On a certain occasion the Buddha said to King Ajatasattu of Magadha:
"If a monk would obtain the fruits of the Religious Life, he must first school himself in the Moralities.
"He must next get rid of the Five Obstacles:
"Getting rid of Longing for the World, he dwells with heart free from Longing for the World; he cleanses his heart of Longing for the World.
"Getting rid of the sin of Malice, he dwells with heart free from Malice, compassionate for the welfare of all living beings; he cleanses his heart of the sin of Malice.
"Getting rid of Sloth-and-Torpor, he dwells free from Sloth-and-Torpor, with perception clear, mindful, fully conscious; he cleanses his heart of Sloth-and-Torpor.
"Getting rid of the impropriety of Pride, he dwells not puffed up, tranquil in heart within; he cleanses his heart of the impropriety of Pride.
"Getting rid of Doubt, he dwells triumphing over Doubt, free from uncertainty regarding good ways; he cleanses his heart of Doubt.
"It is precisely as if a man were to conduct his business on borrowed capital, and his business were to prosper, and he were to pay off the old debt and have a surplus left over sufficient to support a wife. The following thought would occur to him: 'In the old days I used to conduct my business on borrowed capital, and my business prospered, and here I have paid off the old debt and have a surplus left over sufficient to support a wife!' Because of this, he would obtain joy, he would attain satisfaction.
"It is precisely as if a man were afflicted with sickness, suffering pain, severely ill, unable to digest his food, his body lacking its normal strength. After a time he would recover from that sickness and would be able to digest his food and his body would possess its normal strength. And the following thought would occur to him: 'In the old days I was afflicted with sickness, I suffered pain, I was severely ill, I was unable to digest my food, my body lacked its normal strength. But here I am now, recovered from that sickness, able to digest my food, and my body possesses its normal strength!' Because of this, he would obtain joy, he would attain satisfaction.
"It is precisely as if a man were bound in a prison-house. After a time he would be released from those bonds. He would be safe; he would suffer no loss,--indeed, he would lose not one of his possessions. And the following thought would occur to him: 'In the old days I was bound in a prison-house. But here I am now, released from those bonds! I am safe; I have suffered no loss,--indeed, I have lost not one of my possessions!' Because of this, he would obtain joy, he would attain satisfaction.
"It is precisely as if a man were a slave, not his own master, having another for his master, without the right to go where he pleased. After a time he would be freed from that slavery, he would become his own master, he would have no other for his master, he would be a free man, he would have the right to go where he pleased. And the following thought would occur to him: 'In the old days I was a slave, not my own master, having another for my master, without the right to go where I pleased. But here I am now, freed from that slavery, my own master, having no other for my master, a free man, having the right to go where I please!' Because of this, he would obtain joy, he would attain satisfaction.
"It is precisely as if a man with wealth and possessions were to start out on a long and hazardous journey through a country stricken with famine, beset with perils. After a time he would complete that hazardous journey; he would reach the outskirts of his village in safety; he would attain security, freedom from perils. And the following thought would occur to him: 'Some time ago, with my wealth and possessions, I started out on a long and hazardous journey through a country stricken with famine, beset with perils. But here I am now, that hazardous journey completed! I have reached the outskirts of my village in safety; I have attained security, freedom from perils!' Because of this, he would obtain joy, he would attain satisfaction.
"Precisely so, great king, a monk, so long as these Five Obstacles are not suppressed within himself, views them as he would a Debt, a Sickness, a Prison-house, Slavery, a Long and Hazardous Journey. But, great king, a monk, so soon as these Five Obstacles are suppressed within himself, views their suppression as he would the Payment of a Debt, Recovery from a Sickness, Release from Prison, Emancipation from Slavery, a Safe Return from a Journey.
"While he views these Five Obstacles suppressed within himself, gladness springs up within him. While he is glad, joy springs up within him. While his heart is filled with joy, his body becomes calm. While his body is calm, he experiences bliss. While he is in bliss, his thoughts attain Concentration.
