Thus have I heard-At one time, the venerable Ānanda was dwelling at Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove at the Squirrels‘ feeding ground, shortly after the Blessed One had attained final Nibbāna.
At that time, |King Ajātasattu::name of the king of Magadha, son of Bimbisāra; lit. unborn enemy [ajātasattu]| of |Magadha::An ancient kingdom in northeastern India and the setting for much of the Buddha’s teachings after his full awakening [magadha]|, son of Vedehi, being suspicious of King Pajjota, was having Rājagaha fortified.
Then the venerable Ānanda, having dressed in the morning, taking his alms bowl and outer robe, entered Rājagaha for alms.
Then this thought occurred to the venerable Ānanda: “It is still too early to walk for alms in Rājagaha. Suppose I approached the Brahman Gopaka Moggallāna at his workplace.”
Then the venerable Ānanda approached the workplace of the Brahman Gopaka Moggallāna. The Brahman Gopaka Moggallāna saw the venerable Ānanda coming from afar. Seeing him, he said: “Let venerable Ānanda come. Welcome to venerable Ānanda. It has been a long time since venerable Ānanda found an opportunity to come here. Let venerable Ānanda sit; this seat is prepared.”
The venerable Ānanda sat down on the prepared seat. The Brahman Gopaka Moggallāna also, having taken a certain low seat, sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, the Brahman Gopaka Moggallāna said to the venerable Ānanda: “Is there, sir Ānanda, even one bhikkhu who is completely and perfectly endowed in every way with those qualities that were possessed by venerable Gotama, when he became an |Arahant::a worthy one, an epithet of a fully awakened being [arahant]|, a perfectly Awakened One?”
“There is no single bhikkhu, brahmin, who possesses in each and every way all those qualities with which the Blessed One was endowed when he became the Arahant, the perfectly Awakened One. For brahmin, the Blessed One is the one who gives rise to the path not previously arisen, the producer of the path not previously produced, the declarer of the path not previously declared; he is the knower of the path, the expert in the path, the one skilled in the path. And now, disciples live following that path and become endowed with it afterwards.”
But this discussion between the venerable Ānanda and the brahmin Gopaka Moggallāna was interrupted.
For then the brahmin Vassakāra, the chief minister of Magadha, while supervising the work in Rājagaha, approached the workplace of the brahmin Gopaka Moggallāna, where the venerable Ānanda was. Having approached, he exchanged friendly greetings with the venerable Ānanda. After engaging in pleasant and courteous conversation, he sat down to one side. Seated to one side, Vassakāra the brahmin, chief minister of Magadha, asked the venerable Ānanda: “For what discussion are you sitting together here now, sir Ānanda? And what was your discussion that was interrupted?”
“Here brahmin, the brahmin Gopaka Moggallāna said to me: ‘Is there, sir Ānanda, even one bhikkhu who is completely and perfectly endowed in every way with those qualities that were possessed by the sir Gotama when he became an Arahant, a perfectly Awakened One?’ I then replied to the brahmin Gopaka Moggallāna: ‘There is no single bhikkhu, brahmin, who possesses in each and every way all those qualities with which the Blessed One was endowed when he became an Arahant, a perfectly Awakened One. For brahmin, the Blessed One is the one who gives rise to the path not previously arisen, the producer of the path not previously produced, the declarer of the path not previously declared; he is the knower of the path, the expert in the path, the one skilled in the path. And now, disciples live following that path and become endowed with it afterwards.’ This, brahmin, was the discussion between me and the brahmin Gopaka Moggallāna that was interrupted when you arrived.”
“Is there, sir Ānanda, any single bhikkhu who was appointed by sir Gotama thus: ‘This bhikkhu will be your refuge after my passing,’ to whom you now turn for guidance?”
“There is no single bhikkhu, brahmin, who was appointed by the Blessed One, who knows and sees, the Arahant, the perfectly Awakened One, saying: ‘This one will be your refuge after my passing,’ to whom we now turn for guidance.”
