{"collection":"Majjhima Nikaya","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/suttacentral_mn62/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/suttacentral_mn62","id":"suttacentral_mn62","license":"CC0","rights_basis":"suttacentral_bilara_data_cc0","source":"suttacentral","source_url":"https://suttacentral.net/mn62/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. Then the Buddha robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, entered S\u0101vatth\u012b for alms. And Venerable R\u0101hula also robed up and followed behind the Buddha. Then the Buddha looked back at R\u0101hula and said, \u201cR\u0101hula, you should truly see any kind of form at all\u2014past, future, or present; internal or external; solid or subtle; inferior or superior; far or near: <em>all</em> form\u2014with right understanding: \u2018This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.\u2019\u201d \u201cOnly form, Blessed One? Only form, Holy One?\u201d \u201cForm, R\u0101hula, as well as feeling and perception and choices and consciousness.\u201d Then R\u0101hula thought, \u201cWho would go to the village for alms today after being advised directly by the Buddha?\u201d Turning back, he sat down cross-legged at the root of a certain tree, setting his body straight, and bringing mindfulness to the present. Venerable S\u0101riputta saw him sitting there, and addressed him, \u201cR\u0101hula, develop mindfulness of breathing. When mindfulness of breathing is developed and cultivated it\u2019s very fruitful and beneficial.\u201d Then in the late afternoon, R\u0101hula came out of retreat, went to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him: \u201cSir, how is mindfulness of breathing developed and cultivated to be very fruitful and beneficial?\u201d \u201cR\u0101hula, the interior earth element is anything internal, personal, that\u2019s hard, solid, and appropriated. This includes: head hair, body hair, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, sinews, bones, bone marrow, kidneys, heart, liver, diaphragm, spleen, lungs, intestines, mesentery, undigested food, feces; or anything else internal, personal, that\u2019s hard, solid, and appropriated. This is called the interior earth element. The interior earth element and the exterior earth element are just the earth element. This should be truly seen with right understanding like this: \u2018This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.\u2019 When you truly see with right understanding, you grow disillusioned with the earth element, detaching the mind from the earth element. And what is the water element? The water element may be interior or exterior. And what is the interior water element? Anything internal, personal, that\u2019s water, watery, and appropriated. This includes: bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tears, grease, saliva, snot, synovial fluid, urine; or anything else internal, personal, that\u2019s water, watery, and appropriated. This is called the interior water element. The interior water element and the exterior water element are just the water element. This should be truly seen with right understanding like this: \u2018This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.\u2019 When you truly see with right understanding, you grow disillusioned with the water element, detaching the mind from the water element. And what is the fire element? The fire element may be interior or exterior. And what is the interior fire element? Anything internal, personal, that\u2019s fire, fiery, and appropriated. This includes: that which warms, that which ages, that which heats you up when feverish, that which properly digests food and drink; or anything else internal, personal, that\u2019s fire, fiery, and appropriated. This is called the interior fire element. The interior fire element and the exterior fire element are just the fire element. This should be truly seen with right understanding like this: \u2018This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.\u2019 When you truly see with right understanding, you grow disillusioned with the fire element, detaching the mind from the fire element. And what is the air element? The air element may be interior or exterior. And what is the interior air element? Anything internal, personal, that\u2019s air, airy, and appropriated. This includes: winds that go up or down, winds in the belly or the bowels, winds that flow through the limbs, in-breaths and out-breaths; or anything else internal, personal, that\u2019s air, airy, and appropriated. This is called the interior air element. The interior air element and the exterior air element are just the air element. This should be truly seen with right understanding like this: \u2018This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.\u2019 When you truly see with right understanding, you grow disillusioned with the air element, detaching the mind from the air element. And what is the space element? The space element may be interior or exterior. And what is the interior space element? Anything internal, personal, that\u2019s space, spacious, and appropriated. This includes: the ear canals, nostrils, and mouth; and the space for swallowing what is eaten and drunk, the space where it stays, and the space for excreting it from the nether regions; or anything else internal, personal, that\u2019s space, spacious, and appropriated. This is called the interior space element. The interior space element and the exterior space element are just the space element. This should be truly seen with right understanding like this: \u2018This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.