9. “Udāyin, there are certain clansmen here who, [450] when told by me ‘Abandon this,’ say: ‘What, such a mere trifle, such a little thing to be abandoned as this, the Blessed One tells us to abandon, the Sublime One tells us to relinquish.’ Yet they abandon that and do not show discourtesy towards me or towards those bhikkhus desirous of training. Having abandoned it, they live at ease, unruffled, subsisting on others’ gifts, with mind [as aloof] as a wild deer’s. For them that thing becomes a feeble, weak, rotting, coreless tether.
10. “Suppose, Udāyin, a royal tusker elephant with tusks as long as chariot-poles, full-grown in stature, high-bred and accustomed to battle, were tethered by stout leather thongs, but by simply twisting his body a little he could break and burst the thongs and then go where he likes. Now suppose someone said: ‘The stout leather thongs by which this royal tusker elephant is tethered…are for him a strong, stout, tough, unrotting tether and a thick yoke.’ Would he be speaking rightly?”
“No, venerable sir. The stout leather thongs by which that royal tusker elephant is tethered, which by simply twisting his body a little he could break and burst and then go where he likes, are for him a feeble, weak, rotting, coreless tether.”
“So too, Udāyin, there are certain clansmen here who, when told by me ‘Abandon this’…abandon that and do not show discourtesy towards me or towards those bhikkhus desirous of training. Having abandoned it, they live at ease, unruffled, subsisting on others’ gifts, with mind [as aloof] as a wild deer’s. For them that thing becomes a feeble, weak, rotting, coreless tether.
11. “Suppose, Udāyin, there were a poor, penniless, destitute man, and he had one dilapidated hovel open to the crows, not the best kind, and one dilapidated wicker bedstead, not the best kind, [451] and some grain and pumpkin seeds in a pot, not the best kind, and one hag of a wife, not the best kind. He might see a bhikkhu in a monastery park sitting in the shade of a tree, his hands and feet well washed after he had eaten a delicious meal, devoting himself to the higher mind. He might think: ‘How pleasant the recluse’s state is! How healthy the recluse’s state is! If only I could shave off my hair and beard, put on the yellow robe, and go forth from the home life into homelessness!’ But being unable to abandon his one dilapidated hovel open to the crows, not the best kind, and his one dilapidated wicker bedstead, not the best kind, and his grain and pumpkin seeds in a pot, not the best kind, and his hag of a wife, not the best kind, he is unable to shave off his hair and beard, put on the yellow robe, and go forth from the home life into homelessness. Now suppose someone said: ‘The tethers by which that man is tethered so that he cannot abandon his one dilapidated hovel…and his hag of a wife, not the best kind, and shave off his hair and beard, put on the yellow robe, and go forth from the home life into homelessness—for him those are a feeble, weak, rotting, coreless tether.’ Would he be speaking rightly?”
“No, venerable sir. The tethers by which that man is tethered so that he cannot abandon his one dilapidated hovel…and his hag of a wife, not the best kind, and shave off his hair and beard, put on the yellow robe, and go forth from the home life into homelessness—for him those are a strong, stout, tough, unrotting tether and a thick yoke.”
“So too, Udāyin, there are certain misguided men here who, when told by me ‘Abandon this’…do not abandon that and they show discourtesy towards me as well as towards those bhikkhus desirous of training. For them that thing becomes a strong, stout, tough, unrotting tether and a thick yoke.
12. “Suppose, Udāyin, there were a rich householder or a householder’s son, [452] with great wealth and property, with a vast number of gold ingots, a vast number of granaries, a vast number of fields, a vast amount of land, a vast number of wives, and a vast number of men and women slaves. He might see a bhikkhu in a monastery park sitting in the shade of a tree, his hands and feet well washed after he had eaten a delicious meal, devoting himself to the higher mind. He might think: ‘How pleasant the recluse’s state is! How healthy the recluse’s state is! If only I could shave off my hair and beard, put on the yellow robe, and go forth from the home life into homelessness!’ And being able to abandon his vast number of gold ingots, his vast number of granaries, his vast number of fields, his vast amount of land, his vast number of wives, and his vast number of men and women slaves, he is able to shave off his hair and beard, put on the yellow robe, and go forth from the home life into homelessness. Now suppose someone said: ‘The tethers by which that householder or householder’s son is tethered so that he can abandon his vast number of gold ingots…his vast number of men and women slaves, and shave off his hair and beard, put on the yellow robe, and go forth from the home life into homelessness—for him those are a strong, stout, tough, unrotting tether and a thick yoke.’ Would he be speaking rightly?”
“No, venerable sir. The tethers by which that householder or householder’s son is tethered so that he can abandon his vast number of gold ingots…his vast number of men and women slaves, and shave off his hair and beard, put on the yellow robe, and go forth from the home life into homelessness—for him those are a feeble, weak, rotting, coreless tether.”
“So too, Udāyin, there are certain clansmen here who, when told by me ‘Abandon this’…abandon that and do not show discourtesy towards me or towards those bhikkhus desirous of training. [453] Having abandoned it, they live at ease, unruffled, subsisting on others’ gifts, with mind [as aloof] as a wild deer’s. For them that thing becomes a feeble, weak, rotting, coreless tether.
