4.
The Discourse on Accompanied by Friendliness
235.
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling among the Koliyans, where there was a market town of the Koliyans named Haliddavasana.
Then several monks, having dressed in the earlier period of the day, taking their bowls and robes, entered Haliddavasana for almsfood.
Then those monks had this thought:
"It is still very early to walk for almsfood in Haliddavasana.
What if we were to approach the park of the heterodox wandering ascetics?"
Then those monks approached the park of the heterodox wandering ascetics; having approached, they exchanged friendly greetings with those heterodox wandering ascetics. Having concluded the pleasant and memorable talk, they sat down to one side. To those monks seated to one side, the heterodox wandering ascetics said this:
"The ascetic Gotama, friends, expounds the Teaching thus to his disciples: 'Come, monks, having abandoned the five mental hindrances, impurities of the mind that weaken wisdom, dwell 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, dwell having pervaded the entire world with a mind accompanied by friendliness, extensive, exalted, limitless, without enmity, without ill-will. Dwell having pervaded one direction with a mind accompanied by compassion, likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth. Thus above, below, across, everywhere, and in every respect, dwell having pervaded the entire world with a mind accompanied by compassion, extensive, exalted, limitless, without enmity, without ill-will. Dwell having pervaded one direction with a mind accompanied by altruistic joy, likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth. Thus above, below, across, everywhere, and in every respect, dwell having pervaded the entire world with a mind accompanied by altruistic joy, extensive, exalted, limitless, without enmity, without ill-will. Dwell 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, dwell having pervaded the entire world with a mind accompanied by equanimity, extensive, exalted, limitless, without enmity, without ill-will.'
We too, friends, expound the Teaching thus to our disciples: 'Come, friends, having abandoned the five mental hindrances, impurities of the mind that weaken wisdom, dwell having pervaded one direction with a mind accompanied by friendliness, etc. with a mind accompanied by compassion... with a mind accompanied by altruistic joy... dwell 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, dwell having pervaded the entire world with a mind accompanied by equanimity, extensive, exalted, limitless, without enmity, without ill-will.' Here, friends, what is the distinction, what is the disparity, what is the difference between the ascetic Gotama and us, that is to say - regarding expounding the Teaching or regarding instruction?"
Then those monks neither delighted in nor protested against what those heterodox wandering ascetics had said. Without delighting in and without protesting against, they rose from their seats and departed - "We shall understand the meaning of this statement in the presence of the Blessed One." Then those monks, having walked for almsfood in Haliddavasana, after the meal, having returned from their alms round, approached the Blessed One; having approached, they paid respect to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Seated to one side, those monks said this to the Blessed One -
"Here we, venerable sir, having dressed in the earlier period of the day, taking our bowls and robes, entered Haliddavasana for almsfood. Then this occurred to us, venerable sir - 'It is still very early to walk for almsfood in Haliddavasana. What if we were to approach the park of the heterodox wandering ascetics?'"
"Then we, venerable sir, approached the park of the heterodox wandering ascetics; having approached, we exchanged friendly greetings with those heterodox wandering ascetics. Having concluded the pleasant and memorable talk, we sat down to one side. When we were seated to one side, venerable sir, those heterodox wandering ascetics said this to us -
"The ascetic Gotama, friends, expounds the Teaching thus to his disciples: 'Come, monks, having abandoned the five mental hindrances, impurities of the mind that weaken wisdom, dwell having pervaded one direction with a mind accompanied by friendliness... etc. with a mind accompanied by compassion... with a mind accompanied by altruistic joy... dwell 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, dwell having pervaded the entire world with a mind accompanied by equanimity, extensive, exalted, limitless, without enmity, without ill-will.'
We too, friends, expound the Teaching thus to our disciples: 'Come, friends, having abandoned the five mental hindrances, impurities of the mind that weaken wisdom, dwell having pervaded one direction with a mind accompanied by friendliness, etc. with a mind accompanied by compassion... etc. with a mind accompanied by altruistic joy... etc. dwell 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, dwell having pervaded the entire world with a mind accompanied by equanimity, extensive, exalted, limitless, without enmity, without ill-will.' Here, friends, what is the distinction, what is the disparity, what is the difference between the ascetic Gotama and us, that is to say, regarding expounding the Teaching or regarding instruction?"
Then we, venerable sir, neither delighted in nor protested against what those heterodox wandering ascetics had said; without delighting in and without protesting against, we rose from our seats and departed - 'We shall understand the meaning of this statement in the presence of the Blessed One.'
"Monks, heterodox wandering ascetics who speak thus should be told thus - 'How, friend, is the liberation of mind through friendliness developed, what is its destination, what is its highest, what is its fruit, what is its final goal? How, friend, is the liberation of mind through compassion developed, what is its destination, what is its highest, what is its fruit, what is its final goal? How, friend, is the liberation of mind through altruistic joy developed, what is its destination, what is its highest, what is its fruit, what is its final goal? How, friend, is the liberation of mind through equanimity developed, what is its destination, what is its highest, what is its fruit, what is its final goal?' Thus asked, monks, heterodox wandering ascetics will not be able to explain, and furthermore they will fall into vexation. What is the reason for this? Because, monks, it is not within their domain. "I do not see anyone, monks, in the world with its gods, with its Māras, with its Brahmās, among the generation with its ascetics and brahmins, with its gods and humans, who could satisfy the mind with an explanation of these questions, except for the Truth-finder or a disciple of the Truth-finder, or else having heard it from here."
