Thus I heard:

On one occasion the Blessed One was living in the Anguttarāpan country. There is a town of theirs called Apaṇa.

Now when it was morning the Blessed One dressed, and taking his bowl and outer robe, he went into Apaṇa for alms. When he had wandered for alms in Apaṇa and had returned from his alms-round after the meal, he went to a certain grove for the day’s abiding, and he went into the grove and sat down at the root of a tree for the day’s abiding.

Also when it was morning the venerable Udāyin dressed, and taking his bowl and outer robe, he went into Apaṇa for alms. When he had wandered for alms in Apaṇa and he had returned from his alms-round after the meal, he went to that grove for the day’s abiding, and he went into the grove and sat down at the root of a tree for the day’s abiding.

Then while the venerable Udāyin was alone in meditation this thought came to his mind: “How many a painful thing the Blessed One has rid us of and how many a pleasant thing the Blessed One has brought us! How many an unprofitable thing the Blessed One has rid us of and how many a profitable thing the Blessed One has brought us!”

Then when it was evening, the venerable Udāyin rose from meditation, and he went to the Blessed One, and after paying homage to him he sat down at one side. When he had done so, he told the Blessed One what he had thought, and he added:

“Venerable sir, formerly we used to eat in the evening and in the morning and late in the day. There was the occasion when the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus thus: ‘Bhikkhus, please abandon that eating late in the day.’ Venerable sir, I was discomfited and aggrieved, thinking: ‘When faithful householders give us good food of various kinds late in the day, the Blessed One tells us to abandon it, the Sublime One tells us to relinquish it.’ Since we saw in ourselves love and respect for the Blessed One, and conscience and shame, we abandoned that eating late in the day. Then we ate only in two sessions, that is to say, in the evening and in the morning. Then there was the occasion when the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus thus: ‘Bhikkhus, please abandon that eating late at night.’ Venerable sir, I was discomfited and aggrieved, thinking: ‘The Blessed One tells us to abandon that one of our meals which is reckoned the superior, the Sublime One tells us to relinquish that.’ It has happened, venerable sir, that a certain man obtained some materials for sauces, and he said: ‘Put that aside and let us all eat it together in the evening.’ Nearly all cooking is done at night and little by day. Since we saw in ourselves love and respect for the Blessed One, and conscience and shame, we abandoned that eating late at night. It has happened, venerable sir, that bhikkhus wandering for alms in the dark gloom of the night have walked into a cesspit and walked into a sewer and fallen over a thornbush and fallen over a cow and encountered miscreants who had already committed one and have been enticed by women with what is not True Dhamma. It has happened, venerable sir, that I went wandering for alms in the dark gloom of the night, and a woman washing a dish saw me by a flash of lightning. Seeing me, she screamed out in terror: ‘Mercy me, a devil has come for me!’ When this was said, I told her: ‘Sister, I am no devil, I am a bhikkhu waiting for alms.’ ‘Then it’s a bhikkhu whose ma’s died and whose pa’s died! Better, bhikkhu, you get your belly cut open with a sharp carver than this prowling for alms in the dark gloom of the night for your belly’s sake!’ Venerable sir, when I recollected that I thought: ‘How many a painful thing the Blessed One has rid us of; and how many a pleasant thing the Blessed One has brought us! How many an unprofitable thing the Blessed One has rid us of; and how many a profitable thing the Blessed One has brought us!’”

“So too, Udāyin, there have been certain misguided men here, who, when told by me ‘Abandon this’ said: ‘What, for such a mere trifle, for such a mere detail as this? This monk is overmuch of an effacer!’ and they did not abandon that and showed discourtesy to me as well as the bhikkhus desirous of training. That becomes a strong, stout, tough, never-rotting tether for them and a thick neck-plank.

“Suppose a quail were tethered by a rotting-creeper tether, it could thereby expect hurt or captivity or death. Now suppose someone said: ‘The rotting-creeper tether by which that quail is tethered and can thereby expect hurt, captivity or death, is a feeble, weak, rotting, coreless tether for it,’ would he be speaking rightly?”

“No, Venerable sir, the rotting-creeper tether by which the quail is tethered and can thereby expect hurt, captivity or death is a strong, stout, tough, never-rotting tether for it and a thick neck-plank.”

“So too, there have been certain misguided men… never-rotting tether for them and a thick neck-plank.

“Udāyin, there have been some clansmen here, who, when told by me ‘Abandon this’ said: ‘What, for such a mere trifle, for such a mere detail to be abandoned as this, the Blessed One announces the abandoning of it, the Sublime One announces the relinquishment of it?’ yet they abandoned that and did not show discourtesy to me as well as the bhikkhus desirous of training. Having abandoned it, they abode uninvolved in activity, unruffled, subsisting on others’ gifts, with mind as aloof as a wild deer’s. That is a feeble, weak, rotting, coreless tether for them.

