AN 5 The Book of the Fives – Pañcakanipāta > AN 5.56 Mentor

Numbered Discourses 5.56 – Aṅguttara Nikāya 5.56

6. Hindrances – 6. Nīvaraṇavagga

AN 5.56 Mentor – Upajjhāyasutta

1.1

Then a bhikkhu went up to his own mentor, and said,

Atha kho aññataro bhikkhu yena sako upajjhāyo tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā sakaṁ upajjhāyaṁ etadavoca:

1.2

“Now, sir, my body feels like it’s drugged. I’m disorientated, the teachings don’t spring to mind, and dullness and drowsiness fill my mind. I lead the spiritual life dissatisfied, and have doubts about the teachings.”

“etarahi me, bhante, madhurakajāto ceva kāyo, disā ca me na pakkhāyanti, dhammā ca maṁ nappaṭibhanti, thinamiddhañca me cittaṁ pariyādāya tiṭṭhati, anabhirato ca brahmacariyaṁ carāmi, atthi ca me dhammesu vicikicchā”ti.

2.1

Then that bhikkhu took his pupil to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him,

Atha kho so bhikkhu taṁ saddhivihārikaṁ bhikkhuṁ ādāya yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho so bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

2.2

“Sir, this bhikkhu says this:

“ayaṁ, bhante, bhikkhu evamāha:

2.3

‘Now, sir, my body feels like it’s drugged. I’m disorientated, the teachings don’t spring to mind, and dullness and drowsiness fill my mind. I lead the spiritual life dissatisfied, and have doubts about the teachings.’”

‘etarahi me, bhante, madhurakajāto ceva kāyo, disā ca maṁ na pakkhāyanti, dhammā ca me nappaṭibhanti, thinamiddhañca me cittaṁ pariyādāya tiṭṭhati, anabhirato ca brahmacariyaṁ carāmi, atthi ca me dhammesu vicikicchā’”ti.

3.1

“That’s how it is, bhikkhu, when your sense doors are unguarded, you eat too much, you’re not dedicated to wakefulness, you’re unable to discern skillful qualities, and you don’t pursue the development of the qualities that lead to awakening in the evening and toward dawn. Your body feels like it’s drugged. You’re disorientated, the teachings don’t spring to mind, and dullness and drowsiness fill your mind. You lead the spiritual life dissatisfied, and have doubts about the teachings.

“Evañhetaṁ, bhikkhu, hoti indriyesu aguttadvārassa, bhojane amattaññuno, jāgariyaṁ ananuyuttassa, avipassakassa kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ, pubbarattāpararattaṁ bodhipakkhiyānaṁ dhammānaṁ bhāvanānuyogaṁ ananuyuttassa viharato, yaṁ madhurakajāto ceva kāyo hoti, disā cassa na pakkhāyanti, dhammā ca taṁ nappaṭibhanti, thinamiddhañcassa cittaṁ pariyādāya tiṭṭhati, anabhirato ca brahmacariyaṁ carati, hoti cassa dhammesu vicikicchā.

3.2

So you should train like this:

Tasmātiha te, bhikkhu, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ:

3.3

‘I will guard my sense doors, eat in moderation, be dedicated to wakefulness, discern skillful qualities, and pursue the development of the qualities that lead to awakening in the evening and toward dawn.’

‘indriyesu guttadvāro bhavissāmi, bhojane mattaññū, jāgariyaṁ anuyutto, vipassako kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ, pubbarattāpararattaṁ bodhipakkhiyānaṁ dhammānaṁ bhāvanānuyogaṁ anuyutto viharissāmī’ti.

3.4

That’s how you should train.”

Evañhi te, bhikkhu, sikkhitabban”ti.

4.1

When that bhikkhu had been given this advice by the Buddha, he got up from his seat, bowed, and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right, before leaving.

Atha kho so bhikkhu bhagavatā iminā ovādena ovadito uṭṭhāyāsanā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā pakkāmi.

