125. The Grade of the Tamed (MN125)

Thus I heard:

On one occasion the Blessed One was living at Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrels’ Feeding Place.

Now on that occasion the novice Aciravata was living in a forest hut. Then as Prince Jayasena was wandering and walking for exercise he went to the novice Aciravata and exchanged greetings with him, and when this courteous and amiable talk was finished, he sat down at one side. When he had done so, he said: “Aggivessana, I have heard this: A bhikkhu who lives here diligent, ardent and self-controlled might achieve unification of mind.”

“That is so, Prince, that is so: A bhikkhu who lives here diligent, ardent and self-contfolled might achieve unification of mind.”

“It would be good if Master Aggivessana taught me the Dhamma according as he has heard and mastered it.”

“I cannot teach you the Dhamma, Prince, according as I have heard and mastered it. And then, Prince, were I to teach you the Dhamma according as I have heard and mastered it, you might not know the meaning of what I said; and that would be wearisome and a bother for me.”

“Let Master Aggivessana teach me the Dhamma according as he has heard and mastered it. Perhaps I might know the meaning of what Master Aggivessana said.”

“I might teach you the Dhamma, Prince… If you know the meaning of what I say, that will be good. If you do not know the meaning of what I say, then leave it at that and question me no further about it.”

Then the novice Aciravata taught Prince Jayasena the Dhamma according as he had heard and mastered it.

When this was said, Prince Jayasena remarked: “It is impossible, Master Aggivessana, it cannot be, that a bhikkhu who lives diligent and self-controlled might achieve unification of mind.”

Then, having told the novice Aciravata that it was impossible and could not be, Prince Jayasena got up from his seat and went away.

Then soon after Prince Jayasena had gone, the novice Aciravata went to the Blessed One, and after paying homage to him, he sat down at one side. When had done so, he recounted to the Blessed One all his conversation with Prince Jayasena. When this was said, the Blessed One said:

“Aggivessana, how could it possibly happen that what is to be known through renunciation, seen through renunciation, reached through renunciation, realized through renunciation, will ever be known, seen, reached or realized by Prince Jayasena, who lives in the midst of sensual desires, enjoys sensual desires, is devoured by sensual desires, is consumed by the fever of sensual desires, is bent on seeking sensual desires? That is not possible.

“Suppose there were two tamable elephants, or two tamable horses, or two tamable oxen, that were well-tamed and well-disciplined, and also tamable elephants or tamable horses or tamable oxen that were untamed and undisciplined. How do you conceive this, Aggivessana, those two tamable elephants, horses or oxen, well-tamed and well-disciplined, would they perhaps being tamed, go as the tamed go, would they reach the grade of the tamed?”

“Yes, venerable sir.”

“But those two tamable elephants, horses or oxen, untamed and undisciplined, would they, being untamed, go as the tamed go, would they reach the grade of the tamed as those two well-tamed, well-disciplined elephants, horses or oxen did?”

“No, venerable sir.”

“So too, Aggivessana, that what is to be known through renunciation… Will ever be known… by Prince Jayasena who lives in the midst of sensual desires… that is not possible.

“Suppose there were a high rock not far from a village or town and two friends went out from the village or town and approached the rock hand in hand, and having done so, one of them remained below at the foot of the rock while the other climbed up on the rock; then the one who remained below said to the other at the summit: ‘Well, friend, what do you see, standing on top of the rock?’ And the other replied: ‘Standing on top of the rock, friend, I see beautiful parks and groves and meadows and lakes.’ Then the first said: ‘It is impossible, friend, it cannot be, that you standing on top of the rock should see beautiful parks and groves and meadows and lakes.’ Then the other came down from the top of the rock and taking his companion at the foot of the rock below by the arm, he made him climb to the top of the rock, and then, after letting him breathe a little, he asked: ‘Well, friend, what do you see standing on the top of the rock?’ And the first replied: ‘Standing on the top of the rock, friend, I see beautiful parks and groves and meadows and lakes.’ Then the other said: ‘Friend, just a little earlier we heard you speak thus: “It is impossible, friend, it cannot be, that you standing on the top of the rock should see beautiful parks and groves and meadows and lakes”; but just now we heard you say this.’ Then the first replied: ‘I was so obstructed by this great rock that I did not see what was there to be seen.’

