Thus have I heard:

At one time the Lord was staying near Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove in Anāthapiṇḍika's monastery. While he was there the Lord addressed the monks, saying:

“Monks.”

“Revered One,” these monks answered the Lord in assent. The Lord spoke thus:

“I will discourse to you, monks, on the means of controlling all the cankers. Listen and attend carefully, and I will speak.”

“Yes, Lord,” these monks answered the Lord in assent. The Lord spoke thus:

“I, monks, am speaking of the destruction of the cankers in one who knows, in one who sees, not in one who does not know, does not see. And what, monks, is the destruction of the cankers in one who knows, in one who sees? There is wise attention and unwise attention. Monks, from unwise attention cankers arise that had not arisen, and also cankers that have arisen increase. But, monks, from wise attention cankers that had not arisen do not arise, and also cankers that have arisen decline.

There are, monks, cankers that should be got rid of by vision, there are cankers that should be got rid of by control, there are cankers that should be got rid of by use, there are cankers that should be got rid of by endurance, there are cankers that should be got rid of by avoidance, there are cankers that should be got rid of by elimination, there are cankers that should be got rid of by development.

And what, monks, are the cankers to be got rid of by vision? Herein, monks, an uninstructed ordinary person, taking no count of the pure ones, unskilled in the Dhamma of the pure ones, untrained in the Dhamma of the pure ones; taking no count of the true men, unskilled in the Dhamma of the true men, untrained in the Dhamma of the true men, does not comprehend the things which should be wisely attended to, does not comprehend the things which should not be wisely attended to. He, not comprehending the things that should be wisely attended to, not comprehending the things that should not be wisely attended to, wisely attends to those things which should not be wisely attended to, does not wisely attend to those things which should be wisely attended to.

And what, monks, are the things that should not be wisely attended to, but to which he wisely attends? From his wisely attending to these things, monks, the canker of sense-pleasure arises which had not arisen before or the canker of sense-pleasure, arisen, increases; or the canker of becoming arises which had not arisen before or the canker of becoming, arisen, increases; or the canker of ignorance arises which had not arisen before or the canker of ignorance, arisen, increases. These are the things to which he wisely attends but which should not be wisely attended to.

And what, monks, are the things that should be wisely attended to, but to which he does not wisely attend? From his wisely attending to these things, monks, either the canker of sense-pleasure which had not arisen does not arise, or if the canker of sense-pleasure has arisen it declines; or if the canker of becoming has not arisen it does not arise, or if the canker of becoming has arisen it declines; or if the canker of ignorance has not arisen it does not arise, or if the canker of ignorance has arisen it declines. These are things that should be wisely attended to, but to which he does not wisely attend.

If he wisely attends to things which should not be wisely attended to, if he does not wisely attend to things which should be wisely attended to, cankers arise which had not arisen before and also the cankers, arisen, increase. In these ways he is not wisely attending: if he thinks, ‘Now, was I in a past period? Now, was I not in a past period? Now, what was I in a past period? Now, how was I in a past period? Now, having been what, what did I become in a past period? Now, will I come to be in a future period? Now, will I not come to be in a future period? Now, what will I come to be in a future period? Now, how will I come to be in a future period? Having become what, what will I come to be in a future period?’ Or, if he is now subjectively doubtful about the present period, and thinks: ‘Now, am I? Now, am I not? Now, what am I? Now, how am I? Now, whence has this being come? Where-going will it come to be?’

To one who does not pay wise attention in these ways, one of six (wrong) views arises: (1) ‘There is for me a self’—the view arises to him as though it were true, as though it were real. (2) Or, ‘There is not for me a self.’—the view arises to him as though it were true, as though it were real. (3) Or, ‘Simply by self am I aware of self.’—the view arises to him as though it were true, as though it were real. (4) Or, ‘Simply by self am I aware of not-self.’—the view arises to him as though it were true, as though it were real. (5) Or, ‘Simply by not-self am I aware of self’—the view arises to him as though it were true, as though it were real. (6) Or a wrong view occurs to him thus: ‘Whatever is this self for me that speaks, that experiences and knows, that experiences now here, now there, the fruition of deeds that are lovely and that are depraved, it is this self for me that is permanent, stable, eternal, not subject to change, that will stand firm like unto the eternal.’ This, monks, is called going to wrong views, holding wrong views, the wilds of wrong views, the wriggling of wrong views, the scuffling of wrong views, the fetter of wrong views. Fettered with the fetter of wrong views, monks, the uninstructed ordinary person is not set free from birth, from old age and dying, from griefs, from sorrows, from ills, from tribulations, from miseries, he is not set free from anguish, I say.

