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- Anguttara Nikaya VI.55
- Sona Sutta
- About Sona
- For free distribution only, as a gift of Dhamma
I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Rajagaha,
on Vulture Peak Mountain. And on that occasion Ven. Sona was staying near Rajagaha in the
Cool Wood. Then, as Ven. Sona was meditating in seclusion [after doing walking meditation
until the skin of his soles was split & bleeding], this train of thought arose in his
awareness: "Of the Blessed One's disciples who have aroused their persistence, I am
one, but my mind is not released from the effluents through lack of clinging/sustenance.
Now, my family has enough wealth that it would be possible to enjoy wealth & make
merit. What if I were to disavow the training, return to the lower life, enjoy wealth,
& make merit?"
Then the Blessed One, as soon as he perceived with his awareness the train of thought
in Ven. Sona's awareness -- as a strong man might stretch out his bent arm or bend his
outstretched arm -- disappeared from Vulture Peak Mountain, appeared in the Cool Wood
right in front of Ven. Sona, and sat down on a prepared seat. Ven. Sona, after bowing down
to the Blessed One, sat down to one side. As he was sitting there, the Blessed One said to
him, "Just now, as you were meditating in seclusion, didn't this train of thought
appear to your awareness: 'Of the Blessed One's disciples who have aroused their
persistence, I am one, but my mind is not released from the effluents...What if I were to
disavow the training, return to the lower life, enjoy wealth, & make merit?'"
"Yes, lord."
"Now what do you think, Sona. Before, when you were a
house-dweller, were you skilled at playing the vina?"
"Yes, lord."
"And what do you think: when the strings of your vina were too taut, was your vina
in tune & playable?"
"No, lord."
"And what do you think: when the strings of your vina were too loose, was your
vina in tune & playable?"
"No, lord."
"And what do you think: when the strings of your vina were neither too taut nor
too loose, but tuned (lit: 'established') to be right on pitch, was your vina in tune
& playable?"
"Yes, lord."
"In the same way, Sona, over-aroused persistence leads to restlessness, overly
slack persistence leads to laziness. Thus you should determine the right pitch for your
persistence, attune ('penetrate,' 'ferret out') the pitch of the [five] faculties [to
that], and there pick up your theme."
"Yes, lord," Ven. Sona answered the Blessed One. Then, having given this
exhortation to Ven. Sona, the Blessed One -- as a strong man might stretch out his bent
arm or bend his outstretched arm -- disappeared from the Cool Wood and appeared on Vulture
Peak Mountain.
So after that, Ven. Sona determined the right pitch for his
persistence, attuned the pitch of the [five] faculties [to that], and there picked up his
theme. Dwelling alone, secluded, heedful, ardent, & resolute, he
in no long time reached & remained in the supreme goal of the holy life for which
clansmen rightly go forth from home into homelessness, knowing & realizing it for
himself in the here & now. He knew: "Birth is ended, the holy life fulfilled, the
task done. There is nothing further for the sake of this world." And thus Ven. Sona
became another one of the Arahants.
Then, on the attainment of arahantship, this thought occurred to Ven. Sona: "What
if I were to go to the Blessed One and, on arrival, to declare gnosis in his
presence?" So he then went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to
him, sat to one side. As he was sitting there he said to the Blessed One: "When a monk is an arahant, his fermentations ended, who has reached
fulfillment, done the task, laid down the burden, attained the true goal, totally
destroyed the fetter of becoming, and is released through right gnosis, he is dedicated to
six things: renunciation, seclusion, non-afflictiveness, the ending of craving, the ending
of clinging/sustenance, & non-deludedness.
"Now it may occur to a certain venerable one to think, 'Perhaps it is entirely
dependent on conviction that this venerable one is dedicated to renunciation,' but it
should not be seen in that way. The monk whose fermentations are ended, having fulfilled
[the holy life], does not see in himself anything further to do, or anything further to
add to what he has done. It is because of the ending of passion, because of his being free
of passion, that he is dedicated to renunciation. It is because of the ending of aversion,
because of his being free of aversion, that he is dedicated to renunciation. It is because
of the ending of delusion, because of his being free of delusion, that he is dedicated to
renunciation.
"Now it may occur to a certain venerable one to think, 'Perhaps it is because he
desires gain, honor, & fame that this venerable one is dedicated to
seclusion'...'Perhaps it is because he falls back on attachment to precepts &
practices as being essential that he is dedicated to non-afflictiveness,' but it should
not be seen in that way. The monk whose fermentations are ended, having fulfilled [the
holy life], does not see in himself anything further to do, or anything further to add to
what he has done. It is because of the ending of passion, because of his being free of
passion, that he is dedicated to non-afflictiveness. It is because of the ending of
aversion, because of his being free of aversion, that he is dedicated to
non-afflictiveness. It is because of the ending of delusion, because of his being free of
delusion, that he is dedicated to non-afflictiveness.
"It is because of the ending of passion, because of his being free of
passion...because of the ending of aversion, because of his being free of
aversion...because of the ending of delusion, because of his being free of delusion, that
he is dedicated to the ending of craving...the ending of
clinging/sustenance...non-deludedness.
"Even if powerful forms cognizable by the eye come into the visual range of a monk
whose mind is thus rightly released, his mind is neither overpowered nor even engaged.
Being still, having reached imperturbability, he focuses on their passing away. And even
if powerful sounds...aromas...flavors...tactile sensations...Even if powerful ideas
cognizable by the intellect come into the mental range of a monk whose mind is thus
rightly released, his mind is neither overpowered nor even engaged. Being still, having
reached imperturbability, he focuses on their passing away.
"Just as if there were a mountain of rock -- without
cracks, without fissures, one solid mass -- and then from the east there were to come a
powerful storm of wind & rain: the mountain would neither shiver nor quiver nor shake.
And then from the west...the north...the south there were to come a powerful storm of wind
& rain: the mountain would neither shiver nor quiver nor shake. In the same way, even
if powerful forms cognizable by the eye come into the visual range of a monk whose mind is
thus rightly released, his mind is neither overpowered nor even engaged. Being still,
having reached imperturbability, he focuses on their passing away. And even if powerful
sounds...aromas...flavors...tactile sensations...Even if powerful ideas cognizable by the
intellect come into the mental range of a monk whose mind is thus rightly released, his
mind is neither overpowered nor even engaged. Being still, having reached
imperturbability, he focuses on their passing away."
When one's awareness is dedicated
to renunciation, seclusion,
non-afflictiveness, the ending of clinging,
the ending of craving, & non-deludedness,
seeing the arising of the sense media,
the mind is rightly released.
For that monk, rightly released,
his heart at peace,
there's nothing to be done,
nothing to add
to what's done.
As a single mass of rock isn't moved by the wind,
even so all forms, flavors, sounds,
aromas, contacts,
ideas desirable & not,
have no effect on one who is Such.
The mind -- still, totally released --
focuses on their passing away.