8.
The Second Discourse on Sickness
256.
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Vesālī in the Great Wood in the Pinnacled Hall.
Then the Blessed One, in the evening, having emerged from seclusion, went to the sick hall;
having approached, he sat down on the prepared seat.
Having sat down, the Blessed One addressed the monks:
"Monks, a monk should await his time mindful and fully aware. This is our instruction to you.
"And how, monks, is a monk mindful? Here, monks, a monk dwells observing the body in the body, ardent, fully aware, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure regarding the world; he dwells observing feelings in feelings... he dwells observing mind in mind... He dwells observing mental phenomena in mental phenomena, ardent, fully aware, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure regarding the world. Thus, monks, a monk is mindful.
"And how, monks, is a monk fully aware? Here, monks, a monk acts with full awareness when going forward and returning... etc. acts with full awareness when speaking and remaining silent. Thus, monks, a monk is fully aware. Monks, a monk should await his time mindful and fully aware. This is our instruction to you.
"If, monks, for that monk thus dwelling mindful, fully aware, diligent, ardent, and resolute, a pleasant feeling arises. He thus understands: 'This pleasant feeling has arisen in me; and that is dependent, not independent. Dependent on what? Dependent on this very contact. But this contact is impermanent, conditioned, dependently arisen. A pleasant feeling arisen dependent on a contact that is impermanent, conditioned, dependently arisen, how could it be permanent!' He dwells observing impermanence in the contact and in pleasant feeling, dwells observing passing away, dwells observing dispassion, dwells observing cessation, dwells observing relinquishment. For him dwelling observing impermanence in the contact and in pleasant feeling, dwelling observing passing away, dwelling observing dispassion, dwelling observing cessation, dwelling observing relinquishment, whatever underlying tendency to lust regarding the contact and pleasant feeling, that is abandoned.
"If, monks, for that monk thus dwelling mindful... etc. an unpleasant feeling arises... etc. a neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant feeling arises. He thus understands: 'This neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant feeling has arisen in me; and that is dependent, not independent. Dependent on what? Dependent on this very contact... etc. He understands: 'Upon the body's collapse, beyond the exhaustion of life, right here all that is felt, not delighted in, will become cool.'"
"Just as, monks, an oil lamp would burn dependent on oil and dependent on a wick, through the exhaustion of that very oil and wick, being without nutriment, it would be extinguished; so too, monks, a monk feeling a feeling bounded by the body understands: 'I feel a feeling bounded by the body.' Feeling a feeling bounded by life, he understands: 'I feel a feeling bounded by life.' He understands: 'Upon the body's collapse, beyond the exhaustion of life, right here all that is felt, not delighted in, will become cool.'" The eighth.