{"collection":"Majjhima Nikaya","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/suttacentral_mn131/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/suttacentral_mn131","id":"suttacentral_mn131","license":"CC0","rights_basis":"suttacentral_bilara_data_cc0","source":"suttacentral","source_url":"https://suttacentral.net/mn131/en/sujato","summary":null,"tags":["Early Buddhist Texts","Majjhima Nikaya"],"text":"So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near S\u0101vatth\u012b in Jeta\u2019s Grove, An\u0101thapi\u1e47\u1e0dika\u2019s monastery. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants, \u201cMendicants!\u201d \u201cVenerable sir,\u201d they replied. The Buddha said this: \u201cI shall teach you the summary recital and the analysis of the one who has one fine night. Listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.\u201d \u201cYes, sir,\u201d they replied. The Buddha said this: \u201cDon\u2019t run back to the past, don\u2019t anticipate the future. What\u2019s past is left behind, the future has not arrived; and any present phenomenon you clearly discern in every case. The unfaltering, the unshakable: having known that, foster it. Today\u2019s the day to keenly work\u2014 who knows, tomorrow may bring death! For there is no bargain to be struck with Death and his mighty horde. One who keenly meditates like this, tireless all night and day: that\u2019s who has one fine night\u2014 so declares the peaceful sage. And how do you run back to the past? You muster delight there, thinking: \u2018I had such form in the past.\u2019 \u2026 \u2018I had such feeling \u2026 perception \u2026 choice \u2026 consciousness in the past.\u2019 That\u2019s how you run back to the past. And how do you not run back to the past? You don\u2019t muster delight there, thinking: \u2018I had such form in the past.\u2019 \u2026 \u2018I had such feeling \u2026 perception \u2026 choice \u2026 consciousness in the past.\u2019 That\u2019s how you don\u2019t run back to the past. And how do you anticipate the future? You muster delight there, thinking: \u2018May I have such form in the future.\u2019 \u2026 \u2018May I have such feeling \u2026 perception \u2026 choice \u2026 consciousness in the future.\u2019 That\u2019s how you anticipate the future. And how do you not anticipate the future? You don\u2019t muster delight there, thinking: \u2018May I have such form in the future.\u2019 \u2026 \u2018May I have such feeling \u2026 perception \u2026 choice \u2026 consciousness in the future.\u2019 That\u2019s how you don\u2019t anticipate the future. And how do you falter amid presently arisen phenomena? It\u2019s when an unlearned ordinary person has not seen the noble ones, and is neither skilled nor trained in the teaching of the noble ones. They\u2019ve not seen true persons, and are neither skilled nor trained in the teaching of the true persons. They regard form as self, self as having form, form in self, or self in form. They regard feeling \u2026 perception \u2026 choices \u2026 consciousness as self, self as having consciousness, consciousness in self, or self in consciousness. That\u2019s how you falter amid presently arisen phenomena. And how do you not falter amid presently arisen phenomena? It\u2019s when a learned noble disciple has seen the noble ones, and is skilled and trained in the teaching of the noble ones. They\u2019ve seen true persons, and are skilled and trained in the teaching of the true persons. They don\u2019t regard form as self, self as having form, form in self, or self in form. They don\u2019t regard feeling \u2026 perception \u2026 choices \u2026 consciousness as self, self as having consciousness, consciousness in self, or self in consciousness. That\u2019s how you don\u2019t falter amid presently arisen phenomena. \u2018Don\u2019t run back to the past, don\u2019t anticipate the future. What\u2019s past is left behind, the future has not arrived; and any present phenomenon you clearly discern in every case. The unfaltering, the unshakable: having known that, foster it. Today\u2019s the day to keenly work\u2014 who knows, tomorrow may bring death! For there is no bargain to be struck with Death and his mighty horde. One who keenly meditates like this, tireless all night and day: that\u2019s who has one fine night\u2014 so declares the peaceful sage.\u2019 And that\u2019s what I meant when I said: \u2018I shall teach you the summary recital and the analysis of the one who has one fine night.\u2019\u201d That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, the mendicants approved what the Buddha said.","title":"One Fine Night","tradition":"Majjhima Nikaya","translated_text":null,"word_count":652}