Dhamma Sukha Meditation Center
Transcription of MN 77
MN-77
The Greater Discourse to Sakuludāyin
Mahāsakuludāyn Sutta
Ven. Bhante Vimalaramsi
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Key |
Meaning |
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BV: |
B. V. speaking, |
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MN: |
B. V. reading the sutta |
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{ } |
section of sutta omitted by B. V. |
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S: |
student speaking |
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~ |
speaking not clearly heard |
BV: This
is real interesting sutta, in case you were wondering whether it would
be interesting or not.
MN: 1.
THUS HAVE I HEARD. On one occasion the Blessed One was living at
Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrels’ Sanctuary.
2. Now on
that occasion a number of well-known wanderers were staying at the
Peacocks' Sanctuary, the wanderers' park— that is, Annabhāra, Varadhara,
and the wanderer Sakuludāyin, as well as other well-known wanderers.
3. Then,
when it was morning, the Blessed One dressed, and taking his bowl and
outer robe, went into Rājagaha for alms. Then he thought: "It is still
too early to wander for alms in Rājagaha. Suppose I went to the wanderer
Sakuludāyin in the Peacocks' Sanctuary, the wanderers' park."
BV:
In Thailand, when we got ready to go out for almsround, we waited around
outside until we could see the lines in our hands, and then we could go
out and pick up our alms food. In Burma, that’s considered way to early
for the laymen, because they have to cook the food, they have to get it
all prepared, and we didn’t go out, start out almsround until around
eight o’clock in the morning. And when we started our almsround that
late in the day, by the time we got back we had to take a bath because
we’d be sweating. But when we did it in Thailand, you were done by eight
o’clock, and it wasn’t hot yet.
So -
MN: 4.
Then the Blessed One went to the Peacocks' Sanctuary, the wanderers'
park. Now on that occasion the wanderer Sakuludāyin was seated with a
large assembly of wanderers who were making an uproar, loudly and
noisily talking many kinds of pointless talk, such as talk of kings..
BV: and all kinds of other things
MN:
[....whether things are so or are not so.] Then the wanderer Sakuludāyin
saw the Blessed One coming in the distance. Seeing him, he quieted his
own assembly thus: "Sirs, be quiet; sirs, make no noise. Here comes the
recluse Gotama. This venerable one likes quiet and commends quiet.
Perhaps if he finds our assembly a quiet one, he will think to join us."
Then the wanderers became silent.
BV: This
is one of the standard descriptions of anybody that wasn’t a Buddhist.
They always said that they were real caught up in talking this and
talking that nonsense stuff, and that they did it loudly, and they were
not very disciplined
MN: 5. The Blessed One went to the wanderer Sakuludāyin, who said to
him: "Let the Blessed One come, venerable sir! Welcome to the Blessed
One! It is long since the Blessed One found an opportunity to come here.
Let the Blessed One be seated; this seat is ready."
The Blessed One sat down on the seat made ready, and the wanderer
Sakuludāyin took a low seat and sat down at one side.
BV:
That’s showing respect.
MN: When
he had done so, the Blessed One asked him: "For what discussion are you
sitting together here now, Udāyin? And what was your discussion that was
interrupted?"
6.
"Venerable sir, let be the discussion for which we are now sitting
together here. The Blessed One can well hear about it later. In recent
days, venerable sir, when recluses and brahmins of various sects have
been gathering together and sitting together in the debating hall, this
topic has arisen: 'It is a gain for the people of Anga and Magadha, it
is a great gain for the people of Anga and Magadha that these recluses
and brahmins, heads of orders, heads of groups, teachers of groups,
well-known and famous founders of sects regarded by many as saints, have
come to spend the Rains at Rājagaha.
BV:
Every ten years in India, all of the people that are even somewhat well
known for their practices, they all get together, and it’s a real
whoopie to be around them because some of these guys are just great with
their concentration, and they have all kinds of practices that they do,
like holding their hand up in the air until their muscles are all
atrophied, and that’s one of the things that keeps them mindful.
I saw in
Newsweek this was happening and you see all these different teachers
together and there’s a guy standing on one leg, and he’d been
standing that way for six months. Like that’s going to get him
enlightened. But he sure had good balance. And he hopped where ever he
went. He kept the one leg right tight to him. And there were some that
would hang upside down. And there was one, he was quite famous in India;
he was called the summersault yogi, and he went something like fifteen
hundred miles, just doing summersaults. And at the end of the day, he
was so into his summersaults that they would decide that it was time for
him to stop, and it took three people to hold him so that he wouldn’t do
the summersault. And then he got his equilibrium and then he would sit
down and because he was doing this so many people came to see him
because he was such a famous person that he summersaulted every where he
went. And he put a little tiny cloth on one shoulder, and that’s the
shoulder that touched the ground. But when you watched him, it was like
he didn’t hardly touch the ground at all. He didn’t make any marks in
the dirt. It was really pretty amazing to watch something like that.
Anyway this is what we’re talking about here, this was happening at Rājagaha.
MN:
There is this Pūraṇa Kassapa, the head of an order, the head of a
group, the teacher of a group, the well-known and famous founder of a
sect regarded by many as a saint: he has come to spend the Rains at
Rājagaha.
BV: And
then he goes through all of the different teachers, which included
Sañjaya, who was Moggallāna and Sāriputta’s first teacher. And then when
they found out that the Buddha was around, and they both became
sotāpannas, then they went to this teacher and they said: “We’re going
to the Buddha, and we would like to invite you to come along with us.”
But he’s saying: “Well, I’ve got these three hundred ascetics that I’m
teaching, and I can’t do that.” So Moggallāna and Sāriputta get up ready
to leave, and all three hundred asectics went with Moggallāna and
Sāriputta. (Laughs) So he wasn’t real happy about that, but he kept on
and he got a following again after that.
This
Nigaṇṭha Nataputta, he’s the head of the Jain order, he’s another one
that came to this thing.
MN:
Omitted: {There is also this Makkhali Gosāla...this Ajita Kesakambalin...this
Pakudha Kaccāyana...this Sañjaya Belaṭṭhiputta...this Nigaṇṭha Nataputta,
the head of an order, the head of a group, the teacher of a group, the
well-known and famous founder of a sect regarded by many as a saint: he
too has come to spend the Rains at Rājagaha.}
There is also this recluse Gotama, the head of an order, the head of a
group, the teacher of a group, the well-known and famous founder of a
sect regarded by many as a saint: he too has come to spend the Rains at
Rājagaha. Now among these worthy recluses and brahmins, heads of
orders...regarded by many as saints, who is honoured, respected,
revered, and venerated by his disciples? And how, honouring and
respecting him, do they live in dependence on him?'