13. “Udāyin, there are four kinds of persons to be found existing in the world. What are the four?673
14. “Here, Udāyin, some person practises the way to the abandoning of the acquisitions, to the relinquishing of the acquisitions. 674 When he is practising the way, memories and intentions associated with the acquisitions beset him. He tolerates them; he does not abandon them, remove them, do away with them, and annihilate them. Such a person I call fettered, not unfettered. Why is that? Because I have known the particular diversity of faculties in this person.
15. “Here, Udāyin, some person practises the way to the abandoning of the acquisitions, to the relinquishing of the acquisitions. When he is practising the way, memories and intentions associated with the acquisitions beset him. He does not tolerate them; he abandons them, removes them, does away with them, and annihilates them. Such a person too I call fettered, not unfettered. Why is that? Because I have known the particular diversity of faculties in this person.675
16. “Here, Udāyin, some person practises the way to the abandoning of the acquisitions, to the relinquishing of the acquisitions. When he is practising the way, memories and intentions associated with the acquisitions beset him now and then through lapses of mindfulness. His mindfulness may be slow in arising, but he quickly abandons them, removes them, does away with them, and annihilates them.676 Just as if a man were to let two or three drops of water fall onto an iron plate heated for a whole day, the falling of the water drops might be slow but they would quickly vaporise and vanish. So too, here some person practises the way…His mindfulness may be slow in arising, but he quickly abandons them, removes them, does away with them, and annihilates them. Such a person too I call fettered, not unfettered. [454] Why is that? Because I have known the particular diversity of faculties in this person.
17. “Here, Udāyin, some person, having understood that acquisition is the root of suffering, divests himself of the acquisitions and is liberated in the destruction of the acquisitions. Such a person I call unfettered, not fettered.677 Why is that? Because I have known the particular diversity of faculties in this person.
18. “There are, Udāyin, five cords of sensual pleasure. What are the five? Forms cognizable by the eye that are wished for, desired, agreeable, and likeable, connected with sensual desire and provocative of lust. Sounds cognizable by the ear…Odours cognizable by the nose…Flavours cognizable by the tongue… Tangibles cognizable by the body that are wished for, desired, agreeable
, and likeable, connected with sensual desire and provocative of lust. These are the five cords of sensual pleasure.
19. “Now, Udāyin, the pleasure and joy that arise dependent on these five cords of sensual pleasure are called sensual pleasure—a filthy pleasure, a coarse pleasure, an ignoble pleasure. I say of this kind of pleasure that it should not be pursued, that it should not be developed, that it should not be cultivated, that it should be feared.
20. “Here, Udāyin, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the first jhāna…With the stilling of applied and sustained thought, he enters upon and abides in the second jhāna…With the fading away as well of rapture…he enters upon and abides in the third jhāna…With the abandoning of pleasure and pain…he enters upon and abides in the fourth jhāna…
21. “This is called the bliss of renunciation, the bliss of seclusion, the bliss of peace, the bliss of enlightenment.678 I say of this kind of pleasure that it should be pursued, that it should be developed, that it should be cultivated, that it should not be feared.
22. “Here, Udāyin, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the first jhāna…Now this, I say, belongs to the perturbable. 679 And what therein belongs to the perturbable? The applied thought and sustained thought that have not ceased therein, that is what belongs to the perturbable.
23. “Here, Udāyin, with the stilling of applied and sustained thought, a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the second jhāna…Now this, I say, also belongs to the perturbable. And what therein belongs to the perturbable? The rapture and pleasure that have not ceased therein, that is what belongs to the perturbable.
24. “Here, Udāyin, with the fading away as well of rapture…a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the third jhāna…Now this, I say, also belongs to the perturbable. And what therein belongs to the perturbable? [455] The pleasure of equanimity that has not ceased therein, that is what belongs to the perturbable.
25. “Here, Udāyin, with the abandoning of pleasure and pain…a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the fourth jhāna… Now this, I say, belongs to the imperturbable.
26. “Here, Udāyin, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the first jhāna…That, I say, is not enough.680 Abandon it, I say; surmount it, I say. And what surmounts it?
27. “Here, Udāyin, with the stilling of applied and sustained thought, a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the second jhāna…That surmounts it. But that too, I say, is not enough. Abandon it, I say; surmount it, I say. And what surmounts it?
28. “Here, Udāyin, with the fading away as well of rapture…a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the third jhāna…That surmounts it. But that too, I say, is not enough. Abandon it, I say; surmount it, I say. And what surmounts it?
29. “Here, Udāyin, with the abandoning of pleasure and pain…a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the fourth jhāna… That surmounts it. But that too, I say, is not enough. Abandon it, I say; surmount it, I say. And what surmounts it?
30. “Here, Udāyin, with the complete surmounting of perceptions of form, with the disappearance of perceptions of sensory impact, with non-attention to perceptions of diversity, aware that ‘space is infinite,’ a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the base of infinite space. That surmounts it. But that too, I say, is not enough. Abandon it, I say; surmount it, I say. And what surmounts it?
