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Majjhima Nikāya 152

Indriyabhāvanāsutta

The Development of the Faculties · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā gajaṅgalāyaṁ viharati suveḷuvane.

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Kajaṅgalā in a bamboo grove.

Atha kho uttaro māṇavo pārāsiviyantevāsī yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi.
Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho uttaraṁ māṇavaṁ pārāsiviyantevāsiṁ bhagavā etadavoca:
“deseti, uttara, pārāsiviyo brāhmaṇo sāvakānaṁ indriyabhāvanan”ti?
“Deseti, bho gotama, pārāsiviyo brāhmaṇo sāvakānaṁ indriyabhāvanan”ti.
“Yathā kathaṁ pana, uttara, deseti pārāsiviyo brāhmaṇo sāvakānaṁ indriyabhāvanan”ti?
“Idha, bho gotama, cakkhunā rūpaṁ na passati, sotena saddaṁ na suṇāti—
evaṁ kho, bho gotama, deseti pārāsiviyo brāhmaṇo sāvakānaṁ indriyabhāvanan”ti.
“Evaṁ sante kho, uttara, andho bhāvitindriyo bhavissati, badhiro bhāvitindriyo bhavissati;
yathā pārāsiviyassa brāhmaṇassa vacanaṁ.
Andho hi, uttara, cakkhunā rūpaṁ na passati, badhiro sotena saddaṁ na suṇātī”ti.

Then the student Uttara, a pupil of the brahmin Pārāsariya, approached the Buddha, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side. The Buddha said to him, “Uttara, does Pārāsariya teach his disciples the development of the faculties?” “He does, worthy Gotama.” “But how does he teach it?” “Worthy Gotama, it’s when the eye sees no sight and the ear hears no sound. That’s how Pārāsariya teaches his disciples the development of the faculties.” “In that case, Uttara, a blind person and a deaf person will have developed faculties according to what Pārāsariya says. For a blind person sees no sight with their eyes and a deaf person hears no sound with their ears.”

Evaṁ vutte, uttaro māṇavo pārāsiviyantevāsī tuṇhībhūto maṅkubhūto pattakkhandho adhomukho pajjhāyanto appaṭibhāno nisīdi.

When he said this, Uttara sat silent, dismayed, shoulders drooping, downcast, depressed, with nothing to say.

Atha kho bhagavā uttaraṁ māṇavaṁ pārāsiviyantevāsiṁ tuṇhībhūtaṁ maṅkubhūtaṁ pattakkhandhaṁ adhomukhaṁ pajjhāyantaṁ appaṭibhānaṁ viditvā āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ āmantesi:
“aññathā kho, ānanda, deseti pārāsiviyo brāhmaṇo sāvakānaṁ indriyabhāvanaṁ, aññathā ca panānanda, ariyassa vinaye anuttarā indriyabhāvanā hotī”ti.
“Etassa, bhagavā, kālo; etassa, sugata, kālo
yaṁ bhagavā ariyassa vinaye anuttaraṁ indriyabhāvanaṁ deseyya. Bhagavato sutvā bhikkhū dhāressantī”ti.
“Tenahānanda, suṇāhi, sādhukaṁ manasi karohi; bhāsissāmī”ti.
“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho āyasmā ānando bhagavato paccassosi.
Bhagavā etadavoca:

Knowing this, the Buddha addressed Venerable Ānanda, “Ānanda, the development of the faculties taught by Pārāsariya is quite different from the supreme development of the faculties in the training of the Noble One.” “Now is the time, Blessed One! Now is the time, Holy One. Let the Buddha teach the supreme development of the faculties in the training of the Noble One. The mendicants will listen and remember it.” “Well then, Ānanda, listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.” “Yes, sir,” Ānanda replied. The Buddha said this:

“Kathañcānanda, ariyassa vinaye anuttarā indriyabhāvanā hoti?
Idhānanda, bhikkhuno cakkhunā rūpaṁ disvā uppajjati manāpaṁ, uppajjati amanāpaṁ, uppajjati manāpāmanāpaṁ.
So evaṁ pajānāti:
‘uppannaṁ kho me idaṁ manāpaṁ, uppannaṁ amanāpaṁ, uppannaṁ manāpāmanāpaṁ.
Tañca kho saṅkhataṁ oḷārikaṁ paṭiccasamuppannaṁ.
Etaṁ santaṁ etaṁ paṇītaṁ yadidaṁ—
upekkhā’ti.
Tassa taṁ uppannaṁ manāpaṁ uppannaṁ amanāpaṁ uppannaṁ manāpāmanāpaṁ nirujjhati;
upekkhā saṇṭhāti.
Seyyathāpi, ānanda, cakkhumā puriso ummīletvā vā nimīleyya, nimīletvā vā ummīleyya;
evameva kho, ānanda, yassa kassaci evaṁsīghaṁ evaṁtuvaṭaṁ evaṁappakasirena uppannaṁ manāpaṁ uppannaṁ amanāpaṁ uppannaṁ manāpāmanāpaṁ nirujjhati, upekkhā saṇṭhāti—
ayaṁ vuccatānanda, ariyassa vinaye anuttarā indriyabhāvanā cakkhuviññeyyesu rūpesu.

