{"collection":"Majjhima Nikaya","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/suttacentral_mn125/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/suttacentral_mn125","id":"suttacentral_mn125","license":"CC0","rights_basis":"suttacentral_bilara_data_cc0","source":"suttacentral","source_url":"https://suttacentral.net/mn125/en/sujato","summary":null,"tags":["Early Buddhist Texts","Majjhima Nikaya"],"text":"So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near R\u0101jagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels\u2019 feeding ground. Now at that time the novice Aciravata was staying in a wilderness hut. Then as Prince Jayasena was going for a walk he approached Aciravata, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to Aciravata, \u201cWorthy Aggivessana, I have heard that a mendicant who meditates diligently, keenly, and resolutely can experience unification of mind.\u201d \u201cThat\u2019s so true, Prince! That\u2019s so true! A mendicant who meditates diligently, keenly, and resolutely can experience unification of mind.\u201d \u201cWorthy Aggivessana, please teach me the Dhamma as you have learned and memorized it.\u201d \u201cI\u2019m not competent to do so, Prince. For if I were to teach you the Dhamma as I have learned and memorized it, you might not understand the meaning, which would be wearying and troublesome for me.\u201d \u201cWorthy Aggivessana, please teach me the Dhamma as you have learned and memorized it. Hopefully I will understand the meaning of what you say.\u201d \u201cI shall teach you. If you understand the meaning of what I say, that\u2019s good. If not, then leave each to his own, and do not question me about it further.\u201d \u201cWorthy Aggivessana, please teach me the Dhamma as you have learned and memorized it. If I understand the meaning of what you say, that\u2019s good. If not, then I will leave each to his own, and not question you about it further.\u201d Then the novice Aciravata taught Prince Jayasena the Dhamma as he had learned and memorized it. When he had spoken, Jayasena said to him, \u201cIt is impossible, worthy Aggivessana, it cannot happen that a mendicant who meditates diligently, keenly, and resolutely can experience unification of mind.\u201d Having declared that this was impossible, Jayasena rose from his seat and left. Not long after he had left, Aciravata went to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and informed the Buddha of all they had discussed. When he had spoken, the Buddha said to him, \u201cHow could it possibly be otherwise, Aggivessana? Prince Jayasena dwells in the midst of sensual pleasures, enjoying them, consumed by thoughts of them, burning with fever for them, and eagerly seeking more. It\u2019s simply impossible for him to know or see or realize what can only be known, seen, and realized by renunciation. Suppose there was a pair of elephants or horse or oxen in training who were well tamed and well trained. And there was a pair who were not tamed or trained. What do you think, Aggivessana? Wouldn\u2019t the pair that was well tamed and well trained perform the tasks of the tamed and reach the level of the tamed?\u201d \u201cYes, sir.\u201d \u201cBut would the pair that was not tamed and trained perform the tasks of the tamed and reach the level of the tamed, just like the tamed pair?\u201d \u201cNo, sir.\u201d \u201cIn the same way, Prince Jayasena dwells in the midst of sensual pleasures, enjoying them, consumed by thoughts of them, burning with fever for them, and eagerly seeking more. It\u2019s simply impossible for him to know or see or realize what can only be known, seen, and realized by renunciation. Suppose there was a big mountain not far from a town or village. And two friends set out from that village or town, lending each other a hand up to the mountain. Once there, one friend would remain at the foot of the mountain, while the other would climb to the peak. The one standing at the foot would say to the one at the peak, \u2018My dear, what do you see, standing there at the peak?\u2019 They\u2019d reply, \u2018Standing at the peak, I see delightful parks, woods, meadows, and lotus ponds!\u2019 But the other would say, \u2018It\u2019s impossible, it cannot happen that, standing at the peak, you can see delightful parks, woods, meadows, and lotus ponds.\u2019 So their friend would come down from the peak, take their friend by the arm, and make them climb to the peak. After giving them a while to catch their breath, they\u2019d say, \u2018My dear, what do you see, standing here at the peak?\u2019 They\u2019d reply, \u2018Standing at the peak, I see delightful parks, woods, meadows, and lotus ponds!\u2019 They\u2019d say, \u2018Just now I understood you to say: \u201cIt\u2019s impossible, it cannot happen that, standing at the peak, you can see delightful parks, woods, meadows, and lotus ponds.\u201d But now you say: \u201cStanding at the peak, I see delightful parks, woods, meadows, and lotus ponds!\u201d\u2019 They\u2019d say, \u2018But my dear, it was because I was obstructed by this big mountain that I didn\u2019t see what could be seen.