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Sattasappāyā[The Seven Suitable Things]
Tatrāyaṃ rakkhaṇavidhi –Herein, the way of guarding it is this:
Āvāso gocaro bhassaṃ, puggalo bhojanaṃ utu;(1) Abode, (2) resort, (3) and speech, (4) and person, (5) The food, (6) the climate, (7) and the posture—
Iriyāpathoti sattete, asappāye vivajjaye.Eschew these seven different kinds Whenever found unsuitable.
Sappāye satta sevetha, evañhi paṭipajjato; Nacireneva kālena, hoti kassaci appanā.But cultivate the suitable; For one perchance so doing finds He need not wait too long until Absorption shall his wish fulfil.
Tatrassa yasmiṃ āvāse vasantassaHerein, an abode is unsuitable if, while he lives in it,
anuppannaṃ vā nimittaṃ nuppajjati,the unarisen sign does not arise in him
uppannaṃ vā vinassati,or is lost when it arises,
anupaṭṭhitā ca sati na upaṭṭhāti,and where unestablished mindfulness fails to become established
asamāhitañca cittaṃ na samādhiyati, ayaṃ asappāyo.and the unconcentrated mind fails to become concentrated.
Yattha nimittaṃ uppajjati ceva thāvarañca hoti,That is suitable in which the sign arises and becomes confirmed,
sati upaṭṭhāti,in which mindfulness becomes established
cittaṃ samādhiyatiand the mind becomes concentrated,
nāgapabbatavāsīpadhāniyatissattherassa viya, ayaṃ sappāyo.as in the Elder Padhāniya-Tissa, resident at Nāgapabbata.
Tasmā yasmiṃ vihāre bahū āvāsā honti,So if a monastery has many abodes he can try them one by one,
tattha ekamekasmiṃ tīṇi tīṇi divasāni vasitvāliving in each for three days,
yatthassa cittaṃ ekaggaṃ hoti, tattha vasitabbaṃ.and stay on where his mind becomes unified.
Āvāsasappāyatāya hiFor it was due to suitability of abode that
tambapaṇṇidīpamhi cūḷanāgaleṇe vasantā tattheva kammaṭṭhānaṃ gahetvā pañcasatā bhikkhū arahattaṃ pāpuṇiṃsu.five hundred bhikkhus reached Arahantship while still dwelling in the Lesser Nāga Cave (Cūḷa-nāga-leṇa) in Tambapaṇṇi Island (Sri Lanka) after apprehending their meditation subject there.
Sotāpannādīnaṃ pana aññattha ariyabhūmiṃ patvā tattha arahattappattānañca gaṇanā natthi.There is no counting the stream-enterers who have reached Arahantship there after reaching the noble plane elsewhere;
Evamaññesupi cittalapabbatavihārādīsu.so too in the monastery of Cittalapabbata, and others.
Gocaragāmo pana yo senāsanato uttarena vā dakkhiṇena vāAn alms-resort village lying to the north or south of the lodging,
nātidūre diyaḍḍhakosabbhantare hotinot too far, within one kosa and a half,
sulabhasampannabhikkho, so sappāyo.and where alms food is easily obtained, is suitable.
Viparīto asappāyo.The opposite kind is unsuitable.[^14]
Bhassanti dvattiṃsatiracchānakathāpariyāpannaṃ asappāyaṃ, tañhissa nimittantaradhānāya saṃvattati.Speech: that included in the thirty-two kinds of aimless talk is unsuitable; for it leads to the disappearance of the sign.
Dasakathāvatthunissitaṃ sappāyaṃ, tampi mattāya bhāsitabbaṃ.But talk based on the ten examples of talk is suitable, though even that should be discussed with moderation.[^15]
Puggalopi atiracchānakathiko sīlādiguṇasampanno,Person: one not given to aimless talk, who has the special qualities of virtue, etc.,
yaṃ nissāya asamāhitaṃ vā cittaṃ samādhiyati,by acquaintanceship with whom the unconcentrated mind becomes concentrated,
samāhitaṃ vā cittaṃ thirataraṃ hoti,or the concentrated mind becomes more so,
evarūpo sappāyo.is suitable.
Kāyadaḷhībahulo pana tiracchānakathiko asappāyo.One who is much concerned with his body,[^16] who is addicted to aimless talk, is unsuitable;
So hi taṃ kaddamodakamiva acchaṃ udakaṃ malīnameva karoti,for he only creates disturbances, like muddy water added to clear water.
tādisañca āgammaAnd it was owing to one such as this that
koṭapabbatavāsīdaharasseva samāpattipi nassati,the attainments of the young bhikkhu who lived at Koṭapabbata vanished,
pageva nimittaṃ.not to mention the sign. [128]
Bhojanaṃ pana kassaci madhuraṃ, kassaci ambilaṃ sappāyaṃ hoti.Food: Sweet food suits one, sour food another.
Utupi kassaci sīto, kassaci uṇho sappāyo hoti.Climate: a cool climate suits one, a warm one another.
Tasmā yaṃ bhojanaṃ vā utuṃ vā sevantassa phāsu hoti,So when he finds that by using certain food or by living in a certain climate he is comfortable,
asamāhitaṃ vā cittaṃ samādhiyati,or his unconcentrated mind becomes concentrated,
samāhitaṃ vā thirataraṃ hoti,or his concentrated mind becomes more so,
taṃ bhojanaṃ so ca utu sappāyo.then that food or that climate is suitable.
Itaraṃ bhojanaṃ itaro ca utu asappāyo.Any other food or climate is unsuitable.
Iriyāpathesupi kassaci caṅkamo sappāyo hoti, kassaci sayanaṭṭhānanisajjānaṃ aññataro.Postures: walking suits one; standing or sitting or lying down suits another.
Tasmā taṃ āvāsaṃ viya tīṇi divasāni upaparikkhitvāSo he should try them, like the abode, for three days each,
yasmiṃ iriyāpathe asamāhitaṃ vā cittaṃ samādhiyati,and that posture is suitable in which his unconcentrated mind becomes concentrated
samāhitaṃ vā thirataraṃ hoti, so sappāyo.or his concentrated mind becomes more so.
Itaro asappāyoti veditabbo.Any other should be understood as unsuitable.
Iti imaṃ sattavidhaṃ asappāyaṃ vajjetvā sappāyaṃ sevitabbaṃ.So he should avoid the seven unsuitable kinds and cultivate the suitable.
Evaṃ paṭipannassa hiFor when he practices in this way,
nimittāsevanabahulassaassiduously cultivating the sign,
nacireneva kālena hoti kassaci appanā.then, “he need not wait too long until absorption shall his wish fulfil.”