{"collection":"Majjhima Nikaya","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/suttacentral_mn133/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/suttacentral_mn133","id":"suttacentral_mn133","license":"CC0","rights_basis":"suttacentral_bilara_data_cc0","source":"suttacentral","source_url":"https://suttacentral.net/mn133/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 Hot Springs Monastery. Then Venerable Samiddhi rose at the crack of dawn and went to the hot springs to bathe. When he had bathed and emerged from the water he stood in one robe drying his limbs. Then, late at night, a glorious deity, lighting up the entire hot springs, went up to Samiddhi, stood to one side, and said to Samiddhi: \u201cMendicant, do you remember the summary recital and the analysis of the one who has one fine night?\u201d \u201cNo, reverend, I do not. Do you?\u201d \u201cI also do not. But do you remember just the verses on the one who has one fine night?\u201d \u201cI do not. Do you?\u201d \u201cI also do not. Learn the summary recital and the analysis of the one who has one fine night, mendicant, memorize it, and remember it. It is beneficial and relevant to the fundamentals of the spiritual life.\u201d That is what that deity said, before vanishing right there. Then, when the night had passed, Samiddhi went to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what had happened. Then he added: \u201cSir, please teach me the summary recital and the analysis of the one who has one fine night.\u201d \u201cWell then, mendicant, listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.\u201d \u201cYes, sir,\u201d Samiddhi 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.\u201d That is what the Buddha said. When he had spoken, the Holy One rose from his seat and entered his dwelling. Soon after the Buddha left, those mendicants considered, \u201cThe Buddha gave this brief summary recital, then entered his dwelling without explaining the meaning in detail. \u2026 Who can explain in detail the meaning of this brief summary given by the Buddha?\u201d Then those mendicants thought: \u201cThis Venerable Mah\u0101kacc\u0101na is praised by the Buddha and esteemed by his sensible spiritual companions. He is capable of explaining in detail the meaning of this brief summary recital given by the Buddha. Let\u2019s go to him, and ask him about this matter.\u201d Then those mendicants went to Mah\u0101kacc\u0101na, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, they sat down to one side. They told him what had happened, and said: \u201cMay Venerable Mah\u0101kacc\u0101na please explain this.\u201d \u201cReverends, suppose there was a person in need of heartwood. And while wandering in search of heartwood he\u2019d come across a large tree standing with heartwood. But he\u2019d pass over the roots and trunk, imagining that the heartwood should be sought in the branches and leaves. Such is the consequence for the venerables. Though you were face to face with the Buddha, you bypassed him, imagining that you should ask me about this matter. For he is the Buddha, the one who knows and sees. He is vision, he is knowledge, he is the manifestation of principle, he is the manifestation of divinity. He is the preacher, the proclaimer, the elucidator of meaning, the bestower of freedom from death, the lord of truth, the Realized One. That was the time to approach the Buddha and ask about this matter. You should have remembered it in line with the Buddha\u2019s answer.\u201d \u201cCertainly he is the Buddha, the one who knows and sees. He is vision, he is knowledge, he is the manifestation of principle, he is the manifestation of divinity. He is the preacher, the proclaimer, the elucidator of meaning, the bestower of freedom from death, the lord of truth, the Realized One. That was the time to approach the Buddha and ask about this matter. We should have remembered it in line with the Buddha\u2019s answer. Still, Venerable Mah\u0101kacc\u0101na is praised by the Buddha and esteemed by his sensible spiritual companions. He is capable of explaining in detail the meaning of this brief summary recital given by the Buddha. Please explain this, if it\u2019s no trouble.\u201d \u201cWell then, reverends, listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.\u201d \u201cYes, reverend,\u201d they replied. Venerable Mah\u0101kacc\u0101na said this: \u201cReverends, the Buddha gave this brief summary recital, then entered his dwelling without explaining the meaning in detail: \u2018Don\u2019t run back to the past \u2026 that\u2019s who has one fine night\u2014 so declares the peaceful sage.\u2019 And this is how I understand the detailed meaning of this summary recital. And how do you run back to the past? Consciousness gets tied up there with desire and lust, thinking: \u2018In the past I had such eyes and such sights.