The Discourse on the "Tamed Stage" (sutra)

Isaline Blew Horner (trans.) (Dantabhumi Sutta, MN 125); Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson, CC Liu, (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly; from Taming the Mind: Discourses of the Buddha (BPS.lk, WH 51)

The Buddha flanked by celestial dragons and devas (Niall Corbet/flickr.com)

     

Thus have I heard. At one time the Blessed One was staying near Rajagaha in the Bamboo Grove at the Squirrels' Feeding Ground.

Now at that time the novice-monk Aciravata was staying in the Forest Hut [in a secluded part of the Bamboo Grove for the use of monastics to practice striving.]

Then Prince Jayasena [a son of the Buddhist King Bimbisara], who was always pacing up and down, always roaming about on foot, approached the novice Aciravata. Having approached, he exchanged greetings with the novice Aciravata. Having exchanged greetings of friendliness and courtesy, he sat down at a respectful distance, and said to Aciravata:
 

"I have heard, good Aggivessana [Aciravata's clan name], that if a meditator is abiding here diligent, ardent, resolute, that meditator may attain one-pointedness of mind."

"That is so, prince, that is so. A meditator abiding here diligent, ardent, resolute may attain one-pointedness of mind."

"It were good if the reverend Aggivessana were to teach me Dharma as he has heard it, as he has mastered it."

"Prince, I am not able to teach you Dharma as I have heard it, as I have mastered it. If I were to teach you Dharma as I have heard it, as I have mastered it, and if you could not understand the meaning of what I said, that would be wearisome, that would be a vexation to me."

"Let the reverend Aggivessana teach me Dharma as he has heard it, as he has mastered it. Perhaps I could understand the meaning of what the good Aggivessana says."

"Prince, if I were to teach you Dharma as I have heard it, as I have mastered it, and if you were to understand the meaning of what I say, that would be good. But if you should not understand the meaning of what I say, you must remain as you are: You must not question me further on the matter."

"Let the reverend Aggivessana teach me Dharma as he has heard it, as he has mastered it. If I understand the meaning of what the good Aggivessana says, that will be good. But if I do not understand the meaning of what the good Aggivessana says, I will remain as I am; I will not question the reverend Aggivessana further on this matter."

  

That is impossible! It can't be!

Then the novice Aciravata taught Dharma to Prince Jayasena as he had heard it, as he had mastered it. When this had been said, Prince Jayasena spoke thus to the novice Aciravata:

 

"That is impossible, good Aggivessana! It cannot come to pass that a meditator abiding diligent, ardent, resolute should attain one-pointedness of mind."

 

Then Prince Jayasena, having declared to the novice Aciravata that this was impossible and could not come to pass, rose from his seat and departed.

 

Asking the Buddha

Soon after Prince Jayasena left, the novice Aciravata approached the Blessed One (the Buddha), greeted him, sat at a respectful distance, and recounted the whole of the conversation he had with Prince Jayasena as far as it had gone. The Blessed One responded to the novice Aciravata:

 

"What is the surprise, Aggivessana? That Prince Jayasena -- living as he does in the midst of sense-pleasures, enjoying sense-pleasures, consumed by thoughts of sense-pleasures, burning with the fever of (craving) sense-pleasures, eager in the search for sense-pleasures -- should know or see, attain or realize that which can [only] be known by renunciation (internally letting go of sensual lust), seen by renunciation, attained by renunciation, realized by renunciation -- such a situation does not exist.

 
"It is as if, Aggivessana, among elephants or horses or oxen to be tamed, two elephants, two horses, or two oxen are well tamed and well trained. And two are not tamed, not trained. 

 

"What do you think, Aggivessana? Would these two elephants or horses or oxen that were to be tamed and that were well tamed and well trained -- would these on being tamed attain a tamed stage?"

"Yes, reverend sir."

