“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, bālo abyatto akusalo sūdo rājānaṁ vā rājamahāmattaṁ vā nānaccayehi sūpehi paccupaṭṭhito assa— ambilaggehipi, tittakaggehipi, kaṭukaggehipi, madhuraggehipi, khārikehipi, akhārikehipi, loṇikehipi, aloṇikehipi.
“Suppose|, bhikkhus,::::| a foolish, incompetent, and unskillful cook were to serve a king or a royal minister with various kinds of curries: predominantly sour, bitter, spicy, sweet, hot, mild, salty, and bland.
Sa kho so, bhikkhave, bālo abyatto akusalo sūdo sakassa bhattu nimittaṁ na uggaṇhāti: ‘idaṁ vā me ajja bhattu sūpeyyaṁ ruccati, imassa vā abhiharati, imassa vā bahuṁ gaṇhāti, imassa vā vaṇṇaṁ bhāsati. Ambilaggaṁ vā me ajja bhattu sūpeyyaṁ ruccati, ambilaggassa vā abhiharati, ambilaggassa vā bahuṁ gaṇhāti, ambilaggassa vā vaṇṇaṁ bhāsati. Tittakaggaṁ vā me ajja … kaṭukaggaṁ vā me ajja … madhuraggaṁ vā me ajja … khārikaṁ vā me ajja … akhārikaṁ vā me ajja … loṇikaṁ vā me ajja … aloṇikaṁ vā me ajja bhattu sūpeyyaṁ ruccati, aloṇikassa vā abhiharati, aloṇikassa vā bahuṁ gaṇhāti, aloṇikassa vā vaṇṇaṁ bhāsatī’ti.
That foolish, incompetent, and unskillful cook, bhikkhus, does not pick up on his master’s preference: ‘Today this curry pleased my master, or he reached for this one, or he took a lot of this one, or he spoke in praise of this one; or the sour curry pleased my master today, or he reached for the sour one, or he took a lot of the sour one, or he spoke in praise of the sour one; or the bitter curry pleased my master today ... the spicy one ... the sweet one ... the hot one ... the mild one ... the salty one ... or today the bland curry pleased my master, or he reached for the bland one, or he took a lot of the bland one, or he spoke in praise of the bland one.’
Sa kho so, bhikkhave, bālo abyatto akusalo sūdo na ceva lābhī hoti acchādanassa, na lābhī vetanassa, na lābhī abhihārānaṁ. Taṁ kissa hetu? Tathā hi so, bhikkhave, bālo abyatto akusalo sūdo sakassa bhattu nimittaṁ na uggaṇhāti.
That foolish, incompetent, and unskillful cook|, bhikkhus,::::| does not gain clothing, does not gain wages, and does not gain bonuses. For what reason? Because|, bhikkhus,::::| that foolish, incompetent, and unskillful cook does not pick up on his master’s preference.
Evameva kho, bhikkhave, idhekacco bālo abyatto akusalo bhikkhu kāye kāyānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ. Tassa kāye kāyānupassino viharato cittaṁ na samādhiyati, upakkilesā na pahīyanti. So taṁ nimittaṁ na uggaṇhāti. Vedanāsu vedanānupassī viharati …pe… citte cittānupassī viharati …pe… dhammesu dhammānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ. Tassa dhammesu dhammānupassino viharato cittaṁ na samādhiyati, upakkilesā na pahīyanti. So taṁ nimittaṁ na uggaṇhāti.
Even so, |bhikkhus,::::| here a certain foolish, incompetent, and unskillful bhikkhu dwells observing the body in and of itself, with continuous effort, clearly aware and with excellent recollection, having removed |craving and distress::greediness and dissatisfaction, wanting and unhappiness, craving and aversion [abhijjhā + domanassa]| with regard to the world. As he dwells observing the body in and of itself, his mind does not become collected, and his |blemishes::flaws, imperfections, impurities [upakkilesā]| are not abandoned. He does not comprehend that theme. He dwells observing |felt experience::pleasant, neutral, or painful sensation, feeling felt on contact through eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind; second of the five aggregates [vedanā]| in and of itself ... |mind::mindset, disposition; the affective state of awareness experiencing the present moment [citta]| in and of itself ... |mental qualities::characteristics, traits, and tendencies of the mind, shaped by repeated actions and sustained attention, guided by particular ways of understanding; they may be wholesome or unwholesome, bright or dark [dhammā]| in and of themselves, with continuous effort, clearly aware and with excellent recollection, having removed craving and distress with regard to the world. As he dwells observing the mental qualities in and of themselves, his mind does not become collected, and his blemishes are not abandoned. He does not comprehend that theme.
Sa kho so, bhikkhave, bālo abyatto akusalo bhikkhu na ceva lābhī hoti diṭṭheva dhamme sukhavihārānaṁ, na lābhī satisampajaññassa. Taṁ kissa hetu? Tathā hi so, bhikkhave, bālo abyatto akusalo bhikkhu sakassa cittassa nimittaṁ na uggaṇhāti.
