AN 7 The Book of the Sevens – Sattakanipāta > AN 7.61 Nodding Off

Numbered Discourses 7.61 – Aṅguttara Nikāya 7.61

6. The Undeclared Points – 6. Abyākatavagga

AN 7.61 Nodding Off – Pacalāyamānasutta

1.1

So I have heard.

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—

1.2

At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Bhaggas on Crocodile Hill, in the deer park at Bhesakaḷā’s Wood.

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā bhaggesu viharati susumāragire bhesakaḷāvane migadāye.

1.3

Now at that time, in the land of the Magadhans near Kallavāḷamutta Village, Venerable Mahāmoggallāna was nodding off while meditating.

Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā mahāmoggallāno magadhesu kallavāḷaputtagāme pacalāyamāno nisinno hoti.

1.4

The Buddha saw him with his clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman.

Addasā kho bhagavā dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena āyasmantaṁ mahāmoggallānaṁ magadhesu kallavāḷaputtagāme pacalāyamānaṁ nisinnaṁ.

1.5

Disvā—

1.6

Then, as easily as a strong person would extend or contract their arm, he vanished from the deer park at Bhesakaḷā’s Wood in the land of the Bhaggas and reappeared in front of Mahāmoggallāna near Kallavāḷamutta Village in the land of the Magadhans.

seyyathāpi nāma balavā puriso samiñjitaṁ vā bāhaṁ pasāreyya, pasāritaṁ vā bāhaṁ samiñjeyya; evamevaṁ—bhaggesu susumāragire bhesakaḷāvane migadāye antarahito magadhesu kallavāḷaputtagāme āyasmato mahāmoggallānassa sammukhe pāturahosi.

1.7

He sat on the seat spread out

Nisīdi bhagavā paññatte āsane.

1.8

and said to Mahāmoggallāna,

Nisajja kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ mahāmoggallānaṁ etadavoca:

2.1

“Are you nodding off, Moggallāna? Are you nodding off?”

“Pacalāyasi no tvaṁ, moggallāna, pacalāyasi no tvaṁ, moggallānā”ti?

2.2

“Yes, sir.”

“Evaṁ, bhante”.

2.3

“So, Moggallāna, don’t focus on or cultivate the perception that you were meditating on when you fell drowsy.

“Tasmātiha, moggallāna, yathāsaññissa te viharato taṁ middhaṁ okkamati, taṁ saññaṁ mā manasākāsi, taṁ saññaṁ mā bahulamakāsi.

2.4

It’s possible that you’ll give up drowsiness in this way.

Ṭhānaṁ kho panetaṁ, moggallāna, vijjati yaṁ te evaṁ viharato taṁ middhaṁ pahīyetha.

3.1

But what if that doesn’t work? Then think about and consider the teaching as you’ve learned and memorized it, examining it with your mind.

No ce te evaṁ viharato taṁ middhaṁ pahīyetha, tato tvaṁ, moggallāna, yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ cetasā anuvitakkeyyāsi anuvicāreyyāsi, manasā anupekkheyyāsi.

3.2

It’s possible that you’ll give up drowsiness in this way.

Ṭhānaṁ kho panetaṁ vijjati yaṁ te evaṁ viharato taṁ middhaṁ pahīyetha.

4.1

But what if that doesn’t work? Then recite in detail the teaching as you’ve learned and memorized it.

No ce te evaṁ viharato taṁ middhaṁ pahīyetha, tato tvaṁ, moggallāna, yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ vitthārena sajjhāyaṁ kareyyāsi.

4.2

It’s possible that you’ll give up drowsiness in this way.

Ṭhānaṁ kho panetaṁ vijjati yaṁ te evaṁ viharato taṁ middhaṁ pahīyetha.

5.1

But what if that doesn’t work? Then pinch your ears and rub your limbs.

No ce te evaṁ viharato taṁ middhaṁ pahīyetha, tato tvaṁ, moggallāna, ubho kaṇṇasotāni āviñcheyyāsi, pāṇinā gattāni anumajjeyyāsi.

5.2

It’s possible that you’ll give up drowsiness in this way.

Ṭhānaṁ kho panetaṁ vijjati yaṁ te evaṁ viharato taṁ middhaṁ pahīyetha.

6.1

But what if that doesn’t work? Then get up from your seat, flush your eyes with water, look around in every direction, and look up at the stars and constellations.

