3.
The Discourse on Meghiya
3.
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Cālikā on Cālikā Mountain.
Now at that time the Venerable Meghiya was the Blessed One's attendant.
Then the Venerable Meghiya approached the Blessed One;
having approached, he paid respect to the Blessed One and stood to one side.
Standing to one side, the Venerable Meghiya said this to the Blessed One -
"I wish, venerable sir, to enter Jantugāma for almsfood."
"Now do as you think fit, Meghiya."
Then the Venerable Meghiya, having dressed in the earlier period of the day, taking his bowl and robe, entered Jantugāma for almsfood. Having walked for almsfood in Jantugāma, after the meal, having returned from his alms round, he approached the bank of the river Kimikāḷā. The Venerable Meghiya, walking up and down for leg exercise on the bank of the river Kimikāḷā, wandering about, saw a mango grove, pleasing and delightful. Having seen him, this occurred to him: "This mango grove is indeed pleasing and delightful. This is indeed suitable for a son of good family desirous of striving, for striving. If the Blessed One would permit me, I would come to this mango grove for striving."
Then the Venerable Meghiya 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 Meghiya said this to the Blessed One - "Here I, venerable sir, having dressed in the earlier period of the day, taking my bowl and robe, entered Jantugāma for almsfood. Having walked for almsfood in Jantugāma, after the meal, having returned from my alms round, I approached the bank of the river Kimikāḷā. I saw, venerable sir, walking up and down for leg exercise on the bank of the river Kimikāḷā, wandering about, a mango grove, pleasing and delightful. Having seen him, this occurred to me: 'This mango grove is indeed pleasing and delightful. This is indeed suitable for a son of good family desirous of striving, for striving. If the Blessed One would permit me, I would come to this mango grove for striving.' If the Blessed One would permit me, I would go to that mango grove for striving." "Wait for now, Meghiya! I am alone for now until some other monk comes."
For the second time the Venerable Meghiya said this to the Blessed One - "For the Blessed One, venerable sir, there is nothing further to be done, there is no adding to what has been done. But for me, venerable sir, there is something further to be done, there is adding to what has been done. If the Blessed One would permit me, I would go to that mango grove for striving." "Wait for now, Meghiya, I am alone for now until some other monk comes."
For the third time the Venerable Meghiya said this to the Blessed One - "For the Blessed One, venerable sir, there is nothing further to be done, there is no adding to what has been done. But for me, venerable sir, there is something further to be done, there is adding to what has been done. If the Blessed One would permit me, I would go to that mango grove for striving." "When you speak of striving, Meghiya, what could we say! Now do as you think fit, Meghiya."
Then the Venerable Meghiya, rising from his seat, having paid respect to the Blessed One and circumambulated him keeping him on his right, approached that mango grove; having approached, having plunged into that mango grove, he sat down for the day's abiding at the foot of a certain tree. Then as the Venerable Meghiya was dwelling in that mango grove, for the most part three evil unwholesome thoughts occurred to him, as follows - sensual thought, thought of anger, thought of violence. Then this occurred to the Venerable Meghiya - "Wonderful indeed, friend, marvellous indeed, friend! Indeed through faith we have gone forth from home into homelessness; and yet we are beset by these three evil unwholesome thoughts - by sensual thought, by thought of anger, by thought of violence."
Then the Venerable Meghiya 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 Meghiya said this to the Blessed One -
"Here, venerable sir, as I was dwelling in that mango grove, for the most part three evil unwholesome thoughts occurred to me, as follows - sensual thought, thought of anger, thought of violence. Then, venerable sir, this occurred to me: 'Wonderful indeed, friend, marvellous indeed, friend! Indeed through faith we have gone forth from home into homelessness; and yet we are beset by these three evil unwholesome thoughts - by sensual thought, by thought of anger, by thought of violence.'"
"For the unripe liberation of mind, Meghiya, five qualities lead to ripening. Which five? Here, Meghiya, a monk has good friends, good companions, good associates. For the unripe liberation of mind, Meghiya, this is the first quality that leads to ripening.
"Furthermore, Meghiya, a monk is virtuous, he dwells restrained by the restraint of the Pātimokkha, accomplished in good conduct and lawful resort, seeing danger in the slightest faults, having accepted the training rules he trains in them. For the unripe liberation of mind, Meghiya, this is the second quality that leads to ripening.
"Furthermore, Meghiya, whatever talk is conducive to effacement, suitable for opening the mind, as follows - talk about fewness of wishes, talk about contentment, talk about solitude, talk about aloofness from society, talk about arousal of energy, talk about morality, talk about concentration, talk about wisdom, talk about liberation, talk about knowledge and vision of liberation - of such talk he is one who obtains at will, obtains without difficulty, obtains without trouble. For the unripened liberation of mind, Meghiya, this is the third quality that leads to ripening.
"Furthermore, Meghiya, a monk dwells putting forth strenuous energy for the abandoning of unwholesome mental states and for the acquisition of wholesome mental states, steadfast, of firm effort, not shirking the responsibility regarding wholesome mental states. For the unripened liberation of mind, Meghiya, this is the fourth quality that leads to ripening.
"Furthermore, Meghiya, a monk is wise, endowed with wisdom that discerns rise and fall, noble, penetrative, leading rightly to the complete elimination of suffering. For the unripened liberation of mind, Meghiya, this is the fifth quality that leads to ripening.
"For a monk with good friends, Meghiya, good companions, good associates, this is to be expected - 'he will be virtuous, etc. having accepted the training rules he will train in them.'
"For a monk with good friends, Meghiya, good companions, good associates, this is to be expected - 'whatever talk is conducive to effacement, suitable for opening the mind, as follows - talk about fewness of wishes, etc. talk about knowledge and vision of liberation - of such talk he will be one who obtains at will, obtains without difficulty, obtains without trouble.'
"For a monk with good friends, Meghiya, good companions, good associates, this is to be expected - 'he will dwell putting forth strenuous energy, etc. not shirking the responsibility regarding wholesome mental states.'
"For a monk with good friends, Meghiya, good companions, good associates, this is to be expected - 'he will be wise, etc. leading rightly to the complete elimination of suffering.'
"And further, Meghiya, by that monk, having been established in these five qualities, four qualities are to be further developed - foulness is to be developed for the abandoning of lust, friendliness is to be developed for the abandoning of anger, mindfulness of breathing is to be developed for the arrest of applied thought, perception of impermanence is to be developed for the uprooting of the conceit 'I am'. For one perceiving impermanence, Meghiya, perception of non-self becomes established. One perceiving non-self attains the uprooting of the conceit 'I am' - Nibbāna in this very life." The third.