Majjhima Nikāya
1. Mūla-Paṇṇāsa
2. Sīhanāda Vagga
The Middle Length Sayings
I. The First Fifty Discourses
2. The Division of the Lion's Roar
Sutta 16
Ceto-Khila Suttaṃ
Discourse on Mental Barrenness[1]
Translated from the Pali by I.B. Horner, M.MA.
Associate of Newham College, Cambridge
First Published in 1954
Copyright The Pali Text Society
Commercial Rights Reserved
For details see Terms of Use.
[1][bs][chlm][upal] THUS have I heard:
At one time the Lord was staying near Savatthī
in the Jeta Grove in Anathapiṇḍika's monastery.
There the Lord addressed the monks, saying:
"Monks."
"Revered One," these monks answered the Lord in assent.
The Lord spoke thus:
[2] "Monks, by whatever monk five mental barrennesses[2] are not got rid of,
five mental bondages[3] are not rooted out,
that he should come to growth,
expansion,
maturity[4]
in this Dhamma and discipline -
such a situation does not occur.
§
[3] Which are the five mental barrennesses
that are not got rid of by him?
[1] Herein, monks, the monk has doubts about the Teacher,
is perplexed,
is not convinced,
is not sure.
Monks, whatever monk has doubts about the Teacher,
is perplexed,
is not convinced,
is not sure,
his mind does not incline to ardour,
to continual application,
to perseverance,
to striving.
This is the first mental barrenness
that thus comes not to be got rid of
by him whose mind does not incline to ardour,
to continual application,
to perseverance,
to striving.
■
[2] And again, monks, the monk has doubts about Dhamma,
is perplexed,
is not convinced,
is not sure,
his mind does not incline to ardour,
to continual application,
to perseverance,
to striving.
This is the second mental barrenness
that thus comes not to be got rid of
by him whose mind does not incline to ardour,
to continual application,
to perseverance,
to striving.
■
[3] And again, monks, the monk has doubts about the Order,
is perplexed,
is not convinced,
is not sure,
his mind does not incline to ardour,
to continual application,
to perseverance,
to striving.
This is the third mental barrenness
that thus comes not to be got rid of
by him whose mind does not incline to ardour,
to continual application,
to perseverance,
to striving.
■
[4] And again, monks, the monk has doubts about the training,
is perplexed,
is not convinced,
is not sure,
his mind does not incline to ardour,
to continual application,
to perseverance,
to striving.
This is the fourth mental barrenness
that thus comes not to be got rid of
by him whose mind does not incline to ardour,
to continual application,
to perseverance,
to striving.
■
[5] And again, monks, a monk comes to be angry,
displeased with his fellow Brahma-farers,
the mind worsened,
barren.[5]
Monks, whatever monk comes to be angry,
displeased with his fellow Brahma-farers,
his mind worsened,
barren,
his mind does not incline to [133] ardour,
to continual application,
to perseverance,
to striving.
This is the fifth mental barrenness
that thus comes not to be got rid of
by him whose mind does not incline to ardour,
to continual application,
to perseverance,
to striving.
These are the five mental barrennesses that are not got rid of.
§
[4] And what are the five mental bondages that are not rooted out in him?
[1] In this case, monks, a monk is
not without attachment to sense-pleasures,
not without desire,
not without affection,
not without thirst,
not without fever,
not without craving.
Monks, whatever monk is
not without attachment to sense-pleasures,
not without desire,
not without affection,
not without thirst,
not without fever,
not without craving,
his mind does not incline to ardour,
to continual application,
to perseverance,
to striving.
This is the first mental bondage
that thus comes not to be rooted out
by him whose mind does not incline to ardour,
to continual application,
to perseverance,
to striving.
■
[2] And again, monks, a monk is
not without attachment to body[6],
not without desire,
not without affection,
not without thirst,
not without fever,
not without craving,
his mind does not incline to ardour,
to continual application,
to perseverance,
to striving.
This is the second mental bondage
that thus comes not to be rooted out
by him whose mind does not incline to ardour,
to continual application,
to perseverance,
to striving.
■
[3] And again, monks, a monk is
not without attachment to material shapes[7],
not without desire,
not without affection,
not without thirst,
not without fever,
not without craving,
his mind does not incline to ardour,
to continual application,
to perseverance,
to striving.
This is the the third mental bondage
that thus comes not to be rooted out
by him whose mind does not incline to ardour,
to continual application,
to perseverance,
to striving.
■
[4] And again, monks, a monk
having eaten as much as his belly will hold,
lives intent on the ease of bed,
on the ease of lying down,
on the ease of slumber.
Whatever monk, having eaten as much as his belly will hold,
lives intent on the ease of bed,
on the ease of lying down,
on the ease of slumber,
his mind does not incline to ardour,
to continual application,
to perseverance,
to striving.
