by not grasping, like a lion, you’ve given up fear and dread. These three hundred mendicants stand with joined palms raised. Stretch out your feet, great hero: let these giants bow to the Teacher.” “This is the eighth day since we went for refuge, O Clear-eyed One. In these seven days, Blessed One, we’ve become tamed in your teaching.

“Sir, can there be anxiety about what doesn’t exist externally?” “There can, mendicant,” said the Buddha. “It’s when someone thinks, ‘Oh, it once was mine but is mine no more. Oh, it could be mine but I do not get it.’ They sorrow and wail and lament, beating their breast and falling into confusion. That’s how there is anxiety about what doesn’t exist externally.” “But can there be no anxiety about what doesn’t exist externally?” “There can, mendicant,” said the Buddha. “It’s when someone doesn’

‘Oh, it once was mine but is mine no more. Oh, it could be mine but I do not get it.’ They don’t sorrow and wail and lament, beating their breast and falling into confusion. That’s how there is no anxiety about what doesn’t exist externally.” Now at that time a mendicant called Ariṭṭha, who had previously been a vulture trapper, had the following harmful misconception: “As I understand the Buddha’s teaching, the acts that he says are obstructions are not really obstructions for the one who perfo

Then that fear and dread came upon me as I was standing. I didn’t walk or sit down or lie down until I had got rid of that fear and dread while standing. Then that fear and dread came upon me as I was sitting. I didn’t lie down or stand still or walk until I had got rid of that fear and dread while sitting. ‘There are certain nights that are recognized as specially portentous: Then that fear and dread came upon me as I was lying down. I didn’t sit up or stand still or walk until I had got rid of

From this day forth, may the worthy Gotama remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.” Then I thought, ‘There are ascetics and brahmins with unpurified conduct of body, speech, and mind who frequent remote lodgings in the wilderness and the forest. Those ascetics and brahmins summon unskillful fear and dread because of these defects in their conduct. But I don’t frequent remote lodgings in the wilderness and the forest with unpurified conduct of body, speech, and mind. My co

But their friends and colleagues, relatives and kin—deities of the parks, forests, trees, and those who haunt the herbs, grass, and big trees—would come together to reassure them, ‘Do not fear, sir, do not fear! Hopefully that seed will be swallowed by a peacock, or eaten by a deer, or burnt by a forest fire, or picked up by a lumberjack, or eaten by termites, or it may not even be fertile.’ But none of these things happened. And the seed was fertile, so that when the monsoon clouds soaked it wi

Take a mendicant who, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskillful qualities, enters and remains in the first absorption … second absorption … third absorption … fourth absorption. This is called the pleasure of renunciation, the pleasure of seclusion, the pleasure of peace, the pleasure of awakening. Such pleasure should be cultivated and developed, and should not be feared, I say. Take a mendicant who, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskillful qualities

I see no reason for anyone—whether ascetic, brahmin, god, Māra, or the Divinity, or anyone else in the world—to legitimately scold me, saying: ‘The acts that you say are obstructions are not really obstructions for the one who performs them.’ Since I see no such reason, I live secure, fearless, and assured. I see no reason for anyone—whether ascetic, brahmin, god, Māra, or the Divinity, or anyone else in the world—to legitimately scold me, saying: ‘The teaching doesn’t lead those who practice it

I recall having approached an assembly of hundreds of brahmins … Since I see no such reason, I live secure, fearless, and assured. householders … ascetics … the gods of the four great kings … the gods of the thirty-three … Māras … divinities. There too I used to sit with them, converse, and engage in discussion. But I don’t see any reason to feel afraid or insecure.

