AN 7.61

Pacalāyamānasutta

Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā bhaggesu viharati susumāragire bhesakaḷāvane migadāye. Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā mahāmoggallāno magadhesu kallavāḷaputtagāme pacalāyamāno nisinno hoti. Addasā kho bhagavā dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena āyasmantaṁ mahāmoggallānaṁ magadhesu kallavāḷaputtagāme pacalāyamānaṁ nisinnaṁ. Disvā— seyyathāpi nāma balavā puriso samiñjitaṁ vā bāhaṁ pasāreyya, pasāritaṁ vā bāhaṁ samiñjeyya; evamevaṁ—bhaggesu susumāragire bhesakaḷāvane migadāye antarahito magadhesu kallavāḷaputtagāme āyasmato mahāmoggallānassa sammukhe pāturahosi. Nisīdi bhagavā paññatte āsane. Nisajja kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ mahāmoggallānaṁ etadavoca:

Nodding Off

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Bhaggas at Crocodile’s Bellow, in the deer park at Bhesakaḷā’s Wood. Now at that time, in the land of the Magadhans near Kallavāḷamutta Village, Venerable Mahāmoggallāna was nodding off while meditating. The Buddha saw him with his clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman. Then, as easily as a strong person would extend or contract their arm, he vanished from the deer park at Bhesakaḷā’s Wood in the land of the Bhaggas and reappeared in front of Mahāmoggallāna near Kallavāḷamutta Village in the land of the Magadhans. He sat down on the seat spread out and said to Mahāmoggallāna,

“Pacalāyasi no tvaṁ, moggallāna, pacalāyasi no tvaṁ, moggallānā”ti? “Evaṁ, bhante”. “Tasmātiha, moggallāna, yathāsaññissa te viharato taṁ middhaṁ okkamati, taṁ saññaṁ mā manasākāsi, taṁ saññaṁ mā bahulamakāsi. Ṭhānaṁ kho panetaṁ, moggallāna, vijjati yaṁ te evaṁ viharato taṁ middhaṁ pahīyetha.

“Are you nodding off, Moggallāna? Are you nodding off?” “Yes, sir.” “So, Moggallāna, don’t focus on or cultivate the perception that you were meditating on when you fell drowsy. It’s possible that you’ll give up drowsiness in this way.

No ce te evaṁ viharato taṁ middhaṁ pahīyetha, tato tvaṁ, moggallāna, yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ cetasā anuvitakkeyyāsi anuvicāreyyāsi, manasā anupekkheyyāsi. Ṭhānaṁ kho panetaṁ vijjati yaṁ te evaṁ viharato taṁ middhaṁ pahīyetha.

But what if that doesn’t work? Then think about and consider the teaching as you’ve learned and memorized it, examining it with your mind. It’s possible that you’ll give up drowsiness in this way.

No ce te evaṁ viharato taṁ middhaṁ pahīyetha, tato tvaṁ, moggallāna, yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ vitthārena sajjhāyaṁ kareyyāsi. Ṭhānaṁ kho panetaṁ vijjati yaṁ te evaṁ viharato taṁ middhaṁ pahīyetha.

But what if that doesn’t work? Then rehearse in detail the teaching as you’ve learned and memorized it. It’s possible that you’ll give up drowsiness in this way.

No ce te evaṁ viharato taṁ middhaṁ pahīyetha, tato tvaṁ, moggallāna, ubho kaṇṇasotāni āviñcheyyāsi, pāṇinā gattāni anumajjeyyāsi. Ṭhānaṁ kho panetaṁ vijjati yaṁ te evaṁ viharato taṁ middhaṁ pahīyetha.

But what if that doesn’t work? Then pinch your ears and rub your limbs. It’s possible that you’ll give up drowsiness in this way.

No ce te evaṁ viharato taṁ middhaṁ pahīyetha, tato tvaṁ, moggallāna, uṭṭhāyāsanā udakena akkhīni anumajjitvā disā anuvilokeyyāsi, nakkhattāni tārakarūpāni ullokeyyāsi. Ṭhānaṁ kho panetaṁ vijjati yaṁ te evaṁ viharato taṁ middhaṁ pahīyetha.

