Majjhima Nikāya I (Further Dialogues of the Buddha, vol. I: suttas 1-76)

What are the satisfactions that feelings bring? — Take the case of an Almsman who, divested of pleasures of sense, divested of wrong states of consciousness, has entered on and abides in the First Ecstasy with all its zest and satisfaction, a state bred of inward aloofness but not divorced from observation and reflection. When it is thus with him, harm is not in his heart, either towards himself or to others or towards both together ; [90] he experiences the feeling of harbouring no harm at all. This perfect innocence of harm I count as the true satisfaction which feelings bring. When he has risen above reasoning and reflection, he enters into and abides in the Second Ecstasy, with all its zest and satisfaction, a state bred of rapt con¬ centration, above all reasoning and reflection, a state whereby the heart is focussed and tranquillity reigns within. And so he passes to the Third and the Fourth Ecstasy ; and when, by putting from him both satisfac¬ tion and dissatisfaction, and by shedding the joys and sorrows he used to feel, that Almsman enters into and abides in that Fourth Ecstasy — the state that knows neither the pleasant nor the unpleasant, the clarity that comes of poised equanimity and alert mindful¬ ness, — harm is not in his heart, either towards him¬ self or to others or to both together ; he experiences the feeling of harbouring no harm at all. This sense of perfect innocence of harm I count as the true satisfaction which feelings bring.

What are the perils which feelings entail ? — Inas¬ much as feelings are transitory, fraught with Ill, and the creatures of change, — these are the perils which dog them. What is the deliverance from feelings? — To subdue and to shed all desire and appetite for them, — this is deliverance from feelings. Almsmen, if recluses or brahmins lack this real knowledge of the true nature of the satisfactions and perils of, and deliverance from, feelings, they cannot possibly either comprehend feelings for themselves or instruct another by what course to comprehend the truth about them. Only those can possibly do this who know feelings for what they really are. Thus spoke the Lord. Glad at heart, those Almsmen rejoiced in what the Lord had said.

[91] Thus have I heard. Once when the Lord was staying among the Sakyans at Kapilavatthu in the Banyan pleasaunce, there came to him (his elder cousin) MahanSma the Sakyan who, after salutations, seated himself to one side and spoke as follows : — Though I have long understood the Lord’s teaching that greed, hate and illusion were vices that beset the heart, yet at times each of these vices invades my heart and takes up its abode there, so that I wonder what undiscarded state of consciousness it is that causes this invasion. Yes, Mah5n5ma, it is an undiscarded state of con¬ sciousness which causes the trouble ; and this would be dislodged from within you, if you were to quit house and home and renounce all pleasures of sense. It is because this state of mind persists in you, that you keep living on at home in comfort. If, though a disciple of the Noble has a sound and true grasp and comprehension of the truth that pleasures of the sense, while yielding little satisfaction but much Ill and much tribulation, are dogged by perils greater still, he yet fails to find zest and satisfaction — or something Higher than that — without pleasures of sense and without wrong states of consciousness, — then he is in pleasure’s snares. But if to that grasp and comprehension he adds this zest and satisfaction — or something Higher — without pleasures of sense and without wrong states, then he is not ensnared by pleasure.

I myself, [92] Mahanama, in the days before my Enlightenment, when I was still but a Bodhisatta not yet fully enlightened, although I had a sound and true grasp and comprehension of the truth about pleasures of An der Milndungf des Knku-usu. sense, yet I failed to find zest and satisfaction, or some¬ thing Higher, without pleasures of sense and wrong dis¬ positions; and I was conscious that I was still in pleasure’s snares. But when to grasp and comprehension t added a zest and satisfaction, and something Higher, into which pleasure and wrong dispositions did not enter, then I be¬ came conscious of being no longer ensnared by pleasure. What is the satisfaction that attends pleasures of sense ? Fivefold . . . (etc. as in preceding Sutta) . . . Verily with pleasure, and pleasure only, as the cause. Once on a time, when I was staying at Rajagaha on the Vultures’ Peak, there were a number of Niganthas at Blackrock on the slopes of Mt. Isigili, — upright men who would never sit down, and were undergoing paroxysms of acute pain and agony. Arising towards evening from my meditations, I went to Blackrock and asked those Niganthas why it was they subjected themselves to all these pains by maintaining the upright posture and never sitting down. Their answer to me was that Nataputta the Nigantha — ‘who was all¬ knowing and all-seeing, with nothing beyond his ken and vision, and who claimed that, whether he was walking or standing still, sleeping or [93] awake, continuous and unruffled ken and vision were always his’ — had taught them as follows:

— Niganthas, you. have done evil in the past ; — extirpate it by these severe austerities. Every present restraint on body, • speech and mind will hereafter undo the evildoings of the past Hence, by expelling through penance all past misdeeds, and by not committing fresh misdeeds, the future becomes cleared ; with the future cleared, the past is wiped out; with the past wiped out, Ill is no more; with Ill no more, (painful) feelings are no more ; and, with painful feelings now no more, all Ill will be outworn. — This teaching commends and approves itself to us, and we rejoice in it.

Thereupon, I said to those Niganthas : — Do you know, reverend sirs, whether you had an existence before this and were not non-existent ? Do you know that, in a former existence, you were guilty, and not guiltless, of misdeeds ? Do you know that (in that former existence) you were guilty, and not guiltless, of this or that specifi misdeed ? Do you know that a precise amount of Ill has already been outworn, or that a precise amount of Ill has to be outworn, or that, when a precise amount of Ill has been outworn, all Ill has become outworn ? Do you know how, here and now, to shed wrong dispositions and to acquire right dispositions ? So I gather, sirs, that you Niganthas have no know¬ ledge whether you had an existence before this ; whether you were guilty of misdeeds, either generally or specifically ; how much III is already outworn or how much has still to be outworn or how much has to be outworn before all Ill has become outworn ; nor how, here and now, to shed >yrong dispositions and to acquire right dispositions. This being so, pray, do those who, having been reborn as men, are hunters or have hands stained with blood or cruelty, flock to be Pilgrims with the Niganthas?

True weal, Gotama, must be won not by weal and comfort but by woe. If weal [94] were the means to win weal, then the King of Magadha, Seniya Bimbisara, would win weal, for there is more weal in his life than in the reverend Gotama’s. Surely this is a somewhat hasty remark. It is I who ought to be asked which of the two of us enjoys the greater weal, — the King or I. Yes, it was somewhat hasty ; but let that pass, and let us now put to you the question whether it is the King or you who enjoys the greater weal in his life. Then, sirs, I will ask you a question in return, to be answered by you as you see fit: — Can the King Kal tot. Wilhelm. Ofbirxf rest motionless and not utter a word for seven days and nights on end, and yet abide in Weal beyond compare ? Can he do so for six days and nights, — or for five, four, three, two days and nights, or for just one single night and day ?

Well, sirs, I can rest motionless and not speak a word for a night and a day and yet abide all the time in Weal beyond compare. I can do so for two nights and days, — for three, four, five, six and seven nights and days on end. What think you, Niganthas? — On this shewing, who enjoys the greater Weal in his life, King Seniya Bimbisara of Magadha, or I ? On this showing, it is the reverend [95] Gotama who enjoys greater Weal in his life than the King does. So spoke the Lord. Glad at heart, Mahanama the Sakyan rejoiced in what the Lord had said.

Thus have I heard. Once when the venerable Maha-Moggallana was staying in the Bhagga country at Crocodile Peak in the Bhesakala wood, in the deerpark there, he addressed the Almsmen as follows : — If, despite his invitation to his seniors to teach him and despite his professed anxiety to learn, an Almsman proves unruly and obstreperous in temper, fractious and unreceptive of instruction, — then his fellows in the higher life deem him unfit to be taught or instructed or trusted. Now what are the states of mind that make a man obstreperous in temper ? — Take the case of an Almsman who is evilly inclined and is the thrall of evil ‘ Bu. records that this Sutta was known to the Ancients as the Bhikkhu-pHtimokkha, and adds that this self-examination should take place three times each day. inclinations ; — or who lauds himself and runs down others ; — or who is wrathful and the slave of wrath ; — or who is wrathful and because of his wrath bears grudges ; — or who is wrathful and because of his wrath takes offence ; — or who is wrathful and because of his wrath utters words of unbridled wrath ; — or who, being reproved, argues with his reprover ; — or who, being reproved, resents the reproof; — [96] or who, being reproved, retorts with charges against his reprover ; — or who, being reproved, wraps one thing up in another, turns the talk off to something irrelevant, displaying ill-temper, malice, and distrust ;

— or who, being reproved, fails to explain his proceedings or who is a hypocrite and impostor ; — or who harbours envy and jealousy ; — or who is full of guile and deceit ; — or who is stubborn and arrogant ; — or who hugs the temporal, nor looses his grip and hold thereon ; — all these are states of mind that make a man obstreperous in temper.

But if an Almsman who invites his seniors to teach him and professes anxiety to learn, proves humble and meek, docile and receptive, — then his fellows in the higher life deem him fit to be taught and instructed and trusted. Now, what are the states of mind that make for meekness ? — Almsmen, they are [point for point the precise opposites of the foregoing list]. [97] In connection with the foregoing states of mind, an Almsman ought to argue about himself as follows : — The man of evil inclinations is displeasing and disagreeable to me ; and if I incline to evil, others will regard me likewise as displeasing and disagreeable. Realizing this, he must school his heart never to give way to evil inclinations. Similarly, realizing that, just as he dislikes each of the other shortcomings in others, so their presence in himself will make him disliked likewise, the Almsman must school his heart never to give way to any single one of them. [98] He ought to reflect within himself whether he is evilly inclined and so forth. If this reflection tells him that he has got evil inclinations and A 4 4r * -

so forth, then he must strive to get rid of them. But, if reflection tells him he has not got evil in¬ clinations or the other evil states of mind, then let his life be filled with zest and holy joy as he trains himself by day and by night in right states of mind. [100] If his reflection tells him that each and every one of these evil and wrong states of mind persists within him, he must strive to get rid of them all. But, if reflection tells him he has got rid of them all, then let his life be filled with zest and holy joy as he trains himself by day and by night in right states of mind. Sirs, it is just like a woman or man or lad young and dressy, to whom the reflection of their features in a bright clean mirror or in a bowl of clear water reveals a smut or pimple, so that they strive to get rid of it ; but if the reflection revealed nothing of the kind, they rejoice that all is right and that their faces are clean and clear ; — even so is it with an Almsman ; if reflection tells him that these evil and wrong states of mind persist within him, he must strive to get rid of them all ; but if he is conscious of having got rid of all of them, then let his life be filled with zest and holy joy as he trains himself by day and by night in right states of mind.

Thus spoke the reverend Maha- Moggallana. Glad at heart, those Almsmen rejoiced in what he had said.

[101] Thus have I heard. Once when the Lord was staying at Savatthl in Jeta’s grove in Anathapindika’s pleasaunce, he addressed the listening Almsmen as follows : — While the five Fallows of his heart are left untilled and its five Bondages are un¬ shattered, no Almsman can possibly shew growth, increase and progress in this Doctrine and Rule. What are the five Fallows he leaves untilled ? — Take the case of an Almsman who feels doubts and misgivings about the Master, without either certainty or conviction, so that in this frame of mind, his heart has no bent towards ardour, zeal, perseverance, and exertion ; this marks the first Fallow untilled. Or suppose he feels these same doubts and misgivings about the Doctrine — or the Confraternity — or his course of training, with the same lack of bent towards ardour, zeal, perseverance, and exertion ; — this marks the second — the third — and the fourth Fallow untilled. The fifth is when he is angry with his fellows in the higher life, is displeased with them, is upset about them, and fallow — as it were — in his relations to them, so that he has no bent towards ardour, zeal, perseverance, and exertion.