“But is there, sir Ānanda, any single bhikkhu who has been chosen by the |Saṅgha::The community of monks and nuns following the Buddha. In the broader sense, this is the community of disciples who have realized the noble path and fruition through the Buddha’s teaching [saṅgha]| and appointed by a number of elder bhikkhus thus: ‘He will be our refuge after the Blessed One has gone,’ to whom you now turn for guidance?”
“There is no single bhikkhu, brahmin, who has been chosen by the Saṅgha and appointed by a number of elder bhikkhus thus: ‘He will be our refuge after the Blessed One has gone,’ to whom we now turn for guidance.”
“But sir Ānanda, without a refuge, what is the basis for your |harmony::unity, concord [sāmaggī]|?”
“We are not without a refuge, brahmin. We are with a refuge, brahmin; we have the |Dhamma::teachings of the Buddha that point to the nature of reality, the ultimate truth [dhamma]| as our refuge.”
“Sir Ānanda, when asked: ‘Is there even one bhikkhu who was appointed by sir Gotama, saying: “This one will be your refuge after my passing,” to whom you now turn for guidance?’ you answered: ‘There is no single bhikkhu, brahmin, who was appointed by the Blessed One, who knows and sees, the Arahant, the perfectly Awakened One, saying: “This one will be your refuge after my passing,” to whom we now turn for guidance.’ And when asked: ‘Is there even one bhikkhu who was agreed upon by the Saṅgha, appointed by a number of elder bhikkhus thus: “This one will be our refuge after the Blessed One’s passing,” to whom you now turn for guidance?’ you answered: ‘There is no single bhikkhu, brahmin, who was agreed upon by the Saṅgha, appointed by a number of elder bhikkhus thus: “This one will be our refuge after the Blessed One’s passing,” to whom we now turn for guidance.’ And when asked: ‘But without a refuge, sir Ānanda, what is the basis for your harmony?’ you answered: ‘We are not without a refuge, brahmin. We are with a refuge, brahmin; we have the Dhamma as our refuge.’ How then, sir Ānanda, should the meaning of what has been said be understood?”
“Brahmin, the Blessed One who knows and sees, th Arahant, the perfectly Awakened One, has prescribed the training guidelines for bhikkhus and he has laid down the |Pātimokkha::precepts for Buddhist monastics [pātimokkha]|. On the |Uposatha::Occurring on specific lunar days such as the full moon, new moon, and quarter moons, this is a time for renewing virtue, deepening practice, and purifying the mind. [uposatha]| day, however many of us are living in dependence upon a single village district, meet together in unison, and when we meet we ask one who knows the Pātimokkha to recite it. If a bhikkhu remembers an offence or a transgression while the Pātimokkha is being recited, we make him act in accordance with the Dhamma, in accordance with the instructions. It is the worthy ones that make us act; it is the Dhamma that makes us act.
“Is there, sir Ānanda, any single bhikkhu whom you now honor, respect, revere, and venerate, and relying on whom you dwell?”
“There is no single bhikkhu, brahmin, whom we now honor, respect, revere, and venerate, and relying on whom we dwell.”
“Sir Ānanda, when asked: ‘Is there even one bhikkhu who was appointed by sir Gotama, saying: “This one will be your refuge after my passing,” to whom you now turn for guidance?’ you answered: ‘There is no single bhikkhu, brahmin, who was appointed by the Blessed One, who knows and sees, the Arahant, the perfectly Awakened One, saying: “This one will be your refuge after my passing,” to whom we now turn for guidance.’ And when asked: ‘Is there even one bhikkhu who was chosen by the Saṅgha and appointed by a number of elder bhikkhus, saying: “This one will be our refuge after the Blessed One’s passing,” to whom you now turn for guidance?’ you answered: ‘There is no single bhikkhu, brahmin, who was chosen by the Saṅgha and appointed by a number of elder bhikkhus, saying: “This one will be our refuge after the Blessed One’s passing,” to whom we now turn for guidance.’ And when asked: ‘Is there even one bhikkhu whom you now honor, respect, revere, and venerate, and relying on whom you dwell?’ you answered: ‘There is no single bhikkhu, brahmin, whom we now honor, respect, revere, and venerate, and relying on whom we dwell.’ How then, sir Ānanda, should the meaning of what has been said be understood?”