"Having utterly isolated himself from the Pleasures of Sense, having isolated himself from evil ways, he dwells, having entered upon the First Trance, with which is associated reasoning, with which is associated investigation, which has its beginning in isolation, which is full of joy and bliss. This very body, with joy and bliss originating in isolation, he drenches, he saturates, he permeates, he suffuses: there is not a single part of his whole body which is not suffused with joy and bliss originating in isolation.
"It is precisely as if a dexterous bath-attendant or his assistant were to pour bath-powder into a metal bowl, and sprinkling it with water from time to time, were to mix it and knead it. It would become a ball of lather, taking up the oil, becoming enveloped with oil, becoming suffused with oil within and without, nor would there be any ooze.
"Precisely so, great king, with a monk. This very body, with joy and bliss originating in isolation, he drenches, he saturates, he permeates, he suffuses: there is not a single part of his whole body which is not suffused with joy and bliss originating in isolation.
"This, great king, is a fruit of the Religious Life, productive of advantage even in this world, surpassing, excelling, the former fruits of the Religious Life which are productive of advantage in this world.
"But again further, great king, a monk, through the cessation of reasoning and investigation, dwells, having entered upon the Second Trance,--a trance devoid of reasoning, devoid of investigation, a tranquillization of the inner self, a focusing of the thoughts, which has its beginning in Concentration, which is full of joy and bliss. This very body, with joy and bliss originating in Concentration, he drenches...
"It is precisely as if there were a deep pool of water, with water welling up into it from a spring beneath, and there were no inlet in the eastern quarter and no inlet in the western quarter and no inlet in the northern quarter and no inlet in the southern quarter, and from time to time a cloud were to pour forth upon it copious showers of rain. Now the streams of cool water welling up out of that pool of water would drench, saturate, permeate, suffuse, that very pool of water with cool water: there would not be a single part of that whole pool of water which would not be suffused with cool water.
"Precisely so, great king, with a monk. This very body, with joy and bliss originating in Concentration, he drenches...
"This, great king, is a fruit of the Religious Life, productive of advantage even in this world, surpassing, excelling, the former fruits of the Religious Life which are productive of advantage in this world.
"But again further, great king, a monk dwells indifferent both to joy and to absence of passion, and mindful, and conscious, experiencing bliss in the body,--being a monk such as he of whom the Noble say, 'He is indifferent; he is mindful; he dwells in bliss;'--a monk dwells, having entered upon the Third Trance. This very body, with bliss devoid of joy, he drenches...
"It is precisely as if, within a lotus-pond containing lotus-flowers blue and red and white, some few lotus-flowers, whether blue or red or white, sprouting in the water, growing in the water, failed to lift their heads above the water, took nourishment while still submerged. Those lotus-flowers, both to the tips and to the roots, would be drenched, saturated, permeated, suffused, with water: there would not be a single part of all those lotus-flowers, whether blue or red or white, which would not be suffused with cool water.
"Precisely so, great king, with a monk. This very body, with bliss devoid of joy, he drenches...
"This, great king, is a fruit of the Religious Life, productive of advantage even in this world, surpassing, excelling, the former fruits of the Religious Life which are productive of advantage in this world.
"But again further, great king, a monk dwells, through the putting away of bliss, through the putting away of suffering, through the destruction even of former satisfaction and dissatisfaction, having entered upon the Fourth Trance,--a trance devoid of suffering, devoid of bliss,--the perfection of indifference and mindfulness. He sits suffusing this very body with thoughts that are purified and cleansed: there is not a single part of his whole body which is not suffused with thoughts that are purified and cleansed.
"It is precisely as if a man were to sit with a clean garment drawn over his head. There would not be a single part of his whole body which would not be touched by the clean garment.
