10.
The Discourse at Kīṭāgiri
174.
Thus have I heard -
On one occasion the Blessed One was wandering on a journey among the Kāsis together with a large Community of monks.
There the Blessed One addressed the monks thus:
"I, monks, eat apart from eating at night.
Eating apart from eating at night, monks, I perceive freedom from illness and freedom from affliction and lightness of body and strength and comfortable abiding.
Come, you too, monks, eat apart from eating at night.
Eating apart from eating at night, monks, you too will perceive freedom from illness and freedom from affliction and lightness of body and strength and comfortable abiding."
"Yes, venerable sir," those monks assented to the Blessed One.
Then the Blessed One, wandering on a journey gradually among the Kāsis, arrived at a market town of the Kāsis named Kīṭāgiri.
There the Blessed One stayed at Kīṭāgiri, a market town of the Kāsis.
175.
Now at that time the monks named Assaji and Punabbasuka were resident at Kīṭāgiri.
Then several monks approached the monks Assaji and Punabbasuka;
having approached, they said this to the monks Assaji and Punabbasuka -
"The Blessed One indeed, friends, eats apart from eating at night, and the Community of monks too.
And eating apart from eating at night, friends, they perceive freedom from illness and freedom from affliction and lightness of body and strength and comfortable abiding.
Come, you too, friends, eat apart from eating at night.
Eating apart from eating at night, friends, you too will perceive freedom from illness and freedom from affliction and lightness of body and strength and comfortable abiding."
When this was said, the monks Assaji and Punabbasuka said this to those monks -
"We indeed, friends, eat in the evening and in the morning and during the day at the improper time.
We, eating in the evening and in the morning and during the day at the improper time, perceive freedom from illness and freedom from affliction and lightness of body and strength and comfortable abiding.
Why should we, having abandoned what is visible here and now, run after what is temporal?
We shall eat in the evening and in the morning and during the day at the improper time."
When those monks were not able to convince the monks Assaji and Punabbasuka, then they 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, approached the monks Assaji and Punabbasuka; having approached, we said this to the monks Assaji and Punabbasuka - 'The Blessed One indeed, friends, eats apart from eating at night, and the Community of monks too; and eating apart from eating at night, friends, they perceive freedom from illness and freedom from affliction and lightness of body and strength and comfortable abiding. Come, you too, friends, eat apart from eating at night. Eating apart from eating at night, friends, you too will perceive freedom from illness and freedom from affliction and lightness of body and strength and comfortable abiding.' When this was said, venerable sir, the monks Assaji and Punabbasuka said this to us - 'We indeed, friends, eat in the evening and in the morning and during the day at the improper time. We, eating in the evening and in the morning and during the day at the improper time, perceive freedom from illness and freedom from affliction and lightness of body and strength and comfortable abiding. Why should we, having abandoned what is visible here and now, run after what is temporal? We shall eat in the evening and in the morning and during the day at the improper time.' When we, venerable sir, were not able to convince the monks Assaji and Punabbasuka, then we report this matter to the Blessed One."
176.
Then the Blessed One addressed a certain monk -
"Come, monk, in my name address the monks Assaji and Punabbasuka -
'The Teacher calls the venerable ones.'"
"Yes, venerable sir," that monk replied to the Blessed One and approached the monks Assaji and Punabbasuka;
having approached, he said this to the monks Assaji and Punabbasuka -
"The Teacher calls the venerable ones."
"Yes, friend," the monks Assaji and Punabbasuka replied to that monk and approached the Blessed One;
having approached, they paid respect to the Blessed One and sat down to one side.
To the monks Assaji and Punabbasuka seated to one side, the Blessed One said this:
"Is it true, monks, that several monks approached you and said this -
'The Blessed One indeed, friends, eats apart from eating at night, and the Community of monks too.
And eating apart from eating at night, friends, they perceive freedom from illness and freedom from affliction and lightness of body and strength and comfortable abiding.
Come, you too, friends, eat apart from eating at night.
Eating apart from eating at night, friends, you too will perceive freedom from illness and freedom from affliction and lightness of body and strength and comfortable abiding.'
When this was said, monks, you said this to those monks -
'But we, friends, eat in the evening and in the morning and during the day at the improper time.
We, eating in the evening and in the morning and during the day at the improper time, perceive freedom from illness and freedom from affliction and lightness of body and strength and comfortable abiding.
Why should we, having abandoned what is visible here and now, run after what is temporal?
We shall eat in the evening and in the morning and during the day at the improper time.'"
"Yes, venerable sir."
177.
"Do you, monks, understand the Teaching expounded by me thus: whatever this person experiences - whether pleasant or unpleasant or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant - his unwholesome mental states decline and wholesome mental states increase?"