"But those two elephants or horses or oxen that were to be tamed but that were neither tamed nor trained -- would these, not being tamed, attain a tamed stage?"

 
"No, reverend sir."

 
"Even so, Aggivessana, that Prince Jayasena -- living as he does in the midst of sense-pleasures... should know or see or attain or realize that which can [only] be known and realized by renunciation -- such a situation does not exist.

 

The Mountain

I see so many things from up here! (10KB)

"It is as if, Aggivessana, there were a great mountain near a village or market-town. And two friends, coming hand in hand from that village or market-town, might approach it. And having approached the mountain, one friend might remain at the foot, while the other might climb to the top. Then the friend standing at the foot of the mountain might say to the other: 'Friend, what do you see as you stand on top of the mountain?'

"The friend might reply: 'As I stand on top of the mountain, friend, I see delightful parks, delightful woods, delightful stretches of level ground, delightful ponds!' But the other might say: 'That is impossible! It cannot come to pass, friend, that, as you stand on top of the mountain, you should see [those things]!' 

"Then the friend standing on top of the mountain might come down and take that friend by the arm, climb to the to of the mountain, allow a moment for them to catch their breath, and say: 'Now, friend, what do you see as you stand up here?'

 
"The friend might say: Friend, as I stand here on top of the mountain, I see delightful parks, delightful woods, delightful stretches of level ground,  delightful ponds.' And the other friend might say: 'But just now, friend, we understood you to say: 'That is impossible! It cannot come to pass....' Now we understand you to say: 'Friend, as I stand here on top of the mountain, I see [those things].' 

"The friend might explain: 'That was because, friend, hemmed in by this great mountain, I could not see what was there to be seen.'

 
"Even so, yet to a greater degree, Aggivessana, is Prince Jayasena hemmed in, blocked, obstructed, enveloped by this mass of ignorance.

 
"Indeed, that Prince Jayasena -- living as he does in the midst of sense-pleasures, enjoying sense-pleasures, being consumed by thoughts of (craving) sense-pleasures, eager in the search for sense-pleasures, should know or see, attain or realize that which can be known... seen... attained... realized by renunciation -- such a situation does not exist.

 
"Aggivessana, had these two similes occurred to you when you spoke to Prince Jayasena, he naturally would have acted in the manner of one having trust in you."

"But how could these two similes have occurred to me, reverend sir, seeing as they are spontaneous and never heard before?"

The Elephant

Elephants (Ted Richardson/flickr)

"Aggivessana, a noble anointed king might address an elephant tracker: 'Good elephant tracker, mount the royal elephant, and go into an elephant forest. When you see a forest elephant, yoke it to the neck of this royal elephant.' Then, Aggivessana, the elephant tracker, having answered, 'Yes, sire,' does so. The tamed royal elephant brings the wild forest elephant out into the open.

 
"But, Aggivessana, the forest elephant has a longing for the forest. In regard to it the elephant tracker tells the noble anointed king that the forest elephant has now been brought out into the open. 

 

"Then the king says: 'Come, good elephant tamer, tame this forest elephant by subduing its forest ways, by subduing its forest memories and aspirations, and by subduing its distress, its fretting and fever for the forest, by making it pleased with (appeased, habituated to) villages and by accustoming it to human ways.'

 
"And, Aggivessana, the elephant tamer, having answered 'Yes, sire,' would drive a great post into the ground, tie the forest elephant to it by its neck, and so subdue its forest ways... and accustom it to human ways.

 
"Then the elephant tamer addresses the elephant with such words as are gentle, pleasing to the ear, affectionate, going to the heart, pleasant to the manyfolk, liked by the manyfolk. And, Aggivessana, the forest elephant, being addressed with such words, listens, lends ear, and bends its mind to learning.

 
"Next the elephant tamer supplies it with good food to eat and water to drink. When, Aggivessana, the forest elephant has accepted the food and water from the elephant tamer, it occurs to the elephant tamer: 'The king's elephant will now live.'

