8.
The Discourse on Nodding Off
61.
Thus have I heard -
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling among the Bhaggas at Suṃsumāragira in the Bhesakaḷā Grove, in the Deer Park.
Now at that time the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna was sitting nodding off in the village of Kallavāḷaputta among the Magadhans.
The Blessed One saw with the divine eye, which is pure and surpasses the human, the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna sitting nodding off in the village of Kallavāḷaputta among the Magadhans.
Having seen -
just as a strong man might extend his bent arm or bend his extended arm, even so -
having vanished from the Bhesakaḷā Grove in the Deer Park at Suṃsumāragira among the Bhaggas, he appeared before the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna in the village of Kallavāḷaputta among the Magadhans.
The Blessed One sat down on the prepared seat.
Having sat down, the Blessed One said this to the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna -
"Are you nodding off, Moggallāna, are you nodding off, Moggallāna?" "Yes, venerable sir." "Therefore, Moggallāna, whatever perception you are dwelling in when that torpor comes upon you, do not attend to that perception, do not pursue that perception. There is the possibility, Moggallāna, that for you dwelling thus, that torpor would be abandoned."
"If for you dwelling thus that torpor is not abandoned, then you, Moggallāna, should reflect upon, examine, and mentally contemplate the Teaching as you have heard it, as you have learned it. There is the possibility that for you dwelling thus, that torpor would be abandoned.
"If for you dwelling thus that torpor is not abandoned, then you, Moggallāna, should recite the Teaching in detail as you have heard it, as you have learned it. There is the possibility that for you dwelling thus, that torpor would be abandoned.
"If for you dwelling thus that torpor is not abandoned, then you, Moggallāna, should pull both your ear-lobes and rub your limbs with your hands. There is the possibility that for you dwelling thus, that torpor would be abandoned.
"If for you dwelling thus that torpor is not abandoned, then you, Moggallāna, having risen from your seat, having rubbed your eyes with water, should look around in all directions, should look up at the constellations and stars. There is the possibility that for you dwelling thus, that torpor would be abandoned.
"If for you dwelling thus that torpor is not abandoned, then you, Moggallāna, should attend to the perception of light, should determine the perception of day - as by day so by night, as by night so by day. Thus with an open mind, unobstructed, you should develop a mind of luminosity. There is the possibility that for you dwelling thus, that torpor would be abandoned.
"If for you dwelling thus that torpor is not abandoned, then you, Moggallāna, perceiving what is behind and before, should determine upon walking meditation with faculties turned inward, with mind not going outward. There is the possibility that for you dwelling thus, that torpor would be abandoned.
"If for you dwelling thus that torpor is not abandoned, then you, Moggallāna, should lie down in the lion's posture on the right side, overlapping foot upon foot, mindful and fully aware, having attended to the perception of rising. And when awakened, Moggallāna, you should quickly rise up - 'I will not dwell devoted to the pleasure of sleeping, the pleasure of lying on my side, the pleasure of torpor.' Thus indeed, Moggallāna, should you train.
"Therefore, Moggallāna, you should train thus - 'I will not approach families with pride held high.' Thus indeed, Moggallāna, should you train. If, Moggallāna, a monk approaches families with pride held high, there are indeed, Moggallāna, duties and tasks to be done in families. Because of which people do not pay attention to a monk who has come, there the monk thinks thus - 'Who indeed has now caused division against me in this family? These people seem dispassionate towards me.' Thus for him there is dejection due to no gain; for one dejected there is restlessness; for one restless there is non-restraint; for one unrestrained the mind is far from concentration.
"Therefore, Moggallāna, you should train thus - 'I will not engage in quarrelsome speech.' Thus indeed, Moggallāna, should you train. When there is quarrelsome speech, Moggallāna, abundance of talk is to be expected; when there is abundance of talk there is restlessness; for one restless there is non-restraint; for one unrestrained the mind is far from concentration. I, Moggallāna, do not praise association with everyone. Nor, however, Moggallāna, do I not praise association with everyone. I, Moggallāna, do not praise association with householders and those gone forth. But whatever lodgings are with little sound, with little noise, having an atmosphere of solitude, suitable for human seclusion, suitable for retreat - I praise association with such lodgings."
When this was said, the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna said this to the Blessed One - "Briefly, venerable sir, in what way is a monk liberated through the complete elimination of craving, one who has reached the ultimate goal, the ultimate security from bondage, the ultimate holy life, and the ultimate consummation, and who is foremost of gods and humans?"
"Here, Moggallāna, a monk has heard - 'All phenomena are not fit for adherence'; and thus, Moggallāna, a monk has heard - 'All phenomena are not fit for adherence.' He directly knows all phenomena; having directly known all phenomena, he fully understands all phenomena. Having fully understood all phenomena, whatever feeling he feels - whether pleasant or unpleasant or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant - He dwells observing impermanence in those feelings, dwells observing dispassion, dwells observing cessation, dwells observing relinquishment. Dwelling observing impermanence in those feelings, dwelling observing dispassion, dwelling observing cessation, dwelling observing relinquishment, he does not cling to anything in the world; not clinging, he is not agitated; not being agitated, he personally attains final nibbāna. He understands: 'Birth is eliminated, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming back to any state of being.' Briefly, Moggallāna, it is in this way that a monk is liberated through the complete elimination of craving, one who has reached the ultimate goal, the ultimate security from bondage, the ultimate holy life, and the ultimate consummation, and who is foremost among gods and humans." The eighth.