Words of the Buddha. Excerpt from Sariputta Sutta: The Buddha: I will tell you as one who knows, what is comfort for one disaffected resorting to a remote place, desiring self-awakening in line with the Dhamma. An enlightened monk, living circumscribed, mindful, shouldnt fear the five fears: of horseflies, mosquitoes, snakes, human contact, four-footed beings; shouldnt be disturbed by those following anothers teaching even on seeing their manifold terrors; should overcome still other further dangers as he seeks what is skillful. Touched by the touch of discomforts, hunger, he should endure cold & inordinate heat. He with no home, in many ways touched by these things, striving, should make firm his persistence. He shouldnt commit a theft, shouldnt speak a lie, should touch with thoughts of good will beings firm & infirm. Conscious of when his mind is stirred up & turbid, he should dispel it: Its on the Dark Ones side. He shouldnt come under the sway of anger or pride. Having dug up their root he would stand firm. Then, when prevailing — yes — hed prevail over his sense of dear & undear. Yearning for discernment enraptured with whats admirable, he should overcome these dangers, should conquer discontent in his isolated spot, should conquer these four thoughts of lament: What will I eat, or where will I eat. How badly I slept. Tonight where will I sleep? These lamenting thoughts he should subdue — one under training, wandering without home. Receiving food & cloth at appropriate times, he should have a sense of enough for the sake of contentment.[3] Guarded in regard to these things going restrained into a village, even when harassed he shouldnt say a harsh word. With eyes downcast, & not footloose, committed to jhana, he should be continually wakeful.[4] Strengthening equanimity, centered within, he should cut off any penchant to conjecture or worry. When reprimanded, he should — mindful — rejoice;[5] should smash any stubbornness toward his fellows in the holy life; should utter skillful words that are not untimely; should give no mind to the gossip people might say. And then there are in the world the five kinds of dust for whose dispelling, mindful he should train: with regard to forms, sounds, tastes, smells, & tactile sensations he should conquer passion; with regard to these things he should subdue his desire. A monk, mindful, his mind well-released, contemplating the right Dhamma at the right times, on coming to oneness should annihilate darkness, the Blessed One said. Notes 1. The Buddha spent his next-to-last lifetime in the Tusita heaven, one of the highest levels on the sensual plane. 2. The fact that the Buddha answers this question in a straightforward manner illustrates the point that abandoning precepts and practices does not mean having no precepts and practices. See note 2 to Sn 4.13. 3. See AN 4.37 and AN 7.64. 4. See AN 4.37. 5. See Dhp 76-77. See also: AN 5.77; AN 8.30.
Posted on: Thu, 25 Dec 2014 18:31:16 +0000