What Does a Renunciant Gain?¶

DN 2, the Sāmaññaphala Sutta — set 3, Learning to Look at Your Own Mind

Reading time: about 39 min · 6,955 words

Before you read¶

A king cannot sleep. It is a beautiful full-moon night and Ajātasattu wants to visit someone who might settle his mind. He has already put the same question to six other teachers and been given the runaround by every one: what does anyone actually get out of the renunciant life, here and now, that you could point to?

The Buddha answers by walking the whole path from the beginning — conduct, sense restraint, contentment, clearing the hindrances, the mental themes, and what lies past them — always in the form of a result the king could recognize as an answer to his question.

The ending is what stays with you. Ajātasattu had taken the throne by killing his father, and the text says plainly that but for that act he would have seen the path right there where he sat. It is the longest text on this site, and it reads like a story rather than a treatise.

Translation¶

The Moonlit Night¶

So I heard.

At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, in Jīvaka Komārabhacca's Mango Grove, together with a large Saṅgha of 1,250 bhikkhus.

At that time it was the Komudī full moon, the fifteenth day of the fourth month, and King Ajātasattu of Magadha, son of the Videhan princess, was sitting upstairs in the royal palace surrounded by his ministers.

Then King Ajātasattu spoke from the heart:

"This moonlit night is so delightful, so beautiful, so glorious, so lovely. What ascetic or brahmin should I visit tonight, so that my mind might find peace?"

Each of the king's ministers suggested a famous teacher:

Pūraṇa Kassapa
Makkhali Gosāla
Ajita Kesakambalī
Pakudha Kaccāyana
Sañjaya Belaṭṭhiputta
Nigaṇṭha Nātaputta

After each suggestion, the king remained silent.

Jīvaka's Suggestion¶

At that time Jīvaka Komārabhacca was sitting silently nearby.

Then the king said to him, "My dear Jīvaka, why are you silent?"

"Great king, the Buddha, the arahant, the fully awakened Buddha, is staying in my mango grove together with a large Saṅgha of 1,250 bhikkhus. He has this good reputation:

'That Blessed One is the arahant, the fully awakened Buddha, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, holy, knower of the world, unsurpassed guide for those fit for training, teacher of gods and humans, awakened, blessed.'

Let Your Majesty visit him. Perhaps in doing so your mind will find peace."

"Well then, my dear Jīvaka, have the elephants prepared."

"Yes, great king," Jīvaka replied.

He had five hundred female elephants made ready, along with the king's riding elephant, and informed the king when all was prepared.

Then King Ajātasattu had women mounted on each of the five hundred female elephants, while he mounted his own elephant. With attendants carrying torches, he set out from Rājagaha in full royal display toward Jīvaka's Mango Grove.

But when he came near the grove, the king grew frightened, alarmed, and shaken.

He said to Jīvaka:

"My dear Jīvaka, I hope you are not deceiving me. I hope you are not betraying me. I hope you are not handing me over to my enemies. For how could there be no sound of coughing or throat-clearing, no noise at all, in such a large Saṅgha of 1,250 bhikkhus?"

"Do not be afraid, great king, do not be afraid. I am not deceiving you, betraying you, or handing you over to your enemies. Go forward, great king, go forward. Those are the lamps shining in the pavilion."

Ajātasattu Meets the Buddha¶

The king rode his elephant as far as the ground allowed, then got down and approached the pavilion on foot.

At the door he asked Jīvaka, "My dear Jīvaka, where is the Buddha?"

"That is the Buddha, great king, that is the Buddha. He is sitting against the central pillar, facing east, in front of the Saṅgha."

Then the king approached the Buddha and stood to one side. Looking over the Saṅgha of bhikkhus, so quiet, like a still and clear lake, he spoke from the heart:

"May my son, Prince Udāyibhadda, have such peace as this Saṅgha of bhikkhus enjoys now."

"Has your mind gone to one you love, great king?"

"Bhante, I love my son, Prince Udāyibhadda. May he have such peace as this Saṅgha of bhikkhus enjoys now."

Then the king bowed to the Buddha, raised joined palms toward the Saṅgha, and sat down to one side.

The Question¶

The king said:

"Bhante, I would like to ask the Buddha about a certain matter, if the Buddha would allow it."

"Ask what you wish, great king."

"Bhante, there are many kinds of work in the world, such as elephant-trainers, horsemen, charioteers, archers, standard-bearers, attendants, cooks, princes, warriors, bakers, barbers, bath attendants, garland-makers, dyers, embroiderers, basket-makers, potters, accountants, tally-keepers, and many other crafts besides. The people who follow those occupations enjoy a fruit of their work visible in this very life. By that they make themselves happy, and they make their parents, children, partners, friends, and companions happy. They also establish a gift to ascetics and brahmins, a wholesome offering that leads to heaven and ripens in happiness.

Can the Buddha point out a fruit of the ascetic life that is likewise visible in this very life?"

"Great king, do you remember asking this question of other ascetics and brahmins?"

"I do, bhante."

"Then, great king, if you do not mind, tell me how they answered."

"It is no trouble when the Buddha is sitting here."

"Then speak, great king."

The Teachers Ajātasattu Consulted¶

Pūraṇa Kassapa¶

"Bhante, once I approached Pūraṇa Kassapa, exchanged greetings with him, sat down to one side, and asked him this same question.

