Evaṁ me sutaṁ—So I have heard. ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: There the Buddha addressed the bhikkhus, “bhikkhavo”ti. “Bhikkhus!”
“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. “Bhante,” they replied. Bhagavā etadavoca: The Buddha said this:
“Pubbeva me, bhikkhave, sambodhā anabhisambuddhassa bodhisattasseva sato etadahosi: “Bhikkhus, before my awakening, when I was still unawakened but intent on awakening, I thought: ‘yannūnāhaṁ dvidhā katvā dvidhā katvā vitakke vihareyyan’ti. ‘Why don’t I abide having divided my thoughts into two categories?’ *[“Good Thoughts, Bad Thoughts”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBiB0W7U6FQ) So kho ahaṁ, bhikkhave, yo cāyaṁ kāmavitakko yo ca byāpādavitakko yo ca vihiṁsāvitakko—So I assigned sensual, averse, and cruel thoughts *A sensual thought is a thought that is underlain by a mental state of delight and passion, not a thought that is about something in the domain of the five senses, in which case almost every thought would be a sensual thought. That would be ludicrous, and is how one arrives at the idea that the only way to be free from hindrances is to suppress all thinking. The same thought—about, say, agreeable food—is determined as involving sensuality or not by the more general state of mind. This is why sometimes, if the mind is in a depressed or anxious state, thinking about the exact same things that used to excite the mind fails to do so. Therefore, just as with the hindrances, one needs to be able to recognize when there is sense-desire “internally”, as discussed in the [context of the satipaṭṭhānas](https://suttas.hillsidehermitage.org/?q=mn10#mn10:36.4), to be able to even recognize the sensual thoughts (and the rest) as described here, let alone to dispel them. See [“Sensuality VS Agreeability”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wc9XWIZ64Wc). imaṁ ekaṁ bhāgamakāsiṁ; to one class. yo cāyaṁ nekkhammavitakko yo ca abyāpādavitakko yo ca avihiṁsāvitakko—And I assigned non-sensual, non-averse, and non-cruel thoughts *Translating _nekkhamma_ as “non-sensual” instead of “renunciation”, since the etymology is ambiguous and allows for either. “Non-sensual” fits better in this context, as thoughts of renunciation would involve active maintenance and involvement. See the discussion in the comments below. imaṁ dutiyaṁ bhāgamakāsiṁ. to the second class.
Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhave, evaṁ appamattassa ātāpino pahitattassa viharato uppajjati kāmavitakko. Then, as I abided heedful, diligent, and resolute, a sensual thought arose. So evaṁ pajānāmi: I understood: ‘uppanno kho me ayaṁ kāmavitakko. ‘This sensual thought has arisen for me. So ca kho attabyābādhāyapi saṁvattati, parabyābādhāyapi saṁvattati, ubhayabyābādhāyapi saṁvattati, paññānirodhiko vighātapakkhiko anibbānasaṁvattaniko’. It leads to my affliction, to the affliction of others, and to the affliction of both. It blocks understanding, is bound with trouble, and it doesn’t lead to Nibbāna.’ * [“The Ultimate Method for Overcoming Hindrances”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9voIhZij5Io) ‘Attabyābādhāya saṁvattatī’tipi me, bhikkhave, paṭisañcikkhato abbhatthaṁ gacchati; When I considered that it leads to my affliction, it subsided. *This reflection is not a “one-shot” affair. The context of danger and harm needs to be fostered and more clearly discerned in order for the thoughts to subside. One knows the thought of sensuality, aversion or cruelty has subsided when one is freely able to think about the same topic without at all experiencing the mental state of desire, aversion, or cruelty. As stated at the end of the following Sutta, one who develops this sort of practice is able to “think whatever he wants to think and not think whatever he doesn’t want to think”, without any harmful mental states. ‘parabyābādhāya saṁvattatī’tipi me, bhikkhave, paṭisañcikkhato abbhatthaṁ gacchati; When I considered that it leads to the affliction of others, it subsided. ‘ubhayabyābādhāya saṁvattatī’tipi me, bhikkhave, paṭisañcikkhato abbhatthaṁ gacchati; When I considered that it leads to the affliction of both, it subsided. ‘paññānirodhiko vighātapakkhiko anibbānasaṁvattaniko’tipi me, bhikkhave, paṭisañcikkhato abbhatthaṁ gacchati. When I considered that it blocks understanding, is bound with trouble, and doesn’t lead to Nibbāna, it subsided. So kho ahaṁ, bhikkhave, uppannuppannaṁ kāmavitakkaṁ pajahameva vinodameva byantameva naṁ akāsiṁ. So I gave up, drove out, and put an end to any sensual thoughts that arose.
Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhave, evaṁ appamattassa ātāpino pahitattassa viharato uppajjati byāpādavitakko …pe… Then, as I abided heedful, diligent, and resolute, an averse thought arose … uppajjati vihiṁsāvitakko. a cruel thought arose. So evaṁ pajānāmi: I understood: ‘uppanno kho me ayaṁ vihiṁsāvitakko. ‘This cruel thought has arisen for me. So ca kho attabyābādhāyapi saṁvattati, parabyābādhāyapi saṁvattati, ubhayabyābādhāyapi saṁvattati, paññānirodhiko vighātapakkhiko anibbānasaṁvattaniko’. It leads to my affliction, the affliction of others, and to the affliction of both. It blocks understanding, it’s bound with trouble, and it doesn’t lead to Nibbāna.’ ‘Attabyābādhāya saṁvattatī’tipi me, bhikkhave, paṭisañcikkhato abbhatthaṁ gacchati; When I considered that it leads to my affliction … ‘parabyābādhāya saṁvattatī’tipi me, bhikkhave, paṭisañcikkhato abbhatthaṁ gacchati; the affliction of others … ‘ubhayabyābādhāya saṁvattatī’tipi me, bhikkhave, paṭisañcikkhato abbhatthaṁ gacchati; to the affliction of both, it subsided. ‘paññānirodhiko vighātapakkhiko anibbānasaṁvattaniko’tipi me, bhikkhave, paṭisañcikkhato abbhatthaṁ gacchati. When I considered that it blocks understanding, is bound with trouble, and doesn’t lead to Nibbāna, it subsided. So kho ahaṁ, bhikkhave, uppannuppannaṁ vihiṁsāvitakkaṁ pajahameva vinodameva byantameva naṁ akāsiṁ. So I gave up, drove out, and put an end to any cruel thought that arose.
Yaññadeva, bhikkhave, bhikkhu bahulamanuvitakketi anuvicāreti, tathā tathā nati hoti cetaso. Whatever a bhikkhu frequently thinks and ponders along with is what his mind inclines to. *“Along with” (_anu-vitakketi anu-vicāreti_) is a relevant nuance in the Pāli that seems to have been missed so far. The sensual thoughts and the rest will continue to arise in a myriad forms for as long as the mental state causing them is there, but one can incline the mind in the opposite direction so that eventually the mental state changes, by *not thinking along with* the harmful thoughts. This is different from simple-mindedly casting aside the *subject* that is giving rise to the sensual thoughts, which does not really address the underlying issue. See the comments in the [previous Sutta](https://suttas.hillsidehermitage.org/?q=mn%2018). This is the “starvation” of hindrances that SN 46.51 refers to: _yoniso manasikāra_ towards the phenomenon that *provokes* the bad mental states, whereas _ayoniso manasikāra_ would be “thinking along with” the sensual thought, either by welcoming it or overly denying it. Kāmavitakkañce, bhikkhave, bhikkhu bahulamanuvitakketi anuvicāreti, pahāsi nekkhammavitakkaṁ, kāmavitakkaṁ bahulamakāsi, tassa taṁ kāmavitakkāya cittaṁ namati. If he often thinks and ponders along with sensual thoughts, he’s given up non-sensual thoughts to cultivate sensual thoughts. His mind inclines to sensual thoughts. Byāpādavitakkañce, bhikkhave …pe… If he often thinks and ponders along with averse thoughts … his mind inclines to averse thoughts. vihiṁsāvitakkañce, bhikkhave, bhikkhu bahulamanuvitakketi anuvicāreti, pahāsi avihiṁsāvitakkaṁ, vihiṁsāvitakkaṁ bahulamakāsi, tassa taṁ vihiṁsāvitakkāya cittaṁ namati. If he often thinks and ponders along with cruel thoughts … his mind inclines to cruel thoughts.
Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, vassānaṁ pacchime māse saradasamaye kiṭṭhasambādhe gopālako gāvo rakkheyya. Suppose it’s the last month of the rainy season, when the crops grow closely together, and a cowherd must take care of the cattle. So tā gāvo tato tato daṇḍena ākoṭeyya paṭikoṭeyya sannirundheyya sannivāreyya. He’d tap and poke them with his staff on this side and that to keep them in check. Taṁ kissa hetu? Why is that? Passati hi so, bhikkhave, gopālako tatonidānaṁ vadhaṁ vā bandhanaṁ vā jāniṁ vā garahaṁ vā. For he sees that if they wander into the crops he could be executed, imprisoned, fined, or condemned.
Evameva kho ahaṁ, bhikkhave, addasaṁ akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ ādīnavaṁ okāraṁ saṅkilesaṁ, kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ nekkhamme ānisaṁsaṁ vodānapakkhaṁ. In the same way, I saw the woe, inferiority, and defilement of detrimental qualities, and in beneficial qualities I saw the value and cleansing aspect of renunciation. *See the recurring passage about how the hindrances are surmounted by contemplating their detrimental nature, comparing them to debt, illness, imprisonment, slavery, and an uncrossed desert (e.g., DN 2 & MN 39).
Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhave, evaṁ appamattassa ātāpino pahitattassa viharato uppajjati nekkhammavitakko. Then, as I abided heedful, diligent, and resolute, a non-sensual thought arose. So evaṁ pajānāmi: I understood: ‘uppanno kho me ayaṁ nekkhammavitakko. ‘This non-sensual thought has arisen for me. So ca kho nevattabyābādhāya saṁvattati, na parabyābādhāya saṁvattati, na ubhayabyābādhāya saṁvattati, paññāvuddhiko avighātapakkhiko nibbānasaṁvattaniko’. It doesn’t lead to my affliction, the affliction of others, or to the affliction of both. It nourishes understanding, is not bound with trouble, and leads to Nibbāna.’ Rattiñcepi naṁ, bhikkhave, anuvitakkeyyaṁ anuvicāreyyaṁ, neva tatonidānaṁ bhayaṁ samanupassāmi. If I were to keep on thinking and pondering along with this all night … Divasañcepi naṁ, bhikkhave, anuvitakkeyyaṁ anuvicāreyyaṁ, neva tatonidānaṁ bhayaṁ samanupassāmi. all day … Rattindivañcepi naṁ, bhikkhave, anuvitakkeyyaṁ anuvicāreyyaṁ, neva tatonidānaṁ bhayaṁ samanupassāmi. all night and day, I see no danger that would come from that. Api ca kho me aticiraṁ anuvitakkayato anuvicārayato kāyo kilameyya. Still, thinking and pondering along with it for too long would tire my body. *This part is ordinarily thought to mean that to enter the first jhāna one must bring thinking to a halt because *all* thinking is tiresome and incompatible with peace. But the Pāli is _anuvitakketi anuvicāreti_, the same “thinking along with” already explained in a previous comment. What this is saying is that the active utilization of thinking for the sake of inclining the mind is tiresome, even though its certainly indispensable initially. Steadying the mind internally means making it so that actively contemplating (the “_anu-_” component) the danger in unwholesome states is not necessary to keep them at bay. It doesn't mean eliminating _vitakkavicāra_ altogether, which only occurs in the second jhāna. Kāye kilante cittaṁ ūhaññeyya. And when the body is tired, the mind is bothered. Ūhate citte ārā cittaṁ samādhimhāti. And when the mind is bothered, it’s far from composure. So kho ahaṁ, bhikkhave, ajjhattameva cittaṁ saṇṭhapemi sannisādemi ekodiṁ karomi samādahāmi. So I established, settled, unified, and composed my mind internally. * [“Jhāna Comes Only After Renunciation”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7DqygBzFlo) Taṁ kissa hetu? Why is that? ‘Mā me cittaṁ ūhaññī’ti. So that my mind would not be bothered.
Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhave, evaṁ appamattassa ātāpino pahitattassa viharato uppajjati abyāpādavitakko …pe… Then, as I abided heedful, diligent, and resolute, a non-averse thought arose … uppajjati avihiṁsāvitakko. a non-cruel thought arose. So evaṁ pajānāmi: I understood: ‘uppanno kho me ayaṁ avihiṁsāvitakko. ‘This non-cruel thought has arisen for me. So ca kho nevattabyābādhāya saṁvattati, na parabyābādhāya saṁvattati, na ubhayabyābādhāya saṁvattati, paññāvuddhiko avighātapakkhiko nibbānasaṁvattaniko’. It doesn’t lead to my affliction, the affliction of others, or to the affliction of both. It nourishes understanding, is not bound with trouble, and leads to Nibbāna.’ Rattiñcepi naṁ, bhikkhave, anuvitakkeyyaṁ anuvicāreyyaṁ, neva tatonidānaṁ bhayaṁ samanupassāmi. If I were to keep on thinking and pondering along with this all night … Divasañcepi naṁ, bhikkhave, anuvitakkeyyaṁ anuvicāreyyaṁ, neva tatonidānaṁ bhayaṁ samanupassāmi. all day … Rattindivañcepi naṁ, bhikkhave, anuvitakkeyyaṁ anuvicāreyyaṁ, neva tatonidānaṁ bhayaṁ samanupassāmi. all night and day, I see no danger that would come from that. Api ca kho me aticiraṁ anuvitakkayato anuvicārayato kāyo kilameyya. Still, thinking and pondering along with it for too long would tire my body. Kāye kilante cittaṁ ūhaññeyya. And when the body is tired, the mind is bothered. Ūhate citte ārā cittaṁ samādhimhāti. And when the mind is bothered, it’s far from composure. So kho ahaṁ, bhikkhave, ajjhattameva cittaṁ saṇṭhapemi, sannisādemi, ekodiṁ karomi samādahāmi. So I established, settled, unified, and composed my mind internally. *Compare this with its Chinese Āgama parallel, Madhyama Āgama 102 (pg. 259 of this freely available PDF: https://www.bdkamerica.org/product/the-madhyama-%E2%80%82gama-middle-length-discourses-volume-ii/). Most importantly, at the point where the Buddha realizes that continuously “thinking along” thoughts of renunciation, non-aversion, and non-cruelty would be tiresome, and decides to “compose his mind internally” instead, the Āgama parallel goes on to describe a state such that “thoughts in accordance with the Dhamma” were “allowed to arise” as opposed to intentionally cultivated, and that abiding in this way, the mind was no longer troubled. It is implied there that this state of mind—for which the same simile below of the cowherd only needing to “remember that the cows are there” is used—is in fact the first jhāna, as right after it, the Buddha enters the second jhāna. Further support for this is found in MN 78: the first jhāna is where sensual, averse, and cruel thoughts cease without remainder, whereas their opposites only cease in the second jhāna. Taṁ kissa hetu? Why is that? ‘Mā me cittaṁ ūhaññī’ti. So that my mind would not be bothered.
Yaññadeva, bhikkhave, bhikkhu bahulamanuvitakketi anuvicāreti, tathā tathā nati hoti cetaso. Whatever a bhikkhu frequently thinks and ponders along with is what his mind inclines to. Nekkhammavitakkañce, bhikkhave, bhikkhu bahulamanuvitakketi anuvicāreti, pahāsi kāmavitakkaṁ, nekkhammavitakkaṁ bahulamakāsi, tassaṁ taṁ nekkhammavitakkāya cittaṁ namati. If he often thinks and ponders along with non-sensual thoughts, he’s given up sensual thoughts to cultivate non-sensual thoughts. His mind inclines to non-sensual thoughts. Abyāpādavitakkañce, bhikkhave …pe… If he often thinks and ponders along with non-averse thoughts … his mind inclines to non-averse thoughts. avihiṁsāvitakkañce, bhikkhave, bhikkhu bahulamanuvitakketi anuvicāreti, pahāsi vihiṁsāvitakkaṁ, avihiṁsāvitakkaṁ bahulamakāsi, tassa taṁ avihiṁsāvitakkāya cittaṁ namati. If he often thinks and ponders along with non-cruel thoughts … his mind inclines to non-cruel thoughts.
Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, gimhānaṁ pacchime māse sabbasassesu gāmantasambhatesu gopālako gāvo rakkheyya, tassa rukkhamūlagatassa vā abbhokāsagatassa vā satikaraṇīyameva hoti: Suppose it’s the last month of summer, when all the crops have been gathered within a village, and a cowherd must take care of the cattle. While at the root of a tree or in the open, he need only remember that ‘etā gāvo’ti. the cattle are there. Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, satikaraṇīyameva ahosi: In the same way, I needed only to remember that ‘ete dhammā’ti. those phenomena were there.