\u2019 But bigger than that is the mass of ignorance by which Prince Jayasena is obstructed, hindered, engulfed, and enveloped. Prince Jayasena dwells in the midst of sensual pleasures, enjoying them, consumed by thoughts of them, burning with fever for them, and eagerly seeking more. It is quite impossible for him to know or see or realize what can only be known, seen, and realized by renunciation. It would be no wonder if, had these two similes occurred to you, Prince Jayasena would have gained confidence in you and shown his confidence.\u201d \u201cBut sir, how could these two similes have occurred to me as they did to the Buddha, since they were neither supernaturally inspired, nor learned before in the past?\u201d \u201cSuppose, Aggivessana, an anointed aristocratic king was to address his elephant tracker, \u2018Please, my good elephant tracker, mount the royal bull elephant and enter the elephant wood. When you see a wild bull elephant, tether it by the neck to the royal elephant.\u2019 \u2018Yes, Your Majesty,\u2019 replied the elephant tracker, and did as he was asked. The royal elephant leads the wild elephant out into the open; and it\u2019s only then that it comes out into the open, for a wild bull elephant clings to the elephant wood. The elephant tracker informs the king, \u2018Your Majesty, the wild elephant has come out into the open.\u2019 Then the king addresses his elephant trainer, \u2018Please, dear elephant trainer, tame the wild bull elephant. Subdue its wild behaviors, its wild memories and thoughts, and its wild stress, weariness, and fever. Make it happy to be within a village, and instill behaviors congenial to humans.\u2019 \u2018Yes, Your Majesty,\u2019 replied the elephant trainer. He dug a large post into the earth and tethered the elephant to it by the neck, so as to subdue its wild behaviors, its wild memories and thoughts, and its wild stress, weariness, and fever, and to make it happy to be within a village, and instill behaviors congenial to humans. He spoke in a way that\u2019s mellow, pleasing to the ear, endearing, going to the heart, polite, and likable and agreeable to the people. Spoken to in such a way by the elephant trainer, the wild elephant wanted to listen. It actively listened and tried to understand. So the elephant trainer rewards it with grass, fodder, and water. When the wild elephant accepts the grass, fodder, and water, the trainer knows, \u2018Now the wild elephant will survive!\u2019 He sets it a further task: \u2018Pick it up, worthy sir! Put it down, worthy sir!\u2019 When the wild elephant picks up and puts down when the trainer says, following instructions, the trainer sets it a further task: \u2018Forward, worthy sir! Back, worthy sir!\u2019 When the wild elephant goes forward and back when the trainer says, following instructions, the trainer sets it a further task: \u2018Stand, worthy sir! Sit, worthy sir!\u2019 When the wild elephant stands and sits when the trainer says, following instructions, the trainer sets the task called imperturbability. He fastens a large plank to its trunk; a lancer sits on its neck; other lancers surround it on all sides; and the trainer himself stands in front with a long lance. While practicing this task, it doesn\u2019t budge its fore-feet or hind-feet, its fore-quarters or hind-quarters, its head, ears, tusks, tail, or trunk. The wild bull elephant endures being struck by spears, swords, arrows, and axes; it endures the thunder of the drums, kettledrums, pipes, horns, and tom-toms. Rid of all crooks and flaws, and purged of defects, it is worthy of a king, fit to serve a king, and reckoned a factor of kingship. In the same way, Aggivessana, a Realized One arises in the world, perfected, a fully awakened Buddha, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, holy, knower of the world, supreme guide for those fit for training, teacher of gods and humans, awakened, blessed. He realizes with his own insight this world\u2014with its gods, M\u0101ras, and divinities, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, gods and humans\u2014and he makes it known to others. He teaches Dhamma that\u2019s good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, meaningful and well-phrased. And he reveals a spiritual practice that\u2019s entirely full and pure. A householder hears that teaching, or a householder\u2019s child, or someone reborn in a good family. They gain faith in the Realized One and reflect: \u2018Life at home is cramped and dirty, life gone forth is wide open. It\u2019s not easy for someone living at home to lead the spiritual life utterly full and pure, like a polished shell. Why don\u2019t I shave off my hair and beard, dress in ocher robes, and go forth from the lay life to homelessness?\u2019 After some time they give up a large or small fortune, and a large or small family circle. They shave off hair and beard, dress in ocher robes, and go forth from the lay life to homelessness. And it\u2019s only then that a noble disciple comes out into the open, for gods and humans cling to the five kinds of sensual stimulation. The Realized One guides them further: \u2018Come, mendicant, be ethical and restrained in the monastic code, conducting yourself well and resorting for alms in suitable places. Seeing danger in the slightest fault, keep the rules you\u2019ve undertaken.