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- Anguttara Nikaya X.51
- Sacitta Sutta
- One's Own Mind
- For free distribution only, as a gift of Dhamma
I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Savatthi,
in Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika's monastery. There he addressed the
monks: "Monks!"
"Yes, lord," the monks responded.
The Blessed One said: "Even if a monk is not skilled in the ways of the minds of
others (not skilled in reading the minds of others), he should train himself: 'I will be skilled in reading my own mind.'
"And how is a monk skilled in reading his own mind? Imagine a young woman -- or
man -- fond of adornment, examining the image of her own face in a bright, clean mirror or
bowl of clear water: If she saw any dirt or blemish there, she would try to remove it. If
she saw no dirt or blemish there, she would be pleased, her resolves fulfilled: 'How
fortunate I am! How clean I am!' In the same way, a monk's self-examination is very
productive in terms of skillful qualities [if he conducts it in this way]: 'Do I usually
remain covetous or not? With thoughts of ill will or not? Overcome by sloth &
drowsiness or not? Restless or not? Uncertain or gone beyond uncertainty? Angry or not?
With soiled thoughts or unsoiled thoughts? With my body aroused or unaroused? Lazy or with
persistence aroused? Unconcentrated or concentrated?'
"If, on examination, a monk knows, 'I usually remain covetous, with thoughts of
ill will, overcome by sloth & drowsiness, restless, uncertain, angry, with soiled
thoughts, with my body aroused, lazy, or unconcentrated,' then he should put forth extra
desire, effort, diligence, endeavor, undivided mindfulness, & alertness for the
abandoning of those very same evil, unskillful qualities. Just as
when a person whose turban or head was on fire would put forth extra desire, effort,
diligence, endeavor, undivided mindfulness, & alertness to put out the fire on his
turban or head; in the same way, the monk should put forth extra desire, effort,
diligence, endeavor, undivided mindfulness, & alertness for the abandoning of those
very same evil, unskillful qualities.
"But if, on examination, a monk knows, 'I usually remain uncovetous, without
thoughts of ill will, free of sloth & drowsiness, not restless, gone beyond
uncertainty, not angry, with unsoiled thoughts, with my body unaroused, with persistence
aroused, & concentrated,' then his duty is to make an effort in establishing
('tuning') those very same skillful qualities to a higher degree for the ending of the
effluents."