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:
“Suppose, bhikkhus, a cloth were |defiled::tainted, tarnished [saṅkiliṭṭha]| and stained, and a laundryman dipped it in some dye or other, whether blue or yellow or red or crimson red; it would take on a dull color, an impure color. Why is that? Because of the impurity of the cloth. In the same way, bhikkhus, when the mind is defiled, a |bad destination::state of misery [duggati]| may be expected.
And suppose, bhikkhus, a cloth were pure and bright, and a laundryman dipped it in some dye or other, whether blue or yellow or red or crimson red; it would look well dyed and pure in color. Why is that? Because of the purity of the cloth. In the same way, bhikkhus, when the mind is undefiled, a |good destination::state of happiness [suggati]| may be expected.
What, bhikkhus, are the |impurities::imperfections, blemishes [upakkilesā]| [that defile] the mind? |Craving::greediness, wanting, yearning [abhijjhā]| and |unbalanced::excessive [visama]| |greed::lust, wanting, desire [lobha]| are the impurities that defile the mind, |ill-will::hatred, hostility, animosity [byāpāda]| is an impurity that defiles the mind, |anger::rage, wrath, fury, indignation [kodha]| is an impurity that defiles the mind, |resentment::bearing a grudge, harboring enmity [upanāha]| is an impurity that defiles the mind, |contempt::ungratefulness, depreciation, denigration, disrespect, belittlement, disparagement [makkha]| is an impurity that defiles the mind, |feuding::quarreling, rivalry, opposition, struggle, conflict [paḷāsa]| is an impurity that defiles the mind, |jealousy::envy [issā]| is an impurity that defiles the mind, |stinginess::selfishness, meanness, tight-fistedness [macchariya]| is an impurity that defiles the mind, |deceit::trick, illusion, hypocrisy [māya]| is an impurity that defiles the mind, |treachery::conning, deviousness, scamming [sāṭheyya]| is an impurity that defiles the mind, |stubbornness::bullheadedness, inflexibility [thambha]| is an impurity that defiles the mind, |aggressiveness::hostile or violent behavior towards living beings [sārambha]| is an impurity that defiles the mind, |pride::conceit, egotism, superiority, comparing oneself [māna]| is an impurity that defiles the mind, |arrogance::haughtiness, self-importance [atimāna]| is an impurity that defiles the mind, |vanity::indulgence, excess, pleasure, intoxication [mada]| is an impurity that defiles the mind, |negligence::carelessness, heedlessness [pamāda]| is an impurity that defiles the mind.
Bhikkhus, having understood, ‘Craving and unbalanced greed is an impurity that defiles the mind,’ the bhikkhu abandons craving and unbalanced greed; having understood, ‘Ill-will is an impurity that defiles the mind,’ he abandons ill-will; having understood, ‘Anger is an impurity that defiles the mind,’ he abandons anger; having understood, ‘Resentment is an impurity that defiles the mind,’ he abandons resentment; having understood, ‘Contempt is an impurity that defiles the mind,’ he abandons contempt; having understood, ‘Feuding is an impurity that defiles the mind,’ he abandons feuding; having understood, ‘Jealousy is an impurity that defiles the mind,’ he abandons jealousy; having understood, ‘Stinginess is an impurity that defiles the mind,’ he abandons stinginess; having understood, ‘Deceit is an impurity that defiles the mind,‘ he abandons deceit; having understood, ‘Treachery is an impurity that defiles the mind,‘ he abandons treachery; having understood, ‘Stubbornness is an impurity that defiles the mind,‘ he abandons stubbornness; having understood, ‘Aggressiveness is an impurity that defiles the mind,‘ he abandons aggressiveness; having understood, ‘Pride is an impurity that defiles the mind,‘ he abandons pride; having understood, ‘Arrogance is an impurity that defiles the mind,‘ he abandons arrogance; having understood, ‘Vanity is an impurity that defiles the mind,‘ he abandons vanity; having understood, ‘Negligence is an impurity of the mind,‘ he abandons negligence.