No ce te evaṁ viharato taṁ middhaṁ pahīyetha, tato tvaṁ, moggallāna, uṭṭhāyāsanā udakena akkhīni anumajjitvā disā anuvilokeyyāsi, nakkhattāni tārakarūpāni ullokeyyāsi.

6.2

It’s possible that you’ll give up drowsiness in this way.

Ṭhānaṁ kho panetaṁ vijjati yaṁ te evaṁ viharato taṁ middhaṁ pahīyetha.

7.1

But what if that doesn’t work? Then focus on the perception of light, concentrating on the perception of day,

No ce te evaṁ viharato taṁ middhaṁ pahīyetha, tato tvaṁ, moggallāna, ālokasaññaṁ manasi kareyyāsi, divāsaññaṁ adhiṭṭhaheyyāsi—

7.2

regardless of whether it’s night or day.

yathā divā tathā rattiṁ yathā rattiṁ tathā divā.

7.3

And so, with an open and unenveloped heart, develop a mind that’s full of radiance.

Iti vivaṭena cetasā apariyonaddhena sappabhāsaṁ cittaṁ bhāveyyāsi.

7.4

It’s possible that you’ll give up drowsiness in this way.

Ṭhānaṁ kho panetaṁ vijjati yaṁ te evaṁ viharato taṁ middhaṁ pahīyetha.

8.1

But what if that doesn’t work? Then walk mindfully, concentrating on the perception of continuity, your faculties directed inwards and your mind not scattered outside.

No ce te evaṁ viharato taṁ middhaṁ pahīyetha, tato tvaṁ, moggallāna, pacchāpuresaññī caṅkamaṁ adhiṭṭhaheyyāsi antogatehi indriyehi abahigatena mānasena.

8.2

It’s possible that you’ll give up drowsiness in this way.

Ṭhānaṁ kho panetaṁ vijjati yaṁ te evaṁ viharato taṁ middhaṁ pahīyetha.

9.1

But what if that doesn’t work? Then lie down in the lion’s posture—on the right side, placing one foot on top of the other—mindful and aware, and focused on the time of getting up.

No ce te evaṁ viharato taṁ middhaṁ pahīyetha, tato tvaṁ, moggallāna, dakkhiṇena passena sīhaseyyaṁ kappeyyāsi pāde pādaṁ accādhāya sato sampajāno uṭṭhānasaññaṁ manasi karitvā.

9.2

When you wake, you should get up quickly, thinking:

Paṭibuddhena ca te, moggallāna, khippaññeva paccuṭṭhātabbaṁ:

9.3

‘I will not live indulging in the pleasures of sleeping, lying down, and drowsing.’

‘na seyyasukhaṁ na passasukhaṁ na middhasukhaṁ anuyutto viharissāmī’ti.

9.4

That’s how you should train.

Evañhi te, moggallāna, sikkhitabbaṁ.

10.1

So you should train like this:

Tasmātiha, moggallāna, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ:

10.2

‘I will not approach families with my head swollen with vanity.’

‘na uccāsoṇḍaṁ paggahetvā kulāni upasaṅkamissāmī’ti.

10.3

That’s how you should train.

Evañhi te, moggallāna, sikkhitabbaṁ.

10.4

What happens if a bhikkhu approaches families with a head swollen with vanity? Well, families have business to attend to,

Sace, moggallāna, bhikkhu uccāsoṇḍaṁ paggahetvā kulāni upasaṅkamati, santi hi, moggallāna, kulesu kiccakaraṇīyāni.

10.5

so people might not notice when a bhikkhu arrives. In that case the bhikkhu thinks:

Yehi manussā āgataṁ bhikkhuṁ na manasi karonti, tatra bhikkhussa evaṁ hoti:

10.6

‘Who on earth has turned this family against me? It seems they don’t like me any more.’

‘kosu nāma idāni maṁ imasmiṁ kule paribhindi, virattarūpā dānime mayi manussā’ti.

10.7

And so, because they don’t get anything they feel dismayed. Being dismayed, they become restless. Being restless, they lose restraint. And without restraint the mind is far from samādhi.

Itissa alābhena maṅkubhāvo, maṅkubhūtassa uddhaccaṁ, uddhatassa asaṁvaro, asaṁvutassa ārā cittaṁ samādhimhā.