What are the five Bondages he leaves unshattered ? — Take the case of an Almsman who, in the matter of sensuous pleasure, is not void of passion and appetite, fondness and yearning, thirsting, feverish longings and craving ; in this frame of mind, his heart has no bent towards ardour and so forth. This marks the first Bondage unshattered. If he is in like case in the matter of the body — or of visible forms, — this marks the second [102] and the third, respectively, of the heart’s Bondages unshattered. Or, again, if after eating as much as ever his belly will hold, an Almsman is fond of his chair or bed or of slumber, then his heart’s bent is not towards ardour, zeal, perseverance, and exertion ; and this marks the fourth Bondage un¬ shattered. Or, lastly, an Almsman’s ambition in the higher life may be for some particular order of gods ; and so his virtue, conversation, austerities and higher life aim at ensuring his becoming a god, or some par¬ ticular god. If such be his aims and ambition, then his heart’s bent is not to ardour, zeal, perseverance, and exertion ; and this marks the fifth Bondage un¬ shattered.

If, Almsmen, these five Fallows of his heart are left untilled, and if these five Bondages are unshattered, no Almsman can possibly shew growth, increase and pro¬ gress in this Doctrine and Rule. M. i. 103. THE HEART’S FALLOWS AND BONDAGES. 73 If, on the other hand, an Almsman has the five Fallows of his heart tilled and its five Bondages shattered, then it is quite possible for him to shew growth, increase and progress in the Doctrine and Rule. What are the five tilled Fallows of the heart? — Take the case of an Almsman who feels no doubts or misgivings about the Master but feels certainty and conviction, so that his heart is bent on ardour, zeal, perseverance, and exertion, — this marks the first Fallow tilled. If he feels no doubts or misgivings about the Doctrine — or about the Confraternity — or about his course of training, — and if his heart is bent on ardour, zeal, perseverance, and exertion, — this marks the second — the third — and the fourth Fallow tilled. The fifth is when he is not angered against his fellows, is not displeased or upset by them, nor is he fallow — as it were — in his relations to them ; [103] — this marks the heart’s fifth and last Fallow tilled.

And similarly with shattering the heart’s five Bondages. He develops the four bases of psychic power, in which purpose, will, thought, and study respectively inspire what moulds and fashions vigorous concentra¬ tion. Strenuousness itself is a fifth. The Almsman who is equipped with these fifteen1 factors of the strenuous character [104J has the capacity for breaking through, the capacity for full Enlighten¬ ment, and the capacity for the Peace beyond compare. It is like a hen with a clutch of eight or ten or a dozen eggs, on which she has sat closely, keeping them as warm as may be with all her pains and care ; albeit the wish may arise within her that her chicks with claw or beak would break through the shell and win forth, yet that hen’s chicks are capable of breaking the shell and winning forth quite safely ; — even so, the 1 I.e. the five tilled Fallows plus the five shattered Bondages plus the four psychic bases ; with strenuousness itself added on to the latter as a fifth (Bu.).

Almsman who is equipped with these fifteen factors of the strenuous character is capable of breaking through, is capable of full Enlightenment, and is capable of the Peace beyond compare. Thus spoke the Lord. Glad at heart, those Alms¬ men rejoiced in what the Lord had said. Thus have I heard. Once when the Lord was staying at SavatthI in J eta’s grove in Anathapindika’s pleasaunce, he addressed the Almsmen, saying: — I will expound to you the principles of the forest life. Give ear and pay attention, and I will speak. — Yes, Lord, was their response to the Lord, who then went on to speak as follows : — Take the case of an Almsman who, dwelling in the forest, finds that the mindfulness which was not his before is still not his, that the stedfastness of heart which was not his before is still not his, that the Cankers which had not passed before are not passing away from him now, that the Peace beyond compare which he had not won before is still to win, and that in the forest it is hard to satisfy a Pilgrim’s needs in the matter of clothing, food, bed, and medicaments. In such case, the Brother [105] should ponder this over and — be it by night or be it by day — should quit that forest and reside there no longer.

Next, take an Almsman who, dwelling in the forest, has just the same experiences except that he has no difficulty there in satisfying a Pilgrim’s needs. He too should ponder this over and reflect that it was not for clothing and the like that he went forth from home to homelessness but that here he is acquiring neither mindfulness nor stedfastness of heart, is not getting rid of the Cankers nor winning the Peace beyond com- pare. Realizing this, he should quit that forest and reside there no longer. Take now an Almsman who, dwelling in the forest, finds that the mindfulness which was not his before is now his, that the stedfastness of heart which was not his before is now his, that the Cankers which had not passed away before have now passed away from him, and that he is now winning that Peace beyond compare which he had not won before, — but that he finds it hard there to satisfy a Pilgrim’s needs in the matter of clothing, food, bed, and medicaments. Pondering over this, he should reflect [106] that it was not for these latter things that he went forth from home to homeless¬ ness but that by residing in that forest the mindfulness which was not his before is now his . . . not won before. Realizing this, he should dwell on in that forest and not quit it.

Lastly, if, in addition to growth in mindfulness and so forth, he finds no difficulty there in satisfying a Pilgrim’s needs, he should similarly dwell on in that forest and not quit it. (The same considerations should guide him) if his abode is near a village, a township, a city, a country, [107-8] or an individual. ... If all goes well with his growth Within, he will cleave to that individual while life lasts ; he will not quit him, although hounded away. Thus spoke the Lord. Glad at heart, those Alms¬ men rejoiced in what the Lord had said.

Thus have I heard. Once when the Lord was staying among the Sakyans at Kapilavatthu in the Banyan pleasaunce, he went, duly robed and bowl in hand, into the city for alms. At the end of his round, when his meal was over and he was on his way back, he came to Great Wood and entering it seated himself for the noontide at the foot of a young Vilva tree. So too Dandapani the Sakyan, who was on his wanderings and peregrinations afoot in the forest, came also to Great Wood and, entering it, drew near to the Lord under his tree, and, after exchange of civil greetings, stood to one side with his hands leaning on his staff, to ask : — What are your tenets, recluse ? What is your gospel ? Tenets, sir, whereby not only is a man at strife with no world whatsoever throughout the whole universe — with its gods, Maras, Brahmas, recluses and brahmins, embracing all gods and mankind, — but also he as (a true) Brahmin dwells above all pleasures of sense, without perplexities and with a clear conscience, without any cravings to be reborn either here or there, immune from assaults of the perceptions. — These, sir, are my tenets ; and this is my gospel.

At these words Dandapani shook his head, [109] waggled his tongue and departed, still leaning on his staff, with his brow puckered into three wrinkles. Towards evening, arising from his meditations, the Lord made his way to the Banyan pleasaunce. There, seating himself on the seat set for him, he told the Almsmen the incident in full detail. When he had done so, a certain Almsman asked what precisely were the tenets whereby the Lord was at strife with no world and how he as the true Brahmin dwelt above all pleasures of sense without perplexities . . . assaults of the perceptions. Whatever be the origin, Almsman, of the severaf obsessions, bred of perceptions, which beset a man’s path, yet, if they find neither approval nor welcome nor adherence, then here at once is an end of all pro¬ pensities to passion, to resentment, [110] to specu¬ lative ideas, to doubts, to pride, to passion for con¬ tinuing existence, and to ignorance ; it is the end of taking up cudgel or knife, of quarrels, of contentions, of strife, of wrangling, slander, and lies. — Herein, all these evil and wrong states of mind are quelled and pass away entirely.

M. i. in. HONEYED LORE. 77 So spoke the Lord. Then, getting up from his seat, the Blessed One went to his cell. He had not been gone long when those Almsmen bethought them how tersely and without detailed exposition the Lord had propounded this theme ere withdrawing to his cell ; and they were wondering who would expound to them the meaning of the Lord’s pregnant utterance, when the idea came to them that the reverend Maha-Kaccana, who was praised by the Master and was held in high honour among the most able of his fellows in the higher life, could give them that detailed exposition. So to Maha-Kaccana they went, laid the whole matter before him, and asked him to expound accordingly. [Ill] Really, sirs, said he, it is as if a man who was in need and search and quest of choice timber were to come on just the fine upstanding tree for his purpose but were to disregard its root and trunk and to imagine he could find his choice timber among the branches and foliage. For, this is just what your reverences have come to, in that, with the Master there in front of you, you have ignored him and come to ask me what he meant. Sirs, the Lord knows with all knowing and sees with all seeing, — being the embodiment of vision, insight, the Doctrine, and all excellence ; he is the propounder and expounder and unfolder of meanings, the giver of Nirvana’s ambrosia, lord of the Doctrine, the Truth-finder. Then was the time to address your questions to the Lord in person, in order to treasure up what he might reveal.

Admitting all this, the Almsmen still pressed MahaKaccana to consent to expound and elucidate it for them. And he, consenting, spoke as follows : — I take, sirs, the detailed meaning of the Lord’s pregnant utterance to be this. — It is because of the eye and of visible forms that visual consciousness arises ; the meeting of these three things is contact ; contact con¬ ditions feeling ; what a man feels, he perceives; [112] what he perceives, he reasons about ; what he reasons about, he is obsessed by ; from what obsesses him TO Tel to b M. j. 1 13. originate the several obsessions, bred of perceptions, which beset a man’s path in respect of visible forms, past present or future, which are cognizable by the eye. So too, it is because of ear and sounds that auditory consciousness arises ; — because of nose and odours that olfactory consciousness arises ; — because of tongue and tastes that gustatory consciousness arises ; because of body and tangible things that there arises tactile con¬ sciousness ; — because of mind and mental objects that there arises mental consciousness ; the meeting of these three things is contact ; contact conditions feeling . . . mental objects, past, present or future, which are cognizable by the mind/ Where eye and visible form are present with visual consciousness, there a man may recognize the manifestation of contact ;

where there is the manifestation of contact, there a man may recognize the manifestation of feeling — and so of perception, reasoning, and obsession. But the three factors must all be present together, or there can be no manifesta¬ tion to recognize. And the like holds good of each of the other senses, including mind. — This, sirs, [113] is what I take to be the detailed meaning of the Lord's pregnant utterance. But, should your reverences so desire, you can go to the Lord himself and address your questions to him in person, in order to treasure up what he may reveal.

After expressing their gratification and gratitude to the reverend Maha-Kaccana, those Almsmen rose and went to the Lord, to whom they explained at length how, to get a detailed interpretation of his pregnant utterance, they had betaken themselves to the reverend Maha-Kaccana [114] and how in what sentences and words he had expounded the meaning to them. Maha-Kaccana, said the Lord, has learning and * Here, as infra at M. Ill, 223, this scholastic formula is attributed, not to Gotama but to Kaccana, as, in the 28th and 43rd Suttas, it is attributed to Sariputta. See M. I, 295, for Sariputta’s dictum that, while the first five (ordinary) senses have domains separate and distinct from one another, mind enters into the domain of each of them. great insight. If you were to put your question tome, my explanation would tally with his ; for this is the right meaning and you should so treasure it up. Hereupon, the venerable Ananda said to the Lord:— just as a man who, being half-dead with hunger and exhaustion, should come on a honeyed cake, each bit he tastes bringing in on him more and more its sweet delicious savour, — even so, the further the mind of a competent Almsman penetrates into the import of the lore of the exposition of the Doctrine, the greater grows his gratification and gladness of heart. What, sir, is the name of this exposition ?

Well, Ananda, let it be known as the exposition of ‘the honeyed cake.’ Thus spoke the Lord. Glad at heart, the reverend Ananda rejoiced in what the Lord had said.