Bhikkhus, when the bhikkhu, having known that ‘Craving and unbalanced greed are impurities that defile the mind,‘ has abandoned them, having known that ‘Ill-will is an impurity that defiles the mind,‘ has abandoned it, having known that ‘Anger is an impurity that defiles the mind,‘ has abandoned it, having known that ‘Resentment is an impurity that defiles the mind,‘ has abandoned it, having known that ‘Contempt is an impurity that defiles the mind,‘ has abandoned it, having known that ‘Feuding is an impurity that defiles the mind,‘ has abandoned it, having known that ‘Jealousy is an impurity that defiles the mind,‘ has abandoned it, having known that ‘Stinginess is an impurity that defiles the mind,‘ has abandoned it, having known that ‘Deceit is an impurity that defiles the mind,‘ has abandoned it, having known that ‘Treachery is an impurity that defiles the mind,‘ has abandoned it, having known that ‘Stubbornness is an impurity that defiles the mind,‘ has abandoned it, having known that ‘Aggressiveness is an impurity that defiles the mind,‘ has abandoned it, having known that ‘Pride is an impurity that defiles the mind,‘ has abandoned it, having known that ‘Arrogance is an impurity that defiles the mind,‘ has abandoned it, having known that ‘Vanity is an impurity that defiles the mind,‘ has abandoned it, having known that ‘Negligence is an impurity that defiles the mind,‘ has abandoned it—Having thus purified his mind, he is endowed with |unshakeable confidence::perfect clarity, absolute faith [aveccappasāda]| in the Buddha: ‘Indeed, the Blessed One is an Arahant, a perfectly Awakened One, accomplished in true knowledge and conduct, who has reached the destination, knower of the world, an unsurpassed guide of trainable persons, a teacher of gods and humans, Buddha, Fortunate One.’
He is endowed with unshakeable confidence in the |Dhamma::teachings of the Buddha that point to the nature of reality, the ultimate truth [dhamma]|: ‘The Dhamma is well proclaimed by the Blessed One, directly visible, immediate, inviting verification, leading onward, to be personally experienced by the wise.’
He is endowed with unshakeable confidence in the |Saṅgha::the community of followers of the Buddha, whether lay or monastic, who have attained to one of the four stages of awakening [saṅgha]|: ‘The community of the Blessed One’s disciples is practicing the good way, practicing the upright way, practicing the true way, practicing the proper way; that is, the four pairs of persons, the eight types of individuals—this community of the Blessed One‘s disciples is worthy of gifts, worthy of hospitality, worthy of offerings, worthy of reverential salutation, the unsurpassed field of merit for the world.’
When he has given up, |cast off::purged [vanta]|, released, abandoned, and forsaken [the impurities that defile the mind] |to whatever degree::as much as, according to the limit [yathodhi]|, he considers thus: ‘I have unshakeable confidence in the Buddha,’ he gains inspiration from the meaning, gains inspiration from the Dhamma, gains |joy::happiness, gladness [pāmojja]| connected with the Dhamma. When he is joyful, |joyful pleasure::heartfelt or intense joy, feeling of love, rapture lit. lovely feeling [pīti]| is born in him. When his mind is uplifted by joyful pleasure, the body relaxes. When the body is relaxed, he feels |ease::comfort, contentedness, happiness, pleasure [sukha]|. In one who feels ease, the mind becomes |collected::composed, stable [samādhiyati]|. Likewise, when considers thus: ‘I have unshakeable confidence in the Dhamma’ and ‘I have unshakeable confidence in the Saṅgha,’ he gains inspiration from the meaning, gains inspiration from the Dhamma, gains joy connected with the Dhamma. When he is joyful, joyful pleasure is born in him. When his mind is uplifted by joyful pleasure, the body relaxes. When the body is relaxed, he feels ease. In one who feels ease, the mind becomes collected.
Bhikkhus, if a bhikkhu of such virtue, such |mental qualities::mental characteristics, traits [dhamma]|, and such |wisdom::distinctive knowledge, discernment [paññā]| eats alms food consisting of choice hill rice along |with various sauces::with lentil curries [anekasūpa]| and |many spiced dishes::various curries [anekabyañjana]|, even that will be no obstacle for him. Just as a cloth that is defiled and stained becomes pure and bright when washed with clear water, or just as gold becomes pure and bright when heated in a furnace, so too, even if a bhikkhu of such virtue, such mental qualities, and such wisdom were to eat alms food consisting of choice hill rice along with various sauces and many spiced dishes, that would be no obstacle for him.
With a mind imbued with |loving-kindness::goodwill, friendliness, benevolence [mettā]|, he dwells pervading one quarter, then a second, then a third, then a fourth. Thus, with a mind imbued with loving-kindness, he pervades the entire world—above, below, across, everywhere, encompassing all beings—with a vast, exalted, boundless mind, without hostility and free from ill-will. With a mind imbued with |compassion::benevolence, concern, gentle regard [anukampā]| ... with a mind imbued with |sympathetic joy::mental quality of rejoicing in the success and happiness of others, which counters envy [muditā]| ... with a mind imbued with |equanimity::mental poise, mental balance, equipoise, non-reactivity, composure [upekkhā]|, he dwells pervading one quarter, then a second, then a third, then a fourth. Thus, with a mind imbued with equanimity, he pervades the entire world—above, below, across, everywhere, encompassing all beings—with a vast, exalted, boundless mind, without hostility and free from ill-will.
