10.
The Shorter Discourse at Assapura
435.
Thus have I heard -
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling among the Aṅgas, where there was a market town of the Aṅgas named Assapura.
There the Blessed One addressed the monks thus:
"Monks."
"Venerable sir," those monks assented to the Blessed One.
The Blessed One said this:
"People perceive you, monks, as 'ascetics, ascetics.'
And when you are asked 'who are you?' you acknowledge 'we are ascetics.'
For you, monks, who have such a designation, who have such an acknowledgment -
'We will proceed along the practice proper for ascetics;
thus this designation of ours will be true and our acknowledgment will be factual;
and the services of those whose requisites of robes, almsfood, lodging and medicine for the sick we use will be of great fruit and great benefit to them, and this going forth of ours will not be barren but fruitful and yielding growth.'
Thus indeed, monks, should you train.
436.
"And how, monks, is a monk not practising the proper practice of an ascetic?
For whatever monk, monks, who is covetous, covetousness has not been abandoned, for one with an angry mind, anger has not been abandoned, for one prone to wrath, wrath has not been abandoned, for one with hostility, hostility has not been abandoned, for one with contempt, contempt has not been abandoned, for one with insolence, insolence has not been abandoned, for one who is envious, envy has not been abandoned, for one who is stingy, stinginess has not been abandoned, for one who is fraudulent, fraudulence has not been abandoned, for one who is deceitful, deceit has not been abandoned, for one with evil desires, evil desire has not been abandoned, for one with wrong view, wrong view has not been abandoned -
because of the non-abandoning of these stains of an ascetic, faults of an ascetic, dregs of an ascetic, states bound for the realm of misery, to be experienced in an unfortunate destination, I say 'he is not practising the proper practice of an ascetic.'
Just as, monks, a weapon called 'mataja', double-edged, tempered and sharpened.
That would be wrapped and enveloped in a double robe.
I say this monk's going forth is similar to that, monks.
437.
"I do not, monks, say that asceticism is achieved by a double-robe wearer merely by wearing the double robe.
I do not, monks, say that asceticism is achieved by a naked ascetic merely by being naked.
I do not, monks, say that asceticism is achieved by one covered with dust and dirt merely by being covered with dust and dirt.
I do not, monks, say that asceticism is achieved by one who immerses in water merely by immersing in water.
I do not, monks, say that asceticism is achieved by a tree-root dweller merely by dwelling at the root of a tree.
I do not, monks, say that asceticism is achieved by one who lives in the open air merely by living in the open air.
I do not, monks, say that asceticism is achieved by one who stands upright merely by standing upright.
I do not, monks, say that asceticism is achieved by one who eats periodically merely by eating periodically.
I do not, monks, say that asceticism is achieved by one who recites incantations merely by reciting incantations.
I do not, monks, say that asceticism is achieved by a matted-hair ascetic merely by wearing matted hair.
"If, monks, for a double-robe wearer, merely by wearing the double robe, covetousness would be abandoned for one who is covetous, anger would be abandoned for one with an angry mind, wrath would be abandoned for one prone to wrath, hostility would be abandoned for one with hostility, contempt would be abandoned for one with contempt, insolence would be abandoned for one with insolence, envy would be abandoned for one who is envious, stinginess would be abandoned for one who is stingy, fraudulence would be abandoned for one who is fraudulent, deceit would be abandoned for one who is deceitful, evil desire would be abandoned for one with evil desires, wrong view would be abandoned for one with wrong view, then friends and colleagues, relatives and blood-relations would make him a double-robe wearer as soon as he was born, and would encourage him to be a double-robe wearer - 'Come, dear friend, be a double-robe wearer; being a double-robe wearer, merely by wearing the double robe, covetousness will be abandoned for one who is covetous, anger will be abandoned for one with an angry mind, wrath will be abandoned for one prone to wrath, hostility will be abandoned for one with hostility, contempt will be abandoned for one with contempt, insolence will be abandoned for one with insolence, envy will be abandoned for one who is envious, stinginess will be abandoned for one who is stingy, fraudulence will be abandoned for one who is fraudulent, deceit will be abandoned for one who is deceitful, evil desire will be abandoned for one with evil desires, wrong view will be abandoned for one with wrong view.' But because I, monks, see here a certain double-robe wearer who is covetous, with an angry mind, prone to wrath, with hostility, with contempt, with insolence, envious, stingy, fraudulent, deceitful, with evil desires, with wrong view, therefore I do not say that asceticism is achieved by a double-robe wearer merely by wearing the double robe.