He said:

'Great king, someone who acts does no evil in killing, cutting, mutilating, torturing, oppressing, frightening, stealing, breaking in, plundering, robbing the road, committing adultery, or lying. Even if someone were to turn all living beings on this earth into one heap of flesh with a razor-sharp wheel, no evil would come of it and no evil result. Even if someone were to go along the south bank of the Ganges killing and making others kill, cutting and making others cut, torturing and making others torture, no evil would come of it and no evil result. Even if someone were to go along the north bank of the Ganges giving and sacrificing and making others give and sacrifice, no merit would come of it and no result of merit. In giving, self-restraint, restraint, and truthfulness there is no merit and no result of merit.'

So when I asked Pūraṇa Kassapa about a fruit of the ascetic life visible in this very life, he answered with the doctrine of non-action. It was like someone answering with breadfruit when asked about a mango.

I thought: 'How could someone like me rebuke an ascetic or brahmin living in my realm?' So I neither approved nor rejected what Pūraṇa Kassapa said. Displeased, but without showing displeasure, neither accepting nor contradicting his words, I got up from my seat and left."

Makkhali Gosāla¶

"Then I approached Makkhali Gosāla and asked him the same question.

He said:

'Great king, there is no cause and no condition for the corruption of beings. Beings are corrupted without cause and without condition. There is no cause and no condition for the purification of beings. Beings are purified without cause and without condition. There is no self-will, no other-will, no human strength or energy. All beings, all living creatures, all persons, all souls are helpless, powerless, and fixed by destiny, circumstance, and nature. They experience pleasure and pain through the six classes of rebirth.

The fool and the wise alike wander on through fixed rounds of births, deeds, realms, and great eons before they make an end of dissatisfaction. There is no such thing as: 'By this conduct, observance, austerity, or spiritual practice I will ripen unripened kamma or wear away old kamma little by little.' That cannot be. Pleasure and pain are allotted. There is no increase and no decrease, no better and no worse. It is like a ball of string that rolls away as it unravels. In the same way, the fool and the wise wander on and finally make an end of dissatisfaction.'

So when I asked Makkhali Gosāla about a fruit of the ascetic life visible in this very life, he answered with purification through wandering on. It was like someone answering with breadfruit when asked about a mango.

I neither approved nor rejected what he said. Displeased, but without showing displeasure, neither accepting nor contradicting his words, I got up from my seat and left."

Ajita Kesakambalī¶

"Then I approached Ajita Kesakambalī and asked him the same question.

He said:

'Great king, there is no meaning in giving, sacrifice, or offerings. There is no fruit or result of good and bad actions. There is no afterlife. There is no mother or father in any meaningful sense. There are no beings reborn spontaneously. There is no ascetic or brahmin rightly practicing who can describe the afterlife after realizing it directly for themselves.

This person is made up of the four principal states. At death, the earth in the body returns to earth, the water to water, the fire to fire, and the air to air. The faculties vanish into space. Four men carry the corpse away on a bier. Their footprints show the way to the cremation ground. The bones are bleached, and offerings end in ashes. Giving is the doctrine of fools. Those who affirm a positive doctrine speak only empty, false nonsense. When the body breaks up, both the fool and the wise are annihilated and destroyed. After death they do not exist.'

So when I asked Ajita Kesakambalī about a fruit of the ascetic life visible in this very life, he answered with annihilationism. It was like someone answering with breadfruit when asked about a mango.

I neither approved nor rejected what he said. Displeased, but without showing displeasure, neither accepting nor contradicting his words, I got up from my seat and left."

Pakudha Kaccāyana¶

"Then I approached Pakudha Kaccāyana and asked him the same question.

He said:

'Great king, there are these seven substances that are unmade, unfashioned, not created, without a creator, barren, steady like a mountain peak, fixed like a pillar. They do not move, change, or obstruct one another. They cannot make pleasure, pain, or both pleasure and pain for one another. What seven? The substances of earth, water, fire, air, pleasure, pain, and soul as the seventh.

No one kills or causes killing. No one hears or causes hearing. No one understands or causes understanding. If someone cuts off another's head with a sharp sword, no one takes a life. The sword only passes through the gap between the seven substances.'

So when I asked Pakudha Kaccāyana about a fruit of the ascetic life visible in this very life, he answered with something else entirely. It was like someone answering with breadfruit when asked about a mango.

I neither approved nor rejected what he said. Displeased, but without showing displeasure, neither accepting nor contradicting his words, I got up from my seat and left."

Nigaṇṭha Nātaputta¶

"Then I approached Nigaṇṭha Nātaputta and asked him the same question.

He said:

'Great king, consider a Nigaṇṭha restrained by a fourfold restraint. And how is a Nigaṇṭha restrained by a fourfold restraint? They are restrained in all that should be restrained, bridled in all that should be bridled, washed of evil in all that should be washed, and checked in all that should be checked. When restrained by this fourfold restraint, they are called knotless, self-mastered, self-controlled, and steadfast.'

So when I asked Nigaṇṭha Nātaputta about a fruit of the ascetic life visible in this very life, he answered with the fourfold restraint. It was like someone answering with breadfruit when asked about a mango.

I neither approved nor rejected what he said. Displeased, but without showing displeasure, neither accepting nor contradicting his words, I got up from my seat and left."

Sañjaya Belaṭṭhiputta¶

"Then I approached Sañjaya Belaṭṭhiputta and asked him the same question.

He said:

'If you ask me whether there is another world, if I thought it were so I would say so. But I do not say it is so. I do not say it is otherwise. I do not say it is not so. I do not say it is not not so.

