Samyuktagama 263

Saṃyuktāgama 263. Discourse on What Should be Said

Thus have I heard. At one time the Buddha was staying in the Kuru country, in the village of Kammāsadamma.

At that time the Buddha said to the monks: “I say that the destruction of the influxes is attained based on knowledge and vision, not without knowledge and vision. How is it that the destruction of the influxes is attained based on knowledge and vision, not without knowledge and vision? That is, by knowing and seeing that: ‘This is bodily form, this is the arising of bodily form, this is the cessation of bodily form; this is feeling … perception … formations … consciousness, this is the arising of consciousness, this is the cessation of consciousness.’

“Without cultivating the means that bring success, yet a monk makes the mental aspiration: ‘May I eradicate the influxes and may my mind attain liberation’—it should be known that such a monk is certainly not able to attain the eradication of the influxes and be liberated. Why is that? It is because of not cultivating. Not cultivating what? That is, not cultivating the establishments of mindfulness, the right efforts, the bases for supernormal power, the faculties, the powers, the awakening factors, and the noble eightfold path.”

“It is just as a brooding hen who has laid many eggs, but who is unable to shelter and incubate them, regulating their changing temperature at the proper time. Yet she wishes: ‘May the chicks with their beaks and claws peck the egg and hatch on their own, emerging safely from the eggshells. It should be known that the chicks do not have the power on their own that would enable them to emerge safely from the eggshells by means of their beaks and claws. Why is that? It is because the mother hen has not been able to shelter and incubate them, regulating their temperature at the proper time and thereby nurturing the chicks.

“In the same way, without energetically cultivating what brings success, yet a monk has the wish: ‘May I attain the eradication of the influxes and be liberated’—it is impossible for him to achieve that. Why is that? It is because of not cultivating. Not cultivating what? That is, not cultivating the establishments of mindfulness, the right efforts, the bases for supernormal power, the faculties, the powers, the awakening factors, and the noble eightfold path.

“If a monk cultivates what brings success, even though he does not have the wish: ‘May I eradicate the influxes and be liberated’, yet such a monk will naturally eradicate the influxes and his mind will attain liberation. Why is that? It is because of cultivating. Cultivating what? That is, cultivating the establishments of mindfulness, the right efforts, the bases for supernormal power, the faculties, the powers, the awakening factors, and the noble eightfold path.

“It is just as a brooding hen who has properly provided for her eggs by sheltering them and incubating them, properly regulating their temperature at the proper time. Even if she does not have the wish that the chicken come out on their own by means of pecking at the eggshells, nevertheless the chicken will be able to emerge safely from the eggshells by their own means. Why is that? It is because that brooding hen has sheltered and incubated them, properly regulating their temperature at the proper time.

“In the same way, a monk who properly cultivates the means, even if he does not additionally have the wish to eradicate the influxes and be liberated, yet such a monk will naturally eradicate the influxes and his mind will attain liberation. Why is that? It is because of cultivating. Cultivating what? That is, cultivating the establishments of mindfulness, the right efforts, the bases for supernormal power, the faculties, the powers, the awakening factors, and the noble eightfold path.

“It is just as a skilled master or a skilled master’s apprentice who regularly takes hold of the handle of a hatchet with his hand. Taking hold of it continuously, tiny impressions of the hand and the fingers become gradually visible in places. Even if he is not aware of the tiny impressions on the handle of the hatchet, the impressions become visible in places.

“In the same way, a monk who energetically cultivates what brings success does not know and see on his own: ‘Today this much of the influxes has been eradicated, tomorrow this much of the influxes will be eradicated.’ Yet that monk knows that the influxes are being eradicated. Why is that? It is because of cultivating. Cultivating what? That is, cultivating the establishments of mindfulness, the right efforts, the bases for supernormal power, the faculties, the powers, the awakening factors, and the noble eightfold path.

“It is just as a great ship that is docked on the sea shore during the summer. For six months being blown on by the wind and exposed to the sun, its rigging gradually breaks apart.

“In the same way, a monk who energetically cultivates what brings success will gradually attain liberation from all fetters, underlying tendencies, defilements, and entanglements. Why is that? It is because of properly cultivating. Cultivating what? That is, cultivating the establishments of mindfulness, the right efforts, the bases for supernormal power, the faculties, the powers, the awakening factors, and the noble eightfold path.”

When this teaching was given, by not clinging the sixty monks attained liberation from the influxes in their mind. When the Buddha had spoken this discourse, the monks, hearing what the Buddha had said, were delighted and received it respectfully.