Aṅguttara Nikāya 7.61
Translators: sujato
Numbered Discourses 7.61
6. Abyākatavagga
6. The Undeclared Points
Pacalāyamānasutta
Nodding Off
Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
So I have heard.
ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā bhaggesu viharati susumāragire bhesakaḷāvane migadāye.
At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Bhaggas at Crocodile Hill, in the deer park at Bhesakaḷā’s Wood.
Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā mahāmoggallāno magadhesu kallavāḷaputtagāme pacalāyamāno nisinno hoti.
Now at that time, in the land of the Magadhans near Kallavāḷamutta Village, Venerable Mahāmoggallāna was nodding off while meditating.
Addasā kho bhagavā dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena āyasmantaṁ mahāmoggallānaṁ magadhesu kallavāḷaputtagāme pacalāyamānaṁ nisinnaṁ.
The Buddha saw him with his clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman.
Disvā—
seyyathāpi nāma balavā puriso samiñjitaṁ vā bāhaṁ pasāreyya, pasāritaṁ vā bāhaṁ samiñjeyya; evamevaṁ—bhaggesu susumāragire bhesakaḷāvane migadāye antarahito magadhesu kallavāḷaputtagāme āyasmato mahāmoggallānassa sammukhe pāturahosi.
Then, as easily as a strong person would extend or contract their arm, he vanished from the deer park at Bhesakaḷā’s Wood in the land of the Bhaggas and reappeared in front of Mahāmoggallāna near Kallavāḷamutta Village in the land of the Magadhans.
Nisīdi bhagavā paññatte āsane.
He sat on the seat spread out
Nisajja kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ mahāmoggallānaṁ etadavoca:
and said to Mahāmoggallāna,
“Pacalāyasi no tvaṁ, moggallāna, pacalāyasi no tvaṁ, moggallānā”ti?
“Are you nodding off, Moggallāna? Are you nodding off?”
“Evaṁ, bhante”.
“Yes, sir.”
“Tasmātiha, moggallāna, yathāsaññissa te viharato taṁ middhaṁ okkamati, taṁ saññaṁ mā manasākāsi, taṁ saññaṁ mā bahulamakāsi.
“So, Moggallāna, don’t focus on or cultivate the perception that you were meditating on when you fell drowsy.
Ṭhānaṁ kho panetaṁ, moggallāna, vijjati yaṁ te evaṁ viharato taṁ middhaṁ pahīyetha.
It’s possible that you’ll give up drowsiness in this way.
No ce te evaṁ viharato taṁ middhaṁ pahīyetha, tato tvaṁ, moggallāna, yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ cetasā anuvitakkeyyāsi anuvicāreyyāsi, manasā anupekkheyyāsi.
But what if that doesn’t work? Then think about and consider the teaching as you’ve learned and memorized it, examining it with your mind.
Ṭhānaṁ kho panetaṁ vijjati yaṁ te evaṁ viharato taṁ middhaṁ pahīyetha.
It’s possible that you’ll give up drowsiness in this way.
No ce te evaṁ viharato taṁ middhaṁ pahīyetha, tato tvaṁ, moggallāna, yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ vitthārena sajjhāyaṁ kareyyāsi.
But what if that doesn’t work? Then recite in detail the teaching as you’ve learned and memorized it.
Ṭhānaṁ kho panetaṁ vijjati yaṁ te evaṁ viharato taṁ middhaṁ pahīyetha.
It’s possible that you’ll give up drowsiness in this way.
No ce te evaṁ viharato taṁ middhaṁ pahīyetha, tato tvaṁ, moggallāna, ubho kaṇṇasotāni āviñcheyyāsi, pāṇinā gattāni anumajjeyyāsi.
But what if that doesn’t work? Then pinch your ears and rub your limbs.
Ṭhānaṁ kho panetaṁ vijjati yaṁ te evaṁ viharato taṁ middhaṁ pahīyetha.
It’s possible that you’ll give up drowsiness in this way.
No ce te evaṁ viharato taṁ middhaṁ pahīyetha, tato tvaṁ, moggallāna, uṭṭhāyāsanā udakena akkhīni anumajjitvā disā anuvilokeyyāsi, nakkhattāni tārakarūpāni ullokeyyāsi.
