AN 9 The Book of the Nines – Navakanipāta > AN 9.26 The Simile of the Stone Pillar

Numbered Discourses 9.26 – Aṅguttara Nikāya 9.26

3. Abodes of Sentient Beings – 3. Sattāvāsavagga

AN 9.26 The Simile of the Stone Pillar – Silāyūpasutta

1.1

So I have heard.

(…)

1.2

At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground.

Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā ca sāriputto āyasmā ca candikāputto rājagahe viharanti veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe.

1.3

There Venerable Candikāputta addressed the bhikkhū,

Tatra kho āyasmā candikāputto bhikkhū āmantesi (…):

1.4

“Reverends, Devadatta teaches the bhikkhū like this:

“devadatto, āvuso, bhikkhūnaṁ evaṁ dhammaṁ deseti:

1.5

‘When a bhikkhu’s mind is solidified by heart, it’s appropriate for them to say:

‘yato kho, āvuso, bhikkhuno cetasā citaṁ hoti, tassetaṁ bhikkhuno kallaṁ veyyākaraṇāya—

1.6

“I 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 itthattāyāti pajānāmī’”ti.

2.1

When he said this, Venerable Sāriputta said to him,

Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā sāriputto āyasmantaṁ candikāputtaṁ etadavoca:

2.2

“Reverend Candikāputta, Devadatta does not teach the bhikkhū like that.

“na kho, āvuso candikāputta, devadatto bhikkhūnaṁ evaṁ dhammaṁ deseti:

2.3

‘yato kho, āvuso, bhikkhuno cetasā citaṁ hoti, tassetaṁ bhikkhuno kallaṁ veyyākaraṇāya—

2.4

khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyāti pajānāmī’ti.

2.5

He teaches like this:

Evañca kho, āvuso, candikāputta, devadatto bhikkhūnaṁ dhammaṁ deseti:

2.6

‘When a bhikkhu’s mind is well consolidated by heart, it’s appropriate for them to say:

‘yato kho, āvuso, bhikkhuno cetasā cittaṁ suparicitaṁ hoti, tassetaṁ bhikkhuno kallaṁ veyyākaraṇāya—

2.7

“I 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 itthattāyāti pajānāmī’”ti.

3.1

For a second time …

Dutiyampi kho āyasmā candikāputto bhikkhū āmantesi:

3.2

“devadatto, āvuso, bhikkhūnaṁ evaṁ dhammaṁ deseti:

3.3

‘yato kho, āvuso, bhikkhuno cetasā citaṁ hoti, tassetaṁ bhikkhuno kallaṁ veyyākaraṇāya—

3.4

khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyāti pajānāmī’”ti.

3.5

Dutiyampi kho āyasmā sāriputto āyasmantaṁ candikāputtaṁ etadavoca:

3.6

“na kho, āvuso candikāputta, devadatto bhikkhūnaṁ evaṁ dhammaṁ deseti:

3.7

‘yato kho, āvuso, bhikkhuno cetasā citaṁ hoti, tassetaṁ bhikkhuno kallaṁ veyyākaraṇāya—

3.8

khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyāti pajānāmī’ti.

3.9

Evañca kho, āvuso candikāputta, devadatto bhikkhūnaṁ dhammaṁ deseti:

3.10

‘yato kho, āvuso, bhikkhuno cetasā cittaṁ suparicitaṁ hoti, tassetaṁ bhikkhuno kallaṁ veyyākaraṇāya—

3.11

khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyāti pajānāmī’”ti.

4.1

And for a third time Venerable Candikāputta addressed the bhikkhū …

Tatiyampi kho āyasmā candikāputto bhikkhū āmantesi:

4.2

“devadatto, āvuso, bhikkhūnaṁ evaṁ dhammaṁ deseti:

4.3

‘yato kho, āvuso, bhikkhuno cetasā citaṁ hoti, tassetaṁ bhikkhuno kallaṁ veyyākaraṇāya—

4.4

khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyāti pajānāmī’”ti.

4.5

And for a third time, Sāriputta said to him,

Tatiyampi kho āyasmā sāriputto āyasmantaṁ candikāputtaṁ etadavoca:

4.6

“Reverend Candikāputta, Devadatta does not teach the bhikkhū like that.

“na kho, āvuso candikāputta, devadatto bhikkhūnaṁ evaṁ dhammaṁ deseti:

4.7

‘yato kho, āvuso, bhikkhuno cetasā citaṁ hoti, tassetaṁ bhikkhuno kallaṁ veyyākaraṇāya—

4.8

khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyāti pajānāmī’ti.

4.9

He teaches like this:

Evañca kho, āvuso candikāputta, devadatto bhikkhūnaṁ dhammaṁ deseti:

4.10

‘When a bhikkhu’s mind is well consolidated by heart, it’s appropriate for them to say:

‘yato kho, āvuso, bhikkhuno cetasā cittaṁ suparicitaṁ hoti, tassetaṁ bhikkhuno kallaṁ veyyākaraṇāya—

4.11

“I 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 itthattāyāti pajānāmī’ti.

