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- Anguttara Nikaya XI.12
- Mahanama Sutta
- To Mahanama (1)
- For free distribution only, as a gift of Dhamma
I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying among the Sakyans at Kapilavatthu in the Banyan Park. Now at that time many monks were at work making robes for
the Blessed One, [thinking], "When the robes are finished, at the end of the three
months (of the rains retreat), the Blessed One will set out wandering." Mahanama the Sakyan heard that many monks were at work making robes
for the Blessed One, [thinking], "When the robes are finished, at the end of the
three months, the Blessed One will set out wandering." So he approached the Blessed
One and, on arrival, having bowed down, sat to one side. As he was sitting there he said
to the Blessed One: "I have heard that many monks are at work making robes for the
Blessed One, [thinking], 'When the robes are finished, at the end of the three months, the
Blessed One will set out wandering.' For those of us living by means of various dwelling
places [for the mind], by means of which dwelling place should we live?"
"Excellent, Mahanama, excellent! It is fitting for clansmen like you to approach
the Tathagata and ask, 'For those of us living by means of various dwelling places [for
the mind], by means of which dwelling place should we live?'
"One who is aroused to practice is one of conviction, not without conviction. One
aroused to practice is one with persistence aroused, not lazy. One aroused to practice is
one of established mindfulness, not muddled mindfulness. One aroused to practice is
centered in concentration, not uncentered. One aroused to practice is discerning, not
undiscerning.
"Established in these five qualities, you should further develop six qualities:
[1] "There is the case where you recollect the
Tathagata: 'Indeed, the Blessed One is worthy and rightly self-awakened, consummate in
knowledge & conduct, well-gone, an expert with regard to the world, unexcelled as a
trainer for those people fit to be tamed, the Teacher of divine & human beings,
awakened, blessed.' At any time when a noble disciple is recollecting the Tathagata, his
mind is not overcome with passion, not overcome with aversion, not overcome with delusion.
His mind heads straight, based on the Tathagata. And when the mind is headed straight, the
noble disciple gains a sense of the goal, gains a sense of the Dhamma, gains joy connected
with the Dhamma. In one who is joyful, rapture arises. In one who is rapturous, the body
grows calm. One whose body is calmed experiences ease. In one at ease, the mind becomes
concentrated.
"Of one who does this, Mahanama, it is said: 'Among those who are out of tune, the
noble disciple dwells in tune; among those who are malicious, he dwells without malice;
having attained the stream of Dhamma, he develops the recollection of the Buddha.'
[2] "Furthermore, there is the case where you recollect
the Dhamma: 'The Dhamma is well-expounded by the Blessed One, to be seen here &
now, timeless, inviting verification, pertinent, to be realized by the wise for
themselves.' At any time when a noble disciple is recollecting the Dhamma, his mind is not
overcome with passion, not overcome with aversion, not overcome with delusion. His mind
heads straight, based on the Dhamma. And when the mind is headed straight, the noble
disciple gains a sense of the goal, gains a sense of the Dhamma, gains joy connected with
the Dhamma. In one who is joyful, rapture arises. In one who is rapturous, the body grows
calm. One whose body is calmed experiences ease. In one at ease, the mind becomes
concentrated.
"Of one who does this, Mahanama, it is said: 'Among those who are out of tune, the
noble disciple dwells in tune; among those who are malicious, he dwells without malice;
having attained the stream of Dhamma, he develops the recollection of the Dhamma.'
[3] "Furthermore, there is the case where you recollect
the Sangha: 'The Sangha of the Blessed One's disciples who have practiced well...who
have practiced straight-forwardly...who have practiced methodically...who have practiced
masterfully -- in other words, the four types of noble disciples when taken as pairs, the
eight when taken as individual types -- they are the Sangha of the Blessed One's
disciples: worthy of gifts, worthy of hospitality, worthy of offerings, worthy of respect,
the incomparable field of merit for the world.' At any time when a noble disciple is
recollecting the Sangha, his mind is not overcome with passion, not overcome with
aversion, not overcome with delusion. His mind heads straight, based on the Sangha. And
when the mind is headed straight, the noble disciple gains a sense of the goal, gains a
sense of the Dhamma, gains joy connected with the Dhamma. In one who is joyful, rapture
arises. In one who is rapturous, the body grows calm. One whose body is calmed experiences
ease. In one at ease, the mind becomes concentrated.