\u2019 When you truly see with right understanding, you grow disillusioned with the space element, detaching the mind from the space element. R\u0101hula, meditate like the earth. For when you meditate like the earth, pleasant and unpleasant contacts will not occupy your mind. Suppose they were to toss both clean and unclean things on the earth, like feces, urine, spit, pus, and blood. The earth isn\u2019t horrified, repelled, and disgusted because of this. In the same way, meditate like the earth. For when you meditate like the earth, pleasant and unpleasant contacts will not occupy your mind. Meditate like water. For when you meditate like water, pleasant and unpleasant contacts will not occupy your mind. Suppose they were to wash both clean and unclean things in the water, like feces, urine, spit, pus, and blood. The water isn\u2019t horrified, repelled, and disgusted because of this. In the same way, meditate like water. For when you meditate like water, pleasant and unpleasant contacts will not occupy your mind. Meditate like fire. For when you meditate like fire, pleasant and unpleasant contacts will not occupy your mind. Suppose a fire were to burn both clean and unclean things, like feces, urine, spit, pus, and blood. The fire isn\u2019t horrified, repelled, and disgusted because of this. In the same way, meditate like fire. For when you meditate like fire, pleasant and unpleasant contacts will not occupy your mind. Meditate like wind. For when you meditate like wind, pleasant and unpleasant contacts will not occupy your mind. Suppose the wind were to blow on both clean and unclean things, like feces, urine, spit, pus, and blood. The wind isn\u2019t horrified, repelled, and disgusted because of this. In the same way, meditate like the wind. For when you meditate like wind, pleasant and unpleasant contacts will not occupy your mind. Meditate like space. For when you meditate like space, pleasant and unpleasant contacts will not occupy your mind. Just as space is not established anywhere, in the same way, meditate like space. For when you meditate like space, pleasant and unpleasant contacts will not occupy your mind. Meditate on love. For when you meditate on love any ill will will be given up. Meditate on compassion. For when you meditate on compassion any cruelty will be given up. Meditate on rejoicing. For when you meditate on rejoicing any discontent will be given up. Meditate on equanimity. For when you meditate on equanimity any aversion will be given up. Meditate on ugliness. For when you meditate on ugliness any lust will be given up. Meditate on impermanence. For when you meditate on impermanence any conceit \u2018I am\u2019 will be given up. Develop mindfulness of breathing. When mindfulness of breathing is developed and cultivated it\u2019s very fruitful and beneficial. And how is mindfulness of breathing developed and cultivated to be very fruitful and beneficial? It\u2019s when a mendicant\u2014gone to a wilderness, or to the root of a tree, or to an empty hut\u2014sits down cross-legged, sets their body straight, and brings mindfulness to the present. Just mindful, they breathe in. Mindful, they breathe out. Breathing in heavily they know: \u2018I\u2019m breathing in heavily.\u2019 Breathing out heavily they know: \u2018I\u2019m breathing out heavily.\u2019 Breathing in lightly they know: \u2018I\u2019m breathing in lightly.\u2019 Breathing out lightly they know: \u2018I\u2019m breathing out lightly.\u2019 They practice like this: \u2018I\u2019ll breathe in experiencing the whole body.\u2019 They practice like this: \u2018I\u2019ll breathe out experiencing the whole body.\u2019 They practice like this: \u2018I\u2019ll breathe in stilling the physical process.\u2019 They practice like this: \u2018I\u2019ll breathe out stilling the physical process.\u2019 They practice like this: \u2018I\u2019ll breathe in experiencing rapture.\u2019 They practice like this: \u2018I\u2019ll breathe out experiencing rapture.\u2019 They practice like this: \u2018I\u2019ll breathe in experiencing bliss.\u2019 They practice like this: \u2018I\u2019ll breathe out experiencing bliss.\u2019 They practice like this: \u2018I\u2019ll breathe in experiencing the mental process.\u2019 They practice like this: \u2018I\u2019ll breathe out experiencing the mental process.\u2019 They practice like this: \u2018I\u2019ll breathe in stilling the mental process.\u2019 They practice like this: \u2018I\u2019ll breathe out stilling the mental process.\u2019 They practice like this: \u2018I\u2019ll breathe in experiencing the mind.\u2019 They practice like this: \u2018I\u2019ll breathe out experiencing the mind.\u2019 They practice like this: \u2018I\u2019ll breathe in gladdening the mind.\u2019 They practice like this: \u2018I\u2019ll breathe out gladdening the mind.\u2019 They practice like this: \u2018I\u2019ll breathe in immersing the mind in sam\u0101dhi.\u2019 They practice like this: \u2018I\u2019ll breathe out immersing the mind in sam\u0101dhi.\u2019 They practice like this: \u2018I\u2019ll breathe in freeing the mind.\u2019 They practice like this: \u2018I\u2019ll breathe out freeing the mind.\u2019 They practice like this: \u2018I\u2019ll breathe in observing impermanence.\u2019 They practice like this: \u2018I\u2019ll breathe out observing impermanence.\u2019 They practice like this: \u2018I\u2019ll breathe in observing fading away.\u2019 They practice like this: \u2018I\u2019ll breathe out observing fading away.\u2019 They practice like this: \u2018I\u2019ll breathe in observing cessation.\u2019 They practice like this: \u2018I\u2019ll breathe out observing cessation.\u2019 They practice like this: \u2018I\u2019ll breathe in observing letting go.\u2019 They practice like this: \u2018I\u2019ll breathe out observing letting go.\u2019 Mindfulness of breathing, when developed and cultivated in this way, is very fruitful and beneficial. When mindfulness of breathing is developed and cultivated in this way, even as the final breaths cease they are known, not unknown.\u201d That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, Venerable R\u0101hula approved what the Buddha said.","title":"The Longer Advice to R\u0101hula","tradition":"Majjhima Nikaya","translated_text":null,"word_count":1717}