”

  4. The venerable Anuruddha heard the park keeper speaking to the Blessed One and told him: “Friend park keeper, do not keep the Blessed One out. It is our Teacher, the Blessed One, who has come.” Then the venerable Anuruddha went to the venerable Nandiya and the venerable Kimbila and said: “Come out, venerable sirs, come out! Our Teacher, [206] the Blessed One, has come.”

  5. Then all three went to meet the Blessed One. One took his bowl and outer robe, one prepared a seat, and one set out water for washing the feet. The Blessed One sat down on the seat made ready and washed his feet. Then those three venerable ones paid homage to the Blessed One and sat down at one side. When they were seated, the Blessed One said to them: “I hope you are all keeping well, Anuruddha, I hope you are all comfortable, I hope you are not having any trouble getting almsfood.”

  “We are keeping well, Blessed One, we are comfortable, and we are not having any trouble getting almsfood.”

  6. “I hope, Anuruddha, that you are all living in concord, with mutual appreciation, without disputing, blending like milk and water, viewing each other with kindly eyes.”

  “Surely, venerable sir, we are living in concord, with mutual appreciation, without disputing, blending like milk and water, viewing each other with kindly eyes.”

  “But, Anuruddha, how do you live thus?”

  7. “Venerable sir, as to that, I think thus: ‘It is a gain for me, it is a great gain for me, that I am living with such companions in the holy life.’ I maintain bodily acts of loving-kindness towards those venerable ones both openly and privately; I maintain verbal acts of loving-kindness towards them both openly and privately; I maintain mental acts of loving-kindness towards them both openly and privately.355 I consider: ‘Why should I not [207] set aside what I wish to do and do what these venerable ones wish to do?’ Then I set aside what I wish to do and do what these venerable ones wish to do. We are different in body, venerable sir, but one in mind.”

  The venerable Nandiya and the venerable Kimbila each spoke likewise, adding: “That is how, venerable sir, we are living in concord, with mutual appreciation, without disputing, blending like milk and water, viewing each other with kindly eyes.”

  8. “Good, good, Anuruddha. I hope that you all abide diligent, ardent, and resolute.”

  “Surely, venerable sir, we abide diligent, ardent, and resolute.”

  “But, Anuruddha, how do you abide thus?”

  9. “Venerable sir, as to that, whichever of us returns first from the village with almsfood prepares the seats, sets out the water for drinking and for washing, and puts the refuse bucket in its place. Whichever of us returns last eats any food left over, if he wishes; otherwise he throws it away where there is no greenery or drops it into water where there is no life. He puts away the seats and the water for drinking and for washing. He puts away the refuse bucket after washing it and he sweeps out the refectory. Whoever notices that the pots of water for drinking, washing, or the latrine are low or empty takes care of them. If they are too heavy for him, he calls someone else by a signal of the hand and they move it by joining hands, but because of this we do not break out into speech. But every five days we sit together all night discussing the Dhamma. That is how we abide diligent, ardent, and resolute.”

  10. “Good, good, Anuruddha. But while you abide thus diligent, ardent, and resolute, have you attained any superhuman state, a distinction in knowledge and vision worthy of the noble ones, a comfortable abiding?”

  “Why not, venerable sir? Here, venerable sir, whenever we want, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, we enter upon and abide in the first jhāna, which is accompanied by applied and sustained thought, with rapture and pleasure born of seclusion. Venerable sir, this is a superhuman state, a distinction in knowledge and vision worthy of the noble ones, a comfortable abiding, which we have attained while abiding diligent, ardent, and resolute.”

  11-13. “Good, good, Anuruddha. But is there any other superhuman state, a distinction in knowledge and vision worthy of the noble ones, a comfortable abiding, which you have attained by surmounting that abiding, [208] by making that abiding subside?”

  “Why not, venerable sir? Here, venerable sir, whenever we want, with the stilling of applied and sustained thought, we enter upon and abide in the second jhāna…With the fading away as well of rapture…we enter upon and abide in the third jhāna…With the abandoning of pleasure and pain…we enter upon and abide in the fourth jhāna…Venerable sir, this is another superhuman state, a distinction in knowledge and vision worthy of the noble ones, a comfortable abiding, which we have attained by surmounting the preceding abiding, by making that abiding subside.”

  14. “Good, good, Anuruddha. But is there any other superhuman state…which you have attained by surmounting that abiding, by making that abiding subside?”

