Majjhima Nikāya
III. Upari Paṇṇāsa
3. Suññata Vagga
The Middle Length Sayings
III. The Final Fifty Discourses
3. The Division on Emptiness
Sutta 125
Danta-Bhūmi Suttaṃ
The Discourse on
the
"Tamed Stage"
Translated from the Pali by I.B. Horner, O.B.E., M.A.
Associate of Newham College, Cambridge
First Published in 1954
Copyright The Pali Text Society
Commercial Rights Reserved
For details see Terms of Use.
[1][chlm][upal][pnji][than] Thus have I heard:
At one time the Lord was staying near Rājagaha
in the Bamboo Grove
at the squirrels' feeding place.
Now at that time
the novice[1] Aciravata was staying in the Forest Hut.[2]
Then prince Jayasena,[3]
who was always pacing up and down,
always roaming about on foot,[4]
approached the novice Aciravata;
having approached
he exchanged greetings with the novice Aciravata;
having exchanged greetings of friendliness and courtesy,
he sat down at a respectful distance.
While he was sitting down at a respectful distance,
Prince Jayasena spoke thus
to the novice Aciravata:
"I have heard, good Aggivessana,[5]
that if a monk is abiding here
diligent,
ardent,
self-resolute,
he may attain one-pointedness of mind."[6]
"That is so, prince;
that is so, prince.
A monk abiding here
diligent,
ardent,
self-resolute,
may attain one-pointedness of mind."
"It were good
if the reverend Aggivessana
were to teach me Dhamma
as he has heard it,
as he has mastered it."
"I, prince,
am not able to teach you Dhamma
as I have heard it,
as I have mastered it.
Now, if I were to teach you Dhamma
as I have heard it,
as I have mastered it,
and if you could not understand
the meaning of what I said,
that would be weariness to me,
that would be a vexation to me."[7]
"Let the reverend Aggivessana
teach me Dhamma
as he has heard it,
as he has mastered it.
Perhaps I could understand the meaning
of what the good Aggivessana says."
"If I were to teach you Dhamma, prince,
as I have heard it,
as I have mastered it,
and if you were to understand
the meaning of [176] what I say,
that would be good;
if you should not understand
the meaning of what I say,
you must remain as you are:[8]
you must not question me further on the matter."
"Let the reverend Aggivessana teach me Dhamma
as he has heard it,
as he has mastered it.
If I understand the meaning
of what the good Aggivessana says,
that will be good;
if I do not understand the meaning
of what the good Aggivessana says,
I will remain as I am;
I will not question the reverend[9] Aggivessana further
on this matter."
Then the novice Aciravata taught Dhamma
to Prince Jayasena
as he had heard it,
as he had mastered it.
When this had been said,
Prince Jayasena spoke thus
to the novice Aciravata:
"This is impossible, good Aggivessana,
it cannot come to pass
that a monk abiding diligent,
ardent,
self-resolute,
should attain one-pointedness of mind."
Then Prince Jayasena,
having declared to the novice Aciravata
that this was impossible
and could not come to pass,
rising from his seat,
departed.
And soon after Prince Jayasena had departed,
the novice Aciravata
approached the Lord;
having approached
and greeted the Lord,
he sat down at a respectful distance.
As he was sitting down at a respectful distance,
the novice Aciravata
told the Lord
the whole of the conversation
he had with Prince Jayasena
as far as it had gone.
When this had been said,
the Lord spoke thus
to the novice Aciravata:
"What is the good of that,[10] Aggivessana?
That Prince Jayasena,
living as he does
in the midst of sense-pleasures,
enjoying sense-pleasures,
being consumed by thoughts of sense-pleasures,
burning with the fever of sense-pleasures,
eager in the search for sense-pleasures,
should know
or see[11]
or attain
or realize
that which can be known by renunciation,
seen by renunciation,
attained by renunciation,
realized by renunciation —
such a situation does not exist.
It is as if,[12] Aggivessana,
among elephants
or horses
or oxen to be tamed,
two elephants,
two horses
or two oxen
are well tamed,
well trained,
and two are not tamed,
not trained.
What do you [177] think about this, Aggivessana?
Would these two elephants
or horses
or oxen
that were to be tamed
and that were well tamed,
well trained —
would these
on being tamed
reach tamed capacity,
would they,
being tamed,
attain a tamed stage?"
