7.
The Discourse on Meditative Development
71.
"For a monk dwelling not engaged in meditation, monks, even though such a wish might arise -
'Oh, may my mind become liberated from the mental corruptions by non-clinging!' - yet his mind does not become liberated from the mental corruptions by non-clinging.
What is the reason for this?
'Because of undevelopment' should be said.
Undevelopment of what?
Of the four establishments of mindfulness, of the four right strivings, of the four bases for spiritual power, of the five faculties, of the five powers, of the seven factors of enlightenment, of the noble eightfold path.
"Just as, monks, a hen's eggs, eight or ten or twelve. If they were not properly sat upon by the hen, not properly warmed, not properly incubated. Even though such a wish might arise in that hen - 'Oh, may my chicks, having broken through the egg shell with the tips of their claws or with their beaks, hatch out safely!' - yet those chicks are incapable of breaking through the egg shell with the tips of their claws or with their beaks and hatching out safely. What is the reason for this? For thus, monks, the hen's eggs were not properly sat upon, not properly warmed, not properly incubated. So too, monks, for a monk dwelling not engaged in meditation, even though such a wish might arise - 'Oh, may my mind become liberated from the mental corruptions by non-clinging!' - yet his mind does not become liberated from the mental corruptions by non-clinging. What is the reason for this? 'Because of undevelopment' should be said. Undevelopment of what? Of the four establishments of mindfulness, of the four right strivings, of the four bases for spiritual power, of the five faculties, of the five powers, of the seven factors of enlightenment, of the noble eightfold path.
"For a monk dwelling engaged in meditation, monks, even though such a wish might not arise - 'Oh, may my mind become liberated from the mental corruptions by non-clinging!' - yet his mind becomes liberated from the mental corruptions by non-clinging. What is the reason for this? 'Because of having developed' should be said. Because of having developed what? Of the four establishments of mindfulness, of the four right strivings, of the four bases for spiritual power, of the five faculties, of the five powers, of the seven factors of enlightenment, of the noble eightfold path.
"Just as, monks, a hen's eggs, eight or ten or twelve. If they were properly sat upon by the hen, properly warmed, properly incubated. Even though such a wish might not arise in that hen - 'Oh, may my chicks, having broken through the egg shell with the tips of their claws or with their beaks, hatch out safely!' - yet those chicks are capable of breaking through the egg shell with the tips of their claws or with their beaks and hatching out safely. What is the reason for this? For thus, monks, the hen's eggs were properly sat upon, properly warmed, properly incubated. So too, monks, for a monk dwelling engaged in meditation, even though such a wish might not arise - 'Oh, may my mind become liberated from the mental corruptions by non-clinging!' - yet his mind becomes liberated from the mental corruptions by non-clinging. What is the reason for this? 'Because of having developed' should be said. Because of having developed what? Of the four establishments of mindfulness, etc. of the noble eightfold path.
"Just as, monks, on the handle of an adze of a carpenter or a carpenter's pupil, the finger marks are seen, the thumb mark is seen. But he does not have such knowledge - 'This much of my adze handle has been worn away today, this much yesterday, this much before' - yet when it is worn away, he has the knowledge that it is worn away. So too, monks, for a monk dwelling engaged in meditation, even though he does not have such knowledge - 'This much of my mental corruptions has been eliminated today, this much yesterday, this much before' - yet when they are eliminated, he has the knowledge that they are eliminated.
"Just as, monks, an ocean-going ship bound with cane bindings, having spent six months in the water, when hauled onto dry land in winter, its bindings affected by wind and sun, when rained upon by a rain cloud, easily decline and become rotten. So too, monks, for a monk dwelling engaged in meditation, the mental fetters easily become loose and rotten." The seventh.