Āraddhaṁ kho pana me, bhikkhave, vīriyaṁ ahosi asallīnaṁ, upaṭṭhitā sati asammuṭṭhā, passaddho kāyo asāraddho, samāhitaṁ cittaṁ ekaggaṁ. My effort was roused up and steadfast, my recollection was established and lucid, my body was calm and unperturbed, and my mind was composed and collected.
So kho ahaṁ, bhikkhave, vivicceva kāmehi vivicca akusalehi dhammehi savitakkaṁ savicāraṁ vivekajaṁ pītisukhaṁ paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja vihāsiṁ. Quite disjoined from sensuality, disjoined from detrimental phenomena, with thinking and with pondering, with joy and comfort born of separation, I abided having entered upon the first jhāna. *Applied and sustained thought”, “directed thought and evaluation”, “placing the mind and keeping it connected”—none of these popular renderings correspond to the free-roaming _vitakkavicāra_ of the first jhāna. These are still the active _anuvitakketi_ and _anuvicāreti_ referred to above, whereas, ironically, those interpretations tend to be chosen because simple “thinking and pondering” is regarded as “too coarse” to be present in the first jhāna. The very reason why the first jhāna is peaceful is precisely because there is no need to “apply, place, direct…” or even “restrain” anything anymore, hence the simile of the cows roaming free and the cowherd having to do nothing but watch them from afar. Note that “verbal thinking” does not cease in the first jhāna, as is generally expected. SN 36.11 explains that what ceases is _vācā_, meaning speech itself. n MN 44, _vitakkavicāra_ is said to be the “verbal activity”, understood in the sense that “having thought and pondered, one breaks into speech (vācā)”. Thus it is the “breaking into speech” on account of verbal thinking that ceases in the first jhāna, not the verbal thinking as such.
Vitakkavicārānaṁ vūpasamā ajjhattaṁ sampasādanaṁ cetaso ekodibhāvaṁ avitakkaṁ avicāraṁ samādhijaṁ pītisukhaṁ dutiyaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja vihāsiṁ. With the appeasement of thinking and pondering, with internal confidence and collectedness of mind, without thinking or pondering and with joy and comfort born of composure, I abided having entered upon the second jhāna.
Pītiyā ca virāgā upekkhako ca vihāsiṁ sato ca sampajāno, sukhañca kāyena paṭisaṁvedesiṁ, yaṁ taṁ ariyā ācikkhanti ‘upekkhako satimā sukhavihārī’ti, tatiyaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja vihāsiṁ. With the fading of joy, I abided equanimous, recollected and aware, experiencing comfort with the body. I abided having entered upon the third jhāna, with regard to which the noble ones say “one abides equanimous, recollected, and comfortable.”
Sukhassa ca pahānā dukkhassa ca pahānā pubbeva somanassadomanassānaṁ atthaṅgamā adukkhamasukhaṁ upekkhāsatipārisuddhiṁ catutthaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja vihāsiṁ. With the giving up of comfort and discomfort—and with the ending of joys and upsets beforehand—without comfort or discomfort, with purity of equanimity and recollection, I abided having entered upon the fourth jhāna.
So evaṁ samāhite citte parisuddhe pariyodāte anaṅgaṇe vigatūpakkilese mudubhūte kammaniye ṭhite āneñjappatte pubbenivāsānussatiñāṇāya cittaṁ abhininnāmesiṁ. When my mind had become composed like this—purified, bright, flawless, rid of defilements, pliable, workable, steady, and imperturbable—I extended it towards the knowledge of recollection of past lives. So anekavihitaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussarāmi. Seyyathidaṁ—ekampi jātiṁ …pe… iti sākāraṁ sauddesaṁ anekavihitaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussarāmi. I recollected many kinds of past lives, with features and details.
Ayaṁ kho me, bhikkhave, rattiyā paṭhame yāme paṭhamā vijjā adhigatā; This was the first knowledge, which I achieved in the first watch of the night. avijjā vihatā vijjā uppannā; tamo vihato āloko uppanno; yathā taṁ appamattassa ātāpino pahitattassa viharato. Ignorance was destroyed and knowledge arose; darkness was destroyed and light arose, as happens for one who lives heedful, diligent, and resolute.