He understands: ‘There is this, there is the |inferior::low, deficient [hīna]|, there is the |superior::refined, excellent [paṇīta]|, and furthermore, there is an escape from this whole |field of perception::conceived world, mentally constructed reality [saññāgata]|.’
When he knows and sees thus, his mind is liberated from |taint of sensual desire::oozing sensual desire [kāmāsava]|, from the |taint of becoming::effluent of being, taint of existence [bhavāsava]|, and from the |taint of ignorance::taint of not knowing how things have come to be, illusion of knowing, distorted perception [avijjāsava]|; in liberation, there arises the knowledge: ‘Liberated.’
‘Birth is ended, the spiritual life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming to any state of being,’ he understands.
Bathing in a River
At that time, the brahmin Sundarika Bhāradvāja was seated not far from the Blessed One. Then, the brahmin Sundarika Bhāradvāja said to the Blessed One: “But, does venerable Gotama go to the Bāhukā river to bathe?”
“Why brahmin, go to the Bāhukā river? What can the Bāhukā river do?”
“Venerable Gotama, the Bāhukā river is regarded as meritorious by many people. Venerable Gotama, many people go to the Bāhukā river to wash away the |injurious actions::harmful, bad, potentially evil intention or action [pāpakamma]| they have done.”
Then the Blessed One addressed the brahmin Sundarika Bhāradvāja in verse:
“Bāhukā and Adhikakka,
Gayā and Sundarikā;
Sarassatī and |Payāga::name of a holy bathing place, modern day Allahabad [payāga]|,
and the Bāhumati river—
Even if an |immature::lacking in discernment or good sense, child-like in understanding [bāla]| person were to plunge into them repeatedly,
his dark deeds would not be purified.
What can the Sundarikā river do?
What the Payāga or the Bāhukā do?
For a person who is violent and has committed injurious actions,
these rivers will not purify the evil-doer.
For the pure one, every day is a |sacred festival::This refers to the Phagguna month in the traditional lunar calendar, which corresponds roughly to February-March in the modern calendar. This is a significant time for spiritual observances and other purification practices. [phaggu]|,
For the pure one, every day is an |observance day::Occurring on specific lunar days such as the full moon, new moon, and quarter moons, this is a time for renewing virtue, deepening practice, and purifying the mind. [uposatha]|;
For the pure one, whose actions are clean,
His |practice::spiritual practice, duty, vow [vata]| always succeeds;
Bathe here itself brahmin,
establishing a |refuge::safety, security [khematā]| for all beings.
If you speak no falsehood,
if you do not harm living beings;
If you do not take what is not given,
having faith and free from stinginess;
What will going to Gayā do for you?
for any well is your Gayā.”
When this was said, the brahmin Sundarika Bhāradvāja said to the Blessed One: “Excellent, venerable Gotama! Excellent, venerable Gotama! Just as if one might set upright what had been overturned, |reveal::uncover [vivarati]| what had been concealed, point out the way to one who was lost, or hold up a lamp in the dark so that those with eyes could see forms, in the same way, venerable Gotama, the |Dhamma::teachings of the Buddha that point to the nature of reality, the ultimate truth [dhamma]| has been |explained::illustrated [pakāsita]| by you in many ways. I go for refuge to the Blessed One Gotama, to the Dhamma, and to the Saṅgha of bhikkhus. May I receive the going forth in the presence of the Blessed One Gotama, may I receive the full ordination.”
Then the brahmin Sundarika Bhāradvāja received the going forth in the presence of the Blessed One, he received the full ordination. Having recently received full ordination, the venerable Bhāradvāja, dwelling alone, secluded, diligent, with continuous effort, and resolutely, soon realized with direct knowing in this very life, for the purpose of which sons of good families rightly go forth from the household life to the homeless life, the unsurpassed culmination of the spiritual life, and having personally attained it, he dwelled in it.
He understood: “Birth is ended, the spiritual life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming to any state of being.” And the venerable Bhāradvāja became one among the |arahants::a worthy one, a fully awakened being, epithet of the Buddha [arahant]|.