 
"Then the elephant tamer makes it do a further task, saying: 'Take up, put down.' When, Aggivessana, the king's elephant is obedient and acts on its instructions to take up and put down, then the elephant tamer makes it do a further task, saying: 'Get up, sit down.'

 

The tamed stage (Lamentables/flic

"When, Aggivessana, the king's elephant is obedient and acts on instructions to get up and sit down, then the elephant tamer makes it do a further task known as 'standing its ground': He ties a shield to the great beast's trunk; a man holding a lance is sitting on its neck, and men holding lances are standing surrounding it on all sides. And the elephant tamer, holding a lance with a long shaft, is standing in front.

 
"While it is 'standing its ground' it does not move a fore-leg, nor does it move a hind-leg, nor does it move the forepart of its body, nor does it move the hindpart of its body, nor does it move its head, nor does it move an ear, nor does it move a tusk, nor does it move its tail, nor does it move its trunk. A king's elephant is one who endures blows of sword, axe, arrow, hatchet, and the resounding din of drum and kettle-drum, conch and tam-tam. It is like purified gold purged of all dross and impurity, fit for a king, a royal possession, and reckoned as a royal attribute.
 

Acquisition of Confidence

The Buddha (Piyush.k/Piyushkumar1/flickr)

"Even so, Aggivessana, does a Wayfarer (Tathagata) arise here in the world, a Perfected One, fully Awakened One, endowed with right knowledge and conduct, Wayfarer, knower of worlds, matchless charioteer of persons to be tamed, the Enlightened One, the Blessed One.

  

"He makes known this world with the devas (light beings), maras (corrupters), brahmas (divinities), this generation with its recluses (wandering-ascetics) and Brahmins (temple-priests), its devas (earthling-spirits) and humans, having realized them by his own super-knowledge. 

 

"He teaches Dharma -- which is lovely at the beginning, lovely in the middle, lovely at its culmination, good in spirit and letter. He proclaims the Brahma-faring ["high life," the purified spiritual life of a renunciate], wholly fulfilled and purified. 

"A householder or the child of a householder or one born in another family hears that Dharma. Having heard that Dharma one gains confidence (saddha, faith) in the Wayfarer. 

 

"Endowed with this acquired confidence, one reflects: 'The household life is confined and dusty, whereas going forth is in the open. It is not easy for one who lives in a house to fare along according to the high life, which is wholly fulfilled, wholly purified, polished like a conch shell. Suppose now that I, having cut off hair and beard, having put on saffron robes, should go forth from home into homelessness?' After a time, relinquishing wealth, be it small or great, relinquishing one's circle of relations, be it small or great, having cut off hair and beard, having put on saffron robes, one goes forth from home into the home-free life. To this extent, Aggivessana, the noble disciple gets out into the open.

Virtue (sila, morality)
"But, Aggivessana, devas and humans have this longing, namely, for the five strands of sense-pleasures. The Wayfarer disciplines and encourages one further, saying: 'Come, monastic, be moral, live controlled by the control of the training rules, possessed of [right] behavior and conduct, seeing danger even in the slightest faults; undertaking them, train yourself in the training rules.'

Sense-control
"And when, Aggivessana, the noble disciple is virtuous, lives controlled by the control... undertaking them, trains in the training rules, then the Wayfarer disciplines and encourages further, saying: 'Come, monastic, be guarded as to the doors of the senses.

 

"Having seen a material shape with the eye, do not be entranced by the general appearance; do not be entranced by the detail. For if one dwells with sight uncontrolled, covetousness and dejection, unwholesome, unskillful states of mind (heart) may flow in.

"So fare along controlling it, guard the sense of sight, achieve control over the sense of sight. Having heard a sound with the ear... Having smelled an fragrance with the nose... Having savored a taste with the tongue... Having felt a touch with the body... Having cognized a mental state with the mind, be not entranced by the general appearance; be not entranced by the detail. For if one dwells with the mind uncontrolled, covetousness and dejection, unwholesome, unskillful states of mind, might flow in. So fare along controlling it, guard the sense faculty of the mind, achieve control over the sense faculty of the mind.'

