Thus have I heard:

At one time the Lord was staying among the Aṅgas; a township of the Aṅgas was called Assapura. While he was there the Lord addressed the monks, saying: “Monks.” “Revered one,” these monks answered the Lord in assent. The Lord spoke thus:

“‘Recluses, recluses,’ so the people know you, monks, and you, on being asked: ‘Who are you?’ should acknowledge: ‘We are recluses.’ Such being your designations, monks, such being your vocations, thus you should train yourselves, monks: ‘We will go forward undertaking those things that are to be done by recluses, that are to be done by brahmans; thus will this designation of ours become true and the vocation real; and the gifts of those things we make use of: robe-material, almsfood, lodgings, medicine for the sick, will come to be of great fruit, of great advantage to us; and this our going forth will come to be not barren but fruitful and growing.’

And what, monks, are the things to be done by recluses and to be done by brahmans? Thinking: ‘We will become endowed with modesty and fear of blame, thus you should train yourselves, monks. But it may occur to you, monks: ‘We are endowed with modesty and fear of blame; to this extent there is enough, to this extent it is done; attained by us is the goal of recluseship, there is nothing further to be done by us’; up to this very point you may come to find contentment. I protest to you, monks, I declare to you, monks: While you are aiming at recluseship, fall not short of the goal of recluseship if there is something further to be done.

And what, monks, is there further to be done? Thinking: ‘Our bodily conduct must be perfectly pure, clear, open, and without defects, controlled. But not on account of this perfectly pure bodily conduct will we exalt ourselves or disparage others’; thus must you train yourselves, monks. But it may occur to you, monks: ‘We are endowed with modesty and fear of blame; our bodily conduct is quite pure; to this extent there is enough, to this extent it is done; attained by us is the goal of recluseship, there is nothing further to be done by us’; up to this very point you may come to find contentment. I protest to you, monks, I declare to you, monks: While you are aiming at recluseship, fall not short of the goal of recluseship if there is something further to be done.

And what, monks, is there further to be done? Thinking: ‘Our conduct in speech must be perfectly pure, clear, open, without defects, controlled. But not on account of this perfectly pure speech will we exalt ourselves or disparage others’; thus must you train yourselves, monks. But it may occur to you, monks: ‘We are endowed with modesty and fear of blame; our bodily conduct is perfectly pure; our conduct in speech is perfectly pure; to this extent there is enough, to this extent it is done; attained by us is the goal of recluseship, there is nothing further to be done by us’; up to this very point you may come to find contentment. I protest to you, monks, I declare to you, monks: While you are aiming at recluseship, fall not short of the goal of recluseship if there is something further to be done.

And what, monks, is there further to be done? Thinking: ‘Our conduct in thought must be perfectly pure, clear, open, and without defects, controlled. But not on account of this perfectly pure thought will we exalt ourselves or disparage others’; thus must you train yourselves, monks. But it may occur to you, monks: ‘We are endowed with modesty and fear of blame; our bodily conduct is perfectly pure; our conduct in speech is perfectly pure; our conduct in thought is perfectly pure; to this extent there is enough, to this extent it is done; attained by us is the goal of recluseship, there is nothing further to be done by us’; up to this very point you may come to find contentment. I protest to you, monks, I declare to you, monks: While you are aiming at recluseship, fall not short of the goal of recluseship if there is something further to be done.

And what, monks, is there further to be done? Thinking: ‘Our mode of living must be perfectly pure, clear, open, and without defects, controlled. But not on account of this perfectly pure mode of living will we exalt ourselves or disparage others’; thus you must train yourselves, monks. But it may occur to you, monks: ‘We are endowed with modesty and fear of blame; our bodily conduct is perfectly pure; our conduct in speech is perfectly pure; our conduct in thought is perfectly pure; our mode of living is perfectly pure; to this extent there is enough, to this extent it is done; attained by us is the goal of recluseship, there is nothing further to be done by us’; up to this very point you may come to find contentment. I protest to you, monks, I declare to you, monks: While you are aiming at recluseship, fall not short of the goal of recluseship if there is something further to be done.