“So too, Aggivessana, Prince Jayasena is obstructed, screened, blocked and shut off by a still greater mountain of ignorance, that what is to be known through renunciation… will ever be known… by Prince Jayasena, who lives in the midst of sensual desires… that is not possible.

“Aggivessana, if these two similes had occurred to you spontaneously while talking to Prince Jayasena, he would have acquired confidence in you, and having acquired confidence he would have acquainted you with the fact.”

“Venerable sir, how should these two similes occur to me as spontaneous and never heard before, as they have done to the Blessed One?”

“Aggivessana, suppose a head-anointed warrior-noble king addressed his elephant woodsman thus: ‘Good elephant woodsman, mount the king’s elephant and go into the elephant wood, then when you see a forest elephant, fasten him to the king’s elephant’s neck.’ Then replying: ‘Even so, sire’, the elephant woodsman mounted the king’s elephant and went into the elephant wood. Then when he saw a forest elephant, he fastened him to the king’s elephant’s neck. Then the king’s elephant led him out into the open—and that is how the forest elephant comes into the open, since a forest elephant cleaves to that, that is to say, the elephant wood— then the elephant woodsman informed the head-anointed warrior-noble king: ‘Sire, the forest elephant has come into the open.’ Then the head-anointed warrior-noble king addressed his elephant-tamer thus: ‘Come, good elephant-tamer, tame the forest elephant in order to subdue his forest habits, in order to subdue his forest memories and intentions, in order to subdue his forest distress, fatigue and fever, in order to get him to take delight within the town, and in order to inculcate in him habits to men’s liking.’ ‘Even so, sire’, the elephant-tamer replied. Then he embedded a large post in the earth and fastened the forest elephant to it by the neck in order to subdue his forest habits… and in order to inculcate in him habits to men’s liking. Then he treated the forest elephant with such words as are innocent, pleasing to the ear, and lovable, as go to the heart, are civil, desired of many and dear to many; and as soon as he was treated with such words, he was willing to hear, gave ear, and established his mind in knowledge; then the elephant-tamer rewarded him with grass fodder and water; and as soon as the forest elephant accepted the grass fodder and water from him he knew ‘Now he will live; he is the king’s elephant’. Then the elephant-tamer makes him act thus: ‘Take up, sir! Put down, sir!’ and as soon as the king’s elephant obeyed the elephant-tamer’s orders to take up and put down, and carried out his instructions, then the elephant-tamer further makes him act thus: ‘Forward, sir! Back, sir!’ and as soon as the king’s elephant obeyed the elephant-tamer’s orders to go forward and back, and carried out his instructions, then the elephant-tamer further makes him act thus: ‘Get up, sir! Sit down, sir!’ and as soon as the king’s elephant obeyed the elephant-tamer’s orders to get up and sit down and carried out his instructions, then the elephant-tamer further makes him act in the way called imperturbability: he fastened a giant’s shield to his trunk, and a man with a lance in his hand was seated on his neck, and men with lances in their hands surrounded him on all sides, and the elephant-tamer himself stood in front of him with a long lance pole in his hand, and in doing his act of imperturbability he moved neither his fore feet nor his hind feet, nor the fore part nor the hind part of his body, nor his head nor his ears nor his tusks nor his tail nor his trunk; the king’s elephant endured blows from spears, swords, arrows and other beings, and sounds of drums, kettledrums and trumpets, and, being rid of all faults and defects, with fears removed, he was worthy of the king, in the king’s employ, and counted as one of the king’s limbs.

“So too, Aggivessana, here a Tathāgata appears in the world, Arahant and Fully Enlightened, perfect in true knowledge and conduct, sublime, knower of worlds, incomparable leader of men to be tamed, teacher of gods and men, enlightened, blessed.

“He declares this world with its gods, its Māras and its Brahmā Divinities, this generation with its monks and divines, with its kings and men, which he has himself realized by direct knowledge.

“He teaches Dhamma good in the beginning, good in the middle and good in the end, with the right meaning and phrasing, and he announces a life divine that is utterly perfect and pure.