But the instructed disciple of the pure ones who takes count of the pure ones, who is skilled in the Dhamma of the pure ones, well trained in the Dhamma of the pure ones, who takes count of the true men, who is skilled in the Dhamma of the true men, well trained in the Dhamma of the true men, he comprehends the things that should be wisely attended to, he comprehends the things that should not be wisely attended to; he, comprehending the things that should be wisely attended to, comprehending the things that should not be wisely attended to, does not wisely attend to those things which should not be wisely attended to, he wisely attends to those things which should be wisely attended to.

And which, monks, are those things which he does not wisely attend to because they should not be wisely attended to? Those things, monks, by wisely attending to which there arises the canker of sense-pleasure which had not arisen before, or the canker of sense-pleasure which, arisen before, increases. Or there arises the canker of becoming which had not arisen before, or the canker of becoming which, arisen before, increases. Or there arises the canker of ignorance which had not arisen before, or the canker of ignorance which, arisen before, increases. These are the things to which he does not wisely attend because they should not be wisely attended to.

And which, monks, are the things to which he wisely attends because they should be wisely attended to? Those things, monks, by wisely attending to which there does not arise the canker of sense-pleasure which had not arisen before or the canker of sense-pleasure which, arisen before, declines; those things, monks, by wisely attending to which there does not arise the canker of becoming which had not arisen before or the canker of becoming which, arisen before, declines; those things, monks, by wisely attending to which there does not arise the canker of ignorance which had not arisen before or the canker of ignorance which, arisen before, declines. These are the things to which he wisely attends because they should be wisely attended to.

If he is one who does not wisely attend to things that should not be wisely attended to, if he is one who wisely attends to things that should be wisely attended to, both the cankers which have not arisen do not arise, and the cankers which have arisen decline.

He, thinking: ‘This is anguish,’ wisely attends.

He, thinking: ‘This is the origin of anguish,’ wisely attends.

He, thinking: ‘This is the stopping of anguish,’ wisely attends.

He, thinking: ‘This is the course leading to the stopping of anguish,’ wisely attends.

Because he wisely attends thus, the three fetters decline: wrong view as to one's own body, doubt, adherence to (wrongful) rites and ceremonies.

And what, monks, are the cankers to be got rid of by control? In this teaching, monks, a monk, wisely reflective, lives controlled with control over the sense-organ of the eye, lives controlled with control over the sense-organ of the ear, lives controlled with control over the sense-organ of the nose, lives controlled with control over the sense-organ of the tongue, lives controlled with control over the sense-organ of the body, lives controlled with control over the sense-organ of the mind. Whereas, monks, if he lived uncontrolled in regard to control over these sense-organs, cankers which are destructive and consuming might arise. But if he lives controlled with control over these organs, then the cankers which are destructive and consuming are not. These, monks, are called the cankers to be got rid of by control.

And what, monks, are the cankers to be got rid of by use? (1) In this teaching, monks, a monk, wisely reflective, uses a robe simply for warding off the cold, for warding off the heat, for warding off the touch of gadfly, mosquito, wind and sun, creeping things, simply for the sake of covering his nakedness. (2) Wisely reflective, he uses almsfood not for sport, not for indulgence, not for personal charm, not for beautification, but just enough for the support and sustenance of the body, for keeping it unharmed, for furthering the Brahma-faring, thinking: ‘Thus do I crush out former feeling and do not set going new feeling; and there will be for me faultlessness and living in comfort.’ (3) Wisely reflective, he uses lodgings only for warding off the cold, for warding off the heat, for warding off the touch of gadfly, mosquito, wind, sun and creeping things, only for dispelling the dangers of the seasons, for the purpose of enjoying seclusion. (4) Wisely reflective, he uses the requisite of medicines for the sick for warding off injurious feelings that have arisen, for the maximum of well-being. Whereas, monks, if he does not use (the requisites), the cankers which are destructive and consuming might arise, but because he does use (them), therefore these cankers which are destructive and consuming are not. These, monks, are called the cankers to be got rid of by use.