Thus have I heard. Once when the Lord was stay¬ ing at SavatthI in Jeta’s grove in Anatbapindika’s pleasaunce, he addressed the listening Almsmen as follows : — In the days before my full enlightenment, when I was as yet only a Bodhisatta and not yet all-enlightened, the idea came to me to sort out my thoughts into two separate and distinct groups. Into one category I put thoughts about pleasures of sense, about harm, and about hurt ; and in a second category came thoughts about Renunciation, about hurting not nor harming. When, in my life of strenuous earnestness purged of self, [115] there arose within me a thought about pleasures of sense, I recognized that it had arisen and that it conduced to harm — harm to myself, to others, and both to myself and to others — as being subversive of insight, allied to overthrow, and no help towards Nirvana. The reflection that they conduced to harm M. i. 1 1 6. — to myself or to others or to both — caused thoughts about pleasures of sense to vanish away, as did reflections that these thoughts were subversive of insight, allied to overthrow, and no help towards Nirvana. As each such thought severally arose, I drove it away, discarded it, and rooted it out. And in just the same way I dealt with each thought of harm and hurt.

Now, whatsoever an Almsman thinks much about and dwells on, gradually moulds his mind. If he thinks much about pleasures of sense and dwells thereon, he has thereby driven away thoughts of Renunciation, has fostered the growth of thoughts on pleasure, and has applied his heart to thoughts on pleasure. And the same thing happens with thoughts of harm and of hurt. Just as in the last month of the monsoon towards autumn, when the crops stand thick on the ground, a cowherd looks sharply after his cattle, beating them off here with his stick, heading them off there, checking them at this point and blocking their way at that point, — because he dreads stripes or imprisonment or mulcts or censure to himself ; — even so did I see the perils, fatuity, and defilement arising from wrong states of mind, and the blessings of Renunciation, with sanctification as their ally, which flow from right states of mind. [116] When, in my life of strenuous earnestness purged of self, there arose within me a thought of Renunciation, I recognized that it had arisen and that it conduced to no harm, either to myself or to others or to both, seeing that it fostered insight, was arrayed against overthrow, and helped on towards Nirvana If by night — or by day — or by night and by day continuously — I thought much about Renunciation and dwelt thereon, never did I discern anything to breed fear. But, if I were to go on thinking these thoughts too long, would my body grow weary ? With bodily weariness, would my heart' be defiled ? With its defilement, would my heart be sundered from con¬ centration? At this thought, I stilled and composed

M. i. 117. ON COUNTER-IRRITANTS. 8 1 my heart within, focussed and concentrated it, — lest haply it should become defiled. And as with thoughts of Renunciation, so did I deal with thoughts of good¬ will and of benignity. Now, Brethren, whatsoever a Brother thinks much about and dwells on, gradually moulds his mind. If he thinks and dwells much on thoughts of Renunciation — or goodwill — or benignity, — he has thereby driven away thoughts about pleasures of sense and about harm and about hurt. J ust as in the last month of the hot season, when all the crops have been carried and are garnered on the confines of the village, the cowherd in the discharge of his duties [117] has only to see — from beneath a tree’s shade or in the open — that his cows are all there, — even so, Almsmen, all that I had to see was that all (right) states of mind were there. Strenuous effort won for me perseverance that never flagged ; there arose in me mindfulness that knew no distraction, perfect tranquillity of body, stedfastness of mind that never wavered. Divested of pleasures of sense, divested of wrong states of mind, I entered on, and abode in, the First Ecstasy . . . {etc., as in Sutta No. 4). . . . This was the third knowledge attained by me, in the third watch of that night, — ignorance dispelled and knowledge won, darkness dis¬ pelled and illumination won, as befitted my strenuous and ardent life, purged of self.

It is just as if in the heart of the jungle there was a great pond in a valley, with a large herd of deer living there, and there should come along a man bent on their harm, with no kind thought for them and with no regard for their well-being. If now he were to block up the peaceful, safe, and happy road, to open up a treacherous way, to plant a decoy,1 and to tether there a tame hind as a lure, — that great herd of deer would thus in time come to dire calamity and dwindle 1 Okacar o (home-pasture, cf. gocaro) seems to be a decoy in the sense in which we speak of a duck-decoy, and okacarika to be its lure. (Cf. Jat VI, 416, okacar enSti okacarikaya, with no suggestion of a tame stag — as Bu. here — as an added attraction.) M. i. 1 1 8. away. But, if another man appeared, who meant well by the herd and was kindly towards them and had re¬ gard to their well-being, he would open up that peaceful, safe and happy road, close the treacherous way, break up the decoy, get rid of the hind, — whereby the herd later on would grow and increase and multiply.

This, Almsmen, is a similitude framed by me for your edification ; [118] and here is its meaning : — The great pond in the valley is another name for pleasures of sense ; mankind is the herd of deer ; the first man stands for Mara the Evil One ; the treacherous way is the evil eightfold path — of wrong outlook, wrong aims and so forth ; the decoy represents sensual passion and the hind ignorance. The second man — he of the good-will and kind heart, who had regard to the deers’ well-being — stands for the Truth-finder, Arahat allenlightened. What was styled the peaceful, safe and happy road, is the Noble Eightfold Path of right out¬ look, right aims, right speech, right action, right mode of life, right effort, and right concentration. Yes, Brethren, 1 have opened up the peaceful, safe and happy road, closed the treacherous way, broken up the decoy, and got rid of the lure of the hind. All that a teacher can do for his disciples out of his love and compassion, that, for compassion’s sake, have I done for you. Here are trees under which to lodge ; here are solitude’s abodes ; plunge into deepest thought and never flag ; lay not up for yourselves remorse hereafter ; — this is my injunction to you.

Thus spoke the Lord. Glad at heart, these Alms¬ men rejoiced in what the Lord had said.

Thus have I heard. Once when the Lord was staying at Savatthi in Jeta’s grove in Anathapindika’s pleasaunce, he addressed the listening Almsmen as follows : — M. i. 1 19. [119] An Almsman who applies himself to the higher thought should pass in review from time to time five phases of mind ; and these are they : — (i.) When, by reason of a phase of mind, there arise in a Brother bad and wrong thoughts associated with appetite, hatred and delusion, then he should divert his mind from that to another phase associated with what is right; and, by his doing so, those bad and wrong thoughts pass away and disappear, so that his heart stands firm, is stedfast, is focussed and concen¬ trated. Just as a skilled artizan or his apprentice will with a little peg knock and drive out and expel a big peg, so, when, by reason of a phase of mind, there arise in an Almsman bad and wrong thoughts . . . focussed and concentrated. (ii.) If, though the Almsman diverts his mind from the former to the latter phase, there still arise in him the same bad and wrong thoughts as before, then he should study the perils these entail, marking how wrong and depraved such thoughts are and how they ripen unto Ill. As he studies them, these bad and wrong thoughts pass away and disappear, so that his heart stands firm, is stedfast, is focussed and concen¬ trated. Just as a woman or man or dressy lad, [120] if the carcase of snake or dog or human being be slung round their necks, are filled with horror, loathing and disgust, — even so is it with this Almsman in his scrutiny.

(iii.) If, for all his scrutiny of their perils, these bad and wrong thoughts still keep on arising, then he should ignore them and not let his mind dwell on them. As he ignores them, they will pass away and disappear, so that his heart stands firm, is steadfast, is focussed and concentrated. Just as a man with eyes to see, will, if he does not want to view visible forms that come within his field of vision, close his eyes or look another way, — even so is it with the Almsman in his ignoring of bad and wrong thoughts. (iv.) If, for all his ignoring of them, these bad and wrong thoughts still keep on arising, then he must M. i. 12 1, bethink him how to allay all that moulds and fashions thoughts. As he does so, these thoughts will pass away and disappear, so that his heart stands firm, is stedfast, is focussed and concentrated. J ust as a man who is running fast, may decide to walk slowly — or stand still — or sit down — or lie down — and thereby passes from the more violent to the easier posture, — even so is it with this Almsman in his allaying of all that moulds and fashions thoughts.

(v.) But, if, allay as he may, these thoughts continue to arise, then, with his teeth clenched and with his tongue pressed against his palate, he should, by sheer force of mind, restrain, coerce and dominate his heart. [121] As he does so, these thoughts will pass away and disappear, so that his heart stands firm, is sted¬ fast, is focussed and concentrated. Just as a strong man, taking a weaker man by the head or shoulders, restrains and coerces and dominates him, — even so, if, allay as he may, these thoughts . . . focussed and concentrated. When at last, whether (i.) by diverting his mind elsewhere or (ii.) by scrutiny of the perilous con¬ sequences or (iii.) by ignoring bad and wrong thoughts or (iv.) by allaying what moulds them or (v.) by sub¬ duing them, the Almsman is victorious over bad and wrong thoughts associated with appetite, hatred and delusion, so that they pass away and disappear and his heart stands firm and is stedfast, is focussed and con¬ centrated,— [122] then indeed has he earned the style of master of the ordering of his thoughts, for, he will think only such thoughts as he wishes and not those he wishes not to think ; he has hewn away cravings, has shed his fetters, and — by fathoming propensities to pride — has made an end of Ill.

Thus spoke the Lord. Glad at heart, those Alms¬ men rejoiced in what the Lord had said.

Thus have I heard. Once when the Lord was stay¬ ing at SSvatthT in Jeta’s grove in AnSthapindika’s pleasaunce, the reverend Moliya - Phagguna was always in the society of the Almswomen, so much so indeed that, if in his presence any Almsmen ever said a word against those Almswomen, he was annoyed and displeased and made a fuss about it. With the Alms¬ women it was just the same ; — they were annoyed and displeased and made a fuss, if in their presence any Almsman ever said a word against him. Such were the terms he was on with the Almswomen. Now, a certain Almsman reported all this to the Lord, who bade an Almsman [128] summon MoliyaPhagguna to his presence. In obedience to the summons, the Elder came, with due obeisance took his seat to one side, and, being questioned about the report concerning him and the Almswomen, admitted its truth. Was it not for faith’s sake, Phagguna, that you went forth from a comfortable home to homelessness as a Pilgrim ? Then it becomes you not, having so gone forth on Pilgrimage, to associate so much with Almswomen. Even if you hear things said in your presence against them, you should put from you every mundane impulse and thought, schooling yourself never to let your heart be led away, never to let wicked words pass your lips, but always to be kindly and compassionate, with your heart full of love and void of enmity. You should be the same, if in your presence anyone were

to strike those Almswomen with fist, clod, cudgel or knife. You should school yourself to be the same, too, if you yourself were reviled [124] or struck. Turning to the Almsmen, the Lord said : — I was much pleased with the Almsmen once, when I told them how, personally, I only sat down to food once a day and found that on this regimen I was healthful and well, buoyant, bale, and hearty. 1 urged them to do likewise and they would benefit therefrom as I had. I had no need to instruct them in this ; all I had to do was to draw their attention to it.1 It was just like a carriage — with thoroughbreds harnessed to it and with the goad lying ready to hand, on level ground at the crossroads, — into which there mounts a skilled driver who knows how to manage horses ; he takes the reins in his left hand and the goad in his right, and away he drives, up and down, where he likes and as he likes ; — even so, I had no need to instruct those Almsmen in this ; all I had to do was to draw their attention to it.

So put from you what is wrong and yoke yourselves to right states of mind, because thereby you will develop and grow and increase in this Doctrine and Rule. It is just like a great grove of Sal-trees near a village or township, which is overgrown with creepers, and to which there comes a man who wants the grove to thrive and flourish and has amiable and kindly feeling towards it ; he cuts out and carries off all crooked and hurtful growths so that the grove is cleaned and clean within ; he tends with every care whatever wood grows straight and fair, so that later on the grove may develop and grow and increase. — Even so should you put from you what is wrong and yoke yourselves to right states of mind, because [125] thereby you will develop and grow and increase in this Doctrine and Rule. '“'Once on a time in this same Savatthi there was a lady named Videhika, who was reputed gentle, and 1 But in the 65th Sutta he had trouble with Bhaddali on this. meek, and mild. She had a maid-servant named Darkie, a bright girl, an early riser and a good worker. I wonder, thought Darkie, whether my mistress, who is so well spoken of, has really got a temper of her own which she does not show or whether she has got no temper at all ? Or do I do my work so well that, though she has got a temper, she does not show it ? I will try her.