\u2019 So you take pleasure in that, and that\u2019s when you run back to the past. Consciousness gets tied up there with desire and lust, thinking: \u2018In the past I had such ears and such sounds \u2026 such a nose and such smells \u2026 such a tongue and such tastes \u2026 such a body and such touches \u2026 such a mind and such ideas.\u2019 So you take pleasure in that, and that\u2019s when you run back to the past. That\u2019s how you run back to the past. And how do you not run back to the past? Consciousness doesn\u2019t get tied up there with desire and lust, thinking: \u2018In the past I had such eyes and such sights.\u2019 So you don\u2019t take pleasure in that, and that\u2019s when you no longer run back to the past. Consciousness doesn\u2019t get tied up there with desire and lust, thinking: \u2018In the past I had such ears and such sounds \u2026 such a nose and such smells \u2026 such a tongue and such tastes \u2026 such a body and such touches \u2026 such a mind and such ideas.\u2019 So you don\u2019t take pleasure in that, and that\u2019s when you no longer run back to the past. That\u2019s how you don\u2019t run back to the past. And how do you anticipate the future? The heart is set on getting what it does not have, thinking: \u2018May I have such eyes and such sights in the future.\u2019 So you take pleasure in that, and that\u2019s when you anticipate the future. The heart is set on getting what it does not have, thinking: \u2018May I have such ears and such sounds \u2026 such a nose and such smells \u2026 such a tongue and such tastes \u2026 such a body and such touches \u2026 such a mind and such ideas in the future.\u2019 So you take pleasure in that, and that\u2019s when you anticipate the future. That\u2019s how you anticipate the future. And how do you not anticipate the future? The heart is not set on getting what it does not have, thinking: \u2018May I have such eyes and such sights in the future.\u2019 So you don\u2019t take pleasure in that, and that\u2019s when you no longer anticipate the future. The heart is not set on getting what it does not have, thinking: \u2018May I have such ears and such sounds \u2026 such a nose and such smells \u2026 such a tongue and such tastes \u2026 such a body and such touches \u2026 such a mind and such ideas in the future.\u2019 So you don\u2019t take pleasure in that, and that\u2019s when you no longer anticipate the future. That\u2019s how you don\u2019t anticipate the future. And how do you falter amid presently arisen phenomena? Both the eye and sights are presently arisen. If consciousness gets tied up there in the present with desire and lust, you take pleasure in that, and that\u2019s when you falter amid presently arisen phenomena. Both the ear and sounds \u2026 nose and smells \u2026 tongue and tastes \u2026 body and touches \u2026 mind and ideas are presently arisen. If consciousness gets tied up there in the present with desire and lust, you take pleasure in that, and that\u2019s when you falter amid presently arisen phenomena. That\u2019s how you falter amid presently arisen phenomena. And how do you not falter amid presently arisen phenomena? Both the eye and sights are presently arisen. If consciousness doesn\u2019t get tied up there in the present with desire and lust, you don\u2019t take pleasure in that, and that\u2019s when you no longer falter amid presently arisen phenomena. Both the ear and sounds \u2026 nose and smells \u2026 tongue and tastes \u2026 body and touches \u2026 mind and ideas are presently arisen. If consciousness doesn\u2019t get tied up there in the present with desire and lust, you don\u2019t take pleasure in that, and that\u2019s when you no longer falter amid presently arisen phenomena. That\u2019s how you don\u2019t falter amid presently arisen phenomena. This is how I understand the detailed meaning of that brief summary recital given by the Buddha. If you wish, you may go to the Buddha and ask him about this. You should remember it in line with the Buddha\u2019s answer.\u201d Then those mendicants, approving and agreeing with what Mah\u0101kacc\u0101na said, rose from their seats and went to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what had happened, adding: \u201cMah\u0101kacc\u0101na clearly explained the meaning to us in this manner, with these words and phrases.\u201d \u201cMah\u0101kacc\u0101na is astute, mendicants, he has great wisdom. If you came to me and asked this question, I would answer it in exactly the same way as Mah\u0101kacc\u0101na. That is what it means, and that\u2019s how you should remember it.\u201d That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, the mendicants approved what the Buddha said.","title":"Mah\u0101kacc\u0101na and One Fine Night","tradition":"Majjhima Nikaya","translated_text":null,"word_count":1641}