46.109. For All Comers
i. Seclusion
Thus have I heard:
Once the Exalted One was staying near Sāvatthī.
Then the Exalted One addressed the monks, saying:
“Monks.”
“Yes, lord,” replied those monks to the Exalted One.
The Exalted One said:
“Suppose, monks, a guest-house.
Thither come folk from the eastern quarter, who take up residence therein.
Thither come folk from the western quarter, who take up residence therein.
Thither come folk from the northern quarter, who take up residence therein.
Thither come folk from the southern quarter, who take up residence therein.
Noblemen and brahmins, commoners and serfs.
Even so, monks, a monk who cultivates the seven limbs of wisdom, who makes much of the seven limbs of wisdom, by full comprehension realizes those states which are by full comprehension to be fully understood.
Those states that are to be abandoned by full comprehension, by full comprehension he abandons;
those states that are to be realized by full comprehension, by full comprehension he realizes;
those states that are to be cultivated by full comprehension, by full comprehension he cultivates.
What, monks, are the states to be realized by full comprehension?
To that question you must reply:
‘It is the five factors that have to do with grasping.’
What five?
They are these:
The body-factor that has to do with grasping, the factor of feeling that has to do with grasping, the perception-factor that has to do with grasping, the activities-factor that has to do with grasping, the consciousness-factor that has to do with grasping.
And what, monks, are the states that are to be abandoned by full comprehension?
They are ignorance, and lust of becoming.
These are the states to be abandoned by full comprehension.
And what, monks, are the states that are to be realized by full comprehension?
They are knowledge and release.
These are the states to be realized by full comprehension.
And what, monks, are the states that are to be cultivated by full comprehension?
They are calm and insight.
These are the states to be cultivated by full comprehension.
And how does a monk, cultivating and making much of the seven limbs of wisdom, realize, abandon, fully comprehend and cultivate (these states)?
Herein a monk cultivates the limb of wisdom that is mindfulness, which is based on seclusion, on dispassion, on cessation, which ends in self-surrender.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom that is investigation of the Norm, which is based on seclusion, on dispassion, on cessation, which ends in self-surrender.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom that is energy, which is based on seclusion, on dispassion, on cessation, which ends in self-surrender.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom that is zest, which is based on seclusion, on dispassion, on cessation, which ends in self-surrender.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom that is tranquillity, which is based on seclusion, on dispassion, on cessation, which ends in self-surrender.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom that is concentration, which is based on seclusion, on dispassion, on cessation, which ends in self-surrender.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom that is equanimity, which is based on seclusion, on dispassion, on cessation, which ends in self-surrender.
That is how monks, a monk who cultivates the seven limbs of wisdom, who makes much of the seven limbs of wisdom, by full comprehension realizes those states which are by full comprehension to be fully understood;
those states that are to be abandoned by full comprehension, by full comprehension he abandons;
those states that are to be realized by full comprehension, by full comprehension he realizes;
those states that are to be cultivated by full comprehension, by full comprehension he cultivates.
ii. Ending in Restraint of Passion
“Suppose, monks, a guest-house.
Thither come folk from the eastern quarter, who take up residence therein.
Thither come folk from the western quarter, who take up residence therein.
Thither come folk from the northern quarter, who take up residence therein.
Thither come folk from the southern quarter, who take up residence therein.
Noblemen and brahmins, commoners and serfs.
Even so, monks, a monk who cultivates the seven limbs of wisdom, who makes much of the seven limbs of wisdom, by full comprehension realizes those states which are by full comprehension to be fully understood.
Those states that are to be abandoned by full comprehension, by full comprehension he abandons;
those states that are to be realized by full comprehension, by full comprehension he realizes;
those states that are to be cultivated by full comprehension, by full comprehension he cultivates.
What, monks, are the states to be realized by full comprehension?
To that question you must reply:
‘It is the five factors that have to do with grasping.’
What five?