So evaṁ samāhite citte parisuddhe pariyodāte anaṅgaṇe vigatūpakkilese mudubhūte kammaniye ṭhite āneñjappatte sattānaṁ cutūpapātañāṇāya cittaṁ abhininnāmesiṁ. When my mind had become composed like this—purified, bright, flawless, rid of defilements, pliable, workable, steady, and imperturbable—I extended it towards the knowledge of the passing away and reappearance of beings. So dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena satte passāmi cavamāne upapajjamāne …pe… ime vata bhonto sattā kāyaduccaritena samannāgatā …pe… iti dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena satte passāmi cavamāne upapajjamāne hīne paṇīte suvaṇṇe dubbaṇṇe sugate duggate, yathākammūpage satte pajānāmi. With the divine eye that is purified and superhuman, I saw beings passing away and reappearing, inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, in a good place or a bad place. I understood how beings reappear according to their actions.
Ayaṁ kho me, bhikkhave, rattiyā majjhime yāme dutiyā vijjā adhigatā; This was the second knowledge, which I achieved in the middle watch of the night. avijjā vihatā vijjā uppannā; tamo vihato āloko uppanno; yathā taṁ appamattassa ātāpino pahitattassa viharato. Ignorance was destroyed and knowledge arose; darkness was destroyed and light arose, as happens for one who lives heedful, diligent, and resolute.
So evaṁ samāhite citte parisuddhe pariyodāte anaṅgaṇe vigatūpakkilese mudubhūte kammaniye ṭhite āneñjappatte āsavānaṁ khayañāṇāya cittaṁ abhininnāmesiṁ. When my mind had become composed like this—purified, bright, flawless, rid of defilements, pliable, workable, steady, and imperturbable—I extended it towards the knowledge of the destruction of the influxes. So ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ abbhaññāsiṁ, ‘ayaṁ dukkhasamudayo’ti yathābhūtaṁ abbhaññāsiṁ, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodho’ti yathābhūtaṁ abbhaññāsiṁ, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ abbhaññāsiṁ. I understood as it is: ‘This is suffering’ … ‘This is the origin of suffering’ … ‘This is the cessation of suffering’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering.'
‘Ime āsavā’ti yathābhūtaṁ abbhaññāsiṁ, ‘ayaṁ āsavasamudayo’ti yathābhūtaṁ abbhaññāsiṁ, ‘ayaṁ āsavanirodho’ti yathābhūtaṁ abbhaññāsiṁ, ‘ayaṁ āsavanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ abbhaññāsiṁ. I understood as it is: ‘These are influxes’ … ‘This is the origin of influxes’ … ‘This is the cessation of influxes’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of influxes.' Tassa me evaṁ jānato evaṁ passato kāmāsavāpi cittaṁ vimuccittha, bhavāsavāpi cittaṁ vimuccittha, avijjāsavāpi cittaṁ vimuccittha, vimuttasmiṁ vimuttamiti ñāṇaṁ ahosi: Knowing and seeing like this, my mind was liberated from the influxes of sensuality, being, and ignorance. ‘khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā’ti abbhaññāsiṁ. I understood: ‘Birth is destroyed; the renunciate life has been lived; what had to be done has been done; there will be no more of this.’
Ayaṁ kho me, bhikkhave, rattiyā pacchime yāme tatiyā vijjā adhigatā; This was the third knowledge, which I achieved in the last watch of the night. avijjā vihatā vijjā uppannā; tamo vihato āloko uppanno; yathā taṁ appamattassa ātāpino pahitattassa viharato. Ignorance was destroyed and knowledge arose; darkness was destroyed and light arose, as happens for one who lives heedful, diligent, and resolute.
Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, araññe pavane mahantaṁ ninnaṁ pallalaṁ. Suppose that in a forested wilderness, there was an expanse of low-lying marshes, *[MN 25](https://suttas.hillsidehermitage.org/?q=mn%2018) Tamenaṁ mahāmigasaṅgho upanissāya vihareyya. and a large herd of deer lived nearby. Tassa kocideva puriso uppajjeyya anatthakāmo ahitakāmo ayogakkhemakāmo. Then along comes a man who wants to harm, injure, and threaten them. So yvāssa maggo khemo sovatthiko pītigamanīyo taṁ maggaṁ pidaheyya, vivareyya kummaggaṁ, odaheyya okacaraṁ, ṭhapeyya okacārikaṁ. They close off the safe, secure path that leads to happiness, and open the wrong path. There they plant domesticated male and female deer as decoys Evañhi so, bhikkhave, mahāmigasaṅgho aparena samayena anayabyasanaṁ āpajjeyya. so that, in due course, that herd of deer would fall to ruin and disaster. Tasseva kho pana, bhikkhave, mahato migasaṅghassa kocideva puriso uppajjeyya atthakāmo hitakāmo yogakkhemakāmo. Then along comes a man who wishes for the benefit, welfare and safety of the deer. So yvāssa maggo khemo sovatthiko pītigamanīyo taṁ maggaṁ vivareyya, pidaheyya kummaggaṁ, ūhaneyya okacaraṁ, nāseyya okacārikaṁ. They open up the safe, secure path that leads to happiness, and close off the wrong path. They get rid of the decoys Evañhi so, bhikkhave, mahāmigasaṅgho aparena samayena vuddhiṁ virūḷhiṁ vepullaṁ āpajjeyya. so that, in due course, that herd of deer would grow, increase, and mature.
