Sallekhasuttaṃ [MN 8, PTS 1.41–1.46]

8.

The Discourse on Detachment

81. Thus have I heard - On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's park. Then the Venerable Mahācunda, in the evening, having emerged from seclusion, approached the Blessed One; having approached, he paid respect to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Seated to one side, the Venerable Mahācunda said this to the Blessed One - "These various views, venerable sir, that arise in the world - connected with the doctrine of self or connected with the doctrine of the world - is there abandoning of these views, is there relinquishment of these views, for a monk attending from the very beginning, venerable sir?"

82. "These various views, Cunda, that arise in the world - connected with the doctrine of self or connected with the doctrine of the world - where these views arise, where they underlie, where they occur, that: 'This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self' - thus seeing this as it really is with right wisdom, there is the abandoning of these views, there is the relinquishment of these views.

"Now, Cunda, there is this possibility that here a certain monk, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome mental states, might enter and dwell in the first meditative absorption, which is accompanied by applied thought and sustained thought, with rapture and happiness born of seclusion. He might think thus: 'I am dwelling in detachment.' But these, Cunda, are not called detachment in the Noble One's discipline. These are called pleasant abidings in the present life in the Noble One's discipline.

"Now, Cunda, there is this possibility that here a certain monk, with the subsiding of applied and sustained thought, might enter and dwell in the second meditative absorption, which has internal confidence and unification of mind, is without applied thought and without sustained thought, with rapture and happiness born of concentration. He might think thus: 'I am dwelling in detachment.' But these, Cunda, are not called detachment in the Noble One's discipline. These are called pleasant abidings in the present life in the Noble One's discipline.

"Now, Cunda, there is this possibility that here a certain monk, with the fading away of rapture, might dwell equanimous, mindful and fully aware, and experience happiness with the body - that which the noble ones declare: 'One who is equanimous and mindful, one who dwells in happiness' - might enter and dwell in the third meditative absorption. He might think thus: 'I am dwelling in detachment.' But these, Cunda, are not called detachment in the Noble One's discipline. These are called pleasant abidings in the present life in the Noble One's discipline.

"Now, Cunda, there is this possibility that here a certain monk, with the abandoning of pleasure and with the abandoning of pain, and with the previous disappearance of joy and displeasure, might enter and dwell in the fourth meditative absorption, which has neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant and purity of mindfulness due to equanimity. He might think thus: 'I am dwelling in detachment.' But these, Cunda, are not called detachment in the Noble One's discipline. These are called pleasant abidings in the present life in the Noble One's discipline.

"Now, Cunda, there is this possibility that here a certain monk, 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,' might enter and dwell in the plane of infinite space. He might think thus: 'I am dwelling in detachment.' But these, Cunda, are not called detachment in the Noble One's discipline. These are called peaceful abidings in the Noble One's discipline.

"Now, Cunda, there is this possibility that here a certain monk, with the complete transcendence of the plane of infinite space, aware that 'consciousness is infinite,' might enter and dwell in the plane of infinite consciousness. He might think thus: 'I am dwelling in detachment.' But these, Cunda, are not called detachment in the Noble One's discipline. These are called peaceful abidings in the Noble One's discipline.

"Now, Cunda, there is this possibility that here a certain monk, with the complete transcendence of the plane of infinite consciousness, aware that 'there is nothing,' might enter and dwell in the plane of nothingness. He might think thus: 'I am dwelling in detachment.' But these, Cunda, are not called detachment in the Noble One's discipline. These are called peaceful abidings in the Noble One's discipline.

"Now, Cunda, there is this possibility that here a certain monk, with the complete transcendence of the plane of nothingness, might enter and dwell in the plane of neither-perception-nor-non-perception. He might think thus: 'I am dwelling in detachment.' But these, Cunda, are not called detachment in the Noble One's discipline. These are called peaceful abidings in the Noble One's discipline.