“Suppose a royal tusker elephant with tusks as long as chariot-poles, full-grown in stature, highly bred, and well-used to battles, were tethered by stout leather thongs, but by simply inclining his body a little he could break and burst the thongs and then go where he liked. Now suppose someone said: ‘That is a strong, stout, tough, never-rotting tether for him and a thick neck-plank,’ would he be speaking rightly?”.

“No, Venerable sir. The stout leather thongs by which that royal tusker elephant with tusks as long as chariot-poles, full-grown in stature, highly bred and well-used to battles, is tethered, which by simply inclining his body a little he could break and burst and then go where he liked, is a feeble, weak, rotting, coreless tether for him.”

“So too, there have been some clansmen here… a feeble, weak, rotting, coreless tether for them.

“Suppose there were a poor, penniless, destitute man, and he had a crazily-leaning hovel, not the best kind, and a crazily-leaning wicker bedstead, not the best kind, and some corn and pumpkin seeds in a pot, not the best kind, and a trapes of a wife, not the best kind, and he went to a monastery park and saw a bhikkhu sitting in the shade of a tree with hands and feet well washed after eating an inviting meal, devoting himself to the higher mind. He might think: ‘How pleasant the monk’s state is, and how healthy! If only I were one who could shave off hair and beard, put on the yellow cloth and go forth from the home life into homelessness!’ but he is unable to abandon the crazily-leaning hovel, not the best kind, and the crazily-leaning bedstead, not the best kind, and some corn and pumpkin seeds in a pot, not the best kind, and the trapes of a wife, not the best kind, and he was not able to shave off hair and beard, put on the yellow cloth and go forth from the home life into homelessness. Now suppose someone said: ‘The tethers by which that man is tethered so that he cannot abandon those things and go forth from the home life into homelessness are a feeble, weak, rotting, coreless tether for him,’ would he be speaking rightly?”

“No, Venerable sir. The tethers by which that man is tethered so that he cannot abandon those things and go forth from the home life into homelessness are a strong, stout, tough, never-rotting tether for him and a thick neck-plank.”

“So too, there have been certain misguided men… never-rotting tether for them and a thick neck-plank.

“Suppose there were a rich householder or householder’s son, with vast wealth and vast property, many a score of gold ingots and many a score of granaries and many a score of fields and many a score of clothes and many a score of wives and many a score of bondsmen and bondswomen, and he went to a monastery park and saw a bhikkhu sitting in the shade of a tree with hands and feet well washed after eating an inviting meal, devoting himself to the higher mind. He might think: ‘How pleasant the monk’s state is, and how healthy! If only I were one who could shave off hair and beard, put on the yellow cloth and go forth from home life into homelessness!’ and he was able to abandon many a score of gold ingots and many a score of granaries and many a score of fields and many a score of clothes and many a score of wives and many a score of bondsmen and bondswomen, and he is able to shave off hair and beard, put on the yellow cloth and go forth from the home life into homelessness. Now suppose someone said: ‘The tethers by which that householder or householder’s son is tethered so that he can abandon those things and go forth from the home life into homelessness are a strong, stout, tough, never-rotting tether for him,’ would he be speaking rightly?”

“No, Venerable sir. The tethers by which that householder or householder’s son is tethered so that he can abandon those things and go forth from the home life into homelessness are a feeble, weak, rotting, coreless tether for him.”

“So too, there have been some clansmen… a feeble, weak, rotting, coreless tether for them.

“There are four kinds of person to be found existing in the world. What are the four?

“Here some person practises the way to the abandoning of the essentials of existence, to the relinquishing of the essentials of existence. When that is so, memories and intentions associated with the essentials of existence beset him. He endures them, he does not abandon them or remove them or do away with and annihilate them. Such a person I call ‘associated’ not ‘dissociated’. Why is that? Because I have known the particular diversity of faculties in this person.

“Here some person practises the way to the abandoning of the essentials of existence, to the relinquishing of the essentials of existence. When that is so, memories and intentions associated with the essentials of existence beset him. He does not endure them, he abandons them, removes them, does away with and annihilates them. Such a person I call ‘associated’ not ‘dissociated’. Why is that? Because I have known the particular diversity of faculties in this person.

“Here some person practises the way to the abandoning of the essentials of existence, to the relinquishment of the essentials of existence. When that is so, memories and intentions associated with the essentials of existence beset him now and then owing to lapses of mindfulness. Though his mindfulness may be slow in arising, still he soon abandons them, removes them, does away with and annihilates them. Just as if a man were to let two or three drops of water fall into an iron pan heated for a day, though the drops may be slow in falling, still they would soon be exhausted and disappear. So too, here some person practises… and annihilates them. Such a person I call ‘associated’ not ‘dissociated’. Why is that? Because I have known the particular diversity of faculties in this person.