"Thereupon some said this: 'This Pūraṇa Kassapa is the head of an order
BV: And
all the rest.
MN:
regarded by many as a saint, yet he is not honoured, respected, revered,
and venerated by his disciples, nor do his disciples live in dependence
on him, honouring and respecting him. Once Pūraṇa Kassapa was teaching
his Dhamma to an assembly of several hundred followers. Then a certain
disciple of his made a noise thus: "Sirs, do not ask Pūraṇa Kassapa this
question. He does not know that. We know that. Ask us that question. We
will answer that for you, sirs." It happened that Pūraṇa Kassapa did not
get his way, though he waved his arms and wailed: "Be quiet, sirs, make
no noise, sirs. They are not asking you, sirs. They are asking us. We
will answer them." Indeed, many of his disciples left him after refuting
his doctrine thus: "You do not understand this Dhamma and Discipline. I
Understand this Dhamma and Discipline. How could you Understand this
Dhamma and Discipline? Your way is wrong. My way is right. I am
consistent. You are inconsistent. What Should have been said first, you
said last. What should have been said last, you said first. What you had
so carefully thought up has been turned inside out. Your doctrine is
refuted. You are proved wrong. Go and learn better, or disentangle
yourself if you can!" Thus Pūraṇa Kassapa is not honoured, respected,
revered, and venerated by his disciples,
BV: If
that was his disciples saying that sort of thing to him, you wonder what
everybody else was saying. (Laughs)
MN:
nor do his disciples live In dependence on him, honouring and
respecting him. Indeed, he is scorned by the scorn shown to his Dhamma.
BV: And
then he goes through all of the different ones. The Sañjaya, the
Nigaṇṭha Nātaputta, all of these different ones, and how they were
refutted.
MN:
Omitted { "And some said this: 'This Makkhali Gosālathis Ajita
Kesakambalinthis Pakudha Kaccāyanathis Sañjaya Belaṭṭhiputtathis
Nigaṇṭha Nātaputta is the head of an order[but he] is not honoured,
respected, revered, and venerated by his disciples, nor do his disciples
live in dependence on him, honouring and respecting him. Indeed, he is
scorned by the scorn shown to his Dhamma.' }
"And some said this: 'This recluse Gotama is the head of an order, the
head of a group, the teacher of a group, the well-known and famous
founder of a sect regarded by many as a saint. He is honoured,
respected, revered, and venerated by his disciples, and his disciples
live in dependence on him, honouring and respecting him. Once the
recluse Gotama was teaching his Dhamma to an assembly of several hundred
followers and there a certain disciple of his cleared his throat.
Thereupon one of his companions in the holy life nudged him with his
knee [to indicate]: "Be quiet, venerable sir, make no noise; the Blessed
One, the Teacher, is teaching us the Dhamma." When the recluse Gotama is
teaching the Dhamma to an assembly of several hundred followers, on that
occasion there is no sound of his disciples' coughing or clearing their
throats. For then that large assembly is poised in expectancy: "Let us
hear the Dhamma the Blessed One is about to teach." Just as though a man
were at a crossroads pressing out pure honey and a large group of people
were poised in expectancy, so too, when the recluse Gotama is teaching
the Dhamma to an assembly of several hundred followers, on that occasion
there is no sound of his disciples' coughing or clearing their throats.
For then that large assembly is poised in expectancy: "Let us hear the
Dhamma the Blessed One is about to teach." And even those disciples of
his who fall out with their companions in the holy life and abandon the
training to return to the low life—even they praise the Master and the
Dhamma and the Sangha; they blame themselves instead of others, saying:
"We were unlucky, we have little merit; for though we went forth into
homelessness in such a well-proclaimed Dhamma, we were unable to live
the perfect and pure holy life for the rest of our lives." Having become
monastery attendants or lay followers, they undertake and observe the
five precepts. Thus the recluse Gotama is honoured, respected, revered,
and venerated by his disciples, and his disciples live in dependence on
him, honouring and respecting him.'"
7. "But,
Udāyin, how many qualities do you see in me because of which my
disciples honour, respect, revere, and venerate me, and live in
dependence on me, honouring and respecting me?"
8.
"Venerable sir, I see five qualities in the Blessed One because of which
his disciples honour, respect, revere, and venerate him, and live in
dependence on him, honouring and respecting him. What are the five?
First, venerable sir, the Blessed One eats little and commends eating
little; this I see as the first quality of the Blessed One because of
which his disciples honour, respect, revere, and venerate him, and live
in dependence on him, honouring and respecting him. Again, venerable
sir, the Blessed One is content with any kind of robe and commends
contentment with any kind of robe; this I see as the second quality of
the Blessed One...Again, venerable sir, the Blessed One is content with
any kind of almsfood and commends contentment with any kind of almsfood;
this I see as the third quality of the Blessed One...Again, venerable
sir, the Blessed One is content with any kind of resting place and
commends contentment with any kind of resting place; this I see as the
fourth quality of the Blessed One...Again, venerable sir, the Blessed
One is secluded and commends seclusion; this I see as the fifth quality
of the Blessed One...Venerable sir, these are the five qualities I see
in the Blessed One because of which his disciples honour, respect,
revere, and venerate him, and live in dependence on him, honouring and
respecting him."
9.
"Suppose, Udāyin, my disciples honoured, respected, revered, and
venerated me, and lived in dependence on me, honouring and respecting
me, with the thought: 'The recluse Gotama eats little and commends
eating little.' Now there are disciples of mine who live on a cupful or
half a cupful of food, a bilva fruit's or half a bilva fruit's quantity
of food, while I sometimes eat the full contents of my almsbowl or even
more. So if my disciples honoured me...with the thought: 'The recluse
Gotama eats little and commends eating little then those disciples of
mine who live on a cupful of food...should not honour, respect, revere,
and venerate me for this quality, nor should they live in dependence on
me, honouring and respecting me.
BV:
Sometimes, depending on the circumstance, when the Buddha would go to
visit somebody at a house, and they had an abundance of food, and they
kept putting food in his bowl, he would keep eating it. Not because he
wanted it, so much, but their actions in their generosity was something
that he saw as a very good thing and they had an uplifted mind so he
just kept eating because he wanted them to keep this uplifted mind
going.