  “Why not, venerable sir? Here, venerable sir, whenever we want, with the complete surmounting of perceptions of form, with the disappearance of perceptions of sensory impact, with non-attention to perceptions of diversity, aw
are that ‘space is infinite,’ [209] we enter upon and abide in the base of infinite space. Venerable sir, this is another superhuman state…which we have attained by surmounting the preceding abiding, by making that abiding subside.”

  15-17. “Good, good, Anuruddha. But is there any other superhuman state…which you have attained by surmounting that abiding, by making that abiding subside?”

  “Why not, venerable sir? Here, venerable sir, whenever we want, by completely surmounting the base of infinite space, aware that ‘consciousness is infinite,’ we enter upon and abide in the base of infinite consciousness…By completely surmounting the base of infinite consciousness, aware that ‘there is nothing, ’ we enter upon and abide in the base of nothingness…By completely surmounting the base of nothingness, we enter upon and abide in the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception. Venerable sir, this is another superhuman state…which we have attained by surmounting the preceding abiding, by making that abiding subside.”

  18. “Good, good Anuruddha. But is there any other superhuman state, a distinction in knowledge and vision worthy of the noble ones, a comfortable abiding, which you have attained by surmounting that abiding, by making that abiding subside?”

  “Why not, venerable sir? Here, venerable sir, whenever we want, by completely surmounting the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, we enter upon and abide in the cessation of perception and feeling. And our taints are destroyed by our seeing with wisdom. Venerable sir, this is another superhuman state, a distinction in knowledge and vision worthy of the noble ones, a comfortable abiding, which we have attained by surmounting the preceding abiding, by making that abiding subside. And, venerable sir, we do not see any other comfortable abiding higher or more sublime than this one.”

  “Good, good Anuruddha. There is no other comfortable abiding higher or more sublime than that one.”

  19. Then, when the Blessed One had instructed, urged, roused, and gladdened the venerable Anuruddha, the venerable Nandiya, and the venerable Kimbila with a talk on the Dhamma, he rose from his seat and departed.

  20. After they had accompanied the Blessed One a little way and turned back again, the venerable [210] Nandiya and the venerable Kimbila asked the venerable Anuruddha: “Have we ever reported to the venerable Anuruddha that we have obtained those abidings and attainments that the venerable Anuruddha, in the Blessed One’s presence, ascribed to us up to the destruction of the taints?”

  “The venerable ones have never reported to me that they have obtained those abidings and attainments. Yet by encompassing the venerable ones’ minds with my own mind, I know that they have obtained those abidings and attainments. And deities have also reported to me: ‘These venerable ones have obtained those abidings and attainments.’ Then I declared it when directly questioned by the Blessed One.”

  21. Then the spirit Dīgha Parajana356 went to the Blessed One. After paying homage to the Blessed One, he stood at one side and said: “It is a gain for the Vajjians, venerable sir, a great gain for the Vajjian people that the Tathāgata, accomplished and fully enlightened, dwells among them and these three clansmen, the venerable Anuruddha, the venerable Nandiya, and the venerable Kimbila!” On hearing the exclamation of the spirit Dīgha Parajana, the earth gods exclaimed: “It is a gain for the Vajjians, a great gain for the Vajjian people that the Tathāgata, accomplished and fully enlightened, dwells among them and these three clansmen, the venerable Anuruddha, the venerable Nandiya, and the venerable Kimbila!” On hearing the exclamation of the earth gods, the gods of the heaven of the Four Great Kings…the gods of the heaven of the Thirty-three…the Yāma gods…the gods of the Tusita heaven…the gods who delight in creating…the gods who wield power over others’ creations…the gods of Brahmā’s retinue exclaimed: “It is a gain for the Vajjians, a great gain for the Vajjian people that the Tathāgata, accomplished and fully enlightened, dwells among them and these three clansmen, the venerable Anuruddha, the venerable Nandiya, and the venerable Kimbila!” Thus at that instant, at that moment, those venerable ones were known as far as the Brahma-world.

  22. [The Blessed One said:] “So it is, Dīgha, so it is! And if the clan from which those three clansmen went forth from the home life into homelessness should remember them with confident heart, that would lead to the welfare and happiness of that clan for a long time. And if the retinue of the clan from which those three clansmen went forth [211]…the village from which they went forth…the town from which they went forth…the city from which they went forth…the country from which those three clansmen went forth from the home life into homelessness should remember them with confident heart, that would lead to the welfare and happiness of that country for a long time. If all nobles should remember those three clansmen with confident heart, that would lead to the welfare and happiness of the nobles for a long time. If all brahmins…all merchants…all workers should remember those three clansmen with confident heart, that would lead to the welfare and happiness of the workers for a long time. If the world with its gods, its Māras, and its Brahmās, this generation with its recluses and brahmins, its princes and its people, should remember those three clansmen with confident heart, that would lead to the welfare and happiness of the world for a long time. See, Dīgha, how those three clansmen are practising for the welfare and happiness of the many, out of compassion for the world, for the good, welfare and happiness of gods and humans.”

