The Middle Length Discourses 151
Purification of Almsfood
Thus have I heard—
at one time the Bhagavā was dwelling at Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels' feeding ground.
Then Venerable Sāriputta, in the evening, having emerged from retreat, went to the Bhagavā; having approached, he paid homage to the Bhagavā and sat to one side. As Venerable Sāriputta was sitting to one side, the Bhagavā said this to him:
“Your indriyas are clear, Sāriputta; the color of your skin is pure and bright.
In what dwelling, Sāriputta, do you now dwell much?”
“Bhante, I now dwell much in the dwelling of emptiness.”
“Sādhu, sādhu, Sāriputta.
Indeed, Sāriputta, you now dwell much in the dwelling of a great person.
This, Sāriputta, is the dwelling of a great person, namely—
emptiness.
Therefore, Sāriputta, if a bhikkhu should wish:
‘May I dwell much in the dwelling of emptiness,’ then, Sāriputta, that bhikkhu should reflect thus:
‘On the road by which I entered the village for alms, in the place where I walked for alms, and on the road by which I returned from the village after alms, was there in me, there, regarding forms [rūpesu] cognizable by the eye, any desire, lust, hatred, delusion, or resistance of mind?’
If, Sāriputta, while reviewing, a bhikkhu knows thus:
‘On the road by which I entered the village for alms, in the place where I walked for alms, and on the road by which I returned from the village after alms, there was in me, there, regarding forms [rūpesu] cognizable by the eye, desire, lust, hatred, delusion, or resistance of mind,’ then, Sāriputta, that bhikkhu should strive for the abandoning of those very bad, unskillful dhammas.
But if, Sāriputta, while reviewing, a bhikkhu knows thus:
‘On the road by which I entered the village for alms, in the place where I walked for alms, and on the road by which I returned from the village after alms, there was not in me, there, regarding forms [rūpesu] cognizable by the eye, any desire, lust, hatred, delusion, or resistance of mind,’ then, Sāriputta, that bhikkhu should dwell with that very pīti and gladness, training day and night in skillful dhammas.
Again, Sāriputta, a bhikkhu should reflect thus:
‘On the road by which I entered the village for alms, in the place where I walked for alms, and on the road by which I returned from the village after alms, was there in me, there, regarding sounds cognizable by the ear …
regarding odors cognizable by the nose …
regarding tastes cognizable by the tongue …
regarding tangibles cognizable by the body …
regarding dhammas cognizable by the mind, any desire, lust, hatred, delusion, or resistance of mind?’
If, Sāriputta, while reviewing, a bhikkhu knows thus:
‘On the road by which I entered the village for alms, in the place where I walked for alms, and on the road by which I returned from the village after alms, there was in me, there, regarding dhammas cognizable by the mind, desire, lust, hatred, delusion, or resistance of mind,’ then, Sāriputta, that bhikkhu should strive for the abandoning of those very bad, unskillful dhammas.
But if, Sāriputta, while reviewing, a bhikkhu knows thus:
‘On the road by which I entered the village for alms, in the place where I walked for alms, and on the road by which I returned from the village after alms, there was not in me, there, regarding dhammas cognizable by the mind, any desire, lust, hatred, delusion, or resistance of mind,’ then, Sāriputta, that bhikkhu should dwell with that very pīti and gladness, training day and night in skillful dhammas.
Again, Sāriputta, a bhikkhu should reflect thus:
‘Have the five strands of sensual pleasure been abandoned by me?’
If, Sāriputta, while reviewing, a bhikkhu knows thus:
‘The five strands of sensual pleasure have not been abandoned by me,’ then, Sāriputta, that bhikkhu should strive for the abandoning of the five strands of sensual pleasure.
But if, Sāriputta, while reviewing, a bhikkhu knows thus:
‘The five strands of sensual pleasure have been abandoned by me,’ then, Sāriputta, that bhikkhu should dwell with that very pīti and gladness, training day and night in skillful dhammas.
Again, Sāriputta, a bhikkhu should reflect thus:
‘Have the five hindrances been abandoned by me?’
If, Sāriputta, while reviewing, a bhikkhu knows thus:
‘The five hindrances have not been abandoned by me,’ then, Sāriputta, that bhikkhu should strive for the abandoning of the five hindrances.
But if, Sāriputta, while reviewing, a bhikkhu knows thus:
‘The five hindrances have been abandoned by me,’ then, Sāriputta, that bhikkhu should dwell with that very pīti and gladness, training day and night in skillful dhammas.
Again, Sāriputta, a bhikkhu should reflect thus:
‘Have the five aggregates subject to upādāna been fully understood by me?’
If, Sāriputta, while reviewing, a bhikkhu knows thus:
‘The five aggregates subject to upādāna have not been fully understood by me,’ then, Sāriputta, that bhikkhu should strive for the full understanding of the five aggregates subject to upādāna.
But if, Sāriputta, while reviewing, a bhikkhu knows thus:
‘The five aggregates subject to upādāna have been fully understood by me,’ then, Sāriputta, that bhikkhu should dwell with that very pīti and gladness, training day and night in skillful dhammas.
Again, Sāriputta, a bhikkhu should reflect thus:
‘Have the four satipaṭṭhānas been developed [bhāvitā] by me?’
If, Sāriputta, while reviewing, a bhikkhu knows thus:
‘The four satipaṭṭhānas have not been developed [abhāvitā] by me,’ then, Sāriputta, that bhikkhu should strive for the development [bhāvanāya] of the four satipaṭṭhānas.
But if, Sāriputta, while reviewing, a bhikkhu knows thus:
‘The four satipaṭṭhānas have been developed [bhāvitā] by me,’ then, Sāriputta, that bhikkhu should dwell with that very pīti and gladness, training day and night in skillful dhammas.