Ten Qualities Inspiring Confidence
There are, brahmin, ten qualities inspiring confidence that have been declared by the Blessed One who knows and sees, the Arahant, the perfectly Awakened One. In whomever these qualities are found, it is to them that we now honor, respect, revere, and venerate, and relying on them, we dwell. What are the ten?
1. Here, brahmin, a bhikkhu is |virtuous::ethical, moral [sīlavant]|, one who dwells restrained by the restraint of the Pātimokkha, accomplished in conduct and field of activity, seeing danger in the slightest faults, and having undertaken the training rules, trains in them.
2. He has learned much, remembers what he has learned, and consolidates what he has learned. Those teachings that are beneficial in the beginning, beneficial in the middle, and beneficial in the end, that are meaningful and well-expressed, that proclaim the perfectly complete and purified spiritual life—such teachings as these he has learned extensively, remembered, recited verbally, mentally examined, and thoroughly penetrated by view.
3. He is content with his robes, alms food, lodging, and medicinal requisites.
4. He obtains at will, without difficulty or trouble, the four jhānas—higher states of mind that provide a pleasant abiding here and now.
5. He experiences various types of |psychic abilities::spiritual powers, supernormal abilities [iddhi]|—becoming one, he becomes many; having been many, he becomes one; he appears and disappears; he passes through walls, enclosures, and mountains unhindered, as if through space; he dives into and emerges from the earth, as if it were water; he walks on water without sinking as though on solid ground; he flies cross-legged through the sky, like a bird. With his hand, he touches and strokes the moon and the sun, so mighty and powerful. And with his body, he exercises control even as far as the Brahmā world.
6. With the |divine ear element::clairaudience, the divine auditory faculty [sotadhātu]|, purified and surpassing the human, he hears both kinds of sounds — divine and human — whether they are far or near.
7. He discerns the minds of other beings and other persons by encompassing them with his own mind. He knows a mind with lust as ‘a mind with lust’ and a mind without lust as ‘a mind without lust.’ He knows a mind with hatred as ‘a mind with hatred’ and a mind without hatred as ‘a mind without hatred.’ He knows a mind with delusion as ‘a mind with delusion’ and a mind without delusion as ‘a mind without delusion.’ He knows a contracted mind as ‘a contracted mind’ and a scattered mind as ‘a scattered mind.’ He knows an exalted mind as ‘an exalted mind’ and an unexalted mind as ‘an unexalted mind.’ He knows a surpassable mind as ‘a surpassable mind’ and an unsurpassable mind as ‘an unsurpassable mind.’ He knows a collected mind as ‘a collected mind’ and a distracted mind as ‘a distracted mind.’ He knows a liberated mind as ‘a liberated mind’ and an unliberated mind as ‘an unliberated mind.’”
8. “He recollects his manifold past lives, that is, one birth, two births, three births, four, five, ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, a hundred births, a thousand births, a hundred thousand births; many |aeon::lifespan of a world system, a vast cosmic time span [kappa]|s of cosmic contraction, many aeons of cosmic expansion, many aeons of cosmic contraction and expansion: ‘There I was so named, of such a clan, with such an appearance, such was my food, such my experience of pleasure and pain, such my life-span; passing away from there, I was reborn elsewhere; there too I was so named, of such a clan, with such an appearance, such was my food, such my experience of pleasure and pain, such my life-span; passing away from there, I was reborn here.’ Thus he recollects his manifold past lives with their modes and details.
