Dantabhūmisutta

Majjhima Nikāya 125

The Level of the Tamed · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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that himTamenaṁ the Realized Onetathāgato furtheruttariṁ guidesvineti:
come‘ehi youtvaṁ, mendicantbhikkhu, in the bodykāye observing an aspect of the bodykāyānupassī meditateviharāhi, do notmā andca connected with sensual pleasureskāmūpasaṁhitaṁ thoughtvitakkaṁ thinkvitakkesi.
in feelingsVedanāsu ……
in the mindcitte ……
in principlesdhammesu observing an aspect of principlesdhammānupassī meditateviharāhi, do notmā andca connected with sensual pleasureskāmūpasaṁhitaṁ thoughtvitakkaṁ thinkvitakkesī’ti.

The Realized One guides them further: ‘Come, mendicant, meditate observing an aspect of the body, but don’t think thoughts connected with sensual pleasures. Meditate observing an aspect of feelings … mind … principles, but don’t think thoughts connected with sensual pleasures.’

heSo of placing and keeping connectedvitakkavicārānaṁ from stillingvūpasamā internallyajjhattaṁ serenitysampasādanaṁ of the mindcetaso unification of mindekodibhāvaṁ without placingavitakkaṁ without keeping connectedavicāraṁ born of concentrationsamādhijaṁ rapture and happinesspītisukhaṁ seconddutiyaṁ absorptionjhānaṁ ……
thirdtatiyaṁ absorptionjhānaṁ ……
fourthcatutthaṁ absorptionjhānaṁ having enteredupasampajja he remainsviharati.

As the placing of the mind and keeping it connected are stilled, they enter and remain in the second absorption … third absorption … fourth absorption.

heSo thusevaṁ composedsamāhite in mindcitte purifiedparisuddhe brightpariyodāte flawlessanaṅgaṇe rid of corruptionsvigatūpakkilese pliablemudubhūte workablekammaniye steadyṭhite imperturbableāneñjappatte toward knowledge of recollection of past livespubbenivāsānussatiñāṇāya mindcittaṁ extendsabhininnāmeti.
heSo many kinds ofanekavihitaṁ past livespubbenivāsaṁ recollectsanussarati, that is, oneseyyathidaṁ—ekampi birthjātiṁ twodvepi birthsjātiyo ……pe… thusiti with featuressākāraṁ with detailssauddesaṁ many kinds ofanekavihitaṁ past livespubbenivāsaṁ recollectsanussarati.

When their mind has become immersed in samādhi like this—purified, bright, flawless, rid of corruptions, pliable, workable, steady, and imperturbable—they extend it toward recollection of past lives. They recollect many kinds of past lives. That is: one, two, three, four, five, ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, a hundred, a thousand, a hundred thousand rebirths; many eons of the world contracting, many eons of the world expanding, many eons of the world contracting and expanding. And so they recollect their many kinds of past lives, with features and details.

heSo thusevaṁ immersed in samādhisamāhite mindcitte purifiedparisuddhe brightpariyodāte flawlessanaṅgaṇe rid of corruptionsvigatūpakkilese pliablemudubhūte workablekammaniye steadyṭhite imperturbableāneñjappatte of sentient beingssattānaṁ for knowledge of death and rebirthcutūpapātañāṇāya mindcittaṁ they extendabhininnāmeti.
heSo with divinedibbena eyecakkhunā purifiedvisuddhena superhumanatikkantamānusakena sentient beingssatte they seepassati passing awaycavamāne being rebornupapajjamāne inferiorhīne superiorpaṇīte beautifulsuvaṇṇe uglydubbaṇṇe, in a good placesugate in a bad placeduggate …pe……pe… according to their deedsyathākammūpage sentient beingssatte they understandpajānāti.

When their mind has become immersed in samādhi like this—purified, bright, flawless, rid of corruptions, pliable, workable, steady, and imperturbable—they extend it toward knowledge of the death and rebirth of sentient beings. With clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman, they see sentient beings passing away and being reborn—inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, in a good place or a bad place. They understand how sentient beings pass on according to their deeds.

When their mind has become immersed in samādhi like this—purified, bright, flawless, rid of corruptions, pliable, workable, steady, and imperturbable—they extend it toward knowledge of the ending of defilements. They truly understand: ‘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’. They truly understand: ‘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’. Knowing and seeing like this, their mind is freed from the defilements of sensuality, desire to be reborn, and ignorance. When they’re freed, they know they’re freed. They understand: ‘Rebirth is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is nothing further for this place.’

suchSo he ishoti a mendicantbhikkhu enduringkhamo of coldsītassa of heatuṇhassa of hungerjighacchāya of thirstpipāsāya of the touch of flies, mosquitoes, wind, sun, and reptilesḍaṁsamakasavātātapasarīsapasamphassānaṁ of rude speechduruttānaṁ of unwelcome speechdurāgatānaṁ of words spokenvacanapathānaṁ, of arisenuppannānaṁ bodilysārīrikānaṁ of feelingsvedanānaṁ of painsdukkhānaṁ sharptibbānaṁ severekharānaṁ acutekaṭukānaṁ unpleasantasātānaṁ disagreeableamanāpānaṁ life-threateningpāṇaharānaṁ one whose nature is enduranceadhivāsakajātiko he ishoti
rid of all greed, hate, and delusion, purged of defectssabbarāgadosamohanihitaninnītakasāvo worthy of offerings dedicated to the godsāhuneyyo worthy of hospitalitypāhuneyyo worthy of a religious donationdakkhiṇeyyo worthy of greeting with cupped palmsañjalikaraṇīyo supremeanuttaraṁ field of meritpuññakkhettaṁ for the worldlokassa.

