Clothes

On one occasion the Venerable Sāriputta was dwelling at Savatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anathapiṇḍika’s Park. There the Venerable Sāriputta addressed the bhikkhus thus: “Friends, bhikkhus!”

“Friend,” they replied. The Venerable Sāriputta said this:

“Friends, there are these seven factors of enlightenment. What seven? The enlightenment factor of mindfulness, the enlightenment factor of discrimination of states, the enlightenment factor of energy, the enlightenment factor of rapture, the enlightenment factor of tranquillity, the enlightenment factor of concentration, the enlightenment factor of equanimity. These are the seven factors of enlightenment.

“Whichever of these seven factors of enlightenment I want to dwell in during the morning, I dwell in that factor of enlightenment during the morning. Whichever I want to dwell in during the middle of the day, I dwell in that factor of enlightenment during the middle of the day. Whichever I want to dwell in during the evening, I dwell in that factor of enlightenment during the evening.

“If, friends, it occurs to me, ‘Let it be the enlightenment factor of mindfulness,’ it occurs to me, ‘It’s measureless’; it occurs to me, ‘It’s fully perfected.’ While it persists, I understand, ‘It persists. ’ If it abates in me, I understand, ‘It has abated in me for a particular reason.’ …

“If, friends, it occurs to me, ‘Let it be the enlightenment factor of equanimity,’ it occurs to me, ‘It’s measureless’; it occurs to me, ‘It’s fully perfected.’ While it persists, I understand, ‘It persists.’ But if it abates in me, I understand, ‘It has abated in me for a particular reason.’

“Suppose, friends, a king or a royal minister had a wardrobe full of differently coloured clothes. Whatever suit he might want to wear in the morning he would wear in the morning.

Whatever suit he might want to wear during the middle of the day he would wear during the middle of the day. Whatever suit he might want to wear in the evening he would wear in the evening. So too, friends, whichever of these seven factors of enlightenment I want to dwell in during the morning … during the middle of the day … during the evening, I dwell in that factor of enlightenment during the evening.

“If, friends, it occurs to me, ‘Let it be the enlightenment factor of mindfulness’ … all as above … I understand, ‘It has abated in me for a particular reason.’”