But what if that doesn’t work? Then get up from your seat, flush your eyes with water, look around in every direction, and look up at the stars and constellations. It’s possible that you’ll give up drowsiness in this way.

No ce te evaṁ viharato taṁ middhaṁ pahīyetha, tato tvaṁ, moggallāna, ālokasaññaṁ manasi kareyyāsi, divāsaññaṁ adhiṭṭhaheyyāsi— yathā divā tathā rattiṁ yathā rattiṁ tathā divā. Iti vivaṭena cetasā apariyonaddhena sappabhāsaṁ cittaṁ bhāveyyāsi. Ṭhānaṁ kho panetaṁ vijjati yaṁ te evaṁ viharato taṁ middhaṁ pahīyetha.

But what if that doesn’t work? Then apply your mind to the perception of light, focusing on the perception of day: as by day, so by night; as by night, so by day. And so, with an open and unenveloped heart, develop a mind that’s full of radiance. It’s possible that you’ll give up drowsiness in this way.

No ce te evaṁ viharato taṁ middhaṁ pahīyetha, tato tvaṁ, moggallāna, pacchāpuresaññī caṅkamaṁ adhiṭṭhaheyyāsi antogatehi indriyehi abahigatena mānasena. Ṭhānaṁ kho panetaṁ vijjati yaṁ te evaṁ viharato taṁ middhaṁ pahīyetha.

But what if that doesn’t work? Then walk mindfully, focusing on the perception of before and behind, your faculties directed inwards and your mind not scattered outside. It’s possible that you’ll give up drowsiness in this way.

No ce te evaṁ viharato taṁ middhaṁ pahīyetha, tato tvaṁ, moggallāna, dakkhiṇena passena sīhaseyyaṁ kappeyyāsi pāde pādaṁ accādhāya sato sampajāno uṭṭhānasaññaṁ manasi karitvā. Paṭibuddhena ca te, moggallāna, khippaññeva paccuṭṭhātabbaṁ: ‘na seyyasukhaṁ na passasukhaṁ na middhasukhaṁ anuyutto viharissāmī’ti. Evañhi te, moggallāna, sikkhitabbaṁ.

But what if that doesn’t work? Then lie down in the lion’s posture—on the right side, placing one foot on top of the other—mindful and aware, and focused on the time of getting up. When you wake, you should get up quickly, thinking: ‘I will not live indulging in the pleasures of sleeping, lying down, and drowsing.’ That’s how you should train.

Tasmātiha, moggallāna, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ: ‘na uccāsoṇḍaṁ paggahetvā kulāni upasaṅkamissāmī’ti. Evañhi te, moggallāna, sikkhitabbaṁ. Sace, moggallāna, bhikkhu uccāsoṇḍaṁ paggahetvā kulāni upasaṅkamati, santi hi, moggallāna, kulesu kiccakaraṇīyāni. Yehi manussā āgataṁ bhikkhuṁ na manasi karonti, tatra bhikkhussa evaṁ hoti: ‘kosu nāma idāni maṁ imasmiṁ kule paribhindi, virattarūpā dānime mayi manussā’ti. Itissa alābhena maṅkubhāvo, maṅkubhūtassa uddhaccaṁ, uddhatassa asaṁvaro, asaṁvutassa ārā cittaṁ samādhimhā.

So you should train like this: ‘I will not approach families with my head swollen with vanity.’ That’s how you should train. What happens if a mendicant approaches families with a head swollen with vanity? Well, families have business to attend to, so people might not notice when a mendicant arrives. In that case the mendicant thinks: ‘Who on earth has turned this family against me? It seems they don’t like me any more.’ And so, because they don’t get anything they feel dismayed. Being dismayed, they become restless. Being restless, they lose restraint. And without restraint the mind is far from immersion.

