Sāmaññaphala Sutta

 Thus have I heard.

At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling in Rājagaha, in Jīvaka Komārabhacca’s mango grove, together with a great community of monks, with twelve hundred and fifty monks.

Now at that time, it was the observance day, the full-moon night.

King Ajātasattu of Magadha, the son of the Videhan queen, was sitting on the upper terrace of his palace, surrounded by his ministers.

Then, on that occasion, the king uttered this exclamation: “How lovely, friends, is this moonlit night! How beautiful, friends, is this moonlit night! How charming, friends, is this moonlit night! How serene, friends, is this moonlit night! How auspicious, friends, is this moonlit night! Which contemplative or brahmin should we visit tonight who, when visited, might bring peace to our mind?”

Then one minister said to the king: “Great king, there is this Pūraṇa Kassapa, the head of an order, the head of a community, the teacher of a community, well-known and famous, a founder of a sect, honored by many people, long gone forth, aged, advanced in years. Let your majesty visit him. Perhaps, if you visit him, he might bring peace to your mind.”

But when this was said, the king remained silent.

Then another minister said to the king: “Great king, there is this Makkhali Gosāla... let your majesty visit him.”

Again the king remained silent.

Then another minister said: “Great king, there is this Ajita Kesakambalin... let your majesty visit him.”

Again the king remained silent.

Then another minister said: “Great king, there is this Pakudha Kaccāyana... let your majesty visit him.”

Again the king remained silent.

Then another minister said: “Great king, there is this Sañjaya Belaṭṭhaputta... let your majesty visit him.”

Again the king remained silent.

Then another minister said: “Great king, there is this Nigaṇṭha Nātaputta... let your majesty visit him.”

Again the king remained silent.

Now at that time, Jīvaka Komārabhacca was sitting not far from the king, in silence.

Then the king said to Jīvaka Komārabhacca: “Why, friend Jīvaka, do you remain silent?”

Jīvaka replied: “Great king, there is this Blessed One, the Arahant, the Fully Self-Awakened One, dwelling in my mango grove together with a great community of monks, with twelve hundred and fifty monks. Regarding that Blessed One, this favorable report has spread: ‘Indeed, the Blessed One is such: he is the Arahant, the Fully Self-Awakened One, perfect in knowledge and conduct, well-gone, knower of the world, unsurpassed trainer of persons to be tamed, teacher of gods and humans, awakened, blessed.’ Let your majesty visit the Blessed One. Perhaps, if you visit him, he might bring peace to your mind.”

“Then, friend Jīvaka, prepare the state elephants.”

“Yes, great king,” Jīvaka replied, and he prepared five hundred state she-elephants, and also the king’s own personal state elephant.

Then the king mounted his own state elephant, and the five hundred she-elephants were mounted by the women of the harem, and they set out from Rājagaha, accompanied by the royal procession, with great splendor, heading toward Jīvaka Komārabhacca’s mango grove.

Then King Ajātasattu, riding a short distance on the elephant, was struck by fear, terror, and his hair stood on end.

Trembling and afraid, he said to Jīvaka: “Friend Jīvaka, you are not deceiving me, are you? You are not betraying me, are you? You are not handing me over to an enemy, are you? For how can there be such a large community of monks — twelve hundred and fifty — without any sound of sneezing, coughing, or shouting?”

“Great king, do not be afraid. I am not deceiving you, I am not betraying you, I am not handing you over to an enemy. Go forward, great king! Those are the lamps burning in the assembly hall.”

Then the king, as far as the elephant could go, dismounted and approached the door of the assembly hall on foot.

Then he said to Jīvaka: “Where, friend Jīvaka, is the Blessed One?”

“That, great king, is the Blessed One, sitting against the middle pillar, facing east, surrounded by the community of monks.”

Then the king approached the Blessed One, stood to one side, and surveyed the community of monks, which was sitting in absolute silence — as still as a clear lake.

Standing there, he said: “May I have a word with the Blessed One, lord, if he grants me the time?”

“Speak, great king.”

Then the king, having bowed to the Blessed One, said with cupped hands: “Lord, I would ask the Blessed One about something, if he would grant me the time to answer.”