So next morning she got up late. Darkie ! Darkie ! — cried the mistress. — Yes, madam, answered the girl. — Why did you get up so late ? — Oh, that’s nothing, madam. — Nothing, indeed, the naughty girl ! thought the mistress, frowning with anger and displeasure. So she has got a temper, though she does not show it, thought the maid ; it is because I do my work so well that she does not show it ; I will try her further. So she got up later next morning. Darkie ! Darkie ! cried the mistress. — Yes madam, answered the girl. — Why did you get up so late? — Oh, that’s nothing, madam. — Nothing, indeed, you naughty girl ! ex¬ claimed the mistress, giving vent in words to her anger and displeasure. Yes, thought the maid ; she has got a temper, though she does not show it because I do my work so well ; 1 will try her yet further. So next morning she got up later still. [126] Darkie! Darkie! cried her mistress. — Yes, madam, answered the girl. — Why did you get up so late ? — Oh, that’s nothing, madam. — Nothing indeed, you naughty girl, to get up so late! exclaimed the mistress; and in her anger and dis¬ pleasure she snatched up the lynch-pin and struck the girl on the head with it, drawing blood. With her broken head streaming with blood, Darkie roused the neighbourhood with shrieks of — See, lady, what the gentle one has done ! See, lady, what the meek one has done ! See, lady, what the mild one has done ! What for ? J ust because her only maid got up late, she was so angry and displeased that she must up with the lynch-pin to strike her on the head and break it.

In the result the lady Videhika got the repute of being violent and anything but meek and mild, x — In like manner an Almsman may be gentle, and meek, and mild enough so long as nothing unpleasant is said against him. It is only when unpleasant things are said against him that you can begin to dub him gentle, and meek, and mild. I do not call that Alms¬ man docile who is docile and evinces docility only to get clothes and food and so forth. For, if he fails to get these things, he is not docile and evinces no docility. Him only do I call docile whose docility springs from honouring and venerating and revering the Doctrine. Be it your task, Almsmen, to become docile and to evince docility by honouring and venerat¬ ing and revering the Doctrine. There are five ways in which you may be ad¬ dressed, — (i.) in or out of season, (ii.) truthfully or un¬ truthfully, (iii.) mildly or harshly, (iv.) profitably or unprofitable and (v.) in love or in hate ; people may speak to you from time to time in each of these ways. [127] Your task should be to preserve your hearts un¬ moved, never to allow an ill word to pass your lips, but always to abide in compassion and goodwill, with no hate in your hearts, enfolding in radiant thoughts of love the person addressing you and pro¬ ceeding thence to enfold the whole world in your radiant thoughts of love, — thoughts like the solid earth beneath thoughts great, vast and beyond measure, in which no hatred is or thought of harm.

It is like a man who comes with basket and shovel to do away with the solid earth ! So here he digs and there he digs ; dumps it down here and dumps it down there ; spits here and stales there ; — confident that the earth is being got rid of bit by bit ! Do you think he will succeed in doing away with the earth ? No, sir ; — because the solid earth is so deep and so measureless, that it will not readily cease to exist before the man is tired out and worn out himself. — Even so (futile) are the five ways in which others may address you, — . . . thoughts of love, — thoughts M. i. 128. THE PARABLE OF THE SAW. 89 like the solid earth, great, vast and beyond measure, in which no hatred is or thought of harm. It is like a man who comes with lac and colours, yellow or blue or madder, to paint pictures on the air. Do you think he could do so ? No, sir ; because the air is void of form and attributes, so that pictures will not readily be painted on it before the man himself is [128] tired out and worn out.

— Even so (futile) are the five ways in which others may address you . . . thoughts of love, thoughts like the air above, great, vast and beyond measure, in which no hatred is or thought of harm. It is like a man who comes with a blaming wisp of bracken to set the river Ganges on fire and burn it all up. Do you think he could do so ? No, sir; because the Ganges is so deep and so measureless that it will not readily be fired and burnt up by wisps of bracken before the man himself is tired out and worn out. — Even so (futile) are the five ways in which others may address you . . . thoughts of love, thoughts like the Ganges, great, vast and beyond measure, in which no hatred is or thought of harm. It is like a wallet of cat’s skin that has been rubbed and scrubbed until it is as supple as supple can be, and as soft now as gossamer, with never a purr or a hiss left in it ; and if there came along a man with a chip of wood or a potsherd, professing therewith to start it purring and hissing again ; — do you think he could succeed ?

No, sir ; because that cat’s skin has been rubbed and scrubbed till it is as supple as supple can be, and as soft now as gossamer, with never a purr or a hiss left in it ; so mat it will not readily be started purring and hissing again, with his chip or potsherd, before the man himself is tired out and worn out. — Even so (futile) are the five ways in which others may address you . . . [129] thoughts of love, thoughts like that supple and tempered wallet of cat’s K m**r AVilktlm - • ••Mrnf V »J*t4 » >!• 4*^ skin, thoughts great, vast and beyond measure, in which no hatred is or thought of harm.1 If villainous banaits were to carve you limb from limb with a two-handled saw, even then the man that should give way to anger would not be obeying my teaching. Even then be it your task to preserve your hearts unmoved, never to allow an ill word to pass your lips, but always to abide in compassion and good¬ will, with no hate in your hearts, enfolding in radiant thoughts of love the bandit (who tortures you) and pro¬ ceeding thence to enfold the whole world in your radiant thoughts of love, thoughts great, vast and beyond measure, in which no hatred is or thought of harm.

If, Almsmen, you were to ponder again and again over this parable of the saw, do you perceive anything, great or small, which you could not endure to have said to you ? — No, sir. — Then, Almsmen, ponder again and again on this parable of the saw ; it will make for your abiding good and welfare. Thus spoke the Lord. Glad at heart, those Alms¬ men rejoiced in what the Lord had said.

[180] Thus have I heard. Once when the Lord was staying at SfivatthI in J eta’s grove in Anathapindika’s pleasaunce, an Almsman named Arittha who had originally been a vulture-catcher had come to hold the pernicious heresy that, as he understood the Lord s exposition of the Doctrine, the states of mind declared by the Lord to be the stumbling-blocks are not such at all to him who indulges in them.2 1 As the cat cannot be brought back to life, nor can its dressed skin rustle or crackle when handled, so is the Arahat who ‘ answers not again.' * Cf. I, 72. The whole Arittha episode occurs verbatim in Vinaya Texts, II, 377. See Vinaya Texts, I, 47 for the penalty M. i. 131. THE VENOMOUS SNAKE. 9 r As soon as this reached their ears, a number of Almsmen went to ask Arittha whether he was correctly reported as holding a heresy so pernicious ; and, on learning from him that he undoubtedly did hold it, they sought to wean him from it by enquiry, expostu¬ lation, and remonstrance. Do not, said they, mis¬ represent the Lord ; it is not right to impute this to him, for he would not say so ; (on the contrary) it has been by the Lord laid down in many a figure that the states of mind declared by him to be stumbling-blocks are veritable stumbling-blocks to him who indulges in them.

Pleasures of sense he has described as giving little satisfaction, much Ill and much tribulation, and as being dogged by perils greater still. He has described these pleasures of sense in the (ten) Parables,1 — of the bare bone, the lump of carrion, the hay-torch, the pit of embers, the dream, the loan, the hanging fruit, the slaughter-house, the impaling stake, the snake’s head, — always as giving little satisfaction, much Ill, and much tribulation, and always as being dogged by perils greater still. But say what they might, Arittha would not yield to their expostulations but stoutly maintained and upheld his pernicious heresy. So, when Arittha could not [131] be got to recede from his position, those Almsmen went to the Lord and recounted all that passed ; and he sent an Almsman to summon Arittha to his presence.

[132] When Arittha had obediently come and had taken his seat to one side after due obeisance, the Lord asked him whether he was correctly reported as having come to hold that, as he understood the Doctrine taught by the Lord, the states of mind declared to be stumbling-blocks were not such at all to him' who in¬ dulged in them. — Yes, he undoubtedly did so hold. — Then said the Lord : — To whom, foolish man, do you aver that I ever so taught the Doctrine? Have I not, of excommunication for maintaining that a Saint cannot fall from grace. It will be noted that here, as in Sutta 38, the recalcitrant is branded as belonging by origin to a murderous calling. 1 See Sutta No. 54 for the first seven of these in detail. foolish man, laid it down in many a figure that the states of mind declared by me to be stumbling-blocks are veritable stumbling-blocks to him who indulges in them ? Pleasures of sense I have described as giving little satisfaction, much Ill, and much tribulation, and as being dogged by perils greater still ; I have so described pleasures of sense in ten Parables. Yet you, foolish man, employ what you yourself misunderstand not only to misrepresent me but also to undermine yourself and to lay up a store of demerit, — to your lasting hurt and harm.

Turning then to the Almsmen, the Lord said : — Do you think this Brother Arittha, the vulture-catcher of the past, has got even a spark of illumination in this Doctrine and Rule ? How could he, sir ? For, it is not the fact. Hereat, Ariftha sat silent and glum, with his shoulders hunched up and eyes downcast, much exercised in his mind but finding no words to utter. Marking his plight, the Lord said : — And now, foolish man, you shall be shewn up in respect of this pernicious view ; I will question the Almsmen on the point. Accordingly the Lord addressed the Almsmen as follows : — [133] Now do you too, Almsmen, understand me to have taught the Doctrine in the fashion in which Arittha here, this whilom vulture-catcher, employs what he himself misunderstands, not only to misrepre¬ sent me but also to undermine himself and to lay up a store of demerit ? No, sir ; for, in many a figure we have heard from the Lord that the states of mind declared by him to be stumbling-blocks are veritable stumbling-blocks to him who indulges in them ; pleasures of sense the Lord has described as giving little satisfaction, much Ill, and much tribulation, and as being dogged by perils greater still.

Quite right, Almsmen ; you rightly understand my teaching ; for, indeed, I have, as you say, so taught in many a figure and parable. Yet here is this former vulture-catcher, Arittha, employing what he himself misunderstands, not only to misrepresent me but also to undermine himself and to lay up a store of demerit, — to his lasting hurt and Ill. No one can possibly indulge in pleasures of sense without harbouring sensuality within himself or without perceiving it and thinking about it Take the case of some foolish persons who have learned by heart the Doctrine, — the Suttas1 in prose or in prose and verse, with the Poems and the Triumphant Utterances and the Quotations and the Ja.ta.kas and the Miracles and the Miscellanies, — yet though they have learned it all by heart, fail to study its import for the comprehension of all it embodies, and consequendy find no joy in it, profiting by their learning by rote solely for strictures on others or for bandying verbal quotations, and quite missing the real object of their memorizing; so that these divers aspects of the Doctrine which they have failed to grasp conduce to their lasting hurt and Ill. And why ? — Because they have grasped it all wrong.

It is just like a man who is in quest of a serpent for his needs and who in the course of his searching finds a big serpent, which he seizes by its coils or tail, with the result that it turns on him and bites him on hand or arm or elsewhere on his body, so that he [134] comes thereby by his death or deadly hurt. And why? — Because he has wrongly grasped his snake. And it is just the same with those foolish persons who have learned by heart . . . wrongly grasped them. Take now the case of young men who have likewise learned the Doctrine by heart in all its aspects but study its import for the comprehension of all it embodies, and consequently find joy in it, — learning it 1 In this stock passage — here naively put into the mouth of the still living and preaching Buddha by later recensionists — Bu. interprets Sutta as including the Vinaya and Abhidhamma, and therefore as signifying the Pitakas at large, — not being either exclusively in verse (like the Dhammapada and the Thera- and Theri-githSs) or purely expository (like Sutta No. 9 above or the Vedalla Suttas Nos. 43 and 44 infra) or florilegia (like the Udana).

by heart not for strictures on others or for bandying verbal quotations, but for securing the real object of their memorizing, so that the divers aspects of the Doctrine which they have succeeded in mastering conduce to their lasting good and welfare. And why ? — Because they have grasped it all aright. It is just like a man who is in quest of a serpent for his needs and who in the course of his searching finds a big serpent which he pins securely down with a forked stick before grasping it tightly by its neck. Coil itself as the serpent may round his hand or arm or other part of his body, the man does not come thereby by his death or deadly hurt. And why ? — Because he has grasped it aright And it is just the same with those young men who have likewise learned by heart . . . grasped it all aright. Therefore, Almsmen, when you understand the import of what I say, so treasure it up in your memories ; but if you fail to understand, then ask me or some outstanding Almsmen.

