46.101. The Snake
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:
“Supported, monks, by Himalaya, lord of mountains, snakes grow a body and get strength.
When they have grown a body and got strength there, they go down to the tarns.
From the tarns they go down to the lakes,
From the lakes they go down to the small rivers,
From the small rivers they go down to the great rivers,
From the great rivers they go down to the sea, the mighty ocean.
There they get great size and growth of body.
Just so, monks, a monk who, depending on virtue, supported by virtue, cultivates and makes much of the seven limbs of wisdom, attains growth, increase and maturity of conditions.
And how, monks, does a monk, depending on virtue, supported by virtue, cultivates and makes much of the seven limbs of wisdom, attain growth, increase and maturity of conditions?
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 a monk depending on virtue, supported by virtue, cultivating and making much of the seven limbs of wisdom, attains growth, increase and maturity of conditions.”
ii. Ending in Restraint of Passion
“Supported, monks, by Himalaya, lord of mountains, snakes grow a body and get strength.
When they have grown a body and got strength there, they go down to the tarns.
From the tarns they go down to the lakes,
From the lakes they go down to the small rivers,
From the small rivers they go down to the great rivers,
From the great rivers they go down to the sea, the mighty ocean.
There they get great size and growth of body.
Just so, monks, a monk who, depending on virtue, supported by virtue, cultivates and makes much of the seven limbs of wisdom, attains growth, increase and maturity of conditions.
And how, monks, does a monk, depending on virtue, supported by virtue, cultivates and makes much of the seven limbs of wisdom, attain growth, increase and maturity of conditions?
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 a monk depending on virtue, supported by virtue, cultivating and making much of the seven limbs of wisdom, attains growth, increase and maturity of conditions.”
iii. Ending in the Deathless
“Supported, monks, by Himalaya, lord of mountains, snakes grow a body and get strength.
When they have grown a body and got strength there, they go down to the tarns.
From the tarns they go down to the lakes,
From the lakes they go down to the small rivers,
From the small rivers they go down to the great rivers,
From the great rivers they go down to the sea, the mighty ocean.
There they get great size and growth of body.
Just so, monks, a monk who, depending on virtue, supported by virtue, cultivates and makes much of the seven limbs of wisdom, attains growth, increase and maturity of conditions.
And how, monks, does a monk, depending on virtue, supported by virtue, cultivates and makes much of the seven limbs of wisdom, attain growth, increase and maturity of conditions?
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 a monk depending on virtue, supported by virtue, cultivating and making much of the seven limbs of wisdom, attains growth, increase and maturity of conditions.”
iv. Ending in Nibbāna
“Supported, monks, by Himalaya, lord of mountains, snakes grow a body and get strength.
When they have grown a body and got strength there, they go down to the tarns.
From the tarns they go down to the lakes,
From the lakes they go down to the small rivers,
From the small rivers they go down to the great rivers,
From the great rivers they go down to the sea, the mighty ocean.
There they get great size and growth of body.
Just so, monks, a monk who, depending on virtue, supported by virtue, cultivates and makes much of the seven limbs of wisdom, attains growth, increase and maturity of conditions.
And how, monks, does a monk, depending on virtue, supported by virtue, cultivates and makes much of the seven limbs of wisdom, attain growth, increase and maturity of conditions?
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 a monk depending on virtue, supported by virtue, cultivating and making much of the seven limbs of wisdom, attains growth, increase and maturity of conditions.”