  That is what the Blessed One said. The spirit Dīgha Parajana was satisfied and delighted in the Blessed One’s words.

  Mahāgosinga Sutta

  The Greater Discourse in Gosinga

  [212] 1. THUS HAVE I HEARD. On one occasion the Blessed One was living in the Park of the Gosinga Sāla-tree Wood together with a number of very well-known elder disciples—the venerable Sāriputta, the venerable Mahā Moggallāna, the venerable Mahā Kassapa, the venerable Anuruddha, the venerable Revata, the venerable Ānanda, and other very well known elder disciples.

  2. Then, when it was evening, the venerable Mahā Moggallāna rose from meditation, went to the venerable Mahā Kassapa, and said to him: “Friend Kassapa, let us go to the venerable Sāriputta to listen to the Dhamma.”—“Yes, friend,” the venerable Mahā Kassapa replied. Then the venerable Mahā Moggallāna, the venerable Mahā Kassapa, and the venerable Anuruddha went to the venerable Sāriputta to listen to the Dhamma.

  3. The venerable Ānanda saw them going to the venerable Sāriputta to listen to the Dhamma. Thereupon he went to the venerable Revata and said to him: “Friend Revata, those true men are going to the venerable Sāriputta to listen to the Dhamma. Let us also go to the venerable Sāriputta to listen to the Dhamma.”—“Yes, friend,” the venerable Revata to replied.to Then the venerable Revata and the venerable Ānanda went to the venerable Sāriputta to listen to the Dhamma.

  4. The venerable Sāriputta saw the venerable Revata and the venerable Ānanda coming in the distance and said to the venerable Ānanda: “Let the venerable Ānanda come, welcome to the venerable Ānanda, the Blessed One’s attendant, who is always in the Blessed One’s presence. Friend Ānanda, the Gosinga Sālatree Wood is delightful, the night is moonlit, the sāla trees are all in blossom, and heavenly scents seem to be floating in the air. What kind of bhikkhu, friend Ānanda, could illuminate the Gosinga Sāla-tree Wood?”

  “Here, friend [213] Sāriputta, a bhikkhu has learned much, remembers what he has learned, and consolidates what he has learned. Such teachings as are good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, with the right meaning and phrasing, and which affirm a holy life that is utterly perfect and pure—such teachings as these he has learned much of, remembered, mastered verbally, investigated with the mind, and penetrated well by view. And he teaches the Dhamma to the four assemblies with well-rounded and coherent statements and phrases for the eradication of the underlying tendencies.357 That kind of bhikkhu could illuminate this Gosinga Sāla-tree Wood.”

  5. When this was said, the venerable Sāriputta addressed th
e venerable Revata thus: “Friend Revata, the venerable Ānanda has spoken according to his own inspiration. 358 Now we ask the venerable Revata: Friend Revata, the Gosinga Sāla-tree Wood is delightful, the night is moonlit, the sāla trees are all in blossom, and heavenly scents seem to be floating in the air. What kind of bhikkhu, friend Revata, could illuminate this Gosinga Sāla-tree Wood?”

  “Here, friend Sāriputta, a bhikkhu delights in solitary meditation and takes delight in solitary meditation; he is devoted to internal serenity of mind, does not neglect meditation, possesses insight, and dwells in empty huts.359 That kind of bhikkhu could illuminate this Gosinga Sāla-tree Wood.”

  6. When this was said, the venerable Sāriputta addressed the venerable Anuruddha thus: “Friend Anuruddha, the venerable Revata has spoken according to his own inspiration. Now we ask the venerable Anuruddha: Friend Anuruddha, the Gosinga Sāla-tree Wood is delightful…What kind of bhikkhu, friend Anuruddha, could illuminate this Gosinga Sāla-tree Wood?”

  “Here, friend Sāriputta, with the divine eye, which is purified and surpasses the human, a bhikkhu surveys a thousand worlds. Just as a man with good sight, when he has ascended to the upper palace chamber, might survey a thousand wheel-rims, so too, with the divine eye, which is purified and surpasses the human, a bhikkhu surveys a thousand worlds .360 That kind of bhikkhu could illuminate this Gosinga Sāla-tree Wood.”