When will I become enlightened? (sutra)

O, how we cling to form, finding it pretty

Thus have I heard. At one time the Blessed One (the Buddha) was dwelling in Savatthi and said: "Meditators, I declare [this Teaching/Dhamma] is for one who knows and sees that there is a way to the end of the defilements (asavas).

"For one who knows what and sees what is there an end to the defilements? [The Five Aggregates clung to as self:]

1. 'This is form, this its origination, this its passing away.
2. This is feeling...
3. This is perception...
4. These are mental formations (impulses, volitions, fabrications)...
5. This is consciousness, this its origination, this its passing away.'

"It is for one who knows and sees in this way that there is an end to the defilements.

"Even though a meditator not dwelling devoted to cultivation (bhavana, meditation, development, bringing into being) may wish, 'O, that my mind/heart might be released from the defilements through the end of clinging (craving)!' — still one's heart/mind will not be released from the defilements through not clinging. Why?

"'From lack of development,' it should be said. The lack of developing what? [The 37 Requisites of Enlightenment:]

1. the Four Foundations of Mindfulness,
2. the Four Right Efforts,
3. the Four Bases of Power,
4. the Five Faculties,
5. the Five Strengths,
6. the Seven Factors of Enlightenment,
7. the Noble Eightfold Path.

Will we just trip and fall into self-realization?

"Suppose a hen lays eight, ten, or 12 eggs. If she fails to cover them rightly, warm them rightly, or incubate them rightly, then even though she wishes, 'O, may my chicks break through the shell with beak and claw and hatch safely!' still it is impossible that her chicks will break through and hatch safely.'

"Why is that? It is because the hen has neither covered them rightly, warmed them rightly, nor incubated them rightly.

"In the same way, even though a meditator dwells not devoted to development may wish, 'O, that my mind/heart might be released from the defilements through not clinging!' still one's mind/heart remains unreleased from the defilements. Why is that? 'It is from the lack of development,' it should be said. The lack of developing what?

• The Four Foundations of Mindfulness,
• the Four Right Efforts,
• the Four Bases of Power,
• the Five Faculties,
• the Five Strengths,
• the Seven Factors of Enlightenment,
• the Noble Eightfold Path.

I should've done yoga (Dave/ACZC)

"Even though a meditator who dwells without devoting oneself to development may wish, 'O, that my heart/mind might be released from the defilements through not clinging!' still one's mind/heart remains unreleased from the defilements. Why is that? 'It is from the lack of development,' it should be said. Developing what?

1. The Four Foundations of Mindfulness,
2. the Four Right Efforts,
3. the Four Bases of Power,
4. the Five Faculties,
5. the Five Strengths,
6. the Seven Factors of Enlightenment,
7. the Noble Eightfold Path.

"Suppose a hen lays eight, ten, or 12 eggs which she DOES cover rightly, warms rightly, and incubates rightly: Even though she may not wish, 'O, that my chicks might break through the egg shells with their beaks and claws or and hatch safely!' still it is possible that the chicks will break through their shells and hatch safely. Why is that? It is because the hen has covered them, warmed them, and incubated them rightly.

"In the same way, even though a meditator who dwells devoted to development may not wish, 'O, that my heart/mind might be released from defilements through not clinging!' still one's mind/heart is released from the defilements through not clinging. Why is that? 'It is from development,' it should be said. The development of what?

1. The Four Foundations of Mindfulness,
2. the Four Right Efforts,
3. the Four Bases of Power,
4. the Five Faculties,
5. the Five Strengths,
6. the Seven Factors of Enlightenment,
7. the Noble Eightfold Path.

We made a resolution to regularly sit no matter what, and hard as it was, we stuck to it.

"Just as when a carpenter or apprentice sees fingermarks on the handle of an axe but does not know, 'Today my axe handle wore down this much, or yesterday it wore down that much, or the day before yesterday it wore down that much,' still the carpenter or apprentice knows it is worn away when it is worn away.

"In the same way, when a meditator dwells devoted to development, that meditator does not know, 'Today my defilements wore down this much, or yesterday they wore down that much, or the day before yesterday they wore down that much.' Nevertheless, one knows they are worn away when they are worn away.

"When an ocean-going ship that is rigged with masts and stays, after six months on the water, is left on shore for the winter, its stays -- weathered by heat and wind, moistened by clouds of the rainy season -- easily wither and rot away.

"In the same way, when a meditator dwells devoted to development, the fetters (bonds, samyojanas) easily wither and rot away." Source

• Dhr. Seven (ed.), Nava Sutta: "The Ship Discourse" (SN 22.101 PTS: S iii 152 CDB i 959) based on translation by Ven. Thanissaro (accesstoinsight.org, 1997), Wisdom Quarterly