And what, monks, is there further to be done? Thinking: ‘We must be guarded as to the doors of the sense-organs; 1. having seen a material shape with the eye we are not entranced by the general appearance, we are not entranced by the detail; for if one had the organ of vision uncontrolled, coveting and dejection, evil unskilled states of mind, might predominate. We will fare along for its control, we will guard the organ of sight, we will come to control over the organ of sight. 2. Having heard a sound with the ear we are not entranced by the general appearance, we are not entranced by the detail; for if one had the organ of hearing uncontrolled, coveting and dejection, evil unskilled states of mind, might predominate. We will fare along for its control, we will guard the organ of hearing, we will come to control over the organ of hearing. 3. Having smelt a smell with the nose we are not entranced by the general appearance, we are not entranced by the detail; for if one had the organ of smell uncontrolled, coveting and dejection, evil unskilled states of mind, might predominate. We will fare along for its control, we will guard the organ of smell, we will come to control over the organ of smell. 4. Having savoured a taste with the tongue we are not entranced by the general appearance, we are not entranced by the detail; for if one had the organ of taste uncontrolled, coveting and dejection, evil unskilled states of mind, might predominate. We will fare along for its control, we will guard the organ of taste, we will come to control over the organ of taste. 5. Having felt a touch with the body we are not entranced by the general appearance, we are not entranced by the detail; for if one had the organ of touch uncontrolled, coveting and dejection, evil unskilled states of mind, might predominate. We will fare along for its control, we will guard the organ of touch, we will come to control over the organ of touch. 6. Having cognised a mental object with the mind we are not entranced by the general appearance, we are not entranced by the detail; for if one had the organ of mind uncontrolled, coveting and dejection, evil unskilled states of mind, might predominate. We will fare along for its control, we will guard the organ of mind, we will come to control over the organ of mind’; this is how you must train yourselves, monks.

But it may occur to you, monks: ‘We are endowed with modesty and fear of blame; our bodily conduct is perfectly pure; our conduct in speech is perfectly pure; our conduct in thought is perfectly pure; our mode of living is perfectly pure; guarded are the doors of our sense-organs; to this extent there is enough, to this extent it is done; attained by us is the goal of recluseship, there is nothing further to be done by us’; up to this very point you may come to find contentment. I protest to you, monks, I declare to you, monks: While you are aiming at recluseship, fall not short of the goal of recluseship if there is something further to be done.

And what, monks, is there further to be done? Thinking: ‘We must be moderate in eating, carefully reflecting must we eat, not for fun or pleasure or adornment or beautifying, but just enough for maintaining this body and keeping it going, for keeping it from harm, for furthering the Brahma-faring; with the thought: ‘I am destroying old feeling, and I must not allow new feeling to arise, so that there will be blamelessness for me and living in comfort’; thus, monks, must you train yourselves.

But it may occur to you, monks: ‘We are endowed with modesty and fear of blame; our bodily conduct is perfectly pure; our conduct in speech is perfectly pure; our conduct in thought is perfectly pure; our mode of living is perfectly pure; guarded are the doors of our sense-organs; we are moderate in eating; to this extent there is enough, to this extent it is done; attained by us is the goal of recluseship, there is nothing further to be done by us’; up to this very point you may come to find contentment. I protest to you, monks, I declare to you, monks: While you are aiming at recluseship, fall not short of the goal of recluseship if there is something further to be done.

And what, monks, is there further to be done? Thinking: ‘We must be intent on vigilance; during the day, pacing up and down, sitting down, we must cleanse the mind from obstructive mental objects; during the first watch of the night, pacing up and down, sitting down we must cleanse the mind from obstructive mental objects; during the middle watch of the night, we must lie down on our right side in the lion posture, placing one foot on the other, mindful, clearly conscious, attending to the thought of getting up again; during the last watch of the night, rising, pacing up and down, sitting down, we must cleanse the mind from obstructive mental objects’; thus, monks, must you train yourselves.