By the parable of the raft I will teach how to abandon and not to retain. Listen and pay attention ; and I will speak. Yes, sir, said they in response ; and the Lord began : — It is like a man who after travelling a long way finds the floods out, with danger and peril on the hither side and with security and safety on the further side, but with no ferry or suspen¬ sion-bridge ; and to him comes the thought [185] to win his way across the floods to safety from the perils which encompass him by collecting grass and sticks and branches and boughs wherewith to fashion a raft on which to paddle himself safely across with his hands and feet ; and to him, when he has done all this and has paddled himself safely across, the thought comes that the raft had been so useful that he might do well to take it along with him packed on his head or shoulders. Think you he would be doing the right thing with the raft ? — No, sir. — How should he act so as to do the right thing with his raft ? Well, suppose that, when he was safely over, he, recognizing how

useful the raft had been, were to deem it well, before going on his way, either to beach it or to leave it afloat ; — clearly thus he would be doing the right thing with his raft. In this wise I have taught you by the parable of the raft how to abandon and not to retain. I f you understand this parable of the raft, you have to discard good things, and d fortiori bad things. Speculative tenets are sixfold. Take the case of an uninstructed everyday man who takes no count of the Noble, who is unversed and untrained in the Doctrine of the Noble, who takes no count of the Excellent, — who is unversed in the Doctrine of the Excellent, — who regards as ‘ mine or * I am this * or * this is my Self,’ either (i) visible form, — or (ii) feeling — or (iii) perception — or (iv) the plastic forces — or (v) whatso¬ ever he sees, hears, touches, is aware of, or by the mind attains, seeks out, and reflects on, — or (vi) the speculative tenet that ‘the world around me is the Self which I shall hereafter become, — eternal and permanent, everlasting and unchangeable, [136] stand¬ ing fast like heaven and earth.’

But the instructed man, the disciple of the Noble who does take count of the Noble and is both versed and trained in their Doctrine, who does take count of the Excellent and is both versed and trained in their Doctrine, — he refuses to regard visible form — or the rest of the six — as mine or I am this, or this is my Self. Refusing so to regard these things, he is not worried over the non-existent. At this point an Almsman asked whether there could be worry over the externally non-existent. Yes, answered the Lord. Suppose a Brother thinks he once had something which he now has not got, or that he would like to have something he cannot get ; he grieves and mourns and laments, he beats his breast and is distraught.— That is how there comes worry over the externally non-existent. Being asked further if there could be an absence of worry over the externally non-existent, the Lord said : — Yes ; suppose an Almsman never thinks that he once had something which he now has not got, or that he would like to have something he cannot get ; he does not grieve and mourn and lament, he does not beat his breast nor is he distraught. — That is how there is an absence of worry over the externally non-existent.

Being asked further if there could be worry over the internally non-existent, the Lord said : — Yes ; as for instance in the case of an Almsman who comes to hold the speculative idea that the world around me is the Self, which I shall hereafter become, — eternal and permanent, everlasting and unchangeable, standing fast like heaven and earth. From the Truth-finder or a disciple of his he hears preached the Doctrine to remove all tendency, inclination, and bias towards speculative tenets, to still all plastic forces, to discard all the material of rebirth, to extirpate cravings, in the passionless calm of Nirvana. Thinks he to himself: [137] ‘ Then I shall be cut off and perish utterly, there will be an end of me for ever and at the thought he grieves and mourns and laments, beats his breast, and is distraught — That is how there is worry over the internally non-existent. Being asked further whether there could be an absence of worry over the internally non-existent, the Lord : — Yes ; as for instance in the case of an Alms¬ man who, holding no speculative idea that the world around him is the Self, into which he will hereafter merge for ever and ever, hears the Doctrine preached by the Truth-finder or a disciple of his, without a thought that this means he will be cut off and perish utterly and be ended for ever ; so he does not grieve and mourn and lament, he does not beat his breast nor is he distraught. — That is how there is an absence of worry over the internally non-existent.

You would like to possess something that was eternal and permanent, everlasting and unchangeable, standing fast like heaven and earth ; — but, can you see any such possession ? Quite right, Almsmen ; — nor do I. You would like to have a grip on personal immor¬ tality such that thereby you would escape all grief, lamentation, sorrow, woe and tribulation; — but, can you see any such grip ? Quite right, Almsmen ; — nor do I. You would like a foundation for speculative beliefs so sure that thereby you would escape all grief, lamen¬ tation, sorrow, woe, and tribulation ; — but, can you see any such foundation ? Quite right, Almsmen ; — nor do I. [138] If there were a Self, would there be something of the nature of a * Self of mine ’ ? And if there were something of the nature of a Self of mine, would there be a ‘ my-self ’ ? But, if really and truly there is to be found neither Self nor anything of the nature of Self, is it not mere absolute folly to hold the speculative view that the world around me is ‘the Self’, into which I shall pass hereafter, — eternal and permanent, everlasting and unchangeable, standing fast like heaven and earth ?

How, sir, could it not be mere absolute folly? What do you think, Almsmen? Is visible form per¬ manent or impermanent ? And is the impermanent a weal or a woe ? But can a woe that is impermanent and changeable properly be regarded as mine, or as I am this, or as this is my Self? [And the same argument applies also to feelings, perception, plastic forces, and consciousness.] From which it results, Almsmen, that all visible forms — or feelings — or perceptions — or plastic forces — or consciousness — all this, whether past, present, or future, whether internal or external, [189] whether gross or subtle, high or low, far or near, have all to be viewed — if their real nature is comprehended aright — as * not mine as ‘ I am not this ’, and as * this is no Self of mine So viewing all these things, the instructed disciple of the Noble grows aweary of visible forms and the rest of them ; weariness leads him to passionlessness, and passionlessness to Deliverance, wherein he comes to know his Deliverance in the sure conviction : Rebirth is no more ; I have lived the highest life ; my task is done ; and now there is no more of what I have been. Such an Almsman is known as one who is quit of bolt and bar, has filled in his moat, has got rid of the itch of wanting, is cribbed and cabined no more ; he is known as the Noble who has flung away pride’s banner, has cast off his burthen, and is emancipate.

Now, how is he quit of bolt and bar? — When ignorance has passed away, grubbed up by the roots, like the cleared site where once a palm-tree grew, a thing that once has been and now can be no more. How does he fill in his moat ? — When the round of birth and rebirth has passed away ... no more. How does he get rid of the itch of wanting? — When craving has passed away ... no more. How' is he cribbed and cabined no more ? — When the five worldly bonds have passed away ... no more. How is he the Noble who has flung away pride’s banner, has cast off his burthen, and is emancipate ? — When the pride in an Ego1 has passed away . . . no more. [140] When his heart is thus Delivered, not Indra or Brahma or Pajapatl, with all their trains of gods, can succeed in tracking down aught on which depends a truth-finder’s consciousness. And why ? — Because, say I, already, here and now, the truth-finder2 is untrace- 1 So in the earliest days of his Buddhahood, Gotama (Vinaya Texts, I, 81) preached that supreme bliss came from the putting away of the conceit which comes from the thought * I am.’

* Here, clearly, tathagata means not a Buddha but simply an arahat. able. Though this is what I affirm and what I preach, yet some recluses and brahmins — wrongly, erroneously, and falsely — charge me, in defiance of facts, with being an annihilationist and with preaching the disintegration, destruction and extirpation of existing creatures. It is just what I am not, and what I do not affirm, that is wrongly, erroneously, and falsely charged against me by these good people who would make me out to be an annihilationist. Both in the past and to-day, I have consistently preached Ill and the ending of 111. If therein people denounce and abuse and revile the truthfinder, — this begets in him no resentment or annoyance or dissatisfaction. Nor, again, if people shew the truth-finder honour and reverence, devotion and worship, — does that bring him pleasure, satisfaction or elation ; he only thinks that such homage is consequent on the truth he mastered long ago. Therefore, if people denounce and abuse and revile you too, let this breed in you no resentment or annoyance or dissatis¬ faction. Nor, if people shew you too honour and reverence, devotion or worship, let that not bring you pleasure, satisfaction, or elation ; let your sole thought be that such homage is consequent on the truth you mastered long ago.

Put from you then what is not yours ; and thereby 1 you will come to lasting weal and well-being. Now what, Almsmen, is that which is not yours ? — Visible forms are not yours ; and so put them from you and ensure thereby your lasting weal and well-being. Similarly, put from you feelings, [141] perceptions, the plastic forces, and consciousness ; and ensure thereby your lasting weal and well-being. What think you ? If a man were to collect or burn or otherwise do what he liked with the grass, sticks, branches and foliage in this grove of J eta’s, — would it occur to you that it was you whom he was collecting or burning or otherwise doing what he liked with ? No, sir ; and why? — Because nothing of all this is either our Self or anything of the nature of a Self of ours. Just in the same way put from you what is not yours, — visible forms, feelings, and the rest ; and ensure thereby your lasting weal and well-being. In this wise has the Doctrine been by me set forth aright, the Doctrine which is clear, open, luminous, and flawless, wherein and whereby —

there is no tracing of the course of those Almsmen who are Arahats, in whom the Cankers are no more, who have greatly lived, whose task is done, who have cast off their burthens, who have won their weal, and who by utter knowledge have won deliverance ; all those who have thrown off the five fetters of this world, will all be translated to realms above, from which they will never return to earth ; all those who have thrown off the three fetters and have also reduced passion, hate and folly to a minimum will return only once more to this world and will then make an end of Ill ; all those who have simply thrown off three fetters, have entered the stream of sanctification, will escape all future states of misery, [142], have their future assured, and are destined to win the fullest enlightenment ; all those whose life accords with the Doctrine and with faith, are all destined to win the fullest enlighten¬ ment ; and all who have but faith in me and love for me, have heaven as their destiny. Thus spoke the Lord. Glad at heart, those Alms¬ men rejoiced in what the Lord had said.

Thus have I heard. Once when the Lord was staying at SavatthI in Jeta’s grove in Anathapindika’s pleasaunce, the reverend Kumara-Kassapa was staying in the Andha-vana, to whom towards dawn there came a deity of dazzling beauty, flooding the whole woodland with radiance. Standing to one side, the deity said : — Almsman, Almsman ! — There’s an ant-hill which smokes by day and flames up at night. The brahmin said : — Take your tool, sage,1 and dig. The sage dug away till he found a bar and cried : Here's a bar, Lord. Said the brahmin : Cast it out, sage, and dig on. As the sage dug on, he came on a frog. Cast it out, sage, and dig on, said the brahmin. As the sage dug, he came on a passage which forked. Said the brahmin : Cast it out, sage, and dig on. As he dug on, he came successively on — a strainer— [143] a tortoise — a cleaver — and a joint of meat ; all of which he was successively told to cast out and dig on. At last he came on a cobra.2 Sage, leave the cobra alone, said the brahmin ; do not harm the cobra ; pay homage to the cobra.

