AN 11.12

Dutiyamahānāmasutta

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sakkesu viharati kapilavatthusmiṁ nigrodhārāme. Tena kho pana samayena mahānāmo sakko gilānā vuṭṭhito hoti aciravuṭṭhito gelaññā. Tena kho pana samayena sambahulā bhikkhū bhagavato cīvarakammaṁ karonti: “niṭṭhitacīvaro bhagavā temāsaccayena cārikaṁ pakkamissatī”ti.

With Mahānāma (2nd)

At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Sakyans, near Kapilavatthu in the Banyan Tree Monastery. Now at that time Mahānāma the Sakyan had recently recovered from an illness. At that time several mendicants were making a robe for the Buddha …

Assosi kho mahānāmo sakko: “sambahulā kira bhikkhū bhagavato cīvarakammaṁ karonti: ‘niṭṭhitacīvaro bhagavā temāsaccayena cārikaṁ pakkamissatī’”ti. Atha kho mahānāmo sakko yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho mahānāmo sakko bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “sutaṁ metaṁ, bhante: ‘sambahulā kira bhikkhū bhagavato cīvarakammaṁ karonti— niṭṭhitacīvaro bhagavā temāsaccayena cārikaṁ pakkamissatī’ti. Tesaṁ no, bhante, nānāvihārehi viharataṁ kenassa vihārena vihātabban”ti?

Mahānāma the Sakyan heard about this. He went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him: “Sir, I have heard that several mendicants are making a robe for the Buddha, thinking that when his robe was finished and the three months of the rains residence had passed the Buddha would set out wandering. Now, we spend our life in various ways. Which of these should we practice?”

“Sādhu sādhu, mahānāma. Etaṁ kho, mahānāma, tumhākaṁ patirūpaṁ kulaputtānaṁ yaṁ tumhe tathāgataṁ upasaṅkamitvā puccheyyātha: ‘tesaṁ no, bhante, nānāvihārehi viharataṁ kenassa vihārena vihātabban’ti? Saddho kho, mahānāma, ārādhako hoti, no assaddho; āraddhavīriyo ārādhako hoti, no kusīto; upaṭṭhitassati ārādhako hoti, no muṭṭhassati; samāhito ārādhako hoti, no asamāhito; paññavā ārādhako hoti, no duppañño. Imesu kho tvaṁ, mahānāma, pañcasu dhammesu patiṭṭhāya cha dhamme uttari bhāveyyāsi.

“Good, good, Mahānāma! It’s appropriate that gentlemen such as you come to me and ask: ‘We spend our life in various ways. Which of these should we practice?’ The faithful succeed, not the faithless. The energetic succeed, not the lazy. The mindful succeed, not the unmindful. Those with immersion succeed, not those without immersion. The wise succeed, not the witless. When you’re grounded on these five things, go on to develop six further things.

Idha tvaṁ, mahānāma, tathāgataṁ anussareyyāsi: ‘itipi so bhagavā …pe… satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavā’ti. Yasmiṁ, mahānāma, samaye ariyasāvako tathāgataṁ anussarati, nevassa tasmiṁ samaye rāgapariyuṭṭhitaṁ cittaṁ hoti, na dosapariyuṭṭhitaṁ cittaṁ hoti, na mohapariyuṭṭhitaṁ cittaṁ hoti; ujugatamevassa tasmiṁ samaye cittaṁ hoti tathāgataṁ ārabbha. Ujugatacitto kho pana, mahānāma, ariyasāvako labhati atthavedaṁ, labhati dhammavedaṁ, labhati dhammūpasaṁhitaṁ pāmojjaṁ. Pamuditassa pīti jāyati, pītimanassa kāyo passambhati, passaddhakāyo sukhaṁ vediyati, sukhino cittaṁ samādhiyati. Imaṁ kho tvaṁ, mahānāma, buddhānussatiṁ gacchantopi bhāveyyāsi, ṭhitopi bhāveyyāsi, nisinnopi bhāveyyāsi, sayānopi bhāveyyāsi, kammantaṁ adhiṭṭhahantopi bhāveyyāsi, puttasambādhasayanaṁ ajjhāvasantopi bhāveyyāsi.

Firstly, you should recollect the Realized One: ‘That Blessed One is perfected, a fully awakened Buddha, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, holy, knower of the world, supreme guide for those fit for training, teacher of gods and humans, awakened, blessed.’ When a noble disciple recollects the Realized One their mind is not full of greed, hate, and delusion. At that time their mind is quite unswerving, based on the Realized One. A noble disciple whose mind is unswerving finds inspiration in the meaning and the teaching, and finds joy connected with the teaching. When they’re joyful, rapture springs up. When the mind is full of rapture, the body becomes tranquil. When the body is tranquil, they feel bliss. And when they’re blissful, the mind becomes immersed in samādhi. You should develop this recollection of the Buddha while walking, standing, sitting, lying down, while working, and while at home with your children.

Puna caparaṁ tvaṁ, mahānāma, dhammaṁ anussareyyāsi …pe… saṅghaṁ anussareyyāsi …pe… attano sīlaṁ anussareyyāsi …pe… attano cāgaṁ anussareyyāsi …pe… devatā anussareyyāsi: ‘santi devā cātumahārājikā …pe… santi devā tatuttari. Yathārūpāya saddhāya samannāgatā tā devatā ito cutā tatthūpapannā, mayhampi tathārūpā saddhā saṁvijjati. Yathārūpena sīlena … sutena … cāgena … paññāya samannāgatā tā devatā ito cutā tatthūpapannā, mayhampi tathārūpā paññā saṁvijjatī’ti. Yasmiṁ, mahānāma, samaye ariyasāvako attano ca tāsañca devatānaṁ saddhañca sīlañca sutañca cāgañca paññañca anussarati, nevassa tasmiṁ samaye rāgapariyuṭṭhitaṁ cittaṁ hoti, na dosapariyuṭṭhitaṁ cittaṁ hoti, na mohapariyuṭṭhitaṁ cittaṁ hoti; ujugatamevassa tasmiṁ samaye cittaṁ hoti devatā ārabbha. Ujugatacitto kho pana, mahānāma, ariyasāvako labhati atthavedaṁ, labhati dhammavedaṁ, labhati dhammūpasaṁhitaṁ pāmojjaṁ. Pamuditassa pīti jāyati, pītimanassa kāyo passambhati, passaddhakāyo sukhaṁ vediyati, sukhino cittaṁ samādhiyati. Imaṁ kho tvaṁ, mahānāma, devatānussatiṁ gacchantopi bhāveyyāsi, ṭhitopi bhāveyyāsi, nisinnopi bhāveyyāsi, sayānopi bhāveyyāsi, kammantaṁ adhiṭṭhahantopi bhāveyyāsi, puttasambādhasayanaṁ ajjhāvasantopi bhāveyyāsī”ti.

Furthermore, you should recollect the teaching … the Saṅgha … your own ethical conduct … your own generosity … the deities … When a noble disciple recollects the faith, ethics, learning, generosity, and wisdom of both themselves and the deities their mind is not full of greed, hate, and delusion. At that time their mind is quite unswerving, based on the deities. A noble disciple whose mind is unswerving finds inspiration in the meaning and the teaching, and finds joy connected with the teaching. When they’re joyful, rapture springs up. When the mind is full of rapture, the body becomes tranquil. When the body is tranquil, they feel bliss. And when they’re blissful, the mind becomes immersed in samādhi. You should develop this recollection of the deities while walking, standing, sitting, lying down, while working, and while at home with your children.”