Meditation: Advice to the Buddha's son (sutra)

Maha-Rahulovada Sutra: "The Greater Exhortation to Rahula," the Buddha's son (MN 62, PTS: MN i 420), Ven. Thanissaro (trans.), edited by Amber Larson, Dhr. Seven, Wisdom Quarterly

The Buddha, returning home following his enlightenment, is greeted by Rāhula. The Buddha is represented by his footprints and throne (Amarāvatī, 3rd century. National Museum)

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Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One [the Buddha] was staying in Savatthi, at Jeta's Grove, in Anathapindika's Monastery. Then early in the morning he put on his robe and, carrying his bowl and outer cloak, went into Savatthi for alms.

And Ven. Rahula, early in the morning, put on his robes and, carrying his bowl and outer cloak, went into Savatthi for alms following right behind the Blessed One [Note 1]. Then the Blessed One, looking back at Rahula, addressed him:

"Rahula, any form whatsoever that is past, future, or present, internal or external [pertaining to oneself or others], blatant or subtle, mundane or sublime, far or near -- every form is to be seen as it actually is with right understanding as, 'This is not mine. This is not myself. This is not what I am.'"

"Just form, O Blessed One? Just form, O One Well-gone?"

"Form, Rahula, and feeling, and perception, and mental formations [fabrications], and consciousness."

Then the thought occurred to Ven. Rahula, "Who, having been exhorted face-to-face by the Blessed One, would go into the town for alms today?" So he turned back and sat down at the foot of a tree to meditate, folding his legs crosswise, holding his body erect, and setting mindfulness in front of him.

Ven. Sariputta saw Ven. Rahula sitting at the foot of a tree, his legs folded crosswise, his body held erect, with mindfulness. On seeing him he said to him, "Rahula, develop the meditation [2] of mindfulness on in-and-out breathing. The meditation of mindfulness of in-and-out breathing, when developed and pursued, is of great fruit, of great benefit."

Then Ven. Rahula, emerging from his seclusion [coming up from his deep meditation] in the late afternoon, went to the Blessed One, bowed, and sat to one side. As he was sitting there he said to him, "How, venerable sir, is mindfulness of in-and-out breathing to be developed and pursued so as to be of great fruit, of great benefit?"

"Rahula, {any form whatsoever that is past, future, or present, internal or external, obvious or subtle, mundane or sublime, far or near -- every form is to be seen as it actually is with right understanding as, 'This is not mine. This is not myself. This is not what I am.'

"There are these five elements, Rahula. What are the five?

1. The earth element,
2. the water property,
3. the fire element,
4. the wind element, and
5. the space element.

"What is the earth element? The earth element can be either internal or external. What is the internal earth element? [3]} Anything internal, within oneself, that is hard, solid, and sustained [by craving]: head hairs, body hairs, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, tendons, bones, bone marrow, kidneys, heart, liver, membranes, spleen, lungs, large intestines, small intestines, contents of the stomach, feces, or anything else internal, within oneself, that is hard, solid, and sustained: This is called the internal earth element.

 

Now both the internal earth element and the external earth element are simply 'earth element.' And that should be seen as it actually is present with right understanding: 'This is not mine, this is not me, this is not myself.'

 

When one sees it thus as it actually is present with right understanding, one becomes disenchanted with the earth element and makes the earth element fade from the mind.

 

"And what is the water element? The water element may be either internal or external. What is the internal water element? Anything internal, belonging to oneself, that is water [cohesive], fluid, and sustained: bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tears, oil, saliva, mucus, oil-of-the-joints, urine, or anything else internal, within oneself, that is water, fluid, and sustained: This is called the internal water element.

 

"Now both the internal water element and the external water element are simply 'water element.' And that should be seen as it actually is present with right understanding: 'This is not mine, this is not me, this is not myself.'

 

When one sees it thus as it actually is present with right understanding, one becomes disenchanted with the water element and makes the water element fade from the mind.

