Buddhism · Sutta Pitaka · Linked Discourses (Saṁyutta)

SN 35.120

Sāriputta and the Protégé · Sāriputtasaddhivihārikasutta

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At one time Venerable Sāriputta was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Then a certain mendicant went up to Venerable Sāriputta, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side, and said to him, “Reverend Sāriputta, a mendicant protégé of mine has resigned the training and returned to a lesser life.”

Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā sāriputto sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Atha kho aññataro bhikkhu yenāyasmā sāriputto tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā sāriputtena saddhiṁ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho so bhikkhu āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ etadavoca: “saddhivihāriko, āvuso sāriputta, bhikkhu sikkhaṁ paccakkhāya hīnāyāvatto”ti.

“That’s how it is, reverend, when someone doesn’t 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.

“Evametaṁ, āvuso, hoti indriyesu aguttadvārassa, bhojane amattaññuno, jāgariyaṁ ananuyuttassa. ‘So vatāvuso, bhikkhu indriyesu aguttadvāro bhojane amattaññū jāgariyaṁ ananuyutto yāvajīvaṁ paripuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ santānessatī’ti netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati. ‘So vatāvuso, bhikkhu indriyesu guttadvāro, bhojane mattaññū, jāgariyaṁ anuyutto yāvajīvaṁ paripuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ santānessatī’ti ṭhānametaṁ vijjati.

And how does someone guard the sense doors? When a mendicant sees a sight with the eyes, they don’t 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 … When they smell an odor with their nose … When they taste a flavor with their tongue … When they feel a touch with their body … When they know an idea with their mind, they don’t 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’s how someone guards the sense doors.

Kathañcāvuso, indriyesu guttadvāro hoti? Idhāvuso, bhikkhu cakkhunā rūpaṁ disvā na nimittaggāhī hoti nānubyañjanaggāhī. Yatvādhikaraṇamenaṁ cakkhundriyaṁ asaṁvutaṁ viharantaṁ abhijjhādomanassā pāpakā akusalā dhammā anvāssaveyyuṁ tassa saṁvarāya paṭipajjati, rakkhati cakkhundriyaṁ, cakkhundriye saṁvaraṁ āpajjati. Sotena saddaṁ sutvā … ghānena gandhaṁ ghāyitvā … jivhāya rasaṁ sāyitvā … kāyena phoṭṭhabbaṁ phusitvā … manasā dhammaṁ viññāya na nimittaggāhī hoti nānubyañjanaggāhī. Yatvādhikaraṇamenaṁ manindriyaṁ asaṁvutaṁ viharantaṁ abhijjhādomanassā pāpakā akusalā dhammā anvāssaveyyuṁ, tassa saṁvarāya paṭipajjati, rakkhati manindriyaṁ, manindriye saṁvaraṁ āpajjati. Evaṁ kho, āvuso, indriyesu guttadvāro hoti.

And how does someone eat in moderation? It’s when a mendicant reflects rationally on the food that they eat: ‘Not 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.’ That’s how someone eats in moderation.

Kathañcāvuso, bhojane mattaññū hoti? Idhāvuso, bhikkhu paṭisaṅkhā yoniso āhāraṁ āhāreti: ‘neva davāya, na madāya, na maṇḍanāya, na vibhūsanāya, yāvadeva imassa kāyassa ṭhitiyā yāpanāya, vihiṁsūparatiyā, brahmacariyānuggahāya. Iti purāṇañca vedanaṁ paṭihaṅkhāmi, navañca vedanaṁ na uppādessāmi, yātrā ca me bhavissati, anavajjatā ca phāsuvihāro cā’ti. Evaṁ kho, āvuso, bhojane mattaññū hoti.

And how is someone committed to wakefulness? It’s 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’s posture—on the right side, placing one foot on top of the other—mindful 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’s how someone is committed to wakefulness. So you should train like this: ‘We will guard the sense doors, eat in moderation, and be committed to wakefulness.’ That’s how you should train.”

Kathañcāvuso, jāgariyaṁ anuyutto hoti? Idhāvuso, bhikkhu divasaṁ caṅkamena nisajjāya āvaraṇīyehi dhammehi cittaṁ parisodheti. Rattiyā paṭhamaṁ yāmaṁ caṅkamena nisajjāya āvaraṇīyehi dhammehi cittaṁ parisodheti. Rattiyā majjhimaṁ yāmaṁ dakkhiṇena passena sīhaseyyaṁ kappeti pāde pādaṁ accādhāya sato sampajāno, uṭṭhānasaññaṁ manasi karitvā. Rattiyā pacchimaṁ yāmaṁ paccuṭṭhāya caṅkamena nisajjāya āvaraṇīyehi dhammehi cittaṁ parisodheti. Evaṁ kho, āvuso, jāgariyaṁ anuyutto hoti. Tasmātihāvuso, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ: ‘indriyesu guttadvārā bhavissāma, bhojane mattaññuno, jāgariyaṁ anuyuttā’ti. Evañhi vo, āvuso, sikkhitabban”ti. Sattamaṁ.