11.1

So you should train like this:

Tasmātiha, moggallāna, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ:

11.2

‘I won’t get into arguments.’

‘na viggāhikakathaṁ kathessāmī’ti.

11.3

That’s how you should train.

Evañhi te, moggallāna, sikkhitabbaṁ.

11.4

When there’s an argument, you can expect there’ll be lots of talking. When there’s lots of talking, people become restless. Being restless, they lose restraint. And without restraint the mind is far from samādhi.

Viggāhikāya, moggallāna, kathāya sati kathābāhullaṁ pāṭikaṅkhaṁ, kathābāhulle sati uddhaccaṁ, uddhatassa asaṁvaro, asaṁvutassa ārā cittaṁ samādhimhā.

11.5

Moggallāna, I don’t praise all kinds of closeness.

Nāhaṁ, moggallāna, sabbeheva saṁsaggaṁ vaṇṇayāmi.

11.6

Nor do I criticize all kinds of closeness.

Na panāhaṁ, moggallāna, sabbeheva saṁsaggaṁ na vaṇṇayāmi.

11.7

I don’t praise closeness with laypeople and renunciates.

Sagahaṭṭhapabbajitehi kho ahaṁ, moggallāna, saṁsaggaṁ na vaṇṇayāmi.

11.8

I do praise closeness with those lodgings that are quiet and still, far from the madding crowd, remote from human settlements, and fit for retreat.”

Yāni ca kho tāni senāsanāni appasaddāni appanigghosāni vijanavātāni manussarāhasseyyakāni paṭisallānasāruppāni tathārūpehi senāsanehi saṁsaggaṁ vaṇṇayāmī”ti.

12.1

When he said this, Venerable Moggallāna asked the Buddha,

Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā mahāmoggallāno bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

12.2

“Sir, how do you briefly define a bhikkhu who is freed through the ending of craving, who has reached the ultimate end, the ultimate sanctuary, the ultimate spiritual life, the ultimate goal, and is best among gods and humans?”

“kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, bhikkhu saṅkhittena taṇhāsaṅkhayavimutto hoti accantaniṭṭho accantayogakkhemī accantabrahmacārī accantapariyosāno seṭṭho devamanussānan”ti?

13.1

“It’s when a bhikkhu has heard:

“Idha, moggallāna, bhikkhuno sutaṁ hoti:

13.2

‘Nothing is worth insisting on.’

‘sabbe dhammā nālaṁ abhinivesāyā’ti;

13.3

When a bhikkhu has heard that

evañcetaṁ, moggallāna, bhikkhuno sutaṁ hoti:

13.4

nothing is worth insisting on,

‘sabbe dhammā nālaṁ abhinivesāyā’ti.

13.5

they directly know all things. Directly knowing all things, they completely understand all things. Having completely understood all things, when they experience any kind of feeling—pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral—

So sabbaṁ dhammaṁ abhijānāti, sabbaṁ dhammaṁ abhiññāya sabbaṁ dhammaṁ parijānāti. Sabbaṁ dhammaṁ pariññāya yaṁ kiñci vedanaṁ vediyati sukhaṁ vā dukkhaṁ vā adukkhamasukhaṁ vā.

13.6

they meditate observing anicca, dispassion, cessation, and letting go in those feelings.

So tāsu vedanāsu aniccānupassī viharati, virāgānupassī viharati, nirodhānupassī viharati, paṭinissaggānupassī viharati.

13.7

Meditating in this way, they don’t grasp at anything in the world.

So tāsu vedanāsu aniccānupassī viharanto virāgānupassī viharanto nirodhānupassī viharanto paṭinissaggānupassī viharanto na kiñci loke upādiyati,

13.8

Not grasping, they’re not anxious. Not being anxious, they personally become extinguished.

anupādiyaṁ na paritassati, aparitassaṁ paccattaṁyeva parinibbāyati.

13.9

They understand: ‘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 pajānāti.

13.10

That’s how I briefly define a bhikkhu who is freed through the ending of craving, who has reached the ultimate end, the ultimate sanctuary, the ultimate spiritual life, the ultimate goal, and is best among gods and humans.”

Ettāvatā kho, moggallāna, bhikkhu saṅkhittena taṇhāsaṅkhayavimutto hoti accantaniṭṭho accantayogakkhemī accantabrahmacārī accantapariyosāno seṭṭho devamanussānan”ti.

13.11

Aṭṭhamaṁ.