6.
The Discourse on the Stone Pillar
26.
On one occasion the Venerable Sāriputta and the Venerable Candikāputta were dwelling at Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrels' Feeding Ground.
There the Venerable Candikāputta addressed the monks -
"Devadatta, friends, expounds the Teaching thus to the monks -
'Since, friends, for a monk the mind has been cultivated by thought, for that monk it is proper for the explanation -
'I understand: ‘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.'"
When this was said, the Venerable Sāriputta said this to the Venerable Candikāputta - "Devadatta, friend Candikāputta, does not expound the Teaching thus to the monks - 'Since, friends, for a monk the mind has been cultivated by thought, for that monk it is proper for the explanation - "I understand: ‘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."' But thus, friend Candikāputta, Devadatta expounds the Teaching to the monks - 'Since, friends, for a monk the mind has been well cultivated by thought, for that monk it is proper for the explanation - "I understand: ‘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."'"
For the second time the Venerable Candikāputta addressed the monks - "Devadatta, friends, expounds the Teaching thus to the monks - 'Since, friends, for a monk the mind has been cultivated by thought, for that monk it is proper for the explanation - "I understand: ‘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."'" For the second time the Venerable Sāriputta said this to the Venerable Candikāputta - "Devadatta, friend Candikāputta, does not expound the Teaching thus to the monks - 'Since, friends, for a monk the mind has been cultivated by thought, for that monk it is proper for the explanation - "I understand: ‘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."' But thus, friend Candikāputta, Devadatta expounds the Teaching to the monks - 'Since, friends, for a monk the mind has been well cultivated by thought, for that monk it is proper for the explanation - "I understand: ‘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."'"
For the third time the Venerable Candikāputta addressed the monks - "Devadatta, friends, expounds the Teaching thus to the monks - 'Since, friends, for a monk the mind has been cultivated by thought, for that monk it is proper for the explanation - "I understand: ‘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."'" For the third time the Venerable Sāriputta said this to the Venerable Candikāputta - "Devadatta, friend Candikāputta, does not expound the Teaching thus to the monks - 'Since, friends, for a monk the mind has been cultivated by thought, for that monk it is proper for the explanation - "I understand: ‘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."' But thus, friend Candikāputta, Devadatta expounds the Teaching to the monks - 'Since, friends, for a monk the mind has been well cultivated by thought, for that monk it is proper for the explanation - "I understand: ‘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."'"
"And how, friends, is a monk's mind well cultivated by the mind? 'My mind is without lust' - by the mind the mind is well cultivated; 'my mind is without hate' - by the mind the mind is well cultivated; 'my mind is without delusion' - by the mind the mind is well cultivated; 'my mind is not subject to lust' - by the mind the mind is well cultivated; 'my mind is not subject to hate' - by the mind the mind is well cultivated; 'my mind is not subject to delusion' - by the mind the mind is well cultivated; 'my mind is not subject to return to sensual existence' - by the mind the mind is well cultivated; 'my mind is not subject to return to fine-material existence' - by the mind the mind is well cultivated; 'my mind is not subject to return to immaterial existence' - by the mind the mind is well cultivated. For a monk with mind thus rightly liberated, friends, even if severe forms cognisable by eye come into the range of the eye, they do not overpower his mind; his mind remains unmixed, stable, having attained imperturbability, and he contemplates its passing away.
"Just as, friends, a stone pillar of sixteen cubits. Of that, eight cubits would be below having entered the foundation, eight cubits above the foundation. Then even if a severe wind and rain were to come from the eastern direction, it would not make it tremble, would not make it quake; even if from the western direction... even if from the northern direction... even if a severe wind and rain were to come from the southern direction, it would not make it tremble, would not make it quake. What is the reason for this? Because of the depth, friends, of the foundation, because of the stone pillar being well planted. So too, friends, for a monk with mind thus rightly liberated, even if severe forms cognisable by eye come into the range of the eye, they do not overpower his mind; his mind remains unmixed, stable, having attained imperturbability, and he contemplates its passing away.
"Even if severe sounds cognisable by ear... odours cognisable by nose... flavours cognisable by tongue... tangible objects cognisable by body... mental phenomena cognisable by mind come into the range of the mind, they do not overpower his mind; his mind remains unmixed, stable, having attained imperturbability, and he contemplates its passing away." The sixth.