8.
The Discourse on Knowledge of a Person's Faculties
62.
Thus have I heard -
On one occasion the Blessed One was wandering on a journey among the Kosalans together with a large Community of monks, and arrived at a market town of the Kosalans named Daṇḍakappaka.
Then the Blessed One, having turned aside from the road, sat down on the prepared seat at the foot of a certain tree.
And those monks entered Daṇḍakappaka to seek a public rest-house.
Then the Venerable Ānanda together with several monks approached the river Aciravatī to bathe his limbs. Having bathed his limbs in the river Aciravatī, having come out, he stood wearing a single robe, drying his limbs. Then a certain monk approached the Venerable Ānanda; having approached, he said this to the Venerable Ānanda - "Now what, friend Ānanda, having collected together with the whole mind, was Devadatta declared by the Blessed One - 'Devadatta is bound for the realm of misery, Devadatta is bound for hell, Devadatta will remain there for an aeon, Devadatta is incurable,' or by some method of exposition?" "Thus indeed, friend, this has been declared by the Blessed One."
Then the Venerable Ānanda 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 Ānanda said this to the Blessed One - "Here I, venerable sir, together with several monks approached the river Aciravatī to bathe my limbs. Having bathed my limbs in the river Aciravatī, having come out, I stood wearing a single robe, drying my limbs. Then, venerable sir, a certain monk approached me; having approached, he said this to me - 'Now what, friend Ānanda, having collected together with the whole mind, was Devadatta declared by the Blessed One - Devadatta is bound for the realm of misery, Devadatta is bound for hell, Devadatta will remain there for an aeon, Devadatta is incurable, or by some method of exposition?' When this was said, I, venerable sir, said this to that monk - 'Thus indeed, friend, this has been declared by the Blessed One.'"
"That monk, Ānanda, must be new, recently gone forth, or else an elder who is foolish and inexperienced. How indeed could there be doubt about what was declared by me definitively! I do not, Ānanda, perceive any other single person who was thus declared by me, having collected together with the whole mind, as was Devadatta. As long as I, Ānanda, saw in Devadatta even as much bright quality as the pricking of a hair-tip; I did not then declare Devadatta - 'Devadatta is bound for the realm of misery, Devadatta is bound for hell, Devadatta will remain there for an aeon, Devadatta is incurable.' But when I, Ānanda, did not see in Devadatta even as much bright quality as the pricking of a hair-tip; then I declared Devadatta - 'Devadatta is bound for the realm of misery, Devadatta is bound for hell, Devadatta will remain there for an aeon, Devadatta is incurable.'
"Just as, Ānanda, a pit of excrement, more than a man's height deep, full of excrement, filled to the brim. There a man might be submerged up to his head. Then some man might appear for him, wishing for his welfare, wishing for his benefit, wishing for his freedom from bondage, wishing to pull him out of that pit of excrement. He, going all around that pit of excrement, would not see even a hair-tip's worth of that man not smeared with excrement, where he might take hold of him and pull him out. So too, Ānanda, since I did not see in Devadatta even a hair-tip's worth of wholesome quality; then I declared Devadatta - 'Devadatta is bound for the realm of misery, Devadatta is bound for hell, Devadatta will remain there for an aeon, Devadatta is incurable.' If you, Ānanda, were to hear, I will analyse the Truth-finder's knowledges of persons' faculties."
"This is the time, Blessed One; this is the time, Fortunate One, that the Blessed One would analyse the knowledges of persons' faculties. Having heard from the Blessed One, the monks will remember it." "Then, Ānanda, listen, pay close attention; I will speak." "Yes, venerable sir," the Venerable Ānanda assented to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this:
"Here I, Ānanda, understand a certain person thus, having encompassed his mind with my mind - 'This person has both wholesome mental states and unwholesome mental states existing in him.' At a later time I understand him thus, having encompassed his mind with my mind - 'This person's wholesome mental states have disappeared, unwholesome mental states have become manifest. But he has a wholesome root that is not cut off; from that, wholesome will arise from the wholesome for him. Thus this person will in the future be one not subject to decline.' Just as, Ānanda, seeds that are unbroken, not rotten, not damaged by wind and heat, with substance, well stored, are placed in a good field on well-prepared ground. Would you know, Ānanda, that these seeds would attain growth, increase, and expansion?" "Yes, venerable sir." "So too, Ānanda, here I understand a certain person thus, having encompassed his mind with my mind - 'This person has both wholesome mental states and unwholesome mental states existing in him.' At a later time I understand him thus, having encompassed his mind with my mind - 'This person's wholesome mental states have disappeared, unwholesome mental states have become manifest. But he has a wholesome root that is not cut off; from that, wholesome will arise from the wholesome for him. Thus this person will in the future be one not subject to decline.' In this way too, Ānanda, a person is known by the Truth-finder, having encompassed his mind with his mind. In this way too, Ānanda, the Truth-finder's knowledge of persons' faculties is known, having encompassed the mind with the mind. In this way too, Ānanda, the future arising of mental states is known by the Truth-finder, having encompassed the mind with the mind.
