“Santi, bhikkhave, jātarūpassa oḷārikā upakkilesā paṁsuvālukā sakkharakaṭhalā. “Bhikkhus, gold has coarse defilements: sand, soil, and gravel. Tamenaṁ paṁsudhovako vā paṁsudhovakantevāsī vā doṇiyaṁ ākiritvā dhovati sandhovati niddhovati. A panner or his apprentice pours it into a pan, where he washes, rinses, and cleans it. Tasmiṁ pahīne tasmiṁ byantīkate santi jātarūpassa majjhimasahagatā upakkilesā sukhumasakkharā thūlavālukā. When that’s been eliminated, there are medium defilements in the gold: fine grit and coarse sand. Tamenaṁ paṁsudhovako vā paṁsudhovakantevāsī vā dhovati sandhovati niddhovati. The panner washes it again. Tasmiṁ pahīne tasmiṁ byantīkate santi jātarūpassa sukhumasahagatā upakkilesā sukhumavālukā kāḷajallikā. When that’s been eliminated, there are fine defilements in the gold: fine sand and black grime. Tamenaṁ paṁsudhovako vā paṁsudhovakantevāsī vā dhovati sandhovati niddhovati. The panner washes it again. Tasmiṁ pahīne tasmiṁ byantīkate athāparaṁ suvaṇṇasikatāvasissanti. When that’s been eliminated, only gold dust is left. Tamenaṁ suvaṇṇakāro vā suvaṇṇakārantevāsī vā jātarūpaṁ mūsāyaṁ pakkhipitvā dhamati sandhamati niddhamati. A goldsmith or his apprentice places the gold in a crucible where he blows, melts, and smelts it. Taṁ hoti jātarūpaṁ dhantaṁ sandhantaṁ niddhantaṁ aniddhantakasāvaṁ, na ceva mudu hoti na ca kammaniyaṁ, na ca pabhassaraṁ pabhaṅgu ca, na ca sammā upeti kammāya. Still the gold is not settled and the dross is not totally gone. It’s not pliable, workable, or radiant, but is brittle and not completely ready for working. Hoti so, bhikkhave, samayo yaṁ suvaṇṇakāro vā suvaṇṇakārantevāsī vā taṁ jātarūpaṁ dhamati sandhamati niddhamati. But the goldsmith keeps on blowing, melting, and smelting it. Taṁ hoti jātarūpaṁ dhantaṁ sandhantaṁ niddhantaṁ niddhantakasāvaṁ, mudu ca hoti kammaniyañca pabhassarañca, na ca pabhaṅgu, sammā upeti kammāya. The gold becomes pliable, workable, and radiant, not brittle, and ready to be worked. Yassā yassā ca pilandhanavikatiyā ākaṅkhati—yadi paṭṭikāya, yadi kuṇḍalāya, yadi gīveyyake, yadi suvaṇṇamālāya—tañcassa atthaṁ anubhoti. Then the goldsmith can successfully create any kind of ornament he wants, whether a bracelet, earrings, a necklace, or a golden garland.
Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, santi adhicittamanuyuttassa bhikkhuno oḷārikā upakkilesā kāyaduccaritaṁ vacīduccaritaṁ manoduccaritaṁ, tamenaṁ sacetaso bhikkhu dabbajātiko pajahati vinodeti byantīkaroti anabhāvaṁ gameti. In the same way, a bhikkhu who is committed to the higher mind has coarse defilements: misconduct by body, speech, and thought. A sincere, capable bhikkhu gives these up, dispels, eliminates, and obliterates them. *Since it’s a bhikkhu being referred to, these “coarse defilements” are still by necessity a lot finer than incelibacy and sensual pursuits. So a person must bring themselves to that point at least, regardless of whether they formally ordain or not, before any of this even applies. Otherwise, it would be like placing raw gold ore directly into the crucible, without removing the crude impurities first.
