Sacred Books of the Buddhists
Volume IV
Dīgha Nikāya
Dialogues of the Buddha
Part III
Sutta 33
Saṇgīti Suttantaṃ
The Recital
Nines
Translated from the Pali by T.W. Rhys Davids and
C.A.F. Rhys Davids
Public Domain
Originally published under the patronage of
His Majesty King Chulālankarana,
King of Siam
by The Pali Text Society, Oxford
[243] There are Nines in the Doctrine, friends, which are perfectly set forth by the Exalted One who knows, who sees.
Herein there should be a chanting by all in concord, not a wrangling, that thus this holy life may persist and be long maintained.
That may be for the welfare and happiness of many folk, for compassion on the world, for the good, the welfare, the happiness of devas and of men.
Which are they?
[9.01][wlsh][olds] Nine bases of quarrelling, thus: —
quarrelling is stirred up[1] at the thought:
'he has done me an injury,'
or 'he is doing me an injury,'
or 'he will do me an injury,'
or 'he has done,
is doing,
will do an injury to one I love,'
or 'he has bestowed a benefit,
is bestowing,
will bestow a benefit on one I dislike.'
[9.02][wlsh][olds] Nine suppressions of quarrelling, thus: —
quarrelling is suppressed by the thought:
'He has done,
[263]is doing,
will do me an injury,
or 'he has done,
is doing,
will do an injury to one I love',
or 'he has bestowed,
is bestowing,
will bestow a benefit on one I dislike',
true, but what gain would there be to either of us if I quarrelled about it?'[2]
[9.03][wlsh][olds] Nine spheres inhabited by beings.[ed1].
(1) There are beings, brethren, who are diverse both in body and in mind, such as mankind, certain devas and some who have gone to an evil doom.
(2) Other beings are diverse of body, but uniform in mind, such as the devas of the Brahma-world, reborn there from [practice here of] first [Jhāna].
(3) Others are uniform in body, diverse in intelligence, such as the Radiant Devas.
(4) Others are uniform both in body and in intelligence, such as the All-Lustrous Devas.
(5) There are beings without perception or feeling. These live in [244] the sphere of the 'unconscious devas.'[3]
(6) There are beings who having passed wholly beyond awareness of material qualities, by the dying out of sensory reaction, by unheeding the awareness of difference, have attained to the sphere of infinite space with a consciousness thereof.
(7) There are beings who having passed wholly beyond awareness of the sphere of infinite space, have attained to the sphere of infinite consciousness with a consciousness thereof.
(8) There are beings who having passed wholly beyond awareness of the sphere of infinite consciousness, have attained to the sphere of nothingness with a consciousness thereof.
(9) There are beings who having passed wholly beyond awareness of the sphere of nothingness, have attained to the sphere of neither consciousness nor yet unconsciousness with a consciousness thereof.[4]
[9.04][wlsh][olds] Nine untimely unseasonable intervals for life in a religious order,
[264] (1) A Tathāgata, friends, is born into the world, Arahant Buddha Supreme. The Norm is taught, quenching [the passions],[5] extinguishing [the passions], leading to enlightenment, declared by the Well-Farer. And this person is reborn at that time in purgatory. This is the first untimely, unseasonable period for living in a religious order.
(2) A Tathāgata, friends, is born into the world, Arahant Buddha Supreme. The Norm is taught, quenching [the passions], extinguishing [the passions], leading to enlightenment, declared by the Well-Farer.
And this person is reborn at that time in the animal kingdom. This is the second untimely, unseasonable period for living in a religious order.
(3) A Tathāgata, friends, is born into the world, Arahant Buddha Supreme. The Norm is taught, quenching [the passions], extinguishing [the passions], leading to enlightenment, declared by the Well-Farer. And this person is reborn at that time among the Petas. This is the third untimely, unseasonable period for living in a religious order.
(4) A Tathāgata, friends, is born into the world, Arahant Buddha Supreme. The Norm is taught, quenching [the passions], extinguishing [the passions], leading to enlightenment, declared by the Well-Farer. And this person is reborn at that time among the Asuras. This is the fourth untimely, unseasonable period for living in a religious order.
(5) A Tathāgata, friends, is born into the world, Arahant Buddha Supreme. The Norm is taught, quenching [the passions], extinguishing [the passions], leading to enlightenment, declared by the Well-Farer. And this person is reborn at that time among some long-lived deva community. This is the fifth untimely, unseasonable period for living in a religious order.
(6) A Tathāgata, friends, is born into the world, Arahant Buddha Supreme. The Norm is taught, quenching [the passions], extinguishing [the passions], leading to enlightenment, declared by the Well-Farer. And this person is reborn at that time in the border countries among unintelligent barbarians, where there is no opening for members of the Order or lay-brethren. This is the sixth untimely, unseasonable period for living in a religious order.
(7) A Tathāgata, friends, is born into the world, Arahant Buddha Supreme. The Norm is taught, quenching [the passions], extinguishing [the passions], leading to enlightenment, declared by the Well-Farer. And this person is reborn at that time in the middle countries, but he holds wrong opinions and has perverted vision, holding that gifts,[6] offerings, oblations are as naught, for there is no fruit nor result of deeds well or ill done; [265] there are no parents nor birth without them; there are no recluses or brahmins in the world who have attained the highest, leading perfect lives, and who, havintg known and realized each for himself the truth as to this and the next world, do reveal it. This is the seventh untimely,
unseasonable period for living in a religious order.
