Saṃyutta Nikāya,
V: Mahā-Vagga
47. Sati-Paṭṭhāna Saṃyutta
1. Ambapāli-Vagga
Sutta 4
Sālā Suttaṃ
The Lesson at Sālā
Translated from the Pāḷi
by
Michael M. Olds
[1][pts][bodh][than] I Hear Tell:
Once upon a time Bhagava, came revisiting the Kosalans
at Sālā,
a Brahmin village.
There to the beggars gathered round he said:
"To whomsoever, beggars,
are beggars that are novices,
lately come to this doctrine and discipline,
such beggars, beggars,
should be instructed in,
should be invested with,
should be repeatedly established in
making to live the four settings-up of mind.
And how, beggars,
are beggars that are novices,
lately come to this doctrine and discipline,
to be instructed in,
to be invested with,
to be repeatedly established in
making to live the four settings-up of mind?[1]
Saying:
'Come then, friends! live in the body
overseeing[2] the body,
ardent,
self-aware,
living at one,
glad-hearted,
serene,
single-minded,
knowing body as it is.
Live in sense experience
overseeing sense experience,
ardent,
self-aware,
living at one,
glad-hearted,
serene,
single-minded,
knowing sense experience as it is.
Live in the heart
overseeing the heart,
ardent,
self-aware,
living at one,
glad-hearted,
serene,
single-minded,
knowing the heart as it is.
Live in the Dhamma
overseeing the Dhamma,
ardent,
self-aware,
living at one,
glad-hearted,
serene,
single-minded,
knowing the Dhamma as it is.
§
Those too friends,[3]
who are beggars who are learners,
a little developed in mind,
living set on nothing less
than devotion to peace
these also live in the body
overseeing the body,
ardent,
self-aware,
living at one,
glad-hearted,
serene,
single-minded,
for the thorough comprehension of body.
They too live in sense experience
overseeing sense experience,
ardent,
self-aware,
living at one,
glad-hearted,
serene,
single-minded,
for the thorough comprehension of sense experience.
They too live in the heart
overseeing the heart,
ardent,
self-aware,
living at one,
glad-hearted,
serene,
single-minded,
for the thorough comprehension of the heart.
They too live in the Dhamma
overseeing the Dhamma,
ardent,
self-aware,
living at one,
glad-hearted,
serene,
single-minded,
for the thorough comprehension of Dhamma.
§
Those too friends, who are beggars,
who are Arahants,
who having destroyed the corrupting influences,
are fulfilled,
with duty's doing done,
having laid low the load,
plated the supreme,[4]
thoroughly destroyed the existence of the yokes to rebirth,
highest-omniscience-freed
these also live in the body
overseeing the body,
ardent,
self-aware,
living at one,
glad-hearted,
serene,
single-minded,
disconnected from body.
They too live in sense experience
overseeing sense experience,
ardent,
self-aware,
living at one,
glad-hearted,
serene,
single-minded,
disconnected from sense experience.
They too live in the heart
overseeing the heart,
ardent,
self-aware,
living at one,
glad-hearted,
serene,
single-minded,
disconnected from the heart.
They too live in the Dhamma
overseeing the Dhamma,
ardent,
self-aware,
living at one,
glad-hearted,
serene,
single-minded,
disconnected from the Dhamma.'
§
To whomsoever, beggars,
are beggars that are novices,
lately come to this doctrine and discipline,
such beggars, beggars,
should thus be instructed in,
should thus be invested with,
should thus be repeatedly established in
making to live the four settings-up of mind."
[1] I am taking the text's 'Katamesaṇ catunnaṃ? which does not make sense with what follows, as an abridgment. I also take the instruction to be all three examples (thereby giving the novices the reasons they should take this lesson seriously that is stated in the concluding remark,) not just the short form addressed to the novices with the subsequent forms intended for the audience of bhikkhus there present.
[2] Anupassi. Following-seeing. Observing and controlling. As in the over-seer of a property.
[3] The text has 'bhikkhus'. I base my understanding on the missing 'ti' following the first group. If I am correct and these following sections are also being directed at the novice, the term of address should be 'friends'.
[4] Anuppatta-sadatthā 'bowled-past the supreme. Rolled over. Plated as in 'landed', 'secured'. 'In the bag' or, strangely enough, 'put on the plate'.
