The Learned Monk

1. At one time venerable Mahākoṭṭhita and venerable Sāriputta lived in the deer park in Isipatana in Benares.

2. Then venerable Mahākoṭṭhita got up from his seclusion in the evening approached venerable Sāriputta, exchanged friendly greeting and sat on a side.

3. Sitting venerable Mahākoṭṭhita said to venerable Sāriputta: “Friend Sāriputta, what things should the learned monk reflect on?”

4. “Friend Mahākoṭṭhita, the learned monk should reflect on the five holding masses as impermanent, unpleasant, ailing, an abscess, an arrow, dark space, an illness, foreign, void, and as not self.

5. “What five? The holding masses of matter, feelings, perceptions, intentions, and consciousness. Friend Mahākoṭṭhita, the learned monk should reflect on these five holding masses as impermanent, unpleasant, ailing, an abscess, an arrow, dark space, an illness, foreign, void, and as not self.

6. “Friend, there is a possibility for the learned monk reflecting on these five holding masses, as, impermanent, unpleasant, ailing, an abscess, an arrow, dark space, an illness, foreign, void, and as not self to realize the fruit of entry, to the stream of the Teaching”

7. “Friend Sāriputta, what things should the monk who has entered to the stream of the Teaching wisely reflect?”

8. “Friend Mahākoṭṭhita, even the monk who has entered the stream of the Teaching should reflect these five holding masses as impermanent, unpleasant, ailing, an abscess, an arrow, dark space, an illness, foreign, void, and as not self.

9. “Friend, there is a possibility for the monk who has entered the stream of the Teaching, reflecting these five holding masses, as, impermanent, unpleasant, ailing, an abscess, an arrow, dark space, an illness, foreign, void, and as not self to realize the fruit of coming to this world only once more.”

10. “Friend Sāriputta, what things should the monk coming to this world only once more, wisely reflect?”

11. “Friend Mahākoṭṭhita, even the monk coming to this world once more should reflect these five holding masses as impermanent, unpleasant, ailing, an abscess, an arrow, dark space, an illness, foreign, void, and as not self.

12. “Friend, there is a possibility for the monk coming to this world once more, wisely reflecting these five holding masses, as, impermanent, unpleasant, ailing, an abscess, an arrow, dark space, an illness, foreign, void, and as not self to realize the fruit of not coming to this world any more.”

13. “Friend Sāriputta, what things should the monk not coming to this world any more wisely reflect on?”

14. “Friend Mahākoṭṭhita, even the monk not coming to this world any more, should reflect these five holding masses as impermanent, unpleasant, ailing, an abscess, an arrow, dark space, an illness, foreign, void, and as not self.

15. “Friend, there is a possibility for the monk not coming to this world any more, wisely reflecting these five holding masses as, impermanent, unpleasant, ailing, an abscess, an arrow, dark space, an illness, foreign, void, and as not self to realize the fruit of worthiness”

16. “Friend Sāriputta, what things should the worthy monk wisely reflect on?”

17. “Friend Mahākoṭṭhita, even the worthy monk should reflect these five holding masses as impermanent, unpleasant, ailing, an abscess, an arrow, dark space, an illness, foreign, void, and as not self.

18. “Friend, to the worthy monk there is nothing more to do, yet wisely reflecting these five holding masses, as, impermanent, unpleasant, ailing, an abscess, an arrow, dark space, an illness, foreign, void, and as not self conduces to a pleasant abiding here and now and to mindful awareness.”