9.
The Discourse on the Purification of Almsfood
438.
Thus have I heard -
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrels' Feeding Ground.
Then the Venerable Sāriputta, 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.
To the Venerable Sāriputta seated to one side, the Blessed One said this:
"Your faculties are indeed very clear, Sāriputta, your complexion is pure and bright. With which abiding, Sāriputta, do you now frequently dwell?" "I, venerable sir, now frequently dwell in the abiding in emptiness." "Good, good, Sāriputta! You, Sāriputta, truly now frequently dwell in the abiding of a great man. This, Sāriputta, is the abiding of a great man, that is to say - emptiness. Therefore, Sāriputta, if a monk should wish - 'May I frequently dwell in the abiding in emptiness,' by that monk, Sāriputta, it should be considered thus - 'By which path I entered the village for almsfood, and in which place I walked for almsfood, and by which path I returned from the village from almsfood, was there any desire or lust or hate or delusion or aversion of mind there regarding forms cognisable by the eye?' If, Sāriputta, a monk reviewing thus knows - 'By which path I entered the village for almsfood, and in which place I walked for almsfood, and by which path I returned from the village from almsfood, there is desire or lust or hate or delusion or aversion of mind in me there regarding forms cognisable by the eye,' by that monk, Sāriputta, effort should be made for the abandoning of those very evil unwholesome mental states. But if, Sāriputta, a monk reviewing thus knows - 'By which path I entered the village for almsfood, and in which place I walked for almsfood, and by which path I returned from the village from almsfood, there is no desire or lust or hate or delusion or aversion of mind in me there regarding forms cognisable by the eye,' by that monk, Sāriputta, there should be dwelling with that very joy and gladness, training day and night in wholesome mental states.
439.
"Furthermore, Sāriputta, by a monk it should be considered thus -
'By which path I entered the village for almsfood, and in which place I walked for almsfood, and by which path I returned from the village from almsfood, was there any desire or lust or hate or delusion or aversion of mind in me there regarding sounds cognisable by the ear?' etc.
regarding odours cognisable by the nose...
regarding flavours cognisable by the tongue...
regarding tangible objects cognisable by the body...
regarding mental phenomena cognisable by the mind, was there any desire or lust or hate or delusion or aversion of mind?
If, Sāriputta, a monk reviewing thus knows -
'By which path I entered the village for almsfood, and in which place I walked for almsfood, and by which path I returned from the village from almsfood, there is desire or lust or hate or delusion or aversion of mind in me there regarding mental phenomena cognisable by the mind,' by that monk, Sāriputta, effort should be made for the abandoning of those very evil unwholesome mental states.
But if, Sāriputta, a monk reviewing thus knows -
'By which path I entered the village for almsfood, and in which place I walked for almsfood, and by which path I returned from the village from almsfood, there is no desire or lust or hate or delusion or aversion of mind in me there regarding mental phenomena cognisable by the mind,' by that monk, Sāriputta, there should be dwelling with that very joy and gladness, training day and night in wholesome mental states.
440.
"Furthermore, Sāriputta, by a monk it should be considered thus -
'Have the five kinds of sensual pleasure been abandoned by me?'
If, Sāriputta, a monk reviewing thus knows -
'The five kinds of sensual pleasure have not been abandoned by me,' by that monk, Sāriputta, effort should be made for the abandoning of the five kinds of sensual pleasure.
But if, Sāriputta, a monk reviewing thus knows -
'The five kinds of sensual pleasure have been abandoned by me,' by that monk, Sāriputta, there should be dwelling with that very joy and gladness, training day and night in wholesome mental states.
441.
"Furthermore, Sāriputta, by a monk it should be considered thus -
'Have the five mental hindrances been abandoned by me?'
If, Sāriputta, a monk reviewing thus knows -
'The five mental hindrances have not been abandoned by me,' by that monk, Sāriputta, effort should be made for the abandoning of the five mental hindrances.
But if, Sāriputta, a monk reviewing thus knows -
'The five mental hindrances have been abandoned by me,' by that monk, Sāriputta, there should be dwelling with that very joy and gladness, training day and night in wholesome mental states.
442.
"Furthermore, Sāriputta, by a monk it should be considered thus -
'Have the five aggregates of clinging been fully understood by me?'
If, Sāriputta, a monk reviewing thus knows -
'The five aggregates of clinging have not been fully understood by me,' by that monk, Sāriputta, effort should be made for the full understanding of the five aggregates of clinging.
But if, Sāriputta, a monk reviewing thus knows -
'The five aggregates of clinging have been fully understood by me,' by that monk, Sāriputta, there should be dwelling with that very joy and gladness, training day and night in wholesome mental states.
443.
"Furthermore, Sāriputta, by a monk it should be considered thus -
'Have the four establishments of mindfulness been developed by me?'
If, Sāriputta, a monk reviewing thus knows -
'The four establishments of mindfulness have not been developed by me,' by that monk, Sāriputta, effort should be made for the development of the four establishments of mindfulness.