Now, Almsman, take these questions to the Lord and treasure up his explanations. I see no one in the whole universe — with all its gods, Maras, Brahmas, with its recluses and brahmins, and all gods and man¬ kind — whose interpretation of these questions can prove convincing, save only the Truth-finder or a disciple of the Truth-finder or from someone who has been told by him or them. With these words the deity vanished from sight. When the night was at an end, the reverend Kumara-Kassapa came to the Lord and after saluta¬ tions sat down to one side, there to relate the whole story and to end with the following questions : — What is the ant-hill ? — What is the smoking by night ? — What is the flaming by day ? — Who is the brahmin ? — Who is the sage ? — What is his tool ? — What is his digging ? — What is the bar ? — What is the frog ? — What is the passage which forked ? — What is the strainer? — What is the tortoise ? — What is the cleaver ? — What is the joint of meat ? — What is the cobra ?

1 The title Su-medha, here used of an Almsman, is given by Brahma to the Buddha in Sutta 26 (infra p. 1 19). 2 Cobras (says Bu.) guard buried treasure for seven genera¬ tions, a belief which perhaps dictated the story here turned into an allegory.

[144] The ant-hill, Almsman, typifies the body, which is made up of the four elements, starts from a mother and father, is sustained by rice and other foods, and is impermanent, being subject to attrition, abrasion, erasion, decay, and dispersal. The smoking by night is what by night a man thinks about, and ponders on, with reference to the day’s doings. The flames by day are what, after thinking and pondering by night, a man executes by day, with body, voice, or mind. The brahmin typifies the Truth-finder, the Arahat all-enlightened. The sage is an Almsman under training. His tool is noble wisdom. His digging is perseverance in effort. The bar signifies ignorance, which he is bidden to cast out and fling away. The frog is the emblem of the unrest arising from wrath, which he is bidden to cast out and fling away. The passage which forked typifies doubting, which he is bidden to cast out and fling away. The strain represents the five hindrances, — of pas¬ sion, ill-will, torpor, worry, and doubting. The tortoise means the five-fold grip on continuing existence — through visible forms, feelings, perceptions, plastic forces, and consciousness — which he is bidden to cast out and fling away.

The cleaver indicates the five pleasures of sense — proceeding from sights, sounds, odours, tastes, and touch, all of them pleasant, agreeable and delightful, all of them bound up with passion and lust — which he is bidden to cast out and fling away. [145] The joint typifies passion’s delights, which he is bidden to cast out and fling away. Lastly, the cobra is the symbol of the Almsman in whom the Cankers are no more. Leave him alone, harm him not, pay him homage.1 1 Cf. the end of the next Sutta and of Sutta No. 5 for styling an Arahat nag a (cobra or elephant); and cf. the designation of manussa-niga for Maha-Kassapa at Vinaya Texts I, 121. Thus spoke the Lord. Glad at heart, the reverend Kumara-Kassapa rejoiced in what the Lord had said.

Thus have I heard. Once when the Lord was , staying at Rajagaha in the Bamboo grove where the squirrels were fed, there came to the Lord many Almsmen of the locality who had been passing the rainy season there ; and these, after due obeisance, seated themselves to one side, and were thus addressed by the Lord : — Who among the Almsmen from here¬ abouts is by his fellows in the higher life who come also from here, esteemed — as wanting little himself and as urging Almsmen too to want but little ; as being contented in himself and also preaching contentment to Almsmen ; as living aloof in the inner life himself and also preaching it to Almsmen ; as eschewing mundane society and also urging Almsmen to eschew it ; as being strenuous himself and also inciting Alms¬ men to be strenuous ; as leading a virtuous life himself and also inciting Almsmen to virtue ; as having won rapt concentration for himself and also exhorting Almsmen thereto ; as having won wisdom for himself and also exhorting Almsmen thereto ; as having found Deliverance for himself and also encouraging Alms¬ men thereto ; as having himself attained to the full Vision of Deliverance and also urging Almsmen thereto ; as one who exhorts, informs, instructs, en¬ lightens, [146] cheers onward, and helps forward his fellows on the Higher life ?

Punna, sir, was the answer ; the venerable Punna Mantani-putta ; — he is esteemed as being all this by his fellows in the higher life who come, like him, from round here. Now, at that time, near the Lord there was sitting the reverend Sariputta, to whom the thought came how Mi ? XU + 44JO Ma- tschu - Durchhruch. Auf^ciioiniiH'ii von go l»t*i t.ngcr I.W. Watt ;; Atifgcnoniinen vnm l-ngor LXX. Watt 37. great a thing, how very great a thing, it was for the reverend Punna Mant&ni-putta that, in the presence of the Master, his well-informed fellows in the higher life should thus extol him, point after point, and that the Master should so appreciate him ; it would be good to meet Punna somewhere some day and have a talk with him. When the Lord had stayed at Rajagaha as long as he wished to, he set out on an alms-pilgrimage for Savatthi and, arriving there in due course, stayed in Jeta’s grove in Anathapindika’s pleasaunce. Hearing of the Lord’s movements, Punna packed away his bedding, took his bowl and robes, and set out on an alms-pilgrimage for Savatthi, and in the pleasaunce found the Lord, by whom he seated himself after due obeisance. As he sat there, the Lord discoursed to him on the Doctrine, informing, enlightening, cheering him forward and helping him onwards, after which Punna, rejoicing greatly in what he had heard from the Lord, rose up and with deep obeisance withdrew to Andha grove, there to stay during the noontide heat.

Hereupon, an Almsman went and told Sariputta that Punna Mantani-putta, of whom he was always speaking so highly, had [147] just left the Lord after a heartening discourse on the Doctrine and was off to Andha grove there to stay during the noontide heat. Snatching up his mat hurriedly, Sariputta followed Punna up closely from behind, never letting him get out of sight. Entering the grove, Punna sat down under a tree for the noontide ; and Sariputta found a tree for himself. When at even Sariputta rose up from his meditations, he moved towards Punna and after exchange of greetings took his seat to one side, saying — Do you, reverend sir, lead the higher life with our Lord? — Yes, reverend sir. — Is this in order to purify your life ? — No, sir. — Is it to purify your heart? — No, sir. — Is it to purify your views ? — No, sir. — Is it to ensure purity by dispelling doubts ? — No, sir. — Is it to ensure purity by fullest insight into paths right and wrong ? — No, sir. — Is it to ensure by fullest insight into the way by which to walk ? — No, sir. — What is it for then, as you answer no to all these questions ?

[148] To attain absolute Nirvana, sir. Is that purity of life ? — No, sir. — Is it purity of* heart? — No, sir.— Is it purity of view ? — No, sir. — Is it the purity which comes from dispelling doubts ? — No, sir. — Is it the purity which comes from fullest insight into paths right and wrong? — No, sir. — Is it the purity which comes from fullest insight into the way by which to walk ? — No, sir. — Is it the purity which insight gives? — No, sir. — Does absolute Nirvana lack these states of mind ? — No, sir. — As you answer no to all these questions, pray how is the meaning of your words to be understood ? If, sir, the Lord were to explain absolute Nirvana as purity of life or as any other of the purities you name, then he would make it contingent and not absolute ; and if absolute Nirvana simply meant the lack of those states of mind, then the ordinary man would have Nirvana, — for, he has none of those states of mind. Consequently, sir, I will give you an illustration ; — by an illustration some men of understanding apprehend the meaning of a statement. It is just as if, while King Pasenadi of Kosala was in residence here in Savatthl, [149] some emergency were to arise in Saketa and his people were to arrange seven carriages for him in relays along the road between Savatthl and Saketa.

Suppose now the King were to get into the first carriage at the palace door and to drive along in it till he came to the second carriage, and were then to dismiss the first and get into the second carriage, and so on until the seventh carriage brought him to the door of his palace in Saketa ; and suppose within the palace he were asked by his entourage and kinsfolk whether it was in that last relay he had come from Savatthl to the door of his palace in Saketa, — what would be the correct answer for his majesty to give ?

His correct answer would be that, on an emergency requiring him to leave for Saketa, his people arranged seven carriages in relays for him along the road ; that at the door of his palace in Savatthi he got into the first carriage, in which he drove along till he came to the second carriage into which he changed, and so on till at last the seventh carriage brought him to the door of his palace in Saketa. In just the same way, sir, purity of life takes a man as far as purity of heart and no further ; purity of heart takes him only up to purity of views ; [150] and so on till fullest insight carries him on to absolute Nirvana, — for which it is that I lead the higher life with the Lord. • Hereupon, the reverend Sari-putta said to the reverend Punna Mantani-putta : — What is your reverence’s name, and how are you known to your fellows in the higher life ? Punna, reverend sir, is my name ; and as Mantaniputta (son of the brahmin lady, MantanI) am I known to my fellows in the higher life. Wonderful, sir! Marvellous, sir! How like a wellinstructed disciple who understands the Master’s teach¬ ing to the full, has the reverend Punna Mantani-putta answered, point by point, questions deep and profound ! It is a great thing, a very great thing, that his fellows in the higher life have the reverend Puijna to see and to consort with. Yes, it would be a great thing for them, a very great thing, to see and to consort with him, even if they had to carry him about upon a cushion on their heads. A great thing too, a very great thing, is it for me that it has been mine to see and to consort with the reverend Punna Mantaniputta.

Thereupon, the reverend Punna Mantani-putta said to the reverend Siriputta : — What is your reverence’s name, and how are you known to your fellows in the higher life ? Upatissa, reverend sir, is my name; and as Sariputta (son of the brahmin lady Sari) am I known to my fellows in the higher life. And here have I been talking, without knowing it was Sariputta, to the disciple whom men liken to the Bild 1 1 5 Master himself! Had I but known it was Sariputta, I should certainly not have presumed to answer him at such length. Wonderful, sir! Marvellous, sir! How like a well-instructed disciple who understands the Master’s teaching to the full, has the reverend Sariputta, point by point, put questions deep and profound ! It is a great thing, a very great thing, that his fellows in the higher life have the reverend Sariputta to see and consort with. Yes, it would be a great thing for them, a very great thing, to see and to consort with him, even if they had to carry him about on a cushion on their heads. [151] A great thing too, a very great thing, is it for me that it has been mine to see and to consort with the reverend Sariputta.

In such wise did each of that noble pair of Arahats (maha-naga) applaud what the other had said so well.

Thus have I heard. Once when the Lord was staying at Savatthi in J eta’s grove in Anathapindika’s pleasaunce, he addressed the listening Almsmen as follows : It is with no idea of providing deer with a crop grown solely to keep them in good condition for many a long day, that the trapper sows his crop ; no, it is with the quite different object that, with an in¬ fatuated inrush on the crop, the deer will browse on the fodder, and that, as they browse, they will lose their heads and thereby get off their guard, so that being off their guard, they can be dealt with as he pleases amid the crop. And this is just what a first herd of deer did, so that they escaped not from the trapper’s mastery of craft. Realizing precisely how the first herd [152] had met their doom, a second herd concluded to keep quite clear of the crop and to retire to the depths of the jungle, leaving that fearsome pasturage untouched. This they did, until, with the coming of the last month of the hot season, grass and water gave out and their bodies grew emaciated in the extreme, so that their hearts and spirits failed them, — and back they came to the crop the trapper had sown. With an infatuated inrush, they fell to browsing on the fodder, and, as they browsed, lost their heads and got off their guard, so that, being off their guard, they could be dealt with by the trapper as he pleased amid the crop. That is how the second herd too escaped not from the trapper’s mastery of craft.

Realizing precisely how the first and second herds had come to their doom, a third herd of deer resolved Die im 9u-kung erwahnfen Gewasser - Transportwege . . und die 9 Berg straSen des a<i _ smd blau gezeichner itoa-Bergnamen HO-KflK fU.TSin-svii* moderne Ortsnarnen. *. Tempel des Sao t Tempel des Shun t Tempel des 9ti . . Grenzen der gegenwarttgen Provinzen. Grtutei^ 3er Cf Q o.u S O) at t t n Nebenkartel: Die Reichsmitte (Ki-nei) • VermuH. Grenzen d Tan Chu nach d.Tode d Jiao — — » • • Shun • • " * • - ■> * m Hjj » * ■ Shun instead to [158] take up their abode hard by the standing crop, but, making no mad rush in, to browse on it with circumspection and without losing their heads and without getting off their guard, — so as not to be at the trapper’s mercy amid the crop. And this they did, thereby escaping him. Hereupon, the trapper and his people thought to themselves : — This third herd is guileful and wily, diabolically clever and outlandish ; they graze on our crop, but we know nothing of their comings or of their goings ; it would be well to put high stake-nets round the whole crop, to see if we can find out what lair they disappear to. So they staked in the whole crop all round about, till they discovered the lair the deer disappeared to. And that is how the third herd too escaped not from the trapper’s mastery of craft.