But it may occur to you, monks: ‘We are endowed with modesty and fear of blame; our bodily conduct is perfectly pure; our conduct in speech is perfectly pure; our conduct in thought is perfectly pure; our mode of living is perfectly pure; guarded are the doors of our sense-organs; we are moderate in eating; we are intent on vigilance; to this extent there is enough, to this extent it is done; attained by us is the goal of recluseship, there is nothing further to be done by us’; up to this very point you may come to find contentment. I protest to you, monks, I declare to you, monks: While you are aiming at recluseship, fall not short of the goal of recluseship if there is something further to be done.

And what, monks, is there further to be done? Thinking: ‘We must be possessed of mindfulness and clear consciousness, acting with clear consciousness, whether setting out or returning; acting with clear consciousness, whether looking down or looking around, acting with clear consciousness, whether bending back or stretching out (the arm), acting with clear consciousness, whether carrying the outer cloak, the bowl, the robe, acting with clear consciousness, whether munching, drinking, eating, savouring, acting with clear consciousness, when obeying the calls of nature, acting with clear consciousness when walking, standing, sitting, asleep, awake, talking, silent’; thus, monks, must you train yourselves.

But it may occur to you, monks: ‘We are endowed with modesty and fear of blame; our bodily conduct is perfectly pure; our conduct in speech is perfectly pure; our conduct in thought is perfectly pure; our mode of living is perfectly pure, guarded are the doors of our sense-organs; we are moderate in eating; we are intent on vigilance; we are possessed of mindfulness and clear consciousness; to this extent there is enough, to this extent it is done; attained by us is the goal of recluseship, there is nothing further to be done by us’; up to this very point you may come to find contentment. I protest to you, monks, I declare to you, monks: While you are aiming at recluseship, fall not short of the goal of recluseship if there is something further to be done.

And what, monks, is there further to be done? ‘In this case, monks, a monk chooses a remote lodging in a forest, at the root of a tree, on a mountain slope, in a wilderness, in a hill-cave, in a cemetery, in a forest haunt, in the open or on a heap of straw. Returning from alms-gathering after the meal, he sits down cross-legged, holding the back erect, having made mindfulness rise up in front of him. 1. He, by getting rid of coveting for the world, he dwells with a mind devoid of coveting, he purifies the mind of coveting. 2. By getting rid of the taint of ill-will he dwells benevolent in mind, compassionate for the welfare of all creatures and beings, he purifies the mind of the taint of ill-will. 3. By getting rid of sloth and torpor, he dwells devoid of sloth and torpor; perceiving the light, mindful, clearly conscious, he purifies the mind of sloth and torpor. 4. By getting rid of restlessness and worry, he dwells calmly, the mind subjectively tranquilised, he purifies the mind of restlessness and worry. 5. By getting rid of doubt, he dwells doubt-crossed, unperplexed as to the states that are skilled, he purifies the mind of doubt.

Monks, as a man after contracting a loan might set some affairs going, and if these affairs of his should succeed, and if he should pay off those old original debts, and if he had a surplus over with which to maintain a wife, it might occur to him: ‘I, formerly, after contracting a loan, set some affairs going, and these affairs of mine succeeded so that I paid off those old original debts, and have a surplus over with which to maintain a wife.’ He, from this source would obtain joy, he would reach gladness.

And, monks, as a man might be a prey to disease, in pain, seriously ill, and could not digest his food, and there were not strength in his body, but if after a time he were to recover from that disease and could digest his food and there were some strength in his body, it might occur to him ‘Formerly I was a prey to disease, in pain, seriously ill, and could not digest my food, and there was no strength in my body, but now I am recovered from that disease, I digest my food, there is some strength in my body.’ He, from this source, would obtain joy, he would reach gladness.

And, monks, as a man might be bound in a prison, but after a time might be freed from those bonds, safe and sound, and with no loss of his property, it might occur to him: ‘Formerly I was bound in a prison, but now I am freed from those bonds, safe and sound, and with no loss of my property.’ He, from this source would obtain joy, he would reach gladness.

Monks, it is as if a man had been a slave, not his own master, subject to others, not able to go where he liked, but who after a time were freed from that slavery, his own master, not subject to others, able to go where he liked; it might occur to him: ‘Formerly I was a slave, not my own master, subject to others, not able to go where I liked but now I am freed from that slavery, my own master, not subject to others, able to go where I like.’ He, from this source, would obtain joy, he would reach gladness.