But if, Sāriputta, a monk reviewing thus knows -
'The four establishments of mindfulness have been developed by me,' by that monk, Sāriputta, there should be dwelling with that very joy and gladness, training day and night in wholesome mental states.
444.
"Furthermore, Sāriputta, by a monk it should be considered thus -
'Have the four right strivings been developed by me?'
If, Sāriputta, a monk reviewing thus knows -
'The four right strivings have not been developed by me,' by that monk, Sāriputta, effort should be made for the development of the four right strivings.
But if, Sāriputta, a monk reviewing thus knows -
'The four right strivings have been developed by me,' by that monk, Sāriputta, there should be dwelling with that very joy and gladness, training day and night in wholesome mental states.
445.
"Furthermore, Sāriputta, by a monk it should be considered thus -
'Have the four bases for spiritual power been developed by me?'
If, Sāriputta, a monk reviewing thus knows -
'The four bases for spiritual power have not been developed by me,' by that monk, Sāriputta, effort should be made for the development of the four bases for spiritual power.
But if, Sāriputta, a monk reviewing thus knows -
'The four bases for spiritual power have been developed by me,' by that monk, Sāriputta, there should be dwelling with that very joy and gladness, training day and night in wholesome mental states.
446.
"Furthermore, Sāriputta, by a monk it should be considered thus -
'Have the five faculties been developed by me?'
If, Sāriputta, a monk reviewing thus knows -
'The five faculties have not been developed by me,' by that monk, Sāriputta, effort should be made for the development of the five faculties.
But if, Sāriputta, a monk reviewing thus knows -
'The five faculties have been developed by me,' by that monk, Sāriputta, there should be dwelling with that very joy and gladness, training day and night in wholesome mental states.
447.
"Furthermore, Sāriputta, by a monk it should be considered thus -
'Have the five powers been developed by me?'
If, Sāriputta, a monk reviewing thus knows -
'The five powers have not been developed by me,' by that monk, Sāriputta, effort should be made for the development of the five powers.
But if, Sāriputta, a monk reviewing thus knows -
'The five powers have been developed by me,' by that monk, Sāriputta, there should be dwelling with that very joy and gladness, training day and night in wholesome mental states.
448.
"Furthermore, Sāriputta, by a monk it should be considered thus -
'Have the seven factors of enlightenment been developed by me?'
If, Sāriputta, a monk reviewing thus knows -
'The seven factors of enlightenment have not been developed by me,' by that monk, Sāriputta, effort should be made for the development of the seven factors of enlightenment.
But if, Sāriputta, a monk reviewing thus knows -
'The seven factors of enlightenment have been developed by me,' by that monk, Sāriputta, there should be dwelling with that very joy and gladness, training day and night in wholesome mental states.
449.
"Furthermore, Sāriputta, by a monk it should be considered thus -
'Has the noble eightfold path been developed by me?'
If, Sāriputta, a monk reviewing thus knows -
'The noble eightfold path has not been developed by me,' by that monk, Sāriputta, effort should be made for the development of the noble eightfold path.
But if, Sāriputta, a monk reviewing thus knows -
'The noble eightfold path has been developed by me,' by that monk, Sāriputta, there should be dwelling with that very joy and gladness, training day and night in wholesome mental states.
450.
"Furthermore, Sāriputta, by a monk it should be considered thus -
'Have serenity and insight been developed by me?'
If, Sāriputta, a monk reviewing thus knows -
'Serenity and insight have not been developed by me,' by that monk, Sāriputta, effort should be made for the development of serenity and insight.
But if, Sāriputta, a monk reviewing thus knows -
'Serenity and insight have been developed by me,' by that monk, Sāriputta, there should be dwelling with that very joy and gladness, training day and night in wholesome mental states.
451.
"Furthermore, Sāriputta, by a monk it should be considered thus -
'Have true knowledge and liberation been realised by me?'
If, Sāriputta, a monk reviewing thus knows -
'True knowledge and liberation have not been realised by me,' by that monk, Sāriputta, effort should be made for the realisation of true knowledge and liberation.
But if, Sāriputta, a monk reviewing thus knows -
'True knowledge and liberation have been realised by me,' by that monk, Sāriputta, there should be dwelling with that very joy and gladness, training day and night in wholesome mental states.
452.
"For whoever, Sāriputta, in the past period of time, whether ascetics or brahmins, purified almsfood, all of them did so by reviewing again and again almsfood.
And whoever, Sāriputta, in the future period of time, whether ascetics or brahmins, will purify almsfood, all of them will do so by reviewing again and again almsfood.
And whoever, Sāriputta, at present, whether ascetics or brahmins, purify almsfood, all of them do so by reviewing again and again almsfood.
Therefore, Sāriputta, 'By reviewing again and again we will purify almsfood' -
thus indeed, Sāriputta, should you train."
This is what the Blessed One said. Delighted, the Venerable Sāriputta rejoiced in what the Blessed One had said.
The Discourse on the Purity of Almsfood is concluded as ninth.