"Precisely so, great king, with a monk. He sits suffusing this very body with thoughts that are purified and cleansed: there is not a single part of his whole body which is not suffused with thoughts that are purified and cleansed.
"This, great king, is a fruit of the Religious Life, productive of advantage even in this world, surpassing, excelling, the former fruits of the Religious Life which are productive of advantage in this world.
"With thoughts thus concentrated, purified, cleansed, stainless, free from contamination, impressionable, tractable, steadfast, immovable, he inclines, he bends down, his thoughts to the attainment of Insight through Knowledge. He perceives the following: 'This body of mine has material form, is made up of the Four Great Elements, springs from mother and father, increases through the eating of boiled rice and sour gruel, is by nature impermanent, subject to wear and tear, to dissolution and disintegration; moreover, this consciousness of mine is dependent on it, is bound up with it.'
"It is precisely as if there were a gem, a lapis lazuli, brilliant, of the finest quality, with eight facets, beautifully polished, translucent, clear, flawless, perfect in every particular, and that gem were strung on a thread either blue or saffron or red or white or yellow. A man with eyes, taking that gem in his hand and examining it, would reflect: 'This gem, this lapis lazuli, is indeed brilliant, of the finest quality, possesses eight facets, is beautifully polished, translucent, clear, flawless, perfect in every particular, and this gem is strung on a thread either blue or saffron or red or white or yellow.'
"Precisely so, great king, with a monk. With thoughts thus concentrated...
"This, great king, is a fruit of the Religious Life, productive of advantage even in this world, surpassing, excelling, the former fruits of the Religious Life which are productive of advantage in this world.
"With thoughts thus concentrated, purified, cleansed, stainless, free from contamination, impressionable, tractable, steadfast, immovable, he inclines, he bends down, his thoughts to the creation of a Spiritual Body. From this body of his he creates another body, possessing form, a spiritual body, endowed with all the major and minor members, lacking none of the organs of sense.
"It is precisely as if a man were to draw a reed out of a reed-grass. The following thought would occur to him: 'This is the reed-grass, this is the reed. The reed-grass is one thing, the reed is another. From the reed-grass indeed has the reed been drawn.'
"It is precisely as if a man were to draw a sword out of its sheath. The following thought would occur to him: 'This is the sword, this is the sheath. The sword is one thing, the sheath is another. From the sheath indeed has the sword been drawn.'
"It is precisely as if a man were to pull a snake out of his skin. The following thought would occur to him: 'This is the snake, this is the skin. The snake is one thing, the skin is another. Out of the skin indeed has the snake been pulled.'
"Precisely so, great king, with a monk. With thoughts thus concentrated...
"This, great king, is a fruit of the Religious Life, productive of advantage even in this world, surpassing, excelling, the former fruits of the Religious Life which are productive of advantage in this world.
"With thoughts thus concentrated, purified, cleansed, stainless, free from contamination, impressionable, tractable, steadfast, immovable, he inclines, he bends down, his thoughts to the acquisition of the various kinds of Magical Power. He enjoys, one after another, the various kinds of Magical Power, the several varieties thereof:
"Being one man, he becomes many men. Being many men, he becomes one man.
"He becomes visible; he becomes invisible.
"He passes through walls and ramparts and mountains without adhering thereto, as though through the air.
"He darts up through the earth and dives down into the earth, as though in the water.
"He walks on water without breaking through, as though on land.
"He travels through the air cross-legged, like a bird on the wing.
"He strokes and caresses with his hand the moon and the sun, so mighty in power, so mighty in strength.
"He ascends in the body even to the World of Brahma.
"It is precisely as if a skillful potter or potter's apprentice, out of carefully prepared clay, were to make, were to produce, any kind of vessel he might wish.
"It is precisely as if a skillful ivory-carver or ivory-carver's apprentice, out of carefully prepared ivory, were to make, were to produce, any kind of ivory product he might wish.