MN:
"Suppose, Udāyin, my disciples honoured, respected, revered, and
venerated me, and lived in dependence on me, honouring and respecting
me, with the thought: 'The recluse Gotama is content with any kind of
robe and commends contentment with any kind of robe.' Now there are
disciples of mine who are refuse-rag wearers, wearers of coarse robes;
they collect rags from the charnel ground, rubbish heaps, or shops, make
them into patched robes, and wear them. But I sometimes wear robes given
by householders, robes so fine that pumpkin hair is coarse in
comparison.
BV:
Pumpkin hair? Umh.
MN: So
if my disciples honoured me with the thought: The recluse Gotama is
content with any kind of robe and commends contentment with any kind of
robe then those disciples of mine who are refuse-rag wearers, wearers
of coarse robes should not honour, respect, revere, and venerate me for
this quality, nor should they live in dependence on me, honouring and
respecting me.
BV: The
night before the Buddha attained his parinibbāna, somebody came, and
they gave him a set of robes made out of gold. Actually gave him two
robes like that. It was woven gold, pieces of cloth. And they put the
robe on him, and his skin made the gold robe look like it was tarnished,
his skin was so bright and so golden color. And they remarked to him
about that, and he said: “This always happens to a Buddha the night
before they attain nibbāna, their skin becomes very clear, very bright,
and very beautiful.” And they gave him two of these robes, and the
Buddha turned to Ānanda and said: “Ānanda, I want you to wear this
robe.” So he put it on Ānanda and gave him a gold robe.
Anyway –
MN:
"Suppose, Udāyin, my disciples honoured, respected, revered, and
venerated me, and lived in dependence on me, honouring and respecting
me, with the thought: 'The recluse Gotama is content with any kind of
almsfood and commends contentment with any kind of almsfood.' Now there
are disciples of mine who are almsfood eaters, who go on unbroken
almsround from house to house, who delight in gathering their food; when
they have entered among the houses they will not consent even when
invited to sit down.
BV: They
won’t sit down and have a meal with them, they only go and collect the
food. That’s one of the dhutānga practices, the ascetic practices that
the Buddha allowed.
MN:
But I sometimes eat on invitation meals of choice rice and many sauces
and curries. So if my disciples honoured me with the thought: The
recluse Gotama is content with any kind of almsfood and commends
contentment with any kind of almsfood, then those disciples of mine who
are almsfood eaters should not honour, respect, revere, and venerate me
for this quality, nor should they live in dependence on me, honouring
and respecting me.
BV:
There’s… one of the dhutānga practices is only eating food out of your
bowl. If somebody brings a bowl of food and they put it down . . . if I
was doing that practice right now, I wouldn’t touch it. Only the food
that was in my bowl would be what I would eat. Now I might go out on
almsround and I might come back with two bowls full of food. But only
the food that was put in that bowl is what I will eat. They can offer me
all this other food and I wind up carrying it in another container. I
won’t eat that food. And I take out the food that was in the almsbowl,
and then I put back the quanity of food that I want, and then I won’t
accept anything else being put in the bowl. And this is a dhutānga
practice, and actually, it’s quite a good practice, because you start
looking at the quantity of food you eat, and you know exactly how much
you need, once you start getting used to it, and then you won’t eat
anymore, you know that this was enough. So it’s kind of an interesting
practice. I did it for a period of time. I went to a monastery in… it
was in Burma, can’t think of the name of the town. Anyway the
monastery I was staying at, there was only five monks, and they all did
the same practice. But, this was at a small village, and because I was a
real tall westerner, I got huge quantities of food, I came back and I
could feed all of the monks; they didn’t have to go out on almsround.
And, I would. . . if I saw they didn’t have very much food, I would take
it out of my bowl and put it in their bowl and then they could do what
ever they wanted with it. But always after the meal, I would get up and
take whatever food was leftover and I would take it back into the
village and give it to some of the poorer families. And, of course, that
was very much liked. Because the Burmese monks don’t do that. When ever
they get done with the meal, they would just take the food and throw it
away, and I couldn’t see doing that, so I would go back and give them
the food, and I was very popular, and that meant that I wound up having
to carry more food because everybody kept giving me more.
S: ~
BV: It
was about a two mile one way walk. It wasn’t too far, but a full mile
walk, carrying two miles, your bowl is getting heavier and heavier and
then you turn around and come back, and then the people that missed you
on the way in hit you on the way out and you wind up walking, I wind up
walking and sometimes carrying seven eight pounds of food, and that is a
lot. That’s a lot of weight to be carrying around, but I was in great
shape when I did that. It was really amazing. And then monks from other
monasteries' heard that I was there, and they would wait until I had
finished eating, and then they would start putting more and more food in
my bowl and I kept looking: “I don’t want this. Why are you doing this?”
Well, they heard that I like certain kinds of things, they have this one
kind of dissert called lapet. And it’s fermented tealeaves. And it
really has a nice taste to my palate, and they found out I like it, and
then they would come and wait until I had finished, taken my hands out
of my bowl, I was done. And then they would start putting the lapet in
my bowl. They were doing that as a test, I have a suspicion.
Anyway -
MN:
"Suppose, Udāyin, my disciples honoured, respected, revered, and
venerated me, and lived in dependence on me, honouring and respecting
me, with the thought: ‘The recluse Gotama is content with any kind of
resting place and commends contentment with any kind of resting place.'
Now there are disciples of mine who are tree-root dwellers and open-air
dwellers, who do not use a roof for eight months [of the year], while I
sometimes live in gabled mansions plastered within and without,
protected against the wind, secured by door bolts, with shuttered
windows. So if my disciples honoured me with the thought: The recluse
Gotama is content with any kind of resting place and commends
contentment with any kind of resting place,' then those disciples of
mine who are tree-root dwellers
BV: That
means literally they sleep at the root of.. the base of a tree, or open
air dwellers, that means that they can not stay where there’s a shadow
of trees, even. And that’s a very difficult practice., because what you
wind up doing is making a little, kind of like a tent with your robe, so
that you can sit, and have a shadow, and have some shade.
S: ~
BV:
That’s where the. umbrella comes in when you’re luckly enough to have
one.
