Venerable Upali

Venerable Upali approached The Blessed One, worshipped, sat on side and said: “Venerable sir, I desire to live in forest dwellings and jungle paths.

“Upali, life in forest dwellings and jungle paths is difficult to bear. It is difficult to be attached to seclusion. The mind of the bhikkhu who is not concentrated is carried away by solitude. Upali, if someone says: I will abide in jungle forests to gain concentration. He could expect a sinking down or an elation.

Upali, a huge elephant of about seven or seven and half cubits comes to a huge pond of water. It occurs to him: `What if I descend this pond, enjoy washing my ears and back, bathe and drink and ascending the pond go where I like. 'Then the huge elephant descends to the pond, enjoys washing his ears and back, bathes, drinks and ascends from it and goes wherever he likes. What is the reason? Upali, he has a huge self, and could withstand that depth and enjoy the depth .

Then a hare or a cat comes and it occurs to it: If the huge elephant can why can't I.? What if I ascend the great pond, enjoy washing my ears and back, drink and bathe and ascending go where I want to go. Without considering he jumps into the great pond, and he should expect this. -Either sinking or being thrown up . What is the reason?

Upali the self is small, the pond is deep, it cannot withstand the depth. In the same manner, Upali if someone says: I will abide in jungle forests to gain concentration. He could expect a sinking down or an elation.

Upali, a baby boy would play with his own urine and excreta. Isn't it completely foolish to do so?

“It is, venerable sir.

“That boy in the meantime with his developed mental faculties would play games played by young boys such as: Playing with, a toy plough, sticks, turning somersaults, a toy windmill, toy measures, a toy cart or a small bow. Isn't this more excellent than the game he played earlier?

“Yes, venerable sir.

“Upali, in the meantime that boy when his mental facuties are developed, provided and endowed with the five strands of sensual pleasures would enjoy pleasant, agreeable forms cognizable by eye consciousness arousing fondness and sensual desires. Would enjoy pleasant, agreeable sounds cognizable by ear consciousness ... re ... scents cognizable by nose consciousness, ... re ... tastes cognizable by tongue consciousness, ... re ... and touches cognizable by body consciousness. Upali, isn't this more excellent than the games he enjoyed earlier?

“Yes, venerable sir.

“Here, Upali, the Thus Gone One, worthy, rightfully enlightened, endowed with knowledge and conduct, well gone, knower of the worlds, incomparable tamer of those to be tamed, teacher of gods and men, enlightened and blessed is born in the world. He declares the Teaching, by himself known and realized, to the world, together with its gods and men and the community of recluses and Brahmins. That Teaching is good at the beginning, middle and end, full of meaning even in the letters, declaring the pure and complete holy life.

A householder, or the son of a householder or someone born to a clan hears that Teaching and gains faith in the Thus Gone One. With that gain of faith he reflects:

`The household life is full of difficulties and defilements, the going forth is like open space.

Living in a household, it is difficult to lead the holy life pure and complete. What if I shave head and beard, wear yellow clothes, leave the household and go forth.

In the meantime leaving behind a great mass of wealth or a little wealth, a large circle of relations or a small circle of relations he shaves head and beard, wears yellow clothes and leaving home, becomes homeless.

Become homeless, he trains in the precepts of the bhikkhus. Giving up destroying living things, throws away stick and weapon, abides shameful with aroused compassion for all beings.

Putting an end to taking the not given, desiring the given, abides without theft making the self pure.

Leaving behind the unholy life, abides far removed from low sexuality.

Giving up and abstaining from telling lies, talks the truth become trustworthy to the world.

Giving up slandering abstains from telling there, what was heard here to disunite these. Or from telling here, what was heard there to disunite those. Thus unites the broken, makes firm those united. Desiring and attached to unity talks words, for unity to promote unity.

Abstaining from rough talk, talks words that are pleasing to the ears, go straight into the heart, noble and good mannered words, desired by the general populace.

Abstaining from frivolous talk, talks words that are truthful, meaningful, words that accord with the Teaching and discipline. Talks truthful, meaningful words at the right time, words that should be treasured.

He abstains from destroying seedlings and vegetation. Partakes one meal per day, abstains from food at night and at untimely hours. Abstains from dance, singing, instrumental music and sight seeing. Abstains from bearing flowers, scents, ointments, wearing ornaments and decorating the self. Abstains from high and stately beds and seats. Abstains from accepting gold and silver, uncooked grains and uncooked flesh. Abstains from accepting women and girls, slave women and men, goats and cows, foul and pigs. Abstains from accepting elephants, cattle, horses and mares. Abstains from accepting fields and lands. Abstains from taking messages, buying and selling. Abstains from false weighing, false coining and false measuring. Abstains from deceit, fraud and insincere activities. Abstains from cutting, binding and tying. Abstains from highway robbery and various deceptive ways of obtaining morsel food.