The same applies if you ask whether there is no other world, whether there both is and is not another world, or whether there neither is nor is not another world; whether there are beings spontaneously reborn, whether there are not, both are and are not, or neither are nor are not; whether there is a fruit and result of good and bad deeds, whether there is not, whether there both is and is not, or whether there neither is nor is not; and whether a Tathāgata exists after death, does not exist, both exists and does not exist, or neither exists nor does not exist after death. If I thought any of these were so, I would say so. But I do not say it is so, otherwise, not so, or not not so.'

So when I asked Sañjaya Belaṭṭhiputta about a fruit of the ascetic life visible in this very life, he answered with evasive uncertainty. It was like someone answering with breadfruit when asked about a mango.

I thought: 'This is the most foolish and stupid of all these ascetics and brahmins. How could he answer with evasive uncertainty when asked about a fruit of the ascetic life visible in this very life?'

Still, I neither approved nor rejected what he said. Displeased, but without showing displeasure, neither accepting nor contradicting his words, I got up from my seat and left.

So now, bhante, I ask the Buddha the same question."

The First Fruit of the Ascetic Life¶

"Great king, I can point out a fruit of the ascetic life visible in this very life.

But first I will ask you a question, and answer as you think fit.

What do you think, great king? Suppose you had a servant, a worker, who rose before you, lay down after you, was obedient, pleasant in conduct, courteous in speech, and watched your face for orders.

Suppose that servant were to think: 'The result of good actions is truly astonishing. For King Ajātasattu is a human being, and so am I. Yet he enjoys himself supplied with the five kinds of sensual stimulation like a god, while I am his servant, his worker, rising before him and lying down after him, obedient, pleasant, courteous, and watching his face for orders. Why don't I do good and shave off hair and beard, put on ocher robes, and go forth from the lay life to homelessness?'

After some time, suppose that is exactly what he does. Once he has gone forth, he lives restrained in body, speech, and mind, content with nothing more than robes and almsfood, delighting in seclusion.

If your men reported this to you, would you say: 'Bring that man back to me. Let him once more be my servant and worker'?"

"No, bhante. Rather, I would bow to him, rise for him, offer him a seat, and invite him to accept robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick. I would arrange for his lawful guarding and protection."

"What do you think, great king? If this is so, is there a fruit of the ascetic life visible in this very life or not?"

"Clearly there is, bhante."

"This is the first fruit of the ascetic life visible in this very life that I point out to you."

The Second Fruit of the Ascetic Life¶

"Can the Buddha point out another fruit of the ascetic life visible in this very life?"

"I can, great king.

Again, suppose there were a farmer or householder, a hard worker, someone who built up wealth. Suppose that person were to think: 'The result of good actions is truly astonishing. For King Ajātasattu is a human being, and so am I. Yet he enjoys himself supplied with the five kinds of sensual stimulation like a god, while I am a farmer or householder, a hard worker building up wealth. Why don't I shave off hair and beard, put on ocher robes, and go forth from the lay life to homelessness?'

After some time, suppose that person gives up a small or great fortune, gives up a small or great circle of relatives, shaves off hair and beard, puts on ocher robes, and goes forth from the lay life to homelessness. Once they have gone forth, they live restrained in body, speech, and mind, content with nothing more than robes and almsfood, delighting in seclusion.

If your men reported this to you, would you say: 'Bring that person back to me. Let them once more be a householder, working hard and building up wealth'?"

"No, bhante. Rather, I would bow to them, rise for them, offer them a seat, and invite them to accept robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick. I would arrange lawful guarding and protection."

"What do you think, great king? If this is so, is there a fruit of the ascetic life visible in this very life or not?"

"Clearly there is, bhante."

"This is the second fruit of the ascetic life visible in this very life that I point out to you."

The Higher Fruits¶

"But, bhante, is there a fruit of the ascetic life visible in this very life that is better and finer than these?"

"I can point that out, great king. Listen carefully, attend well, and I will speak."

"Yes, bhante," the king replied.

The Buddha said this:

"Great king, a Tathāgata arises in the world, the arahant, the fully awakened Buddha, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, holy, knower of the world, unsurpassed guide for those fit for training, teacher of gods and humans, awakened, blessed.

He has realized with direct knowledge this world, with its gods, Māras, and Brahmās, this generation with its ascetics and brahmins, rulers and people, and he makes it known to others. He teaches a Dhamma that is good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, meaningful and well-phrased. He reveals a spiritual life that is completely full and pure.

A householder, a householder's child, or someone born in a good family hears that Dhamma. Hearing it, they gain confidence in the Tathāgata and reflect:

'Life at home is crowded and dusty. Going forth is wide open. It is not easy for someone living at home to live the spiritual life utterly full and pure, as if polished like a shell. Why don't I shave off hair and beard, put on ocher robes, and go forth from the lay life to homelessness?'

After some time, they give up a small or great fortune, give up a small or great circle of relatives, shave off hair and beard, put on ocher robes, and go forth from the lay life to homelessness.

Once gone forth, they live restrained by restraint in the pātimokkha, of good conduct and proper resort, seeing danger in the slightest fault, training by undertaking the training rules. They act skillfully by body and speech, are purified in livelihood, are accomplished in conduct, guard the faculties, have remembering and clear knowing, and are content.

Conduct¶

And how is a bhikkhu accomplished in conduct, great king?

