Patilīna Sutta (AN 4.38) – The Discourse on the Withdrawn One

8. The Discourse on the Withdrawn One

38. More Details "Monks, a monk who has rejected individual truths is called 'one who has completely relinquished all seeking, with calmed bodily activity, withdrawn'. And how, monks, is a monk one who has rejected individual truths? Here, monks, for a monk, whatever individual truths there are of the many ascetics and brahmins, as follows - 'The world is eternal' or 'the world is non-eternal' or 'the world is finite' or 'the world is infinite' or 'the soul is the same as the body' or 'the soul is one thing and the body another' or 'the Truth-finder exists after death' or 'the Truth-finder does not exist after death' or 'the Truth-finder both exists and does not exist after death' or 'the Truth-finder neither exists nor does not exist after death'; all those have been rejected, thoroughly rejected, given up, vomited out, released, abandoned, and relinquished. Thus, monks, a monk is one who has rejected individual truths.

"And how, monks, is a monk one who has completely relinquished all seeking? Here, monks, for a monk sensual seeking has been abandoned, seeking existence has been abandoned, seeking the holy life has been calmed. Thus, monks, a monk is one who has completely relinquished all seeking.

"And how, monks, is a monk one with calmed bodily activity? Here, monks, with the abandoning of bliss and pain, and with the prior disappearance of pleasure and displeasure, a monk enters upon and dwells in the fourth meditative absorption, which has neither-pain-nor-bliss and purity of mindfulness due to equanimity. Thus, monks, a monk is one with calmed bodily activity.

"And how, monks, is a monk withdrawn? Here, monks, for a monk the conceit 'I am' has been abandoned, its root cut off, made like a palm stump, brought to obliteration, subject to non-arising in the future. Thus, monks, a monk is withdrawn. Monks, a monk who has rejected individual truths is called 'one who has completely relinquished all seeking, with calmed bodily activity, withdrawn'."

"Sensual seeking, seeking existence, together with seeking the holy life;

Thus adherence to truth, standpoints for views accumulated.

"For one dispassionate towards all lust, liberated through the elimination of craving;

Seeking has been relinquished, standpoints for views have been uprooted.

"He indeed is a peaceful, mindful monk, calmed, unconquered;

Through the full realisation of conceit, awakened, he is called 'withdrawn'." The eighth.