Realizing precisely how the first three herds had respectively come to their doom, [154] a fourth herd resolved to make their lair where the trapper and his people could not penetrate, and, from this security, making no mad rush in, to browse on the crop with circumspection and without losing their heads and with¬ out getting off their guard, and so [155] not to be at the trapper’s mercy amid the crop. And this they did, thereby escaping him. Hereupon, the trapper and his people thought to themselves : — This fourth herd is guileful and wily, diabolically clever and outlandish ; they graze on our crop, but we know nothing of their comings or of their goings ; it would be well to put high stake nets round the whole crop, to see if we can find out what lair they disappear to. So they staked in the whole crop all round about, — but failed to discover the lair the deer disappeared to. Then the trapper and his people thought to themselves: — If we upset this fourth herd, they in turn will upset their neighbours and so on all along the line, so that no deer at all will ever come near our crop ; we had better take no notice of them at all. So they took no notice of that fourth herd, — which thus succeeded in escaping the trapper’s mastery in craft.

WJHirlm KHrlimn-: 'iW'nsrtaftl. Er)fr>ir.i-.v i Kxp«MH*"«i ' *<+. Hutu uTfl*-t tKI-WRV Konstrukt io n s - . Vbril ’» D ilDI . Gt’bipi.: Tosson-nSr-Baitg-techiv-Yadi-lschu. Blau u-3s t - — - z - - - — a*. ImMra tMiM* A - ■ O Han/tt/tfuM ^tenmm I* ' O • • - • * rtntntif This is an allegory, Almsmen, framed by me to illustrate my meaning, which is as follows : — The crop typifies the five pleasures of sense ; the trapper stands for Mara, the Evil One ; the trapper’s people are Mara’s train ; and the deer represent recluses and brahmins. Here, a first set of recluses and brahmins, wildly rushing in on the crop Mara had sown and on what the world can bestow, [156] have taken their fill thereof, thereby losing their heads and thus getting off their guard, so that, being off their guard, they can be dealt with by Mara as he pleases amid the crop he has sown and amid what the world can bestow. And this is how the first set of recluses and brahmins failed to escape from Mara’s mastery of craft ; — they, say I, are like the first herd of deer.

Realizing precisely how the first set of recluses and brahmins came by their fate, a second set resolved to keep quite clear of the lure of what the world could bestow, leaving untouched so fearsome a diet, and to retire to the forest, there to subsist on green herbs, the grain of wild millets and paddy, snippets of hides, water-plants, the red dust that lines the rice husk, the discarded scum of boiling rice, the flour of oil-seeds, grass, cowdung, wild roots and fruits, or on windfalls alone. This they did until, with the coming of the last month of the hot season, when grass and water gave out and their bodies grew emaciated in the extreme, their heart’s Deliverance failed, and back they came to the crop Mara had sown and what the world can bestow. With an infatuated inrush, they took their fill, thereby losing their heads and getting off their guard, so that, being off their guard, they could be dealt with by Mara as he pleased amid the crop he had sown and amid what the world had to bestow. That is how the second set of recluses and brahmins failed [157] to escape from Mara’s mastery of craft; — they, say I, are like the second herd of deer.

Realizing precisely how the first and second sets of recluses and brahmins had come by their fate, a third set resolved instead to take up their abode hard by the crop Mara had sown and what the world could bestow, but, making no mad rush in, to partake thereof with circumspection and without losing their heads and without getting off their guard, so as not to be at Mara’s mercy amid the crop he had sown and amid what the world could bestow. This they did. But they came to entertain such speculative views as the following: — The world is everlasting, — the w-orld is not everlasting, — the world is finite, — the world is in¬ finite, the body is the life (jiva), — the body is one thing and the life another, — a truth-finder exists after death, — a truth-finder does not exist after death, — he both exists and does not exist after death, — he neither exists nor does not exist after death. [158] That is how the third set of recluses and brahmins failed to escape from Mara’s mastery of craft ; — they, say I, are like the third herd of deer.

Realizing precisely how the first three sets of recluses and brahmins had respectively come by their fate, a fourth set resolved instead to take up their abode where Mara and his train could not penetrate, and, from this security, making no mad rush in, to partake of Mara’s crop and what the world could bestow, but with circumspection and without losing their heads and without getting off their guard, so as not to be at Mara’s mercy amid the crop he had sown and what the world had to bestow. This they did. [159] And that is how the fourth set of recluses and brahmins succeeded in escaping Mara’s mastery of craft ; — they, say I, are like the fourth herd of deer. But, how find a retreat where Miira and his train cannot penetrate ? Take an Almsman who, divested of pleasures of sense, divested of wrong states of mind, has entered on, and abides in, the First Ecstasy with all its zest and satisfaction, — a state bred of inward aloofness but not divorced from observation and reflection. Such a Brother is said to have hoodwinked Mara and to have WllliFlm FilrhntT: fl'iiwattrtani ErjjrbiitSs* d m iiacIi Qrnia « TlM (KO-Jwr.V

imf IUMi iumtt t iUlrJ»to i Goblet lYarh-tsi hu - Gotschim^ombii . imt-r <y- - ~ -Q theta At/u*f*n ^U|Wuk- !>Jkjr^U» Vklaio UB put Mara’s sight out of gear, so as to have passed oyt of range of vision of the Evil One. — Further, by rising above observation and reflection the Almsman enters on, and abides in, the Second Ecstasy with all its zest and satisfaction,— a state bred of rapt concentration, above all observation and reflection, a state whereby the heart is focussed and tranquillity reigns within. Such an Almsman is said to have hoodwinked . . . the Evil One. — Further, by shedding the emotions of zest and satisfaction, the Almsman enters on, and abides in, the Third Ecstasy with its poised equani¬ mity, mindful and alive to everything,^ feeling in his frame the satisfaction of which the Noble say that poise and mindfulness bring abiding satisfaction. Such an Almsman is said to have hoodwinked ... the Evil One. — Further, by putting from him both satis¬ faction and dissatisfaction, and by shedding the joys and sorrows he used to feel, the Almsman enters on, and abides in, the Fourth Ecstasy, — the state that knows neither the pleasant nor the unpleasant, the clarity that comes of poised equanimity and alert mind¬ fulness. Such an Almsman is said to have hood¬ winked ... the Evil One.— Further, by passing altogether beyond perception of visible forms, by ceasing from perception of sense-reactions, by not heeding perception of diversified impressions, he enters on, and abides in, the plane of infinity of space.

Such an Almsman is said to have hoodwinked . . . the Evil One. — Further, bypassing altogether beyond the plane of infinity of space, he enters on, and abides in, the plane of infinity of consciousness. Such an Alms¬ man is said to have hoodwinked . . . the Evil One. — Further, by passing altogether beyond the plane of infinity of consciousness, [160] he enters on, and abides in, the plane of Naught. Such an Almsman is said to have hoodwinked . . . the Evil One. — Further, by passing altogether beyond the plane of Naught, he enters on, and abides in, the plane of neither percep¬ tion nor non-perception. Such an Almsman is said to have hoodwinked . . . the Evil One. — Further, by

M. i. 161. THE NOBLE QUEST. II3 passing altogether beyond the plane of neither percep¬ tion nor non-perception, he enters on, and abides in, the plane where feeling and perception cease, and where, because wisdom gives him vision, the Cankers become eradicated. Such an Almsman is said to have hoodwinked Mara and to have put Mara’s sight out of gear, so as to have passed out of range of vision of the Evil One and to have passed — here and now — beyond desires. Thus spoke the Lord. Glad at heart, those Alms¬ men rejoiced in what the Lord had said.

Thus have I heard. Once, when staying at Savatthl in Jeta’s grove in Anathapindika’s pleasaunce, the Lord, early in the morning, duly robed and bowl in hand, went into the city for alms. To the reverend Ananda there came a number of Almsmen to represent that it was a long time since they had heard a discourse on the Doctrine from the Lord and that they would like to listen to one from his own lips. In reply, Ananda told them to repair to the hermitage of the brahmin Rammaka, where their wishes might perhaps be gratified ; and to this they assented. Having gone his round for alms in Savatthl, the Lord, on his return after his meal, said to Ananda that they would go to the Eastern pleasaunce and the mansion of (Visakha) the Mother of Migilra. Yes, sir, said Ananda in assent. [161] So thither the Lord went with Ananda to pass the noontide. Rising towards evening from his meditations, the Lord told Ananda they would now go to the Eastern bath to bathe. Ananda assenting, they went there ; and, after bathing, the Lord came out of the water and stood in a single garment to dry himself. Then said Ananda : — The hermitage of the brahmin Rammaka is

WMiUH ISJtair niia »r. hard by ; and a pleasant, agreeable place it is. Pray, sir, be pleased to proceed thither. Silently consenting, the Lord went to the hermitage, in which a number of Almsmen were then seated, discoursing of the Doc¬ trine. Standing outside the door till he knew their discourse was at an end, the Lord coughed and tapped on the bar of the door. They opened unto him, and he went in, seating himself on the seat set for him. Being seated, he asked them what had been their theme and what was the topic of their previous talk. They answered that it was on the Lord himself that their discourse about the Doctrine had centred, — when he arrived in person. Quite right, Almsmen, said he ; it is meet that you young men who have gone forth on Pilgrimage from home to homelessness for faith’s sake should sit talking of the Doctrine. When you meet together, you have the choice of two things, — either to talk about the Doctrine or else to preserve a noble silence. There are two quests, Almsmen, — the noble and the ignoble. First, what is the ignoble quest ? — Take the case of a man who, being in himself subject to rebirth, pursues what is no less subject thereto ; who being in himself subject to decay, [162] pursues what is no less subject thereto ; who, being himself subject thereto, pursues what is subject to disease — death — sorrow — and impurity. What, you ask, is subject to the round of rebirth ? — Why, wives and children, bondmen and bondwomen, goats and sheep, fowls and swine, elephants, cattle, horses and mares, together with gold and coins of silver. Although subjection to birth marks all these ties, yet a man — himself subject to birth — pursues these things with blind and avid appetite.

[The same applies (i), in full, to decay and impurity and also (ii) to disease, death and sorrow, with the exception of inanimate gold and coins of silver.] Secondly, what is the noble quest? — Take the case of a man who, being himself subject to the round of re¬ birth — decay — disease — death — sorrow — and impurity, M. i. 163. THE NOBLE QUEST. 1 1 5 sees peril in what is subject thereto, and so [163] pursues after the consummate peace of N irvana, which knows neither rebirth nor decay, neither disease nor death, neither sorrow nor impurity. — This is the Noble Quest. Yes, I myself too, in the days before my full enlightenment, when I was but a Bodhisatta, and not yet fully enlightened, — I too, being subject in myself to rebirth, decay and the rest of it, pursued what was no less subject thereto. But the thought came to me : — Why do I pursue what, like myself, is subject to rebirth and the rest ? Why, being myself subject thereto, should I not, with my eyes open to the perils which these things entail, pursue instead the consummate peace of Nirvana, — which knows neither rebirth nor decay, neither disease nor death, neither sorrow nor impurity ?