"Yes, revered sir."
"But those two elephants
or horses
or oxen
that were to be tamed
but that were neither tamed nor trained —
would these,
not being tamed,
attain a tamed stage
as do the two elephants
or horses
or oxen to be tamed
that were well tamed,
well trained?"
"No, revered sir."
"Even so, Aggivessana,
that Prince Jayasena,
living as he does
in the midst of sense-pleasures,
enjoying sense-pleasures,
being consumed by thoughts of sense-pleasures,
burning with the fever of sense-pleasures,
eager in the search for sense-pleasures,
should know
or see
or attain
or realize
that which can be known by renunciation,
seen by renunciation,
attained by renunciation,
realized by renunciation —
such a situation does not exist.
It is as if, Aggivessana,
there were a great mountain slope
near a village
or a market-town
which two friends,
coming hand in hand
from that village
or market-town
might approach;
having approached the mountain slope
one friend might remain at the foot
while the other might climb to the top.
Then the friend
standing at the foot of the mountain slope
might speak thus
to the one standing on the top:
'My dear,
what do you see
as you stand on the top
of the mountain slope?'
He might reply:
'As I stand on the top
of the mountain slope
I, my dear,
see delightful parks,
delightful woods,
delightful stretches of level ground
delightful ponds.'
But the other might speak thus:
'This is impossible,
it cannot come to pass, my dear,
that, as you stand on the top
of the mountain slope,
you should see
delightful parks,
delightful woods,
delightful stretches of level ground
delightful ponds.'
Then the friend
who had been standing on top
of the mountain slope
having come down to the foot
and taken his friend by the arm,
making him climb to the top
of the mountain slope
and giving him a moment
in which to regain his breath,
might speak to him thus:
'Now, my dear,
what is it that you see
as you stand on the top
of the mountain slope?'
He might speak thus:
'I, my dear,
as I stand on the top
of the mountain slope,
see
delightful parks,
delightful woods,
delightful stretches of level ground
delightful ponds.'
He might speak thus:
'Just now, my dear,
we understood you to say:
'This is impossible,
it cannot come to pass,
that, as you stand on the top
of the mountain slope,
you should see
delightful parks,
delightful woods,
delightful stretches of level ground
delightful ponds.'
But now we understand you to say:
'I, my dear,
as I stand on the top
of the mountain slope,
see
delightful parks,
delightful woods,
delightful stretches of level ground
delightful ponds.'
He might speak thus:
'That was because I, my dear,
hemmed in by this great mountain slope,
could not see what was to be seen.'
[178] "Even so
but to a still greater degree, Aggivessana,
is Prince Jayasena hemmed in,
blocked,
obstructed,
enveloped by this mass of ignorance.
Indeed, that Prince Jayasena,
living as he does
in the midst of sense-pleasures,
enjoying sense-pleasures,
being consumed by thoughts of sense-pleasures,
burning with the fever of sense-pleasures,
eager in the search for sense-pleasures,
should know
or see
or attain
or realize
that which can be known by renunciation,
seen by renunciation,
attained by renunciation,
realized by renunciation —
such a situation does not exist.
Had these two similes[13] occurred to you, Aggivessana,
for Prince Jayasena,
Prince Jayasena naturally[14]
would have acted in the manner
of one having trust in you."
"But how could these two similes
for Prince Jayasena
have occurred to me, revered sir,
seeing that they are spontaneous,
that is to say to the Lord,
and have never been heard before?"[15]
"As, Aggivessana,
a noble anointed king
addresses an elephant hunter
saying:
'You, good elephant hunter,
mount the king's elephant
and go into an elephant forest.
When you see a forest elephant,
tie him to the neck
of the king's elephant.'
And, Aggivessana,
the elephant hunter having answered:
'Yes, sire,'
in assent to the noble anointed king,
mounts the king's elephant
and goes into an elephant forest.
Seeing a forest elephant,
he ties him to the neck
of the king's elephant.
So the king's elephant
brings him out into the open.
But, Aggivessana,
the forest elephant has this longing,
that is to say
for the elephant forest.
But in regard to him
the elephant hunter
tells the noble anointed king
that the forest elephant
has got out into the open.