"Of one who does this, Mahanama, it is said: 'Among those who are out of tune, the
noble disciple dwells in tune; among those who are malicious, he dwells without malice;
having attained the stream of Dhamma, he develops the recollection of the Sangha.'
[4] "Furthermore, there is the case where you recollect
your own virtues: '[They are] untorn, unbroken, unspotted, unsplattered, liberating,
praised by the wise, untarnished, conducive to concentration.' At any time when a noble
disciple is recollecting virtue, his mind is not overcome with passion, not overcome with
aversion, not overcome with delusion. His mind heads straight, based on virtue. And when
the mind is headed straight, the noble disciple gains a sense of the goal, gains a sense
of the Dhamma, gains joy connected with the Dhamma. In one who is joyful, rapture arises.
In one who is rapturous, the body grows calm. One whose body is calmed experiences ease.
In one at ease, the mind becomes concentrated.
"Of one who does this, Mahanama, it is said: 'Among those who are out of tune, the
noble disciple dwells in tune; among those who are malicious, he dwells without malice;
having attained the stream of Dhamma, he develops the recollection of virtue.'
[5] "Furthermore, there is the case where you recollect
your own generosity: 'It is a gain, a great gain for me, that -- among people overcome
with the stain of possessiveness -- I live at home, my awareness cleansed of the stain of
possessiveness, freely generous, openhanded, delighting in being magnanimous, responsive
to requests, delighting in the distribution of alms.' At any time when a noble disciple is
recollecting generosity, his mind is not overcome with passion, not overcome with
aversion, not overcome with delusion. His mind heads straight, based on generosity. And
when the mind is headed straight, the noble disciple gains a sense of the goal, gains a
sense of the Dhamma, gains joy connected with the Dhamma. In one who is joyful, rapture
arises. In one who is rapturous, the body grows calm. One whose body is calmed experiences
ease. In one at ease, the mind becomes concentrated.
"Of one who does this, Mahanama, it is said: 'Among those who are out of tune, the
noble disciple dwells in tune; among those who are malicious, he dwells without malice;
having attained the stream of Dhamma, he develops the recollection of generosity.'
[6] "Furthermore, you should recollect the devas:
'There are the devas of the Four Great Kings, the devas of the Thirty-three, the devas of
the Hours, the Contented Devas, the devas who delight in creation, the devas who have
power over the creations of others, the devas of Brahma's retinue, the devas beyond them.
Whatever conviction they were endowed with that -- when falling away from this life --
they re-arose there, the same sort of conviction is present in me as well. Whatever virtue
they were endowed with that -- when falling away from this life -- they re-arose there,
the same sort of virtue is present in me as well. Whatever learning they were endowed with
that -- when falling away from this life -- they re-arose there, the same sort of learning
is present in me as well. Whatever generosity they were endowed with that -- when falling
away from this life -- they re-arose there, the same sort of generosity is present in me
as well. Whatever discernment they were endowed with that -- when falling away from this
life -- they re-arose there, the same sort of discernment is present in me as well.' At
any time when a noble disciple is recollecting the conviction, virtue, learning,
generosity, and discernment found both in himself and the devas, his mind is not overcome
with passion, not overcome with aversion, not overcome with delusion. His mind heads
straight, based on the [qualities of the] devas. And when the mind is headed straight, the
noble disciple gains a sense of the goal, gains a sense of the Dhamma, gains joy connected
with the Dhamma. In one who is joyful, rapture arises. In one who is rapturous, the body
grows calm. One whose body is calmed experiences ease. In one at ease, the mind becomes
concentrated.
"Of one who does this, Mahanama, it is said: 'Among those who are out of tune, the
noble disciple dwells in tune; among those who are malicious, he dwells without malice;
having attained the stream of Dhamma, he develops the recollection of the devas.'"