“A householder or householder’s son or one born in some clan hears that Dhamma. On hearing the Dhamma he acquires faith in the Tathāgata. Possessing that faith, he considers thus: ‘House life is crowded and dirty; life gone forth is wide open. It is not possible, living in a household, to lead a life divine as utterly perfect and pure as a polished shell. Suppose I shaved off hair and beard, put on the yellow cloth, and went forth from the home life into homelessness?’

“And on another occasion, abandoning perhaps a small, perhaps a large fortune, abandoning perhaps a small, perhaps a large circle of relatives, he shaves off hair and beard, puts on the yellow cloth, and goes forth from the home life into homelessness.

“Being thus gone forth and possessing the bhikkhus’ training and way of life, abandoning killing living beings, he becomes one who abstains from killing living beings; with rod and weapon laid aside, gentle and kindly, he abides compassionate to all beings.

“Abandoning taking what is not given, he becomes one who abstains from taking what is not given; taking only what is given, expecting only what is given, he abides pure in himself by not stealing.

“Abandoning what is not the life divine, he becomes one who lives the life divine, who lives apart, abstaining from vulgar lechery.

“Abandoning false speech, he becomes one who abstains from false speech, he speaks truth, cleaves to truth, is trustworthy, reliable and undeceiving of the world.

“Abandoning malicious speech, he becomes one who abstains from malicious speech: as one who is neither a repeater elsewhere of what is heard here for the purpose of causing division from these, nor a repeater to these of what is heard elsewhere for the purpose of causing division from those, who is thus a reuniter of the divided, a promoter of friendships, and enjoying concord, rejoicing in concord, delighting in concord, he becomes a speaker of words that promote concord.

“Abandoning harsh speech, he becomes one who abstains from harsh speech: he becomes a speaker of such words as are innocent, pleasing to the ear and lovable, as go to the heart, are civil, desired of many and dear to many.

“Abandoning gossip, he becomes one who abstains from gossip: as one who tells in season what is true and beneficial and the Dhamma and Discipline, he becomes a speaker of timely words, worth recalling, reasoned, measured and connected with good.

“He becomes one who abstains from injuring seeds and plants.

“He becomes one who eats in only one part of the day, refusing food at night and late meals.

“He becomes one who abstains from dancing, singing, music and theatrical shows.

“He becomes one who abstains from wearing of garlands, smartening with scent and embellishment with unguents.

“He becomes one who abstains from high and large couches.

“He becomes one who abstains from accepting gold and silver, and goes forth from the house life into homelessness.

“And that is how a noble disciple comes into the open since gods and men cleave to that, that is to say, the five cords of sensual desire.

“Then the Tathāgata further disciplines him thus: ‘Come, bhikkhu, be virtuous, restrained with the Pāṭimokkha restraint of the bhikkhus’ Rule, perfect in conduct and resort, and, seeing fear in the slightest fault, train by undertaking the training precepts.’

“As soon as the bhikkhu is virtuous, restrained with the Pāṭimokkha restraint, perfect in conduct and resort, and, seeing fear in the slightest fault, trains himself by undertaking the training precepts, then the Tathāgata disciplines him further:

“‘Come bhikkhu, keep the doors of the faculties guarded. On seeing a form with the eye, apprehend no signs or features through which, if you leave the eye-door unguarded, evil unprofitable dhammas of covetousness and grief might invade you; practise the way of its restraint, guard the eye-faculty, undertake the restraint of the eye-faculty. On hearing a sound with the ear… On smelling an odour with the nose… On tasting a flavour with the tongue… On touching a tangible with the body… On cognizing a dhamma with the mind, apprehend no signs or features through which, if you leave the mind-door unguarded, evil unprofitable dhammas of covetousness and grief might invade you. Practise the way of its restraint, guard the mind-faculty, undertake the restraint of the mind-faculty.’

“As soon as the bhikkhu keeps the doors of the faculties guarded, then the Tathāgata disciplines him further:

“‘Come bhikkhu, be one who knows the right amount in eating. Reflecting wisely you should nourish yourself with nutriment neither for amusement nor for intoxication nor for smartening nor for embellishment, but only for the endurance and continuance of this body, for the ending of discomfort, and for assisting the life divine. “Thus I shall terminate old feelings without arousing new feelings and blameless, I shall live in comfort and health.”’