"No, Venerable Sir."
"Do you not, monks, understand the Teaching expounded by me thus: here for a certain one, when feeling such pleasant feeling, unwholesome mental states increase and wholesome mental states decline; but here for another, when feeling such pleasant feeling, unwholesome mental states decline and wholesome mental states increase; here for a certain one, when feeling such unpleasant feeling, unwholesome mental states increase and wholesome mental states decline; but here for another, when feeling such unpleasant feeling, unwholesome mental states decline and wholesome mental states increase; here for a certain one, when feeling such neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant feeling, unwholesome mental states increase and wholesome mental states decline; but here for another, when feeling such neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant feeling, unwholesome mental states decline and wholesome mental states increase?"
"Yes, venerable sir."
178.
"Good, monks!
If this, monks, had been unknown to me, unseen, not understood, not realised, not touched by wisdom -
'here for a certain one, when feeling such pleasant feeling, unwholesome mental states increase and wholesome mental states decline' - thus I, not knowing, would say 'abandon such pleasant feeling';
would that have been proper for me, monks?"
"No, Venerable Sir."
"But because this, monks, has been known by me, seen, understood, realised, touched by wisdom -
'here for a certain one, when feeling such pleasant feeling, unwholesome mental states increase and wholesome mental states decline' - therefore I say 'abandon such pleasant feeling.'
If this, monks, had been unknown to me, unseen, not understood, not realised, not touched by wisdom -
'here for a certain one, when feeling such pleasant feeling, unwholesome mental states decline and wholesome mental states increase' - thus I, not knowing, would say 'having attained such pleasant feeling, dwell in it';
would that have been proper for me, monks?"
"No, Venerable Sir."
"But because this, monks, has been known by me, seen, understood, realised, touched by wisdom -
'here for a certain one, when feeling such pleasant feeling, unwholesome mental states decline, wholesome mental states increase' - therefore I say 'having attained such pleasant feeling, dwell in it.'
179.
"If this, monks, had been unknown to me, unseen, not understood, not realised, not touched by wisdom -
'here for a certain one, when feeling such unpleasant feeling, unwholesome mental states increase and wholesome mental states decline' - thus I, not knowing, would say 'abandon such unpleasant feeling';
would that have been proper for me, monks?"
"No, Venerable Sir."
"But because this, monks, has been known by me, seen, understood, realised, touched by wisdom -
'here for a certain one, when feeling such unpleasant feeling, unwholesome mental states increase and wholesome mental states decline' - therefore I say 'abandon such unpleasant feeling.'
If this, monks, had been unknown to me, unseen, not understood, not realised, not touched by wisdom -
'here for a certain one, when feeling such unpleasant feeling, unwholesome mental states decline and wholesome mental states increase' - thus I, not knowing, would say 'having attained such unpleasant feeling, dwell in it';
would that have been proper for me, monks?"
"No, Venerable Sir."
"But because this, monks, has been known by me, seen, understood, realised, touched by wisdom -
'here for a certain one, when feeling such unpleasant feeling, unwholesome mental states decline and wholesome mental states increase' - therefore I say 'having attained such unpleasant feeling, dwell in it.'
180.
"If this, monks, had been unknown to me, unseen, not understood, not realised, not touched by wisdom -
'here for a certain one, when feeling such neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant feeling, unwholesome mental states increase and wholesome mental states decline' - thus I, not knowing, would say 'abandon such neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant feeling';
would that have been proper for me, monks?"
"No, Venerable Sir."
"But because this, monks, has been known by me, seen, understood, realised, touched by wisdom -
'here for a certain one, when feeling such neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant feeling, unwholesome mental states increase and wholesome mental states decline' - therefore I say 'abandon such neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant feeling.'
If this, monks, had been unknown to me, unseen, not understood, not realised, not touched by wisdom -
'here for a certain one, when feeling such neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant feeling, unwholesome mental states decline and wholesome mental states increase' - thus I, not knowing, would say 'having attained such neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant feeling, dwell in it';
would that have been proper for me, monks?"
"No, Venerable Sir."
"But because this, monks, has been known by me, seen, understood, realised, touched by wisdom -
'here for a certain one, when feeling such neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant feeling, unwholesome mental states decline and wholesome mental states increase' - therefore I say 'having attained such neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant feeling, dwell in it.'
181.
"I do not, monks, say to all monks 'something is to be done with diligence';
nor do I, monks, say to all monks 'nothing is to be done with diligence'.
