2.
The Discourse to Sāriputta
52.
There the Venerable Sāriputta addressed the monks:
"Friends, monks!"
"Friend," those monks assented to the Venerable Sāriputta.
The Venerable Sāriputta said this -
"If, friends, a monk is not skilled in the method of another's mind, then 'I will be skilled in the method of my own mind' - thus indeed, friends, should you train.
"And how, friends, is a monk skilled in the method of his own mind? Just as, friends, a woman or a man, young, youthful, fond of adornment, reviewing one's own facial reflection in a pure, bright mirror or in a clear bowl of water, if one sees there dust or a blemish, one strives for the removal of that very dust or blemish. If one does not see there dust or a blemish, one is delighted by that very fact, with fulfilled thought - 'It is a gain for me indeed, I am indeed pure.'
So too, friends, for a monk reviewing is of great service regarding wholesome mental states - 'Do I frequently dwell covetous, or do I frequently dwell non-covetous? Do I frequently dwell with a mind of ill-will, or do I frequently dwell with a mind without ill-will? Do I frequently dwell overcome by sloth and torpor, or do I frequently dwell free from sloth and torpor? Do I frequently dwell agitated, or do I frequently dwell unagitated? Do I frequently dwell with sceptical doubt, or do I frequently dwell having crossed over sceptical doubt? Do I frequently dwell prone to wrath, or do I frequently dwell without wrath? Do I frequently dwell with a defiled mind, or do I frequently dwell with an undefiled mind? Do I frequently dwell with an excited body, or do I frequently dwell with an unexcited body? Do I frequently dwell lazy, or do I frequently dwell putting forth strenuous energy? Do I frequently dwell concentrated, or do I frequently dwell unconcentrated?'
"If, friends, a monk reviewing thus knows - 'I frequently dwell covetous, etc. I frequently dwell unconcentrated,' by that monk, friends, for the abandoning of those very evil unwholesome mental states, exceeding desire and effort and endeavour and enthusiasm and unremitting and mindfulness and full awareness is to be done. Just as, friends, one whose garment is on fire or whose head is on fire. For the quenching of that very garment or head, one would make exceeding desire and effort and endeavour and enthusiasm and unremitting and mindfulness and full awareness. So too, friends, by that monk, for the abandoning of those very evil unwholesome mental states, exceeding desire and effort and endeavour and enthusiasm and unremitting and mindfulness and full awareness is to be done.
"But if, friends, a monk reviewing thus knows - 'I frequently dwell non-covetous, etc. I frequently dwell concentrated,' by that monk, friends, having established himself in those very wholesome mental states, exertion for the further elimination of mental corruptions is to be done." The second.