The Shorter Discourse at Assapura Cūḍa-Assapura Sutta (MN 40) · 莲华归心开放中文佛学资料库

- suttas - - evening talks - short morning talks - lectures - guided meditations - talk collections - other themes - chants - - - - à¹à¸à¸¢ - Franā§ais - Espaā±ol - - Portuguāªs - Ð ÑÑÑÐºÐ¸Ð¹ - - - Ð£ÐºÑÐ°ÑÐ½ÑÑÐºÐ° Submit Search - Home - Suttas - MN - MN 40 The Shorter Discourse at Assapura ## Browse Suttas Go to Majjhima Nikṅya index MN index ## The Shorter Discourse at Assapura Cūḍa-Assapura SuttaÂ Â (MNÂ 40) I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying among the Aṃgas. Now, the Aṃgas have a town named Assapura. There the Blessed One addressed the monks, "Monks!" "Yes, lord," the monks responded to him. The Blessed One said, "), # Right single quote ('â', Contemplatives, contemplativesâ: That is how people perceive you. And when asked, ), # Right single quote ('â', What are you?â you claim that ), # Right single quote ('â', We are contemplatives.â So, with this being your designation and this your claim, this is how you should train yourselves: ), # Right single quote ('â', We will practice the practice proper to a contemplative, so that our designation will be true and our claim accurate; so that the services of those whose robes, alms-food, lodging, & medicinal requisites we use will bring them great fruit & great reward; and so that our going forth will not be barren, but fruitful & fertile.â1 "And how, monks, does a monk not practice the practice proper to a contemplative? When the possessiveness of a possessive monk has not been abandoned; when the ill will of an ill-will-minded one has not been abandoned; when the anger of an angry one has not been abandoned; when the spitefulness of a spiteful one has not been abandoned; when the dismissiveness of a dismissive one has not been abandoned; when the antagonism of an antagonistic one has not been abandoned; when the envy of an envious one has not been abandoned; when the selfishness of a selfish one has not been abandoned; when the deceit of a deceitful one has not been abandoned; when the pretentiousness of a pretentious one has not been abandoned;2 when the evil wishes of one with evil wishes have not been abandoned; when the wrong view of one of wrong view has not been abandoned—when these stains of a contemplative, these flaws in a contemplative, these defects3 in a contemplative that are grounds for rebirth in a state of deprivation and are to be experienced in a bad destination have not been abandoned, then, I tell you, one is not practicing the practice proper to a contemplative. Just as if a weapon called a mataja, well sharpened on both edges, were wrapped & enclosed in patchwork sheath: The going forth of such a monk, I tell you, is similar to that. "Monks, I donât say that a patchwork-robe-wearerâs status as a contemplative is through merely wearing a patchwork robe. I donât say that a clothless asceticâs status as a contemplative is through merely being without clothâ¦ that a dust-&-dirt-caked asceticâs status as a contemplative is through merely being caked with dust & dirtâ¦ that a ritual batherâs status as a contemplative is through merely taking ritual bathsâ¦ that a tree-root dwellerâs status as a contemplative is through merely dwelling at the root of a treeâ¦ that an open-air dwellerâs status as a contemplative is through merely dwelling in the open airâ¦ that regulated-eaterâs status as a contemplative is through merely regulating his mealsâ¦ that an incantation reciterâs status as a contemplative is through merely reciting incantations. I donât say that a dreadlock asceticâs status as a contemplative is through merely wearing dreadlocks. "If through merely wearing a patchwork robe a possessive individual would abandon possessiveness, an ill-will-minded one would abandon ill willâ¦ an individual with wrong view would abandon wrong view, then his friends & companions, his kinsmen & relatives would make him a patchwork-robe-wearer right from birth. They would get him to undertake the practice of simply wearing a patchwork robe, (saying,) ), # Right single quote ('â', Come, you of the auspicious face: Be a patchwork-robe-wearer. Being a patchwork-robe-wearer, when you are possessive, your possessiveness will be abandoned; when you are ill-will-minded, your ill will will be abandonedâ¦ when you have wrong view, your wrong view will be abandoned.â But because there is the case where I see a patchwork-robe-wearer who is possessive, ill-will-minded, angry, spiteful, dismissive, antagonistic, envious, selfish, pretentious—one of evil wishes & wrong view, thatâs why I donât say that a patchwork-robe-wearerâs status as a contemplative is through merely wearing a patchwork robe. "If through merely being without clothâ¦ "If through merely being caked with dust & dirtâ¦ "If through merely taking ritual bathsâ¦ "If through merely dwelling at the root of a treeâ¦ "If through merely dwelling in the open airâ¦ "If through merely regulating oneâs mealsâ¦ "If through merely reciting incantationsâ¦ "If through merely wearing dreadlocks