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Mahasatipatthana
Sutta
d.
Maggasacca Pabba
(Section on the Noble Truth of the Path leading to the cessation
of Dukkha)
And
what, bhikkhus, is the Noble Truth of the path leading to the
cessation of dukkha?
It
is the Noble Eightfold Path, namely, Right View (Samma-ditthi),
Right Thought (Samma-sankappa), Right Speech (Samma-vaca), Right
Action (Samma-kammanta), Right Livelihood (Samma-ajiva), Right
Effort (Samma-vayama), Right Mindfulness (Samma-sati), and Right
Concentration (Samma-samadhi).
And what, bhikkhus, is Right View? The understanding of
dukkha; the understanding of the cause of dukkha; the understanding
of the cessation of dukkha; the understanding of the path leading
to the cessation of dukkha. This, bhikkhus, is called Right View.note104
And
what, bhikkhus, is Right Thought? Thoughts directed to
liberation from sensuality; thoughts free from ill-will; and thoughts
free from cruelty. This, bhikkhus, is called Right Thought.note105
And
what, bhikkhus, is Right Speech? Abstaining from lying,
from tale-bearing,note106
from abusive speech, and from vain and unbeneficial talk.note107
This, bhikkhus, is called Right Speech.
And
what, bhikkhus, is Right Action? Abstaining from killing
living beings,note108
from stealingnote109
and from wrongful indulgence in sense pleasures.note110
This, bhikkhus, is called Right Action.
And
what, bhikkhus, is Right Livelihood? Here (in this teaching),
bhikkhus, the noble disciple completely abstains from a wrong
way of livelihood and makes his living by a right means of livelihood.
This, bhikkhus, is called Right Livelihood.note111
And
what, bhikkhus, is Right Effort? Here (in this teaching),
bhikkhus, a bhikkhu generates an intention, makes effort, rouses
energy, applies his mind, and strives ardently to prevent the
arising of evil, unwholesome states of mind that have not yet
arisen. He generates an intention, makes effort, rouses energy,
applies his mind, and strives ardently to abandon evil, unwholesome
states of mind that have arisen. He generates an intention, makes
effort, rouses energy, applies his mind, and strives ardently
to attain wholesome states of mind that have not yet arisen. He
generates an intention, makes effort, rouses energy, applies his
mind, and strives ardently to maintain the wholesome states of
mind that have arisen, to prevent their lapsing, to increase them,
to cause them to grow, and to completely develop them. This, bhikkhus,
is called Right Effort.
And
what, bhikkhus, is Right Mindfulness? Here (in this teaching),
bhikkhus, a bhikkhu dwells perceiving again and again the body
as just the body with diligence, clear understanding, and mindfulness,
thus keeping away covetousness and mental pain in the world; he
dwells perceiving again and again feelings as just feelings with
diligence, clear understanding and mindfulness, thus keeping away
covetousness and mental pain in the world, he dwells perceiving
again and again the mind as just the mind with diligence, clear
understanding, and mindfulness, thus keeping away covetousness
and mental pain in the world; he dwells perceiving again and again
dhammas as just dhammas with diligence, clear understanding and
mindfulness, thus keeping away covetousness and mental pain in
the world. This, bhikkhus, is called Right Mindfulness.
And
what, bhikkhus, is Right Concentration? Here (in this teaching),
bhikkhus, a bhikkhu being detached from sensual desire and unwholesome
states attains and dwells in the first jhana which has vitakka
and vicara; and rapture (piti) and sukha born of detachment (from
the hindrances).note112
With the subsiding of vitakka and vicara, a bhikkhu attains and
dwells in the second jhana, with internal tranquility and one-pointedness
of mind, without vitakka and vicara, but with rapture and sukha
born of concentration. Being without rapture, a bhikkhu dwells
in equanimity with mindfulness and clear understanding, and experiences
sukha in mind and body. He attains and dwells in the third jhana;
that which causes a person who attains it to be praised by the
Noble Ones note113
as one who has equanimity and mindfulness, one who abides in sukha.
By becoming detached from both sukha and dukkha and by the previous
cessation of gladness and mental pain, a bhikkhu attains and dwells
in the fourth jhana, a state of pure mindfulness born of equanimity.
This, bhikkhus, is called Right Concentration.
This,
bhikkhus, is called the Noble Truth of the path leading to the
cessation of dukkha.
Thus
he dwells perceiving again and again dhammas as just dhammas (not
mine, not I, not self, but just as phenomena) in himself; or he
dwells perceiving again and again dhammas as just dhammas in others;
or he dwells perceiving again and again dhammas as just dhammas
in both himself and in others. He dwells perceiving again and
again the cause and the actual appearing of dhammas; or he dwells
perceiving again and again the cause and the actual dissolution
of dhammas; or he dwells perceiving again and again both the actual
appearing and dissolution of dhammas with their causes.note114
To
summarize, he is firmly mindful of the fact that only dhammas
exist (not a soul, a self or I). That mindfulness is just for
gaining insight (vipassana) and mindfulness progressively. Being
detached from craving and wrong views he dwells without clinging
to anything in the world. Thus, bhikkhus, in this way a bhikkhu
dwells perceiving again and again the Four Noble Truths as just
the Four Noble Truths.
Indeed,
bhikkhus, whosoever practises these four satipatthanas in this
manner for seven years, one of two results is to be expected in
him: Arahatship in this very existence, or if there yet be any
trace of clinging, the state of an Anagami.note115
Let
alone seven years, bhikkhus, whosoever practises these four satipatthanas
in this manner for six years, five years, four years, three years,
two years, or one year.
Let
alone one year, bhikkhus, whosoever practises these four satipatthanas
in this manner for seven months, one of two results is to be expected
in him: Arahatship in this very existence, or if there yet be
any trace of clinging, the state of an Anagami.
Let
alone seven months, bhikkhus, whosoever practises these four satipatthanas
in this manner for six months, five months, four months, three
months, two months, one month, or half a month.
Let
alone half a month, bhikkhus, whosoever practises these four satipatthanas
in this manner for seven days, one of two results is to be expected
in him: Arahatship in this very existence or if there yet be any
trace of clinging, the state of an Anagami.
This
is what I meant when I said: "Bhikkhus, this is the one and
the only way for the purification (of the minds) of beings, for
overcoming sorrow and lamentation, for the cessation of physical
and mental pain, for attainment of the Noble Paths, and for the
realization of Nibbana. That only way is the four satipatthanas".
This
is what the Bhagava said. Delighted, the bhikkhus rejoice at the
Bhagava's words.
Sadhu!
Sadhu! Sadhu!
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