“As soon as the bhikkhu knows the right amount in eating, then the Tathāgata disciplines him further:

“‘Come bhikkhu, abide devoted to wakefulness. By day while walking and sitting purify the mind of obstructive dhammas. In the first watch of the night while walking and sitting, purify the mind of obstructive dhammas. In the middle watch of the night, lie down on the right side in the lion’s sleeping pose with one foot overlapping the other, mindful and fully aware, after noting in the mind the time for arising. After rising, in the third watch while walking and sitting, purify the mind of obstructive dhammas.’

“As soon as the bhikkhu is devoted to wakefulness, then the Tathāgata disciplines him further:

“‘Come bhikkhu, be possessed of mindfulness and full awareness. Be one who acts in full awareness when moving forward and moving backward; who acts in full awareness when looking towards and looking away; who acts in full awareness when flexing and extending; who acts in full awareness when wearing the patched cloak, bowl and robes; who acts in full awareness when eating, drinking, chewing and tasting; who acts in full awareness when evacuating the bowels and making water; who acts in full awareness when walking, standing, sitting, falling asleep, waking up, talking and keeping silent.’

“As soon as the bhikkhu is possessed of mindfulness and full awareness, then the Tathāgata disciplines him further:

“‘Come bhikkhu, resort to a secluded resting place: to a forest, to the root of a tree, to a rock, to a hill-cleft, to a mountain cave, to a charnel ground, to a woodland solitude, to an open space, to a heap of straw.’

“He resorts to a secluded resting place: to a forest… On return from his alms-round after his meal he sits down, folding his legs crosswise, setting his body erect and establishing mindfulness before him. Abandoning covetousness for the world he abides with his mind free from covetousness, he purifies his mind from covetousness; abandoning ill-will and hatred, he abides with his mind free from ill-will and compassionate to all living beings he purifies his mind from ill-will and hatred; abandoning lethargy-and-drowsiness, he abides free from lethargy-and-drowsiness, percipient of light and mindful and fully aware he purifies his mind from lethargy-and-drowsiness; abandoning agitation-and-worry, he abides unagitated with a mind calmed in himself, he purifies his mind of agitation-and-worry; abandoning uncertainty, he abides with uncertainty crossed over, undoubting about profitable dhammas, he purifies his mind from uncertainty.

“Having abandoned these five hindrances, defilements of the mind that weaken understanding, he abides contemplating the body as a body, ardent, fully aware and mindful, having put away covetousness and grief for the world; he abides contemplating feelings as feelings… he abides contemplating mind as mind… he abides contemplating dhammas as dhammas, ardent, fully aware and mindful, having put away covetousness and grief for the world.

“Just as the elephant-tamer embedded a large post in the earth and fastened the forest elephant to it by the neck in order to subdue his forest habits… and in order to inculcate in him habits to men’s liking, so too these four foundations of mindfulness are the fastening for the noble disciple’s mind in order to subdue his house-based habits, in order to subdue his house-based intentions, and in order to subdue his house-based distress, fatigue and fever, for the attaining of the true way and the realization of Nibbāna.

“Then the Tathāgata further disciplines him thus: ‘Come, bhikkhu, abide contemplating the body as a body but do not think thoughts connected with the body: abide contemplating feelings as feelings… mind as mind… abide contemplating dhammas as dhammas but do not think thoughts connected with dhammas.’

“With the stilling of initial application and sustained application he enters upon and abides in the second jhāna…

“… third jhāna… who has equanimity and is mindful.

“When his concentrated mind, bright, unblemished, rid of imperfection, malleable, wieldy, steady, and attained to imperturbability, he directs, he inclines the mind to knowledge of the recollection of past life.

“He recollects his manifold past life, that is to say, one birth… five births, ten births… fifty births, a hundred births, a thousand births, a hundred thousand births, many aeons of world contraction, many aeons of world expansion, many aeons of world contraction and expansion: ‘There I was so named, of such a race, with such qualities of appearance, such was my nutriment, such my experience of pleasure and pain, such my life-term; and passing away from there, I appeared elsewhere; and there too I was so-named, of such a race, with such qualities of appearance, such was my nutriment, such my experience of pleasure and pain, such my life-term’; and passing away from there he appeared here. Thus with details and particulars he recollects his manifold past life.