This is the fourth mental bondage
that comes to be not rooted out
by him whose mind does not incline to ardour,
to continual application,
to perseverance,
to striving.
■
[5] And again, monks, a monk
fares the Brahma-faring
aspiring after some class of devas, thinking:
'By this moral habit
or custom
or austerity
or Brahma-faring
I will become a deva[8]
or one among the devas.[8]
Whatever monk fares the Brahma-faring
aspiring after some class of devas, thinking;
'By this moral habit
or custom
or austerity
or Brahma-faring
I will become a deva
or one among the devas',
his mind does not incline to ardour,
to continual application,
to perseverance,
to striving.
This is the fifth mental bondage
that comes not to be rooted out
by him whose mind does not incline [134] to ardour,
to continual application,
to perseverance,
to striving.
These are his five mental bondages
that are not rooted out.
[5] Monks, by whatever monk
these five mental barrennesses
are not got rid of,
these five mental bondages are not rooted out,
that he should come to growth,
expansion,
maturity in this Dhamma and discipline -
such a situation does not occur.
§
[6] Monks, by whatever monk five mental barrennesses are got rid of,
five mental bondages are properly rooted out,
that he should come to growth,
expansion,
maturity in this Dhamma and discipline -
this situation occurs.
§
[7] Which are the five mental barrennesses that are got rid of by him?
[1] Herein, monks, a monk
has no doubts about the Teacher,
is not perplexed,
is convinced,
is sure.
Monks, whatever monk has no doubts about the Teacher,
is not perplexed,
is convinced,
is sure,
his mind inclines to ardour,
to continual application,
to perseverance,
to striving.
This is the first mental barrenness
that comes to be got rid of
by him whose mind inclines to ardour,
to continual application,
to perseverance,
to striving.
■
[2] And again, monks,
a monk has no doubts about Dhamma,
is not perplexed,
is convinced,
is sure.
Monks, whatever monk has no doubts about the Dhamma,
is not perplexed,
is convinced,
is sure,
his mind inclines to ardour,
to continual application,
to perseverance,
to striving.
This is the second mental barrenness
that comes to be got rid of
by him whose mind inclines to ardour,
to continual application,
to perseverance,
to striving.
■
[3] And again, monks, a monk has no doubts about the Order,
is not perplexed,
is convinced,
is sure.
Monks, whatever monk has no doubts about the Order,
is not perplexed,
is convinced,
is sure,
his mind inclines to ardour,
to continual application,
to perseverance,
to striving.
This is the third mental barrenness
that comes to be got rid of
by him whose mind inclines to ardour,
to continual application,
to perseverance,
to striving.
■
[4] And again, monks, a monk has no doubts about the training,
is not perplexed,
is convinced,
is sure.
Monks, whatever monk has no doubts about the training,
is not perplexed,
is convinced,
is sure,
his mind inclines to ardour,
to continual application,
to perseverance,
to striving.
This is the fourth mental barrenness
that comes to be got rid of
by him whose mind inclines to ardour,
to continual application,
to perseverance,
to striving.
■
[5] And again, monks, a monk
does not come to be angry,
displeased with his fellow Brahma-farers,
the mind worsened,
barren.
Monks, whatever monk does not come to be angry,
displeased with his fellow Brahma-farers,
his mind worsened,
barren,
his mind inclines to ardour,
to continual application,
to perseverance,
to striving.
This is the fifth mental barrenness
that thus comes to be got rid of
by him whose mind inclines to ardour,
to continual application,
to perseverance,
to striving.
These are the five mental barrennesses
that are got rid of by him.
§
[8] And what are the five mental bondages
that are properly rooted out by him?
[1] In this case, monks, a monk
comes to be without attachment to sense-pleasures,
without desire,
without affection,
without thirst,
without fever,
without craving.
Whatever monk is without attachment to sense-pleasures,
without desire,
without affection,
without thirst,
without fever,
without craving,
his mind inclines to ardour,
to continual application,
to perseverance,
to striving.
This is the first mental bondage
that comes to be properly rooted out
by him whose mind inclines to ardour,
to continual application,
to perseverance,
to striving.
■
[2] And again, monks, a monk
comes to be without attachment to body,
without desire,
without affection,
without thirst,
without fever,
without craving.
Whatever monk is without attachment to body,
without desire,
without affection,
without thirst,
without fever,
without craving,
his mind inclines to ardour,
to continual application,
to perseverance,
to striving.
This is the second mental bondage
that comes to be properly rooted out
by him whose mind inclines to ardour,
to continual application,
to perseverance,
to striving.
