Samyutta Nikaya - Satipatthana Samyutta II
SN 47.13
Cunda Sutta
About Cunda
(Sariputta's Passing Away)
Translated from the Pali by
Thanissaro Bhikkhu
Alternate translation:NyanaponikaThanissaro
PTS: S v 161
CDB ii 1642
Source: Transcribed from a file provided by the translator.
Copyright © 1998 Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
Access to Insight edition © 1998
For free distribution. This work may be republished, reformatted,
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On one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Savatthi in Jeta's Grove,
Anathapindika's monastery. Now at that time Ven. Sariputta was staying among the
Magadhans in Nalaka village — diseased, in pain, severely ill. Cunda the novice
was his attendant. Then, because of that illness, Ven. Sariputta attained total
Unbinding.
So Cunda the novice, taking Ven. Sariputta's bowl & robes, went to Ven. Ananda
in Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika's monastery, near Savatthi, and on arrival,
having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As he was sitting there he said to
Ven. Ananda: "Venerable sir, Ven. Sariputta has attained total Unbinding. Here
are his bowl & robes."
"Cunda, my friend, this news is reason for seeing the Blessed One. Come, let's
go to the Blessed One and report this matter to him."
"Yes, venerable sir," Cunda the novice replied.
So Ven. Ananda & Cunda the novice went to the Blessed One and, on arrival,
having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As they were sitting there, Ven.
Ananda said to him, "Lord, just now Cunda the novice said to me, 'Venerable sir,
Ven. Sariputta has attained total Unbinding. Here are his bowl & robes.' It was
as if my body were drugged, I lost my bearings, things weren't clear to me, on
hearing that Ven. Sariputta had attained total Unbinding."
"But, Ananda, when he attained total Unbinding, did Sariputta take the aggregate
of virtue along with him? Did he take the aggregate of concentration...
discernment... release... the aggregate of knowledge & vision of release along
with him?"
"No, lord, when he attained total Unbinding, Ven. Sariputta didn't take the
aggregate of virtue... concentration... discernment... release... the aggregate
of knowledge & vision of release along with him. It's just that he was my
instructor & counselor, one who exhorted, urged, roused, & encouraged me. He was
tireless in teaching the Dhamma, a help to his companions in the holy life. We
miss the nourishment of his Dhamma, the wealth of his Dhamma, his help in the
Dhamma."
"But, Ananda, haven't I already taught you the state of growing different with
regard to all things dear & appealing, the state of becoming separate, the state
of becoming otherwise? What else is there to expect? It's impossible that one
could forbid anything born, existent, fabricated, & subject to disintegration
from disintegrating.
"Just as if the largest limb were to fall off of a great tree composed of
heartwood, standing firm; in the same way, Sariputta has attained total
Unbinding from this great community of monks composed of heartwood, standing
firm. What else is there to expect? It's impossible that one could forbid
anything born, existent, fabricated, & subject to disintegration from
disintegrating.
"Therefore, Ananda, each of you should remain with your self as an island, your
self as your refuge, without anything else as a refuge. Remain with the Dhamma
as an island, the Dhamma as your refuge, without anything else as a refuge. And
how does a monk remain with his self as an island, his self as his refuge,
without anything else as a refuge? How does he remain with the Dhamma as an
island, the Dhamma as his refuge, without anything else as a refuge? There is
the case where a monk remains focused on the body in & of itself — ardent,
alert, & mindful — putting aside greed & distress with reference to the world.
He remains focused on feelings... mind... mental qualities in & of themselves —
ardent, alert, & mindful — putting aside greed & distress with reference to the
world. This is how a monk remains with his self as an island, his self as his
refuge, without anything else as a refuge, with the Dhamma as an island, the
Dhamma as his refuge, without anything else as a refuge. For those who — now or
after I am gone — remain with their self as an island, their self as their
refuge, without anything else as a refuge, with the Dhamma as an island, the
Dhamma as their refuge, without anything else as a refuge, they will be the
highest of the monks who desire training."
See also: DN 16, SN 47.14.
SN 47.14
Cunda Sutta
At Ukkacela
Once the Blessed One was dwelling in the Vajji country, at Ukkacela on the bank
of the river Ganges, not long after Sariputta and Maha Moggallana had passed
away. And at that time the Blessed One was seated in the open, surrounded by
company of monks.
The Blessed One surveyed the silent gathering of monks, and then spoke to them,
saying:
"This assembly, O bhikkhus, appears indeed empty to me, now that Sariputta and
Maha Moggallana have passed away. Not empty, for me, is an assembly, nor need I
have concern for a place where Sariputta and Maha Moggallana dwell.
"Those who in the past have been Holy Ones. Fully enlightened Ones, those
Blessed Ones, too, had such excellent pairs of disciples as I had in Sariputta
and Maha Moggallana. Those who in the future will be Holy Ones, fully
Enlightened Ones, those Blessed Ones too will have such excellent pairs of
disciples as I had in Sariputta and Maha Moggallana.
"Marvelous it is, most wonderful it is, bhikkhus, concerning those disciples,
that they will act in accordance with the Master's Dispensation, will act in
according to his advice; that they will be dear to the four Assemblies, will be
loved, respected and honored by them. Marvelous it is, most wonderful it is,
bhikkhus, concerning the Perfect Ones, that when such a pair of disciples has
passed away there is no grief, no lamentation on the part of the Perfect One.
For of that which is born, come to being, put together, and so is subject to
dissolution, how should it be said that it should not depart? That indeed, is
not possible."