“When the concentrated mind was thus quite purified, bright, unblemished, rid of imperfection, malleable, wieldy, steady, and attained to imperturbability, he directs, he inclines the mind to knowledge of the passing away and reappearance of beings.

“With the heavenly eyesight which is purified and surpasses the human, he sees beings passing away and reappearing, inferior and superior, fair and ugly, well-behaved and ill-behaved; he understands how beings pass on according to their kammas, thus: ‘These worthy beings who are ill-conducted in body, speech and mind, revilers of Noble Ones, wrong in their views, giving effect to wrong view in their kammas (actions), have, on the dissolution of the body, after death, appeared in a state of deprivation, in a bad destination, in perdition, even in hell; but these worthy beings, who are well-conducted in body, speech and mind, not revilers of Noble Ones, right in their views, giving effect to right view in their kammas (actions), have, on the dissolution of the body, after death, appeared in a good destination, even in the heavenly world.’ Thus with heavenly eyesight which is purified and surpasses the human, he sees beings passing away and reappearing, inferior and superior, fair and ugly, well-behaved and ill-behaved: he understands how beings pass on according to their kamma.

“When the concentrated mind is thus purified and bright, unblemished, rid of imperfection, and become malleable, wieldy, steady and attained to unperturbability, he directs, he inclines the mind to knowledge of exhaustion of taints.

“He has direct knowledge thus: ‘This is suffering’. He has direct knowledge thus: ‘This is the origin of suffering’. He has direct knowledge thus: ‘This is the cessation of suffering’. He has direct knowledge thus: ‘This is the way leading to the cessation of suffering’. He has direct knowledge thus: ‘These are taints’. He has direct knowledge thus: ‘This is the origin of taints’. He has direct knowledge thus: ‘This is the cessation of taints’. He has direct knowledge thus: ‘This is the way leading to the cessation of taints’.

“When he knows and sees thus, the mind is liberated from the taints of sensual desire, from the taints of being and from the taints of ignorance. When liberated there comes the knowledge ‘It is liberated’. He has direct knowledge thus: ‘Birth is exhausted, the life divine has been lived out, what can be done is done, there is no more of this to come.’

“That bhikkhu is one who bears cold and heat, hunger and thirst, and contact with mosquitoes and flies, wind, sun and creeping things, who endures ill-spoken unwelcome words, and arisen bodily feelings that are painful, racking, sharp, piercing, disagreeable, distressing, and menacing to life; being rid of all lust, hate and delusion, with flaws removed, he is fit for gifts, fit for hospitality, fit for offerings, fit for reverential salutation, an incomparable field of merit for the world.

“If the king’s elephant when old dies untamed and undisciplined, it is an untamed death that he is reckoned to have died. If the king’s elephant when middle-aged dies untamed and undisciplined, it is an untamed death that he is reckoned to have died. If the king’s elephant when young dies untamed and undisciplined, it is an untamed death that he is reckoned to have died. So too, if an elder bhikkhu dies with the taints unexhausted, it is an untamed death that he is reckoned to have died. If a middle bhikkhu… If a new bhikkhu dies with taints unexhausted, it is an untamed death that he is reckoned to have died.

“If the king’s elephant when old dies well-tamed and well-disciplined, it is a tamed death that he is reckoned to have died. If the king’s elephant when middle-aged… If the king’s elephant when young dies well-tamed and well-disciplined, it is a tamed death that he is reckoned to have died. So too, if an elder bhikkhu dies with the taints exhausted, it is a tamed death that he is reckoned to have died. If a middle bhikkhu… If a new bhikkhu dies with the taints exhausted, it is a tamed death that he is reckoned to have died.”

This is what the Blessed One said. The novice Aciravata was satisfied and delighted in the Blessed One’s words.

This is an excerpt from A Treasury of the Buddha's Words, a collection of suttas from the Majjhima Nikāya translated by Ven. Nyanamoli Thera and edited by Khantipalo Bhikkhu in 1977.

It was printed in Thailand by Mahāmakut Rājavidyālaya Press for free distribution.