9. With the |divine eye::the faculty of clairvoyance, the ability to see beyond the ordinary human range [dibbacakkhu]|, purified and surpassing the human, he sees beings passing away and being reborn—inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, in fortunate and unfortunate destinations—and he understands how beings fare |according to their kamma::in line with their actions [yathākammūpaga]|.”
10. Through the |wearing away::exhaustion, depletion, gradual destruction [khaya]| of the mental defilements, he realizes for himself, through direct knowledge, the taintless liberation of mind and liberation by wisdom. In this very life, having attained it, he abides in it.
These, brahmin, are the ten qualities inspiring confidence that have been declared by the Blessed One who knows and sees, the Arahant, the perfectly Awakened One. In whomever these qualities are found, it is to them that we now honor, respect, revere, and venerate, and relying on them, we dwell.”
When this was said, the brahmin Vassakāra, the chief minister of Magadha, addressed the general Upananda: “What do you think, general? When these venerable ones honor, respect, revere, and venerate someone, should that person indeed be honored, respected, revered, and venerated?
“Surely, when these venerable ones honor, respect, revere, and venerate someone, it is indeed someone who should be honored, respected, revered, and venerated. For if these venerable ones did not honor, respect, revere, and venerate that person, then who would they honor, respect, revere, and venerate—and dwell relying upon?”
Then Vassakāra the brahmin, chief minister of Magadha, said to the venerable Ānanda: “Where is sir Ānanda living now?”
“Brahmin, I am now living in the Bamboo Grove.”
“I trust, sir Ānanda, that the Bamboo Grove is pleasing, quiet, free from noise, secluded, and suitable for retreat?”
“Indeed, brahmin, the Bamboo Grove is pleasing, quiet, free from noise, secluded, and suitable for retreat—just as it should be with guardians and protectors such as you.”
“Indeed, sir Ānanda, the Bamboo Grove is pleasing, quiet, free from noise, secluded, and suitable for retreat — just as it should be because of the venerables who are |meditators::yogis [jhāyi]| and cultivate meditation. The venerables are meditators who cultivate meditation.
At one time, sir Ānanda, sir Gotama was dwelling at Vesāli, in the Great Wood, in the Hall with the Peaked Roof. Then I, sir Ānanda, went to the Great Wood, to the Hall with the Peaked Roof, where sir Gotama was staying. There, sir Gotama spoke to me on the subject of meditation in many ways. Sir Gotama himself was a meditator and devoted to meditation. And sir Gotama praised every kind of meditation.”
Blameworthy Meditations
“The Blessed One, brahmin, did not praise every kind of meditation, nor did he condemn every kind of meditation. What kind of meditation did the Blessed One not praise? Here, brahmin, someone dwells with a mind |obsessed by sensual desire::consumed by the desire for sensual objects [kāmarāgapariyuṭṭhita]|, overcome by sensual lust, and does not understand as it actually is the escape from the arisen |passion::intense desire, strong emotion, infatuation, obsession, lust [rāga]| for sensual pleasures. While he harbors passion for sensual pleasures within, he meditates with passion, broods over it, is absorbed in it, and is overwhelmed by it.
Or he dwells with a mind |obsessed by ill will::consumed by hatred or aversion [byāpādapariyuṭṭhita]|, overcome by ill will, and does not understand as it actually is the escape from the arisen ill will. While he harbors ill will within, he meditates with ill will, broods over it, is absorbed in it, and is overwhelmed by it.
Or he dwells with a mind |consumed by dullness and drowsiness::overpowered by sluggishness, lethargy [thīnamiddhapariyuṭṭhita]|, overcome by dullness and drowsiness, and does not understand as it actually is the escape from the arisen dullness and drowsiness. While he harbors dullness and drowsiness within, he meditates with it, broods over it, is absorbed in it, and is overwhelmed by it.