Ahhh -
MN:
Omitted {and open-air dwellers should not honour, respect, revere, and
venerate me for this quality, nor should they live in dependence on me,
honouring and respecting me.}
"Suppose,
Udāyin, my disciples honoured, respected, revered, and venerated me, and
lived in dependence on me, honouring and respecting me, with the
thought: ‘The recluse Gotama is secluded and commends seclusion.' Now
there are disciples of mine who are forest dwellers, dwellers in remote
resting places, who live withdrawn in remote jungle-thicket resting
places and return to the midst of the Sangha once each half-month for
the recitation of the Pātimokkha. But I sometimes live surrounded by
bhikkhus and bhikkhunis, by men and women lay followers, by kings and
kings' ministers, by other sectarians and their disciples. So if my
disciples honoured me with the thought: The recluse Gotama is secluded
and commends seclusion,' then those disciples of mine who are forest
dwellers should not honour, respect, revere, and venerate me for this
quality, nor should they live in dependence on me, honouring and
respecting me. Thus, Udāyin, it is not because of these five qualities
that my disciples honour, respect, revere, and venerate me, and live in
dependence on me, honouring and respecting me.
10.
"However, Udāyin, there are five other qualities because of which my
disciples honour, respect, revere, and venerate me, and live in
dependence on me, honouring and respecting me. What are the five?
11.
"Here, Udāyin, my disciples esteem me for the higher virtue thus: ‘The
recluse Gotama is virtuous, he possesses the supreme aggregate of
virtue.' This is the first quality because of which my disciples honour,
respect, revere, and venerate me, and live in dependence on me,
honouring and respecting me.
12.
"Again, Udāyin, my disciples esteem me for my excellent knowledge and
vision thus: 'When the recluse Gotama says "I know," he truly knows;
when he says "I see," he truly sees. The recluse Gotama teaches the
Dhamma through direct knowledge, not without direct knowledge; he
teaches the Dhamma with a sound basis, not without a sound basis; he
teaches the Dhamma in a convincing manner, not in an unconvincing
manner.' This is the second quality because of which my disciples
honour me...
(lll. THE
HIGHER WISDOM)
13.
"Again, Udāyin, my disciples esteem me for the higher wisdom thus:
BV: Abhidhamma, but not quite the same as what we think of abhidhamma.
MN:
'The recluse Gotama is wise; he possesses the supreme aggregate of
wisdom.
BV: Any
time you hear the word wisdom, it’s talking about?
S: ~
MN:
It is impossible that he should not foresee the future courses of
doctrine or that he should not be able to confute with reasons the
current doctrines of others.' What do you think, Udāyin? Would my
disciples, knowing and seeing thus, break in and interrupt me?"—"No,
venerable sir."—"I do not expect instruction from my disciples;
invariably, it is my disciples who expect instruction from me. This is
the third quality because of which my disciples honour me...
(IV. THE
FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS)
14.
"Again, Udāyin, when my disciples have met with suffering and become
victims of suffering, prey to suffering, they come to me and ask me
about the noble truth of suffering. Being asked, I explain to them the
noble truth of suffering, and I satisfy their minds with my explanation.
They ask me about the noble truth of the origin of suffering...about the
noble truth of the cessation of suffering...about the noble truth of the
way leading to the cessation of suffering. Being asked, I explain to
them the noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of suffering,
and I satisfy their minds with my explanation. This is the fourth
quality because of which my disciples honour me...
(V. THE
WAY TO DEVELOP WHOLESOME STATES)
15.
"Again, Udāyin, I have proclaimed to my disciples the way to develop the
four foundations of mindfulness. Here a bhikkhu abides contemplating the
body as a body, ardent, fully aware, and mindful, having put away
covetousness and grief for the world. He abides contemplating feelings
as feelings...He abides contemplating mind as mind...He abides
contemplating mind-objects as mind-objects, ardent, fully aware, and
mindful, having put away covetousness and grief for the world. And
thereby many disciples of mine abide having reached the consummation and
perfection of direct knowledge.
16.
"Again, Udāyin, I have proclaimed to my disciples the way to develop the
four right kinds of striving. Here a bhikkhu awakens enthusiasm for the
non-arising of unarisen evil unwholesome states,
BV: When
an unwholesome state arises, he sees it, and he knows how to let it go,
so it won’t arise again.
S: ~
BV: Ok –(
repeats) “, I have proclaimed to my disciples the way to develop the
four right kinds of striving.” -
Four right efforts.
(repeats) “. Here a bhikkhu awakens enthusiasm for the non-arising of
unarisen evil unwholesome states,”
MN: and
he makes effort, arouses energy, exerts his mind, and strives.
S: ~
BV: His
enthusiasm is for letting go of…
S: ~
MN: He
awakens [enthusiasm] for the abandoning of arisen evil unwholesome
states...He awakens [enthusiasm] for the arising of unarisen wholesome
states...He awakens [enthusiasm] for the continuance, non-disappearance,
strengthening, increase, and fulfilment by development of arisen
wholesome states, and he makes effort, arouses energy, exerts his mind,
and strives. And thereby many disciples of mine abide having reached the
consummation and perfection of direct knowledge.
BV: So
what did we just say here?
S: ~
BV: It’s,
it’s, yeah, that’s the last part of the right effort.
S: ~
BV: Let’s
read that last part again.
(repeats) “...He awakens [enthusiasm] for the continuance,
non-disappearance, strengthening, increase, and fulfilment by development of
arisen wholesome states,”
S: ~
BV: It’s
the metta, how about that!?
S: ~
BV: How
about that? And it doesn’t matter whetherr you’re sitting or you’re
walking, or you’re going to the bathroom. The more you develop the metta,
the more you affect THE WORLD AROUND YOU, and the more you affect the
wholesome nature of mind.
Now we go
back to sutta number nineteen, where it says:
MN-19 §
6. : “Monks, whatever a monk frequently thinks and ponders upon, that
will become the inclination of his mind.”
BV: This
just told you, how that works. The more you think on wholesome,
uplifting smiling things, the more your mind is going to bring up
wholesome, smiling things.
The more
you get into critical thoughts, dissatisfaction thoughts, the more your
mind is going to have those critical, dissatisfaction thoughts. So, you
have to exert right effort to notice when that hardness of mind comes
up, and how it arises. See this all goes right back to Dependent
Origination and how the process works. When the feeling of pain arises,
dissatisfaction of one thing or another, letting go right then, then the
craving, the clinging, the habitual tendency, the birth and death – they
cease. And the more you do that, the more you do it! (Laughs)
Ok -
MN: 17.