5.1

And how is a bhikkhu’s mind well consolidated by heart?

Kathañca, āvuso, bhikkhuno cetasā cittaṁ suparicitaṁ hoti?

5.2

The mind is well consolidated by heart when they know: ‘My mind is without greed.’

‘Vītarāgaṁ me cittan’ti cetasā cittaṁ suparicitaṁ hoti;

5.3

… ‘My mind is without hate.’

‘vītadosaṁ me cittan’ti cetasā cittaṁ suparicitaṁ hoti;

5.4

… ‘My mind is without delusion.’

‘vītamohaṁ me cittan’ti cetasā cittaṁ suparicitaṁ hoti;

5.5

… ‘My mind is not liable to become greedy.’

‘asarāgadhammaṁ me cittan’ti cetasā cittaṁ suparicitaṁ hoti;

5.6

… ‘My mind is not liable to become hateful.’

‘asadosadhammaṁ me cittan’ti cetasā cittaṁ suparicitaṁ hoti;

5.7

… ‘My mind is not liable to become deluded.’

‘asamohadhammaṁ me cittan’ti cetasā cittaṁ suparicitaṁ hoti;

5.8

… ‘My mind is not liable to return to rebirth in the sensual realm.’

‘anāvattidhammaṁ me cittaṁ kāmabhavāyā’ti cetasā cittaṁ suparicitaṁ hoti;

5.9

… ‘My mind is not liable to return to rebirth in the realm of luminous form.’

‘anāvattidhammaṁ me cittaṁ rūpabhavāyā’ti cetasā cittaṁ suparicitaṁ hoti;

5.10

… ‘My mind is not liable to return to rebirth in the formless realm.’

‘anāvattidhammaṁ me cittaṁ arūpabhavāyā’ti cetasā cittaṁ suparicitaṁ hoti.

5.11

When a bhikkhu’s mind is rightly freed like this, even if compelling sights come into the range of vision they don’t occupy their mind.

Evaṁ sammā vimuttacittassa kho, āvuso, bhikkhuno bhusā cepi cakkhuviññeyyā rūpā cakkhussa āpāthaṁ āgacchanti, nevassa cittaṁ pariyādiyanti;

5.12

The mind remains unaffected. It is steady, imperturbable, observing disappearance.

amissīkatamevassa cittaṁ hoti ṭhitaṁ āneñjappattaṁ, vayaṁ cassānupassati.

6.1

Suppose there was a stone pillar, sixteen feet long.

Seyyathāpi, āvuso, silāyūpo soḷasakukkuko.

6.2

Eight feet were buried underground, and eight above ground.

Tassassu aṭṭha kukkū heṭṭhā nemaṅgamā, aṭṭha kukkū upari nemassa.

6.3

And violent storms were to blow up out of the east, the west, the north, and the south.

Atha puratthimāya cepi disāya āgaccheyya bhusā vātavuṭṭhi, neva naṁ saṅkampeyya na sampavedheyya;

6.4

atha pacchimāya …

6.5

atha uttarāya …

6.6

They couldn’t make it tremor and tremble and quake.

atha dakkhiṇāya cepi disāya āgaccheyya bhusā vātavuṭṭhi, neva naṁ saṅkampeyya na sampavedheyya.

6.7

Why is that?

Taṁ kissa hetu?

6.8

It’s because that stone pillar is firmly embedded, with deep foundations.

Gambhīrattā, āvuso, nemassa, sunikhātattā silāyūpassa.

6.9

In the same way, when a bhikkhu’s mind is rightly freed like this, even if compelling sights come into the range of vision they don’t occupy their mind.

Evamevaṁ kho, āvuso, sammā vimuttacittassa bhikkhuno bhusā cepi cakkhuviññeyyā rūpā cakkhussa āpāthaṁ āgacchanti, nevassa cittaṁ pariyādiyanti;

6.10

The mind remains unaffected. It is steady, imperturbable, observing disappearance.

amissīkatamevassa cittaṁ hoti ṭhitaṁ āneñjappattaṁ, vayaṁ cassānupassati.

7.1

If even compelling sounds …

Bhusā cepi sotaviññeyyā saddā …

7.2

smells …

ghānaviññeyyā gandhā …

7.3

tastes …

jivhāviññeyyā rasā …

7.4

touches …

kāyaviññeyyā phoṭṭhabbā …

7.5

and thoughts come into the range of the mind they don’t occupy the mind.

manoviññeyyā dhammā manassa āpāthaṁ āgacchanti, nevassa cittaṁ pariyādiyanti;

7.6

The mind remains unaffected. It is steady, imperturbable, observing disappearance.”

amissīkatamevassa cittaṁ hoti ṭhitaṁ āneñjappattaṁ, vayaṁ cassānupassatī”ti.

7.7

Chaṭṭhaṁ.