"If, monks, for a naked ascetic... etc. If, monks, for one covered with dust and dirt... etc. If, monks, for one who immerses in water... etc. If, monks, for a tree-root dweller... etc. If, monks, for one who lives in the open air... etc. If, monks, for one who stands upright... etc. If, monks, for one who eats periodically... etc. If, monks, for one who recites incantations... etc. If, monks, for a matted-hair ascetic, merely by wearing matted hair, covetousness would be abandoned for one who is covetous, anger would be abandoned for one with an angry mind, wrath would be abandoned for one prone to wrath, hostility would be abandoned for one with hostility, contempt would be abandoned for one with contempt, insolence would be abandoned for one with insolence, envy would be abandoned for one who is envious, stinginess would be abandoned for one who is stingy, fraudulence would be abandoned for one who is fraudulent, deceit would be abandoned for one who is deceitful, evil desire would be abandoned for one with evil desires, wrong view would be abandoned for one with wrong view, then friends and colleagues, relatives and blood-relations would make him a matted-hair ascetic as soon as he was born, and would encourage him to be a matted-hair ascetic - 'Come, dear friend, be a matted-hair ascetic; being a matted-hair ascetic, merely by wearing matted hair, covetousness will be abandoned for one who is covetous, anger will be abandoned for one with an angry mind, wrath will be abandoned for one prone to wrath... etc. evil desire will be abandoned for one with evil desires, wrong view will be abandoned for one with wrong view.' But because I, monks, see here a certain matted-hair ascetic who is covetous, with an angry mind, prone to wrath, with hostility, with contempt, with insolence, envious, stingy, fraudulent, deceitful, with evil desires, with wrong view, therefore I do not say that asceticism is achieved by a matted-hair ascetic merely by wearing matted hair.
438.
"And how, monks, is a monk practising the proper practice of an ascetic?
For whatever monk, monks, who is covetous, covetousness has been abandoned, for one with an angry mind, anger has been abandoned, for one prone to wrath, wrath has been abandoned, for one with hostility, hostility has been abandoned, for one with contempt, contempt has been abandoned, for one with insolence, insolence has been abandoned, for one who is envious, envy has been abandoned, for one who is stingy, stinginess has been abandoned, for one who is fraudulent, fraudulence has been abandoned, for one who is deceitful, deceit has been abandoned, for one with evil desires, evil desire has been abandoned, for one with wrong view, wrong view has been abandoned -
because of the abandoning of these stains of an ascetic, faults of an ascetic, dregs of an ascetic, states bound for the realm of misery, to be experienced in an unfortunate destination, I say 'he is practising the proper practice of an ascetic.'
He sees himself purified from all these evil unwholesome mental states.
When he sees himself purified from all these evil unwholesome mental states, gladness arises; in one who is gladdened, rapture arises; when the mind is filled with rapture, the body becomes calm; one whose body is calm feels happiness; the mind of one who is happy becomes concentrated.
"He dwells having pervaded one direction with a mind accompanied by friendliness, likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth. Thus above, below, across, everywhere, and in every respect, he dwells having pervaded the entire world with a mind accompanied by friendliness, extensive, exalted, limitless, without enmity, without ill-will. With a mind accompanied by compassion... etc. with a mind accompanied by altruistic joy... etc. He dwells having pervaded one direction with a mind accompanied by equanimity, likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth. Thus above, below, across, everywhere, and in every respect, he dwells having pervaded the entire world with a mind accompanied by equanimity, extensive, exalted, limitless, without enmity, without ill-will. Just as, monks, there might be a pond with clear water, with sweet water, with cool water, with pure water, with good fords, delightful. If a man were to come from the eastern direction, overcome by heat, afflicted by heat, weary, thirsty and parched. He, having come to that pond, having removed his thirst for water, having removed the fever of heat... etc. If a man were to come from the western direction... etc. If a man were to come from the northern direction... etc. If a man were to come from the southern direction. From wherever a man might come, overcome by heat, afflicted by heat, weary, thirsty and parched. He, having come to that pond, having removed his thirst for water, having removed the fever of heat. So too, monks, if one has gone forth from home into homelessness from a family of the warrior caste, and having come to the Teaching and discipline proclaimed by the Truth-finder, having thus developed friendliness, compassion, altruistic joy, and equanimity, he obtains internal appeasement. Because of internal appeasement, I say 'he is practising the proper practice of an ascetic.' If from a brahmin family... etc. If from a merchant family... etc. If from a worker family... etc. If one has gone forth from home into homelessness from whatever family, and having come to the Teaching and discipline proclaimed by the Truth-finder, having thus developed friendliness, compassion, altruistic joy, and equanimity, he obtains internal appeasement. Because of internal appeasement, I say 'he is practising the proper practice of an ascetic.'
"If one has gone forth from home into homelessness from a family of the warrior caste. And with the elimination of the mental corruptions, in this very life, having realised by direct knowledge himself, having attained, he dwells in the liberation of mind and liberation by wisdom that are without mental corruptions. With the elimination of the mental corruptions, he is an ascetic. If from a brahmin family... etc. If from a merchant family... If from a worker family... If one has gone forth from home into homelessness from whatever family, and with the elimination of the mental corruptions, in this very life, having realised by direct knowledge himself, having attained, he dwells in the liberation of mind and liberation by wisdom that are without mental corruptions. With the elimination of the mental corruptions, he is an ascetic."
This is what the Blessed One said. Those monks, delighted, rejoiced in what the Blessed One had said.
The Shorter Discourse at Assapura is concluded as tenth.