They are these:
The body-factor that has to do with grasping, the factor of feeling that has to do with grasping, the perception-factor that has to do with grasping, the activities-factor that has to do with grasping, the consciousness-factor that has to do with grasping.
And what, monks, are the states that are to be abandoned by full comprehension?
They are ignorance, and lust of becoming.
These are the states to be abandoned by full comprehension.
And what, monks, are the states that are to be realized by full comprehension?
They are knowledge and release.
These are the states to be realized by full comprehension.
And what, monks, are the states that are to be cultivated by full comprehension?
They are calm and insight.
These are the states to be cultivated by full comprehension.
And how does a monk, cultivating and making much of the seven limbs of wisdom, realize, abandon, fully comprehend and cultivate (these states)?
Herein a monk cultivates the limb of wisdom that is mindfulness, which ends in the restraint of passion, which ends in the restraint of hatred, which ends in the restraint of illusion.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom that is investigation of the Norm which ends in the restraint of passion, which ends in the restraint of hatred, which ends in the restraint of illusion.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom that is energy, which ends in the restraint of passion, which ends in the restraint of hatred, which ends in the restraint of illusion.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom that is zest, which ends in the restraint of passion, which ends in the restraint of hatred, which ends in the restraint of illusion.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom that is tranquillity, which ends in the restraint of passion, which ends in the restraint of hatred, which ends in the restraint of illusion.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom that is concentration, which ends in the restraint of passion, which ends in the restraint of hatred, which ends in the restraint of illusion.
He cultivates the limb of wisdom that is equanimity, which ends in the restraint of passion, which ends in the restraint of hatred, which ends in the restraint of illusion.
That is how monks, a monk who cultivates the seven limbs of wisdom, who makes much of the seven limbs of wisdom, by full comprehension realizes those states which are by full comprehension to be fully understood;
those states that are to be abandoned by full comprehension, by full comprehension he abandons;
those states that are to be realized by full comprehension, by full comprehension he realizes;
those states that are to be cultivated by full comprehension, by full comprehension he cultivates.
iii. Ending in the Deathless
“Suppose, monks, a guest-house.
Thither come folk from the eastern quarter, who take up residence therein.
Thither come folk from the western quarter, who take up residence therein.
Thither come folk from the northern quarter, who take up residence therein.
Thither come folk from the southern quarter, who take up residence therein.
Noblemen and brahmins, commoners and serfs.
Even so, monks, a monk who cultivates the seven limbs of wisdom, who makes much of the seven limbs of wisdom, by full comprehension realizes those states which are by full comprehension to be fully understood.
Those states that are to be abandoned by full comprehension, by full comprehension he abandons;
those states that are to be realized by full comprehension, by full comprehension he realizes;
those states that are to be cultivated by full comprehension, by full comprehension he cultivates.
What, monks, are the states to be realized by full comprehension?
To that question you must reply:
‘It is the five factors that have to do with grasping.’
What five?
They are these:
The body-factor that has to do with grasping, the factor of feeling that has to do with grasping, the perception-factor that has to do with grasping, the activities-factor that has to do with grasping, the consciousness-factor that has to do with grasping.
And what, monks, are the states that are to be abandoned by full comprehension?
They are ignorance, and lust of becoming.
These are the states to be abandoned by full comprehension.
And what, monks, are the states that are to be realized by full comprehension?
They are knowledge and release.
These are the states to be realized by full comprehension.
And what, monks, are the states that are to be cultivated by full comprehension?
They are calm and insight.
These are the states to be cultivated by full comprehension.
And how does a monk, cultivating and making much of the seven limbs of wisdom, realize, abandon, fully comprehend and cultivate (these states)?