“Here some person, having known that the essentials of existence are the root of suffering, is divested of the essentials of existence and freed with the full exhaustion of the essentials of existence. Such a person I call ‘dissociated’ not ‘associated’. Why is that? Because I have known the particular diversity of faculties in this person.

“There are these five cords of sensual desires. What are the five? Forms cognizable by the eye that are wished for, desired, agreeable and likeable, connected with sensual desire and provocative of lust. Sounds cognizable by the ear… Odours cognizable by the nose… Flavours cognizable by the tongue… Tangibles cognizable by the body that are wished for, desired, agreeable and likeable, connected with sensual desire and provocative of lust. These are the five cords of sensual desire.

“Now the pleasure and joy that arise dependent on these five cords of sensual desire are called pleasure in sensual desires, pleasure in filth, ordinary man’s pleasure, ignoble pleasure; it is not to be repeated or developed or made much of: one should be afraid of such pleasure, I say.

“Here, quite secluded from sensual desires, secluded from unprofitable dhammas, a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the first jhāna, which is accompanied by initial application and sustained application, with happiness and pleasure born of seclusion.

“With the stilling of initial and sustained application he enters upon and abides in the second jhāna, which has self-confidence and singleness of mind without initial and sustained application, with happiness and pleasure born of concentration.

“With the fading as well of happiness he abides in equanimity, and mindful and fully aware, still feeling pleasure with the body, he enters upon and abides in the third jhāna on account of which the Noble Ones announce ‘He has a pleasant abiding who has equanimity and is mindful.’

“With the abandoning of pleasure and pain, and with the previous disappearance of joy and grief, he enters upon and abides in the fourth jhāna which has neither-pain-nor-pleasure and has purity of mindfulness due to equanimity.

“This is called pleasure in renunciation, pleasure in seclusion, pleasure in stilling, pleasure in full enlightenment, it is to be repeated and developed and made much of: one should not be afraid of such pleasure, I say.

“Here… a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the first jhāna… with happiness and pleasure born of seclusion.

“Now that, I say, belongs to perturbability. What is the perturbability there? Whatever initial application and sustained application has not ceased there is the perturbability there.

“Here a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the second jhāna… with happiness and pleasure born of concentration.

“Now that, I say, belongs to perturbability. What is the perturbability there? Whatever happiness and pleasure has not ceased there is the perturbability there.

“Here… a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the third jhāna… who has equanimity and is mindful.

“Now that, I say, belongs to perturbability. What is the perturbability there? Whatever pleasure of equanimity has not ceased there is the perturbability there.

“Here… a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the fourth jhāna… and has purity of mindfulness due to equanimity.

“This, I say, is imperturbability.

“Here a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the first jhāna… with happiness and pleasure born of seclusion.

“That, I say, is not enough. Abandon it, I say; surmount it, I say. And what surmounts it?

“Here a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the second jhāna… with happiness and pleasure born of concentration. That surmounts it.

“That too, I say, is not enough. Abandon it, I say; surmount it, I say. And what surmounts it?

“Here a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the third jhāna… who has equanimity and is mindful. That surmounts it.

“That too, I say, is not enough. Abandon it, I say; surmount it, I say. And what surmounts it?

“Here a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the fourth jhāna… and has purity of mindfulness due to equanimity. That surmounts it.

“That too, I say, is not enough. Abandon it, I say; surmount it, I say. And what surmounts it?

“Here with the complete surmounting of perceptions of form, with the disappearance of perceptions of resistance, with not giving attention to perceptions of difference, aware that ‘space is infinite’ a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the base consisting of the infinity of space. That surmounts it.

“That too, I say, is not enough. Abandon it, I say; surmount it, I say. And what surmounts it?

“Here by completely surmounting the base consisting of the infinity of space, aware that ‘consciousness is infinite’, a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the base consisting of the infinity of consciousness. That surmounts it.

“That too, I say, is not enough. Abandon it, I say; surmount it, I say. And what surmounts it?

“Here by completely surmounting the base consisting of the infinity of consciousness, aware that ‘there is nothing’, a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the base consisting of nothingness. That surmounts it.

“That too, I say, is not enough. Abandon it, I say; surmount it, I say. And what surmounts it?

“Here by completely surmounting the base consisting of nothingness a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the base consisting of neither-perception-nor-non-perception. That surmounts it.

“That too, I say, is not enough. Abandon it, I say; surmount it, I say.

“Here by completely surmounting the base consisting of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the cessation of perception and feeling. That surmounts it.

“So I speak also of the abandoning of the base consisting of neither-perception-nor-non-perception. Do you see, Udāyin, that fetter, small or great, of whose abandoning I do not speak?”

“No, venerable sir.”

That is what the Blessed One said. The venerable Udāyin was satisfied, and he rejoiced in the Blessed One’s words.