Tasmiṁ pahīne tasmiṁ byantīkate santi adhicittamanuyuttassa bhikkhuno majjhimasahagatā upakkilesā kāmavitakko byāpādavitakko vihiṁsāvitakko, tamenaṁ sacetaso bhikkhu dabbajātiko pajahati vinodeti byantīkaroti anabhāvaṁ gameti. When they’ve been given up and eliminated, there are middling defilements: sensual, averse, or cruel thoughts. A sincere, capable bhikkhu gives these up, dispels, eliminates, and obliterates them. *Note that genuine abandonment of impurities in the way described here can only occur when one is willing to relinquish them indefinitely, without deciding in advance to re-take them at a later time. Granted, from a third-person point of view one can say that the impurities will most likely return and can only be permanently dispelled by the attainment of non-return or higher, but from the _internal_, first-person, perspective of the mind that is being presently purified, they are being given up “forever“ if they are actually being given up at all.
Tasmiṁ pahīne tasmiṁ byantīkate santi adhicittamanuyuttassa bhikkhuno sukhumasahagatā upakkilesā ñātivitakko janapadavitakko anavaññattipaṭisaṁyutto vitakko, tamenaṁ sacetaso bhikkhu dabbajātiko pajahati vinodeti byantīkaroti anabhāvaṁ gameti. When they’ve been given up and eliminated, there are fine defilements: thoughts of family, country, and reputation. A sincere, capable bhikkhu gives these up, dispels, eliminates, and obliterates them.
Tasmiṁ pahīne tasmiṁ byantīkate athāparaṁ dhammavitakkāvasissanti. When they’ve been given up and eliminated, only thoughts about the Dhamma are left. *See [this passage](https://suttas.hillsidehermitage.org/?q=mn19#mn19:8.1-mn19:12.4). So hoti samādhi na ceva santo na ca paṇīto nappaṭippassaddhaladdho na ekodibhāvādhigato sasaṅkhāraniggayhavāritagato. That composure is not peaceful or sublime or calm or unified, but is held in place by active repression.
Hoti so, bhikkhave, samayo yaṁ taṁ cittaṁ ajjhattaṁyeva santiṭṭhati sannisīdati ekodi hoti samādhiyati. But there comes a time when that mind is established, settled, unified, and composed internally. So hoti samādhi santo paṇīto paṭippassaddhiladdho ekodibhāvādhigato na sasaṅkhāraniggayhavāritagato. That composure is peaceful and sublime and calm and unified, not held in place by active repression. Yassa yassa ca abhiññā sacchikaraṇīyassa dhammassa cittaṁ abhininnāmeti abhiññā sacchikiriyāya tatra tatreva sakkhibhabbataṁ pāpuṇāti sati satiāyatane. By directing his mind towards it, he's able to realize whatever phenomenon is to be realized by comprehension, provided there is a dimension for memory. *_sati satiāyatane_: The meaning here is that each of the following knowledges can only be realized if they are already implicit in the experience as phenomena, and thus can be “remembered” or “recollected” (the meaning of _sati_, which applies here in the same sense as the [_satipaṭṭhānas_]: the four foundations of experience that are always _already there_ and are not being fabricated, and can at most be un-ignored/remembered). In the case of psychic abilities, these might not be available no matter how far one's _sati_ has been developed through samādhi, as was the case for Ven. Sāriputta and others. As for Arahantship, the same principle applies: Nibbāna can be “remembered” as a phenomenon if the things that obstruct it have been sufficiently cleared out and the most general aspects of experience become evident, and this would also take place through the development of _samādhi_ (which broadens and expands the mind as opposed to narrowing it down, as would tend to be expected).