“And how, Ānanda, is there the supreme development of the faculties in the training of the Noble One? When a mendicant sees a sight with their eyes, in them arises what is agreeable, what is disagreeable, and what is both agreeable and disagreeable. They understand: ‘What is agreeable, what is disagreeable, and what is both agreeable and disagreeable have arisen in me. That’s conditioned, crude, and dependently originated. But this is peaceful and sublime, namely equanimity.’ Then the agreeable, the disagreeable, and the both agreeable and disagreeable that arose in them cease, and equanimity becomes stabilized. It’s like how a person with clear eyes might open their eyes then shut them; or might shut their eyes then open them. Such is the speed, the swiftness, the ease with which anything agreeable, disagreeable, and both agreeable and disagreeable that arose in them cease, and equanimity becomes stabilized. In the training of the Noble One this is called the supreme development of the faculties regarding sights known by the eye.

Puna caparaṁ, ānanda, bhikkhuno sotena saddaṁ sutvā uppajjati manāpaṁ, uppajjati amanāpaṁ, uppajjati manāpāmanāpaṁ.
So evaṁ pajānāti:
‘uppannaṁ kho me idaṁ manāpaṁ, uppannaṁ amanāpaṁ, uppannaṁ manāpāmanāpaṁ.
Tañca kho saṅkhataṁ oḷārikaṁ paṭiccasamuppannaṁ.
Etaṁ santaṁ etaṁ paṇītaṁ yadidaṁ—
upekkhā’ti.
Tassa taṁ uppannaṁ manāpaṁ uppannaṁ amanāpaṁ uppannaṁ manāpāmanāpaṁ nirujjhati;
upekkhā saṇṭhāti.
Seyyathāpi, ānanda, balavā puriso appakasireneva accharaṁ pahareyya;
evameva kho, ānanda, yassa kassaci evaṁsīghaṁ evaṁtuvaṭaṁ evaṁappakasirena uppannaṁ manāpaṁ uppannaṁ amanāpaṁ uppannaṁ manāpāmanāpaṁ nirujjhati, upekkhā saṇṭhāti—
ayaṁ vuccatānanda, ariyassa vinaye anuttarā indriyabhāvanā sotaviññeyyesu saddesu.

Furthermore, when a mendicant hears a sound with their ears, the agreeable, the disagreeable, and the both agreeable and disagreeable arise in them. They understand: ‘What is agreeable, what is disagreeable, and what is both agreeable and disagreeable have arisen in me. That’s conditioned, crude, and dependently originated. But this is peaceful and sublime, namely equanimity.’ Then the agreeable, the disagreeable, and the both agreeable and disagreeable that arose in them cease, and equanimity becomes stabilized. It’s like how a strong person can effortlessly snap their fingers. Such is the speed, the swiftness, the ease with which anything agreeable, disagreeable, and both agreeable and disagreeable that arose in them cease, and equanimity becomes stabilized. In the training of the Noble One this is called the supreme development of the faculties regarding sounds known by the ear.

Puna caparaṁ, ānanda, bhikkhuno ghānena gandhaṁ ghāyitvā uppajjati manāpaṁ, uppajjati amanāpaṁ, uppajjati manāpāmanāpaṁ.
So evaṁ pajānāti:
‘uppannaṁ kho me idaṁ manāpaṁ, uppannaṁ amanāpaṁ, uppannaṁ manāpāmanāpaṁ.
Tañca kho saṅkhataṁ oḷārikaṁ paṭiccasamuppannaṁ.
Etaṁ santaṁ etaṁ paṇītaṁ yadidaṁ—
upekkhā’ti.
Tassa taṁ uppannaṁ manāpaṁ uppannaṁ amanāpaṁ uppannaṁ manāpāmanāpaṁ nirujjhati;
upekkhā saṇṭhāti.
Seyyathāpi, ānanda, īsakampoṇe padumapalāse udakaphusitāni pavattanti, na saṇṭhanti;
evameva kho, ānanda, yassa kassaci evaṁsīghaṁ evaṁtuvaṭaṁ evaṁappakasirena uppannaṁ manāpaṁ uppannaṁ amanāpaṁ uppannaṁ manāpāmanāpaṁ nirujjhati, upekkhā saṇṭhāti—
ayaṁ vuccatānanda, ariyassa vinaye anuttarā indriyabhāvanā ghānaviññeyyesu gandhesu.

Furthermore, when a mendicant smells an odor with their nose, the agreeable, the disagreeable, and the both agreeable and disagreeable arise in them. They understand: ‘What is agreeable, what is disagreeable, and what is both agreeable and disagreeable have arisen in me. That’s conditioned, crude, and dependently originated. But this is peaceful and sublime, namely equanimity.’ Then the agreeable, the disagreeable, and the both agreeable and disagreeable that arose in them cease, and equanimity becomes stabilized. It’s like how a drop of water would roll off a gently sloping lotus leaf, and would not stay there. Such is the speed, the swiftness, the ease with which anything agreeable, disagreeable, and both agreeable and disagreeable that arose in them cease, and equanimity becomes stabilized. In the training of the Noble One this is called the supreme development of the faculties regarding smells known by the nose.

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