Monks, those monks who are Worthy Ones, who have eliminated the mental corruptions, who have lived the holy life, who have done what had to be done, who have laid down the burden, who have attained their own welfare, who have utterly eliminated the fetters of existence, and who are completely liberated through final knowledge, to such monks, monks, I say 'nothing is to be done with diligence'.
What is the reason for this?
what had to be done by them has been done through diligence.
They are incapable of being negligent.
But, monks, those monks who are trainees, who have not attained their goal, and dwell aspiring for the unsurpassed freedom from bondage, to such monks, monks, I say 'something is to be done with diligence'.
What is the reason for this?
Perhaps these venerable ones, resorting to suitable lodgings, associating with good friends, and balancing the faculties
may realise for themselves with direct knowledge, in this very life, that unsurpassed consummation of the holy life
for the sake of which sons of good family rightly go forth from home into homelessness; and, having entered upon it, may dwell in it!
Monks, seeing this fruit of diligence for these monks, I say 'something is to be done with diligence'.
182.
"Monks, there are these seven persons existing and found in the world.
Which seven?
One liberated in both ways, one liberated by wisdom, a body-witness, one attained to right view, one liberated by faith, a follower of the Teaching, a faith-follower.
"And what, monks, is the person liberated in both ways? Here, monks, a certain person, having gone beyond material form, touches with the body and dwells in those peaceful deliverances that are immaterial, and having seen with wisdom, his mental corruptions are utterly eliminated. This is called, monks, a person liberated in both ways. Of this monk, monks, I say 'nothing is to be done with diligence'. What is the reason for this? what had to be done has been done by him with diligence. He is incapable of being negligent.
"And what, monks, is the person liberated by wisdom? Here, monks, a certain person does not touch with the body and dwell in those peaceful deliverances that, having gone beyond material form, are immaterial, but having seen with wisdom, his mental corruptions are utterly eliminated. This is called, monks, a person liberated by wisdom. Of this monk too, monks, I say 'nothing is to be done with diligence'. What is the reason for this? what had to be done has been done by him with diligence. He is incapable of being negligent.
"And what, monks, is the person who is a body-witness? Here, monks, a certain person, having gone beyond material form, touches with the body and dwells in those peaceful deliverances that are immaterial, and having seen with wisdom, some of his mental corruptions are utterly eliminated. This is called, monks, a person who is a body-witness. Of this monk, monks, I say 'something is to be done with diligence'. What is the reason for this? Perhaps this venerable one, resorting to suitable lodgings, associating with good friends, and balancing the faculties may realise for himself with direct knowledge, in this very life, that unsurpassed consummation of the holy life for the sake of which sons of good family rightly go forth from home into homelessness; and, having entered upon it, may dwell in it! Seeing this fruit of diligence for this monk, monks, I say 'something is to be done with diligence'.
"And what, monks, is the person attained to right view? Here, monks, a certain person does not touch with the body and dwell in those peaceful deliverances that, having gone beyond material form, are immaterial, but having seen with wisdom, some of his mental corruptions are utterly eliminated, and the teachings proclaimed by the Truth-finder are well seen and well practised by him with wisdom. This is called, monks, a person attained to right view. Of this monk too, monks, I say 'something is to be done with diligence'. What is the reason for this? Perhaps this venerable one, resorting to suitable lodgings, associating with good friends, and balancing the faculties may realise for himself with direct knowledge, in this very life, that unsurpassed consummation of the holy life for the sake of which sons of good family rightly go forth from home into homelessness; and, having entered upon it, may dwell in it! Seeing this fruit of diligence for this monk, monks, I say 'something is to be done with diligence'.
"And what, monks, is the person liberated-by-faith? Here, monks, a certain person does not touch with the body and dwell in those peaceful deliverances that, having gone beyond material form, are immaterial, but having seen with wisdom, some of his mental corruptions are utterly eliminated, and his faith in the Truth-finder is settled, rooted, established. This is called, monks, the person liberated-by-faith. Of this monk too, monks, I say 'something is to be done with diligence'. What is the reason for this? Perhaps this venerable one, resorting to suitable lodgings, associating with good friends, and balancing the faculties may realise for himself with direct knowledge, in this very life, that unsurpassed consummation of the holy life for the sake of which sons of good family rightly go forth from home into homelessness; and, having entered upon it, may dwell in it! Seeing this fruit of diligence for this monk, monks, I say 'something is to be done with diligence'.