The noble anointed king
then addresses an elephant tamer,
saying:
'Come you, good elephant tamer,
tame the forest elephant
by subduing his forest ways,
by subduing his forest memories,
and aspirations
and by subduing his distress,
his fretting and fever for the forest,
by making him pleased
with the villages
and by accustoming him
to human ways.'
"And, Aggivessana, the elephant tamer,
having answered 'Yes, sire,'
in assent to the noble anointed king,
driving a great post into the ground
ties the forest elephant to it
by his neck
so as to subdue his forest ways,
by subduing his forest memories,
and aspirations
and by subduing his distress,
his fretting and fever for the forest,
by making him pleased
with the villages
and by accustoming him
to human ways.
Then the elephant tamer addresses him
with such words as are gentle,
pleasing [179] to the ear,
affectionate,
going to the heart,
urbane,
pleasant to the manyfolk,
liked by the manyfolk.
And, Aggivessana, the forest elephant,
on being addressed
with words that are gentle,
pleasing to the ear,
affectionate,
going to the heart,
urbane,
pleasant to the manyfolk,
liked by the manyfolk,
listens,
lends ear
and bends his mind to learning.
Next the elephant tamer
supplies him with grass-fodder
and water.
When, Aggivessana, the forest elephant
has accepted the grass-fodder and water
from the elephant tamer,
it occurs to the elephant tamer:
'The king's elephant will now live.'
Then the elephant tamer
makes him do[16] a further task,
saying:
'Take up,[17] put down.'
When, Aggivessana the king's elephant
is obedient to the elephant tamer
and acts on his instructions
to take up and put down,
then the elephant tamer
makes him do a further task,
saying:
'Get up, sit down.'
When, Aggivessana, the king's elephant
is obedient to the elephant tamer
and acts on his instructions
to get up and sit down,
then the elephant tamer
makes him do a further task;
known as 'standing your ground':[18]
he ties a shield
to the great beast's trunk;
a man holding a lance
is sitting on his neck,
and men holding lances
are standing surrounding him on all sides;
and the elephant tamer,
holding a lance with a long shaft,
is standing in front.
While he is doing the task
of 'standing your ground'
he does not move a fore-leg
nor does he move a hind-leg,
nor does he move the forepart of his body,
nor does he move the hindpart of his body,
nor does he move his head,
nor does he move an ear,
nor does he move a tusk,
nor does he move his tail,
nor does he move his trunk.
A king's elephant
is one who endures[19] blows
of sword,
axe,
arrow,
hatchet,[20]
and the resounding din
of drum and kettle-drum,
conch and tam-tam,
he is [like] purified gold
purged of all its dross and impurities,[21]
fit for a king,[22]
a royal possession
and reckoned as a kingly attribute.
Acquisition of faith
"Even so, Aggivessana,
does a Tathāgata arise here in the [180] world,
a perfected one,
fully Self-Awakened One,
endowed with right knowledge and conduct,
well-farer,
knower of the worlds,
the matchless charioteer
of men to be tamed,
the Awakened One,
the Lord.
He makes known this world
with the devas,
with Mara,
with Brahma,
the creation
with its recluses and brahmans,
its devas and men,
having realized them
by his own super-knowledge.
He teaches Dhamma
which is lovely at the beginning,
lovely in the middle,
lovely at the ending,
with the spirit and the letters;
he proclaims the Brahma-faring,
wholly fulfilled,
quite purified.
A householder
or a householder's son
or one born in another family
hears that Dhamma.
Having heard that Dhamma
he gains faith in the Tathāgata.
Endowed with this faith
that he has acquired,
he reflects in this way:
'The household life
is confined and dusty,
going forth is in the open;
it is not easy for one who lives in a house
to fare the Brahma-faring
wholly fulfilled,
wholly pure,
polished like a conch-shell.
Suppose now that I,
having cut off hair and beard,
having put on saffron robes,
should go forth from home
into homelessness?'
After a time,
getting rid of his wealth,
be it small or great,
getting rid of his circle of relations,
be it small or great,
having cut off his hair and beard,
having put on saffron robes,
he goes forth from home
into homelessness.
To this extent, Aggivessana,
the ariyan disciple
gets out into the open.
