4:16 To Sṅriputta

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('â', Itâs on the side of the Dark One.â He shouldnât come under the sway of anger or pride. Having dug up their root he would stand firm. Then, when prevailing —yes— heâd prevail over notions of dear & undear. Deferring          to discernment enraptured          with whatâs admirable, he should overcome these dangers, should conquer discontent in his isolated spot, should conquer these four thoughts of lament: ),

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('â', What will I eat, or where will I eat? How badly I slept. Tonight where will I sleep?â These lamenting thoughts he should subdue— one under training, wandering without home. Receiving food & cloth at appropriate times, he should have a sense of enough for the sake of contentment.3 Guarded in regard to these things going restrained into a village, even when harassed he shouldnât say a harsh word. With eyes downcast, & not footloose, committed to jhṅna, he should be continually wakeful.4 Arousing equanimity, centered within, he should cut off any penchant to conjecture or worry. When reprimanded with words, he should—mindful— rejoice;5 should smash any rigidity toward his fellows in the holy life; should utter skillful words that are not untimely; should give no mind to the gossip people might say. And then there are in the world the five kinds of dust for whose subduing, mindful, he should train: With regard to forms, sounds, tastes, smells, & tactile sensations he should conquer passion; with regard to these things he should subdue his desire. A monk, mindful, his mind well released, contemplating the right Dhamma at the right times, on coming to oneness6 should annihilate darkness," the Blessed One said. vv. 955–975 Notes 1. The Buddha spent his next-to-last lifetime in the Tusita heaven, one of the highest levels on the sensual plane. 2.The fact that the Buddha answers this question in a straightforward manner illustrates the point that abandoning habits and practices does not mean having undefined precepts or practices—or no precepts or practices at all. See Sn 4:13, note 3. 3. See AN 4:28, AN 4:37, and AN 7:64. 4. See AN 4:37. 5. See Dhp 76–77. 6. Ekodi-bhūto. A quality of concentration attained in the second jhṅna. See also: SN 35:117; SN 35:200; AN 4:28; Thag 3:8; Thag 5:8; Thag 6:2; Thag 18 - --> - - - -