sutta » an » an10 » Aṅguttara Nikāya 10.52

Sāriputtasutta

With Sāriputta

Tatra kho āyasmā sāriputto bhikkhū āmantesi:
There Sāriputta addressed the mendicants:

“āvuso bhikkhave”ti.
“Reverends, mendicants!”

“Āvuso”ti kho te bhikkhū āyasmato sāriputtassa paccassosuṁ.
“Reverend,” they replied.

Āyasmā sāriputto etadavoca:
Sāriputta said this:

“No ce, āvuso, bhikkhu paracittapariyāyakusalo hoti, atha ‘sacittapariyāyakusalo bhavissāmī’ti—
“Reverends, if a mendicant isn’t skilled in the ways of another’s mind, then they should train themselves: ‘I will be skilled in the ways of my own mind.’

evañhi vo, āvuso, sikkhitabbaṁ.

Kathañcāvuso, bhikkhu sacittapariyāyakusalo hoti?
And how is a mendicant skilled in the ways of their own mind?

Seyyathāpi, āvuso, itthī vā puriso vā daharo yuvā maṇḍanakajātiko ādāse vā parisuddhe pariyodāte acche vā udapatte sakaṁ mukhanimittaṁ paccavekkhamāno sace tattha passati rajaṁ vā aṅgaṇaṁ vā, tasseva rajassa vā aṅgaṇassa vā pahānāya vāyamati.
Suppose there was a woman or man who was young, youthful, and fond of adornments, and they check their own reflection in a clean bright mirror or a clear bowl of water. If they see any dirt or blemish there, they’d try to remove it.

No ce tattha passati rajaṁ vā aṅgaṇaṁ vā, tenevattamano hoti paripuṇṇasaṅkappo:
But if they don’t see any dirt or blemish there, they’re happy with that, as they’ve got all they wished for:

‘lābhā vata me, parisuddhaṁ vata me’ti.
‘How fortunate that I’m clean!’

Evamevaṁ kho, āvuso, bhikkhuno paccavekkhaṇā bahukārā hoti kusalesu dhammesu:
In the same way, checking is very helpful for a mendicant’s skillful qualities.

‘abhijjhālu nu kho bahulaṁ viharāmi, anabhijjhālu nu kho bahulaṁ viharāmi, byāpannacitto nu kho bahulaṁ viharāmi, abyāpannacitto nu kho bahulaṁ viharāmi, thinamiddhapariyuṭṭhito nu kho bahulaṁ viharāmi, vigatathinamiddho nu kho bahulaṁ viharāmi, uddhato nu kho bahulaṁ viharāmi, anuddhato nu kho bahulaṁ viharāmi, vicikiccho nu kho bahulaṁ viharāmi, tiṇṇavicikiccho nu kho bahulaṁ viharāmi, kodhano nu kho bahulaṁ viharāmi, akkodhano nu kho bahulaṁ viharāmi, saṅkiliṭṭhacitto nu kho bahulaṁ viharāmi, asaṅkiliṭṭhacitto nu kho bahulaṁ viharāmi, sāraddhakāyo nu kho bahulaṁ viharāmi, asāraddhakāyo nu kho bahulaṁ viharāmi, kusīto nu kho bahulaṁ viharāmi, āraddhavīriyo nu kho bahulaṁ viharāmi, samāhito nu kho bahulaṁ viharāmi, asamāhito nu kho bahulaṁ viharāmī’ti.
‘Am I often covetous or not? Am I often malicious or not? Am I often overcome with dullness and drowsiness or not? Am I often restless or not? Am I often doubtful or not? Am I often irritable or not? Am I often defiled in mind or not? Am I often disturbed in body or not? Am I often energetic or not? Am I often immersed in samādhi or not?’

Sace, āvuso, bhikkhu paccavekkhamāno evaṁ jānāti:
Suppose that, upon checking, a mendicant knows this:

‘abhijjhālu bahulaṁ viharāmi …pe… asamāhito bahulaṁ viharāmī’ti, tenāvuso, bhikkhunā tesaṁyeva pāpakānaṁ akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ pahānāya adhimatto chando ca vāyāmo ca ussāho ca ussoḷhī ca appaṭivānī ca sati ca sampajaññañca karaṇīyaṁ.
‘I am often covetous, malicious, overcome with dullness and drowsiness, restless, doubtful, angry, defiled in mind, disturbed in body, lazy, and not immersed in samādhi.’ In order to give up those bad, unskillful qualities, they should apply intense enthusiasm, effort, zeal, vigor, perseverance, mindfulness, and situational awareness.

Seyyathāpi, āvuso, ādittacelo vā ādittasīso vā. Tasseva celassa vā sīsassa vā nibbāpanāya adhimattaṁ chandañca vāyāmañca ussāhañca ussoḷhiñca appaṭivāniñca satiñca sampajaññañca kareyya.
Suppose your clothes or head were on fire. In order to extinguish it, you’d apply intense enthusiasm, effort, zeal, vigor, perseverance, mindfulness, and situational awareness.

Evamevaṁ kho, āvuso, tena bhikkhunā tesaṁyeva pāpakānaṁ akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ pahānāya adhimatto chando ca vāyāmo ca ussāho ca ussoḷhī ca appaṭivānī ca sati ca sampajaññañca karaṇīyaṁ.
In the same way, in order to give up those bad, unskillful qualities, that mendicant should apply intense enthusiasm …

Sace panāvuso, bhikkhu paccavekkhamāno evaṁ jānāti:
But suppose that, upon checking, a mendicant knows this:

‘anabhijjhālu bahulaṁ viharāmi …pe… samāhito bahulaṁ viharāmī’ti, tenāvuso, bhikkhunā tesuyeva kusalesu dhammesu patiṭṭhāya uttari āsavānaṁ khayāya yogo karaṇīyo”ti.
‘I am often content, kind-hearted, rid of dullness and drowsiness, calm, confident, loving, pure in mind, undisturbed in body, energetic, and immersed in samādhi.’ Grounded on those skillful qualities, they should practice meditation further to end the defilements.”

Dutiyaṁ.