 

"And what is the fire element? The fire element may be either internal or external. What is the internal fire element? Anything internal, belonging to oneself, that is burning, fiery, and sustained: that by which [the body] is warmed, ages, and is consumed with fever, and that by which what is eaten, drunk, chewed, and savored gets properly broken down [digested], or anything else internal, within oneself, that is burning, fiery, and sustained: This is called the internal fire element. Now both the internal fire element and the external fire element are simply 'fire element.' And that should be seen as it actually is present with right understanding: 'This is not mine, this is not me, this is not myself.' When one sees it thus as it actually is present with right understanding one becomes disenchanted with the fire element and makes the fire element fade from the mind.

 

"And what is the wind element? The wind element may be either internal or external. What is the internal wind element? Anything internal, belonging to oneself, that is supporting, windy, and sustained: up-moving winds, down-moving winds, winds in the stomach, winds in the intestines, winds that course through the body [prana along the meridians], in-and-out breathing, or anything else internal, within oneself, that is supportive, windy, and sustained: This is called the internal wind element. Now both the internal wind element and the external wind element are simply 'wind element.' And that should be seen as it actually is present with right understanding: 'This is not mine, this is not me, this is not myself.' When one sees it thus as it actually is present with right understanding, one becomes disenchanted with the wind element and makes the wind element fade from the mind.

 

"And what is the space element? The space element may be either internal or external. What is the internal space element? Anything internal, belonging to oneself, that is space, spatial, and sustained: the holes of the ears, the nostrils, the mouth, the [passage] whereby what is eaten, drunk, consumed, and tasted gets swallowed, and where it collects, and whereby it is excreted from below, or anything else internal, within oneself, that is space, spatial, and sustained: This is called the internal space element. Now both the internal space element and the external space element are simply 'space element.' And that should be seen as it actually is present with right understanding: 'This is not mine, this is not me, this is not myself.' When one sees it thus as it actually is present with right understanding, one becomes disenchanted with the space element and makes the space element fade from the mind.

 

"Rahula, develop the meditation [on the earth element] in tune with earth. For when you are developing the meditation in tune with earth, agreeable and disagreeable sensory impressions that have arisen will not stay in charge of your mind/heart.

 

"Just as when people throw what is clean or unclean on the earth — feces, urine, spit, pus, or blood — the earth is not horrified, humiliated, or disgusted by it, in the same way, when you are developing the meditation in tune with earth, agreeable and disagreeable sensory impressions that have arisen will not stay in charge of your mind.

 

"Develop the meditation [on the water element] in tune with water. For when you are developing the meditation in tune with water, agreeable and disagreeable sensory impressions that have arisen will not stay in charge of your mind.

 

"Just as when people wash what is clean or unclean in water — feces, urine, spit, pus, or blood — the water is not horrified, humiliated, or disgusted by it, in the same way, when you are developing the meditation in tune with water, agreeable and disagreeable sensory impressions that have arisen will not stay in charge of your mind/heart.

 

"Develop the meditation [on the fire element] in tune with fire. For when you are developing the meditation in tune with fire, agreeable and disagreeable sensory impressions that have arisen will not stay in charge of your mind.

 

"Just as when fire burns what is clean or unclean — feces, urine, spit, pus, or blood — it is not horrified, humiliated, or disgusted by it, in the same way, when you are developing the meditation in tune with fire, agreeable and disagreeable sensory impressions that have arisen will not stay in charge of your mind/heart.

 

"Develop the meditation [on the wind element] in tune with wind. For when you are developing the meditation in tune with wind, agreeable and disagreeable sensory impressions that have arisen will not stay in charge of your mind.

 

"Just as when wind blows what is clean or unclean — feces, urine, spit, pus, or blood — it is not horrified, humiliated, or disgusted by it, in the same way, when you are developing the meditation in tune with wind, agreeable and disagreeable sensory impressions that have arisen will not stay in charge of your mind.

 

"Develop the meditation [on the space element] in tune with space. For when you are developing the meditation in tune with space, agreeable and disagreeable sensory impressions that have arisen will not stay in charge of your mind.

 

"Just as space is not established anywhere, in the same way, when you are developing the meditation in tune with space, agreeable and disagreeable sensory impressions that have arisen will not stay in charge of your mind. 

 

"Develop the meditation of good will (metta, universal loving kindness]. For when you are developing the meditation on good will, ill-will will be abandoned.