"But here I, Ānanda, understand a certain person thus, having encompassed his mind with my mind - 'This person has both wholesome mental states and unwholesome mental states existing in him.' At a later time I understand him thus, having encompassed his mind with my mind - 'For this person unwholesome mental states have disappeared, wholesome mental states have become manifest. But there is in him an unwholesome root that is not cut off; from that, unwholesome will become manifest for him. Thus this person will be subject to decline in the future.' Just as, Ānanda, seeds that are unbroken, not rotten, not damaged by wind and heat, with substance, well stored, are placed on a broad rock. Would you know, Ānanda, that these seeds would not attain growth, increase, and expansion?" "Yes, venerable sir." "So too, Ānanda, here I understand a certain person thus, having encompassed his mind with my mind - 'This person has both wholesome mental states and unwholesome mental states existing in him.' At a later time I understand him thus, having encompassed his mind with my mind - 'For this person unwholesome mental states have disappeared, wholesome mental states have become manifest. But there is in him an unwholesome root that is not cut off; from that, unwholesome will become manifest for him. Thus this person will be subject to decline in the future.' In this way too, Ānanda, a person is known by the Truth-finder, having encompassed his mind with his mind. In this way too, Ānanda, the Truth-finder's knowledge of persons' faculties is known, having encompassed the mind with the mind. In this way too, Ānanda, the future arising of mental states is known by the Truth-finder, having encompassed the mind with the mind.
"But here I, Ānanda, understand a certain person thus, having encompassed his mind with my mind - 'This person has both wholesome mental states and unwholesome mental states existing in him.' At a later time I understand him thus, having encompassed his mind with my mind - 'There is not in this person even so much as a hair-tip's worth of bright mental state; this person is endowed with exclusively dark unwholesome mental states; upon the body's collapse at death, he will be reborn in a realm of misery, an unfortunate realm, a nether world, in hell.' Just as, Ānanda, seeds that are broken, rotten, damaged by wind and heat, are placed in a good field on well-prepared ground. Would you know, Ānanda, that these seeds would not attain growth, increase, and expansion?" "Yes, venerable sir." "So too, Ānanda, here I understand a certain person thus, having encompassed his mind with my mind - 'This person has both wholesome mental states and unwholesome mental states existing in him.' At a later time I understand him thus, having encompassed his mind with my mind - 'There is not in this person even so much as a hair-tip's worth of bright mental state; this person is endowed with exclusively dark unwholesome mental states; upon the body's collapse at death, he will be reborn in a realm of misery, an unfortunate realm, a nether world, in hell.' In this way too, Ānanda, a person is known by the Truth-finder, having encompassed his mind with his mind. In this way too, Ānanda, the Truth-finder's knowledge of persons' faculties is known, having encompassed the mind with the mind. In this way too, Ānanda, the future arising of mental states is known by the Truth-finder, having encompassed their minds with his mind."