Again, Sāriputta, a bhikkhu should reflect thus:
‘Have the four right efforts been developed [bhāvitā] by me?’
If, Sāriputta, while reviewing, a bhikkhu knows thus:
‘The four right efforts have not been developed [abhāvitā] by me,’ then, Sāriputta, that bhikkhu should strive for the development [bhāvanāya] of the four right efforts.
But if, Sāriputta, while reviewing, a bhikkhu knows thus:
‘The four right efforts have been developed [bhāvitā] by me,’ then, Sāriputta, that bhikkhu should dwell with that very pīti and gladness, training day and night in skillful dhammas.
Again, Sāriputta, a bhikkhu should reflect thus:
‘Have the four bases of spiritual power been developed [bhāvitā] by me?’
If, Sāriputta, while reviewing, a bhikkhu knows thus:
‘The four bases of spiritual power have not been developed [abhāvitā] by me,’ then, Sāriputta, that bhikkhu should strive for the development [bhāvanāya] of the four bases of spiritual power.
But if, Sāriputta, while reviewing, a bhikkhu knows thus:
‘The four bases of spiritual power have been developed [bhāvitā] by me,’ then, Sāriputta, that bhikkhu should dwell with that very pīti and gladness, training day and night in skillful dhammas.
Again, Sāriputta, a bhikkhu should reflect thus:
‘Have the five indriyas been developed [bhāvitāni] by me?’
If, Sāriputta, while reviewing, a bhikkhu knows thus:
‘The five indriyas have not been developed [abhāvitāni] by me,’ then, Sāriputta, that bhikkhu should strive for the development [bhāvanāya] of the five indriyas.
But if, Sāriputta, while reviewing, a bhikkhu knows thus:
‘The five indriyas have been developed [bhāvitāni] by me,’ then, Sāriputta, that bhikkhu should dwell with that very pīti and gladness, training day and night in skillful dhammas.
Again, Sāriputta, a bhikkhu should reflect thus:
‘Have the five balas been developed [bhāvitāni] by me?’
If, Sāriputta, while reviewing, a bhikkhu knows thus:
‘The five balas have not been developed [abhāvitāni] by me,’ then, Sāriputta, that bhikkhu should strive for the development [bhāvanāya] of the five balas.
But if, Sāriputta, while reviewing, a bhikkhu knows thus:
‘The five balas have been developed [bhāvitāni] by me,’ then, Sāriputta, that bhikkhu should dwell with that very pīti and gladness, training day and night in skillful dhammas.
Again, Sāriputta, a bhikkhu should reflect thus:
‘Have the seven bojjhaṅgas been developed [bhāvitā] by me?’
If, Sāriputta, while reviewing, a bhikkhu knows thus:
‘The seven bojjhaṅgas have not been developed [abhāvitā] by me,’ then, Sāriputta, that bhikkhu should strive for the development [bhāvanāya] of the seven bojjhaṅgas.
But if, Sāriputta, while reviewing, a bhikkhu knows thus:
‘The seven bojjhaṅgas have been developed [bhāvitā] by me,’ then, Sāriputta, that bhikkhu should dwell with that very pīti and gladness, training day and night in skillful dhammas.
Again, Sāriputta, a bhikkhu should reflect thus:
‘Has the noble eightfold path been developed [bhāvito] by me?’
If, Sāriputta, while reviewing, a bhikkhu knows thus:
‘The noble eightfold path has not been developed [abhāvito] by me,’ then, Sāriputta, that bhikkhu should strive for the development [bhāvanāya] of the noble eightfold path.
But if, Sāriputta, while reviewing, a bhikkhu knows thus:
‘The noble eightfold path has been developed [bhāvito] by me,’ then, Sāriputta, that bhikkhu should dwell with that very pīti and gladness, training day and night in skillful dhammas.
Again, Sāriputta, a bhikkhu should reflect thus:
‘Have settling [samatho] and vipassanā been developed [bhāvitā] by me?’
If, Sāriputta, while reviewing, a bhikkhu knows thus:
‘Settling [samatho] and vipassanā have not been developed [abhāvitā] by me,’ then, Sāriputta, that bhikkhu should strive for the development [bhāvanāya] of settling and vipassanā.
But if, Sāriputta, while reviewing, a bhikkhu knows thus:
‘Settling [samatho] and vipassanā have been developed [bhāvitā] by me,’ then, Sāriputta, that bhikkhu should dwell with that very pīti and gladness, training day and night in skillful dhammas.
Again, Sāriputta, a bhikkhu should reflect thus:
‘Have knowledge and liberation been realized by me?’
If, Sāriputta, while reviewing, a bhikkhu knows thus:
‘Knowledge and liberation have not been realized by me,’ then, Sāriputta, that bhikkhu should strive for the realization of knowledge and liberation.
But if, Sāriputta, while reviewing, a bhikkhu knows thus:
‘Knowledge and liberation have been realized by me,’ then, Sāriputta, that bhikkhu should dwell with that very pīti and gladness, training day and night in skillful dhammas.
For whatever ascetics or brahmins in the past purified almsfood, all of them purified almsfood in just this way, having reviewed and reviewed.
And whatever ascetics or brahmins in the future will purify almsfood, all of them will purify almsfood in just this way, having reviewed and reviewed.
And whatever ascetics or brahmins at present purify almsfood, all of them purify almsfood in just this way, having reviewed and reviewed.
Therefore, Sāriputta, you should train thus: ‘Having reviewed and reviewed, we will purify almsfood’—
for thus, Sāriputta, should you train.”
The Bhagavā said this.
Satisfied, Venerable Sāriputta delighted in the Bhagavā's statement.
The Purification of Almsfood is finished, the ninth.