Mahārāhulovādasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 62

The Longer Advice to Rāhula · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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like spaceĀkāsasamaṁ, Rāhularāhula, meditationbhāvanaṁ meditatebhāvehi.
like spaceĀkāsasamañhi for youte, Rāhularāhula, meditationbhāvanaṁ meditatingbhāvayato arisenuppannā pleasant and unpleasantmanāpāmanāpā contactsphassā mindcittaṁ notna having occupiedpariyādāya will standṭhassanti.
just asSeyyathāpi, Rāhularāhula, spaceākāso notna anywherekatthaci establishedpatiṭṭhito;
in the same wayevameva indeedkho youtvaṁ, Rāhularāhula, like spaceākāsasamaṁ meditationbhāvanaṁ meditatebhāvehi.
like spaceĀkāsasamañhi for youte, Rāhularāhula, meditationbhāvanaṁ meditatingbhāvayato arisenuppannā pleasant and unpleasantmanāpāmanāpā contactsphassā mindcittaṁ notna having occupiedpariyādāya will standṭhassanti.

Meditate like space. For when you meditate like space, pleasant and unpleasant contacts will not occupy your mind. Just as space is not established anywhere, in the same way, meditate like space. For when you meditate like space, pleasant and unpleasant contacts will not occupy your mind.

loving-kindnessMettaṁ, Rāhularāhula, developmentbhāvanaṁ developbhāvehi.
for loving-kindnessMettañhi for youte, Rāhularāhula, developmentbhāvanaṁ developingbhāvayato whateveryo ill willbyāpādo thatso will be given uppahīyissati.

Meditate on love. For when you meditate on love any ill will will be given up.

compassionKaruṇaṁ, Rāhularāhula, meditationbhāvanaṁ meditate onbhāvehi.
for compassionKaruṇañhi for youte, Rāhularāhula, meditationbhāvanaṁ meditatingbhāvayato whateveryā crueltyvihesā thatsā will be given uppahīyissati.

Meditate on compassion. For when you meditate on compassion any cruelty will be given up.

rejoicingMuditaṁ, Rāhularāhula, meditationbhāvanaṁ meditate onbhāvehi.
for rejoicingMuditañhi youte, Rāhularāhula, meditationbhāvanaṁ cultivatingbhāvayato whichyā discontentarati thatsā will be given uppahīyissati.

Meditate on rejoicing. For when you meditate on rejoicing any discontent will be given up.

equanimityUpekkhaṁ, Rāhularāhula, meditationbhāvanaṁ meditate onbhāvehi.
for equanimityUpekkhañhi yourte, Rāhularāhula, meditationbhāvanaṁ one meditatingbhāvayato whateveryo aversionpaṭigho thatso will be given uppahīyissati.

Meditate on equanimity. For when you meditate on equanimity any aversion will be given up.

uglinessAsubhaṁ, Rāhularāhula, meditationbhāvanaṁ meditate onbhāvehi.
for uglinessAsubhañhi youte, Rāhularāhula, meditationbhāvanaṁ meditating onbhāvayato anyyo lustrāgo thatso will be given uppahīyissati.

Meditate on ugliness. For when you meditate on ugliness any lust will be given up.

perception of impermanence,Aniccasaññaṁ, Rāhula,rāhula, meditationbhāvanaṁ develop.bhāvehi.
for the perception of impermanenceAniccasaññañhi for you,te, Rāhula,rāhula, meditationbhāvanaṁ while developingbhāvayato whichyo conceit ‘I am’asmimāno thatso will be given up.pahīyissati.

Meditate on impermanence. For when you meditate on impermanence any conceit ‘I am’ will be given up.

mindfulness of breathing,Ānāpānassatiṁ, Rāhula,rāhula, developmentbhāvanaṁ develop.bhāvehi.
mindfulness of breathingĀnāpānassati indeedhi for you,te, Rāhula,rāhula, developedbhāvitā cultivatedbahulīkatā very fruitfulmahapphalā ishoti very beneficial.mahānisaṁsā.
howKathaṁ developedbhāvitā and,ca, Rāhula,rāhula, mindfulness of breathing,ānāpānassati, howkathaṁ cultivatedbahulīkatā very fruitfulmahapphalā ishoti very beneficial?mahānisaṁsā?

Develop mindfulness of breathing. When mindfulness of breathing is developed and cultivated it’s very fruitful and beneficial. And how is mindfulness of breathing developed and cultivated to be very fruitful and beneficial?

hereIdha, Rāhularāhula, a mendicantbhikkhu gone to a wildernessaraññagato orvā gone to the root of a treerukkhamūlagato orvā gone to an empty hutsuññāgāragato orvā sits downnisīdati cross-leggedpallaṅkaṁ having bentābhujitvā straightujuṁ bodykāyaṁ having directedpaṇidhāya to the presentparimukhaṁ mindfulnesssatiṁ having establishedupaṭṭhapetvā.
theySo just mindfulsatova breathe inassasati just mindfulsatova breathe outpassasati.