83. "But here, Cunda, detachment is to be done by you. 'Others will be violent, we here will be non-violent' - thus detachment is to be done. 'Others will be killers of living beings, we here will abstain from killing living beings' - thus detachment is to be done. 'Others will be takers of what is not given, we here will abstain from taking what is not given' - thus detachment is to be done. 'Others will be non-celibate, we here will be celibate' - thus detachment is to be done. 'Others will be speakers of falsehood, we here will abstain from lying' - thus detachment is to be done. 'Others will be speakers of divisive speech, we here will abstain from divisive speech' - thus detachment is to be done. 'Others will be speakers of harsh speech, we here will abstain from harsh speech' - thus detachment is to be done. 'Others will be speakers of idle chatter, we here will abstain from idle chatter' - thus detachment is to be done. 'Others will be covetous, we here will be non-covetous' - thus detachment is to be done. 'Others will have minds of ill-will, we here will have minds without ill-will' - thus detachment is to be done. 'Others will hold wrong view, we here will hold right view' - thus detachment is to be done. 'Others will have wrong thought, we here will have right thought' - thus detachment is to be done. 'Others will have wrong speech, we here will have right speech' - thus detachment is to be done. 'Others will have wrong action, we here will have right action' - thus detachment is to be done. 'Others will have wrong livelihood, we here will have right livelihood' - thus detachment is to be done. 'Others will have wrong effort, we here will have right effort' - thus detachment is to be done. 'Others will have wrong mindfulness, we here will have right mindfulness' - thus detachment is to be done. 'Others will have wrong concentration, we here will have right concentration' - thus detachment is to be done. 'Others will have wrong knowledge, we here will have right knowledge' - thus detachment is to be done. 'Others will have wrong liberation, we here will have right liberation' - thus detachment is to be done.

'Others will be overcome by sloth and torpor, we here will be free from sloth and torpor' - thus detachment is to be done. 'Others will be agitated, we here will be unagitated' - thus detachment is to be done. 'Others will be doubtful, we here will have crossed over doubt' - thus detachment is to be done. 'Others will be prone to wrath, we here will be without wrath' - thus detachment is to be done. 'Others will bear grudges, we here will be without grudges' - thus detachment is to be done. 'Others will depreciate others' worth, we here will be without depreciation' - thus detachment is to be done. 'Others will be spiteful, we here will be without spite' - thus detachment is to be done. 'Others will be envious, we here will be without envy' - thus detachment is to be done. 'Others will be stingy, we here will be without stinginess' - thus detachment is to be done. 'Others will be fraudulent, we here will be without fraud' - thus detachment is to be done. 'Others will be deceitful, we here will be without deceit' - thus detachment is to be done. 'Others will be obstinate, we here will be without obstinacy' - thus detachment is to be done. 'Others will be arrogant, we here will be without arrogance' - thus detachment is to be done. 'Others will be difficult to admonish, we here will be easy to admonish' - thus detachment is to be done. 'Others will have evil friends, we here will have good friends' - thus detachment is to be done. 'Others will be heedless, we here will be heedful' - thus detachment is to be done. 'Others will be faithless, we here will have faith' - thus detachment is to be done. 'Others will be shameless, we here will have shame' - thus detachment is to be done. 'Others will have no moral fear, we here will have moral fear' - thus detachment is to be done. 'Others will be of little learning, we here will be very learned' - thus detachment is to be done. 'Others will be lazy, we here will be putting forth strenuous energy' - thus detachment is to be done. 'Others will be unmindful, we here will have established mindfulness' - thus detachment is to be done. 'Others will be unwise, we here will be accomplished in wisdom' - thus detachment is to be done. 'Others will be adhering to their own views, holding on to them tenaciously, relinquishing them with difficulty, we here will be not adhering to our own views, not holding on to them tenaciously, relinquishing them easily' - thus detachment is to be done.