Monks, as a rich and prosperous man might travel on a road through a wilderness and after a time might emerge safe and sound and with no loss of his property, it might occur to him: ‘Formerly I, rich and prosperous, travelled on a road through a wilderness, but now I have emerged safe and sound and with no loss of my property.’ He, from this source, would obtain joy, he would reach gladness.

Even so, monks, does a monk regard these five hindrances that are not got rid of from the self as a debt, as a disease, as a prison, as slavery, as travelling on a road through a wilderness. But, monks, when these five hindrances are got rid of from the self, a monk regards them as debtlessness, as health, as freedom from the bonds, as liberty, as secure ground.

By getting rid of these five hindrances which are defilements of the mind and weakening to intuitive wisdom then, aloof from pleasures of the senses, aloof from unskilled states of mind, he enters on and abides in the first meditation which is accompanied by initial thought and discursive thought, is born of aloofness, and is rapturous and joyful. He drenches, saturates, permeates, suffuses this very body with the rapture and joy that are born of aloofness; there is no part of his whole body that is not suffused with the rapture and joy that are born of aloofness.

Monks, as a skilled bath-attendant or his apprentice, having sprinkled bath-powder into a bronze vessel, might knead it together with drops of water until the ball of lather has taken up moisture, is drenched with moisture, suffused with moisture inside and out, but there is no oozing; even so, monks, does a monk drench, saturate, permeate, suffuse this very body with the rapture and joy that are born of aloofness; there is no part of his whole body that is not suffused with the rapture and joy that are born of aloofness.

And again, monks, a monk by allaying initial and discursive thought, with the mind subjectively tranquillised and fixed on one point, enters on and abides in the second meditation which is devoid of initial and discursive thought, is born of concentration and is rapturous and joyful. He drenches, saturates, permeates, suffuses this very body with the rapture and joy that are born of concentration; there is no part of his whole body that is not suffused with the rapture and joy that are born of concentration.

Monks, as a pool of water with water welling up within it, but which has no inlet for water from the eastern side, no inlet for water from the western side, no inlet for water from the northern side, no inlet for water from the southern side, and even if the god did not send down showers upon it from time to time, yet a current of cool water having welled up from that pool would drench, saturate, permeate, suffuse that pool with cool water; there would be no part of that pool that was not suffused with cool water. Even so, monks, does a monk drench, saturate, permeate, suffuse this very body with the rapture and joy that are born of concentration; there is no part of his whole body that is not suffused with the rapture and joy that are born of concentration.

And again, monks, a monk by the fading out of rapture, dwells with equanimity, attentive and clearly conscious and experiences in his person that joy of which the ariyans say: ‘Joyful lives he who has equanimity and is mindful,’ and he enters on and abides in the third meditation. He drenches, saturates, permeates, suffuses this very body with the joy that has no rapture; there is no part of his whole body that is not suffused with the joy that has no rapture.

As in a pond of white lotuses or a pond of red lotuses or a pond of blue lotuses, some white lotuses or red lotuses or blue lotuses are born in the water, grow up in the water, never rising above the surface but flourishing beneath it; these from their roots to their tips are drenched, saturated, permeated, suffused by cool water. Even so, monks, a monk drenches, saturates, permeates, suffuses this very body with the joy that has no rapture; there is no part of his whole body that is not suffused with the joy that has no rapture.

And again, monks, a monk by getting rid of joy and by getting rid of anguish, by the going down of his former pleasures and sorrows, enters on and abides in the fourth meditation which has neither anguish nor joy, and which is entirely purified by equanimity and mindfulness. He, having suffused this very body with a mind that is utterly pure, utterly clean, comes to be sitting down; there is no part of his whole body that is not suffused with a mind that is utterly pure, utterly clean.

Monks, as a monk might be sitting down who has clothed himself including his head with a white cloth, no part of his whole body would not be suffused with the white cloth. Even so, monks, a monk, having suffused this very body with a mind that is utterly pure, utterly clean, comes to be sitting down; there is no part of his whole body that is not suffused by a mind that is utterly pure, utterly clean.

