AN 9.40

Nāgasutta

“Yasmiṁ, bhikkhave, samaye āraññikassa nāgassa gocarapasutassa hatthīpi hatthiniyopi hatthikalabhāpi hatthicchāpāpi purato purato gantvā tiṇaggāni chindanti, tena, bhikkhave, āraññiko nāgo aṭṭīyati harāyati jigucchati. Yasmiṁ, bhikkhave, samaye āraññikassa nāgassa gocarapasutassa hatthīpi hatthiniyopi hatthikalabhāpi hatthicchāpāpi obhaggobhaggaṁ sākhābhaṅgaṁ khādanti, tena, bhikkhave, āraññiko nāgo aṭṭīyati harāyati jigucchati. Yasmiṁ, bhikkhave, samaye āraññikassa nāgassa ogāhaṁ otiṇṇassa hatthīpi hatthiniyopi hatthikalabhāpi hatthicchāpāpi purato purato gantvā soṇḍāya udakaṁ āloḷenti, tena, bhikkhave, āraññiko nāgo aṭṭīyati harāyati jigucchati. Yasmiṁ, bhikkhave, samaye āraññikassa nāgassa ogāhā uttiṇṇassa hatthiniyo kāyaṁ upanighaṁsantiyo gacchanti, tena, bhikkhave, āraññiko nāgo aṭṭīyati harāyati jigucchati.

The Simile of the Bull Elephant in the Forest

“Mendicants, when a wild bull elephant is engrossed in the pasture, but other elephants—males, females, younglings, or cubs—got there first and trampled the grass, the wild bull elephant is horrified, repelled, and disgusted by that. When the wild bull elephant is engrossed in the pasture, but other elephants—males, females, younglings, or cubs—eat the broken branches that he has dragged down, the wild bull elephant is horrified, repelled, and disgusted by that. When a wild bull elephant has plunged into the pool, but other elephants—males, females, younglings, or cubs—got there first and stirred up the water with their trunks, the wild bull elephant is horrified, repelled, and disgusted by that. When a wild bull elephant has come out of the pool and the female elephants bump into him, the wild bull elephant is horrified, repelled, and disgusted by that.

Tasmiṁ, bhikkhave, samaye āraññikassa nāgassa evaṁ hoti: ‘ahaṁ kho etarahi ākiṇṇo viharāmi hatthīhi hatthinīhi hatthikalabhehi hatthicchāpehi. Chinnaggāni ceva tiṇāni khādāmi, obhaggobhaggañca me sākhābhaṅgaṁ khādanti, āvilāni ca pānīyāni pivāmi, ogāhā ca me uttiṇṇassa hatthiniyo kāyaṁ upanighaṁsantiyo gacchanti. Yannūnāhaṁ eko gaṇasmā vūpakaṭṭho vihareyyan’ti. So aparena samayena eko gaṇasmā vūpakaṭṭho viharati, acchinnaggāni ceva tiṇāni khādati, obhaggobhaggañcassa sākhābhaṅgaṁ na khādanti, anāvilāni ca pānīyāni pivati, ogāhā cassa uttiṇṇassa na hatthiniyo kāyaṁ upanighaṁsantiyo gacchanti.

At that time the wild bull elephant thinks: ‘These days I live crowded by other males, females, younglings, and cubs. I eat the grass they’ve trampled, and they eat the broken branches I’ve dragged down. I drink muddy water, and after my bath the female elephants bump into me. Why don’t I live alone, withdrawn from the herd?’ After some time he lives alone, withdrawn from the herd, and he eats untrampled grass, and other elephants don’t eat the broken branches he has dragged down. He doesn’t drink muddy water, and the female elephants don’t bump into him after his bath.

Tasmiṁ, bhikkhave, samaye āraññikassa nāgassa evaṁ hoti: ‘ahaṁ kho pubbe ākiṇṇo vihāsiṁ hatthīhi hatthinīhi hatthikalabhehi hatthicchāpehi, chinnaggāni ceva tiṇāni khādiṁ, obhaggobhaggañca me sākhābhaṅgaṁ khādiṁsu, āvilāni ca pānīyāni apāyiṁ, ogāhā ca me uttiṇṇassa hatthiniyo kāyaṁ upanighaṁsantiyo agamaṁsu. Sohaṁ etarahi eko gaṇasmā vūpakaṭṭho viharāmi, acchinnaggāni ceva tiṇāni khādāmi, obhaggobhaggañca me sākhābhaṅgaṁ na khādanti, anāvilāni ca pānīyāni pivāmi, ogāhā ca me uttiṇṇassa na hatthiniyo kāyaṁ upanighaṁsantiyo gacchantī’ti. So soṇḍāya sākhābhaṅgaṁ bhañjitvā sākhābhaṅgena kāyaṁ parimajjitvā attamano soṇḍaṁ saṁharati.

At that time the wild bull elephant thinks: ‘Formerly I lived crowded by other males, females, younglings, and cubs. I ate the grass they’d trampled, and they ate the broken branches I’d dragged down. I drank muddy water, and after my bath the female elephants bumped into me. Now I live alone, and I’m free of all these things.’ He breaks off a branch and scratches his body, happily relieving his itches.

Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, yasmiṁ samaye bhikkhu ākiṇṇo viharati bhikkhūhi bhikkhunīhi upāsakehi upāsikāhi raññā rājamahāmattehi titthiyehi titthiyasāvakehi, tasmiṁ, bhikkhave, samaye bhikkhussa evaṁ hoti: ‘ahaṁ kho etarahi ākiṇṇo viharāmi bhikkhūhi bhikkhunīhi upāsakehi upāsikāhi raññā rājamahāmattehi titthiyehi titthiyasāvakehi. Yannūnāhaṁ eko gaṇasmā vūpakaṭṭho vihareyyan’ti. So vivittaṁ senāsanaṁ bhajati araññaṁ rukkhamūlaṁ pabbataṁ kandaraṁ giriguhaṁ susānaṁ vanapatthaṁ abbhokāsaṁ palālapuñjaṁ. So araññagato vā rukkhamūlagato vā suññāgāragato vā nisīdati pallaṅkaṁ ābhujitvā ujuṁ kāyaṁ paṇidhāya parimukhaṁ satiṁ upaṭṭhapetvā.

In the same way, when a mendicant lives crowded by monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen; by rulers and their chief ministers, and by monastics of other religions and their disciples, they think: ‘These days I live crowded by monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen; by rulers and their chief ministers, and monastics of other religions and their disciples. Why don’t I live alone, withdrawn from the group?’ They frequent a secluded lodging—a wilderness, the root of a tree, a hill, a ravine, a mountain cave, a charnel ground, a forest, the open air, a heap of straw. Gone to a wilderness, or to the root of a tree, or to an empty hut, they sit down cross-legged, set their body straight, and bring mindfulness to the present.

So abhijjhaṁ loke pahāya vigatābhijjhena cetasā viharati, abhijjhāya cittaṁ parisodheti; byāpādapadosaṁ pahāya abyāpannacitto viharati sabbapāṇabhūtahitānukampī, byāpādapadosā cittaṁ parisodheti; thinamiddhaṁ pahāya vigatathinamiddho viharati ālokasaññī sato sampajāno, thinamiddhā cittaṁ parisodheti; uddhaccakukkuccaṁ pahāya anuddhato viharati ajjhattaṁ vūpasantacitto, uddhaccakukkuccā cittaṁ parisodheti; vicikicchaṁ pahāya tiṇṇavicikiccho viharati akathaṅkathī kusalesu dhammesu, vicikicchāya cittaṁ parisodheti. So ime pañca nīvaraṇe pahāya cetaso upakkilese paññāya dubbalīkaraṇe vivicceva kāmehi vivicca akusalehi dhammehi savitakkaṁ savicāraṁ vivekajaṁ pītisukhaṁ paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati. So attamano soṇḍaṁ saṁharati. Vitakkavicārānaṁ vūpasamā …pe… dutiyaṁ jhānaṁ … tatiyaṁ jhānaṁ … catutthaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati. So attamano soṇḍaṁ saṁharati.

Giving up covetousness for the world, they meditate with a heart rid of covetousness, cleansing the mind of covetousness. Giving up ill will and malevolence, they meditate with a mind rid of ill will, full of sympathy for all living beings, cleansing the mind of ill will. Giving up dullness and drowsiness, they meditate with a mind rid of dullness and drowsiness, perceiving light, mindful and aware, cleansing the mind of dullness and drowsiness. Giving up restlessness and remorse, they meditate without restlessness, their mind settled internally, cleansing the mind of restlessness and remorse. Giving up doubt, they meditate having gone beyond doubt, not undecided about skillful qualities, cleansing the mind of doubt. They give up these five hindrances, corruptions of the heart that weaken wisdom. Then, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskillful qualities, they enter and remain in the first absorption, which has the rapture and bliss born of seclusion, while placing the mind and keeping it connected. They happily relieve their itches. As the placing of the mind and keeping it connected are stilled, they enter and remain in the second absorption … third absorption … fourth absorption. They happily relieve their itches.

Sabbaso rūpasaññānaṁ samatikkamā paṭighasaññānaṁ atthaṅgamā nānattasaññānaṁ amanasikārā ‘ananto ākāso’ti ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharati. So attamano soṇḍaṁ saṁharati. Sabbaso ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ samatikkamma ‘anantaṁ viññāṇan’ti viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharati … sabbaso viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ samatikkamma ‘natthi kiñcī’ti ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharati … sabbaso ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ samatikkamma nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharati … sabbaso nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ samatikkamma saññāvedayitanirodhaṁ upasampajja viharati, paññāya cassa disvā āsavā parikkhīṇā honti. So attamano soṇḍaṁ saṁharatī”ti.

Going totally beyond perceptions of form, with the disappearance of perceptions of impingement, not focusing on perceptions of diversity, aware that ‘space is infinite’, they enter and remain in the dimension of infinite space. They happily relieve their itches. Going totally beyond the dimension of infinite space, aware that ‘consciousness is infinite’, they enter and remain in the dimension of infinite consciousness. … Going totally beyond the dimension of infinite consciousness, aware that ‘there is nothing at all’, they enter and remain in the dimension of nothingness. … Going totally beyond the dimension of nothingness, they enter and remain in the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception. … Furthermore, take a mendicant who, going totally beyond the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, enters and remains in the cessation of perception and feeling. And, having seen with wisdom, their defilements come to an end. They happily relieve their itches.”