84. "Even the arising of intention, Cunda, I say is of great benefit regarding wholesome mental states, what then to say of conforming actions by body and speech! Therefore, Cunda, 'Others will be violent, we here will be non-violent' - thus the mind should be aroused. 'Others will be killers of living beings, we here will abstain from killing living beings' - thus the mind should be aroused... 'Others will be adhering to their own views, holding on to them tenaciously, relinquishing them with difficulty, we here will be not adhering to our own views, not holding on to them tenaciously, relinquishing them easily' - thus the mind should be aroused.

85. "Just as, Cunda, there may be an uneven path, for its avoidance there is another even path; or just as, Cunda, there may be an uneven ford, for its avoidance there is another even ford; so too, Cunda, for a violent person, non-violence is for avoidance; for a person who kills living beings, abstention from killing living beings is for avoidance; for a person who takes what is not given, abstention from taking what is not given is for avoidance; for a person who is not a practitioner of the holy life, abstention from not practising the holy life is for avoidance; for a person who lies, abstention from lying is for avoidance; for a person of divisive speech, abstention from divisive speech is for avoidance; for a person of harsh speech, abstention from harsh speech is for avoidance; for a person who engages in idle chatter, abstention from idle chatter is for avoidance; for a covetous person, non-covetousness is for avoidance; for a person with an angry mind, non-anger is for avoidance; for a person of wrong view, right view is for avoidance; for a person of wrong thought, right thought is for avoidance; for a person of wrong speech, right speech is for avoidance; for a person of wrong action, right action is for avoidance; for a person of wrong livelihood, right livelihood is for avoidance; for a person of wrong effort, right effort is for avoidance; for a person of wrong mindfulness, right mindfulness is for avoidance; for a person of wrong concentration, right concentration is for avoidance; for a person of wrong knowledge, right knowledge is for avoidance; for a person of wrong liberation, right liberation is for avoidance.

"For a person overcome by sloth and torpor, freedom from sloth and torpor is for avoidance; for a restless person, non-restlessness is for avoidance; for a person who doubts sceptically, having crossed over sceptical doubt is for avoidance; for a person prone to wrath, non-wrath is for avoidance; for a person with hostility, non-hostility is for avoidance; for a contemptuous person, non-contempt is for avoidance; for an insolent person, non-insolence is for avoidance; for an envious person, non-envy is for avoidance; for a stingy person, non-stinginess is for avoidance; for a fraudulent person, non-fraudulence is for avoidance; for a deceitful person, non-deceit is for avoidance; for an obstinate person, non-obstinacy is for avoidance; for an arrogant person, non-arrogance is for avoidance; for a person difficult to admonish, being easy to admonish is for avoidance; for a person with evil friends, good friendship is for avoidance; for a heedless person, diligence is for avoidance; for a faithless person, faith is for avoidance; for a shameless person, shame is for avoidance; for a person having no moral fear, moral fear is for avoidance; for a person of little learning, great learning is for avoidance; for a lazy person, arousal of energy is for avoidance; for an unmindful person, establishment of mindfulness is for avoidance; for an unwise person, accomplishment in wisdom is for avoidance; for a person adhering to his own views, holding on to them tenaciously and relinquishing them with difficulty, not adhering to his own views, not holding on to them tenaciously and relinquishing them easily is for avoidance.

86. "Just as, Cunda, whatever unwholesome mental states there are, all of them lead to the lower realm, whatever wholesome mental states there are, all of them lead to the upper realm, so too, Cunda, for a violent person, non-violence is for the upper realm; for a person who kills living beings, abstention from killing living beings is for the upper realm; etc. for a person adhering to his own views, holding on to them tenaciously and relinquishing them with difficulty, not adhering to his own views, not holding on to them tenaciously and relinquishing them easily is for the upper realm.

