Piṇḍapātapārisuddhisutta

Majjhima Nikāya 151

Piṇḍapātapārisuddhisutta

The Purification of Alms · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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thusEvaṁ by meme heardsutaṁ—
oneekaṁ timesamayaṁ the Blessed Onebhagavā at Rājagaharājagahe was stayingviharati in the Bamboo Groveveḷuvane at the squirrels’ feeding groundkalandakanivāpe.
thenAtha indeedkho Venerableāyasmā Sāriputtasāriputto in the late afternoonsāyanhasamayaṁ from retreatpaṭisallānā came outvuṭṭhito whereyena the Blessed Onebhagavā went up to himtenupasaṅkami; having approachedupasaṅkamitvā to the Blessed Onebhagavantaṁ having bowedabhivādetvā to one sideekamantaṁ sat downnisīdi. to one sideEkamantaṁ seatednisinnaṁ indeedkho to Venerableāyasmantaṁ Sāriputtasāriputtaṁ the Blessed Onebhagavā said thisetadavoca:

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground. Then in the late afternoon, Sāriputta came out of retreat and went to the Buddha. He bowed and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to him,

clear“Vippasannāni indeedkho yourte, Sāriputtasāriputta, facultiesindriyāni, pureparisuddho complexionchavivaṇṇo brightpariyodāto.
by what kind ofKatamena indeedkho youtvaṁ, Sāriputtasāriputta, by meditationvihārena these daysetarahi usuallybahulaṁ you practiceviharasī”ti?
by the meditation on emptiness“Suññatāvihārena indeedkho Iahaṁ, sirbhante, these daysetarahi usuallybahulaṁ I practiceviharāmī”ti.
good“Sādhu goodsādhu, Sāriputtasāriputta.
by the meditation of a great manMahāpurisavihārena it seemskira youtvaṁ, Sāriputtasāriputta, these daysetarahi usuallybahulaṁ you practiceviharasi.
the meditation of a great manMahāpurisavihāro thiseso, Sāriputtasāriputta, that isyadidaṁ—
emptinesssuññatā.

“Sāriputta, your faculties are so very clear, and your complexion is pure and bright. What kind of meditation are you usually practicing these days?” “Sir, these days I usually practice the meditation on emptiness.” “Good, good, Sāriputta! It seems you usually practice the meditation of a great man. For emptiness is the meditation of a great man.

therefore hereTasmātiha, Sāriputtasāriputta, a mendicantbhikkhu ifsace might wishākaṅkheyya:
with the meditation on emptiness‘suññatāvihārena usuallybahulaṁ may I dwellvihareyyan’ti, by that onetena, Sāriputtasāriputta, by a mendicantbhikkhunā thusiti should be reflectedpaṭisañcikkhitabbaṁ:
along which‘yena and Icāhaṁ by waymaggena to the villagegāmaṁ for almspiṇḍāya I enteredpāvisiṁ, or in whichyasmiñca placepadese for almspiṇḍāya I wanderedacariṁ, along whichyena andca by waymaggena from the villagegāmato for almspiṇḍāya I returnedpaṭikkamiṁ, was thereatthi nownu indeedkho in meme theretattha known by the eyecakkhuviññeyyesu in sightsrūpesu desirechando orvā greedrāgo orvā hatedoso orvā delusionmoho orvā aversionpaṭighaṁ or evenvāpi of mindcetaso’ti?
ifSace, Sāriputtasāriputta, a mendicantbhikkhu reviewingpaccavekkhamāno thusevaṁ knowsjānāti:
along which‘yena and Icāhaṁ by waymaggena to the villagegāmaṁ for almspiṇḍāya I enteredpāvisiṁ, or in whichyasmiñca placepadese for almspiṇḍāya I wanderedacariṁ, along whichyena andca by waymaggena from the villagegāmato for almspiṇḍāya I returnedpaṭikkamiṁ, was thereatthi in meme theretattha known by the eyecakkhuviññeyyesu in sightsrūpesu desirechando orvā greedrāgo orvā hatedoso orvā delusionmoho orvā aversionpaṭighaṁ or evenvāpi of mindcetaso’ti, by that onetena, Sāriputtasāriputta, by a mendicantbhikkhunā of just thosetesaṁyeva of badpāpakānaṁ of unskillfulakusalānaṁ of qualitiesdhammānaṁ for giving uppahānāya should be strivenvāyamitabbaṁ.

Now, a mendicant might wish: ‘May I usually practice the meditation on emptiness.’ So they should reflect: ‘Along the path that I went for alms, or in the place I wandered for alms, or along the path that I returned from alms, was there any desire or greed or hate or delusion or aversion in my heart for sights known by the eye?’ Suppose that, upon checking, a mendicant knows that there was such desire or greed or hate or delusion or aversion in their heart, they should make an effort to give up those unskillful qualities.

ifSace butpana, Sāriputtasāriputta, a bhikkhubhikkhu reflectingpaccavekkhamāno thusevaṁ knowsjānāti:
by which‘yena and Icāhaṁ by pathmaggena to the villagegāmaṁ for almspiṇḍāya I enteredpāvisiṁ, and in whichyasmiñca in the placepadese for almspiṇḍāya I walkedacariṁ, by whichyena andca by pathmaggena from the villagegāmato for almspiṇḍāya I returnedpaṭikkamiṁ, there is notnatthi for meme theretattha in forms cognizable by the eyecakkhuviññeyyesu in formsrūpesu desirechando orvā greedrāgo orvā hatreddoso orvā delusionmoho orvā aversionpaṭighaṁ or evenvāpi of the mindcetaso’ti, by thattena, Sāriputtasāriputta, by a bhikkhubhikkhunā by that veryteneva with rapture and joypītipāmojjena should dwellvihātabbaṁ training day and nightahorattānusikkhinā in skillfulkusalesu in qualitiesdhammesu.

