Chabbisodhanasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 112

The Sixfold Purification · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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I refrained from injuring plants and seeds. I ate in one part of the day, abstaining from eating at night and food at the wrong time. I refrained from seeing shows of dancing, singing, and music. I refrained from attiring and adorning myself with garlands, fragrance, and makeup. I refrained from high and luxurious beds. I refrained from receiving gold and currency, raw grains, raw meat, women and girls, male and female bondservants, goats and sheep, chicken and pigs, elephants, cows, horses, and mares, and fields and land. I refrained from running errands and messages; buying and selling; falsifying weights, metals, or measures; bribery, fraud, cheating, and duplicity; mutilation, murder, abduction, banditry, plunder, and violence. I became content with robes to look after the body and almsfood to look after the belly. Wherever I went, I set out taking only these things. Like a bird: wherever it flies, wings are its only burden. In the same way, I became content with robes to look after the body and almsfood to look after the belly. Wherever I went, I set out taking only these things.

So iminā ariyena sīlakkhandhena samannāgato ajjhattaṁ anavajjasukhaṁ paṭisaṁvedesiṁ.

When I had this spectrum of noble ethics, I experienced a blameless happiness inside myself.

So cakkhunā rūpaṁ disvā na nimittaggāhī ahosiṁ nānubyañjanaggāhī;
yatvādhikaraṇamenaṁ cakkhundriyaṁ asaṁvutaṁ viharantaṁ abhijjhādomanassā pāpakā akusalā dhammā anvāssaveyyuṁ, tassa saṁvarāya paṭipajjiṁ; rakkhiṁ cakkhundriyaṁ, cakkhundriye saṁvaraṁ āpajjiṁ.
Sotena saddaṁ sutvā …pe…
ghānena gandhaṁ ghāyitvā …pe…
jivhāya rasaṁ sāyitvā …pe…
kāyena phoṭṭhabbaṁ phusitvā …pe…
manasā dhammaṁ viññāya na nimittaggāhī ahosiṁ nānubyañjanaggāhī;
yatvādhikaraṇamenaṁ manindriyaṁ asaṁvutaṁ viharantaṁ abhijjhādomanassā pāpakā akusalā dhammā anvāssaveyyuṁ, tassa saṁvarāya paṭipajjiṁ; rakkhiṁ manindriyaṁ, manindriye saṁvaraṁ āpajjiṁ.
So iminā ariyena indriyasaṁvarena samannāgato ajjhattaṁ abyāsekasukhaṁ paṭisaṁvedesiṁ.

When I saw a sight with my eyes, I didn’t get caught up in the features and details. If the faculty of sight were left unrestrained, bad unskillful qualities of covetousness and displeasure would become overwhelming. For this reason, I practiced restraint, protecting the faculty of sight, and achieving its restraint. When I heard a sound with my ears … When I smelled an odor with my nose … When I tasted a flavor with my tongue … When I felt a touch with my body … When I knew an idea with my mind, I didn’t get caught up in the features and details. If the faculty of the mind were left unrestrained, bad unskillful qualities of covetousness and displeasure would become overwhelming. For this reason, I practiced restraint, protecting the faculty of the mind, and achieving its restraint. When I had this noble sense restraint, I experienced an unsullied bliss inside myself.

So abhikkante paṭikkante sampajānakārī ahosiṁ, ālokite vilokite sampajānakārī ahosiṁ, samiñjite pasārite sampajānakārī ahosiṁ, saṅghāṭipattacīvaradhāraṇe sampajānakārī ahosiṁ, asite pīte khāyite sāyite sampajānakārī ahosiṁ, uccārapassāvakamme sampajānakārī ahosiṁ, gate ṭhite nisinne sutte jāgarite bhāsite tuṇhībhāve sampajānakārī ahosiṁ.
So iminā ca ariyena sīlakkhandhena samannāgato, imāya ca ariyāya santuṭṭhiyā samannāgato, iminā ca ariyena indriyasaṁvarena samannāgato, iminā ca ariyena satisampajaññena samannāgato
vivittaṁ senāsanaṁ bhajiṁ araññaṁ rukkhamūlaṁ pabbataṁ kandaraṁ giriguhaṁ susānaṁ vanapatthaṁ abbhokāsaṁ palālapuñjaṁ.
So pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkanto nisīdiṁ pallaṅkaṁ ābhujitvā ujuṁ kāyaṁ paṇidhāya parimukhaṁ satiṁ upaṭṭhapetvā.

I acted with situational awareness when going out and coming back; when looking ahead and aside; when bending and extending the limbs; when bearing the outer robe, bowl and robes; when eating, drinking, chewing, and tasting; when urinating and defecating; when walking, standing, sitting, sleeping, waking, speaking, and keeping silent. When I had this spectrum of noble ethics, this noble contentment, this noble sense restraint, and this noble mindfulness and situational awareness, I frequented a secluded lodging—a wilderness, the root of a tree, a hill, a ravine, a mountain cave, a charnel ground, a forest, the open air, a heap of straw. After the meal, I returned from almsround, sat down cross-legged, set my body straight, and brought mindfulness to the present.