They live like this:

They give up killing living beings. They set aside rod and sword and live scrupulously and kindly, full of sympathy for all living beings.
They give up taking what is not given. They take only what is given, expect only what is given, and live cleanly, without stealing.
They give up unchaste conduct. They live the celibate life, set apart, avoiding sexual activity.
They give up false speech. They speak truth, hold to truth, remain reliable and dependable, and do not deceive the world.
They give up divisive speech. They do not repeat in one place what they heard elsewhere to create division. Instead, they reconcile the divided, support the united, delight in harmony, love harmony, and speak words that make harmony.
They give up harsh speech. They speak words that are gentle, pleasing to the ear, affectionate, going to the heart, courteous, agreeable, and liked by many.
They give up idle chatter. At the proper time, they speak what is true, beneficial, and in line with the Dhamma and training: words worth treasuring, timely, measured, and useful.

They refrain from:

injuring seeds and plants
eating at the wrong time, taking one meal a day and not eating at night
seeing shows of dancing, singing, and music
adornment with garlands, scents, and makeup
high and luxurious beds
accepting gold and money
accepting raw grain, raw meat, women and girls, male and female servants, goats and sheep, chickens and pigs, elephants, cattle, horses and mares, or fields and land
running errands and carrying messages
buying and selling
falsifying weights, metals, and measures
bribery, fraud, cheating, and trickery
mutilation, killing, capture, banditry, plunder, and violence

This is the shorter section on conduct.

A bhikkhu also refrains from further kinds of behavior that others still engage in while living on food given in faith:

injuring plants and seeds of all kinds
storing up food, drink, clothes, vehicles, bedding, scents, and fleshly goods for personal use
watching entertainments such as dances, songs, music, performances, storytellers, acrobatics, corpse-worker displays, and contests of animals, fighters, and troops
games and gambling that breed negligence
high and luxurious bedding of many elaborate kinds
beautifying and adorning the body with ointments, mirrors, ornaments, perfumes, jewelry, parasols, fine sandals, and decorated cloth
low talk about kings, ministers, armies, food, drink, clothes, beds, families, villages, towns, cities, lands, women, heroes, the dead, gossip, tales of land and sea, and rebirth here or there
arguments and debating talk of the sort that tries to trap and defeat others
errands and messages for rulers, ministers, nobles, brahmins, householders, and princes
fawning, flattering, hinting, belittling, and using material things to pursue more material things

This is the middle section on conduct.

A bhikkhu also refrains from wrong livelihood through low arts and low lore, such as:

augury, omen-reading, interpreting portents and dreams, reading bodily marks, mouse-chewed cloth, and sacrificial signs
spells, exorcisms, snake-magic, poison lore, and predictions based on wild animals
reading marks on gems, cloth, weapons, people, servants, and animals
predictions of war, victory, defeat, eclipses, celestial events, earthquakes, storms, rain, drought, abundance, famine, safety, danger, sickness, and health
calculating, accounting, poetry, and cosmology used as livelihood
marriage arrangements, divorces, wedding rites, charms, tongue-binding, jaw-locking, hand-charms, ear-charms, mirror-oracles, girl-oracles, spirit-oracles, worship of the sun, rituals for luck, and fire rites
propitiation rites, wish-granting rites, rites for ghosts, the earth, rain, settlements, and house consecrations
medical and surgical practice as livelihood, including purgatives, emetics, expectorants, oils, salves, eye-medicines, nasal treatment, needle and scalpel work, children's remedies, roots, and herbal bandages

Seeing no danger anywhere in this ethical restraint, a bhikkhu experiences blameless ease within. That is how a bhikkhu is accomplished in conduct.

Guarding the Faculties¶

And how does a bhikkhu guard the faculties?

When seeing a visible form with the eye, they do not get caught up in its features and details. If the eye-faculty were left unguarded, harmful and unwholesome states of coveting and distress would flood in. So they practice restraint, guard the eye-faculty, and keep it restrained.

The same applies when hearing a sound with the ear, smelling an odor with the nose, tasting a flavor with the tongue, experiencing a touch with the body, and knowing a dhamma with the mind.

When they have this noble guarding of the faculties, they experience unsullied ease within. That is how a bhikkhu guards the faculties.

Remembering and Clear Knowing¶

And how does a bhikkhu have remembering and clear knowing?

They act with clear knowing when going forward and coming back, when looking ahead and looking away, when bending and stretching, when carrying outer robe, bowl, and robes, when eating, drinking, chewing, and tasting, when urinating and defecating, when walking, standing, sitting, falling asleep, waking, speaking, and keeping silent.

That is how a bhikkhu has remembering and clear knowing.

Contentment¶

And how is a bhikkhu content?

They are content with robes to protect the body and with almsfood to support the belly. Wherever they go, they set out taking only these along.

It is like a bird: wherever it flies, it goes carrying only its wings.

In the same way, a bhikkhu is content with robes to protect the body and with almsfood to support the belly. Wherever they go, they set out taking only these along.

That is how a bhikkhu is content.

Clearing the Five Hindrances¶

When a bhikkhu has this full range of noble conduct, this noble guarding of the faculties, this noble remembering and clear knowing, and this noble contentment, they resort to a secluded lodging: the wilderness, the root of a tree, a mountain, a ravine, a hillside cave, a charnel ground, a forest thicket, the open air, or a heap of straw.

After returning from almsround, after the meal, they sit down cross-legged, keep the body upright, and establish remembering in front of them.

Giving up coveting for the world, they stay with a mind free of coveting, cleansing the mind of coveting.