87. "That indeed, Cunda, one who is himself sunk in the marsh will pull out another who is sunk in the marsh - this is impossible. That indeed, Cunda, one who is himself not sunk in the marsh will pull out another who is sunk in the marsh - this is possible. That indeed, Cunda, one who is himself untamed, undisciplined, not attained final Nibbāna will tame, discipline, and lead another to final Nibbāna - this is impossible. That indeed, Cunda, one who is himself tamed, disciplined, attained final Nibbāna will tame, discipline, and lead another to final Nibbāna - this is possible. So too, Cunda, for a violent person, non-violence is for final Nibbāna; for a person who kills living beings, abstention from killing living beings is for final Nibbāna. For a person who takes what is not given, abstention from taking what is not given is for final Nibbāna. For a person who is not a practitioner of the holy life, abstention from not practising the holy life is for final Nibbāna. For a person who lies, abstention from lying is for final Nibbāna. For a person of divisive speech, abstention from divisive speech is for final Nibbāna. For a person of harsh speech, abstention from harsh speech is for final Nibbāna. For a person who engages in idle chatter, abstention from idle chatter is for final Nibbāna. For a covetous person, non-covetousness is for final Nibbāna. For a person with an angry mind, non-anger is for final Nibbāna. For a person of wrong view, right view is for final Nibbāna. For a person of wrong thought, right thought is for final Nibbāna. For a person of wrong speech, right speech is for final Nibbāna. For a person of wrong action, right action is for final Nibbāna. For a person of wrong livelihood, right livelihood is for final Nibbāna. For a person of wrong effort, right effort is for final Nibbāna. For a person of wrong mindfulness, right mindfulness is for final Nibbāna. For a person of wrong concentration, right concentration is for final Nibbāna. For a person of wrong knowledge, right knowledge is for final Nibbāna. For a person of wrong liberation, right liberation is for final Nibbāna.

"For a person overcome by sloth and torpor, freedom from sloth and torpor is for final Nibbāna. For a restless person, non-restlessness is for final Nibbāna. For a person who doubts sceptically, having crossed over sceptical doubt is for final Nibbāna. For a person prone to wrath, non-wrath is for final Nibbāna. For a person with hostility, non-hostility is for final Nibbāna. For a contemptuous person, non-contempt is for final Nibbāna. For an insolent person, non-insolence is for final Nibbāna. For an envious person, non-envy is for final Nibbāna. For a stingy person, non-stinginess is for final Nibbāna. For a fraudulent person, non-fraudulence is for final Nibbāna. For a deceitful person, non-deceit is for final Nibbāna. For an obstinate person, non-obstinacy is for final Nibbāna. For an arrogant person, non-arrogance is for final Nibbāna. For a person difficult to admonish, being easy to admonish is for final Nibbāna. For a person with evil friends, good friendship is for final Nibbāna. For a heedless person, diligence is for final Nibbāna. For a faithless person, faith is for final Nibbāna. For a shameless person, shame is for final Nibbāna. For a person having no moral fear, moral fear is for final Nibbāna. For a person of little learning, great learning is for final Nibbāna. For a lazy person, arousal of energy is for final Nibbāna. For an unmindful person, establishment of mindfulness is for final Nibbāna. For an unwise person, accomplishment in wisdom is for final Nibbāna. For a person adhering to his own views, holding on to them tenaciously and relinquishing them with difficulty, not adhering to his own views, not holding on to them tenaciously and relinquishing them easily is for final Nibbāna.

88. "Thus indeed, Cunda, the exposition on detachment has been taught by me, the exposition on the arising of consciousness has been taught, the exposition on avoidance has been taught, the exposition on the upper portion has been taught, the exposition on final nibbāna has been taught. Whatever, Cunda, is to be done by a Teacher for disciples, seeking their welfare, compassionate, out of compassion, that has been done by me for you. 'These, Cunda, are tree-roots, these are empty houses; meditate, Cunda, do not be negligent, do not be remorseful afterwards' - this is our instruction."

This is what the Blessed One said. Delighted, the Venerable Mahācunda rejoiced in what the Blessed One had said.

The Discourse on Detachment is concluded as eighth.