SN 45-56 The Group of Connected Discourses on the Path – Mahāvaggasaṁyutta > SN 47 Linked Discourses on Mindfulness Meditation – Satipaṭṭhānasaṁyutta > SN 47.46 Restraint in the Monastic Code

Linked Discourses 47.46 – Saṁyutta Nikāya 47.46

5. The Deathless – 5. Amatavagga

SN 47.46 Restraint in the Monastic Code – Pātimokkhasaṁvarasutta

Then a bhikkhu went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him:

Atha kho aññataro bhikkhu yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami …pe… ekamantaṁ nisinno kho so bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

“Sir, may the Buddha please teach me Dhamma in brief. When I’ve heard it, I’ll live alone, withdrawn, diligent, keen, and resolute.”

“Sādhu me, bhante, bhagavā saṅkhittena dhammaṁ desetu, yamahaṁ bhagavato dhammaṁ sutvā eko vūpakaṭṭho appamatto ātāpī pahitatto vihareyyan”ti.

“Well then, bhikkhu, you should purify the starting point of skillful qualities.

“Tasmātiha tvaṁ, bhikkhu, ādimeva visodhehi kusalesu dhammesu.

What is the starting point of skillful qualities?

Ko cādi kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ?

Live restrained in the monastic code, conducting yourself well and seeking alms in suitable places. Seeing danger in the slightest fault, keep the rules you’ve undertaken.

Idha tvaṁ, bhikkhu, pātimokkhasaṁvarasaṁvuto viharāhi ācāragocarasampanno aṇumattesu vajjesu bhayadassāvī, samādāya sikkhassu sikkhāpadesu.

When you’ve done this, you should develop the four kinds of mindfulness meditation, depending on and grounded on ethics.

Yato kho tvaṁ, bhikkhu, pātimokkhasaṁvarasaṁvuto viharissasi ācāragocarasampanno aṇumattesu vajjesu bhayadassāvī samādāya sikkhassu sikkhāpadesu; tato tvaṁ, bhikkhu, sīlaṁ nissāya sīle patiṭṭhāya cattāro satipaṭṭhāne bhāveyyāsi.

What four?

Katame cattāro?

Meditate observing an aspect of the body—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of desire and aversion for the world.

Idha tvaṁ, bhikkhu, kāye kāyānupassī viharāhi ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ;

Meditate observing an aspect of feelings …

vedanāsu …pe…

mind …

citte …pe…

principles—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of desire and aversion for the world.

dhammesu dhammānupassī viharāhi ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ.

When you develop the four kinds of mindfulness meditation in this way, depending on and grounded on ethics, you can expect growth, not decline, in skillful qualities, whether by day or by night.”

Yato kho tvaṁ, bhikkhu, sīlaṁ nissāya sīle patiṭṭhāya ime cattāro satipaṭṭhāne evaṁ bhāvessasi, tato tuyhaṁ, bhikkhu, yā ratti vā divaso vā āgamissati vuddhiyeva pāṭikaṅkhā kusalesu dhammesu, no parihānī”ti.

And then that bhikkhu approved and agreed with what the Buddha said. He got up from his seat, bowed, and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right, before leaving.

Atha kho so bhikkhu bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinanditvā anumoditvā uṭṭhāyāsanā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā pakkāmi.

Then that bhikkhu, living alone, withdrawn, diligent, keen, and resolute, soon realized the supreme end 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 viharati.

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.

And that bhikkhu became one of the perfected.

Aññataro ca pana so bhikkhu arahataṁ ahosīti.