"Again, Udāyin, I have proclaimed to my disciples the way to develop the
four bases for spiritual power. Here a bhikkhu develops the basis for
spiritual power consisting in [collectedness] due to [enthusiasm] and
determined striving. He develops the basis for spiritual power
consisting in [collectedness] due to energy and determined striving. He
develops the basis for spiritual power consisting in [collectedness]
due to [purity of] mind and determined striving. He develops the basis
for spiritual power consisting in [collectedness] due to investigation
and determined striving.
BV: These
are the spiritual powers, do you want to hear them again?
S: ~
BV: The
first spiritual power is enthusiasm. The second spiritual power –
energy. The third spiritual power – purity of mind. How do you
continually hold purity of mind?
S: ~
BV: And?
S: ~
BV: See,
you see how all of this stuff is so interconnected?
S: ~
BV: And
the last on is investigation, how does this stuff work?
S: ~
BV: And
purity, purity of mind, that’s really an important one. Any time mind
becomes hard, any time mind becomes heavy, that’s a sign that there is
craving and clinging right there. And to develop the purity of mind . .
Now what really is purity of mind? Purity of mind is seeing the true
impersonal nature of everything that arises. That’s the most wholesome
your mind can become.
S: (-long
inaudible section deleted)
BV: So,
we have: four foundations of mindfulness; we have: four right strivings
– eight; we have four basis for spiritual power – twelve; and now, we
have the five faculties; and then we have the five powers, that is?
S: ~
BV: Ok. And then we have the seven factors of enlightenment.
S: ~
BV: And
the eight-fold path.
S: Forty
seven.
BV: What
do we have here?
S: Forty
seven factors ~ of enlightenment.
BV: How about that? Ok.
MN:
omitted: { And thereby many disciples of mine abide having reached the
consummation and perfection of direct knowledge. }
(4. The
Five Faculties)
18.
"Again, Udāyin, I have proclaimed to my disciples the way to develop the
five spiritual faculties. Here a bhikkhu develops the faculty of
[confidence], which leads to peace, leads to enlightenment. He develops
the faculty of energy, which leads to peace, leads to enlightenment. He
develops the faculty of mindfulness, which leads to peace, leads to
enlightenment. He develops the faculty of [collectedness], which leads
to peace, leads to enlightenment. He develops the faculty of wisdom,
which leads to peace, leads to enlightenment. And thereby many disciples
of mine abide having reached the consummation and perfection of direct
knowledge.
19.
"Again, Udāyin, I have proclaimed to my disciples the way to develop the
five powers. Here a bhikkhu develops the power of [confidence], which
leads to peace, leads to enlightenment. He develops the power of energy.
He develops the power of mindfulness... He develops the power of
[collectedness]...He develops the power of wisdom, which leads to peace,
leads to enlightenment. And thereby many disciples of mine abide having
reached the consummation and perfection of direct knowledge.
BV: What
are the powers?
S: ~
BV: Why
is it a power?
S: ~
BV: They
become powers when it is unshakable, because you KNOW that it works.
S: Ok
BV:
Because of the direct knowledge, you have no doubt coming up in your
mind at all that this is real stuff. (Laughs)
MN:
20. "Again, Udāyin, I have proclaimed to my disciples the way to develop
the seven enlightenment factors. Here a bhikkhu develops the mindfulness
enlightenment factor, which is supported by seclusion, dispassion, and
cessation, and results in relinquishment.
BV: Ok?
S: ~
MN:
(repeats) “Here a bhikkhu develops the mindfulness enlightenment
factor, which is supported by seclusion, dispassion, and cessation, and
results in relinquishment.”
MN:
He develops the investigation-of-[experience] enlightenment factor... He
develops the energy enlightenment factor... He develops the [joy]
enlightenment factor... He develops the tranquillity enlightenment
factor...He develops the [collectedness] enlightenment factor... He
develops the equanimity enlightenment factor, which is supported by
seclusion, dispassion, and cessation, and results in relinquishment. And
thereby many disciples of mine abide having reached the consummation and
perfection of direct knowledge.
21.
"Again, Udāyin, I have proclaimed to my disciples the way to develop the
Noble Eightfold Path. Here a bhikkhu develops [harminous perspective,
harmonious imaging. harmonious communication, harmonious movement,
harmonious lifestyle, harmonious practice, harmonious observation, and
harmonious collectedness]. And thereby many disciples of mine abide
having reached the consummation and perfection of direct knowledge.
BV: Now
we get into something that actually I’m not too sure about, because it
starts talking about kasinas, and I tried kasinas, the only way I know
about kasinas is through the Visiddhimagga and I don’t trust that.
S: ~
BV: Maybe, maybe, we’ll see.
MN: 22.
"Again, Udāyin, I have proclaimed to my disciples the way to develop the
eight liberations. 764
BV: And
I’ve gone to this before and I’ve never been satisfied with what it says
because it’s from Buddhaghosa. (Reads from footnote #764 – “ MA explains
liberation (vimokkha) here as meaning the mind’s full (but temporary)
release by delighting in the object. …” He’s talking about
one-pointed concentration, right there. So, I would like to see what the
sub-commentary says about that – might put things back to right.
Ok -
MN:
Possessed of material form, one sees forms: this is the first
liberation. Not perceiving form internally, one sees forms externally:
this is the second liberation. One is resolved only upon the beautiful:
this is the third liberation.
BV: Now,
to my way of thinking, what he’s talking about right here is the first
three jhānas. I’m not sure, but I think that that is what it is.
MN:
With the complete surmounting of perceptions of form, with the
disappearance of perceptions of sensory impact, with non-attention to
perceptions of diversity, aware that 'space is infinite one enters upon
and abides
in the base of infinite space: this is the
fourth liberation. By completely surmounting the base of infinite space,
aware that 'consciousness is infinite one enters upon and abides in the
base of infinite consciousness: this is the fifth liberation. By
completely surmounting the base of infinite consciousness, aware that
'there is nothing one enters upon and abides in the base of nothingness:
this is the sixth liberation. By completely surmounting the base of
nothingness, one enters upon and abides in the base of
neither-perception-nor-non-perception: this is the seventh liberation.
By completely surmounting the base of
neither-perception-nor-non-perception, one enters upon and abides in the
cessation of perception and feeling: this is the eighth liberation. And
thereby many disciples of mine abide having reached the consummation and
perfection of direct knowledge.
23.