"It is precisely as if a skillful goldsmith or goldsmith's apprentice, out of carefully prepared gold, were to make, were to produce, any kind of gold object he might wish.
"Precisely so, great king, with a monk. With thoughts thus concentrated...
"This, great king, is a fruit of the Religious Life, productive of advantage even in this world, surpassing, excelling, the former fruits of the Religious Life which are productive of advantage in this world.
"With thoughts thus concentrated, purified, cleansed, stainless, free from contamination, impressionable, tractable, steadfast, immovable, he inclines, he bends down, his thoughts to the acquisition of the Heavenly Ear. With the Heavenly Ear, purified, transcending that of man, he hears both kinds of sounds: both divine and human; both those that are far off, and those that are nigh.
"It is precisely as if a man who had started out on a highway were to hear the sound of kettle-drums, the sound of tabors, the sound of chank horns and small drums. The following thought would occur to him: 'Those are the sounds of kettle-drums; those are the sounds of tabors; those are the sounds of chank horns and small drums.'
"Precisely so, great king, with a monk. With thoughts thus concentrated...
"This, great king, is a fruit of the Religious Life, productive of advantage even in this world, surpassing, excelling, the former fruits of the Religious Life which are productive of advantage in this world.
"With thoughts thus concentrated, purified, cleansed, stainless, free from contamination, impressionable, tractable, steadfast, immovable, he inclines, he bends down, his thoughts to reading the minds of others. With his own mind embracing the minds of other living beings, of other individuals, he discerns, according to their true nature, together with their opposites, thoughts that are passionate, malevolent, deluded, attentive, extended, inferior, concentrated, emancipated.
"It is precisely as if a woman or a man or a young fellow given to self-adornment, gazing at the reflection of his face in a mirror purified and cleansed, or in a vessel of clear water, were to know that he had a mole on his face, if he had one; were to know that he had not a mole on his face, if he had not.
"Precisely so, great king, with a monk. With thoughts thus concentrated...
"This, great king, is a fruit of the Religious Life, productive of advantage even in this world, surpassing, excelling, the former fruits of the Religious Life which are productive of advantage in this world.
"With thoughts thus concentrated, purified, cleansed, stainless, free from contamination, impressionable, tractable, steadfast, immovable, he inclines, he bends down, his thoughts to the recollection and knowledge of previous states of existence. He calls to mind manifold and various previous states of existence, to wit: one birth, two births, three births, four births, five births, ten births, twenty births, thirty births, forty births, fifty births, a hundred births, a thousand births, a hundred thousand births, innumerable periods of dissolution, innumerable periods of evolution, innumerable periods of dissolution and evolution.
"'There was I! Such was my name! such my family! such my appearance! such my gettings! such the pleasure and pain I experienced! such the termination of my life! Passing from this state of existence, I was reborn in that. There again was I! Such was my name! such my family! such my appearance! such my gettings! such the pleasure and pain I experienced! such the termination of my life! Passing from that state of existence, I was reborn here.'
"Thus does he call to mind manifold and various states of existence, together with their characteristics, together with their particulars.
"It is precisely as if a man were to go from his own village to another village, were to go from that village to another village, from that village were to go back again to his own village. The following thought would occur to him: 'I indeed went from my own village to that village; there I stood thus, sat thus, spoke thus, was silent thus. From this village I went to that village; there I stood thus, sat thus, spoke thus, was silent thus. Now I have returned from that village to my own village.'
"Precisely so, great king, with a monk. With thoughts thus concentrated...
"This, great king, is a fruit of the Religious Life, productive of advantage even in this world, surpassing, excelling, the former fruits of the Religious Life which are productive of advantage in this world.
"With thoughts thus concentrated, purified, cleansed, stainless, free from contamination, impressionable, tractable, steadfast, immovable, he inclines, he bends down, his thoughts to the knowledge of the passing out of existence and the coming into existence of living beings. With the Heavenly Eye, transcending that of man, he beholds living beings passing out of existence and coming into existence:--the lowly, the high-born; the well-appearing, the ill-appearing; those in good circumstances, those in poor circumstances.