Giving up ill will and malice, they stay with a mind free of ill will, full of sympathy for all living beings, cleansing the mind of ill will.

Giving up dullness and drowsiness, they stay free from dullness and drowsiness, perceiving light, remembering and clearly knowing, cleansing the mind of dullness and drowsiness.

Giving up agitation and regret, they stay unagitated, inwardly at peace, cleansing the mind of agitation and regret.

Giving up doubt, they live as someone who has crossed beyond doubt, no longer uncertain about wholesome qualities, cleansing the mind of doubt.

As long as these five hindrances have not been abandoned within, a bhikkhu regards them as:

a debt
a disease
a prison
slavery
a desert crossing

But when these five hindrances have been abandoned within, a bhikkhu regards that as:

freedom from debt
good health
release from prison
freedom
a place of safety

Seeing that the hindrances have been abandoned, gladness arises. For someone who is glad, rejoicing arises. When the mind is rejoicing, the body becomes calm. When the body is calm, they feel ease. Feeling ease, the mind becomes mentally unified.

The First Mental Theme¶

Quite secluded from sensuality, secluded from unwholesome dhammas, a bhikkhu enters and remains in the first mental theme, with thinking and pondering, with rejoicing and satisfaction born of seclusion.

They drench, steep, fill, and suffuse this very body with rejoicing and satisfaction born of seclusion, so that no part of the whole body remains untouched by rejoicing and satisfaction born of seclusion.

It is like a skilled bath attendant or apprentice who would pour bath powder into a bronze bowl and knead it, sprinkling it little by little with water, until the ball of bath powder was soaked and saturated inside and out, yet not dripping.

In the same way, a bhikkhu drenches, steeps, fills, and suffuses this very body with rejoicing and satisfaction born of seclusion.

Great king, this too is a fruit of the ascetic life visible in this very life, better and finer than the former ones.

The Second Mental Theme¶

With the subsiding of thinking and pondering, with inner clarity and singleness of mind, a bhikkhu enters and remains in the second mental theme, without thinking and pondering, with rejoicing and satisfaction born of unification.

They drench, steep, fill, and suffuse this very body with rejoicing and satisfaction born of unification, so that no part of the whole body remains untouched by rejoicing and satisfaction born of unification.

It is like a deep lake fed by spring water, with no inlet from east, west, north, or south, and with the heavens not sending rain from time to time; yet the stream of cool water welling up inside the lake drenches, steeps, fills, and suffuses it, so that no part of the whole lake remains untouched by cool water.

In the same way, a bhikkhu drenches, steeps, fills, and suffuses this very body with rejoicing and satisfaction born of unification.

Great king, this too is a fruit of the ascetic life visible in this very life, better and finer than the former ones.

The Third Mental Theme¶

With the fading of rejoicing, a bhikkhu remains in dynamic balance, remembering and clearly knowing, and experiences ease in the body. They enter and remain in the third mental theme, of which the noble ones say: 'One of dynamic balance and remembering stays at ease.'

They drench, steep, fill, and suffuse this very body with satisfaction free of rejoicing, so that no part of the whole body remains untouched by satisfaction free of rejoicing.

It is like a pool of blue, red, or white lotuses. Some lotuses are born and grow in the water without rising above it, and from tip to root they are drenched, steeped, filled, and suffused by cool water, so that no part of them remains untouched by cool water.

In the same way, a bhikkhu drenches, steeps, fills, and suffuses this very body with satisfaction free of rejoicing.

Great king, this too is a fruit of the ascetic life visible in this very life, better and finer than the former ones.

The Fourth Mental Theme¶

With the abandoning of ease and discomfort, and with the earlier ending of gladness and sadness, a bhikkhu enters and remains in the fourth mental theme, without discomfort and without ease, purified by dynamic balance and remembering.

They sit suffusing this very body with a pure and bright mind, so that no part of the whole body remains untouched by a pure and bright mind.

It is like a person sitting wrapped from head to foot in a white cloth, so that no part of the whole body remains uncovered by the white cloth.

In the same way, a bhikkhu sits suffusing this very body with a pure and bright mind.

Great king, this too is a fruit of the ascetic life visible in this very life, better and finer than the former ones.

Knowledge and Seeing¶

When the mind is mentally unified like this, purified, bright, stainless, free from corruption, pliable, workable, steady, and unshakable, a bhikkhu turns it toward knowledge and seeing.

They understand: 'This body of mine is form, made of the four principal states, produced by mother and father, built up from rice and porridge, liable to impermanence, wearing away, erosion, breaking, and destruction. And this knowing of mine is supported here and tied to it.'

It is like a beryl gem, beautiful, eight-faceted, well-worked, transparent, clear, and flawless, strung with a blue, yellow, red, white, or brown thread. A person with clear sight, taking it in hand and examining it, would know: 'This is a beautiful beryl gem, eight-faceted, well-worked, transparent, clear, and flawless, strung with a blue, yellow, red, white, or brown thread.'

In the same way, a bhikkhu understands this body and this knowing as they really are.

Great king, this too is a fruit of the ascetic life visible in this very life, better and finer than the former ones.

A Mind-Made Body¶

When the mind is mentally unified like this, purified, bright, stainless, free from corruption, pliable, workable, steady, and unshakable, a bhikkhu turns it toward creating a mind-made body.

From this body they create another body, formed, mind-made, complete in all its larger and smaller limbs, lacking no faculty.