 
Moderation in eating

Novice (samanera) eating (pinterest.com)

"And when, Aggivessana, the noble disciple guards the doors of the senses, then the Wayfarer disciplines and encourages one further, saying: 'Come, monastic, be moderate in eating; take food reflecting carefully, not for fun or indulgence or personal charm or beautification, but taking just enough for maintaining this body and keeping it going, for keeping it unharmed, for furthering the high life, with the thought: Thus will I undo an old feeling [of hunger], and I will not allow a new feeling [of overindulgence or craving] to arise, and then there will be for me subsistence and blamelessness and abiding in comfort.'
 

Vigilance

"When, Aggivessana, the noble disciple is moderate in eating, the Wayfarer disciplines and encourages further, saying: 'Come, monastic, abide intent on vigilance: During the day while pacing up and down [in walking meditation], while sitting down [in sitting meditation], cleanse the mind of obstructive mental states. During the middle watch of the night, lie down on the right side in the lion posture, foot resting on foot, mindful, clearly comprehending, reflecting on the thought of getting up again; during the last watch of the night, when you have arisen, while pacing up and down, while sitting down, cleanse the mind of obstructive mental states.'

Mindfulness and clear comprehension
"And when, Aggivessana, the noble disciple is intent on vigilance, then the Wayfarer disciplines and encourages further, saying: 'Come, monastic, be possessed of mindfulness and clear comprehension, acting with clear comprehension whether approaching or departing, acting with clear comprehension whether looking forward or looking around, acting with clear comprehension whether bending or stretching [the arms], acting with clear comprehension whether carrying the outer cloak, the robe or bowl, acting with clear comprehension whether eating, drinking, tasting, savoring, acting with clear comprehension whether obeying the calls of nature, acting with clear comprehension whether walking, standing, sitting, asleep, awake, talking, or being silent.'

Overcoming of the Five Hindrances

"And when, Aggivessana, the noble disciple is possessed of mindfulness and clear comprehension, then the Wayfarer disciplines and encourages further, saying: 'Come, monastic, choose a remote lodging in a forest, at the root of a tree, on a mountain, in a wilderness, in a hill-cave, a charnel ground, a forest grove, in the open, or on a heap of straw.'

 

"One chooses a remote lodging in the forest... or on a heap of straw. Returning from alms-gathering, after one's meal, one sits down cross-legged, holding the back upright, having made mindfulness rise up in front. 

1. By ridding oneself of the taint of covetousness for the world, one dwells with a mind (heart) appeased and devoid of coveting. 
2. By ridding oneself of the taint of ill-will, one dwells benevolent in mind, compassionate for the welfare of all creatures and beings. 
3. By ridding oneself of sloth and torpor, one dwells devoid of sloth and torpor; perceiving the light (nimitta), mindful, clearly comprehending.
4. By ridding oneself of restlessness and worry, one dwells calmly with the mind subjectively tranquilized. 
5. By ridding oneself of doubt, one dwells having overcome doubt, unperplexed as to which states are skillful.

The Four Applications of Mindfulness

(Piyush.k/Piyushkumar1/flickr)

"One, ridding oneself of these Five Hindrances, which are defilements of the mind (heart) weakening to insight-wisdom, one dwells contemplating the body in the body, ardent, clearly comprehending [it], mindful [of it] so as to control any covetousness and dejection [regarding] the world. One fares along contemplating feelings (sensations)... mind... mental states in mental states, ardent, clearly comprehending [them], mindful [of them] so as to control any covetousness and dejection [regarding] the world.

