Every Vice (MN2)

Every Vice

Thus have I heard.

At one time the Buddha was living at Sāvatthi, in Jeta’s grove, at Anāthapiṇḍika's park.

There the Buddha addressed the monks:

“Monks!”

“Venerable Sir,” those monks replied to the Buddha.

The Buddha said this:

“Monks, I will teach you how to control every vice.

Listen to this and carefully apply your mind to it; I will speak.”

“Yes, Bhante,” those monks replied to the Buddha.

The Buddha said this:

“Monks, I say that the elimination of vices is for one who knows and sees, not for one who does not know and does not see.

For one who knows and sees what?

Application of mind based on an understanding of causality, and application of mind not based on an understanding of causality.

Monks, when one applies one’s mind without an understanding of causality, one develops new vices, and one’s old vices grow stronger.

Monks, when one applies one’s mind based on an understanding of causality, one does not develop new vices, and one’s old vices are abandoned.

Monks, there are vices to be abandoned by seeing, vices to be abandoned by self-control, vices to be abandoned by using, vices to be abandoned by enduring, vices to be abandoned by avoiding, vices to be abandoned by removing, and vices to be abandoned by cultivating.

Vices to be Abandoned by Seeing

Monks, what are the vices to be abandoned by seeing?

In this case, monks, an uneducated commoner—one who does not see noble people and is not skilled and disciplined in the teachings of noble people, and who does not see good people and is not skilled and disciplined in the teachings of good people—

does not understand what the mind should not be applied to and what the mind should be applied to.

Since they do not understand what the mind should be applied and what the mind should not be applied to, they apply their mind to what they should not apply it to and they do not apply their mind to what they should apply it to.

And, monks, what should the mind not be applied to that they apply their mind to?

Monks, anything which, when the mind is applied to it, causes a new vice related to sensuality to develop, or causes an old vice related to sensuality to grow stronger;

or causes a new vice related to states of being to develop, or causes an old vice related to states of being to grow stronger;

or causes a new vice related to ignorance to develop, or causes an old vice related to ignorance to grow stronger;

this is what the mind should not be applied to that they apply their mind to.

And, monks, what should the mind be applied to that they do not apply their mind to?

Monks, anything which, when the mind is applied to it, does not cause a new vice related to sensuality to develop, or causes an old vice related to sensuality to be abandoned;

or does not cause a new vice related to states of being to develop, or causes an old vice related to states of being to be abandoned;

or does not cause a new vice related to ignorance to develop, or causes an old vice related to ignorance to be abandoned;

this is what the mind should be applied to that they do not apply their mind to.

So when they apply their mind to that which it should not be applied to and do not apply their mind to that which it should be applied to, they develop new vices and their old vices grow stronger.

This is how they apply their mind without an understanding of causality:

they think, ‘Did I exist in the past? Did I not exist in the past? What was I in the past? How was I in the past? Having done what, what did I become in the past?’

‘Will I exist in the future? Will I not exist in the future? What will I be in the future? How will I be in the future? Having done what, what will I become in the future?’

Or they are confused about the present:

‘Do I exist? Do I not exist? What am I? How am I? Where did this being come from? Where will it go from here?’

When one applies one’s mind in this way, one of six beliefs arises:

The belief ‘I have a soul’ arises and seems true and certain.

Or the belief ‘I do not have a soul’ arises and seems true and certain.

Or the belief ‘Using the soul, I perceive the soul’ arises and seems true and certain.

Or the belief ‘Using the soul, I perceive what is not the soul’ arises and seems true and certain.

Or the belief ‘Using what is not the soul, I perceive the soul’ arises and seems true and certain.

Or they have this belief:

‘This is my soul; it speaks, it feels, it experiences the results of good and evil actions; and this soul of mine is permanent, stable, eternal, unchanging, and will remain like this for eternity.’

Monks, this is called settling on a belief, becoming entangled in a belief, becoming disturbed by a belief, becoming agitated by a belief, becoming shackled by a belief.

Shackled by a belief, monks, the uneducated commoner is not freed from birth, decrepitude, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, depression, and anguish;

they are not freed from suffering, I say.

Monks, an educated disciple of the noble ones—

one who sees noble people and is skilled and disciplined in the teachings of noble people, and who sees good people and is skilled and disciplined in the teachings of good people—

understands what the mind the should be applied to and what the mind should not be applied to.

Since they understand what the mind should be applied and what the mind should not be applied to, they do not apply their mind to what they should not apply it to and they do apply their mind to what they should apply it to.

And, monks, what should the mind not be applied to that they do not apply their mind to?

Monks, anything which, when the mind is applied to it, causes a new vice related to sensuality to develop, or causes an old vice related to sensuality to grow stronger;

or causes a new vice related to states of being to develop, or causes an old vice related to states of being to grow stronger;

or causes a new vice related to ignorance to develop, or causes an old vice related to ignorance to grow stronger;

this is what the mind should not be applied to that they do not apply their mind to.

And, monks, what should the mind be applied to that they apply their mind to?

Monks, anything which, when the mind is applied to it, does not cause a new vice related to sensuality to develop, or causes an old vice related to sensuality to be abandoned;

or does not cause a new vice related to states of being to develop, or causes an old vice related to states of being to be abandoned;

or does not cause a new vice related to ignorance to develop, or causes an old vice related to ignorance to be abandoned;

this is what the mind should be applied to that they apply their mind to.

So when they do not apply their mind to that which it should not be applied to and do apply their mind to that which it should be applied to, they do not develop new vices and their old vices are abandoned.

They apply their mind based on an understanding of causality in this way: ‘This is suffering,’ ‘This is the cause suffering,’ ‘This is the cessation of suffering,’ ‘This is the path of practice which leads to the cessation of suffering.’