It is like drawing:

a reed from its sheath
a sword from its scabbard
a snake from its slough

In each case they can see that the two are different, and that they have been drawn out from the other.

In the same way, from this body they create another body, formed, mind-made, complete in all its larger and smaller limbs, lacking no faculty.

Great king, this too is a fruit of the ascetic life visible in this very life, better and finer than the former ones.

Psychic Powers¶

When the mind is mentally unified like this, purified, bright, stainless, free from corruption, pliable, workable, steady, and unshakable, a bhikkhu turns it toward psychic power.

They wield many kinds of psychic power:

becoming one from many, and many from one
appearing and disappearing
going unhindered through walls, ramparts, and mountains as if through space
diving in and out of the earth as if it were water
walking on water as if it were land
flying cross-legged through the sky like a bird
touching and stroking the sun and moon with the hand, so mighty and powerful
exercising mastery with the body as far as the Brahmā worlds

It is like a skilled potter with well-prepared clay, a skilled ivory-worker with well-prepared ivory, or a skilled goldsmith with well-prepared gold: each could make from the material whatever kind of item they wished.

In the same way, a bhikkhu wields many kinds of psychic power.

Great king, this too is a fruit of the ascetic life visible in this very life, better and finer than the former ones.

The Divine Ear¶

When the mind is mentally unified like this, purified, bright, stainless, free from corruption, pliable, workable, steady, and unshakable, a bhikkhu turns it toward the divine ear.

With the divine ear, purified and beyond the human, they hear both kinds of sounds, human and divine, whether far or near.

It is like a traveler on the road who hears the sound of drums, clay drums, horns, kettledrums, and tom-toms, and knows: 'That is the sound of drums, that is the sound of clay drums, that is the sound of horns, kettledrums, and tom-toms.'

In the same way, a bhikkhu hears both kinds of sounds, human and divine, whether far or near.

Great king, this too is a fruit of the ascetic life visible in this very life, better and finer than the former ones.

Knowing Others' Minds¶

When the mind is mentally unified like this, purified, bright, stainless, free from corruption, pliable, workable, steady, and unshakable, a bhikkhu turns it toward encompassing the minds of others.

They encompass the minds of other beings and individuals with their own mind, and they understand:

mind with passion as mind with passion, and mind without passion as mind without passion
mind with aversion as mind with aversion, and mind without aversion as mind without aversion
mind with delusion as mind with delusion, and mind without delusion as mind without delusion
contracted mind as contracted mind, and distracted mind as distracted mind
expansive mind as expansive mind, and unexpansive mind as unexpansive mind
surpassable mind as surpassable mind, and unsurpassable mind as unsurpassable mind
mentally unified mind as mentally unified mind, and ununified mind as ununified mind
freed mind as freed mind, and unfreed mind as unfreed mind

It is like a young woman or man, youthful and fond of adornment, examining their own face in a bright mirror or a clear bowl of water. If there were a blemish, they would know: 'There is a blemish in me.' If there were no blemish, they would know: 'There is no blemish in me.'

In the same way, a bhikkhu understands the minds of other beings and individuals after encompassing them with their own mind.

Great king, this too is a fruit of the ascetic life visible in this very life, better and finer than the former ones.

Recollecting Past Lives¶

When the mind is mentally unified like this, purified, bright, stainless, free from corruption, pliable, workable, steady, and unshakable, a bhikkhu turns it toward recollecting past lives.

They recollect many kinds of past lives: one birth, two births, three births, four, five, ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, a hundred, a thousand, a hundred thousand; many eons of world-contraction, many eons of world-expansion, many eons of world-contraction and expansion.

They remember: 'There I was named this, of such a clan, with such an appearance; that was my food, that was how I experienced pleasure and pain, that was the span of my life. Passing away from there, I was reborn elsewhere. There too I was named this, of such a clan, with such an appearance; that was my food, that was how I experienced pleasure and pain, that was the span of my life. Passing away from there, I was reborn here.'

That is how they recollect many kinds of past lives, with aspects and particulars.

It is like a person who goes from their own village to another village, from that village to still another village, and from there returns home, later thinking: 'I went from my village to that village. There I stood like this, sat like that, spoke like this, kept silent like that. From there I went to another village. There too I stood like this, sat like that, spoke like this, kept silent like that. From there I returned home.'

In the same way, a bhikkhu recollects many kinds of past lives, with aspects and particulars.

Great king, this too is a fruit of the ascetic life visible in this very life, better and finer than the former ones.

The Divine Eye¶

When the mind is mentally unified like this, purified, bright, stainless, free from corruption, pliable, workable, steady, and unshakable, a bhikkhu turns it toward the knowledge of the passing away and reappearance of beings.

With the purified divine eye, beyond the human, they see beings passing away and reappearing, low and high, beautiful and ugly, in good destinations and bad destinations. They understand beings as moving on according to their kamma:

'These beings did bad things by body, speech, and mind. They criticized the noble ones, held wrong view, and acted from wrong view. When the body broke up, after death, they were reborn in a plane of loss, a bad destination, the underworld, hell.

But these beings did good things by body, speech, and mind. They did not criticize the noble ones, held right view, and acted from right view. When the body broke up, after death, they were reborn in a good destination, a heavenly world.'

So, with the purified divine eye, beyond the human, they see beings passing away and reappearing, low and high, beautiful and ugly, in good destinations and bad destinations, understanding them as moving on according to their kamma.

It is like a person with clear eyesight standing in an upper hall at a crossroads, seeing people entering a house, leaving it, walking along the roads, and sitting in the square, and knowing exactly what they are doing.