"Therefore, bhikkhus, be ye an island unto yourselves, a refuge unto yourselves,
seeking no external refuge; with the Teaching as your island, the Teaching your
refuge, seeking no other refuge."
See also: DN 16, SN 47.13
SN 47.19
Sedaka Sutta
At Sedaka
1: The Acrobat
I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was living among the Sumbhas.
Now there is a Sumbhan town named Sedaka. There the Blessed One addressed the
monks, "Monks!"
"Yes, lord," the monks responded.
The Blessed One said, "Once upon a time, monks, a bamboo acrobat, having erected
a bamboo pole, addressed his assistant, Frying Pan: 'Come, my dear Frying Pan.
Climb up the bamboo pole and stand on my shoulders.'
"'As you say, Master,' Frying Pan answered the bamboo acrobat and, climbing the
bamboo pole, stood on his shoulders.
"So then the bamboo acrobat said to his assistant, 'Now you watch after me, my
dear Frying Pan, and I'll watch after you. Thus, protecting one another,
watching after one another, we'll show off our skill, receive our reward, and
come down safely from the bamboo pole.'
"When he had said this, Frying Pan said to him, 'But that won't do at all,
Master. You watch after yourself, and I'll watch after myself, and thus with
each of us protecting ourselves, watching after ourselves, we'll show off our
skill, receive our reward, and come down safely from the bamboo pole.'
"What Frying Pan, the assistant, said to her Master was the right way in that
case.
"Monks, a frame of reference is to be practiced with the thought, 'I'll watch
after myself.' A frame of reference is to be practiced with the thought, 'I'll
watch after others.' When watching after oneself, one watches after others. When
watching after others, one watches after oneself.
"And how does one, when watching after oneself, watch after others? Through
pursuing [the practice], through developing it, through devoting oneself to it.
This is how one, when watching after oneself, watches after others.
"And how does one, when watching after others, watch after oneself? Through
endurance, through harmlessness, and through a mind of kindness & sympathy. This
is how one, when watching after others, watches after oneself.
"A frame of reference is to be practiced with the thought, 'I'll watch after
myself.' A frame of reference is to be practiced with the thought, 'I'll watch
after others.' When watching after oneself, one watches after others. When
watching after others, one watches after oneself."
See also: AN 5.20; AN 4.95; AN 4.96; AN 4.99.
SN 47.20
Sedaka Sutta
At Sedaka
(2: The Beauty Queen)
I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was living among the Sumbhas.
Now there is a Sumbhan town named Sedaka. There the Blessed One addressed the
monks, "Monks!"
"Yes, lord," the monks responded.
The Blessed One said, "Suppose, monks, that a large crowd of people comes
thronging together, saying, 'The beauty queen! The beauty queen!' And suppose
that the beauty queen is highly accomplished at singing & dancing, so that an
even greater crowd comes thronging, saying, 'The beauty queen is singing! The
beauty queen is dancing!' Then a man comes along, desiring life & shrinking from
death, desiring pleasure & abhorring pain. They say to him, 'Now look here,
mister. You must take this bowl filled to the brim with oil and carry it on your
head in between the great crowd & the beauty queen. A man with a raised sword
will follow right behind you, and wherever you spill even a drop of oil, right
there will he cut off your head.' Now what do you think, monks: Will that man,
not paying attention to the bowl of oil, let himself get distracted outside?"
"No, lord."
"I have given you this parable to convey a meaning. The meaning is this: The
bowl filled to the brim with oil stands for mindfulness immersed in the body.
Thus you should train yourselves: 'We will develop mindfulness immersed in the
body. We will pursue it, hand it the reins and take it as a basis, give it a
grounding, steady it, consolidate it, and undertake it well.' That is how you
should train yourselves."
SN 47.40
Satipatthana-vibhanga Sutta
Analysis of the Frames of Reference
"I will teach you the frames of reference, their development, and the path of
practice leading to their development. Listen & pay close attention. I will
speak.
"Now, what are the frames of reference? There is the case where a monk remains
focused on the body in & of itself — ardent, alert, & mindful — putting aside
greed & distress with reference to the world. He remains focused on feelings in
& of themselves... mind in & of itself... mental qualities in & of themselves —
ardent, alert, & mindful — putting aside greed & distress with reference to the
world.
"This is called the frames of reference.
"And what is the development of the frames of reference? There is the case where
a monk remains focused on the phenomenon of origination with regard to the body,
remains focused on the phenomenon of passing away with regard to the body,
remains focused on the phenomenon of origination & passing away with regard to
the body — ardent, alert, & mindful — putting aside greed & distress with
reference to the world.
"He remains focused on the phenomenon of origination with regard to feelings,
remains focused on the phenomenon of passing away with regard to feelings,
remains focused on the phenomenon of origination & passing away with regard to
feelings — ardent, alert, & mindful — putting aside greed & distress with
reference to the world.
"He remains focused on the phenomenon of origination with regard to the mind,
remains focused on the phenomenon of passing away with regard to the mind,
remains focused on the phenomenon of origination & passing away with regard to
the mind — ardent, alert, & mindful — putting aside greed & distress with
reference to the world.
"He remains focused on the phenomenon of origination with regard to mental
qualities, remains focused on the phenomenon of passing away with regard to
mental qualities, remains focused on the phenomenon of origination & passing
away with regard to mental qualities — ardent, alert, & mindful — putting aside
greed & distress with reference to the world.
"This is called the development of the frames of reference.
"And what is the path of practice to the development of the frames of reference?
Just this noble eightfold path: right view, right resolve, right speech, right
action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.
This is called the path of practice to the development of the frames of
reference."
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