So sace ākaṅkhati: ‘anekavihitaṁ iddhividhaṁ paccanubhaveyyaṁ—ekopi hutvā bahudhā assaṁ, bahudhāpi hutvā eko assaṁ; āvibhāvaṁ, tirobhāvaṁ; tirokuṭṭaṁ tiropākāraṁ tiropabbataṁ asajjamāno gaccheyyaṁ, seyyathāpi ākāse; pathaviyāpi ummujjanimujjaṁ kareyyaṁ, seyyathāpi udake; udakepi abhijjamāne gaccheyyaṁ, seyyathāpi pathaviyaṁ; ākāsepi pallaṅkena kameyyaṁ, seyyathāpi pakkhī sakuṇo; imepi candimasūriye evaṁmahiddhike evaṁmahānubhāve pāṇinā parimaseyyaṁ parimajjeyyaṁ; yāva brahmalokāpi kāyena vasaṁ vatteyyan’ti, If he wishes: ‘May I wield the many kinds of psychic power: multiplying myself and becoming one again; appearing and disappearing; going unimpeded through a wall, a rampart, or a mountain as if through space; diving in and out of the earth as if it were water; walking on water as if it were earth; flying cross-legged through the sky like a bird; touching and stroking with my hand the sun and moon, so mighty and powerful; controlling my body as far as the Brahmā realm.’ tatra tatreva sakkhibhabbataṁ pāpuṇāti sati satiāyatane. He’s able to realize it, provided there is a dimension for memory.
So sace ākaṅkhati: ‘dibbāya sotadhātuyā visuddhāya atikkantamānusikāya ubho sadde suṇeyyaṁ dibbe ca mānuse ca ye dūre santike cā’ti, If he wishes: ‘With the divine ear element that is purified and superhuman, may I hear both kinds of sounds, human and divine, whether near or far.’ tatra tatreva sakkhibhabbataṁ pāpuṇāti sati satiāyatane. He’s able to realize it, provided there is a dimension for memory.
So sace ākaṅkhati: ‘parasattānaṁ parapuggalānaṁ cetasā ceto paricca pajāneyyaṁ—If he wishes: ‘May I understand the minds of other beings and individuals, having comprehended them with my mind. sarāgaṁ vā cittaṁ sarāgaṁ cittanti pajāneyyaṁ, May I understand mind with passion as ‘mind with passion’, vītarāgaṁ vā cittaṁ vītarāgaṁ cittanti pajāneyyaṁ; and mind without passion as ‘mind without passion’; sadosaṁ vā cittaṁ sadosaṁ cittanti pajāneyyaṁ, mind with aversion as “mind with aversion”, vītadosaṁ vā cittaṁ vītadosaṁ cittanti pajāneyyaṁ; and mind without aversion as “mind without aversion”; samohaṁ vā cittaṁ samohaṁ cittanti pajāneyyaṁ, mind with muddledness as “mind with muddledness”, vītamohaṁ vā cittaṁ vītamohaṁ cittanti pajāneyyaṁ; and mind without muddledness as “mind without muddledness”; saṅkhittaṁ vā cittaṁ saṅkhittaṁ cittanti pajāneyyaṁ, constricted mind as “constricted mind”, vikkhittaṁ vā cittaṁ vikkhittaṁ cittanti pajāneyyaṁ; and scattered mind as “scattered mind”; mahaggataṁ vā cittaṁ mahaggataṁ cittanti pajāneyyaṁ, expansive mind as “expansive mind”, amahaggataṁ vā cittaṁ amahaggataṁ cittanti pajāneyyaṁ; and unexpansive mind as “unexpansive mind”; sauttaraṁ vā cittaṁ sauttaraṁ cittanti pajāneyyaṁ, mind that is not supreme as “mind that is not supreme”, anuttaraṁ vā cittaṁ anuttaraṁ cittanti pajāneyyaṁ; and mind that is supreme as “mind that is supreme”; samāhitaṁ vā cittaṁ samāhitaṁ cittanti pajāneyyaṁ, mind composed as “mind composed”, asamāhitaṁ vā cittaṁ asamāhitaṁ cittanti pajāneyyaṁ; and mind not composed as “mind not composed”; vimuttaṁ vā cittaṁ vimuttaṁ cittanti pajāneyyaṁ, liberated mind as “liberated mind”, avimuttaṁ vā cittaṁ avimuttaṁ cittanti pajāneyyan’ti, and unliberated mind as “unliberated mind”.’ tatra tatreva sakkhibhabbataṁ pāpuṇāti sati satiāyatane. He’s able to realize it, provided there is a dimension for memory.