Morality
"But, Aggivessana, devas and mankind
have this longing,
that is to say,
for the five strands of sense-pleasures.
The Tathāgata disciplines him further,
saying:
'Come you, monk,
be moral,[23]
live controlled by the control of the Obligations,
possessed of [right] behavior and posture,
seeing danger in the slightest faults;
undertaking them,
train yourself in the rules of training.'
Sense-Control
"And when, Aggivessana,
the ariyan disciple is moral,
lives controlled by the control of the Obligations,
possessed of [right] behavior and posture,
seeing danger in the slightest faults;
undertaking them,
trains himself in the rules of training,
then the Tathāgata disciplines him further,
saying:
'Come you, monk,
be guarded as to the doors of the sense-organs.
Having seen a material shape with the eye,
do not be entranced with the general appearance,
do not be entranced with the detail;
for if one dwells with the organ of sight uncontrolled,
covetousness and dejection,
evil, unskillful states of mind,
may flow in.
So fare along controlling it,
guard the organ of sight,
achieve control over the organ of sight.
Having heard a sound with the ear,
do not be entranced with the general appearance,
do not be entranced with the detail;
for if one dwells with the organ of sight uncontrolled,
covetousness and dejection,
evil, unskillful states of mind,
may flow in.
So fare along controlling it,
guard the organ of sight,
achieve control over the organ of sight.
Having smelt a smell with the nose,
do not be entranced with the general appearance,
do not be entranced with the detail;
for if one dwells with the organ of smell uncontrolled,
covetousness and dejection,
evil, unskillful states of mind,
may flow in.
So fare along controlling it,
guard the organ of smell,
achieve control over the organ of smell.
Having savoured a taste with the tongue,
do not be entranced with the general appearance,
do not be entranced with the detail;
for if one dwells with the organ of taste uncontrolled,
covetousness and dejection,
evil, unskillful states of mind,
may flow in.
So fare along controlling it,
guard the organ of taste,
achieve control over the organ of taste.
Having felt a touch with the body,
do not be entranced with the general appearance,
do not be entranced with the detail;
for if one dwells with the organ of touch uncontrolled,
covetousness and dejection,
evil, unskillful states of mind,
may flow in.
So fare along controlling it,
guard the organ of touch,
achieve control over the organ of touch.
Having cognized a mental state with the mind,
do not be entranced with the general appearance,
do not be entranced with the detail;
for if one dwells with the organ of mind uncontrolled,
covetousness and dejection,
evil, unskillful states of mind,
may flow in.
So fare along controlling it,
guard the organ of mind,
achieve control over the organ of mind.
Moderation in eating
"And when, Aggivessana,
the ariyan disciple is guarded
as to the doors of the sense-organs,
then the Tathāgata disciplines him further,
saying:
'Come you, monk,
be moderate in eating;
you should take food reflecting carefully,
not for fun
or indulgence
or personal charm
or beautification,
but taking just enough for maintaining this body
and keeping it going,
for keeping it unharmed,
for furthering the Brahma-faring,
with the thought:
"Thus will I crush out an old feeling,
and I will not allow a new feeling to arise,
and then there will be for me
subsistence and blamelessness
and abiding in comfort."'
Vigilance
"When, Aggivessana,
the ariyan disciple is moderate in eating,
the Tathāgata disciplines him further,
saying:
'Come you, monk,
dwell intent on vigilance;
during the first watch of the night
while pacing up and down,
while sitting down,
cleanse the mind
of obstructive mental states;
during the middle watch of the night,
lie down on the right side
in the lion posture,
foot resting on foot,
mindful,
clearly conscious,
reflecting on the thought of getting up again;
during the last watch of the night,
when you have arisen,
while pacing up and down,
while sitting down,
cleanse the mind
of [181] obstructive mental states.'
Mindfulness and clear consciousness
"And when, Aggivessana,
the ariyan disciple is intent on vigilance,
then the Tathāgata disciplines him further,
saying:
'Come you, monk,
be possessed of mindfulness
and clear consciousness,
acting with clear consciousness
whether you are setting out or returning[24],
acting with clear consciousness
whether you are looking ahead
or looking round,
acting with clear consciousness
whether you are bending in
or stretching out [the arms],
acting with clear consciousness
whether you are carrying the outer cloak,
the bowl
or robe,
acting with clear consciousness
whether you are eating,
drinking,
munching,
savouring,
acting with clear consciousness
whether you are obeying the calls of nature,
acting with clear consciousness
whether you are walking,
standing,
sitting,
asleep,
awake,
talking
or being silent.'