Or he dwells with a mind |consumed by restlessness and worry::overpowered by agitation and edginess [uddhaccakukkuccapariyuṭṭhita]|, overcome by restlessness and worry, and does not understand as it actually is the escape from the arisen restlessness and worry. While he harbors restlessness and worry within, he meditates with it, broods over it, is absorbed in it, and is overwhelmed by it.
Or he dwells with a mind |consumed by doubt::overpowered by uncertainty and indecisiveness [vicikicchāpariyuṭṭhita]|, overcome by doubt, and does not understand as it actually is the escape from the arisen doubt. While he harbors doubt within, he meditates with doubt, broods over it, is absorbed in it, and is overwhelmed by it. It is such meditation, brahmin, that the Blessed One did not praise.
Praiseworthy Meditations
And what kind of meditation, brahmin, did the Blessed One praise? Here, brahmin, a bhikkhu, quite secluded from sensual pleasures and |unwholesome::unhealthy, unskillful, unbeneficial, or karmically unprofitable [akusala]| mental states, enters and dwells in the first jhāna, which is |accompanied by reflection::with thinking [savitakka]| and |examination::with investigation, evaluation [savicāra]|, |born from seclusion::secluded from the defilements [vivekaja]|, and is |filled with joyful pleasure::imbued with joy and happiness, with delight and ease, sometimes experienced as an intense joy or pleasure, rapture [pītisukha]|.
With the |settling::calming, conciliation, subsiding [vūpasama]| of reflection and examination, the bhikkhu enters and dwells in the second jhāna, which is characterized by internal |tranquility::calming, settling, confidence [sampasādana]| and |unification::singleness, integration [ekodibhāva]| of mind, is without reflection and examination, |born from collectedness::born from a stable mind [samādhija]|, and is filled with joyful pleasure.
With the fading away of joyful pleasure, the bhikkhu dwells in a |state of equanimity::mental poised, mentally balanced, equanimous, non-reactive, disregarding [upekkhaka]|, |mindful and fully aware::attentive and completely comprehending [sata + sampajāna]|, experiencing |ease::comfort, contentedness, happiness, pleasure [sukha]| with the body. He enters and dwells in the third jhāna, which the noble ones describe as, ‘one who dwells equanimous, mindful, and at ease.’
With the abandoning of ease and |discontentment::discomfort, unpleasantness, something unsatisfactory, stress [dukkha]|, and with the settling down of |joy and sorrow::craving and aversion, pleasure and displeasure, satisfaction and dissatisfaction, gladness and dejection, positive state of mind and negative state of mind [somanassadomanassa]|, the bhikkhu enters and dwells in the fourth jhāna, which is characterized by purification of |mindfulness::full awareness and recollection of the body, feelings, mind, and mental qualities, observing them clearly with sustained attention, free from craving and distress [sati]| through |equanimity::mental poise, mental balance, equipoise, non-reactivity, composure [upekkhā]|, experiencing a feeling which is neither-painful-nor-pleasant. It is this kind of meditation, brahmin, that the Blessed One praised.”
“It seems, sir Ānanda, that sir Gotama criticized blameworthy meditation and praised praiseworthy meditation. And now, sir Ānanda, we must depart. We have many duties and much to do.”
“You may go, brahmin, at your own convenience.”
Then the brahmin Vassakāra, chief minister of Magadha, being satisifed and rejoicing in the venerable Ānanda’s words, rose from his seat and departed.
Then, soon after the brahmin Vassakāra, chief minister of Magadha had left, the brahmin Gopaka Moggallāna said to the venerable Ānanda: “Sir Ānanda, what we asked you earlier—you did not answer us.”
“But, brahmin, did we not say to you: ‘There is no single bhikkhu, brahmin, who possesses in each and every way all those qualities with which the Blessed One was endowed when he became the Arahant, the perfectly Awakened One. For brahmin, the Blessed One is the one who gives rise to the path not previously arisen, the producer of the path not previously produced, the declarer of the path not previously declared; he is the knower of the path, the expert in the path, the one skilled in the path. And now, disciples live following that path and become endowed with it afterwards.’”