But what if that doesn’t work? Then get up from your seat, flush your eyes with water, look around in every direction, and look up at the stars and constellations.
Ṭhānaṁ kho panetaṁ vijjati yaṁ te evaṁ viharato taṁ middhaṁ pahīyetha.
It’s possible that you’ll give up drowsiness in this way.
No ce te evaṁ viharato taṁ middhaṁ pahīyetha, tato tvaṁ, moggallāna, ālokasaññaṁ manasi kareyyāsi, divāsaññaṁ adhiṭṭhaheyyāsi—
But what if that doesn’t work? Then focus on the perception of light, concentrating on the perception of day:
yathā divā tathā rattiṁ yathā rattiṁ tathā divā.
as by day, so by night; as by night, so by day.
Iti vivaṭena cetasā apariyonaddhena sappabhāsaṁ cittaṁ bhāveyyāsi.
And so, with an open and unenveloped heart, develop a mind that’s full of radiance.
Ṭhānaṁ kho panetaṁ vijjati yaṁ te evaṁ viharato taṁ middhaṁ pahīyetha.
It’s possible that you’ll give up drowsiness in this way.
No ce te evaṁ viharato taṁ middhaṁ pahīyetha, tato tvaṁ, moggallāna, pacchāpuresaññī caṅkamaṁ adhiṭṭhaheyyāsi antogatehi indriyehi abahigatena mānasena.
But what if that doesn’t work? Then walk mindfully, concentrating on the perception of continuity, your faculties directed inwards and your mind not scattered outside.
Ṭhānaṁ kho panetaṁ vijjati yaṁ te evaṁ viharato taṁ middhaṁ pahīyetha.
It’s possible that you’ll give up drowsiness in this way.
No ce te evaṁ viharato taṁ middhaṁ pahīyetha, tato tvaṁ, moggallāna, dakkhiṇena passena sīhaseyyaṁ kappeyyāsi pāde pādaṁ accādhāya sato sampajāno uṭṭhānasaññaṁ manasi karitvā.
But what if that doesn’t work? Then lie down in the lion’s posture—on the right side, placing one foot on top of the other—mindful and aware, and focused on the time of getting up.
Paṭibuddhena ca te, moggallāna, khippaññeva paccuṭṭhātabbaṁ:
When you wake, you should get up quickly, thinking:
‘na seyyasukhaṁ na passasukhaṁ na middhasukhaṁ anuyutto viharissāmī’ti.
‘I will not live indulging in the pleasures of sleeping, lying down, and drowsing.’
Evañhi te, moggallāna, sikkhitabbaṁ.
That’s how you should train.
Tasmātiha, moggallāna, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ:
So you should train like this:
‘na uccāsoṇḍaṁ paggahetvā kulāni upasaṅkamissāmī’ti.
‘I will not approach families with my head swollen with vanity.’
Evañhi te, moggallāna, sikkhitabbaṁ.
That’s how you should train.
Sace, moggallāna, bhikkhu uccāsoṇḍaṁ paggahetvā kulāni upasaṅkamati, santi hi, moggallāna, kulesu kiccakaraṇīyāni.
What happens if a mendicant approaches families with a head swollen with vanity? Well, families have business to attend to,
Yehi manussā āgataṁ bhikkhuṁ na manasi karonti, tatra bhikkhussa evaṁ hoti:
so people might not notice when a mendicant arrives. In that case the mendicant thinks:
‘kosu nāma idāni maṁ imasmiṁ kule paribhindi, virattarūpā dānime mayi manussā’ti.
‘Who on earth has turned this family against me? It seems they don’t like me any more.’
Itissa alābhena maṅkubhāvo, maṅkubhūtassa uddhaccaṁ, uddhatassa asaṁvaro, asaṁvutassa ārā cittaṁ samādhimhā.
And so, because they don’t get anything they feel dismayed. Being dismayed, they become restless. Being restless, they lose restraint. And without restraint the mind is far from immersion.
Tasmātiha, moggallāna, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ:
So you should train like this:
‘na viggāhikakathaṁ kathessāmī’ti.