\u2019 When they have ethical conduct, the Realized One guides them further: \u2018Come, mendicant, guard your sense doors. When you see a sight with your eyes, don\u2019t get caught up in the features and details. \u2026 (Tell in full as in MN 107, the Discourse with Moggall\u0101na the Accountant.) They give up these five hindrances, corruptions of the heart that weaken wisdom. Then they meditate observing an aspect of the body\u2014keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world. They meditate observing an aspect of feelings \u2026 mind \u2026 principles\u2014keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world. It\u2019s like when the elephant trainer dug a large post into the earth and tethered the elephant to it by the neck, so as to subdue its wild behaviors, its wild memories and thoughts, and its wild stress, weariness, and fever, and to make it happy to be within a village, and instill behaviors congenial to humans. In the same way, a noble disciple has these four kinds of mindfulness meditation as tethers for the mind so as to subdue behaviors tied to domestic life, memories and thoughts tied to domestic life, stress, weariness, and fever tied to domestic life, to discover the system, and to realize extinguishment. The Realized One guides them further: \u2018Come, mendicant, meditate observing an aspect of the body, but don\u2019t think thoughts connected with sensual pleasures. Meditate observing an aspect of feelings \u2026 mind \u2026 principles, but don\u2019t think thoughts connected with sensual pleasures.\u2019 As the placing of the mind and keeping it connected are stilled, they enter and remain in the second absorption \u2026 third absorption \u2026 fourth absorption. When their mind has become immersed in sam\u0101dhi like this\u2014purified, bright, flawless, rid of corruptions, pliable, workable, steady, and imperturbable\u2014they extend it toward recollection of past lives. They recollect many kinds of past lives. That is: one, two, three, four, five, ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, a hundred, a thousand, a hundred thousand rebirths; many eons of the world contracting, many eons of the world expanding, many eons of the world contracting and expanding. And so they recollect their many kinds of past lives, with features and details. When their mind has become immersed in sam\u0101dhi like this\u2014purified, bright, flawless, rid of corruptions, pliable, workable, steady, and imperturbable\u2014they extend it toward knowledge of the death and rebirth of sentient beings. With clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman, they see sentient beings passing away and being reborn\u2014inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, in a good place or a bad place. They understand how sentient beings pass on according to their deeds. When their mind has become immersed in sam\u0101dhi like this\u2014purified, bright, flawless, rid of corruptions, pliable, workable, steady, and imperturbable\u2014they extend it toward knowledge of the ending of defilements. They truly understand: \u2018This is suffering\u2019 \u2026 \u2018This is the origin of suffering\u2019 \u2026 \u2018This is the cessation of suffering\u2019 \u2026 \u2018This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering\u2019. They truly understand: \u2018These are defilements\u2019 \u2026 \u2018This is the origin of defilements\u2019 \u2026 \u2018This is the cessation of defilements\u2019 \u2026 \u2018This is the practice that leads to the cessation of defilements\u2019. Knowing and seeing like this, their mind is freed from the defilements of sensuality, desire to be reborn, and ignorance. When they\u2019re freed, they know they\u2019re freed. They understand: \u2018Rebirth is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is nothing further for this place.\u2019 Such a mendicant endures cold, heat, hunger, and thirst; the touch of flies, mosquitoes, wind, sun, and reptiles; rude and unwelcome criticism; and puts up with physical pain\u2014sharp, severe, acute, unpleasant, disagreeable, and life-threatening. Rid of all greed, hate, and delusion, and purged of defects, they are worthy of offerings dedicated to the gods, worthy of hospitality, worthy of a religious donation, worthy of greeting with cupped palms, and are the supreme field of merit for the world. If a royal bull elephant\u2014whether elderly, middle aged, or youthful\u2014passes away untamed and untrained, they\u2019re reckoned a royal bull elephant who passed away untamed. In the same way, if a mendicant\u2014whether senior, middle, or junior\u2014passes away without having ended the defilements, they\u2019re reckoned a mendicant who passed away untamed. If a royal bull elephant\u2014whether elderly, middle aged, or youthful\u2014passes away tamed and trained, they\u2019re reckoned a royal bull elephant who passed away tamed. In the same way, if a mendicant\u2014whether senior, middle, or junior\u2014passes away having ended the defilements, they\u2019re reckoned a mendicant who passed away tamed.\u201d That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, the novice Aciravata approved what the Buddha said.","title":"The Level of the Tamed","tradition":"Majjhima Nikaya","translated_text":null,"word_count":2448}