So abhijjhaṁ loke pahāya vigatābhijjhena cetasā vihāsiṁ, abhijjhāya cittaṁ parisodhesiṁ.
Byāpādapadosaṁ pahāya abyāpannacitto vihāsiṁ sabbapāṇabhūtahitānukampī, byāpādapadosā cittaṁ parisodhesiṁ.
Thinamiddhaṁ pahāya vigatathinamiddho vihāsiṁ ālokasaññī sato sampajāno, thinamiddhā cittaṁ parisodhesiṁ.
Uddhaccakukkuccaṁ pahāya anuddhato vihāsiṁ ajjhattaṁ, vūpasantacitto, uddhaccakukkuccā cittaṁ parisodhesiṁ.
Vicikicchaṁ pahāya tiṇṇavicikiccho vihāsiṁ akathaṅkathī kusalesu dhammesu, vicikicchāya cittaṁ parisodhesiṁ.

Giving up covetousness for the world, I meditated with a heart rid of covetousness, cleansing the mind of covetousness. Giving up ill will and malevolence, I meditated with a mind rid of ill will, full of sympathy for all living beings, cleansing the mind of ill will. Giving up dullness and drowsiness, I meditated with a mind rid of dullness and drowsiness, perceiving light, mindful and aware, cleansing the mind of dullness and drowsiness. Giving up restlessness and remorse, I meditated without restlessness, my mind settled internally, cleansing the mind of restlessness and remorse. Giving up doubt, I meditated having gone beyond doubt, not undecided about skillful qualities, cleansing the mind of doubt.

So ime pañca nīvaraṇe pahāya cetaso upakkilese paññāya dubbalīkaraṇe
vivicceva kāmehi vivicca akusalehi dhammehi savitakkaṁ savicāraṁ vivekajaṁ pītisukhaṁ paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja vihāsiṁ.
Vitakkavicārānaṁ vūpasamā ajjhattaṁ sampasādanaṁ cetaso ekodibhāvaṁ avitakkaṁ avicāraṁ samādhijaṁ pītisukhaṁ dutiyaṁ jhānaṁ …pe…
tatiyaṁ jhānaṁ …
catutthaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja vihāsiṁ.

I gave up these five hindrances, corruptions of the heart that weaken wisdom. Then, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskillful qualities, I entered and remained in the first absorption, which has the rapture and bliss born of seclusion, while placing the mind and keeping it connected. As the placing of the mind and keeping it connected were stilled, I entered and remained in the second absorption … third absorption … fourth absorption.

When my mind had immersed in samādhi like this—purified, bright, flawless, rid of corruptions, pliable, workable, steady, and imperturbable—I extended it toward knowledge of the ending of defilements. I truly understood: “This is suffering” … “This is the origin of suffering” … “This is the cessation of suffering” … “This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering”. I truly understood: “These are defilements” … “This is the origin of defilements” … “This is the cessation of defilements” … “This is the practice that leads to the cessation of defilements”.

Tassa me evaṁ jānato evaṁ passato kāmāsavāpi cittaṁ vimuccittha, bhavāsavāpi cittaṁ vimuccittha, avijjāsavāpi cittaṁ vimuccittha.
Vimuttasmiṁ vimuttamiti ñāṇaṁ ahosi.
Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyāti abbhaññāsiṁ.
Evaṁ kho me, āvuso, jānato evaṁ passato imasmiñca saviññāṇake kāye bahiddhā ca sabbanimittesu ahaṅkāramamaṅkāramānānusayā samūhatā’ti.

Knowing and seeing like this, my mind was freed from the defilements of sensuality, desire to be reborn, and ignorance. When it was freed, I knew it was freed. I understood: “Rebirth is ended; the spiritual journey has been completed; what had to be done has been done; there is nothing further for this place.” That is how I know and see so that I have eradicated I-making, mine-making, and the underlying tendency to conceit for this conscious body and externally for all signs.’

Tassa, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno ‘sādhū’ti bhāsitaṁ abhinanditabbaṁ anumoditabbaṁ.
‘Sādhū’ti bhāsitaṁ abhinanditvā anumoditvā evamassa vacanīyo:
‘lābhā no, āvuso, suladdhaṁ no, āvuso,
ye mayaṁ āyasmantaṁ tādisaṁ sabrahmacāriṁ samanupassāmā’”ti.
Idamavoca bhagavā.
Attamanā te bhikkhū bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandunti.
Chabbisodhanasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ dutiyaṁ.

Saying ‘Good!’ you should applaud and cheer that mendicant’s statement, and then say to them: ‘We are fortunate, reverend, so very fortunate to see a venerable such as yourself as one of our spiritual companions!’” That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, the mendicants approved what the Buddha said.

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