When this was said, the Venerable Ānanda said this to the Blessed One - "Is it possible, venerable sir, to declare another three persons comparable to these three persons?" "It is possible, Ānanda" - the Blessed One said - "Here I, Ānanda, understand a certain person thus, having encompassed his mind with my mind - 'This person has both wholesome mental states and unwholesome mental states existing in him.' At a later time I understand him thus, having encompassed his mind with my mind - 'This person's wholesome mental states have disappeared, unwholesome mental states have become manifest. But there is his wholesome root not cut off, and that too goes to complete uprooting. Thus this person will be subject to decline in the future.' Just as, Ānanda, embers that are burning, blazing, aglow, placed on a flat stone. Would you know, Ānanda, that these embers will not attain growth, increase, and expansion?" "Yes, venerable sir." "Or just as, Ānanda, in the evening when the sun is setting, would you know, Ānanda, that light will disappear and darkness will appear?" "Yes, venerable sir." "Or just as, Ānanda, towards midnight at the time of the meal, would you know, Ānanda, that light has disappeared and darkness has appeared?" "Yes, venerable sir." "So too, Ānanda, here I understand a certain person thus, having encompassed his mind with my mind - 'This person has both wholesome mental states and unwholesome mental states existing in him.' At a later time I understand him thus, having encompassed his mind with my mind - 'This person's wholesome mental states have disappeared, unwholesome mental states have become manifest. But there is his wholesome root not cut off, and that too goes to complete uprooting. Thus this person will be subject to decline in the future.' In this way too, Ānanda, a person is known by the Truth-finder, having encompassed his mind with his mind. In this way too, Ānanda, the Truth-finder's knowledge of persons' faculties is known, having encompassed the mind with the mind. In this way too, Ānanda, the future arising of mental states is known by the Truth-finder, having encompassed the mind with the mind.
"But here I, Ānanda, understand a certain person thus, having encompassed his mind with my mind - 'This person has both wholesome mental states and unwholesome mental states existing in him.' At a later time I understand him thus, having encompassed his mind with my mind - 'For this person unwholesome mental states have disappeared, wholesome mental states have become manifest. But there is his unwholesome root not cut off, and that too goes to complete uprooting. Thus this person will in the future be one not subject to decline.' Just as, Ānanda, embers that are burning, blazing, aglow, placed on a dry heap of grass or a dry heap of sticks. Would you know, Ānanda, that these embers will attain growth, increase, and expansion?" "Yes, venerable sir." "Or just as, Ānanda, towards the break of dawn when the sun is rising, would you know, Ānanda, that darkness will disappear and light will appear?" "Yes, venerable sir." "Or just as, Ānanda, towards midday at the time of the meal, would you know, Ānanda, that darkness has disappeared and light has appeared?" "Yes, venerable sir." "So too, Ānanda, here I understand a certain person thus, having encompassed his mind with my mind - 'This person has both wholesome mental states and unwholesome mental states existing in him.' At a later time I understand him thus, having encompassed his mind with my mind - 'For this person unwholesome mental states have disappeared, wholesome mental states have become manifest. But there is his unwholesome root not cut off, and that too goes to complete uprooting. Thus this person will in the future be one not subject to decline.' In this way too, Ānanda, a person is known by the Truth-finder, having encompassed his mind with his mind. In this way too, Ānanda, the Truth-finder's knowledge of persons' faculties is known, having encompassed the mind with the mind. In this way too, Ānanda, the future arising of mental states is known by the Truth-finder, having encompassed the mind with the mind.
"But here, Ānanda, I understand a certain person, having encompassed his mind with my mind - 'This person has both wholesome mental states and unwholesome mental states existing in him.' At a later time I understand him thus, having encompassed his mind with my mind - 'There is not in this person even as much unwholesome mental state as might be pricked by the tip of a hair; this person is endowed with exclusively pure, blameless mental states; he will attain final Nibbāna in this very life.' Just as, Ānanda, embers that are cool and quenched are placed on a dry heap of grass or a dry heap of sticks. Would you know, Ānanda, that these embers will not attain growth, increase, and expansion?" "Yes, venerable sir." "So too, Ānanda, here I understand a certain person thus, having encompassed his mind with my mind - 'This person has both wholesome mental states and unwholesome mental states existing in him.' At a later time I understand him thus, having encompassed his mind with my mind - 'There is not in this person even as much unwholesome mental state as might be pricked by the tip of a hair; this person is endowed with exclusively pure, blameless mental states; he will attain final Nibbāna in this very life.' In this way too, Ānanda, a person is known by the Truth-finder, having encompassed his mind with his mind. In this way too, Ānanda, the Truth-finder's knowledge of persons' faculties is known, having encompassed the mind with the mind. In this way too, Ānanda, the future arising of mental states is known by the Truth-finder, having encompassed the mind with the mind.
"Therein, Ānanda, as to those former three persons, of those three persons one is not subject to decline, one is subject to decline, one is bound for the realm of misery, doomed to hell. Therein, Ānanda, as to these latter three persons, of these three persons one is subject to decline, one is not subject to decline, one is subject to final Nibbāna." The eighth.