“Ask, great king, whatever you wish.”

“Lord, are there any fruits of the contemplative life, visible in the here and now?”

“Yes, great king, there are.”

“Lord, please explain them to me.”

“Suppose, great king, a man were a slave of yours, a servant, working for you, not acting according to his own will, living by your command.

He, having gone forth from the household life into homelessness, would dwell restrained, content, and mindful.

He, having gone forth, would reflect thus: ‘Formerly, I was a slave, a servant, working for the master, not acting according to my own will, living by the master’s command. Now I have shaved off my hair and beard, put on the ochre robe, and gone forth from the household life into homelessness. I enjoy alms-food, I am content with simple lodging, I follow the training in virtue. What happiness, what joy is this!’

This, great king, is the first fruit of the contemplative life, visible in the here and now.”

“But, lord, could you show me a fruit of the contemplative life, visible in the here and now, that is higher and more sublime than this?”

“Yes, great king, listen and attend carefully.”

“Suppose, great king, a householder, or a householder’s son, having heard the Dhamma, acquires faith in the Tathāgata.

He, endowed with that faith, reflects thus: ‘Household life is crowded, a path of dust. Going forth is like the open air. It is not easy for one dwelling at home to live the holy life that is utterly complete, utterly pure, like a polished conch shell. Suppose I were to shave off my hair and beard, put on the ochre robe, and go forth from the household life into homelessness.’

After some time, he abandons his accumulated wealth, be it large or small, he abandons his circle of relatives, be it large or small, he shaves off his hair and beard, puts on the ochre robe, and goes forth from the household life into homelessness.

Having thus gone forth, he dwells restrained by the restraint of the monastic code, perfect in conduct and resort, seeing danger in the slightest fault. He takes up and trains in the training-precepts.

He abandons the taking of life.

He refrains from the taking of life.

He dwells with the rod laid down, with the knife laid down, scrupulous, merciful, compassionate for the welfare of all living beings.

He abandons the taking of what is not given.

He refrains from taking what is not given.

He takes only what is given, expects only what is given, dwells with a pure heart, without theft.

He abandons unchastity.

He lives celibate, aloof, refraining from the village-practice of sexual intercourse.

He abandons false speech.

He refrains from false speech.

He speaks only truth, adheres to truth, is trustworthy, reliable, no deceiver of the world.

He abandons divisive speech.

He refrains from divisive speech.

He does not repeat here what he heard there to cause division there, nor does he repeat there what he heard here to cause division here.

He unites the divided, encourages the united, rejoices in harmony, delights in harmony, speaks words that promote harmony.

He abandons harsh speech.

He refrains from harsh speech.

He speaks words that are gentle, pleasing to the ear, affectionate, going to the heart, courteous, agreeable to many people, delightful to many people.

He abandons idle chatter.

He refrains from idle chatter.

He speaks at the right time, speaks what is factual, speaks what is beneficial, speaks the Dhamma and the discipline. He speaks words that are worth storing, timely, reasonable, measured, connected with the good.

He refrains from damaging seeds and plants.

He eats at one time only, refraining from eating at night and at the wrong time.

He refrains from dancing, singing, music, and stage-performances.

He refrains from wearing garlands, perfumes, cosmetics, and adornments.

He refrains from high and large beds.

He refrains from accepting gold and silver.

He refrains from accepting raw grain.

He refrains from accepting raw meat.

He refrains from accepting women and girls.

He refrains from accepting male and female slaves.

He refrains from accepting goats and sheep.

He refrains from accepting fowl and pigs.

He refrains from accepting elephants, cattle, horses, and mares.

He refrains from accepting fields and land.

He refrains from going on errands and running messages.

He refrains from buying and selling.

He refrains from cheating with scales, false metals, and measures.

He refrains from bribery, deception, and fraud.

He refrains from wounding, killing, binding, highway robbery, and taking food by force.

He is content with a robe to protect his body and alms-food to sustain his stomach. Wherever he goes, he takes only his belongings with him, just as a bird, wherever it flies, flies with only its wings.