(8) A Tathāgata, friends, is born into the world, Arahant Buddha Supreme. The Norm is taught, quenching [the passions], extinguishing [the passions], leading to enlightenment, declared by the Well-Farer.
And though reborn at the time in the Middle countries, he is stupid, dull, or deaf and dumb, unable to know whether a matter has been well said or ill said. This is the eighth untimely, unseasonable period for living in a religious order.
(9) Or finally, friends, a Tathāgata has not arisen in the world as Arahant Buddha Supreme, the [245] Norm is not taught, quenching [the passions], extinguishing [the passions], leading to enlightenment, as revealed by the Well-Farer; and this person is [in that interval] reborn in the Middle country, is intelligent, bright of wit, nor deaf-mute, able to know whether a matter has been well said or ill said. This is the ninth untimely, unseasonable period for living in a religious order.
[9.05][wlsh][olds] Nine successional states, to wit,
(1) Herein, friends, a brother, aloof from sensuous appetites, aloof from evil ideas, enters into and abides in the First Jhāna, wherein there is initiative and sustained thought, which is born of solitude, and is full of zest and ease.
(2) when suppressing initiative and sustained thought, he enters into and abides in the Second Jhāna, which is self-evoked, born of concentration, full of zest and ease, in that, set free from initial and sustained thought, the mind grows calm and sure, dwelling on high.
(3) when, no longer fired with zest, abides calmly contemplative, while mindful and self-possessed he feel in his body that ease whereof Ariyans declare: He that is calmly contemplative and aware, he dwelleth at ease, so does he enter into and abide in the Third Jhāna.
(4) by putting aside ease and by putting aside malaise, by the passing away of the joy and the sorrow he used to feel, he enters into and abides in the Fourth Jhāna, rapture of utter purity of mindfulness and equanimity, wherein neither ease is felt nor any ill.
(5) By passing beyond the consciousness of matter, by the dying out of the sensation of resistance, by paying no heed to the idea of difference, at the thought: 'space is infinite!' attains to and abides in the conceptual sphere of space as infinite.
(6) Having wholly transcended the sphere of space, at the thought: 'Infinite is consciousness!' he attaines to and abides in the conceptual sphere of consciousness as infinite.
(7) Having wholly transcended the of consciousness, at the thought: 'It is nothing!' he attains to and abides in the conceptual sphere of nothingness.
(8) Having wholly transcended the sphere of nothingness, he attains to and abides in the sphere of neither consciousness nor unconsciousness.
[266] (9) and complete trance.[7]
[9.06][wlsh][olds] Nine successional cessations, thus: — Taking each of the foregoing nine in order, by the attainment of (1) First Jhāna, sensuous perceptions cease,
(2) Second Jhāna, applied and sustained thought ceases,
(3) Third Jhāna zest ceases,
(4) Fourth Jhāna, respiration ceases,
(5) by the perception of infinite space, perception of material things ceases,
(6) by the perception of infinite consciousness, perception of infinite space ceases,
(7) by the perception of nothingness, perception of infinite consciousness ceases,
(8) by the perception that is neither conscious nor yet unconscious, perception of nothingness ceases,
(9) by the cessation of perception and feeling, perception that is neither conscious nor yet unconscious ceases.
These Ninefold doctrines friends, have been perfectly set forth by the Exalted One who knows, who sees.
Hereon there should be a chanting by all in concord, not a wrangling, that thus this holy life may persist and be long maintained.
That may be for the welfare and happiness of many folk, for compassion on the world, for the good, the welfare, the happiness of devas and of men.
[1] Āghātaṃ bandhati.
[2] So Comy. Cf. Vis. Magga, p. 297 f.
[3] Assuming as the Buddhist does, that in Jhāna ecstasy, terrestrial consciousness was exchanged for other-world consciousness, he was logically driven to assume also a source for the abnormal state of mind supervening in complete trance.
[4] As above 3, I, xi [Ed.: ? [DN 33.4.7]]
[5] Kilesā. So B.
[6] See above. II, 73 ? [ed: DN 2 §23]
[7] Cf. above 1, II, iv., ? [Ed.: DN 33.4.4 and 3, I, xi. DN.33.4.7].
[ed1]
RD abridges: "The first four are described in terms verbatim of the first four stations of consciousness [2. 3, x.]"
At DN 33.4.18 Four stations of consciousness are given:
Brethren, when consciousness gaining a foothold persists, it is either in connection with material qualities,
or with [a co-efficient of] feeling, or perception or volitional complexes. In connection with any of these as an instrument, as an object of thought, as a platform, as a set of enjoyment, it attains to growth, increase, abundance.
But these are really just the expansion of the four foods. The propper four also exist at Vol.2:#15:33:
'There are beings differing in body and differing in intelligence, for instance, human beings and certain of the gods and some of those in purgatory. This is the first resting place for Cognition.
'There are beings differing in body but of uniform intelligence, for instance, the gods of the Brahma-heaven who are there reborn by means of the First [Jhāna]. This is the second resting-place for Cognition.
'There are beings uniform in body and differing in intelligence, for instance, the Luminous Gods. This is the third resting place for Cognition.
'There are beings uniform in body and of uniform intelligence, for instance, the All-Lustrous Gods. This is the fourth resting place for Cognition.'
[Ones-Twos] [Threes] [Fours] [Fives] [Sixes] [Sevens] [Eights] [Nines] [Tens]