4.2

Then that bhikkhu, living alone, withdrawn, diligent, keen, and resolute, soon realized the supreme culmination of the spiritual path in this very life. He lived having achieved with his own insight the goal for which gentlemen rightly go forth from the lay life to homelessness.

Atha kho so bhikkhu eko vūpakaṭṭho appamatto ātāpī pahitatto viharanto nacirasseva—yassatthāya kulaputtā sammadeva agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajanti, tadanuttaraṁ—brahmacariyapariyosānaṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja vihāsi.

4.3

He understood: “Rebirth is ended; the spiritual journey has been completed; what had to be done has been done; there is no return to any state of existence.”

“Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā”ti abbhaññāsi.

4.4

And that bhikkhu became one of the perfected.

Aññataro pana so bhikkhu arahataṁ ahosi.

5.1

When that bhikkhu had attained perfection, he went up to his own mentor, and said,

Atha kho so bhikkhu arahattaṁ patto yena sako upajjhāyo tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā sakaṁ upajjhāyaṁ etadavoca:

5.2

“Now, sir, my body doesn’t feel like it’s drugged. I’m not disorientated, the teachings spring to mind, and dullness and drowsiness don’t fill my mind. I lead the spiritual life satisfied, and have no doubts about the teachings.”

“etarahi me, bhante, na ceva madhurakajāto kāyo, disā ca me pakkhāyanti, dhammā ca maṁ paṭibhanti, thinamiddhañca me cittaṁ na pariyādāya tiṭṭhati, abhirato ca brahmacariyaṁ carāmi, natthi ca me dhammesu vicikicchā”ti.

5.3

Then that bhikkhu took his pupil to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him,

5.4

“Sir, this bhikkhu says this:

“ayaṁ, bhante, bhikkhu evamāha:

5.5

‘Now, sir, my body doesn’t feel like it’s drugged. I’m not disorientated, the teachings spring to mind, and dullness and drowsiness don’t fill my mind. I lead the spiritual life satisfied, and have no doubts about the teachings.’”

‘etarahi me, bhante, na ceva madhurakajāto kāyo, disā ca me pakkhāyanti, dhammā ca maṁ paṭibhanti, thinamiddhañca me cittaṁ na pariyādāya tiṭṭhati, abhirato ca brahmacariyaṁ carāmi, natthi ca me dhammesu vicikicchā’”ti.

6.1

“That’s how it is, bhikkhu, when your sense doors are guarded, you’re moderate in eating, you’re dedicated to wakefulness, you’re able to discern skillful qualities, and you pursue the development of the qualities that lead to awakening in the evening and toward dawn. Your body doesn’t feel like it’s drugged. You’re not disorientated, the teachings spring to mind, and dullness and drowsiness don’t fill your mind. You lead the spiritual life satisfied, and have no doubts about the teachings.

“Evañhetaṁ, bhikkhu, hoti indriyesu guttadvārassa, bhojane mattaññuno, jāgariyaṁ anuyuttassa, vipassakassa kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ, pubbarattāpararattaṁ bodhipakkhiyānaṁ dhammānaṁ bhāvanānuyogaṁ anuyuttassa viharato, yaṁ na ceva madhurakajāto kāyo hoti, disā cassa pakkhāyanti, dhammā ca taṁ paṭibhanti, thinamiddhañcassa cittaṁ na pariyādāya tiṭṭhati, abhirato ca brahmacariyaṁ carati, na cassa hoti dhammesu vicikicchā.

6.2

So you should train like this:

Tasmātiha vo, bhikkhave, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ:

6.3

‘We will guard our sense doors, eat in moderation, be dedicated to wakefulness, discern skillful qualities, and pursue the development of the qualities that lead to awakening in the evening and toward dawn.’

‘indriyesu guttadvārā bhavissāma, bhojane mattaññuno, jāgariyaṁ anuyuttā, vipassakā kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ, pubbarattāpararattaṁ bodhipakkhiyānaṁ dhammānaṁ bhāvanānuyogaṁ anuyuttā viharissāmā’ti.

6.4

That’s how you should train.”

Evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban”ti.

6.5

Chaṭṭhaṁ.