2.
The Discourse on Uncertainty
988.
On one occasion the Venerable Lomasakaṅgiya was dwelling among the Sakyans at Kapilavatthu in the Nigrodha Monastery.
Then Mahānāma the Sakyan approached the Venerable Lomasakaṅgiya;
having approached, he paid respect to the Venerable Lomasakaṅgiya and sat down to one side.
Seated to one side, Mahānāma the Sakyan said this to the Venerable Lomasakaṅgiya -
"Is the trainee's abiding the same as the Truth-finder's abiding, venerable sir, or is the trainee's abiding one thing and the Truth-finder's abiding another?"
"No indeed, friend Mahānāma, the trainee's abiding is not the same as the Truth-finder's abiding. The trainee's abiding is one thing, friend Mahānāma, and the Truth-finder's abiding is another. Those monks, friend Mahānāma, who are trainees, who have not attained their goal, dwelling aspiring for the unsurpassed freedom from bondage - they dwell having abandoned the five mental hindrances. Which five? They dwell having abandoned the mental hindrance of sensual desire, the mental hindrance of anger, etc. the mental hindrance of sloth and torpor, etc. the mental hindrance of restlessness and remorse, etc. they dwell having abandoned the mental hindrance of sceptical doubt.
"Those monks too, friend Mahānāma, who are trainees, who have not attained their goal, dwelling aspiring for the unsurpassed freedom from bondage - they dwell having abandoned these five mental hindrances.
"But those monks, friend Mahānāma, who are Worthy Ones, who have eliminated the mental corruptions, who have lived the holy life, who have done what had to be done, who have laid down the burden, who have attained their own welfare, who have utterly eliminated the fetters of existence, who are completely liberated through final knowledge - for them the five mental hindrances have been abandoned, their root cut off, made like a palm stump, brought to obliteration, subject to non-arising in the future. Which five? The mental hindrance of sensual desire has been abandoned, its root cut off, made like a palm stump, brought to obliteration, subject to non-arising in the future; the mental hindrance of anger has been abandoned, etc. the mental hindrance of sloth and torpor, etc. the mental hindrance of restlessness and remorse, etc. the mental hindrance of sceptical doubt has been abandoned, its root cut off, made like a palm stump, brought to obliteration, subject to non-arising in the future.
"Those monks, friend Mahānāma, who are Worthy Ones, who have eliminated the mental corruptions, who have lived the holy life, who have done what had to be done, who have laid down the burden, who have attained their own welfare, who have utterly eliminated the fetters of existence, who are completely liberated through final knowledge - for them these five mental hindrances have been abandoned, their root cut off, made like a palm stump, brought to obliteration, subject to non-arising in the future. By this method too, friend Mahānāma, it should be known how - the trainee's abiding is one thing and the Truth-finder's abiding is another.
"On one occasion, friend Mahānāma, the Blessed One was dwelling at Icchānaṅgala in the Icchānaṅgala forest thicket. There, friend Mahānāma, the Blessed One addressed the monks thus: 'I wish, monks, to go into seclusion for three months. I should not be approached by anyone except for one bringing almsfood.' 'Yes, venerable sir,' friend Mahānāma, those monks, having assented to the Blessed One, no one approached the Blessed One there except for one bringing almsfood.
"Then, friend, the Blessed One, by the elapse of that three months, having emerged from seclusion, addressed the monks - 'If, monks, heterodox wandering ascetics were to ask you thus - "With which abiding, friend, did the ascetic Gotama frequently dwell during the rains residence?" - thus asked, you, monks, should answer those heterodox wandering ascetics thus - "With the concentration of mindfulness of breathing, friend, the Blessed One frequently dwelt during the rains residence." Here I, monks, breathe in mindful, I breathe out mindful. Breathing in long, I understand: "I breathe in long"; breathing out long, I understand: "I breathe out long." Etc. I understand: "Observing relinquishment, I shall breathe in"; I understand: "Observing relinquishment, I shall breathe out."'
"If anyone, monks, speaking rightly would say - 'a noble abiding' and also 'a divine abiding' and also 'a Truth-finder's abiding' - speaking rightly of the concentration of mindfulness of breathing, one would say - 'a noble abiding' and also 'a divine abiding' and also 'a Truth-finder's abiding' -
"Those monks, monks, who are trainees, who have not attained their goal, dwelling aspiring for the unsurpassed freedom from bondage - for them the concentration of mindfulness of breathing, when developed and cultivated, leads to the elimination of mental corruptions.
"But those monks, monks, who are Worthy Ones, who have eliminated the mental corruptions, who have lived the holy life, who have done what had to be done, who have laid down the burden, who have attained their own welfare, who have utterly eliminated the fetters of existence, who are completely liberated through final knowledge - for them the concentration of mindfulness of breathing, when developed and cultivated, leads to pleasant abiding in this very life and to mindfulness and full awareness.
"If anyone, monks, speaking rightly would say - 'a noble abiding' and also 'a divine abiding' and also 'a Truth-finder's abiding' - speaking rightly of the concentration of mindfulness of breathing, one would say - 'a noble abiding' and also 'a divine abiding' and also 'a Truth-finder's abiding.'" "By this method, friend Mahānāma, it should be known how - the trainee's abiding is one thing, the Truth-finder's abiding is another." The second.