It’s when a mendicant—gone to a wilderness, or to the root of a tree, or to an empty hut—sits down cross-legged, sets their body straight, and brings mindfulness to the present. Just mindful, they breathe in. Mindful, they breathe out.

longDīghaṁ orvā breathing inassasanto long‘dīghaṁ I breathe inassasāmī’ti knowspajānāti, longdīghaṁ orvā breathing outpassasanto long‘dīghaṁ I breathe outpassasāmī’ti knowspajānāti;
shortrassaṁ orvā breathing inassasanto short‘rassaṁ I breathe inassasāmī’ti knowspajānāti, shortrassaṁ orvā breathing outpassasanto short‘rassaṁ I breathe outpassasāmī’ti knowspajānāti.
experiencing the whole body‘Sabbakāyappaṭisaṁvedī I will breathe inassasissāmī’ti trainssikkhati; experiencing the whole body‘sabbakāyappaṭisaṁvedī I will breathe outpassasissāmī’ti trainssikkhati;
stilling‘passambhayaṁ the physical processkāyasaṅkhāraṁ I will breathe inassasissāmī’ti trainssikkhati; stilling‘passambhayaṁ the physical processkāyasaṅkhāraṁ I will breathe outpassasissāmī’ti trainssikkhati.

Breathing in heavily they know: ‘I’m breathing in heavily.’ Breathing out heavily they know: ‘I’m breathing out heavily.’ Breathing in lightly they know: ‘I’m breathing in lightly.’ Breathing out lightly they know: ‘I’m breathing out lightly.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in experiencing the whole body.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out experiencing the whole body.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in stilling the physical process.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out stilling the physical process.’

experiencing rapture‘Pītippaṭisaṁvedī I’ll breathe inassasissāmī’ti they practicesikkhati; experiencing rapture‘pītippaṭisaṁvedī I’ll breathe outpassasissāmī’ti they practicesikkhati;
experiencing bliss‘sukhappaṭisaṁvedī I’ll breathe inassasissāmī’ti they practicesikkhati; experiencing bliss‘sukhappaṭisaṁvedī I’ll breathe outpassasissāmī’ti they practicesikkhati;
experiencing the mental process‘cittasaṅkhārappaṭisaṁvedī I’ll breathe inassasissāmī’ti they practicesikkhati; experiencing the mental process‘cittasaṅkhārappaṭisaṁvedī I’ll breathe outpassasissāmī’ti they practicesikkhati;
stilling‘passambhayaṁ the mental processcittasaṅkhāraṁ I’ll breathe inassasissāmī’ti they practicesikkhati; stilling‘passambhayaṁ the mental processcittasaṅkhāraṁ I’ll breathe outpassasissāmī’ti they practicesikkhati.

They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in experiencing rapture.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out experiencing rapture.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in experiencing bliss.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out experiencing bliss.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in experiencing the mental process.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out experiencing the mental process.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in stilling the mental process.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out stilling the mental process.’

experiencing the mind‘Cittappaṭisaṁvedī I will breathe inassasissāmī’ti they practicesikkhati; experiencing the mind‘cittappaṭisaṁvedī I will breathe outpassasissāmī’ti they practicesikkhati;
gladdening‘abhippamodayaṁ the mindcittaṁ I will breathe inassasissāmī’ti they practicesikkhati; gladdening‘abhippamodayaṁ the mindcittaṁ I will breathe outpassasissāmī’ti they practicesikkhati;
immersing‘samādahaṁ the mindcittaṁ I will breathe inassasissāmī’ti they practicesikkhati; immersing‘samādahaṁ the mindcittaṁ I will breathe outpassasissāmī’ti they practicesikkhati;
freeing‘vimocayaṁ the mindcittaṁ I will breathe inassasissāmī’ti they practicesikkhati; freeing‘vimocayaṁ the mindcittaṁ I will breathe outpassasissāmī’ti they practicesikkhati.

They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in experiencing the mind.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out experiencing the mind.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in gladdening the mind.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out gladdening the mind.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in immersing the mind in samādhi.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out immersing the mind in samādhi.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in freeing the mind.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out freeing the mind.’

They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in observing impermanence.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out observing impermanence.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in observing fading away.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out observing fading away.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in observing cessation.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out observing cessation.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe in observing letting go.’ They practice like this: ‘I’ll breathe out observing letting go.’

thusEvaṁ developedbhāvitā indeedkho, Rāhularāhula, mindfulness of breathingānāpānassati, thusevaṁ cultivatedbahulīkatā very fruitfulmahapphalā ishoti very beneficialmahānisaṁsā.
thusEvaṁ developedbhāvitāya, Rāhularāhula, mindfulness of breathingānāpānassatiyā, thusevaṁ cultivatedbahulīkatāya even thoseyepi thosete finalcarimakā breathsassāsā even thesetepi knownviditāva ceasenirujjhanti notno unknownaviditā”ti.
this saidIdamavoca the Blessed Onebhagavā.
satisfiedAttamano venerableāyasmā Rāhularāhulo of the Blessed Onebhagavato speechbhāsitaṁ approvedabhinandīti.
The Longer Advice to Rāhula SuttaMahārāhulovādasuttaṁ finishedniṭṭhitaṁ seconddutiyaṁ.

Mindfulness of breathing, when developed and cultivated in this way, is very fruitful and beneficial. When mindfulness of breathing is developed and cultivated in this way, even as the final breaths cease they are known, not unknown.” That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, Venerable Rāhula approved what the Buddha said.

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