1 There came a time when I, being quite young, with a wealth of coal-black hair untouched by grey and in all the beauty of my early prime — despite the wishes of my parents, who wept and lamented — cut off my hair and beard, donned the yellow robes and went forth from home to homelessness on Pilgrimage. A pilgrim now, in search of the right, and in quest of the excellent road to peace beyond compare, I came to Alara Kalama and said : — It is my wish, reverend Kalama, to lead the higher life in this your Doctrine and Rule. Stay with us, venerable sir, was his answer ; my Doctrine is such that ere long an intelligent man [164] can for himself discern, realize, enter on, and abide in, the full scope of his master’s teaching. Before long, indeed very soon, I had his Doctrine by heart. So far as regards mere lip-recital and oral repetition, I could say off the (founder’s) original message and the elders’ exposition of it, and 1 Cf. also Suttas Nos. 36, 85, and 100 for this biographical record, which — as is noted at page 118 infra — is in part repeated in the Vinaya and Digha. The austerities of our 12th Sutta presumably preceded his study under AjSra K5l5.ma and Uddaka Ramaputta ; but they may be the austerities practised at Uruvela with the pive Brethren (see infra, p. 122).

Il6 XXVI. ARIYA-PAR1YESANA-SUTTA. M. i. 165. could profess, with others, that I knew and saw it to the full. Then it struck me that it was no Doctrine merely accepted by him on trust that Alara Kalama, preached, but one which he professed to have entered on and to abide in after having discerned and realized it for himself; and assuredly he had real knowledge and vision thereof. So I went to him and asked him up to what point he had for himself discerned and realized the Doctrine he had entered on and now abode in. Up to the plane of Naught, answered he. Hereupon, I reflected that Ajara Kalama was not alone in possessing faith, perseverance, mindfulness, rapt concentration, and intellectual insight; for, all these were mine too. Why, I asked myself, should not I strive to realize the Doctrine which he claims to have entered on and to abide in after discerning and realizing it for himself? Before long, indeed very soon, I had discerned and realized his Doctrine for myself and had entered on it and abode therein. Then I went to him and asked him whether this was the point up to which he had discerned and realized for himself the Doctrine which he professed. He said yes ; and I said that I had reached the same point for myself. It is a great thing, said he, a very great thing for us, that in you, reverend sir, we find such a fellow in the higher life.

That same Doctrine which I for myself have discerned, realized, entered on, and profess, — that have you for yourself discerned, realized, entered on and abide in ; and that same [165] Doctrine which you have for yourself discerned, realized, entered on and profess, — that have I for myself discerned, realized, entered on, and profess. The Doctrine which I know, you too know ; and the Doctrine which you know, I too know. As I am, so are you ; and as you are, so am I. Pray, sir, let us be joint wardens of this company! In such wise did Alara Kalama, being my master, set me, his pupil, on precisely the same footing as himself and show me great worship. But, as I bethought me that his Doctrine merely led to attaining the plane of Naught

M. i. 1 66. and not to Renunciation, passionlessness, cessation, peace, discernment, enlightenment and Nirvana,— I was not taken with his Doctrine but turned away from it to go my way. Still in search of the right, and in quest of the excellent road to peace beyond compare, I came to Uddaka Ramaputta and said : — It is my wish, reverend sir, to lead the higher life in this your Doctrine and Rule. Stay with us, . . . vision thereof. So I went to Uddaka Ramaputta and asked him up to what point he had for himself discerned and realized the Doctrine he had entered on and now abode in. Up to the plane of neither perception nor non¬ perception, answered he. Hereupon, 1 reflected that Uddaka Ramaputta was not alone in possessing faith T166J . . . show me great worship. But, as I bethought me that his Doctrine merely led to attaining the plane of neither perception nor non-perception, and not to Renunciation, passion¬ lessness, cessation, peace, discernment, enlightenment and Nirvana, — I was not taken with his Doctrine but turned away from it to go my way. Still in search of the right, and in quest of the excel¬ lent road to peace beyond compare, I came, in the course of an alms-pilgrimage through Magadha, to the Camp township at Uruvela and there took up my abode. Said I to myself on surveying the place : — Truly a delightful spot, with its goodly groves and clear flowing river with ghits and amenities, hard by a village for sustenance. What more for his striving can a young man need whose heart is set on striving ? So there I sat me down, needing nothing further for my striving.

Subject in myself to rebirth — decay — disease — death— sorrow — and impurity, and seeing peril in what is subject thereto, I sought after the consummate peace of Nirvana, which knows neither rebirth nor decay, neither disease nor death, neither sorrow nor impurity ; — this I pursued, and this I won ; and there arose within me the conviction, the insight, that now h y. i " ■■ V '- *rv • ■ ' ft- « v v9 -.?• ~ r: :-v- - . • - . * * ■ * • « i M. i. 1 68. my Deliverance was assured, that this was my last birth, nor should 1 ever be reborn again. XI have attained, thought I, to this Doctrine pro¬ found, recondite, hard to comprehend, serene, excel¬ lent, beyond dialectic, abstruse, and only to be perceived by the learned. But mankind delights, takes delight, and is happy in what it clings on to, so that for it, being thus minded, it is hard to understand casual relations and the chain of causation, — hard to understand the stilling of all plastic forces, or the re¬ nunciation of all worldly ties, the extirpation of craving, passionlessness, peace, and Nirvana. [168] Were I to preach the Doctrine, and were others not to under¬ stand it, that would be labour and annoyance to me ! Yes, and on the instant there flashed across my mind these verses, which no man had heard before : —

Must I now preach what I so hardly won ? Men sunk in sin and lusts would find it hard to plumb this Doctrine , — up stream all the way, abstruse, profound, most subtle, hard to grasp. Dear lusts will blirui them that they shall not see , — in densest mists of ignorance befogged. As thus I pondered, my heart inclined to rest quiet and not to preach my Doctrine. But, Brahma Sahampati’s* mind came to know what thoughts were passing within my mind, and he thought to himself : — The world is undone, quite undone, inasmuch1 * 3 as the heart of the Truth-finder4 inclines to rest quiet and not 1 Here the Vinaya (I, 4, translated at S.B.E. XIII, £4) and the Digha NikSya (II, 36, translated at Dialogues II, 29) have versions practically identical with this. All agree, as do later compilations like the Introduction to the Jatakas, in recording the initial reluctance of Gotama to preach his new gospel to others. * The Digha speaks merely of one of the Great BrahmSs, — the specific reference to Sahampati being regarded as a later gloss by Rhys Davids (Dialogues II, 70), though there is no justification for assigning seniority here to the Digha over the Majjhima and Vinaya versions.

* Bu. understands yatra hi nama as yasmiih nama loke. 4 This, the first use of the term Tathigata in the Buddha’s M. i. 169. THE NOBLE QUEST. II9 to preach his Doctrine ! Hereupon, as swiftly as a strong man might stretch out his arm or might draw back his outstretched arm, Brahma Sahampati vanished from the Brahma- world and appeared before me. To¬ wards me he came with his right shoulder bared, and with his clasped hands stretched out to me in reverence, saying : — May it please the Lord, may it please the Blessed One, to preach his doctrine! Beings there ace whose vision is but little dimmed, who are perishing because they do not hear the Doctrine ; — these will understand it! And Brahma Sahampati went on to say : lAn unclean Doctrine reigns in Magadka, by impure man devised. Ope thou the door of Deathless truth. Let all the Doctrine hear from his pure lips who first conceived its thought. As from a mountains rocky pinnacle the folk around are clear to view, so, Sage, from thy truths palace, from its topmost height, survey with eye all-seeing folk beneath, — poor thralls of birth and swift decay, whose doom is that same sorrow thou no more wilt know.

[169] So up, great hero, victor in the fight / Thy debt is paid. Lead on thy Pilgrim train through all the world. Thy Doctrine preach ; — among thy hearers some will understand. Thereupon, Almsmen, heeding Brahma’s entreaties and moved by compassion for all beings, I surveyed the world with the eye of Enlightenment and therewith saw beings with vision dimmed little or much, beings with acute or dull faculties, beings of dispositions good or bad, beings docile or indocile, with some among life-history, follows immediately on his attaining Buddhahood and is designedly put into the mouth of Mah5-Brahma himself, the supreme deity of the superseded cosmology. 1 These verses axe somewhat differently arranged in D. II, 39, and Vin. I, 5, — the DIgha version omitting the first four lines. In the DIgha and Vinaya versions, Brahma thrice repeats his entreaties, in stereotyped fashion. them alive to the terrors hereafter, of present wrong¬ doing. As in a pond of lotuses, blue or red or white, some lotuses of each kind are born and grow in the water, never rising above the surface but flourishing underneath; while others, born and growing in the water, either rise level with the surface or stand right out of the water and are not wetted by it ; — even so with the eye of Enlightenment did I see beings with vision dimmed . . . wrong-doing now. Thereon, I made answer to Brahma Sahampati in these verses :

Nirvanas doors stand open wide to all ■with ears to hear. Discard your outworn creeds l The weary task ahead made me forbear to preach to men my Doctrine's virtues rare. Mine has it been to secure from the Lord the preaching of the Doctrine! said Brahma Sahampati, and, so saying, with due obeisance and reverently keeping his right side towards me as he passed, he vanished there and then. I now asked myself to whom first I should preach the Doctrine, and who would understand it quickly. The thought came to me that there was Alara Kiilama, who was learned, able, and intelligent, whose vision had long been but little dimmed ; suppose I chose him [170] to be my first hearer, for he would be quick to understand? Word, however, was brought to me by deities that he had died seven days before, and insight assured me this was so. Great nobility, thought I, was his ! Had he heard my Doctrine, he would have understood it quickly. Again I asked myself to whom first I should preach the Doctrine, and who would understand it quickly. The thought came to me that there was Uddaka Ramaputta, who was learned . . . Word, however, was brought me by deities that he had died yesterday at midnight, and insight . . . understood it quickly.

Again I asked myself to whom first I should preach the Doctrine and who would understand it quickly. The thought came to me that there were the five Almsmen who had served me so well in my struggles to purge myself of self ; suppose I chose them to be my first hearers? Wondering where they were dwelling now, I saw with the Eye Celestial — which is pure and far surpasses the human eye — those Five Almsmen dwelling at Benares in the Isipatana deerpark. So, when I had stayed as long as pleased me at Uruvela, I set out on an alms -pilgrimage for Benares. On the highway from the Bo-tree to Gaya, Upaka the Mendicant (ajivika) saw me and said : — Reverend sir, your faculties are under control, and your complexion is clear and bright. To follow whom have you gone forth on pilgrimage ? Or who is your teacher ? Or whose Doctrine [171] do you profess? Him I answered in these verses : — All-vanquishing, all- knowing, lo ! am /, from all wrong thinking wholly purged and free. All things discarded, cravings rooted out, — whom should / follow ? — I have found out all.

No teacher 's mine, no equal. Counterpart to me there 's none throughout the whole wide world. The Arahat am I, teacher supreme, utter Enlightenment is mine alone ; unfever d calm is mine, Nirvana's peace. I seek the Kasis’ city, there to staid my Doctrine's wheel, a world purblind to save, sounding the tocsins call to Deatklessness. According to your claim, sir, said Upaka, you should be the Universal Conqueror. Like me, those conquer who the Cankers quell ; < — by conquering bad thoughts, Tm Conqueror. - When I had thus answered, Upaka the Mendicant said : Mebbe,1 sir, and, shaking his head, took a different road and went his way. In the course of my alms-pilgrimage, I came at last 1 Huveyya is a dialectical form for bhaveyya. to Benares and the deerpark of Isipatana, in which were the Five Almsmen. From afar the five saw me coming and agreed among themselves as follows : — Here come the recluse Gotama, the man of surfeits, who has abandoned the struggle and reverted to surfeiting. We must not welcome him, nor rise to receive him, nor relieve him of bowl and robes. Yet let us put out a seat ; he can sit on it if he wants to. But, as I drew nearer and nearer, those Five Almsmen proved less and less able to abide by their compact ; — some came forward to relieve me of my bowl and robes ;