mn.17 Majjhima Nikāya (Middle Discourses)

Jungle Thickets

So I have heard.
At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.
There the Buddha addressed the mendicants,
“Mendicants!”
“Venerable sir,” they replied.
The Buddha said this:
“Mendicants, I will teach you an exposition about jungle thickets.
Listen and pay close attention, I will speak.”
“Yes, sir,” they replied.
The Buddha said this:
“Mendicants, take the case of a mendicant who lives close by a jungle thicket.
As they do so, their mindfulness does not become established, their mind does not become immersed in samādhi, their defilements do not come to an end, and they do not arrive at the supreme sanctuary.
And the necessities of life that a renunciate requires—robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick—are hard to come by.
That mendicant should reflect:
‘While living close by this jungle thicket, my mindfulness does not become established, my mind does not become immersed in samādhi, my defilements do not come to an end, and I do not arrive at the supreme sanctuary.
And the necessities of life that a renunciate requires—robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick—are hard to come by.’
That mendicant should leave that jungle thicket that very time of night or day; they shouldn’t stay there.
Take another case of a mendicant who lives close by a jungle thicket.
Their mindfulness does not become established …
But the necessities of life are easy to come by.
That mendicant should reflect:
‘While living close by this jungle thicket, my mindfulness does not become established …
But the necessities of life are easy to come by.
But I didn’t go forth from the lay life to homelessness for the sake of a robe, almsfood, lodgings, or medicines and supplies for the sick.
Moreover, while living close by this jungle thicket, my mindfulness does not become established …’
After appraisal, that mendicant should leave that jungle thicket; they shouldn’t stay there.
Take another case of a mendicant who lives close by a jungle thicket.
As they do so, their mindfulness becomes established, their mind becomes immersed in samādhi, their defilements come to an end, and they arrive at the supreme sanctuary.
But the necessities of life that a renunciate requires—robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick—are hard to come by. That mendicant should reflect:

‘While living close by this jungle thicket, my mindfulness becomes established …
But the necessities of life are hard to come by.
But I didn’t go forth from the lay life to homelessness for the sake of a robe, almsfood, lodgings, or medicines and supplies for the sick.
Moreover, while living close by this jungle thicket, my mindfulness becomes established …’
After appraisal, that mendicant should stay in that jungle thicket; they shouldn’t leave.
Take another case of a mendicant who lives close by a jungle thicket.
Their mindfulness becomes established …
And the necessities of life are easy to come by.
That mendicant should reflect:
‘While living close by this jungle thicket, my mindfulness becomes established …
And the necessities of life are easy to come by.’
That mendicant should stay in that jungle thicket for the rest of their life; they shouldn’t leave.
Take the case of a mendicant who lives supported by a village …
town …
city …
country …
an individual.
As they do so, their mindfulness does not become established, their mind does not become immersed in samādhi, their defilements do not come to an end, and they do not arrive at the supreme sanctuary.
And the necessities of life that a renunciate requires—robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick—are hard to come by….



That mendicant should leave that person at any time of the day or night, without asking. They shouldn’t follow them. …


















Take another case of a mendicant who lives supported by an individual.
As they do so, their mindfulness becomes established, their mind becomes immersed in samādhi, their defilements come to an end, and they arrive at the supreme sanctuary.
And the necessities of life that a renunciate requires—robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick—are easy to come by.
That mendicant should reflect:
‘While living supported by this person, my mindfulness becomes established …
And the necessities of life are easy to come by.’
That mendicant should follow that person for the rest of their life. They shouldn’t leave them, even if sent away.”
That is what the Buddha said.
Satisfied, the mendicants were happy with what the Buddha said.