But suppose that, upon checking, a mendicant knows that there was no such desire or greed or hate or delusion or aversion in their heart, they should meditate with rapture and joy, training day and night in skillful qualities.

againPuna and furthercaparaṁ, Sāriputtasāriputta, by a mendicantbhikkhunā thusiti should be reflectedpaṭisañcikkhitabbaṁ:
by which‘yena and Icāhaṁ by the pathmaggena to the villagegāmaṁ for almspiṇḍāya I enteredpāvisiṁ, and in whichyasmiñca placepadese for almspiṇḍāya I wanderedacariṁ, by whichyena andca by the pathmaggena from the villagegāmato for almspiṇḍāya I returnedpaṭikkamiṁ, there isatthi is therenu indeedkho of meme theretattha known by the earsotaviññeyyesu in soundssaddesu …pe……pe…
known by the noseghānaviññeyyesu in smellsgandhesu ……
known by the tonguejivhāviññeyyesu in tastesrasesu ……
known by the bodykāyaviññeyyesu in touchesphoṭṭhabbesu ……
known by the mindmanoviññeyyesu in mental phenomenadhammesu desirechando orvā greedrāgo orvā hatedoso orvā delusionmoho orvā repulsionpaṭighaṁ or evenvāpi of heart?cetaso’ti?
if,Sace, Sāriputta,sāriputta, a mendicantbhikkhu checkingpaccavekkhamāno soevaṁ knowsjānāti:
by which‘yena and Icāhaṁ by the pathmaggena to the villagegāmaṁ for almspiṇḍāya I enteredpāvisiṁ, and in whichyasmiñca placepadese for almspiṇḍāya I wanderedacariṁ, by whichyena andca by the pathmaggena from the villagegāmato for almspiṇḍāya I returnedpaṭikkamiṁ, there isatthi of meme theretattha known by the mindmanoviññeyyesu in mental phenomenadhammesu desirechando orvā greedrāgo orvā hatedoso orvā delusionmoho orvā repulsionpaṭighaṁ or evenvāpi of heart,cetaso’ti, by thattena, Sāriputta,sāriputta, by a mendicantbhikkhunā of those verytesaṁyeva of evilpāpakānaṁ of unskillfulakusalānaṁ of qualitiesdhammānaṁ for giving uppahānāya should make an effortvāyamitabbaṁ.

Furthermore, a mendicant should reflect: ‘Along the path that I went for alms, or in the place I wandered for alms, or along the path that I returned from alms, was there any desire or greed or hate or delusion or repulsion in my heart for sounds known by the ear … smells known by the nose … tastes known by the tongue … touches known by the body … ideas known by the mind?’ Suppose that, upon checking, a mendicant knows that there was such desire or greed or hate or delusion or aversion in their heart, they should make an effort to give up those unskillful qualities.

ifSace butpana, Sāriputtasāriputta, a mendicantbhikkhu checkingpaccavekkhamāno thusevaṁ knowsjānāti:
by which‘yena and Icāhaṁ by the pathmaggena the villagegāmaṁ for almspiṇḍāya enteredpāvisiṁ, and in whichyasmiñca placepadese for almspiṇḍāya wanderedacariṁ, by whichyena andca by the pathmaggena from the villagegāmato for almspiṇḍāya returnedpaṭikkamiṁ, there is notnatthi for meme theretattha cognizable by the mindmanoviññeyyesu in phenomenadhammesu desirechando orvā greedrāgo orvā hatedoso orvā delusionmoho orvā aversionpaṭighaṁ or evenvāpi of the mindcetaso’ti, by thattena, Sāriputtasāriputta, by the mendicantbhikkhunā with that veryteneva with rapture and joypītipāmojjena should dwellvihātabbaṁ training day and nightahorattānusikkhinā in skillfulkusalesu qualitiesdhammesu.

furthermorePuna andcaparaṁ, Sāriputtasāriputta, by a mendicantbhikkhunā thusiti should be reflectedpaṭisañcikkhitabbaṁ:
given up‘pahīnā surely?nu indeedkho by meme fivepañca kinds of sensual stimulationkāmaguṇā’ti?
ifSace, Sāriputtasāriputta, a mendicantbhikkhu checkingpaccavekkhamāno thusevaṁ knowsjānāti:
not given up‘appahīnā indeedkho by meme fivepañca kinds of sensual stimulationkāmaguṇā’ti, by that onetena, Sāriputtasāriputta, by a mendicantbhikkhunā of the fivepañcannaṁ of the kinds of sensual stimulationkāmaguṇānaṁ for the giving uppahānāya an effort should be madevāyamitabbaṁ.
ifSace butpana, Sāriputtasāriputta, a mendicantbhikkhu checkingpaccavekkhamāno thusevaṁ knowsjānāti:
given up‘pahīnā indeedkho by meme fivepañca kinds of sensual stimulationkāmaguṇā’ti, by that onetena, Sāriputtasāriputta, by a mendicantbhikkhunā with that veryteneva with rapture and joypītipāmojjena should meditatevihātabbaṁ training day and nightahorattānusikkhinā in skillfulkusalesu qualitiesdhammesu.

Furthermore, a mendicant should reflect: ‘Have I given up the five kinds of sensual stimulation?’ Suppose that, upon checking, a mendicant knows that they have not given them up, they should make an effort to do so. But suppose that, upon checking, a mendicant knows that they have given them up, they should meditate with rapture and joy, training day and night in skillful qualities.

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