10.71. Wishes (AN10.71)

On one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Savatthi in Jeta’s Grove, Anathapindika’s monastery. There he addressed the monks, “Monks!”

“Yes, lord,” the monks responded.

The Blessed One said: “Monks, dwell consummate in virtue, consummate in terms of the Patimokkha. Dwell restrained in accordance with the Patimokkha, consummate in your behavior & sphere of activity. Train yourselves, having undertaken the training rules, seeing danger in the slightest faults.

[1] “If a monk would wish, ‘May I be dear & pleasing to my fellows in the holy life, respected by & inspiring to them,’ then he should be one who brings the precepts to perfection, who is committed to inner tranquillity of awareness, who does not neglect jhana, who is endowed with insight, and who frequents empty dwellings.

[2] “If a monk would wish, ‘May I be someone who receives robes, almsfood, lodgings, & medical requisites for curing the sick,’ then he should be one who brings the precepts to perfection, who is committed to inner tranquillity of awareness, who does not neglect jhana, who is endowed with insight, and who frequents empty dwellings.

[3] “If a monk would wish, ‘Whatever I use or consume in terms of robes, almsfood, lodgings, & medical requisites for curing the sick, may that be of great fruit, of great benefit to those who provided them,’ then he should be one who brings the precepts to perfection, who is committed to inner tranquillity of awareness, who does not neglect jhana, who is endowed with insight, and who frequents empty dwellings.

[4] “If a monk would wish, ‘When my kinsmen & relatives who have died & passed away recollect me with brightened minds, may it be of great fruit, of great benefit,’ then he should be one who brings the precepts to perfection, who is committed to inner tranquility of awareness, who does not neglect jhana, who is endowed with insight, and who frequents empty dwellings.

[5] “If a monk would wish, ‘May I be content with whatever robes, almsfood, lodgings, & medical requisites for curing the sick are available,’ then he should be one who brings the precepts to perfection, who is committed to inner tranquillity of awareness, who does not neglect jhana, who is endowed with insight, and who frequents empty dwellings.

[6] “If a monk would wish, ‘May I be resistant to cold, heat, hunger, & thirst; to the touch of gadflies & mosquitoes, wind & sun & creeping things; to abusive, hurtful language; to bodily feelings that, when they arise, are painful, sharp, stabbing, fierce, distasteful, deadly,’ then he should be one who brings the precepts to perfection, who is committed to inner tranquillity of awareness, who does not neglect jhana, who is endowed with insight, and who frequents empty dwellings.

[7] “If a monk would wish, ‘May I overcome displeasure, and not be overcome by displeasure. May I dwell conquering again & again any displeasure that has arisen,’ then he should be one who brings the precepts to perfection, who is committed to inner tranquillity of awareness, who does not neglect jhana, who is endowed with insight, and who frequents empty dwellings.

[8] “If a monk would wish, ‘May I overcome fear & dread, and not be overcome by fear & dread. May I dwell conquering again & again any fear & dread that have arisen,’ then he should be one who brings the precepts to perfection, who is committed to inner tranquillity of awareness, who does not neglect jhana, who is endowed with insight, and who frequents empty dwellings.

[9] “If a monk would wish, ‘May I attain—whenever I want, without strain, without difficulty—the four jhanas that are heightened mental states, pleasant abidings in the here-&-now,’ then he should be one who brings the precepts to perfection, who is committed to inner tranquillity of awareness, who does not neglect jhana, who is endowed with insight, and who frequents empty dwellings.

[10] “If a monk would wish, ‘May I—with the ending of mental fermentations—remain in the fermentation-free awareness-release & discernment-release, having directly known & realized them for myself in the here-&-now,’ then he should be one who brings the precepts to perfection, who is committed to inner tranquillity of awareness, who does not neglect jhana, who is endowed with insight, and who frequents empty dwellings.

“‘Monks, dwell consummate in virtue, consummate in terms of the Patimokkha. Dwell restrained in accordance with the Patimokkha, consummate in your behavior & sphere of activity. Train yourselves, having undertaken the training rules, seeing danger in the slightest faults.’ Thus was it said. And in reference to this was it said.”

Translated from the Pali by: Thanissaro Bhikkhu.

©1998 Thanissaro Bhikkhu. The text of this page is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. To view a copy of the license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/. Documents linked from this page may be subject to other restrictions. Transcribed from a file provided by the translator.

Access to Insight (Legacy Edition), 30 November 2013, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/

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