"Again, Udāyin, I have proclaimed to my disciples the way to develop the
eight bases for transcendence. Perceiving form internally, one sees
forms externally, limited, fair and ugly; by transcending them, one
perceives thus: 'I know, I see.' This is the first base for
transcendence. Perceiving form internally, one sees forms externally,
immeasurable, fair and ugly; by transcending them, one perceives thus:
'I know, I see.' This is the second base for transcendence. Not
perceiving form internally, one sees forms externally, limited, fair and
ugly; by transcending them, one perceives thus: I know, I see.' This is
the third base for transcendence.
BV:
(Sighs) Now we start getting into the things that I really don’t
understand.
MN: Not
perceiving form internally, one sees forms externally, immeasurable,
fair and ugly; by transcending them, one perceives thus: I know, I see.'
This is the fourth base for transcendence. Not perceiving form
internally, one sees forms externally, blue, of blue colour, blue in
appearance, with blue luminosity. Just like a flax flower, which is
blue, of blue colour, blue in appearance, with blue luminosity, or just
like Benares cloth smoothened on both sides, which is blue, of blue
colour, blue in appearance, with blue luminosity; so too, not perceiving
form internally, one sees forms externally...with blue luminosity; by
transcending them, one perceives thus: I know, I see.' This is the fifth
base for transcendence. Not perceiving form internally, one sees forms
externally, yellow, of yellow colour, yellow in appearance, with yellow
luminosity. Just like a kannikara flower, which is yellow, of yellow
colour, yellow in appearance, with yellow luminosity, or just like
Benares cloth smoothened on both sides, which is yellow, of yellow
colour, yellow in appearance, with yellow luminosity; so too, not
perceiving form internally, one sees forms externally
BV: Now
the way I understand the kasinas, is you stare at the external form, and
it’s in a circle. And then you close your eyes, and you start to see it
internally. And then you get up and you do your walking meditation and
you keep your eyes open but you see it externally, you see the white,
the white disk.
And then
when you go out on your walk, your mind will tend towards that white
color, you’ll see white in everything, you look up in the sky, and you
see white, and then you see that turn into a disk. I think that’s what
they’re talking about. But this is a form of one-pointed concentration.
So I really don’t know what they are saying. You see blue, and then all
of a sudden blue turns into a disk. You see yellow, it turns into a
disk. All of these, this is the external form that they’re talking about.
MN:
(omits) {...with yellow luminosity; by transcending them, one perceives
thus: 'I know, I see.'}
This is
the sixth base for transcendence. Not perceiving form externally, one
sees forms externally, red, of red colour, red in appearance,
(Omits)
{with red luminosity. Just like a hibiscus flower, which is red, of red
colour, red in appearance, with red luminosity, or just like Benares
cloth smoothened on both sides, which is red, of red colour, red in
appearance, with red luminosity;}
so too,
not perceiving form internally, one sees forms externally...with red
luminosity; by transcending them, one perceives thus: 'I know, I see.'
BV: That
doesn’t do much for me.
MN:
This is the seventh base for transcendence. Not perceiving form
internally, one sees forms externally, white, of white colour,
BV: And
then we go through that whole thing again.
MN:
(Omits) {white in appearance, with white luminosity. Just like the
morning star, which is white, of white colour, white in appearance, with
white luminosity, or just like Benares cloth smoothened on both sides,
which is white, of white colour, white in appearance, with white
luminosity; so too, not perceiving form internally, one sees forms
externally...with white luminosity; by transcending them, one perceives
thus: 'I know, I see.'}
This is
the eighth base for transcendence. And thereby many disciples of mine
abide having reached the consummation and perfection of direct
knowledge.
BV:
That’s real confusing. Sorry about that.
MN: 24.
"Again, Udāyin, I have proclaimed to my disciples the way to develop the
ten kasiṇa bases. One contemplates the earth-kasiṇa above, below, and
across, undivided and immeasurable. Another contemplates the
water-kasiṇa...Another contemplates the fire-kasiṇa...Another
contemplates the air-kasiṇa...Another contemplates the
blue-kasiṇa...Another contemplates the yellow-kasiṇa...Another
contemplates the red-kasiṇa...Another contemplates the
white-kasiṇa...Another contemplates the space-kasiṇa...Another
contemplates the consciousness-kasiṇa above, below, and across,
undivided and immeasurable. And thereby many disciples of mine abide
having reached the perfection and consummation of direct knowledge.
25.
"Again, Udāyin, I have proclaimed to my disciples the way to develop the
four jhānas. Here, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from
unwholesome states, a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the first jhāna,
which is accompanied by {thinking and examining] thought, with [joy and
happiness] born of seclusion. He makes the [joy and happiness] born of
seclusion drench, steep, fill, and pervade this body, so that there is
no part of his whole body unpervaded by the [joy and happiness] born of
seclusion. Just as a skilled bath man or a bath man's apprentice heaps
bath powder in a metal basin and, sprinkling it gradually with water,
kneads it till the moisture wets his ball of bath powder, soaks it and
pervades it inside and out, yet the ball itself does not ooze; so too, a
bhikkhu makes the [joy and happiness] born of seclusion drench, steep,
fill, and pervade this body, so that there is no part of his whole body
unpervaded by the [joy and happiness] born of seclusion.
26.
"Again, with the stilling of [thinking and examining] thought, a bhikkhu
enters upon and abides in the second jhāna, which has self-confidence
and singleness of mind without [thinking and examining] thought, with
[joy and happiness] born of [collectedness]. He makes the [joy and
happiness] born of [collectedness] drench, steep, fill, and pervade this
body, so that there is no part of his whole body unpervaded by the [joy
and happiness]born of [collectedness]. Just as though there were a lake
whose waters welled up from below and it had no inflow from east, west,
north, or south and would not be replenished from time to time by
showers of rain, then the cool fount of water welling up in the lake
would make the cool water drench, steep, fill, and pervade the lake, so
that there would be no part of the whole lake unpervaded by cool water;
so too, a bhikkhu makes the [joy and happiness]born of [collectedness]
drench, steep, fill, and pervade this body, so that there is no part of
his whole body unpervaded by the [joy and happiness]born of
[collectedness].
27.
