Thus I have heard: One time, the Buddha was staying at Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park in Jeta’s Grove of Śrāvastī.
It was then that there was a monk named Tiṣya who gathered with a group of monks in the alms hall. He said to the monks, “Venerables, I’m unable to discern the Dharma, I’m not happy cultivating the religious life, and I delight so much in sleeping. I’m having doubts about the Dharma.”
There was then a monk in that group who went to the Buddha, bowed at the Buddha’s feet, and withdrew to sit at one side. He said to the Buddha, “Bhagavān, the monk Tiṣya gathered with a group of monks in the alms hall and declared: ‘I’m unable to discern the Dharma, I’m not happy cultivating the religious life, and I delight so much in sleeping. I’m having doubts about the Dharma.’”
The Buddha told the monk, “This monk Tiṣya is a foolish man. He doesn’t guard the doors of his faculties, doesn’t know how much food is enough, and he isn’t awake in the first and last watch of the night. He’s indolent and lazy, doesn’t make diligent effort, and doesn’t skillfully investigate and consider the good Dharma. It’s not possible for him to discern the Dharma, feel happy cultivating the religious life, be free of sleepiness, or be free of doubts about the correct Dharma. If he’s going to be a monk, he should guard the doors of his faculties, know what’s enough food, stay awake and apply himself during the first and last watch of the night, and observe the good Dharma. Then it’ll be possible for him to delight in discerning the Dharma, enjoy cultivating the religious life, be free of sleepiness, and not have doubts about the Dharma.”
The Bhagavān then told a monk, “You, go tell the monk Tiṣya, ‘The great teacher has summoned you.’”
That monk said to the Buddha, “Very well, I accept this instruction.” He first bowed at the Buddha’s feet and then went to Tiṣya. He told Tiṣya, “Venerable Tiṣya, the Bhagavān has summoned you.” Hearing this command, Tiṣya came to the Bhagavān, bowed at his feet, and withdrew to stand at one side.
The Bhagavān said to Tiṣya, “You, Tiṣya! Is it true that you gathered with a group of monks in the alms hall and declared, ‘Venerables, I’m unable to discern the Dharma, I’m not happy cultivating the religious life, I delight so much in sleeping, and I’m having doubts about the Dharma’?”
Tiṣya said to the Buddha, “That’s true, Bhagavān.”
The Buddha questioned Tiṣya, “Now, I’ll question you, and you tell me what you think. What do you think? Suppose one isn’t free of desire for, free of craving for, free of thoughts about, and free of thirst for form, and suppose that form changes and becomes different. What do you think? Won’t that produce sorrow, lamentation, trouble, and pain?”
Tiṣya said to the Buddha, “Yes, Bhagavān. If someone isn’t free of desire for, free of craving for, free of thoughts about, and free of thirst for form and supposing that form changes and becomes different, then that’ll produce sorrow, lamentation, trouble, and pain. Bhagavān, that would be true were it not to change.”
The Buddha told Tiṣya, “Good, Tiṣya, good! That’s just the way someone who isn’t free of greed should be taught Dharma. Tiṣya, suppose one isn’t free of desire for, free of craving for, free of thoughts about, and free of thirst for feeling … conception … volition … awareness, and suppose that awareness changes and becomes different. What do you think? Won’t that produce sorrow, lamentation, trouble, and pain?”
Tiṣya said to the Buddha, “Yes, Bhagavān. If someone isn’t free of desire for, free of craving for, free of thoughts about, and free of thirst for awareness, and supposing that awareness changes and becomes different, then that’ll produce sorrow, lamentation, trouble, and pain. Bhagavān, that would be true were it not to change.”
The Buddha told Tiṣya, “Good, good! That’s just the way someone who isn’t free of greed should be taught Dharma.”
The Buddha told Tiṣya, “What do you think? Suppose one is free of desire for, free of craving for, free of thoughts about, and free of thirst for form, and suppose that form changes and becomes different. Will that then produce sorrow, lamentation, trouble, and pain?”
Tiṣya said to the Buddha, “No, Bhagavān. It would be so were it not to change.”
“What do you think? Suppose one is free of desire for, free of craving for, free of thoughts about, and free of thirst for feeling … conception … volition … awareness, and suppose that awareness changes and becomes different. Will that produce sorrow, lamentation, trouble, and pain?”
Tiṣya answered, “No, Bhagavān. It would be so were it not to change.”
The Buddha told Tiṣya, “Good, good! Tiṣya, I will tell you a parable now, for wise people understand things with parables. Suppose two men are travelling together on a road. One of them knows the road well, while the other one doesn’t know the road. The one who doesn’t know it says to the one who does, ‘I want to go to such-and-such city, a certain town, or a certain village. Could you show me the way there?’”
“The one who knows the roads then shows him the way. He says, ‘A man who follows this path will come upon a fork in the road. Don’t go left, but turn right and continue. There’ll also be a river gorge. Again, you should not go left, but turn right. There’ll also be a forest. Again, don’t go left, but turn right. Proceeding in this way, you’ll eventually reach that particular city.’”
The Buddha told Tiṣya, “That parable is thus: The man who didn’t know the road is like a foolish ordinary man. The one who knew the road is like the Tathāgata, Arhat, and Completely Awakened One. The first fork in the road is a sentient being having doubts. The road to the left is three unskillful things: greedy, hateful, and harmful perceptions. The road to the right is three skillful things: the escape of perceptions that are free of desire, hate, or harmfulness. Proceeding on the road to the left would be wrong view, wrong intention, wrong speech, wrong action, wrong livelihood, wrong method, wrong mindfulness, and wrong samādhi. Proceeding on the road to the right would be right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right method, right mindfulness, and right samādhi. The river gorge is hatred, hindrance, sorrow, and lamentation. The forest is the merits of five desires. The city is parinirvāṇa.”
The Buddha told Tiṣya, “The Buddha is the great teacher who has accomplished the task for his disciples. Now, he has accomplished all this with the goal of happiness out of sympathy and caring. Today, all of you should accomplish that task. You should go [to a place] under a tree, on open ground, or in a mountain grotto, spread out a seat of grass, and contemplate skillfully with right mindfulness. Cultivate it earnestly; don’t let yourselves have regrets about it later. Now, I have instructed you.”
When Tiṣya heard what the Buddha taught, he rejoiced and approved.