April 17 - MN 53 - The Disciple in Higher Training - The Qualities of a Sotapanna (Stream Enterer)

Could I hand it over to you, please? Thank you, Khun. Good morning, good afternoon, good evening, everyone. I'm going to be reading Bhikkhu Bodhi's translation of Majjhima Nikaya 53. And this is the Sekha Sutta. It's translated as The Disciple in Higher Training. As if I heard, on one occasion, the Blessed One was living in the Sakyan country at Kapilavatthu in Nigrodha's Park.

Now, on that occasion, a new assembly hall had recently been built for the Sakyans of Kapilavatthu, and it had not yet been inhabited by any recluse or Brahmin or human being at all. Then the Sakyans of Kapilavatthu went to the Blessed One. After paying homage to him, they sat down at one side and said to him, "Venerable Sir, a new assembly hall has recently been built here for the Sakyans of Kapilavatthu, and it has not yet been inhabited by any recluse or Brahmin or human being at all.

Venerable Sir, let the Blessed One be the first to use it. When the Blessed One has used it first, then the Sakyans of Kapilavatthu will use it afterwards. That will lead to their welfare and happiness for a long time. The Blessed One consented in silence. Then, when they saw that he had consented, they got up from their seats and, after paying homage to him, keeping him on their right, they went to the assembly hall. They covered it completely with coverings and prepared seats, and they put out a large water jug and hung up an oil lamp. Then they went to the Blessed One and, after paying homage to him, they stood at one side and said, "Venerable Sir, the assembly hall has been covered completely with coverings and seats have been prepared.

A large water jug has been put out and an oil lamp hung up. Let the Blessed One come at his own convenience." Then the Blessed One dressed and, taking his bowl and outer robe, he went with the Sangha of bhikkhus to the assembly hall. When he arrived, he washed his feet and then entered the hall and sat down by the central pillar facing the east.

And the bhikkhus washed their feet and then entered the hall and sat down by the western wall facing the east with the Blessed One before them. Down by the eastern wall facing the west with the Blessed One before them. Then, when the Blessed One had instructed, urged, aroused and gladdened the Sakyans of Kapilavatthu with talk on the Dhamma for much of the night, he said to the Venerable Ananda, "Ananda, speak to the Sakyans of Kapilavatthu about the disciple in higher training who has entered upon the way. My back is uncomfortable; I will rest it." So here the Buddha has been invited by his relatives and his former townspeople, where he was a prince of Kapilavatthu, and invited to grace this hall, this new hall that they made for the dealings of the kings, the republic of kings. So Kapilavatthu was really sort of a council of kings, and each king represented a part of the city or that area, and they would assemble here and debate and consider different decisions, and then the

leader of the entire council would then finally deliberate on the decision and make a final choice. And it would be, it's sort of like a proto-republic, a proto-democratic kind of system, in the sense that everyone is represented through these different kings. And the Buddha, before he went forth, was a prince. And it is said that his father was the leader of this council, to lead this council in deliberation. So now they made a new hall, and as tradition is in the East, whether it's India or different parts of Asia, even now when something new is built, they ask the elders, they ask the monks or some form of religious or spiritual leader or figure to come and grace the hall and to spend a night

as a way of blessing the hall, so to speak, and it's considered to be auspicious. So that's what the Buddha does according to ceremony, and finally he gives a talk to his, to the Sakyans, and then he has a backache, which is often the case when he's talking for long periods of time. And there are different ways of understanding why he had back pains. There's a karmic one, in one of his lives before he was a wrestler, and he would break the backs of his opponents, and that, and now in this life, that was a karmic repercussion. Another understanding is that because he took all of these different aesthetic practices and these practices of self-mortification and self-deprivation, it had an effect on his body, and that was also another karmic repercussion of having done all of these practices before he came to the Middle Way and understood the Four Noble Truths.

Now it's interesting, he asks the Venerable Ananda to speak. It's quite likely that the other elders are probably there as well, Sariputta, Moggallana, Mahakaccana and so on, but he asks Ananda because Ananda is his cousin and one of the Sakyans. Probably just to make that kind of a personal connection, he asks Ananda to speak and give a talk. The talk he gives, or he suggests giving, is about the disciple in higher training who has entered upon the way, and that is a sekha, a learner or trainee, but specifically a trainee who is a sotapanna, somebody who has actually entered the stream. And as you'll see, Ananda talks about the different aspects of the sotapanna in higher training, training towards full liberation and arahatship. And so this sutta is a wonderful way for those people who may consider that they may have entered the stream to verify for themselves if they actually have, based on what Ananda is going to be talking about, and seeing if they can practice the things that Ananda suggests, and the different steps that are taken, and the different qualities of a sotapanna, so to speak.