■
[3] And again, monks, a monk
comes to be without attachment to material shapes,
without desire,
without affection,
without thirst,
without fever,
without craving.
Whatever monk is without attachment to material shapes,
without desire,
without affection,
without thirst,
without fever,
without craving,
his mind inclines to ardour,
to continual application,
to perseverance,
to striving.
This is the third mental bondage
that comes to be properly rooted out
by him whose mind inclines to ardour,
to continual application,
to perseverance,
to striving.
■
[4] And again, monks, a monk
not having eaten as much as his belly will hold,
does not live intent on the ease [135] of bed,
on the ease of lying down,
on the ease of slumber.
Whatever monk,
not having eaten as much as his belly will hold,
does not live intent on the ease of bed,
on the ease of lying down,
on the ease of slumber,
his mind inclines to ardour,
to continual application,
to perseverance,
to striving.
This is the fourth mental bondage
that comes to be properly rooted out
by him whose mind inclines to ardour,
to continual application,
to perseverance,
to striving.
■
[5] And again, monks, a monk does not fare the Brahma-faring
aspiring after some class of devas
and thinking:
'By this moral habit
or custom
or austerity
or Brahma-faring
I will become a deva
or one among the devas.'
Whatever monk does not fare the Brahma-faring
aspiring after some class of devas
and thinking:
'By this moral habit
or custom
or austerity
or Brahma-faring
I will become a deva
or one among the devas'
his mind inclines to ardour,
to continual application,
to perseverance,
to striving.
This is the fifth mental bondage
that comes to be properly rooted out
by him whose mind inclines to ardour,
to continual application,
to perseverance,
to striving.
These are the five forms of mental bondage
that are properly rooted out in him.
§
[9] Monks, by whatever monk these five forms of mental barrenness are got rid of,
these five forms of mental bondage
are properly rooted out,
that he should come to growth,
expansion,
maturity
in this Dhamma and discipline -
such a situation occurs.
§
[10] [1] He cultivates the basis of psychic power[9]
that is possessed of concentration of intention
with activities of striving;
[2] he cultivates the basis of psychic power
that is possessed of concentration of energy
with activities of striving;
[3] he cultivates the basis of psychic power
that is possessed of concentration of consciousness
with activities of striving;
[4] he cultivates the basis of psychic power
that is possessed of concentration of investigation
with activities of striving,
with exertion as the fifth.
■
[11] Monks, if a monk is thus possessed of fifteen factors
including exertion[10]
he becomes one[11] for successful breaking through,[12]
he becomes one for awakening,
he becomes one for winning
the incomparable security from the bonds.[13]
■
Monks, [136] it is as if[14] there were
eight
or ten
or a dozen
hen's eggs
properly sat on,
properly incubated,
properly hatched
by that hen;
such a wish as this would not arise in that hen:
'O may my chicks,
having pierced through the egg-shells
with the point of the claw on their feet
or with their beaks,
break forth safely,'
for these chicks were ones
who were able to break forth safely
having pierced through the egg-shells
with the point of the claw on their feet
or with their beaks.
Even so, monks,
is it that a monk who is thus possessed of the fifteen factors
including exertion
becomes one for successful breaking through,
he becomes one for awakening,
he becomes one for winning
the incomparable security from the bonds."
Thus spoke the Lord.
Delighted, these monks rejoiced in what the Lord had said.
Discourse on Mental Barrenness:
The Sixth
[1] Or "spikes," khila being a post.
[2] Cf. D. iii. 237; A. iii. 248, iv. 460, v. 17.
[3] The same references apply here; and see below, M. i. 103.
[4] MA. ii. 68, in the moral habits, the Way, nibbāna, respectively; or, in moral habit and concentration, insight and the way, the fruits and nibbāna.
[5] Cf. Vin. iii. 163, 255, iv. 236, 238; D. iii. 238.
[6] MA. ii. 69, his own body.
[7] Ibid., external ones.
[8] Ibid., a deva of great or little esteem.
[9] Cf. D. iii. 77, 221; A. i. 39; S. v. 263 ff.; Vbh. 216 ff.; Vism. 385.
[10] MA. ii. 69, the five mental barrennesses, the five mental bondages, the four bases of psychic power, with exertion. "Exertion," ussoḷhi, is rendered at MA. ii. 69 as energy (viriya) in regard to all that should be done. Viriya is virility, manliness, heroism.
[11] bhabho. MA. ii. 09, anurūpo anucchaviko, fit, suitable for.
[12] MA. ii. 69, of the kilesa by knowledge. Cf. M. i. 357.
[13] MA. ii. 69, from the four bonds, yoga (which is equivalent to arahantship).
[14] = M. i. 357 = A. iv. 126 = S. iii. 154; cf. A. iv. 176, Vin. iii. 3.