Overcoming of the five hindrances
"And when, Aggivessana,
the ariyan disciple is possessed
of mindfulness and clear consciousness,
then the Tathāgata disciplines him further,
saying:
'Come you, monk,
choose a remote lodging
in a forest,
at the root of a tree,
on a mountain slope,
in a glen,
a hill cave,
a cemetery,
a woodland grove,
in the open,
or on a heap of straw.'
On returning from alms-gathering
after the meal,
the monk sits down cross-legged,
holding the back erect,
having made mindfulness rise up in front of him.
He, getting rid of covetousness for the world,
dwells with a mind
devoid of covetousness,
he cleanses the mind
of covetousness.
Getting rid of the taint of ill-will,
he dwells benevolent in mind;
compassionate and merciful
towards all creatures and beings,
he cleanses the mind
of ill-will.
Getting rid of sloth and torpor,
he dwells without sloth or torpor;
perceiving the light,
mindful and clearly conscious
he cleanses the mind
of sloth and torpor.
Getting rid of restlessness and worry,
he dwells calmly;
the mind inward tranquil,
he cleanses the mind
of restlessness and worry.
Getting rid of doubt,
he dwells doubt-crossed;
unperplexed as to the states that are skilled,
he cleanses his mind
of doubt.
The four applications of mindfulness
"He,
by getting rid of these five hindrances
which are defilements of the mind
and weakening to intuitive wisdom,
dwells contemplating the body in the body,
ardent,
clearly [182] conscious [of it],
mindful [of it]
so as to control
the covetousness and dejection in the world.
He fares along contemplating the feelings in the feelings,
ardent,
clearly conscious,
mindful
so as to control
the covetousness and dejection in the world.
He fares along contemplating the mind in the mind,
ardent,
clearly conscious,
mindful
so as to control
the covetousness and dejection in the world.
He fares along contemplating the mental states in mental states,
ardent,
clearly conscious,
mindful
so as to control
the covetousness and dejection in the world.
"As, Aggivessana,
an elephant tamer,
driving a great post into the ground,
ties a forest elephant to it
by his neck
so as to subdue his forest ways,
so as to subdue his forest aspirations,
and so as to subdue his distress,
his fretting and fever for the forest,
so as to make him pleased with villages
and accustom him to human ways —
even so, Aggivessana,
these four applications of mindfulness
are ties of the mind
so as to subdue the ways of householders
and to subdue the aspirations of householders
and to subdue the distress,
the fretting and fever of householders;
they are for leading to the right path,
for realizing nibbana.[25]
"The Tathāgata then disciplines him further,
saying:
'Come you, monk,
fare along contemplating the body in the body,
but do not apply yourself
to a train of thought
connected with the body;
fare along contemplating the feelings in the feelings,
but do not apply yourself
to a train of thought
connected with the feelings;
fare along contemplating the mind in the mind,
but do not apply yourself
to a train of thought
connected with the mind;|| ||
fare along contemplating mental states in mental states,
but do not apply yourself
to a train of thought
connected with mental states.'
Jhana
"He by allaying initial thought and discursive thought,
with the mind subjectively tranquilized
and fixed on one point,
enters on and abides in the second meditation
which is devoid of initial and discursive thought,
is born of concentration
and is rapturous and joyful.
By allaying initial thought
and discursive thought,
his mind subjectively tranquilized
and fixed on one point,
he enters and abides in
the second meditation
which is devoid of initial thought
and discursive thought,
is born of concentration
and is rapturous
and joyful.
By the fading out of rapture,
he dwells with equanimity,
attentive and clearly conscious,
and experiences in his person
that joy
of which the ariyans say:
'Joyful lives he
who has equanimity
and is mindful,'
and he enters and abides in
the third meditation.
By getting rid of anguish,
by the going down
of his former pleasures and sorrows,
he enters and abides in
the fourth meditation
which has neither anguish nor joy,
and which is entirely purified
by equanimity
and mindfulness.
