{"collection":"Samyutta Nikaya","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/suttacentral_sn35.120/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/suttacentral_sn35.120","id":"suttacentral_sn35.120","license":"CC0","rights_basis":"suttacentral_bilara_data_cc0","source":"suttacentral","source_url":"https://suttacentral.net/sn35.120/en/sujato","summary":null,"tags":["Early Buddhist Texts","Samyutta Nikaya"],"text":"At one time Venerable S\u0101riputta was staying near S\u0101vatth\u012b in Jeta\u2019s Grove, An\u0101thapi\u1e47\u1e0dika\u2019s monastery. Then a certain mendicant went up to Venerable S\u0101riputta, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side, and said to him, \u201cReverend S\u0101riputta, a mendicant prot\u00e9g\u00e9 of mine has resigned the training and returned to a lesser life.\u201d \u201cThat\u2019s how it is, reverend, when someone doesn\u2019t guard the sense doors, eats too much, and is not committed to wakefulness. It is quite impossible for such a mendicant to maintain the full and pure spiritual life for the rest of their life. But it is quite possible for a mendicant to maintain the full and pure spiritual life for the rest of their life if they guard the sense doors, eat in moderation, and are committed to wakefulness. And how does someone guard the sense doors? When a mendicant sees a sight with the eyes, they don\u2019t get caught up in the features and details. If the faculty of sight were left unrestrained, bad unskillful qualities of covetousness and displeasure would become overwhelming. For this reason, they practice restraint, protecting the faculty of sight, and achieving its restraint. When they hear a sound with their ears \u2026 When they smell an odor with their nose \u2026 When they taste a flavor with their tongue \u2026 When they feel a touch with their body \u2026 When they know an idea with their mind, they don\u2019t get caught up in the features and details. If the faculty of mind were left unrestrained, bad unskillful qualities of covetousness and displeasure would become overwhelming. For this reason, they practice restraint, protecting the faculty of mind, and achieving its restraint. That\u2019s how someone guards the sense doors. And how does someone eat in moderation? It\u2019s when a mendicant reflects rationally on the food that they eat: \u2018Not for fun, indulgence, adornment, or decoration, but only to sustain this body, to avoid harm, and to support spiritual practice. In this way, I shall put an end to old discomfort and not give rise to new discomfort, and I will have the means to keep going, blamelessness, and a comfortable abiding.\u2019 That\u2019s how someone eats in moderation. And how is someone committed to wakefulness? It\u2019s when a mendicant practices walking and sitting meditation by day, purifying their mind from obstacles. In the first watch of the night, they continue to practice walking and sitting meditation. In the middle watch, they lie down in the lion\u2019s posture\u2014on the right side, placing one foot on top of the other\u2014mindful and aware, and focused on the time of getting up. In the last watch, they get up and continue to practice walking and sitting meditation, purifying their mind from obstacles. That\u2019s how someone is committed to wakefulness. So you should train like this: \u2018We will guard the sense doors, eat in moderation, and be committed to wakefulness.\u2019 That\u2019s how you should train.\u201d","title":"S\u0101riputta and the Prot\u00e9g\u00e9","tradition":"Samyutta Nikaya","translated_text":null,"word_count":496}