In the same way, a bhikkhu sees beings passing away and reappearing according to their kamma.

Great king, this too is a fruit of the ascetic life visible in this very life, better and finer than the former ones.

The Wearing Away of the Outflows¶

When the mind is mentally unified like this, purified, bright, stainless, free from corruption, pliable, workable, steady, and unshakable, a bhikkhu turns it toward the knowledge of the wearing away of the outflows.

They directly understand as it really is:

This is dissatisfaction.
This is the origin of dissatisfaction.
This is the quenching of dissatisfaction.
This is how to quench dissatisfaction again.

They directly understand as it really is:

These are the outflows.
This is the origin of the outflows.
This is the quenching of the outflows.
This is how to quench the outflows again.

Knowing and seeing like this, the mind is freed from the outflow of sensuality, the outflow of becoming, and the outflow of ignorance.

When it is freed, there comes the knowledge: 'It is freed.'

They discern: 'Birth is worn away, the spiritual life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more of this state of being.'

It is like a mountain lake, transparent, clear, and stainless. A person with clear eyesight standing on the shore would see shells, gravel, and schools of fish swimming or staying still, and would know exactly what is there.

In the same way, a bhikkhu directly understands the wearing away of the outflows.

Great king, this too is a fruit of the ascetic life visible in this very life, better and finer than the former ones. And there is no other fruit of the ascetic life visible in this very life better or finer than this."

Ajātasattu Takes Refuge¶

When the Buddha had spoken, King Ajātasattu said:

"Excellent, bhante! Excellent, bhante!

Just as if someone were to set upright what had been overturned, reveal what was hidden, point out the way to someone who was lost, or hold up an oil lamp in the dark so that those with eyes could see forms, so too the Buddha has made the Dhamma clear in many ways.

I go for refuge to the Buddha, to the Dhamma, and to the Saṅgha of bhikkhus. May the Buddha remember me as a lay follower gone for refuge from this day for life.

I transgressed, bhante. It was foolish, stupid, and unwholesome of me to kill my father, a just and principled king, for the sake of sovereignty. May the Buddha accept that transgression as a transgression, so that I may show restraint in the future."

"Indeed, great king, you transgressed. It was foolish, stupid, and unwholesome of you to kill your father, a just and principled king, for the sake of sovereignty.

But since you have seen your transgression as a transgression and have dealt with it in line with the Dhamma, I accept it.

For growth in the discipline of the noble ones is this: to see a transgression as a transgression, to deal with it in line with the Dhamma, and to undertake restraint for the future."

Then the king said:

"Now, bhante, we will go. We have many duties and much to do."

"Go then, great king, when you think it is time."

Then King Ajātasattu, delighted and approving of what the Buddha had said, rose from his seat, bowed to the Buddha, and respectfully circled him with his right side before leaving.

The Buddha's Final Remark¶

Soon after the king had left, the Buddha addressed the bhikkhus:

"The king is broken, bhikkhus. The king is ruined. If he had not killed his father, a just and principled king, then in that very seat the dustless, stainless Dhamma-eye would have arisen in him."

That is what the Buddha said. The bhikkhus were glad and welcomed what the Buddha had said.

Words used in this translation (55)