"Again, with the fading away as well of [joy], a bhikkhu abides in
equanimity, and mindful and fully aware, still feeling pleasure with the
body, he enters upon and abides in the third jhāna, on account of which
noble ones announce: 'He has a pleasant abiding who has equanimity and
is mindful.' He makes the pleasure divested of [joy] drench, steep,
fill, and pervade this body, so that there is no part of his whole body
unpervaded by the pleasure divested of [joy]. Just as in a pond of blue
or red or white lotuses, some lotuses that are born and grow in the'
water thrive immersed in the water without rising out of it, and cool
water drenches, steeps, fills, and pervades them to their tips and their
roots, so that there is no part of all those lotuses unpervaded by cool
water; so too, a bhikkhu makes the [happiness] divested of [joy] drench,
steep, fill, and pervade this body, so that there is no part of his
whole body unpervaded by the [happiness] divested of [joy].
28.
"Again, with the abandoning of pleasure and pain, and with the previous
disappearance of joy and grief, a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the
fourth jhāna, which has neither-pain-nor-pleasure and purity of
mindfulness due to equanimity. He sits pervading this body with a pure
bright mind, so that there is no part of his whole body unpervaded by
the pure bright mind. Just as though a man were sitting covered from the
head down with a white cloth, so that there would be no part of his
whole body not covered by the white cloth; so too, a bhikkhu sits
pervading this body with a pure bright mind, so that there is no part of
his whole body unpervaded by the pure bright mind. And thereby many
disciples of mine abide having reached the consummation and perfection
of direct knowledge.
29.
"Again, Udāyin, I have proclaimed to my disciples the way to understand
thus: 'This body of mine, made of material form, consisting of the four
great elements, procreated by a mother and father, and built up out of
boiled rice and porridge, is subject to impermanence, to being worn and
rubbed away, to dissolution and disintegration, and this consciousness
of mine is supported by it and bound up with it.' Suppose there were a
beautiful beryl gem of purest water, eight-faceted, well cut, clear and
limpid, possessed of all good qualities, and through it a blue, yellow,
red, white, or brown thread would be strung. Then a man with good sight,
taking it in his hand, might review it thus: This is a beautiful beryl
gem of purest water, eight-faceted, well cut, clear and limpid,
possessed of all good qualities, and through it is strung a blue,
yellow, red, white, or brown thread.' So too, I have proclaimed to my
disciples the way to understand thus: This body of mine...is subject to
impermanence, to being worn and rubbed away, to dissolution and
disintegration, and this consciousness of mine is supported by it and
bound up with it.' And thereby many disciples of mine abide having
reached the consummation and perfection of direct knowledge.
30.
"Again, Udāyin, I have proclaimed to my disciples the way to create from
this body another body having form, mind-made, with all its limbs,
lacking no faculty. Just as though a man were to pull out a reed from
its sheath and think thus: This is the sheath, this is the reed; the
sheath is one, the reed is another; it is from the sheath that the reed
has been pulled out'; or just as though a man were to pull out a sword
from its scabbard and think thus: This is the sword, this is the
scabbard; the sword is one, the scabbard another; it is from the
scabbard that the sword has been pulled out'; or just as though a man
were to pull a snake out of its slough and think thus: This is the
snake, this is the slough; the snake is one, the slough another; it is
from the slough that the snake has been pulled out.' So too, I have
proclaimed to my disciples the way to create from this body another body
having form, mind-made, with all its limbs, lacking no faculty. And
thereby many disciples of mine abide having reached the consummation and
perfection of direct knowledge.
31.
"Again, Udāyin, I have proclaimed to my disciples the way to wield the
various kinds of supernormal power: having been one, they become many;
having been many, they become one; they appear and vanish; they go
unhindered through walls, through enclosures, through mountains, as
though through space; they dive in and out of the earth as though it
were water; they walk on water without sinking as though it were earth;
seated cross-legged, they travel in space like birds; with their hands
they touch and stroke the moon and sun so powerful and mighty; they
wield bodily mastery even as far as the Brahma-world. Just as a skilled
potter or his apprentice might create and fashion out of well-prepared
clay any shape of pot he wished; or just as a skilled ivory-worker or
his apprentice might create and fashion out of well-prepared ivory any
ivory work of art he wished; or just as a skilled goldsmith or his
apprentice might create and fashion out of well-prepared gold any gold
work of art he wished; so too, I have proclaimed to my disciples the way
to wield the various kinds of supernormal power...they wield bodily
mastery even as far as the Brahma-world. And thereby many disciples of
mine abide having reached the consummation and perfection of direct
knowledge.
32.
"Again, Udāyin, I have proclaimed to my disciples the way whereby with
the divine ear element, which is purified and surpasses the human, they
hear both kinds of sounds, the divine and the human, those that are far
as well as near. Just as a vigorous trumpeter might make himself heard
without difficulty in the four quarters; so too, I have proclaimed to my
disciples the way whereby with the divine ear element...far as well as
near. And thereby many disciples of mine abide having reached the
consummation and perfection of direct knowledge.
33.
"Again, Udāyin, I have proclaimed to my disciples the way to understand
the minds of other beings, of other persons, having encompassed them
with their own minds. They understand a mind affected by lust as
affected by lust and a mind unaffected by lust as unaffected by lust;
they understand a mind affected by hate as affected by hate and a mind
unaffected by hate as unaffected by hate; they understand a mind
affected by delusion as affected by delusion and a mind unaffected by
delusion as unaffected by delusion; they understand a contracted mind as
contracted
BV:
What’s a contracted mind?
S: ~
BV: No.
No. Contracted mind is a mind that has sloth and torpor in
it.
MN: and a
distracted mind as distracted;
BV:
What’s distracted?
S: ~
BV:
Restlessness, that’s right.
MN:
they understand an exalted mind as exalted and an unexalted mind as
unexalted;
BV: What
is an exaulted mind?
S: ~
BV: Mind
in the RUPA jhānas.
MN:
they understand a surpassed mind as surpassed and an unsurpassed mind as
unsurpassed; they understand a concentrated mind as concentrated and an
unconcentrated mind as unconcentrated;
S: ~
BV: Arupa
jhānas.
MN:
they understand a [collected] mind as [collected] and an [uncollected]
mind as [uncollected]; they understand a liberated mind as liberated and
an unliberated mind as unliberated. Just as a man or a woman—young,
youthful, and fond of ornaments—on viewing the image of his or her own
face in a clean bright mirror or in a bowl of clear water, would know if
there were a spot thus: 'There is a spot,' or would know if there were
no spot thus: 'There is no spot'; so too, I have proclaimed to my
disciples the way to understand...an unliberated mind as unliberated.
And thereby many disciples of mine abide having reached the consummation
and perfection of direct knowledge.