He is satisfied with the robe to cover the body, with the morsel food to please the stomach. Wherever he goes, he goes with all his things. Endowed with the virtues of a noble one, he enjoys the pleasantness of being free from faults.

Seeing a form, he does not take the sign or the detail. To one abiding with the faculty of the eye unprotected, demeritorious things of coveting and displeasure may arise. He protects the faculty of the eye. Hearing a sound, ... re ... Scenting a smell, ... re ... Tasting some food, ... re ... Experiencing a touch on the body, ... re ... Cognizing an idea he does not take the sign or the detail. To one abiding with the faculty of the mind unprotected, demeritorious things of coveting and displeasure may arise. He protects the faculty of the mind. Endowed with this noble ones' control of the mental faculties He enjoys the pleasantness of internally not being hurt, .

Approaching and receding he becomes aware. Looking on and about he becomes aware. Bending and stretching he becomes aware. Bearing the three robes and bowl he becomes aware. Enjoying, drinking, eating and tasting he becomes aware. Going, standing, sitting and lying until awake he becomes aware and talking or keeping silence he becomes aware.

Endowed with this mass of virtues of the noble ones, the control of the mental faculties of the noble ones, the mindful awareness of the noble ones, he dwells secluded, at the root of a tree in the forest, a mountain grotto, a mountain cave, a cemetery, a jungle path, an open space or a heap of straw/ Gone to the forest, to the root of a tree or to an empty house he sits with crossed legs and body straight with mindfulness established in front.

Dispelling covetousness for the world he purifies the mind and abides with a mind free of covetousness. Dispelling aversion he abides purifying the mind of aversion with compassion for all living things. Dispelling sloth and torpor, he abides purifying the mind of sloth and torpor mindful and aware of the perception of light. Dispelling restlessness and worry, he abides with a balanced mind, appeasing the restlessness and worring. Dispelling doubts abides purifying the mind of doubts, about things that have to be done and not done.

Dispelling the five hindranes, wisely weakening the finer defilements, secluding the mind from sensual thoughts and angry thoughts, with thoughts and dicursive thoughts and with joy and pleasantness born of seclusion he abides in the first higher state of the mind.

Upali, isn't this abiding more pleasant than the previous abiding?”

“Yes, venerable sir.

“Upali, my disciples dwell in forests and jungle paths, when they see these good things in them, not until then.

Again, Upali, the bhikkhu overcoming thoughts and discursive thoughts ... re ... abides in the second higher state of the mind. Isn't this abiding more pleasant than the previous?

“Yes, venerable sir.

“Upali, my disciples dwell in forests and jungle paths, when they see these good things in them, not until then.

Again, Upali, the bhikkhu with equanimity to joy and disenhantment ... re ... abides in the third higher state of the mind. Isn't this abiding more pleasant than the previous?

“Yes, venerable sir.

“Upali, my disciples dwell in forests and jungle paths, when they see these good things in them, not until then.

Again, Upali, the bhikkhu dispelling pleasantness and unpleasantness ... re ... abides in the fourth higher state of the mind ... re ...

Again, Upali the bhikkhu dispelling all perceptions of matter and aversion, not attending to the various perceptions, with space is boundless abides in the sphere of space.

Isn't this abiding more pleasant than the previous?

“Yes, venerable sir.

“Upali, my disciples dwell in forests and jungle paths, when they see these good things in them, not until then.

Again, Upali, the bhikkhu overcoming all the sphere of space, with consciousness is boundless abides in the sphere of consciousness ... re ...

Again, Upali, the bhikkhu overcoming all the sphere of consciousness, with there is nothing abides in the sphere of nothingness ... re ...

Again, Upali, the bhikkhu overcoming all the sphere nothingness, thinking this is appeasement, abides in the sphere of neither perception nor non percption.

Isn't this abiding more pleasant than the previous?

“Yes, venerable sir.

“Upali, my disciples dwell in forests and jungle paths, when they see these good things in them, not until then.

Again, Upali, the bhikkhu overcoming all the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception abides in the cessation of perceptions and feelings.

Isn't this abiding more pleasant than the previous?

“Yes, venerable sir.

“Upali, my disciples dwell in forests and jungle paths, when they see these good things in them, not until then. You will have a pleasant abiding with the community of bhikkhus.