arahant: Someone who has completed the path and has nothing further to do. Left untranslated; "saint" and "perfected one" both mislead.
aversion: One of the three "roots" behind unwholesome action, alongside greed and delusion -- the pushback against what's unwanted or unpleasant.
becoming: This project's rendering of "bhava" -- the settling of experience into a way of being that feels like somebody being something. Often translated "existence."
Bhante: A respectful way of addressing a senior monastic, roughly "venerable sir." Left untranslated because English has no natural equivalent.
bhikkhu: A Buddhist monk -- someone who has left household life to practise full time. Left untranslated because "monk" carries centuries of unrelated European associations.
bhikkhus: Buddhist monks -- those who have left household life to practise full time. The Buddha's usual way of addressing the assembly, roughly "friends" in force.
birth: This project's rendering of "jāti": birth, coming into being. In the dependent-arising sequence, ageing and dying depend on it. In MN 141 the word appears once in its everyday sense instead, in a simile about a mother.
Blessed One: One of the Buddha's traditional titles, used respectfully in place of his name in these texts.
body: The physical body, as distinct from speech and the mental side of experience.
born of seclusion: Coming from having stepped away from busyness and distraction, rather than from anything acquired.
brahmin: Originally a member of ancient India's hereditary priestly class. These texts sometimes reuse the title for an ideal practitioner who has completed the path. Context shows whether caste or conduct is the point.
clarity: This project's rendering of "amoha," literally "non-delusion" -- seeing without the confusion and distortion that drive harmful action.
clear knowing: Knowing plainly what you are doing while you are doing it.
clearly knowing: Acting while plainly aware of what you are doing.
conduct: This project's rendering of "sīla", often translated "morality" or "virtue". It means how a person actually behaves. The rest of the practice grows from it; it is not a set of rules to obey.
delusion: One of the three "roots" behind unwholesome action, alongside greed and aversion -- the confusion that keeps you from seeing what's actually happening.
Dhamma: The Buddha's teaching taken as a whole -- both what he taught and the way things actually are, which the teaching describes.
dhamma: Depending on the sentence, either the Buddha's teaching or simply a thing, quality, or state of affairs. These texts use one word for both, and each passage makes clear which it means.
dissatisfaction: This translation's rendering of "dukkha," the Buddhist term for the unsatisfying, unstable quality of ordinary experience. Often translated "suffering," but that can sound more dramatic than the everyday sense of things not quite being right.
doubt: Uncertainty and indecision, especially about the practice and the teaching. As one of the five hindrances, it keeps the mind wavering instead of committing.
dynamic balance: This project's rendering of "upekkhā" (often translated "equanimity") -- a steadiness that stays engaged rather than checking out, distinct from indifference.
faculties: The capacities used in practice, especially confidence, energy, remembering, unification of mind, and discernment. You can train them and bring them into balance.
fading: The fading away of attraction and investment in experience, as passion cools.
five hindrances: The five things that reliably hinder the mind and pull it off task: sensual desire, ill will, sloth and torpor, restlessness and worry, and doubt.
flood: A force that overwhelms a person and carries them along unless they cross it. SN 1.1 leaves the image open; it does not define it as one specific mental state.
form: This project's rendering of "rūpa" -- the physical, material aspect of experience, one of the five heaps.
gladness: This project's rendering of "muditā", often translated "sympathetic joy". It means being truly glad at someone else's good fortune. You cultivate it as a practice; you do not assume it comes naturally.
going forth: Leaving household life to live as a monastic.
heart: This project's rendering of "citta": the feeling side of mind. It takes on moods, wants, leans, and reacts. Practice can gladden, steady, train, and release it. Some call it the "heart-mind" or "feeling mind". Here "heart" does not mean only emotion, or the physical organ.
ignorance: This project's rendering of "avijjā" -- not general stupidity, but specifically not seeing how dissatisfaction works and how it ends. The first link in the dependent-arising sequence.
ill will: Hostility toward others or situations: pushing things away and wishing them harm. As one of the five hindrances, it pulls the mind off track.
kamma: Intentional action, and the way it shapes what follows. Better known by its Sanskrit form "karma," and narrower than the popular sense -- it is about intention, not cosmic bookkeeping.
knowing: This project's rendering of "viññāṇa" (often translated "consciousness") -- bare awareness of an object through one of the senses or the mind.
knowing and seeing: Knowing something and seeing it for yourself. Kept as two words because these texts treat them as two related things rather than one.
mental theme: This project's rendering of "jhāna" -- a single theme the mind rests on and holds steadily. Described in a sequence of four, each calmer than the last. Most translations leave the word in Pāli.
outflow: This project's rendering of "āsava" -- a deep-running habit that keeps seeping out and driving behaviour. Often translated "taint" or "defilement."
outflows: This project's rendering of "āsavā" -- deep-running habits that keep seeping out and driving behaviour, classically sensuality, becoming, and ignorance. Often translated "taints" or "defilements."
quenching: An extinguishing image for dissatisfaction and its causes going out. Different Pali words use this image on different pages, so the exact scope comes from the sentence.
refuge: Where someone turns for safety and direction. Going for refuge to the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Saṅgha is how a person shows they take this path seriously. It is not a conversion ritual.
rejoicing: This project's rendering of "pīti" (often translated "rapture") -- the bright, uplifted gladness that shows up when practice is going well.
remembering: This project's rendering of "sati". It means actively keeping what matters in mind and coming back to it when you lose it. It is not bare attention to whatever happens to be present.
right view: Seeing how experience and practice actually work -- the first factor of the eightfold path. "Right" here means well-aimed and accurate, not morally righteous.
Saṅgha: The community of the Buddha's disciples. In traditional recollection formulas, as in AN 11.12, it means especially those who have entered and realized the path, not everyone who calls themselves Buddhist.
seclusion: This project's rendering of "viveka" -- being apart from the usual pull of the senses and from unwholesome states. Physical solitude is one form of it, not the whole of it.
singleness of mind: The mind become single and undivided as thinking and pondering settle in the second mental theme. Kept distinct from unification of mind (samādhi).
soul: This translation's rendering of "jīva" -- the felt sense of an inner self or life-essence. Whether it exists, and whether it's the same as the body, is one of the questions MN 63 leaves undeclared.
spiritual life: The Buddhist path of practice as a whole -- not just a set of beliefs, but a whole way of living.
spontaneously reborn: Reborn fully formed rather than through a womb, egg, or moisture. AN 4.5 uses this traditional cosmological description for a non-returner.
Tathāgata: A title for the Buddha, traditionally left untranslated. It means roughly "the one who has arrived at things as they truly are."
unification: Short for unification of mind (samādhi) inside a longer phrase, such as "born of unification" or "the faculty of unification."
unwholesome: This project's rendering of "akusala". Roughly: mentally and ethically harmful. It is blameworthy, leads to harm, and people with good judgment criticize it.
wearing away: The gradual using-up of something until it runs out completely. The texts use it especially for what has to run out before release.
wholesome: This project's rendering of "kusala". Roughly: mentally and ethically healthy. It is blameless, leads to well-being, and people with good judgment praise it.
world: A word whose scope shifts with the teaching. It can mean the lived world we build through the senses and the mind, or the wider physical cosmos. The surrounding passage shows which sense it has.
wrong view: Seeing things in a way that misses how they actually work; the opposite of right view.

Source and corrections

Pali text: Dīghanikāya, Sīlakkhandhavaggapāḷi, in the Chaṭṭha Saṅgāyana Tipiṭaka, Vipassana Research Institute
Translation notes: Editorial decisions and source audit
Text last revised: 2026-11-11 · body version 6f6d0e6e
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