Tasmātiha, moggallāna, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ: ‘na viggāhikakathaṁ kathessāmī’ti. Evañhi te, moggallāna, sikkhitabbaṁ. Viggāhikāya, moggallāna, kathāya sati kathābāhullaṁ pāṭikaṅkhaṁ, kathābāhulle sati uddhaccaṁ, uddhatassa asaṁvaro, asaṁvutassa ārā cittaṁ samādhimhā. Nāhaṁ, moggallāna, sabbeheva saṁsaggaṁ vaṇṇayāmi. Na panāhaṁ, moggallāna, sabbeheva saṁsaggaṁ na vaṇṇayāmi. Sagahaṭṭhapabbajitehi kho ahaṁ, moggallāna, saṁsaggaṁ na vaṇṇayāmi. Yāni ca kho tāni senāsanāni appasaddāni appanigghosāni vijanavātāni manussarāhasseyyakāni paṭisallānasāruppāni tathārūpehi senāsanehi saṁsaggaṁ vaṇṇayāmī”ti.

So you should train like this: ‘I won’t get into arguments.’ That’s how you should train. When there’s an argument, you can expect there’ll be lots of talking. When there’s lots of talking, people become restless. Being restless, they lose restraint. And without restraint the mind is far from immersion. Moggallāna, I don’t praise all kinds of closeness. Nor do I criticize all kinds of closeness. I don’t praise closeness with laypeople and renunciates. I do praise closeness with those lodgings that are quiet and still, far from the madding crowd, remote from human settlements, and fit for retreat.”

Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā mahāmoggallāno bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, bhikkhu saṅkhittena taṇhāsaṅkhayavimutto hoti accantaniṭṭho accantayogakkhemī accantabrahmacārī accantapariyosāno seṭṭho devamanussānan”ti?

When he said this, Venerable Moggallāna asked the Buddha, “Sir, how do you briefly define a mendicant who is freed through the ending of craving, who has reached the ultimate end, the ultimate sanctuary from the yoke, the ultimate spiritual life, the ultimate goal, and is best among gods and humans?”

“Idha, moggallāna, bhikkhuno sutaṁ hoti: ‘sabbe dhammā nālaṁ abhinivesāyā’ti; evañcetaṁ, moggallāna, bhikkhuno sutaṁ hoti: ‘sabbe dhammā nālaṁ abhinivesāyā’ti. So sabbaṁ dhammaṁ abhijānāti, sabbaṁ dhammaṁ abhiññāya sabbaṁ dhammaṁ parijānāti. Sabbaṁ dhammaṁ pariññāya yaṁ kiñci vedanaṁ vediyati sukhaṁ vā dukkhaṁ vā adukkhamasukhaṁ vā. So tāsu vedanāsu aniccānupassī viharati, virāgānupassī viharati, nirodhānupassī viharati, paṭinissaggānupassī viharati. So tāsu vedanāsu aniccānupassī viharanto virāgānupassī viharanto nirodhānupassī viharanto paṭinissaggānupassī viharanto na kiñci loke upādiyati, anupādiyaṁ na paritassati, aparitassaṁ paccattaṁyeva parinibbāyati. ‘Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā’ti pajānāti. Ettāvatā kho, moggallāna, bhikkhu saṅkhittena taṇhāsaṅkhayavimutto hoti accantaniṭṭho accantayogakkhemī accantabrahmacārī accantapariyosāno seṭṭho devamanussānan”ti.

“Take a mendicant who has heard: ‘Nothing is worth insisting on.’ When a mendicant has heard that nothing is worth insisting on, they directly know all things. Directly knowing all things, they completely understand all things. Completely understanding all things, when they experience any kind of feeling—pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral— they meditate observing impermanence, dispassion, cessation, and letting go in those feelings. Meditating in this way, they don’t grasp at anything in the world. Not grasping, they’re not anxious. Not being anxious, they personally become extinguished. They understand: ‘Rebirth is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is nothing further for this place.’ That’s how I briefly define a mendicant who is freed through the ending of craving, who has reached the ultimate end, the ultimate sanctuary from the yoke, the ultimate spiritual life, the ultimate goal, and is best among gods and humans.”