"And how, monks, is the liberation of mind through friendliness developed, what is its destination, what is its highest, what is its fruit, what is its final goal? Here, monks, a monk develops the enlightenment factor of mindfulness accompanied by friendliness, etc. He develops the enlightenment factor of equanimity accompanied by friendliness, based upon seclusion, based upon dispassion, based upon cessation, maturing in release. If he wishes 'May I dwell perceiving the repulsive in the non-repulsive', he dwells there perceiving the repulsive. If he wishes 'May I dwell perceiving the non-repulsive in the repulsive', he dwells there perceiving the non-repulsive. If he wishes 'May I dwell perceiving the repulsive in both the non-repulsive and the repulsive', he dwells there perceiving the repulsive. If he wishes 'May I dwell perceiving the non-repulsive in both the repulsive and the non-repulsive', he dwells there perceiving the non-repulsive. If he wishes 'May I, having avoided both the non-repulsive and the repulsive, dwell equanimous, mindful and fully aware', he dwells there equanimous, mindful and fully aware, or else he enters and dwells in the beautiful deliverance. I say the liberation of mind through friendliness has beauty as its highest, monks, for a monk with wisdom here who has not penetrated to a further liberation.
"And how, monks, is the liberation of mind through compassion developed, what is its destination, what is its highest, what is its fruit, what is its final goal? Here, monks, a monk develops the enlightenment factor of mindfulness accompanied by compassion, etc. He develops the enlightenment factor of equanimity accompanied by compassion, based upon seclusion, based upon dispassion, based upon cessation, maturing in release. If he wishes 'May I dwell perceiving the repulsive in the non-repulsive', he dwells there perceiving the repulsive, etc. If he wishes 'May I, having avoided both the non-repulsive and the repulsive, dwell equanimous, mindful and fully aware', he dwells there equanimous, mindful and fully aware. Or else, with the complete transcendence of perceptions of material form, with the passing away of perceptions of sensory impingement, with inattention to perceptions of diversity, aware that 'space is infinite', he enters and dwells in the plane of infinite space. I say the liberation of mind through compassion has the plane of infinite space as its highest, monks, for a monk with wisdom here who has not penetrated to a further liberation.
"And how, monks, is the liberation of mind through altruistic joy developed, what is its destination, what is its highest, what is its fruit, what is its final goal? Here, monks, a monk develops the enlightenment factor of mindfulness accompanied by altruistic joy, etc. He develops the enlightenment factor of equanimity accompanied by altruistic joy, based upon seclusion, based upon dispassion, based upon cessation, maturing in release. If he wishes 'May I dwell perceiving the repulsive in the non-repulsive', he dwells there perceiving the repulsive, etc. If he wishes 'May I, having avoided both the non-repulsive and the repulsive, dwell equanimous, mindful and fully aware', he dwells there equanimous, mindful and fully aware. Or else, with the complete transcendence of the plane of infinite space, aware that 'consciousness is infinite', he enters and dwells in the plane of infinite consciousness. I say the liberation of mind through altruistic joy has the plane of infinite consciousness as its highest, monks, for a monk with wisdom here who has not penetrated to a further liberation.
"And how, monks, is the liberation of mind through equanimity developed, what is its destination, what is its highest, what is its fruit, what is its final goal? Here, monks, a monk develops the enlightenment factor of mindfulness accompanied by equanimity, based upon seclusion, based upon dispassion, based upon cessation, maturing in release, etc. He develops the enlightenment factor of equanimity accompanied by equanimity, based upon seclusion, based upon dispassion, based upon cessation, maturing in release. If he wishes 'May I dwell perceiving the repulsive in the non-repulsive', he dwells there perceiving the repulsive. If he wishes 'May I dwell perceiving the non-repulsive in the repulsive', he dwells there perceiving the non-repulsive. If he wishes 'May I dwell perceiving the repulsive in both the non-repulsive and the repulsive', he dwells there perceiving the repulsive. If he wishes 'May I dwell perceiving the non-repulsive in both the repulsive and the non-repulsive', he dwells there perceiving the non-repulsive. If he wishes 'May I, having avoided both the non-repulsive and the repulsive, dwell equanimous, mindful and fully aware', he dwells there equanimous, mindful and fully aware. Or else, with the complete transcendence of the plane of infinite consciousness, aware that 'there is nothing', he enters and dwells in the plane of nothingness. I say the liberation of mind through equanimity has the plane of nothingness as its highest, monks, for a monk with wisdom here who has not penetrated to a further liberation." The fourth.