34.
"Again, Udāyin, I have proclaimed to my disciples the way to recollect
their manifold past lives, that is, one birth, two births, three births,
four births, five births, ten births, twenty births, thirty births,
forty births, fifty births, a hundred births, a thousand births, a
hundred thousand births, many aeons of world-contraction, many aeons of
world-expansion, many aeons of world-contraction and expansion: 'There I
was so named, of such a clan, with such an appearance, such was my
nutriment, such my experience of pleasure and pain, such my life-term;
and passing away from there, I reappeared elsewhere; and there too I was
so named...and passing away from there, I reappeared here.' Thus with
their aspects and particulars they recollect their manifold past lives.
Just as a man might go from his own village to another village and then
back again to his own village. He might think: 'I went from my own
village to that village, and there I stood in such a way, sat in such a
way, spoke in such a way, kept silent in such a way; and from that
village I went to that other village and there I stood in such a
way...kept silent in such a way; and from that village I came back again
to my own village.' So too, I have proclaimed to my disciples the way to
recollect their manifold lives...Thus with their aspects and particulars
they recollect their manifold past lives. And thereby many disciples of
mine abide having reached the consummation and perfection of direct
knowledge.
35.
"Again, Udāyin,
BV:
(Sighs) This is a long one.
MN: I
have proclaimed to my disciples the way whereby with the divine eye,
which is purified and surpasses the human, they see beings passing away
and reappearing, inferior and superior, fair and ugly, fortunate and
unfortunate. They understand how beings pass on according to their
actions thus: 'These worthy beings who were ill conducted in body,
speech, and mind, revilers of noble ones, wrong in their views, giving
effect to wrong view in their actions, on the dissolution of the body,
after death, have reappeared in a state of deprivation, in a bad
destination, in perdition, even in hell; but these worthy beings who
were well conducted in body, speech, and mind, not revilers of noble
ones, right in their views, giving effect to right view in their
actions, on the dissolution of the body, after death, have reappeared in
a good destination, even in the heavenly world.' Thus with the divine
eye, which is purified and surpasses the human, they see beings passing
away and reappearing, inferior and superior, fair and ugly, fortunate
and unfortunate, and they understand how beings pass on according to
their actions. Just as though there were two houses with doors and a man
with good sight standing there between them saw people entering the
houses and coming out and passing to and fro. So too, I have proclaimed
to my disciples the way whereby with the divine eye...They understand
how beings pass on according to their actions. And thereby many
disciples of mine abide having reached the consummation and perfection
of direct knowledge.
36.
"Again, Udāyin, I have proclaimed to my disciples the way whereby by
realising for themselves with direct knowledge, they here and now enter
upon and abide in the deliverance of mind and deliverance by wisdom that
are taintless with the destruction of the taints. Just as if there were
a lake in a mountain recess, clear, limpid, and undisturbed, so that a
man with good sight standing on the bank could see shells, gravel, and
pebbles, and also shoals of fish swimming about and resting. He might
think: 'There is this lake, clear, limpid, and undisturbed, and there
are these shells, gravel, and pebbles, and also these shoals of fish
swimming about and resting.' So too, I have proclaimed to my disciples
the way whereby by realising for themselves with direct knowledge, they
here and now enter upon and abide in the deliverance of mind and
deliverance by wisdom that are taintless with the destruction of the
taints. And thereby many disciples of mine abide having reached the
consummation and perfection of direct knowledge.
37.
"This, Udāyin, is the fifth quality because of which my disciples honour,
respect, revere, and venerate me, and live in dependence on me,
honouring and respecting me.
38.
"These, Udāyin, are the five qualities because of which my disciples
honour, respect, revere, and venerate me, and live in dependence on me,
honouring and respecting me."
That is
what the Blessed One said. The wanderer Udāyin was satisfied and
delighted in the Blessed One's words.
BV:
(Sighs)
S: ~
BV:
Yeah, I’d be real disappointed if he got up and said: “Ah, you don’t
know what you’re talking about.”
But the part in there that really miffs me is the part about the
kasinas. I wish I understood them, but I just don’t. And I’ve been
around monks that have practiced kasina, but they’re practicing the Visuddhimagga. Now, the Buddha didn’t teach
any practices that didn’t directly lead to nibbana, so there has to be
something there that’s being missed. Hopefully, come on guys, help me
out here, I need to find this out. Hopefully, I’ll find out one day.
S: ~
BV: I don’t talk about that
sort of thing. There are stories, so I won’t say whether I saw these
people doing anything or not, but there are stories about.. there was
one monk that was very good at one-pointed concentration and he could
fly in the air, and all of a sudden, he became an arahat, because
villagers saw him flying in the air. And he would go out on almsround,
and he would get enough food for a hundred monks in a monastery, and
when a kathina came, people came from all over
S: ~
BV: Well, supposedly Dipa Ma
did that, and she would pop up wherever Munindra was. Pop up into his room. (Laughs)
BV: I think it was in the
seventies when it came out. It was pretty good. And it talks about how
different beings can do different things like that and how. . . it has
to do with your belief system, but it also has to do with your amount
of, ability to change forms. If you put your hand through the wall,
you’re putting your hand in space, but your mind says: “That’s a wall,
that’s solid.” So you let go of that concept, and then you’re putting
your hand through the space, and you got your hand out on the other side
of the wall, or you can walk thorough, just like walking through
mountains and stuff like that. It takes a certain kind of sensitivity to
feelings, that I certainly don’t have, but I have had students that were
very sensitive to feelings. And they were actually quite good at some of
these things. But, mostly it was divine ear, divine eye, remembering
past lifetimes. I remember when I came back visit you when I was in
“
“
BV: But it’s nice to have an overview of that too, to have all that information stuffed into you, (laughs) Ok, let’s share some merit.
May suffering ones, be suffering free
And the fear struck, fearless be
May the grieving shed all grief
And may all beings find relief.
May all beings share this merit that we
have thus acquired
For the acquisition of all kinds of
happiness.
May beings inhabiting space and earth
Devas and nagas of mighty power
Share this merit of ours.
May they long protect the Buddha's
dispensation.
Sadhu . . . Sadhu . . . Sadhu .
. .
Sutta text translation:
(C) Bhikkhu Bodhi 1995, 2001. Reprinted from The Middle Length
Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Majjhima Nikaya with
permission of Wisdom Publications,
Transcribed by SS
29-Nov-06
Text last edited: 25-Oct-07