Upamā kho me ayaṁ, bhikkhave, katā atthassa viññāpanāya. I’ve made up this simile to make a point. Ayaṁ cevettha attho—And this is what it means. mahantaṁ ninnaṁ pallalanti kho, bhikkhave, kāmānametaṁ adhivacanaṁ. ‘An expanse of low-lying marshes’ is a term for sensuality. Mahāmigasaṅghoti kho, bhikkhave, sattānametaṁ adhivacanaṁ. ‘A large herd of deer’ is a term for beings. Puriso anatthakāmo ahitakāmo ayogakkhemakāmoti kho, bhikkhave, mārassetaṁ pāpimato adhivacanaṁ. ‘A man who wants to harm, injure, and threaten them’ is a term for Māra the Wicked. Kummaggoti kho, bhikkhave, aṭṭhaṅgikassetaṁ micchāmaggassa adhivacanaṁ, seyyathidaṁ—‘The wrong path’ is a term for the wrong eightfold path, that is, micchādiṭṭhiyā micchāsaṅkappassa micchāvācāya micchākammantassa micchāājīvassa micchāvāyāmassa micchāsatiyā micchāsamādhissa. wrong view, wrong intention, wrong speech, wrong action, wrong livelihood, wrong effort, wrong recollection, and wrong composure. Okacaroti kho, bhikkhave, nandīrāgassetaṁ adhivacanaṁ. ‘A domesticated male deer’ is a term for delight-and-passion. Okacārikāti kho, bhikkhave, avijjāyetaṁ adhivacanaṁ. ‘A domesticated female deer’ is a term for ignorance. Puriso atthakāmo hitakāmo yogakkhemakāmoti kho, bhikkhave, tathāgatassetaṁ adhivacanaṁ arahato sammāsambuddhassa. ‘A man who wants to help keep the herd of deer safe’ is a term for the Realized One, the Arahant, the fully awakened Buddha. Khemo maggo sovatthiko pītigamanīyoti kho, bhikkhave, ariyassetaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikassa maggassa adhivacanaṁ, seyyathidaṁ—‘The safe, secure path that leads to happiness’ is a term for the Noble Eightfold Path, that is: sammādiṭṭhiyā sammāsaṅkappassa sammāvācāya sammākammantassa sammāājīvassa sammāvāyāmassa sammāsatiyā sammāsamādhissa. right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right recollection, and right composure.
Iti kho, bhikkhave, vivaṭo mayā khemo maggo sovatthiko pītigamanīyo, pihito kummaggo, ūhato okacaro, nāsitā okacārikā. So, bhikkhus, I have opened up the safe, secure path to happiness and closed off the wrong path. And I have got rid of the male and female decoys.
Yaṁ, bhikkhave, satthārā karaṇīyaṁ sāvakānaṁ hitesinā anukampakena anukampaṁ upādāya, kataṁ vo taṁ mayā. Out of compassion, I’ve done what a teacher should do who wants what’s best for his disciples. Etāni, bhikkhave, rukkhamūlāni, etāni suññāgārāni; jhāyatha, bhikkhave, mā pamādattha; mā pacchā vippaṭisārino ahuvattha. Ayaṁ vo amhākaṁ anusāsanī”ti. Here are these roots of trees, and here are these empty huts. Develop jhāna, bhikkhus! Don’t be careless! Don’t regret it later! This is my instruction to you.”
Idamavoca bhagavā. That is what the Buddha said. Attamanā te bhikkhū bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandunti. Pleased, the bhikkhus delighted in what the Buddha said.
Dvedhāvitakkasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ navamaṁ.
Origin URL: https://suttas.hillsidehermitage.org/?q=mn19