And what, monks, are the cankers to be got rid of by endurance? In this teaching, monks, a monk, wisely reflective, is one who bears cold, heat, hunger, thirst, the touch of gadfly, mosquito, wind and sun, creeping things, ways of speech that are irksome, unwelcome; he is of a character to bear bodily feelings which, arising, are painful, acute, sharp, shooting, disagreeable, miserable, deadly. Whereas, monks, if he lacked endurance, the cankers which are destructive and consuming might arise. But because he endures, therefore these cankers which are destructive and consuming are not. These, monks, are called the cankers to be got rid of by endurance.

And what, monks, are the cankers to be got rid of by avoidance? In this teaching, monks, a monk, wisely reflective, avoids a fierce elephant, avoids a fierce horse, avoids a fierce bull, avoids a fierce dog, a snake, the stump of a tree, a thorny brake, a deep hole, a mountain slope, a refuse pool, a rubbish pit. Wisely reflecting, he avoids that which is not an (allowable) seat, and that which is not a (lawful) resort (for alms), and those who are depraved friends. For if he were sitting on what is not an (allowable) seat like that, if he were walking in what is not a (lawful) resort (for alms) like that, if he were associating with depraved friends like that, his intelligent fellow Brahma-farers would suspect him of depraved qualities. Whereas, monks, if he does not avoid (these occasions), the cankers which are destructive and consuming might arise, but if he avoids (them), therefore these cankers which are destructive and consuming are not. These, monks, are called the cankers to be got rid of by avoidance.

And what, monks, are the cankers to be got rid of by elimination? In this teaching, monks, a monk, wisely reflective, does not give in to thought about sense-pleasures that has arisen, he gets rid of it, he eliminates it, makes an end of it, sends it to its ceasing; he does not give in to malevolent thought that has arisen he gets rid of it, he eliminates it, he makes an end of it, sends it to its ceasing; he does not give in to thought of harming that has arisen, he gets rid of it, he eliminates it, he makes an end of it, sends it to its ceasing; he does not give in to evil unskilled mental objects that have constantly arisen, he gets rid of them, eliminates them, makes an end of them, sends them to their ceasing. Whereas, monks, if he does not eliminate (these thoughts), the cankers which are destructive and consuming might arise, but if he eliminates (them), therefore these cankers which are destructive and consuming are not. These, monks, are called the cankers to be got rid of by elimination.

And what, monks, are the cankers to be got rid of by (mental) development? (1) In this teaching, monks, a monk, wisely reflective, develops mindfulness as a link in awakening and which is dependent on aloofness, dependent on lack of attraction, dependent on ceasing, ending in renunciation. (2) Wisely reflective, he develops investigation of Dhamma as a link in awakening and which is dependent on aloofness, dependent on lack of attraction, dependent on ceasing, ending in renunciation. (3) Wisely reflective, he develops energy as a link in awakening and which is dependent on aloofness, dependent on lack of attraction, dependent on ceasing, ending in renunciation. (4) Wisely reflective, he develops rapture as a link in awakening and which is dependent on aloofness, dependent on lack of attraction, dependent on ceasing, ending in renunciation. (5) Wisely reflective, he develops serenity as a link in awakening and which is dependent on aloofness, dependent on lack of attraction, dependent on ceasing, ending in renunciation. (6) Wisely reflective, he develops concentration as a link in awakening and which is dependent on aloofness, dependent on lack of attraction, dependent on ceasing, ending in renunciation. (7) Wisely reflective, he develops even-mindedness as a link in awakening and which is dependent on aloofness, dependent on lack of attraction, dependent on ceasing, ending in renunciation. Whereas, monks, if he does not develop (these links in awakening), the cankers which are destructive and consuming might arise. But if he develops (them), therefore these cankers which are destructive and consuming are not. These, monks, are called the cankers to be got rid of by development.

Monks, in whatever monk those cankers to be got rid of by vision are got rid of by vision, in whatever monk those cankers to be got rid of by control are got rid of by control, in whatever monk those cankers to be got rid of by use are got rid of by use, in whatever monk those cankers to be got rid of by endurance are got rid of by endurance, in whatever monk those cankers to be got rid of by avoidance are got rid of by avoidance, in whatever monk those cankers to be got rid of by elimination are got rid of by elimination, in whatever monk those cankers to be got rid of by mental development are got rid of by mental development, this monk is called, monks, one who is controlled with control over all the cankers. He has cut off craving, done away with fetter, and by fully mastering pride will make an end of anguish.”

Thus spoke the Lord. Delighted, these monks rejoiced in what the Lord had said.

Discourse on All the Cankers: The Second

The Middle Discourses

|_A. The First Fifty

|__I. The Chapter on the Root of All Things

MN2. Discourse on All the Cankers

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