Sleeping

At one time The Blessed One lived in the monastery offered by Anāthapiṇḍika in Jeta's grove in Sāvatthi. The Blessed One getting up from his seclusion in the evening approached the attendance hall and sat on the prepared seat. Venerable Sāriputta too getting up from his seclusion approached the attendance hall, worshipped The Blessed One and sat on a side. So too venerables Mahāmoggallāna, Mahakassapa, Mahkaccana, MahaKoṭṭhita, Mahacunda, Mahakappina, Anuruddha, Revata and Ānanda. The Blessed One sat there deep into the night and getting up late in the night entered the monastery. Those venerable ones too, soon after The Blessed One had left got up and went into their dwellings. As for the novice bhikkhus, who had come to the dispensation recently were groaning and sleeping. The Blessed One with his purified heavenly eye, beyond human saw those bhikkhus groaning and sleeping until day break and approached the attendance hall, and sat on the prepared seat and addressed them:

Bhikkhus, where is Sāriputta, where is Mahāmoggallāna, where is Mahakassapa, where is Mahakaccana, where is MahaKoṭṭhita, where is Mahacunda, where is Mahakappina, where is Anuruddha, where is Revata and where is Ānanda? Where have those elders gone?

Venerable sir, those venerable ones, soon after The Blessed One went away to the dwelling went to their dwellings. Then you elders and novices did you sleep and groan until day break?

Bhikkhus, have you seen or heard of a head anointed warrior king, who ate as much as he could and enjoying the pleasures of sleep and laziness ruling the country as long as he lived, being loved by his subjects?

No, venerable sir.

Good! Bhikkhus, I too have not heard of a head anointed warrior king, who ate as much as he could and while he enjoyed the pleasures of sleep and laziness, ruling the country as long as he lived, being loved by his subjects.

Bhikkhus, have you seen or heard of an ordinary citizen, an inheritor of his father's wealth, a general, a headman, the head of a guild, who ate as much as he could and enjoying the pleasures of sleep and laziness so long as he lived, being loved by the members of the guild?

No, venerable sir.

Good! Bhikkhus, I too have not heard of a head of a guild, who ate as much as he could and while he enjoyed the pleasures of sleep and laziness, so long as he lived, being loved by the members of the guild.

Bhikkhus, have you seen or heard of a recluse or Brahmin who ate as much as he could and enjoying the pleasures of sleep and laziness, the mental faculties unprotected, not knowing the right amount to partake, not yoked to wakefulness, not reflective of meritorious things, not developing enlightenment factors in the early and late hours of the night to have destroyed desires, released the mind from desires, and released through wisdom, here and now abiding having realized?

No, venerable sir.

Good! Bhikkhus, I too have not heard of a recluse or Brahmin who ate as much as he could and enjoying the pleasures of sleep and laziness, the mental faculties unprotected, not knowing the right amount to partake, not yoked to wakefulness, not reflective of meritorious things, not developing enlightenment factors in the early and late hours of the night to have destroyed desires, released the mind from desires, and released through wisdom, here and now abiding having realized. Therefore, bhikkhus, you should train thus:

We will protect our mental faculties, know the right amount to partake, will be reflective of meritorious things, we will develop the enlightenment factors, in the early and late hours of the night. Bhikkhus, it is in this manner, that you should train.