Thus have I heard—At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling in Sāvatthi, in Jeta‘s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s park. There, the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: “Bhikkhus.”
“Venerable sir,” those bhikkhus replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this:
“Bhikkhus, dwell being virtuous, |accomplished in the moral code of conduct::accomplished in the monastic code of discipline, accomplished in harmonious and pure conduct with others [pātimokkha]|. Dwell restrained by the restraint of this moral code of conduct, mindful of proper behavior and keeping to suitable places, seeing danger even in the slightest faults. Having undertaken this, train in the |training guidelines::the Buddha‘s teaching instructions for an individual [sikkhāpada]|.
Bhikkhus, if a bhikkhu should aspire: ’May I be dear, agreeable, respected, and worthy of veneration among my |spiritual companions::fellow bhikkhus, fellow lay practitioners [sabrahmacāri]|,‘ then he should be one who practices fully in |virtue::ethical conduct, moral integrity [sīla]|, be devoted to tranquility of mind, |not neglectful of meditation::meditating with diligence [anirākatajhāna]|, endowed with |discernment::clear seeing, penetrating internal vision [vipassanā]|, and practice in an |empty dwelling::uninhabited place, a physical home devoid of a self, e.g. a hut, a cave, forest [suññāgāra]|.
Bhikkhus, if a bhikkhu should aspire: ’May I be a recipient of robes, alms-food, lodgings, and requisites for the sick, including medicines,‘ then he should be one who practices fully in virtue, be devoted to tranquility of mind, not neglect meditation, be endowed with discernment, and practice in an empty dwelling.
Bhikkhus, if a bhikkhu should aspire: ’May the service of those from whom I receive robes, alms-food, lodgings, and requisites for the sick, including medicines be fruitful and beneficial,‘ then he should be one who practices fully in virtue, be devoted to tranquility of mind, not neglect meditation, be endowed with discernment, and practice in an empty dwelling.
Bhikkhus, if a bhikkhu should aspire: ’May the recollection of me by my family, blood relatives, and deceased relatives, who remember me with a |trusting mind::full of devotion, mentally full of confidence [pasannacitta]|, be fruitful and beneficial,‘ then he should be one who practices fully in virtue, be devoted to tranquility of mind, not neglect meditation, be endowed with discernment, and practice in an empty dwelling.
Bhikkhus, if a bhikkhu should aspire: ’May I be one who can endure both |dissatisfaction::discontent, dislike, aversion, boredom [arati]| and |delight::relish, liking, pleasure [rati]|, and may dissatisfaction not overpower me; may I dwell repeatedly overcoming any arisen dissatisfaction,‘ then he should be one who practices fully in virtue, be devoted to tranquility of mind, not neglect meditation, be endowed with discernment, and practice in an empty dwelling.
Bhikkhus, if a bhikkhu should aspire: ’May I be one who can overcome fear and terror, and may fear and terror not overpower me; may I dwell repeatedly overcoming any arisen fear and terror,‘ then he should be one who practices fully in virtue, be devoted to tranquility of mind, not neglect meditation, be endowed with discernment, and practice in an empty dwelling.
Bhikkhus, if a bhikkhu should aspire: ’May I be one who gains at will, without difficulty or hardship, |the four jhānas::states of deep meditative calm [catu + jhānā]| — |higher states of mind::higher states of consciousness [ābhicetasikā]|, |a pleasant abiding here and now::a comfortable existence in this very life [diṭṭhadhammasukhavihāra]|,‘ then he should be one who practices fully in virtue, be devoted to tranquility of mind, not neglect meditation, be endowed with discernment, and practice in an empty dwelling.
Bhikkhus, if a bhikkhu should aspire: ’May I dwell having directly experienced with the body those peaceful liberations surpassing form, of formless nature,‘ then he should be one who practices fully in virtue, be devoted to tranquility of mind, not neglect meditation, be endowed with discernment, and practice in an empty dwelling.
Bhikkhus, if a bhikkhu should aspire: ’May I, through the |complete exhaustion::gradual and complete wearing away [parikkhaya]| of the |three fetters::the three fetters of doubt, personal existence, and adherence to rules and observances| [1], become a stream-enterer, not liable to states of suffering, assured of liberation and destined for full awakening,‘ then he should be one who practices fully in virtue, be devoted to tranquility of mind, not neglectful of meditation, endowed with discernment, and practice in an empty dwelling.
Bhikkhus, if a bhikkhu should aspire: ’Through the complete exhaustion of the three fetters and the weakening of |craving, aversion, and confusion::lust, ill-will, and delusion, misperception, illusion [rāgadosamoha]|, may I become a once-returner, returning only once more to this world and then making an ending of suffering,‘ then he should be one who practices fully in virtue, be devoted to tranquility of mind, not neglect meditation, be endowed with discernment, and practice in an empty dwelling.
Bhikkhus, if a bhikkhu should aspire: ’Through the complete exhaustion of the five lower fetters [2], may I be one spontaneously reborn and there attain final Nibbāna, with no further return to this world,‘ then he should be one who practices fully in virtue, be devoted to tranquility of mind, not neglect meditation, be endowed with discernment, and practice in an empty dwelling.
