Sāriputtasaddhivihārikasutta

Saṁyutta Nikāya 35.120

Linked Discourses 35.120

12. Lokakāmaguṇavagga

12. The World and the Kinds of Sensual Stimulation

Sāriputtasaddhivihārikasutta

Sāriputta and the Protégé

Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā sāriputto sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.

At one time Venerable Sāriputta was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

Atha kho aññataro bhikkhu yenāyasmā sāriputto tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā sāriputtena saddhiṁ sammodi.

Then a certain mendicant went up to Venerable Sāriputta, and exchanged greetings with him.

Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho so bhikkhu āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ etadavoca:

When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side, and said to him,

“saddhivihāriko, āvuso sāriputta, bhikkhu sikkhaṁ paccakkhāya hīnāyāvatto”ti.

“Reverend Sāriputta, a mendicant protégé of mine has resigned the training and returned to a lesser life.”

“Evametaṁ, āvuso, hoti indriyesu aguttadvārassa, bhojane amattaññuno, jāgariyaṁ ananuyuttassa.

“That’s how it is, reverend, when someone doesn’t guard the sense doors, eats too much, and is not committed to wakefulness.

‘So vatāvuso, bhikkhu indriyesu aguttadvāro bhojane amattaññū jāgariyaṁ ananuyutto yāvajīvaṁ paripuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ santānessatī’ti netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati.

It is quite impossible for such a mendicant to maintain the full and pure spiritual life for the rest of their life.

‘So vatāvuso, bhikkhu indriyesu guttadvāro, bhojane mattaññū, jāgariyaṁ anuyutto yāvajīvaṁ paripuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ santānessatī’ti ṭhānametaṁ vijjati.

But it is quite possible for a mendicant to maintain the full and pure spiritual life for the rest of their life if they guard the sense doors, eat in moderation, and are committed to wakefulness.

Kathañcāvuso, indriyesu guttadvāro hoti?

And how does someone guard the sense doors?

Idhāvuso, bhikkhu cakkhunā rūpaṁ disvā na nimittaggāhī hoti nānubyañjanaggāhī.

When a mendicant sees a sight with the eyes, they don’t get caught up in the features and details.

Yatvādhikaraṇamenaṁ cakkhundriyaṁ asaṁvutaṁ viharantaṁ abhijjhādomanassā pāpakā akusalā dhammā anvāssaveyyuṁ tassa saṁvarāya paṭipajjati, rakkhati cakkhundriyaṁ, cakkhundriye saṁvaraṁ āpajjati.

If the faculty of sight were left unrestrained, bad unskillful qualities of covetousness and displeasure would become overwhelming. For this reason, they practice restraint, protecting the faculty of sight, and achieving its restraint.

Sotena saddaṁ sutvā …

When they hear a sound with their ears …

ghānena gandhaṁ ghāyitvā …

When they smell an odor with their nose …

jivhāya rasaṁ sāyitvā …

When they taste a flavor with their tongue …

kāyena phoṭṭhabbaṁ phusitvā …

When they feel a touch with their body …

manasā dhammaṁ viññāya na nimittaggāhī hoti nānubyañjanaggāhī.

When they know an idea with their mind, they don’t get caught up in the features and details.

Yatvādhikaraṇamenaṁ manindriyaṁ asaṁvutaṁ viharantaṁ abhijjhādomanassā pāpakā akusalā dhammā anvāssaveyyuṁ, tassa saṁvarāya paṭipajjati, rakkhati manindriyaṁ, manindriye saṁvaraṁ āpajjati.

If the faculty of mind were left unrestrained, bad unskillful qualities of covetousness and displeasure would become overwhelming. For this reason, they practice restraint, protecting the faculty of mind, and achieving its restraint.

Evaṁ kho, āvuso, indriyesu guttadvāro hoti.

That’s how someone guards the sense doors.

Kathañcāvuso, bhojane mattaññū hoti?

And how does someone eat in moderation?

Idhāvuso, bhikkhu paṭisaṅkhā yoniso āhāraṁ āhāreti:

It’s when a mendicant reflects rationally on the food that they eat:

‘neva davāya, na madāya, na maṇḍanāya, na vibhūsanāya, yāvadeva imassa kāyassa ṭhitiyā yāpanāya, vihiṁsūparatiyā, brahmacariyānuggahāya. Iti purāṇañca vedanaṁ paṭihaṅkhāmi, navañca vedanaṁ na uppādessāmi, yātrā ca me bhavissati, anavajjatā ca phāsuvihāro cā’ti.

‘Not for fun, indulgence, adornment, or decoration, but only to sustain this body, to avoid harm, and to support spiritual practice. In this way, I shall put an end to old discomfort and not give rise to new discomfort, and I will have the means to keep going, blamelessness, and a comfortable abiding.’

Evaṁ kho, āvuso, bhojane mattaññū hoti.

That’s how someone eats in moderation.

Kathañcāvuso, jāgariyaṁ anuyutto hoti?

And how is someone committed to wakefulness?

Idhāvuso, bhikkhu divasaṁ caṅkamena nisajjāya āvaraṇīyehi dhammehi cittaṁ parisodheti.

It’s when a mendicant practices walking and sitting meditation by day, purifying their mind from obstacles.

Rattiyā paṭhamaṁ yāmaṁ caṅkamena nisajjāya āvaraṇīyehi dhammehi cittaṁ parisodheti.

In the first watch of the night, they continue to practice walking and sitting meditation.

Rattiyā majjhimaṁ yāmaṁ dakkhiṇena passena sīhaseyyaṁ kappeti pāde pādaṁ accādhāya sato sampajāno, uṭṭhānasaññaṁ manasi karitvā.

In the middle watch, they lie down in the lion’s posture—on the right side, placing one foot on top of the other—mindful and aware, and focused on the time of getting up.

Rattiyā pacchimaṁ yāmaṁ paccuṭṭhāya caṅkamena nisajjāya āvaraṇīyehi dhammehi cittaṁ parisodheti.

In the last watch, they get up and continue to practice walking and sitting meditation, purifying their mind from obstacles.

Evaṁ kho, āvuso, jāgariyaṁ anuyutto hoti.

That’s how someone is committed to wakefulness.

Tasmātihāvuso, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ:

So you should train like this:

‘indriyesu guttadvārā bhavissāma, bhojane mattaññuno, jāgariyaṁ anuyuttā’ti.

‘We will guard the sense doors, eat in moderation, and be committed to wakefulness.’

Evañhi vo, āvuso, sikkhitabban”ti.

That’s how you should train.”

Sattamaṁ.