Endowed with this noble aggregate of virtue, he experiences within himself a blameless happiness.

When he sees a form with the eye, he does not grasp at the sign, nor at the secondary features.

If he dwells with the eye faculty unrestrained, covetousness and displeasure, unwholesome states, might flow in. He practices restraint over the eye, he guards the eye faculty, he undertakes the restraint of the eye faculty.

When he hears a sound with the ear, he does not grasp at the sign, nor at the secondary features.

If he dwells with the ear faculty unrestrained, covetousness and displeasure, unwholesome states, might flow in. He practices restraint over the ear, he guards the ear faculty, he undertakes the restraint of the ear faculty.

When he smells an odor with the nose, he does not grasp at the sign, nor at the secondary features.

If he dwells with the nose faculty unrestrained, covetousness and displeasure, unwholesome states, might flow in. He practices restraint over the nose, he guards the nose faculty, he undertakes the restraint of the nose faculty.

When he tastes a flavor with the tongue, he does not grasp at the sign, nor at the secondary features.

If he dwells with the tongue faculty unrestrained, covetousness and displeasure, unwholesome states, might flow in. He practices restraint over the tongue, he guards the tongue faculty, he undertakes the restraint of the tongue faculty.

When he touches a tangible with the body, he does not grasp at the sign, nor at the secondary features.

If he dwells with the body faculty unrestrained, covetousness and displeasure, unwholesome states, might flow in. He practices restraint over the body, he guards the body faculty, he undertakes the restraint of the body faculty.

When he cognizes a mental phenomenon with the mind, he does not grasp at the sign, nor at the secondary features.

If he dwells with the mind faculty unrestrained, covetousness and displeasure, unwholesome states, might flow in. He practices restraint over the mind, he guards the mind faculty, he undertakes the restraint of the mind faculty.

Endowed with this noble sense-restraint, he experiences within himself an unsullied happiness.

He acts with clear comprehension when going forward and returning.

He acts with clear comprehension when looking ahead and looking aside.

He acts with clear comprehension when bending and extending.

He acts with clear comprehension when wearing the robe, carrying the bowl, and eating.

He acts with clear comprehension when defecating and urinating.

He acts with clear comprehension when walking, standing, sitting, lying down, waking, speaking, and remaining silent.

Endowed with this noble aggregate of virtue, and this noble sense-restraint, and this noble mindfulness and clear comprehension, he resorts to a secluded dwelling: a forest, the root of a tree, a mountain, a gorge, a hillside cave, a charnel ground, a woodland grove, the open air, or a heap of straw.

After his meal, returning from his alms-round, he sits down, crosses his legs, holds his body erect, and establishes mindfulness before him.

He abandons covetousness for the world.

He dwells with a mind free from covetousness, purifying the mind from covetousness.

He abandons ill-will and hatred.

He dwells with a mind free from ill-will, compassionate for the welfare of all living beings, purifying the mind from ill-will.

He abandons sloth and torpor.

He dwells free from sloth and torpor, perceiving light, mindful and fully aware, purifying the mind from sloth and torpor.

He abandons restlessness and worry.

He dwells with a mind inwardly calm, purifying the mind from restlessness and worry.

He abandons doubt.

He dwells having crossed over doubt, free from uncertainty regarding wholesome states, purifying the mind from doubt.

Just as a man who had taken a loan and used it for business, and his business succeeded, and he repaid the old debt and had enough left over to support his wife, would reflect on that and acquire joy and gladness;

just as a man who was sick, suffering, gravely ill, and his food would not digest, and his strength would fail, but later he recovered from that sickness, his food digested, and his strength returned, and he would reflect on that and acquire joy and gladness;

just as a man who was imprisoned in a prison, and later he was released from that prison, safe and unharmed, with no loss of his property, and he would reflect on that and acquire joy and gladness;

just as a man who was a slave, not independent, dependent on others, unable to go where he wished, and later he was released from that slavery, independent, his own master, able to go where he wished, and he would reflect on that and acquire joy and gladness;

just as a man, carrying provisions, traveling along a desolate road, and later he emerged from that desolate road, safe and unharmed, with no loss of his provisions, and he would reflect on that and acquire joy and gladness;

in the same way, when these five hindrances are abandoned within himself, he regards himself as free of debt, free of illness, free of prison, free of slavery, and having crossed the desolate road.