"And what, monks, is the person who is a follower of the Teaching? Here, monks, a certain person does not touch with the body and dwell in those peaceful deliverances that, having gone beyond material form, are immaterial, but having seen with wisdom, some of his mental corruptions are utterly eliminated, and the teachings proclaimed by the Truth-finder yield to pondering to a moderate degree with wisdom, and moreover he has these qualities, as follows - the faith faculty, the energy faculty, the mindfulness faculty, the concentration faculty, the wisdom faculty. This is called, monks, the person who is a follower of the Teaching. Of this monk too, monks, I say 'something is to be done with diligence'. What is the reason for this? Perhaps this venerable one, resorting to suitable lodgings, associating with good friends, and balancing the faculties may realise for himself with direct knowledge, in this very life, that unsurpassed consummation of the holy life for the sake of which sons of good family rightly go forth from home into homelessness; and, having entered upon it, may dwell in it! Seeing this fruit of diligence for this monk, monks, I say 'something is to be done with diligence'.
"And what, monks, is the person who is a faith-follower? Here, monks, a certain person does not touch with the body and dwell in those peaceful deliverances that, having gone beyond material form, are immaterial, but having seen with wisdom, some of his mental corruptions are utterly eliminated, and he has just faith in the Truth-finder, just affection, and moreover he has these qualities, as follows - the faith faculty, the energy faculty, the mindfulness faculty, the concentration faculty, the wisdom faculty. This is called, monks, the person who is a faith-follower. Of this monk too, monks, I say 'something is to be done with diligence'. What is the reason for this? Perhaps this venerable one, resorting to suitable lodgings, associating with good friends, and balancing the faculties may realise for himself with direct knowledge, in this very life, that unsurpassed consummation of the holy life for the sake of which sons of good family rightly go forth from home into homelessness; and, having entered upon it, may dwell in it! Seeing this fruit of diligence for this monk, monks, I say 'something is to be done with diligence'.
183.
"Monks, I do not say that the accomplishment of the final liberating knowledge is achieved all at once.
But, monks, the accomplishment of the final liberating knowledge is achieved by gradual training, gradual action, and gradual practice.
And how, monks, is the accomplishment of the final liberating knowledge achieved by gradual training, gradual action, and gradual practice?
Here, monks, one who has faith [in a teacher] approaches him; when he approaches him, he sits close by; when he sits close by, he lends an attentive ear; by lending an attentive ear, he hears the Teaching; having heard the Teaching, he memorises it; he examines the meaning of the teachings he has memorised; when he examines their meaning, the teachings are accepted by him after reflection; when there is acceptance of those teachings after reflection, zeal springs up in him; when zeal has sprung up, he endeavours; having endeavoured, he scrutinises; having scrutinised, he strives; resolutely striving, he realises with the body the supreme truth and sees it by penetrating it with wisdom.
If, monks, there has not been that faith;
and if, monks, there has not been that approaching
and if, monks, there has not been that sitting close by;
and if, monks, there has not been that lending of an attentive ear;
and if, monks, there has not been that hearing of the Teaching;
and if, monks, there has not been that memorising of the Teaching;
and if, monks, there has not been that examination of the meaning;
and if, monks, there has not been that acceptance of the teachings after reflection;
and if, monks, there has not been that zeal;
and if, monks, there has not been that endeavour;
and if, monks, there has not been that scrutiny;
and if, monks, there has not been that striving
— then you have gone astray, monks; you have been practising the wrong way, monks.
Just how far, monks, have these foolish men departed from this Teaching and discipline.
184.
"There is, monks, a four-phrased statement, which when it is recited, an intelligent person would soon understand its meaning through wisdom.
I will recite it to you, monks. Will you understand it from me?"
"Who are we, venerable sir, and who are the ones who understand the Teaching?"
Even that teacher, monks, who is interested in worldly gain, an heir to worldly gain, who dwells in company with worldly gains, for him such bargaining is not befitting -
'If it were thus for us, then we would do it; if it were not thus for us, we would not do it' - how much more, monks, when the Truth-finder dwells altogether disconnected from worldly gains.
For a faithful disciple, monks, who conducts himself having penetrated the Teacher's instruction, this is in conformity with the Teaching -
'The Teacher is the Blessed One, I am a disciple;
the Blessed One knows, I do not know.'
For a faithful disciple, monks, who conducts himself having penetrated the Teacher's instruction, the Teacher's instruction becomes nourishing and full of vitality.
For a faithful disciple, monks, who conducts himself having penetrated the Teacher's instruction, this is in conformity with the Teaching -
'Let only skin and sinews and bones remain, let the flesh and blood in the body dry up, but what is to be attained by manly strength, by manly energy, by manly effort - without attaining that, there will be no cessation of energy.'
For a faithful disciple, monks, who conducts himself having penetrated the Teacher's instruction, one of two fruits is to be expected -
final liberating knowledge in this very life; or, if there is a residue of clinging, non-returning."
This is what the Blessed One said. Those monks, delighted, rejoiced in what the Blessed One had said.
The Discourse at Kīṭāgiri is concluded as tenth.