 

"Develop the meditation on compassion. For when you are developing the meditation on compassion, cruelty will be abandoned.

 

"Develop the meditation on appreciation. For when you are developing the meditation on appreciation, resentment will be abandoned.

 

"Develop the meditation on equanimity. For when you are developing the meditation on equanimity, irritation will be abandoned.

 

"Develop the meditation on the unattractive [the foul]. For when you are developing the meditation on the unattractive, passion [lust] will be abandoned.

 

"Develop the meditation on the perception of impermanence. For when you are developing the meditation on the perception of impermanence, the conceit 'I am' will be abandoned.

 

"Develop the meditation on mindfulness of in-and-out breathing. Mindfulness of in-and-out breathing, when developed and pursued, is of great fruit, of great benefit.

 

Breathing meditation

"And how, Rahula, is mindfulness on in-and-out breathing developed and pursued so as to be of great fruit, of great benefit?

 

"A meditator, having gone into the wilderness, to the shade of a tree, or to an empty building, sits down folding legs crosswise, holding body erect, and setting mindfulness in front [4]. Always mindful, one breathes in; mindful one breathes out. "

 

"Breathing in long, one is aware, 'I am breathing in long.' Or breathing out long, one is aware, 'I am breathing out long.' Or breathing in short, one is aware, 'I am breathing in short.' Or breathing out short, one is aware, 'I am breathing out short.'

 

"One trains oneself, 'I will breathe in aware of the entire body.' One trains oneself, 'I will breathe out aware of the entire body.'

 

"One trains oneself, 'I will breathe in calming bodily formations.' One trains oneself, 'I will breathe out calming bodily formations.'

 

"One trains oneself, 'I will breathe in aware of rapture (piti).' One trains oneself, 'I will breathe out aware of rapture.'

 

"One trains oneself, 'I will breathe in aware of pleasure (sukha).' One trains oneself, 'I will breathe out aware of pleasure.'

 

"One trains oneself, 'I will breathe in aware of mental formations.' One trains oneself, 'I will breathe out aware of mental formations.'

 

"One trains oneself, 'I will breathe in calming mental formations.' One trains oneself, 'I will breathe out calming mental formations.'

 

"One trains oneself, 'I will breathe in aware of the mind.' One trains oneself, 'I will breathe out aware of the mind.'

 

"One trains oneself, 'I will breathe in satisfying the mind.' One trains oneself, 'I will breathe out satisfying the mind.'

 

"One trains oneself, 'I will breathe in steadying the mind.' One trains oneself, 'I will breathe out steadying the mind.'

 

"One trains oneself, 'I will breathe in releasing the mind.' One trains oneself, 'I will breathe out releasing the mind.'

 

"One trains oneself, 'I will breathe in focusing on impermanence.' One trains oneself, 'I will breathe out focusing on impermanence.'

 

"One trains oneself, 'I will breathe in focusing on dispassion.' One trains oneself, 'I will breathe out focusing on dispassion.'

 

"One trains oneself, 'I will breathe in focusing on cessation.' One trains oneself, 'I will breathe out focusing on cessation.'

 

"One trains oneself, 'I will breathe in focusing on relinquishment.' One trains oneself, 'I will breathe out focusing on relinquishment.'

 

"This, Rahula, is how mindfulness of in-and-out breathing is developed and pursued so as to be of great fruit, of great benefit.

 

"When mindfulness of in-and-out breathing is developed and pursued in this way, even one's final in-breaths and out-breaths are known as they cease, not unknown."

 

That is what the Blessed One said. Gratified, Ven. Rahula delighted in the Blessed One's words. Source

 

NOTES

1. According to the Commentary, Ven. Rahula was 18 years old when this sutra or discourse took place. 2. Bhavana is translated as "meditation" but actually means "bringing into being," cultivation, development.

3. The preceding passage in braces is missing from the editions on which both The Middle Length Sayings and The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha are based.

4. For notes on these 16 steps, see MN 118.

5. Literally, "fading."

6. That is, one passes away fully alert.

• See also: MN 28; MN 61; MN 140; MN 147