Such a mendicant endures cold, heat, hunger, and thirst; the touch of flies, mosquitoes, wind, sun, and reptiles; rude and unwelcome criticism; and puts up with physical pain—sharp, severe, acute, unpleasant, disagreeable, and life-threatening. Rid of all greed, hate, and delusion, and purged of defects, they are worthy of offerings dedicated to the gods, worthy of hospitality, worthy of a religious donation, worthy of greeting with cupped palms, and are the supreme field of merit for the world.

an elderlyMahallako if evencepi, Aggivessanaaggivessana, of a kingrañño bull elephantnāgo untamedadanto untrainedavinīto timekālaṁ makeskaroti, with an untamed death‘adantamaraṇaṁ an elderlymahallako of a kingrañño bull elephantnāgo who passed awaykālaṅkato’tveva reckoningsaṅkhaṁ goesgacchati;
a middle-agedmajjhimo if evencepi, Aggivessanaaggivessana, of a kingrañño bull elephantnāgo.
a youthfulDaharo if evencepi, Aggivessanaaggivessana, of a kingrañño bull elephantnāgo untamedadanto untrainedavinīto timekālaṁ makeskaroti, with an untamed death‘adantamaraṇaṁ a youthfuldaharo of a kingrañño bull elephantnāgo who passed awaykālaṅkato’tveva reckoningsaṅkhaṁ goesgacchati;
just soevameva indeedkho, Aggivessanaaggivessana, a seniorthero if evencepi mendicantbhikkhu without having ended the defilementsakhīṇāsavo timekālaṁ makeskaroti, with an untamed death‘adantamaraṇaṁ a seniorthero mendicantbhikkhu who passed awaykālaṅkato’tveva reckoningsaṅkhaṁ goesgacchati;
a middlemajjhimo if evencepi, Aggivessanaaggivessana, mendicantbhikkhu.
a juniorNavo if evencepi, Aggivessanaaggivessana, mendicantbhikkhu without having ended the defilementsakhīṇāsavo timekālaṁ makeskaroti, with an untamed death‘adantamaraṇaṁ a juniornavo mendicantbhikkhu who passed awaykālaṅkato’tveva reckoningsaṅkhaṁ goesgacchati.

If a royal bull elephant—whether elderly, middle aged, or youthful—passes away untamed and untrained, they’re reckoned a royal bull elephant who passed away untamed. In the same way, if a mendicant—whether senior, middle, or junior—passes away without having ended the defilements, they’re reckoned a mendicant who passed away untamed.

elderlyMahallako if evencepi, Aggivessanaaggivessana, of the kingrañño bull elephantnāgo tamedsudanto well trainedsuvinīto timekālaṁ makeskaroti, 'a tamed death‘dantamaraṇaṁ elderlymahallako of the kingrañño bull elephantnāgo 'passed away tamed'kālaṅkato’tveva reckoningsaṅkhaṁ goesgacchati;
middle agedmajjhimo if evencepi, Aggivessanaaggivessana, of the kingrañño bull elephantnāgo ……
youthfuldaharo if evencepi, Aggivessanaaggivessana, of the kingrañño bull elephantnāgo tamedsudanto well trainedsuvinīto timekālaṁ makeskaroti, 'a tamed death‘dantamaraṇaṁ youthfuldaharo of the kingrañño bull elephantnāgo 'passed away tamed'kālaṅkato’tveva reckoningsaṅkhaṁ goesgacchati;
just soevameva indeedkho, Aggivessanaaggivessana, seniorthero if evencepi mendicantbhikkhu with defilements endedkhīṇāsavo timekālaṁ makeskaroti, 'a tamed death‘dantamaraṇaṁ seniorthero mendicantbhikkhu 'passed away tamed'kālaṅkato’tveva reckoningsaṅkhaṁ goesgacchati;
middlemajjhimo if evencepi, Aggivessanaaggivessana, mendicantbhikkhu.
juniorNavo if evencepi, Aggivessanaaggivessana, mendicantbhikkhu with defilements endedkhīṇāsavo timekālaṁ makeskaroti, 'a tamed death‘dantamaraṇaṁ juniornavo mendicantbhikkhu 'passed away tamed'kālaṅkato’tveva reckoningsaṅkhaṁ goesgacchatī”ti.
this saidIdamavoca the Blessed Onebhagavā.
satisfiedAttamano Aciravataaciravato novicesamaṇuddeso of the Blessed Onebhagavato speechbhāsitaṁ approvedabhinandīti.
The Discourse on the Level of the TamedDantabhūmisuttaṁ finishedniṭṭhitaṁ fifthpañcamaṁ.

If a royal bull elephant—whether elderly, middle aged, or youthful—passes away tamed and trained, they’re reckoned a royal bull elephant who passed away tamed. In the same way, if a mendicant—whether senior, middle, or junior—passes away having ended the defilements, they’re reckoned a mendicant who passed away tamed.” That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, the novice Aciravata approved what the Buddha said.

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