The three knowledges
1. Recollection of former habitations
Thus with the mind composed,
quite purified,
quite clarified,
without blemish,
without defilement,
grown soft and workable,
fixed,
immovable,
he directs hi mind
to the knowledge and recollection
of former habitations:
He remembers a variety of former habitations, thus:
one birth,
two births,
three births,
four births,
five births,
ten births,
twenty births,
thirty births,
forty births,
fifty births,
a hundred births,
a thousand births,
a hundred thousand births,
and many an eon of integration
and many an eon of disintegration
and many an eon of integration-disintegration:
'Such a one was I by name,
having such and such a clan,
such and such a colour,
so was I nourished,
such and such pleasant and painful experiences were mine,
so did the span of life end.
Passing from this,
I came to be in another state
where such a one was I by name,
having such and such a clan,
such and such a colour,
so was I nourished,
such and such pleasant and painful experiences were mine,
so did the span of life end.
Passing from this,
I arose here.'
Thus he remembers divers former habitations
in all their modes and detail.
2. The Divine Eye
Then with the mind composed,
quite purified,
quite clarified,
without blemish,
without defilement,
grown soft and workable,
fixed,
immovable,
he directs his mind
to the knowledge of the passing hence
and the arising of beings.
With the purified deva-vision
surpassing that of men
he sees beings as they pass hence
or come to be;
he comprehends that beings are mean,
excellent,
comely,
ugly,
well-going,
ill-going,
according to the consequences of their deeds,
and he thinks:
'Indeed these worthy beings
who were possessed of wrong conduct in body,
who were possessed of wrong conduct of speech,
who were possessed of wrong conduct of thought,
scoffers at the ariyans,
holding a wrong view,
incurring deeds consequent on a wrong view -
these, at the breaking up of the body after dying,
have arisen in a sorrowful state,
a bad bourn,
the abyss,
Niraya Hell.
But these worthy beings
who were possessed of good conduct in body,
who were possessed of good conduct in speech,
who were possessed of good conduct in thought,
who did not scoff at the ariyans,
holding a right view,
incurring deeds consequent on a right view -
these, at the breaking up of the body after dying,
have arisen in a good bourn,
a heaven world.'
Thus with the purified deva-vision
surpassing that of men
does he see beings as they pass hence,
as they arise;
he comprehends that beings are mean,
excellent,
comely,
ugly,
well-going,
ill-going
according to the consequences of their deeds.
3. Destruction of Cankers: Sainthood
Then with the mind composed
quite purified,
quite clarified,
without blemish,
without defilement,
grown soft and workable,
fixed,
immovable,
he directs his mind
to the knowledge of the destruction of the cankers.
He understands as it really is:
This is anguish,
this is the arising of anguish,
this is the stopping of anguish,
this is the course leading to the stopping of anguish.
He understands as it really is:
These are the cankers,
this is the arising of the cankers,
this is the stopping of the cankers,
this is the course leading to the stopping of the cankers.
Knowing this thus,
seeing thus,
his mind is freed
from the canker of sense-pleasures,
and his mind is freed
from the canker of becoming,
and his mind is freed
from the canker of ignorance.
In freedom
the knowledge comes to be:
'I am freed';
and he comprehends:
'Destroyed is birth,
brought to a close is the Brahma-faring,
done is what was to be done,
there is no more of being such or such.'
"That monk is able to endure heat,
cold,
hunger,
thirst,
the touch of mosquitoes,
gadflies,
wind,
sun
and creeping things,
abusive language
and unwelcome modes of speech:
he has grown to bear bodily feelings
which as they arise
are painful,
acute,
sharp,
severe,
wretched,
miserable,
deadly.
Purged of all the dross and impurities
of attachment,
aversion
and confusion,
he is worthy of oblations,
offerings,
respect
and homage,
an unsurpassed field of merit in the world.
"If, Aggivessana,
a king's elephant dies in old age,
untamed,
untrained,
the king's old elephant
that has died
is reckoned as one
[183] that has died untamed.
And so, Aggivessana,
a king's elephant dies in middle-age,
untamed,
untrained,
the king's middle-age elephant
that has died
is reckoned as one
that has died untamed.