He, with his mind thus composed, quite purified, quite clarified, without blemish, without defilement, grown soft and workable, fixed, immovable, directs his mind to the knowledge and recollection of former habitations, thus: one birth, two births, three births, four births, five births, ten births, twenty births, thirty births, forty births, fifty births, a hundred births, a thousand births, a hundred thousand births, and many an eon of integration and many an eon of disintegration and many an eon of integration-disintegration; such a one was I by name, having such and such a clan, such and such a colour, so was I nourished, such and such pleasant and painful experiences were mine, so did the span of life end. Passing from this, I came to be in another state where such a one was I by name, having such and such a clan, such and such a colour, so was I nourished, such and such pleasant and painful experiences were mine, so did the span of life end. Passing from this, I arose here. Thus he remembers divers former abodes in all their modes and detail.

Monks, it is as if a man should go from his own village to another village, and should go from that village to another village, and as if he should go back again from that village to his own village. This might occur to him: ‘Now I went from my own village to a certain village, there I stood in such a way, sat in such a way, spoke in such a way, became silent in such a way. And from that village I went to a certain village, there I stood in such a way, sat in such a way, spoke in such a way, became silent in such a way. Then I went back again from that village to my own village.’ Even so, monks, does a monk remember various former habitations, that is to say: one birth, two births, three births, four births, five births, ten births, twenty births, thirty births, forty births, fifty births, a hundred births, a thousand births, a hundred thousand births, and many an eon of integration and many an eon of disintegration and many an eon of integration-disintegration; such a one was I by name, having such and such a clan, such and such a colour, so was I nourished, such and such pleasant and painful experiences were mine, so did the span of life end. Passing from this, I came to be in another state where such a one was I by name, having such and such a clan, such and such a colour, so was I nourished, such and such pleasant and painful experiences were mine, so did the span of life end. Passing from this, I arose here. Thus he remembers divers former abodes in all their modes and detail.

He, with his mind thus composed, quite purified, quite clarified, without blemish, without defilement, grown soft and workable, fixed, immovable, directs his mind to the knowledge of the passing hence and arising of beings. With the purified deva-vision surpassing that of men he sees beings as they pass hence or come to be; he comprehends that beings are mean, excellent, comely, ugly, well-going, ill-going, according to the consequences of their deeds, and he thinks: ‘Indeed these worthy beings who were possessed of wrong conduct in body, who were possessed of wrong conduct of speech, who were possessed of wrong conduct of thought, scoffers at the ariyans, holding a wrong view, incurring deeds consequent on a wrong view; these, at the breaking up of the body after dying, have arisen in a sorrowful state, a bad bourn, the abyss, Niraya Hell. But these worthy beings who were possessed of good conduct in body, who were possessed of good conduct in speech, who were possessed of good conduct in thought, who did not scoff at the ariyans, holding a right view, incurring deeds consequent on a right view; these, at the breaking up of the body after dying, have arisen in a good bourn, a heaven world. Thus with the purified deva-vision surpassing that of men he sees beings as they pass hence or come to be; he comprehends that beings are mean, excellent, comely, ugly, well-going ill-going, according to the consequences of their deeds.

Monks, it is as if there were two houses with doors and a man with vision standing there between them might see people entering a house and leaving it and going back and forth and walking across. Even so, monks, does a monk with the purified deva-vision surpassing that of men see beings as they pass hence or come to be; he comprehends that beings are mean, excellent, comely, ugly, well-going, ill-going, according to the consequences of their deeds, and he thinks: ‘Indeed these worthy beings who were possessed of wrong conduct in body, who were possessed of wrong conduct of speech, who were possessed of wrong conduct of thought, scoffers at the ariyans, holding a wrong view, incurring deeds consequent on a wrong view; these, at the breaking up of the body after dying, have arisen in a sorrowful state, a bad bourn, the abyss, Niraya Hell. But these worthy beings who were possessed of good conduct in body, who were possessed of good conduct in speech, who were possessed of good conduct in thought, who did not scoff at the ariyans, holding a right view, incurring deeds consequent on a right view; these, at the breaking up of the body after dying, have arisen in a good bourn, a heaven world. Thus with the purified deva-vision surpassing that of men he sees beings as they pass hence or come to be; he comprehends that beings are mean, excellent, comely, ugly, well-going, ill-going, according to the consequences of their deeds.