Bhikkhus, if a bhikkhu should aspire: ’May I realize the various kinds of |psychic abilities::spiritual powers, supernormal abilities [iddhi]| such as—being one, become many, being many, become one; appear and disappear; pass through walls, enclosures, and mountains without obstruction, as though through space; dive into and emerge from the earth as if its water; walk on water without sinking as though on solid ground; traveling cross-legged through the sky, like a bird with wings; touch and stroke the sun and moon with hand, mighty and powerful as they are; wielding mastery with the body even as far as the |Brahmā world::heavenly realm|,‘ then he should be one who practices fully in virtue, be devoted to tranquility of mind, not neglect meditation, be endowed with discernment, and practice in an empty dwelling.
Bhikkhus, if a bhikkhu should aspire: ’May I, with the |divine ear element::clairaudience, the divine auditory faculty [sotadhātu]|, which is purified and surpasses the human level, hear both kinds of sounds, divine and human, whether distant or near,‘ then he should be one who practices fully in virtue, be devoted to tranquility of mind, not neglect meditation, be endowed with discernment, and practice in an empty dwelling.
Bhikkhus, if a bhikkhu should aspire: ’May I, having discerned others‘ minds with my own mind, understand: a mind with lust as a mind with lust, and a mind free from lust as a mind free from lust; a mind with hatred as a mind with hatred, and a mind free from hatred as a mind free from hatred; a mind with delusion as a mind with delusion, and a mind free from delusion as a mind free from delusion; a contracted mind as a contracted mind, and a distracted mind as a distracted mind; an exalted mind as an exalted mind, and an unexalted mind as an unexalted mind; an inferior mind as an inferior mind, and an unsurpassable mind as an unsurpassable mind; a collected mind as a collected mind, and an uncollected mind as an uncollected mind; a liberated mind as a liberated mind, and an unliberated mind as an unliberated mind,’ then he should be one who practices fully in virtue, be devoted to tranquility of mind, not neglect meditation, be endowed with discernment, and practice in an empty dwelling.
Bhikkhus, if a bhikkhu should aspire: ‘May I recollect my manifold past lives, such as: one birth, two births, three births, four, five, ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, a hundred, a thousand, a hundred thousand births; many cycles of [universal] contraction, many cycles of [universal] expansion, and many cycles of [universal] contraction and expansion; in such a place I was named so-and-so, of such a clan, with such an appearance, such was my food, such was my experience of pleasure and pain, such was my lifespan; and passing away from there, I was reborn elsewhere; and there too I had such a name, such a clan, such an appearance, such food, experiencing such pleasure and pain, with such a lifespan; and passing away from there, I was reborn here. Thus, with all details and aspects, may I recollect my manifold past lives,’ then he should be one who practices fully in virtue, be devoted to tranquility of mind, not neglect meditation, be endowed with discernment, and practice in an empty dwelling.
Bhikkhus, if a bhikkhu should aspire: ‘May I, with the |divine eye::the faculty of clairvoyance, the ability to see beyond the ordinary human range [dibbacakkhu]|, purified and surpassing human vision, see beings passing away and being reborn—inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, in fortunate and unfortunate destinations—and understand beings according to their actions: These beings, engaged in bodily, verbal, and mental misconduct, revilers of the Noble Ones, holding wrong views, undertaking actions based on wrong views—upon the breaking up of the body, after death, have arisen in a state of loss, a bad destination, a place of ruin, even in hell. But these beings, engaged in good bodily, verbal, and mental conduct, not revilers of the Noble Ones, holding right views and undertaking actions based on right views—upon the breaking up of the body, after death, have arisen in a good destination, the heavenly world. In this way, may I, with the divine eye, purified and surpassing the human vision, see beings as they pass away and are reborn, inferior and superior, beautiful and unattractive, in fortunate and unfortunate destinations, and understand beings according to their actions,’ then he should be one who practices fully in virtue, be devoted to tranquility of mind, not neglect meditation, be endowed with discernment, and practice in an empty dwelling.
Bhikkhus, if a bhikkhu should aspire: ‘May I, through the wearing away of the |mental defilements::mental outflows, discharges, taints [āsava]|, dwell having directly realized and attained in this very life the taintless |liberation of mind::mental liberation, emancipation of heart, a meditation attainment [cetovimutti]| and |liberation by wisdom::emancipation by insight [paññāvimutti]|, achieved by one’s own direct knowledge,‘ then he should be one who practices fully in virtue, be devoted to tranquility of mind, not neglect meditation, be endowed with discernment, and practice in an empty dwelling.
Bhikkhus, dwell being virtuous, accomplished in the moral code of conduct. Dwell restrained by the restraint of this moral code of conduct, mindful of proper behavior and keeping to suitable places, seeing danger even in the slightest faults. Having undertaken this, train in the training guidelines. Thus was this said, and it is with reference to this that this was said.
The Blessed One said this. Those bhikkhus were satisfied and rejoiced in the Blessed One’s words.