"Reborn according to their deeds does he perceive all living beings: 'These living beings, verily, guilty of evil deeds, guilty of evil words, guilty of evil thoughts, defamers of the Noble, holders of wrong views, followers of courses of conduct corresponding to wrong views,--these living beings, upon dissolution of the body, at death, are reborn in a state of loss, in a state of suffering, in a state of punishment, in hell.
"'But those other living beings, having good deeds to their credit, having good words to their credit, having good thoughts to their credit, not being defamers of the Noble, holders of right views, followers of courses of conduct corresponding to right views,--these living beings, upon dissolution of the body, at death, are reborn in a state of bliss, in a heavenly world.'
"Thus, with the Heavenly Eye, purified, transcending that of man, he beholds living beings passing out of existence and coming into existence:--the lowly, the high-born; the well-appearing, the ill-appearing; those in good circumstances, those in poor circumstances. Reborn according to their deeds does he perceive all living beings.
"It is precisely as if there were a mansion at the meeting-point of four roads, and a man with eyes, standing there, were to see human beings going into the house and coming out of the house and walking about together in the street and sitting at the center of the cross-roads. The following thought would occur to him: 'These human beings are going into the house and are coming out of the house and are walking about together in the street and are sitting at the center of the cross-roads.'
"Precisely so, great king, with a monk. With thoughts thus concentrated...
"This, great king, is a fruit of the Religious Life, productive of advantage even in this world, surpassing, excelling, the former fruits of the Religious Life which are productive of advantage in this world.
"With thoughts thus concentrated, purified, cleansed, stainless, free from contamination, impressionable, tractable, steadfast, immovable, he inclines, he bends down, his thoughts to the knowledge of the destruction of the Contaminations. 'This is Suffering!'--he comprehends Suffering in its fulness. 'This is the Origin of Suffering!'--he comprehends the Origin of Suffering in its fulness. 'This is the Cessation of Suffering!'--he comprehends the Cessation of Suffering in its fulness. 'This is the Way to the Cessation of Suffering!'--he comprehends the Way to the Cessation of Suffering in its fulness.
"'These are the Contaminations!'--he comprehends the Contaminations in their fulness. 'This is the Origin of the Contaminations!'--he comprehends the Origin of the Contaminations in its fulness. 'This is the Cessation of the Contaminations!'--he comprehends the Cessation of the Contaminations in its fulness. 'This is the Way to the Cessation of the Contaminations!'--he comprehends the Way to the Cessation of the Contaminations in its fulness.
"As he thus perceives, as he thus beholds, his thoughts are delivered from the Contamination of Craving for the Pleasures of Sense, his thoughts are delivered from the Contamination of Craving for Existence, his thoughts are delivered from the Contamination of Ignorance. The knowledge comes to him: 'In the Delivered is Deliverance!' The knowledge comes to him: 'Rebirth is at an end! lived is the Holy Life! done is what was to be done! I am no more for this world!'
"It is precisely as if, on the top of a mountain, there were a deep pool of water, clear, transparent, still; and as if a man with eyes, standing on the bank of that pool, were to see oysters and shells, pebbles and gravel, and shoals of fish, both moving and stationary. The following thought would occur to him: 'Here indeed is a deep pool of water, clear, transparent, still; and in it are these oysters and shells, these pebbles and gravel, and these shoals of fish, both moving and stationary!'
"Precisely so, great king, with a monk. With thoughts thus concentrated...
"This, great king, is a fruit of the Religious Life, productive of advantage even in this world, surpassing, excelling, the former fruits of the Religious Life which are productive of advantage in this world. Than this, great king, of all the fruits of the Religious Life, there is no fruit of the Religious Life higher or more excellent!"