In the same way, those ascetics and brahmins seem to be like traders when they say: “After death we shall be like this! After death we shall be like that!”’ The Realized One understands this as follows. The ascetics and brahmins who assert the annihilation, eradication, and nonexistence of an existing being; from fear and disgust with substantial reality, they just keep running and circling around substantial reality. Suppose a hound on a leash was tethered to a strong post or pillar. It would j

It never occurs to them, ‘It’s so good that this householder serves me with delicious almsfood! I hope they serve me with such delicious almsfood in the future!’ They don’t think that. They eat that almsfood untied, uninfatuated, unattached, seeing the drawback, and understanding the escape. What do you think, Jīvaka? At that time is that mendicant intending to hurt themselves, hurt others, or hurt both?” “No, sir.” “Aren’t they eating blameless food at that time?” They meditate spreading a hear

And what are the qualities that make them easy to admonish? Firstly, a mendicant doesn’t have corrupt wishes … Furthermore, a mendicant isn’t attached to their own views, not holding them tight, but letting them go easily. These are the qualities that make them easy to admonish. In such a case, a mendicant should measure themselves like this. ‘This individual has corrupt wishes, having fallen under the sway of corrupt wishes. And I don’t like or approve of this individual. And if I were to fall

A mendicant who knows this should give rise to the thought: ‘I will not be attached to my own views, holding them tight, but will let them go easily.’ In such a case, a mendicant should check themselves like this: ‘Do I have corrupt wishes? Have I fallen under the sway of corrupt wishes?’ Suppose that, upon checking, a mendicant knows that they have fallen under the sway of corrupt wishes. Then they should make an effort to give up those bad, unskillful qualities. But suppose that, upon checking

they’re not attached to their own views, holding them tight, but let them go easily. Then they should meditate with rapture and joy, training day and night in skillful qualities. Suppose that, upon checking, a mendicant sees that they haven’t given up all these bad, unskillful qualities. Then they should make an effort to give them all up. But suppose that, upon checking, a mendicant sees that they have given up all these bad, unskillful qualities. Then they should meditate with rapture and joy,

He walks neither too fast nor too slow, without wanting to get out of there. He wears his robe on his body neither too high nor too low, neither too clinging nor too loose. The wind doesn’t blow his robe off his body. And dust and dirt don’t stick to his body. Now at that time the brahmin Brahmāyu was residing in Mithilā. He was old, elderly, and senior, advanced in years, having reached the final stage of life; he was a hundred and twenty years old. He had mastered the three Vedas, together wit

It’s not that those deities think, ‘What we have is permanent, lasting, and eternal.’ Rather, wherever those deities cling, that’s where they take pleasure. It’s like when flies are being carried along on a carrying-pole or basket. It’s not that they think, ‘What we have is permanent, lasting, and eternal.’ Rather, wherever those flies cling, that’s where they take pleasure. In the same way, it’s not that those deities think, ‘What we have is permanent, lasting, and eternal.’ Rather, wherever th

“Have you truly seen clearly with right understanding that this has come to be?” “Yes, sir.” “Have you truly seen clearly with right understanding that this has originated with that as fuel?” “Yes, sir.” “Have you truly seen clearly with right understanding that when that fuel ceases, what has come to be is liable to cease?” “Yes, sir.” “Pure and bright as this view is, mendicants, if you cling to it, dally with it, treasure it, and treat it as your own, would you be understanding my simile of t

“The dimension of neither perception nor non-perception.” “Sir, it seems that mendicant is grasping the best thing to grasp!” “Indeed, Ānanda. For the best thing to grasp is the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception. Take a mendicant who practices like this: ‘It might not be, and it might not be mine. It will not be, and it will not be mine. I am giving up what exists, what has come to be.’ In this way they gain equanimity. They don’t approve, welcome, or keep clinging to that equan

visions in this life and in lives to come, perceptions of visions in this life and in lives to come; all of these are impermanent. And what’s impermanent is not worth approving, welcoming, or clinging to.’ Practicing in this way and meditating on it often their mind becomes confident in this dimension. Being confident, they either attain the imperturbable now, or are freed by wisdom. Furthermore, a noble disciple reflects: Practicing in this way and meditating on it often their mind becomes conf

‘The cosmos and the self are one and the same. After death I will be that, permanent, everlasting, eternal, imperishable, and will last forever and ever.’ They hear the Realized One or their disciple teaching Dhamma for the uprooting of all grounds, fixations, obsessions, insistences, and underlying tendencies regarding views; for the stilling of all activities, the letting go of all attachments, the ending of craving, fading away, cessation, extinguishment. They think, ‘Whoa, I’m going to be an