So sace ākaṅkhati: ‘anekavihitaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussareyyaṁ, seyyathidaṁ—ekampi jātiṁ dvepi jātiyo tissopi jātiyo catassopi jātiyo pañcapi jātiyo dasapi jātiyo vīsampi jātiyo tiṁsampi jātiyo cattālīsampi jātiyo paññāsampi jātiyo jātisatampi jātisahassampi jātisatasahassampi anekepi saṁvaṭṭakappe anekepi vivaṭṭakappe anekepi saṁvaṭṭavivaṭṭakappe: “amutrāsiṁ evaṁnāmo evaṅgotto evaṁvaṇṇo evamāhāro evaṁsukhadukkhappaṭisaṁvedī evamāyupariyanto, so tato cuto amutra udapādiṁ; tatrāpāsiṁ evaṁnāmo evaṅgotto evaṁvaṇṇo evamāhāro evaṁsukhadukkhappaṭisaṁvedī evamāyupariyanto, so tato cuto idhūpapanno”ti, iti sākāraṁ sauddesaṁ anekavihitaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussareyyan’ti, If he wishes: ‘May I recollect many kinds of past lives. That is: one, two, three, four, five, ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, a hundred, a thousand, a hundred thousand births; many eons of the world contracting, many eons of the world expanding, many eons of the world contracting and expanding. May I remember: “There, I was named this, my clan was that, I looked like this, and that was my food. This was how I felt pleasure and displeasure, and that was how my life ended. When I passed away from that place I was reborn somewhere else. There, too, I was named this, my clan was that, I looked like this, and that was my food. This was how I felt pleasure and displeasure, and that was how my life ended. When I passed away from that place I was reborn here.” May I recollect my many past lives, with features and details.’ tatra tatreva sakkhibhabbataṁ pāpuṇāti sati satiāyatane. He’s able to realize it, provided there is a dimension for memory.
So sace ākaṅkhati: ‘dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena satte passeyyaṁ cavamāne upapajjamāne hīne paṇīte suvaṇṇe dubbaṇṇe, sugate duggate yathākammūpage satte pajāneyyaṁ: “ime vata bhonto sattā kāyaduccaritena samannāgatā vacīduccaritena samannāgatā manoduccaritena samannāgatā ariyānaṁ upavādakā micchādiṭṭhikā micchādiṭṭhikammasamādānā, te kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapannā; ime vā pana bhonto sattā kāyasucaritena samannāgatā vacīsucaritena samannāgatā manosucaritena samannāgatā ariyānaṁ anupavādakā sammādiṭṭhikā sammādiṭṭhikammasamādānā, te kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapannā”ti, iti dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena satte passeyyaṁ cavamāne upapajjamāne hīne paṇīte suvaṇṇe dubbaṇṇe, sugate duggate yathākammūpage satte pajāneyyan’ti, If he wishes: ‘With the divine eye that is purified and superhuman, may I see beings passing away and reappearing—inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, in a good place or a bad place—and understand how beings reappear according to their actions: “These dear beings engaged in misconduct by way of body, speech, and thought. They found fault with the noble ones; they had wrong view; and they chose to act out of that wrong view. When their body breaks up, after death, they reappear in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell. These dear beings, however, did good things by way of body, speech, and thought. They did not find fault with the noble ones; they had right view; and they chose to act out of that right view. When their body breaks up, after death, they reappear in a good place, a heavenly realm.” And so, with the divine eye that is purified and superhuman, may I see beings passing away and reappearing—inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, in a good place or a bad place. And may I understand how beings reappear according to their actions.’ tatra tatreva sakkhibhabbataṁ pāpuṇāti sati satiāyatane. He’s able to realize it, provided there is a dimension for memory.
So sace ākaṅkhati: ‘āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja vihareyyan’ti, If he wishes: ‘May I, with the destruction of the influxes, abide having entered upon the liberation by mind and liberation by understanding that is devoid of influxes, having for myself comprehended and realized it right in the present experience.’ tatra tatreva sakkhibhabbataṁ pāpuṇāti sati satiāyatane”ti. He’s able to realize it, provided there is a dimension for memory.
Dasamaṁ.
Origin URL: https://suttas.hillsidehermitage.org/?q=an3.101