31. “Here, Udāyin, 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. That surmounts it. But that too, I say, is not enough. Abandon it, I say; surmount it, I say. And what surmounts it?
32. “Here, Udāyin, by completely surmounting the base of infinite consciousness, aware that ‘there is nothing,’ a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the base of nothingness. That surmounts it. But that too, I say, is not enough. Abandon it, I say; surmount it, I say. And what surmounts it?
33. “Here, Udāyin, by completely surmounting the base of nothingness, a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception. [456] That surmounts it. But that too, I say, is not enough. Abandon it, I say; surmount it, I say. And what surmounts it?
34. “Here, Udāyin, by completely surmounting the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the cessation of perception and feeling.681 That surmounts it. Thus I speak of the abandoning even of the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception. Do you see, Udāyin, any fetter, small or great, of whose abandoning I do not speak?”
“No, venerable sir.”
That is what the Blessed One said. The venerable Udāyin was satisfied and delighted in the Blessed One’s words.
Cātumā Sutta
At Cātumā
1. THUS HAVE I HEARD. On one occasion the Blessed One was living at Cātumā in a myrobalan grove.
2. Now on that occasion five hundred bhikkhus headed by the venerable Sāriputta and the venerable Mahā Moggallāna had come to Cātumā to see the Blessed One. While the visiting bhikkhus were exchanging greetings with the resident bhikkhus, and were preparing resting places and putting away their bowls and outer robes, they were very loud and noisy.
3. Then the Blessed One addressed the venerable Ānanda thus: “Ānanda, who are these loud and noisy people? One would think they were fishermen hawking fish.”682
“Venerable sir, they are five hundred bhikkhus headed by Sāriputta and Moggallāna who have come to Cātumā to see the Blessed One. And while the visiting bhikkhus were exchanging greetings with the resident bhikkhus, and were preparing resting places and putting away their bowls and outer robes, they have been very loud and noisy.”
4. “Then, Ānanda, tell those bhikkhus in my name that the Teacher calls the venerable ones.”
“Yes, venerable sir,” he replied, and he went to those bhikkhus and told them: “The Teacher calls the venerable ones.”
“Yes, friend,” they [457] replied, and they went to the Blessed One, and after paying homage to him, sat down at one side. When they had done so, the Blessed One asked them: “Bhikkhus, why are you so loud and noisy? One would think you were fishermen hawking fish.”
“Venerable sir, we are five hundred bhikkhus headed by Sāriputta and Moggallāna who have come to Cātumā to see the Blessed One. And it was while we visiting bhikkhus were exchanging greetings with the resident bhikkhus, and were preparing resting places and putting away our bowls and outer robes, that we were very loud and noisy.”
5. “Go, bhikkhus, I dismiss you. You should not live near me.”
“Yes, venerable sir,” they replied, and they rose from their seats, and after paying homage to the Blessed One, keeping him on their right, they put away the things in their resting places, and taking their bowls and outer robes, they departed.
6. Now on that occasion the Sakyans of Cātumā had met together in their assembly hall for some business or other. Seeing the bhikkhus coming in the distance, they went to them and asked: “Where are you going, venerable sirs?”
“Friends, the Sangha of bhikkhus has been dismissed by the Blessed One.”
“Then let the venerable ones be seated awhile. Perhaps we shall be able to restore his confidence.”
“Yes, friends,” they replied.
7. Then the Sakyans of Cātumā went to the Blessed One, and after paying homage to him, they sat down at one side and said:
“Venerable sir, let the Blessed One delight in the Sangha of bhikkhus; venerable sir, let the Blessed One welcome the Sangha of bhikkhus; venerable sir, let the Blessed One help the Sangha of bhikkhus now as he used to help it in the past. Venerable sir, there are new bhikkhus here, just gone forth, recently come to this Dhamma and Discipline. If they get no opportunity to see the Blessed One, there may take place in them some change or
alteration. Venerable sir, just as when young seedlings get no water there may take place in them some change or alteration, so too, venerable sir, there are [458] new bhikkhus here, just gone forth, recently come to this Dhamma and Discipline. If they get no opportunity to see the Blessed One, there may take place in them some change or alteration. Venerable sir, just as when a young calf does not see its mother there may take place in it some change or alteration, so too, venerable sir, there are new bhikkhus here, just gone forth, recently come to this Dhamma and Discipline. If they get no opportunity to see the Blessed One, there may take place in them some change or alteration. Venerable sir, let the Blessed One delight in the Sangha of the bhikkhus; venerable sir, let the Blessed One welcome the Sangha of bhikkhus; venerable sir, let the Blessed One help the Sangha of bhikkhus now as he used to help it in the past.”
8. Then the Brahmā Sahampati683 knew with his mind the thought in the Blessed One’s mind, so just as quickly as a strong man might extend his flexed arm or flex his extended arm, he vanished in the Brahma-world and appeared before the Blessed One. Then he arranged his upper robe on one shoulder, and extending his hands in reverential salutation towards the Blessed One, he said:
The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha Page 61