Majjhima Nikāya
III. Upari Paṇṇāsa
5. Saḷāyatana Vagga
The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha
Sutta 151
Piṇḍapāta-Pārisuddhi Suttaɱ
The Purification of Almsfood
Translated from the Pali by Ñanamoli Thera.
edited and revised by Bhikkhu Bodhi.
© 1995 Bhikkhu Bodhi
Published by
Wisdom Publications
Boston, MA 02115
From The Lion's Roar: Two Discourses of the Buddha (WH 390/391),
edited and revised by Bhikkhu Bodhi,
(Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society, 1993).
Copyright ©1993 Buddhist Publication Society.
[1][chlm][pts][upal][than] THUS HAVE I HEARD. On one occasion the Blessed One was living at Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrels' Sanctuary. Then, when it was evening, the venerable Sāriputta rose from meditation and went to the Blessed One. After paying homage to him, he sat down at one side. The Blessed One then said to him:
2. "Sāriputta, your faculties are clear. The colour of your skin is pure and bright. What abiding do you often abide in now, Sāriputta?"
"Now, venerable sir, I often abide in voidness."[1347]
"Good, good, Sāriputta! Now, indeed, you often abide in the abiding of a great man. For this is the abiding of a great man, namely, voidness."[1348]
3. "So, Sāriputta, if a bhikkhu should wish: 'May I now often abide in voidness,' he should consider thus: 'On the path by which I went to the village for alms, or in the place where I wandered for alms, or on the path by which I returned from the almsround, was there any desire, lust, hate, delusion, or aversion in my mind regarding forms cognizable by the eye?'[1349] If, by so reviewing, he knows thus: 'On the path by which I went to the village for alms, or in the place where I wandered for alms, or on the path by which I returned from the almsround, there was desire, lust, hate, delusion, or aversion in my mind regarding forms cognizable by the eye,' then he should make an effort to abandon those evil unwholesome states. But if, by reviewing, he knows thus: 'On the path by which I went to the village for alms, and in the place where I wandered for alms, and on the path by which I returned from the almsround, there was no desire, lust, hate, delusion, or aversion in my mind regarding forms cognizable by the eye,' then he can abide happy and glad, training day and night in wholesome states.
4-8. "Again, Sāriputta, a bhikkhu should consider thus: 'On the path by which I went to the village for alms, or in the place where I wandered for alms, or on the path by which I returned from the almsround, was there any desire, lust, hate, delusion, or aversion in my mind regarding sounds cognizable by the ear? ... regarding odours cognizable by the nose? ... regarding flavours cognizable by the tongue? ... regarding tangibles cognizable by the body? ... regarding mind-objects cognizable by the mind?' If, by reviewing, he knows thus: 'On the path by which I went to the village for alms ... there was desire, lust, hate, delusion, or aversion in my mind regarding mind-objects cognizable by the mind,' then he should make an effort to abandon those evil unwholesome states. But if, by reviewing, he knows thus: 'On the path by which I went to the village for alms ... there was no desire, lust, hate, delusion, or aversion in my mind regarding mind-objects cognizable by the mind,' then he can abide happy and glad, training day and night in wholesome states.
9. "Again, Sāriputta, a bhikkhu should consider thus: 'Are the five cords of sensual pleasure abandoned in me?'[1350] If, by reviewing, he knows thus: 'The five cords of sensual pleasure are not abandoned in me,' then he should make an effort to abandon those five cords of sensual pleasure. But if, by reviewing, he knows thus: 'The five cords of sensual pleasure are abandoned in me,' then he can abide happy and glad, training day and night in wholesome states.
10. "Again, Sāriputta, a bhikkhu should consider thus: 'Are the five hindrances abandoned in me?' If, by reviewing, he knows thus: 'The five hindrances are not abandoned in me,' then he should make an effort to abandon those five hindrances. But if, by reviewing, he knows thus: 'The five hindrances are abandoned in me,' then he can abide happy and glad, training day and night in wholesome states.
11. "Again, Sāriputta, a bhikkhu should consider thus: 'Are the five aggregates affected by clinging fully understood by me?' If, by reviewing, he knows thus: 'The five aggregates affected by clinging are not fully understood by me,' then he should make an effort to fully understand those five aggregates affected by clinging. But if, by reviewing, he knows thus: 'The five aggregates affected by clinging are fully understood by me,' then he can abide happy and glad, training day and night in wholesome states.
12. "Again, Sāriputta, a bhikkhu should consider thus: 'Are the four foundations of mindfulness developed in me?' If, by reviewing, he knows thus: 'The four foundations of mindfulness are not developed in me,' then he should make an effort to develop those four foundations of mindfulness. But if, by reviewing, he knows thus: 'The four foundations of mindfulness are developed in me,' then he can abide happy and glad, training day and night in wholesome states.
13-19. "Again, Sāriputta, a bhikkhu should consider thus: 'Are the four right kinds of striving developed in me? ... Are the four bases for spiritual power developed in me? ... Are the five faculties developed in me? ... Are the five powers developed in me? ... Are the seven enlightenment factors developed in me? ... Is the Noble Eightfold Path developed in me? ... Are serenity and insight developed in me?' If, by reviewing, he knows thus: 'Serenity and insight are not developed in me,' then he should make an effort to develop them. But if, by reviewing, he knows thus: 'Serenity and insight are developed in me,' then he can abide happy and glad, training day and night in wholesome states.
20. "Again, Sāriputta, a bhikkhu should consider thus: 'Are true knowledge and deliverance realized by me?' If, by reviewing, he knows thus: 'True knowledge and deliverance are not realized by me,' then he should make an effort to realize true knowledge and deliverance. But if, by reviewing, he knows thus: 'True knowledge and deliverance are realized by me,' then he can abide happy and glad, training day and night in wholesome states.[1351]
21. "Sāriputta, whatever recluses and brahmins in the past have purified their almsfood have all done so by repeatedly reviewing thus. Whatever recluses and brahmins in the future will purify their almsfood will all do so by repeatedly reviewing thus. Whatever recluses and brahmins in the present are purifying their almsfood are all doing so by repeatedly reviewing thus. Therefore, Sāriputta, you should train thus: 'We will purify our almsfood by repeatedly reviewing thus."
'That is what the Blessed One said. The venerable Sāriputta was satisfied and delighted in the Blessed One's words.
[1347] MA: The arahant's fruition attainment of voidness. See n.458 and n.1144.
[1348] MA: This is the abiding of such great men (mahāpurisa) as Buddhas, paccekaBuddhas, and the great disciples of the Tathāgatas.
[1349] Among the five terms, desire and lust are synonymous as are hate and aversion.
[1350] Beginning with this section a sequence of development may be discerned. The abandoning of the five cords of sensual pleasure is the preliminary step for developing the jhāna, and the abandoning of the five hindrances (§10) the immediate antecedent to the attainment of the first jhāna. The full understanding of the five aggregates (§11) indicates the insight wisdom necessary to attain the path of stream-entry, and the sections on the thirty-seven aids to enlightenment (§§12-18) the cultivation of the factors needed to arrive at the intermediate stages of sanctity. The section on serenity and insight (§19), though applicable to all stages, can be seen as fully actualised by the non-returner striving for arahantship. Finally, the section on true knowledge and deliverance signifies the attainment of the path and fruit of arahantship.
[1351] Although the arahant, who has fully realized true knowledge and deliverance, has no need for further training, he continues to cultivate serenity and insight in order to enter into the bliss of the jhāna, the fruition attainment of arahantship, and the cessation of perception and feeling.