Then, quite secluded from sense pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, he enters and dwells in the first absorption, which is accompanied by directed thought and evaluation, born of seclusion, with rapture and pleasure.

He permeates, suffuses, fills, and drenches this very body with the rapture and pleasure born of seclusion, so that no part of his entire body is left untouched by the rapture and pleasure born of seclusion.

Just as, great king, a skilled bathman or bathman’s apprentice would pour soap powder into a bronze vessel, sprinkle it with water, and knead it until the ball of lather becomes saturated, suffused, filled, and drenched with moisture, with no part left unmixed;

in the same way, he permeates, suffuses, fills, and drenches this very body with the rapture and pleasure born of seclusion, so that no part of his entire body is left untouched by the rapture and pleasure born of seclusion.

This, great king, is a fruit of the contemplative life, visible in the here and now, higher and more sublime than the previous one.

Again, with the stilling of directed thought and evaluation, he enters and dwells in the second absorption, which is inwardly tranquil, with unification of mind, free from directed thought and evaluation, born of concentration, with rapture and pleasure.

He permeates, suffuses, fills, and drenches this very body with the rapture and pleasure born of concentration, so that no part of his entire body is left untouched by the rapture and pleasure born of concentration.

Just as, great king, a deep lake, with water welling up from within, having no inflow from east, west, north, or south, and not being replenished by rain from time to time, would still have the cool water welling up from within that would permeate, suffuse, fill, and drench that entire lake with cool water, with no part of the whole lake left untouched by cool water;

in the same way, he permeates, suffuses, fills, and drenches this very body with the rapture and pleasure born of concentration, so that no part of his entire body is left untouched by the rapture and pleasure born of concentration.

This, great king, is a fruit of the contemplative life, visible in the here and now, higher and more sublime than the previous one.

Again, with the fading of rapture, he dwells in equanimity, mindful and fully aware, and he experiences pleasure with the body — that state which the noble ones declare: ‘Equanimous and mindful, one dwells in pleasure’ — and he enters and dwells in the third absorption.

He permeates, suffuses, fills, and drenches this very body with the pleasure free from rapture, so that no part of his entire body is left untouched by the pleasure free from rapture.

Just as, great king, in a lotus pond, some blue lotuses, or some red lotuses, or some white lotuses, born in the water, grown in the water, immersed in the water, not rising above the water, are nourished from the water, and the cool water permeates, suffuses, fills, and drenches them, from their tips to their roots, so that no part of those lotuses is left untouched by cool water;

in the same way, he permeates, suffuses, fills, and drenches this very body with the pleasure free from rapture, so that no part of his entire body is left untouched by the pleasure free from rapture.

This, great king, is a fruit of the contemplative life, visible in the here and now, higher and more sublime than the previous one.

Again, with the abandoning of pleasure and pain, and with the previous disappearance of joy and grief, he enters and dwells in the fourth absorption, which is neither painful nor pleasant, with mindfulness fully purified by equanimity.

He sits, pervading this very body with a pure, bright mind, so that no part of his entire body is left untouched by the pure, bright mind.

Just as, great king, a man might sit wrapped from head to foot in a white cloth, so that no part of his entire body is left untouched by the white cloth;

in the same way, he sits, pervading this very body with a pure, bright mind, so that no part of his entire body is left untouched by the pure, bright mind.

This, great king, is a fruit of the contemplative life, visible in the here and now, higher and more sublime than the previous one.

When his mind is thus concentrated, purified, bright, flawless, free from defilement, pliant, malleable, steady, and attained to imperturbability, he directs it, he inclines it toward knowledge and insight.

He understands thus: ‘This body of mine is material, composed of the four great elements, born of mother and father, built up from rice and porridge, subject to impermanence, rubbing, pressing, and dissolution — and this consciousness of mine is bound up with it and attached to it.’

When his mind is thus concentrated, purified, bright, flawless, free from de