Applying the mind based on an understanding of causality in this way, three shackles are abandoned:

belief in self-existence, skepticism, and misapprehension of habitual practices.

Monks, these are called the vices to be abandoned by seeing.

Vices to be Abandoned by Self-Control

Monks, what are the vices to be abandoned by self-control?

In this case, monks, contemplating causality, a monk practices self-control regarding the sense of sight.

Because, monks, when one does not practice self-control regarding the sense of sight, then disturbing and feverish vices develop; but when one practices self-control regarding the sense of sight, then those disturbing and feverish vices are not present.

Contemplating causality, a monk practices self-control regarding the sense of sound…

sense of smell…

sense of taste…

sense of touch…

sense of cognition.

Because, monks, when one does not practice self-control regarding the sense of cognition, then disturbing and feverish vices develop; but when one practices self-control regarding the sense of cognition, then those disturbing and feverish vices are not present.

Because, monks, when one does not practice self-control, then disturbing and feverish vices develop; but when one practices self-control, then those disturbing and feverish vices are not present.

Monks, these are called the vices to be abandoned by self-control.

Vices to be Abandoned by Using

Monks, what are the vices to be abandoned by using?

In this case, monks, contemplating causality, a monk uses their robe

just for the purpose of not getting too cold; not getting too hot; not coming in contact with flies, mosquitoes, wind, sunburn, and reptiles; and to cover the genitals.

Contemplating causality, a monk uses almsfood

not for entertainment, not for intoxication, not for beauty, not for decoration; but just for the sustenance and health of their body, and to support the spiritual life; thinking, ‘In this way, I will remove old feelings and I will not produce new feelings, so that I will be blameless and comfortable.’

Contemplating causality, a monk uses their dwelling

just for the purpose of not getting too cold; not getting too hot; not coming in contact with flies, mosquitoes, wind, sunburn, and reptiles; protection from weather; and to enjoy personal retreat.

Contemplating causality, a monk uses medicines and medicinal supplies

just for the purpose of preventing affliction and to be free from illness.

Because, monks, when one does not practice proper use, then disturbing and feverish vices develop; but when one practices proper use, then those disturbing and feverish vices are not present.

Monks, these are called the vices to be abandoned by using.

Vices to be Abandoned by Enduring

Monks, what are the vices to be abandoned by enduring?

In this case, monks, contemplating causality, a monk endures cold and heat; hunger and thirst; contact with flies, mosquitoes, wind, sunburn, and reptiles; improper and unwelcome statements; physical sensations that are painful, sharp, harsh, severe, uncomfortable, unpleasant, and life-threatening.

Because, monks, when one does not endure, then disturbing and feverish vices develop; but when one endures, then those disturbing and feverish vices are not present.

Monks, these are called the vices to be abandoned by enduring.

Vices to be Abandoned by Avoiding

Monks, what are the vices to be abandoned by avoiding?

In this case, monks, contemplating causality, a monk avoids a wild elephant, a wild horse, a wild ox, a wild dog, a snake, a stump, a thorn-bush, a pit, a precipice, a swamp, a sewer;

contemplating causality, a monk avoids sitting in improper places, going to improper places, or associating with evil friends, since such behavior might give one’s discerning spiritual companions cause for suspicion.

Because, monks, when one does not avoid such things, then disturbing and feverish vices develop; but when one avoids such things, then those disturbing and feverish vices are not present.

Monks, these are called the vices to be abandoned by avoiding.

Vices to be Abandoned by Removing

Monks, what are the vices to be abandoned by removing?

In this case, monks, contemplating causality, a monk does not tolerate a sensual thought that is present, but instead abandons it, removes it, terminates it, and annihilates it; does not tolerate an aversive thought that is present, but instead abandons it, removes it, terminates it, and annihilates it; does not tolerate a malicious thought that is present, but instead abandons it, removes it, terminates it, and annihilates it; does not tolerate any harmful, unwholesome qualities that are present, but instead abandons them, removes them, terminates them, and annihilates them.

Because, monks, when one does not remove such things, then disturbing and feverish vices develop; but when one removes such things, then those disturbing and feverish vices are not present.

Monks, these are called the vices to be abandoned by removing.

Vices to be Abandoned by Cultivating

Monks, what are the vices to be abandoned by cultivating?

In this case, monks, contemplating causality, a monk cultivates the mindfulness factor of awakening, which is dependent on seclusion, dispassion, and cessation, and culminates in relinquishment;

contemplating causality, a monk cultivates the investigation factor of awakening…

the determination factor of awakening…

the euphoria factor of awakening…

the tranquility factor of awakening…

the concentration factor of awakening…

the equanimity factor of awakening, which is dependent on seclusion, dispassion, and cessation, and culminates in relinquishment;

Because, monks, when one does not cultivate such things, then disturbing and feverish vices develop; but when one cultivates such things, then those disturbing and feverish vices are not present.

Monks, these are called the vices to be abandoned by cultivating.

Monks, when a monk has abandoned by seeing the vices to be abandoned by seeing, has abandoned by self-control the vices to be abandoned by self-control, has abandoned by using the vices to be abandoned by using, has abandoned by enduring the vices to be abandoned by enduring, has abandoned by avoiding the vices to be abandoned by avoiding, has abandoned by removing the vices to be abandoned by removing, and has abandoned by cultivating the vices to be abandoned by cultivating,

that monk is called a monk who has controlled every vice, cut off craving, opened the shackles, and through a correct comprehension of conceit has put an end to suffering.”

This is what the Buddha said.

Satisfied, those monks rejoiced in the Buddha’s statement.