That foolish, incompetent, and unskillful bhikkhu|, bhikkhus,::::| does not gain pleasant abidings in this very life, nor does he gain |radical comprehension::complete comprehension of the arising, persisting, and fading away of phenomena, structural comprehension, discerning mindfulness [satisampajañña]|. For what reason? Because|, bhikkhus,::::| that foolish, incompetent, and unskillful bhikkhu does not grasp the theme of his own mind.
Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, paṇḍito byatto kusalo sūdo rājānaṁ vā rājamahāmattaṁ vā nānaccayehi sūpehi paccupaṭṭhito assa— ambilaggehipi, tittakaggehipi, kaṭukaggehipi, madhuraggehipi, khārikehipi, akhārikehipi, loṇikehipi, aloṇikehipi.
Suppose|, bhikkhus,::::| a wise, competent, and skillful cook were to serve a king or a royal minister with various kinds of curries: predominantly sour, bitter, spicy, sweet, hot, mild, salty, and bland.
Sa kho so, bhikkhave, paṇḍito byatto kusalo sūdo sakassa bhattu nimittaṁ uggaṇhāti: ‘idaṁ vā me ajja bhattu sūpeyyaṁ ruccati, imassa vā abhiharati, imassa vā bahuṁ gaṇhāti, imassa vā vaṇṇaṁ bhāsati. Ambilaggaṁ vā me ajja bhattu sūpeyyaṁ ruccati, ambilaggassa vā abhiharati, ambilaggassa vā bahuṁ gaṇhāti, ambilaggassa vā vaṇṇaṁ bhāsati. Tittakaggaṁ vā me ajja … kaṭukaggaṁ vā me ajja … madhuraggaṁ vā me ajja … khārikaṁ vā me ajja … akhārikaṁ vā me ajja … loṇikaṁ vā me ajja … aloṇikaṁ vā me ajja bhattu sūpeyyaṁ ruccati, aloṇikassa vā abhiharati, aloṇikassa vā bahuṁ gaṇhāti, aloṇikassa vā vaṇṇaṁ bhāsatī’ti.
That wise, competent, and skillful cook|, bhikkhus,::::| picks up on his master’s preference: ‘Today this curry pleased my master, or he reached for this one, or he took a lot of this one, or he spoke in praise of this one; or the sour curry pleased my master today, or he reached for the sour one, or he took a lot of the sour one, or he spoke in praise of the sour one; or the bitter curry pleased my master today ... the spicy one ... the sweet one ... the hot one ... the mild one ... the salty one ... or today the bland curry pleased my master, or he reached for the bland one, or he took a lot of the bland one, or he spoke in praise of the bland one.’
Sa kho so, bhikkhave, paṇḍito byatto kusalo sūdo lābhī ceva hoti acchādanassa, lābhī vetanassa, lābhī abhihārānaṁ. Taṁ kissa hetu? Tathā hi so, bhikkhave, paṇḍito byatto kusalo sūdo sakassa bhattu nimittaṁ uggaṇhāti.
That wise, competent, and skillful cook|, bhikkhus,::::| gains clothing, gains wages, and gains bonuses. For what reason? Because|, bhikkhus,::::| that wise, competent, and skillful cook picks up on his master’s preference.
Evameva kho, bhikkhave, idhekacco paṇḍito byatto kusalo bhikkhu kāye kāyānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ. Tassa kāye kāyānupassino viharato cittaṁ samādhiyati, upakkilesā pahīyanti. So taṁ nimittaṁ uggaṇhāti. Vedanāsu vedanānupassī viharati …pe… citte cittānupassī viharati …pe… dhammesu dhammānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ. Tassa dhammesu dhammānupassino viharato cittaṁ samādhiyati, upakkilesā pahīyanti. So taṁ nimittaṁ uggaṇhāti.
Even so, |bhikkhus,::::| here a certain wise, competent, and skillful bhikkhu dwells observing the body in and of itself, with continuous effort, clearly aware and with excellent recollection, having removed craving and distress with regard to the world. As he dwells observing the body in and of itself, his mind becomes collected, and his blemishes are abandoned. He comprehends that theme. He dwells observing felt experience in and of itself ... mind in and of itself ... mental qualities in and of themselves, with continuous effort, clearly aware and with excellent recollection, having removed craving and distress with regard to the world. As he dwells observing the mental qualities in and of themselves, his mind becomes collected, and his blemishes are abandoned. He comprehends that theme.
Sa kho so, bhikkhave, paṇḍito byatto kusalo bhikkhu lābhī ceva hoti diṭṭheva dhamme sukhavihārānaṁ, lābhī hoti satisampajaññassa. Taṁ kissa hetu? Tathā hi so, bhikkhave, paṇḍito byatto kusalo bhikkhu sakassa cittassa nimittaṁ uggaṇhātī”ti.
That wise, competent, and skillful bhikkhu|, bhikkhus,::::| gains pleasant abidings in this very life, and he gains radical comprehension. For what reason? Because|, bhikkhus,::::| that wise, competent, and skillful bhikkhu grasps the theme of his own mind.”