Then with the mind composed quite purified, quite clarified, without blemish, without defilement, grown soft and workable, fixed, immovable, he directs his mind to the knowledge of the destruction of the cankers. He understands as it really is: ‘This is anguish, this is the arising of anguish, this is the stopping of anguish, this is the course leading to the stopping of anguish.’ He understands as it really is: ‘These are the cankers, this is the arising of the cankers, this is the stopping of the cankers, this is the course leading to the stopping of the cankers.’ When he knows thus, sees thus, his mind is freed from the canker of sense-pleasures, his mind is freed from the canker of becoming, his mind is freed from the canker of ignorance. In freedom the knowledge comes to be that he is freed, and he comprehends: ‘Destroyed is birth, brought to a close is the Brahma-faring, done is what was to be done, there is no more of being such or such.’

Monks, it is like a pure, limpid, serene pool of water in which a man with vision standing on the bank might see oysters and shells, also gravel and pebbles, and shoals of fish moving about and keeping still. It might occur to him: ‘This pool of water is pure, limpid, serene, here these oysters and shells, and gravel and pebbles, and shoals of fish are moving about and keeping still.’ Even so, monks, a monk comprehends as it really is: ‘This is anguish, this is the arising of anguish, this is the stopping of anguish, this is the course leading to the stopping of anguish. He understands as it really is: ‘These are the cankers, this is the arising of the cankers, this is the stopping of the cankers, this is the course leading to the stopping of the cankers.’ When he knows thus, sees thus, his mind is freed from the canker of sense-pleasures, his mind is freed from the canker of becoming, his mind is freed from the canker of ignorance. In freedom the knowledge comes to be that he is freed, and he comprehends: ‘Destroyed is birth, brought to a close is the Brahma-faring, done is what was to be done, there is no more of being such or such.’

Monks, this is called a monk who is a recluse, and who is a brahman, and who is washed, and who is expert in lore, and who is learned, and who is an ariyan, and who is a perfected one.

And how, monks, is a monk a recluse? Evil, unskilled states that are connected with the defilements, with again-becoming, fearful, whose results are anguish, leading to birth, ageing and dying in the future are allayed in him. It is thus, monks, that a monk is a recluse.

And how, monks, is a monk a brahman? Evil, unskilled states that are connected with the defilements, with again-becoming, fearful, whose results are anguish, leading to birth, ageing and dying in the future, are excluded by him. It is thus, monks, that a monk is a brahman.

And how, monks, is a monk washed? Evil, unskilled states that are connected with the defilements, with again-becoming, fearful, whose results are anguish, leading to birth, ageing and dying in the future, are washed away by him. It is thus, monks, that a monk is washed.

And how, monks, is a monk expert in lore? Evil unskilled states that are connected with the defilements, with again-becoming, fearful, whose results are anguish, leading to birth, ageing and dying in the future, are understood by him. It is thus, monks, that a monk is expert in lore.

And how, monks, does a monk become learned? Evil unskilled states that are connected with the defilements, with again-becoming, fearful, whose results are anguish, leading to birth, ageing and dying in the future, come to be vanished from him. It is thus, monks, that a monk comes to be learned.

And how, monks, is a monk an ariyan? Evil unskilled states that are connected with the defilements, with again-becoming, fearful, whose results are anguish, leading to birth, ageing and dying in the future, are far from him. It is thus, monks, that a monk is an ariyan.

And how, monks, is a monk a perfected one? Evil unskilled states that are connected with the defilements, with again-becoming, fearful, whose results are anguish, leading to birth, ageing and dying in the future, are far from him.

It is thus, monks, that a monk is a perfected one.’

Thus spoke the Lord. Delighted, these monks rejoiced in what the Lord had said.

Greater Discourse at Assapura: The Ninth