"As, Aggivessana, an elephant tamer, driving a great post into the ground, ties a forest elephant to it by the neck so as to subdue its forest ways, so as to subdue its forest aspirations, and so as to subdue its distress, its fretting and fever for the forest, so as to make it pleased with villages and accustom it to human ways -- even so, Aggivessana, these Four Applications (Foundations) of Mindfulness are ties of the mind so as to subdue the ways of householders and to subdue the aspirations of householders and to subdue the distress, the fretting and fever of householders. They are for leading to the right Path, for realizing nirvana (the end of all disappointment, of all suffering).

"The Wayfarer then disciplines and encourages further, saying: 'Come, monastic, fare along contemplating the body in the body, but do not apply yourself to a train of thought connected with the body. Fare along contemplating feelings in feelings... mind in mind... mental states in mental states, but do not apply yourself to a train of thought connected with mental states.'

 

Meditative absorptions
"One by allaying initial thought and discursive thought, with the mind subjectively tranquilized and fixed on one point, enters on and abides in the second meditation (meditative absorption, jhana),* which is devoid of initial and discursive thought (effortful-initial and attentive-sustained attention), is born of concentration and is blissful and joyful. By the fading away of bliss, one dwells with equanimity, attentive and clearly comprehending, and experiences that joy of which the noble ones say: 'Joyful lives one who has equanimity and is mindful,' and one enters and abides in the third meditation. By letting go of joy, by letting go of anguish, by surpassing former pleasures and sorrows, one enters and abides in the fourth meditation, which has neither anguish nor joy, and which is entirely purified by equanimity[, one-pointedness,] and mindfulness.

*[It is noteworthy that the section on the Four Applications of Mindfulness (Satipatthana) is here followed by the second meditative-absorption (jhana) without mention of the first absorption. This may either refer to a meditator who has already previously attained to the first absorption or, which seems more probable, it is meant to indicate that the intensive practice of Satipatthana which, through emphasis on bare observation, tends to reduce discursive thought and enables the meditator to enter directly into the second jhana, which is free from initial and discursive thought (vitakka-vicara). This latter explanation is favored by the fact that (1) in this text, the practice of Satipatthana is preceded by the temporary abandonment of the Five Hindrances, which indicates a high degree of concentration approaching that of the first jhana; (2) in this text, the meditator is advised not to engage in trains of thought about the body, feelings, etc. — that is, in discursive thinking, which is still present in the first jhana. - Ed., The Wheel].

• [There is a better translation. Vitakka and vicara do not refer to "initial thought and discursive thought." According to the greatest living scholar-monk and meditation master Pa Auk Sayadaw, vitakka-vicara means "initial and sustained attention." These lead to the first absorption (jhana), which is much greater and purer than ordinary consciousness. But it has the defect of being very close to ordinary consciousness. Therefore, to get to the second absorption, one focuses on freedom from these imperfections, and the mind moves to the next deeper absorption, which also has imperfections. One moves through the jhanas to the eighth absorption, becoming aware of its flaws and moving to a better state. Nirvana is perfection. See jhana as explained by Ven. Nyanatiloka. - Eds. Wisdom Quarterly]

 Kwan Yin Bodhisattva and child on lotus pedestal (Kwanyinbuddha/flickr.com)

 

The Three Knowledges

(1. Recollection of past lives)  

"Then with the mind (heart) composed, quite purified, quite clarified, without blemish, without defilement, grown pliant and workable, fixed, immovable, one directs mind to the knowledge and recollection of past lives: 

"One remembers a variety of past lives: one birth, two births, three... four... five... ten... 20... 30... 40... 50... 100... 1,000... 100,000 births, and many an aeon of integration and many an aeon of disintegration and many an aeon of integration-disintegration: 

"'Such a one was I by name, having such a clan, such and such a color, so was I nourished, such and such pleasant and painful experiences were mine, so did the span of life end. Passing from this, I came to be in another state, where such a one was I by name, having such and such a clan, such and such a color, so was I nourished, such and such pleasant and painful experiences were mine, so did the span of life end. Passing from this, I arose here.' Thus,  one remembers diverse past lives in all their modes and details.
 

