9.
The Discourse on the Adze Handle
101.
At Sāvatthī.
"I say, monks, the elimination of mental corruptions is for one who knows, for one who sees, not for one who does not know, not for one who does not see.
And what, monks, knowing what, seeing what, is there elimination of mental corruptions?
'Such is matter, such is the origin of matter, such is the passing away of matter;
such is feeling...
such is perception...
such are activities...
such is consciousness, such is the origin of consciousness, such is the passing away of consciousness' -
thus, monks, for one knowing thus, for one seeing thus, there is elimination of mental corruptions."
"For a monk dwelling not devoted to the pursuit of meditation, monks, even though such a wish might arise - 'Oh, may my mind become liberated from the mental corruptions by non-clinging!' - yet his mind does not become liberated from the mental corruptions by non-clinging. What is the reason for this? 'Because of undevelopment' should be said. Undevelopment of what? Because of undevelopment of the four establishments of mindfulness, because of undevelopment of the four right strivings, because of undevelopment of the four bases for spiritual power, because of undevelopment of the five faculties, because of undevelopment of the five powers, because of undevelopment of the seven factors of enlightenment, because of undevelopment of the noble eightfold path.
"Just as, monks, a hen's eggs, eight or ten or twelve. If they were not properly sat upon by the hen, not properly warmed, not properly incubated. Even though such a wish might arise in that hen - 'Oh, may my chicks, having broken through the egg shell with the tips of their claws or with their beaks, hatch out safely!' - yet those chicks are incapable of breaking through the egg shell with the tips of their claws or with their beaks and hatching out safely. What is the reason for this? Because, monks, the hen's eggs, eight or ten or twelve; they were not properly sat upon by the hen, not properly warmed, not properly incubated. So too, monks, for a monk dwelling not devoted to the pursuit of meditation, even though such a wish might arise - 'Oh, may my mind become liberated from the mental corruptions by non-clinging!' - yet his mind does not become liberated from the mental corruptions by non-clinging. What is the reason for this? 'Because of undevelopment' should be said. Undevelopment of what? Because of undevelopment of the four establishments of mindfulness, etc. of the eightfold path.
"For a monk dwelling engaged in the pursuit of meditation, monks, even though such a wish might not arise - 'Oh, may my mind become liberated from the mental corruptions by non-clinging!' - yet his mind becomes liberated from the mental corruptions by non-clinging. What is the reason for this? 'Because of having developed' should be said. Because of having developed what? Because of having developed the four establishments of mindfulness, because of having developed the four right strivings, because of having developed the four bases for spiritual power, because of having developed the five faculties, because of having developed the five powers, because of having developed the seven factors of enlightenment, because of having developed the noble eightfold path.
"Just as, monks, a hen's eggs, eight or ten or twelve. If they were properly sat upon by the hen, properly warmed, properly incubated. Even though such a wish might not arise in that hen - 'Oh, may my chicks, having broken through the egg shell with the tips of their claws or with their beaks, hatch out safely!' - yet those chicks are capable of breaking through the egg shell with the tips of their claws or with their beaks and hatching out safely. What is the reason for this? Because, monks, the hen's eggs, eight or ten or twelve; if they were properly sat upon by the hen, properly warmed, properly incubated. So too, monks, for a monk dwelling engaged in the pursuit of meditation, even though such a wish might not arise - 'Oh, may my mind become liberated from the mental corruptions by non-clinging!' - yet his mind becomes liberated from the mental corruptions by non-clinging. What is the reason for this? 'Because of having developed' should be said. Because of having developed what? Because of having developed the four establishments of mindfulness, etc. because of having developed the noble eightfold path.
"Just as, monks, on the handle of an adze of a carpenter or a carpenter's apprentice, the finger marks are seen, the thumb mark is seen. But he does not have such knowledge - 'This much of my adze handle has been worn away today, this much yesterday, this much before.' But when it is worn away, he has the knowledge that it is worn away. So too, monks, for a monk dwelling engaged in the pursuit of meditation, even though he does not have such knowledge - 'This much of my mental corruptions has been eliminated today, this much yesterday, this much before' - yet when they are eliminated, he has the knowledge that they are eliminated. Just as, monks, an ocean-going ship bound with cane bindings, having spent the rainy months in the water, when hauled onto dry land in winter, its cane bindings are affected by wind and sun. When rained upon by a rain cloud, they easily become loose and rotten; so too, monks, for a monk dwelling engaged in the pursuit of meditation, the mental fetters easily become loose and rotten." The ninth.