Herein a monk cultivates the limb of wisdom that is mindfulness, which plunges into the deathless, which has the deathless for its aim, which has the deathless for its end;
he cultivates the limb of wisdom that is investigation of the Norm, which plunges into the deathless, which has the deathless for its aim, which has the deathless for its end;
he cultivates the limb of wisdom that is energy, which plunges into the deathless, which has the deathless for its aim, which has the deathless for its end;
he cultivates the limb of wisdom that is zest, which plunges into the deathless, which has the deathless for its aim, which has the deathless for its end;
he cultivates the limb of wisdom that is tranquillity, which plunges into the deathless, which has the deathless for its aim, which has the deathless for its end;
he cultivates the limb of wisdom that is concentration, which plunges into the deathless, which has the deathless for its aim, which has the deathless for its end;
he cultivates the limb of wisdom that is equanimity, which plunges into the deathless, which has the deathless for its aim, which has the deathless for its end.
That is how monks, a monk who cultivates the seven limbs of wisdom, who makes much of the seven limbs of wisdom, by full comprehension realizes those states which are by full comprehension to be fully understood;
those states that are to be abandoned by full comprehension, by full comprehension he abandons;
those states that are to be realized by full comprehension, by full comprehension he realizes;
those states that are to be cultivated by full comprehension, by full comprehension he cultivates.
iv. Ending in Nibbāna
“Suppose, monks, a guest-house.
Thither come folk from the eastern quarter, who take up residence therein.
Thither come folk from the western quarter, who take up residence therein.
Thither come folk from the northern quarter, who take up residence therein.
Thither come folk from the southern quarter, who take up residence therein.
Noblemen and brahmins, commoners and serfs.
Even so, monks, a monk who cultivates the seven limbs of wisdom, who makes much of the seven limbs of wisdom, by full comprehension realizes those states which are by full comprehension to be fully understood.
Those states that are to be abandoned by full comprehension, by full comprehension he abandons;
those states that are to be realized by full comprehension, by full comprehension he realizes;
those states that are to be cultivated by full comprehension, by full comprehension he cultivates.
What, monks, are the states to be realized by full comprehension?
To that question you must reply:
‘It is the five factors that have to do with grasping.’
What five?
They are these:
The body-factor that has to do with grasping, the factor of feeling that has to do with grasping, the perception-factor that has to do with grasping, the activities-factor that has to do with grasping, the consciousness-factor that has to do with grasping.
And what, monks, are the states that are to be abandoned by full comprehension?
They are ignorance, and lust of becoming.
These are the states to be abandoned by full comprehension.
And what, monks, are the states that are to be realized by full comprehension?
They are knowledge and release.
These are the states to be realized by full comprehension.
And what, monks, are the states that are to be cultivated by full comprehension?
They are calm and insight.
These are the states to be cultivated by full comprehension.
And how does a monk, cultivating and making much of the seven limbs of wisdom, realize, abandon, fully comprehend and cultivate (these states)?
Herein a monk cultivates the limb of wisdom that is mindfulness, which flows to Nibbāna, which slides to Nibbāna, which tends to Nibbāna;
he cultivates the limb of wisdom that is investigation of the Norm, which flows to Nibbāna, which slides to Nibbāna, which tends to Nibbāna;
he cultivates the limb of wisdom that is energy, which flows to Nibbāna, which slides to Nibbāna, which tends to Nibbāna;
he cultivates the limb of wisdom that is zest, which flows to Nibbāna, which slides to Nibbāna, which tends to Nibbāna;
he cultivates the limb of wisdom that is tranquillity, which flows to Nibbāna, which slides to Nibbāna, which tends to Nibbāna;
he cultivates the limb of wisdom that is concentration, which flows to Nibbāna, which slides to Nibbāna, which tends to Nibbāna;
he cultivates the limb of wisdom that is equanimity, which flows to Nibbāna, which slides to Nibbāna, which tends to Nibbāna.
That is how monks, a monk who cultivates the seven limbs of wisdom, who makes much of the seven limbs of wisdom, by full comprehension realizes those states which are by full comprehension to be fully understood;
those states that are to be abandoned by full comprehension, by full comprehension he abandons;
those states that are to be realized by full comprehension, by full comprehension he realizes;
those states that are to be cultivated by full comprehension, by full comprehension he cultivates.