(2. The Divine Eye)
"Then with the mind composed, quite purified, quite clarified, without blemish, without defilement, grown pliant and workable, fixed, immovable, one directs mind to the knowledge of the passing and the rearising of beings. With the purified deva-vision surpassing that of humans, one sees beings as they pass away or come to be; one comprehends that beings are mean, excellent, comely, ugly, easy-going, ill-going, according to the consequences of their deeds, then one thinks: 

"Indeed these worthy beings [it is out of courtesy and custom that beings are here referred to as "worthy" beings] who were possessed of wrong conduct in body, who were possessed of wrong conduct in speech, who were possessed of wrong conduct in thought, revilers of [scoffers at] noble ones, holding wrong views, incurring deeds following upon wrong views -- these, at the breaking up of the body after dying, have arisen in a sorrowful state, a bad rebirth, the downward path, even in the abysmal hell(s).

 

"But these worthy beings who were possessed of wholesome conduct in body, who were possessed of wholesome conduct in speech, who were possessed of wholesome conduct in thought, who did not revile noble ones, holding right views, incurring deeds following upon right views -- these, at the breaking up of the body, after dying, have arisen in a fortunate rebirth, even the celestial plane(s).

 
(3. Destruction of Cankers: Enlightenment)
"Then with the mind (heart) composed... immovable, one directs mind to the knowledge of the destruction of the cankers (āsavas). One understands as it really is [the Four Noble Truths]: This is anguish [dukkha, suffering, ill, woe, disappointment], this is the arising of anguish, this is the cessation of anguish, this is the path leading to the cessation of anguish. 

"One understands as it really is: These are the cankers, this is the arising of the cankers, this is the cessation of the cankers, this is the path leading to the cessation of the cankers. Knowing thus, seeing thus, one's mind (heart):

• is freed from the canker of [craving] sense pleasures, 
• is freed from the canker of [craving for eternal] becoming, 
• is freed from the canker of ignorance. 
• In freedom, the knowledge comes: I am free. And one comprehends: Destroyed is rebirth, brought to a culmination is the high life, done is what was to be done, there is no more of being such or such (no more cycling through samsara).

"That monastic is able to endure heat, cold, hunger, thirst, the touch of mosquitoes, gadflies, wind, sun, and creeping things, abusive speech, and other unwelcome modes of being spoken to: One has grown to bear bodily feelings that may arise as painful, acute, sharp, severe, wretched, miserable, lethal. Now purged of all dross, all impurity of attachment, aversion, and confusion (raga, dosa, moha) one becomes a NOBLE ONE -- worthy of gifts, offerings, respect, and homage, an unsurpassed field of merit in the world.

Reckoning

"If, Aggivessana, a king's elephant dies in old age, untamed and untrained, it is reckoned to be one that died untamed -- so, too, a king's elephant that is middle-aged or one that dies young, untamed and untrained. 

 

"Even so, Aggivessana, if an elder monastic dies with the cankers not yet destroyed, that elder is reckoned as one who died untamed -- so, too, a monastic of middle standing or one newly ordained with the cankers not yet destroyed. That newly ordained monastic is reckoned to be as one who died untamed. 

 

"But, Aggivessana, if a king's elephant dies in old age, well tamed and well trained, it is reckoned one that died tamed -- so, too, one that is middle-aged or one that dies young, well tamed and well trained. 

 

"Even so, Aggivessana, if an elder monastic dies with the cankers destroyed, that elder is reckoned as one who died tamed -- so, too, a monastic of middle standing or a newly ordained monastic who dies with cankers destroyed. That newly ordained monastic is reckoned as one who has died tamed."

Thus spoke the Blessed One. Delighted, the novice-monk Aciravata rejoiced in what the Blessed One had said.