And too, Aggivessana,
if a king's elephant dies young,
untamed,
untrained,
the king's young elephant
that has died
is reckoned as one
that has died untamed.
Even so, Aggivessana,
if a monk who is an elder
dies with the cankers not destroyed,
the monk who is an elder
that has died
is reckoned as one
that has died untamed.
And so, Aggivessana,
if a monk who is of middle standing
dies with the cankers not destroyed,
the monk who is of middle standing
that has died
is reckoned as one
that has died untamed.
And too, Aggivessana,
if a newly ordained monk
dies with the cankers not destroyed,
the newly ordained monk
that has died
is reckoned as one
that has died untamed.
If, Aggivessana,
a king's elephant dies in old age,
well tamed,
well trained,
the king's old elephant
that has died
is reckoned as one
that has died tamed.
And so, Aggivessana,
a king's elephant dies middle-aged,
well tamed,
well trained,
the king's middle-aged elephant
that has died
is reckoned as one
that has died tamed.
And too, Aggivessana,
if a king's elephant dies young,
well tamed,
well trained,
the king's young elephant
that has died
is reckoned as one
that has died tamed.
Even so, Aggivessana,
if a monk who is an elder
dies with the cankers destroyed,
the monk who is an elder
that has died
is reckoned as one
that has died tamed.
And so, Aggivessana,
if a monk who is of middle standing
dies with the cankers destroyed,
the monk who is of middle standing
that has died
is reckoned as one
that has died tamed.
And too, Aggivessana,
if a newly ordained monk
dies with cankers destroyed,
the newly ordained monk
that has died
is reckoned as one
that has died tamed."
Thus spoke the Lord.
Delighted, the novice Aciravata rejoiced in what the Lord had said.
[1] samaṇuddesa, defined at Vin. iv. 139, 140 by sāmaṇera.
[2] A hut in a secluded part of the Bamboo Grove for the use of monks who wanted to practice striving, padhāna — MA. iv. 197.
[3] A son of King Bimbisara.
[4] Stock phrase, as e.g. at M. i. 108.
[5] For note on this name, see M.L.S. i. 280, n.6.
[6] "Faring along thus, he attains an attainment, samāpatti, he attains jhāna; I have heard this," MA. iv. 197.
[7] Aciravata here uses the words ascribed to Gotama when he ws first hesittting whether to teach dhamma, Vin. i.5.
[8] "You must simply remain in your own state of not understanding." MA. iv. 197.
[9] Jayasena in addressing Aciravata uses the epithets bho, bhavaṃ and now bhavantaṃ.
[10] Taṃ kut'ettha labbhā.
[11] I suggest emending the Pali reading at M. iii. 130 from dakkhati vā sacchi vā karissati to dakkhati vā pāpuṇissati vā sacchikarissati vā, thus balancing the modes by which renunciation can be apprehended, given in the same sentence.
[12] As at M. ii. 129.
[13] Cf. the four similes for Jayasena at M. iii. 144.
[14] anacchariyaṃ, not wonderful, appearing naturallly or spontaneously.
[15] On anacchariyā pubbe assutapubbā seyyathā pi Bhagavantaṃ see C.P.D., s.v. anacchariya.
[16] Reading with one MS. version kāreti instead of text's karoti.
[17] ādissa. See P.E.D. s.v. It is an imperative in some correspondence with ādāna of next line but one. Under ādiyati P.E.D. says "imper. ādiya M. iii. 133 (so read for ādissa ?)."
[18] ānejja-kāraṇa. P.E.D. says "trick of immovability, i.e. pretending to be dead (done by an elephant, but see differently Morris, J.P.T.S. 1886, p. 154)."
[19] See also definition of rañño nāgo khamo at A. ii. 117
[20] parasattuppahārānaṃ, possibly a misreading for parasuppahāra; but pharasu- at A. ii. 117, and elsewhere, butparasu also at S. v. 441, Jā. iii. 179.
[21] nihitaninnītakasāva; cf. A. i. 254.
[22] Cf. A. i. 244, 284, ii. 113, 170.
[23] For following passage see also M. i. 354-355 (M.L.S. ii, 20 f.).
[24] As far as the simile cf. M. i. 274-275 (M.L.S. i, 328-329).
[25] Cf. M. i. 56, and see notes at M.L.S. i. 71.