‘I won’t get into arguments.’
Evañhi te, moggallāna, sikkhitabbaṁ.
That’s how you should train.
Viggāhikāya, moggallāna, kathāya sati kathābāhullaṁ pāṭikaṅkhaṁ, kathābāhulle sati uddhaccaṁ, uddhatassa asaṁvaro, asaṁvutassa ārā cittaṁ samādhimhā.
When there’s an argument, you can expect there’ll be lots of talking. When there’s lots of talking, people become restless. Being restless, they lose restraint. And without restraint the mind is far from immersion.
Nāhaṁ, moggallāna, sabbeheva saṁsaggaṁ vaṇṇayāmi.
Moggallāna, I don’t praise all kinds of closeness.
Na panāhaṁ, moggallāna, sabbeheva saṁsaggaṁ na vaṇṇayāmi.
Nor do I criticize all kinds of closeness.
Sagahaṭṭhapabbajitehi kho ahaṁ, moggallāna, saṁsaggaṁ na vaṇṇayāmi.
I don’t praise closeness with laypeople and renunciates.
Yāni ca kho tāni senāsanāni appasaddāni appanigghosāni vijanavātāni manussarāhasseyyakāni paṭisallānasāruppāni tathārūpehi senāsanehi saṁsaggaṁ vaṇṇayāmī”ti.
I do praise closeness with those lodgings that are quiet and still, far from the madding crowd, remote from human settlements, and fit for retreat.”
Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā mahāmoggallāno bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
When he said this, Venerable Moggallāna asked the Buddha,
“kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, bhikkhu saṅkhittena taṇhāsaṅkhayavimutto hoti accantaniṭṭho accantayogakkhemī accantabrahmacārī accantapariyosāno seṭṭho devamanussānan”ti?
“Sir, how do you briefly define a mendicant who is freed through the ending of craving, who has reached the ultimate end, the ultimate sanctuary from the yoke, the ultimate spiritual life, the ultimate goal, and is best among gods and humans?”
“Idha, moggallāna, bhikkhuno sutaṁ hoti:
“Take a mendicant who has heard:
‘sabbe dhammā nālaṁ abhinivesāyā’ti;
‘Nothing is worth insisting on.’
evañcetaṁ, moggallāna, bhikkhuno sutaṁ hoti:
When a mendicant has heard that
‘sabbe dhammā nālaṁ abhinivesāyā’ti.
nothing is worth insisting on,
So sabbaṁ dhammaṁ abhijānāti, sabbaṁ dhammaṁ abhiññāya sabbaṁ dhammaṁ parijānāti. Sabbaṁ dhammaṁ pariññāya yaṁ kiñci vedanaṁ vediyati sukhaṁ vā dukkhaṁ vā adukkhamasukhaṁ vā.
they directly know all things. Directly knowing all things, they completely understand all things. Completely understanding all things, when they experience any kind of feeling—pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral—
So tāsu vedanāsu aniccānupassī viharati, virāgānupassī viharati, nirodhānupassī viharati, paṭinissaggānupassī viharati.
they meditate observing impermanence, dispassion, cessation, and letting go in those feelings.
So tāsu vedanāsu aniccānupassī viharanto virāgānupassī viharanto nirodhānupassī viharanto paṭinissaggānupassī viharanto na kiñci loke upādiyati,
Meditating in this way, they don’t grasp at anything in the world.
anupādiyaṁ na paritassati, aparitassaṁ paccattaṁyeva parinibbāyati.
Not grasping, they’re not anxious. Not being anxious, they personally become extinguished.
‘Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā’ti pajānāti.
They understand: ‘Rebirth is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is no return to any state of existence.’
Ettāvatā kho, moggallāna, bhikkhu saṅkhittena taṇhāsaṅkhayavimutto hoti accantaniṭṭho accantayogakkhemī accantabrahmacārī accantapariyosāno seṭṭho devamanussānan”ti.
That’s how I briefly define a mendicant who is freed through the ending of craving, who has reached the ultimate end, the ultimate sanctuary from the yoke, the ultimate spiritual life, the ultimate goal, and is best among gods and humans.”
Aṭṭhamaṁ.