"Yes, venerable sir," the Venerable Ananda replied. Then the Blessed One prepared his patchwork cloak, folded in four, and lay down on his right side in the lion's pose with one foot overlapping the other, mindful and fully aware, after noting in his mind the time for rising. And the Venerable Ananda addressed Mahanama the Sakyan, so this was another cousin of the Buddha's and of Ananda's, and he addressed him thus: "Mahanama, here a noble disciple is possessed of virtue, guards the doors of his sense faculties, is moderate in eating, and is devoted to wakefulness. He possesses seven good qualities, and he is one who obtains at will, without trouble or difficulty, the four jhanas that constitute the higher mind and provide a pleasant abiding here and now. And how is a noble disciple virtuous? Here a noble disciple is virtuous; he dwells restrained with the restraint of the Patimokkha. He is perfect in conduct and resort, and seeing fear in the slightest fault, he trains by undertaking the training precepts.

This is how a noble disciple is possessed of virtue. Ananda is talking about a noble disciple in reference to one who is a monastic, but this can refer to a lay sotapanna, to someone who is still practicing in the higher teaching, in essence training to become fully liberated, so to speak. So it can be that here a lay person who is a sotapanna would follow the five precepts and would have restraint, in reference to restraint not of the Patimokkha, because that is specifically for monastics, but of the five precepts at the very least. And so he says, "and seeing fear in the slightest fault," so this will be discussed more in detail as Ananda speaks, "he trains by undertaking the training precepts." So a lay person would train by following the precepts, at least the five precepts, and following the teachings of the Buddha in reference to meditation and behavior and the Eightfold Path. And how does a noble disciple guard the doors of his sense faculties? On seeing a form with the eye, a noble disciple does not grasp at its signs and features.

One abandons sensual pleasures that are unwholesome. But whatever is arising, in the way that is pleasant or unpleasant or neutral, one doesn't need to close their eyes to prevent the craving from arising. One has to make sure to understand the mechanics of dependent origination in relation to contact, feeling and perception, and prevent that craving from arising through wisdom, through diligence and mindfulness. So samvara, or restraint of the sense faculties, is not about preventing any pleasure from arising, or to prevent any unpleasant feeling from arising, to cut to prevent about understanding with wisdom how to restrain it, in reference to seeing that this is contact, this is what is arising, and being mindful of the seeing. For example, in being mindful there is no covetousness there, there is no grief there, in being mindful there is no way that craving can arise. Now, if one doesn't guard their senses or sense faculties and allows the mind to get carried away by what is arising, one can still use mindfulness to recognize, use the 6R's process to recognize that the mind is drifting towards craving or aversion or identifying.

And then release the attention from there, and then relax the mind and body of any tension that might have arisen because of that hindrance or craving, come back to a more calm state, a more gentle state, a joyful state, or whatever it might be, and thus practice the ability to recognize when craving arises or aversion arises and immediately let go of it, using right effort or the 6R's process. The sutta says, 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 mind object with the mind, a noble disciple does not grasp at its signs and features, since if he left the mind faculty and the other sense faculties unguarded, evil unwholesome states of covetousness and grief might invade him. He practices the way of its restraint; he guards the mind and other sense faculties; he undertakes the restraint of the other sense faculties. That is how a noble disciple guards the doors of his sense faculties. And how is a noble disciple moderate in eating?

You're reflecting wisely: a noble disciple takes food neither for amusement nor for intoxication nor for the sake of physical beauty and attractiveness, but only for the endurance and continuance of this body, for ending discomfort, and for assisting the holy life. Considering thus, I shall terminate old feelings without arising new feelings, and I shall be healthy and blameless and shall live in comfort. This is how a noble is moderate in eating. So here he's talking about moderation in eating. This can be for the bhikkhu or bhikkhuni, but also for a lay follower, a lay sotapanna. In terms of moderation of eating, it's about recognizing where the mind is in reference to that eating. It's not about amusement or intoxication. As Ananda says, which means it's not about looking forward to eating a certain type of food and tasting it and indulging in it and personalizing and identifying with it. It's about understanding that this food here is not for building up the body, not for physical beauty and attractiveness, but for endurance and continuance of the body, so for ending the discomfort of hunger and for assisting in the holy life, which means

assisting in one's ability to continue to practice the Dhamma, the ability to meditate and so on. So when one takes food, whenever that might be, one has to be mindful in relation to how it tastes, how the flavors are and so on, but notice if there is any craving arising because of those flavors. And moderation in eating also will mean to eat slowly, eat with mindfulness. Don't just shovel in the food with your fork and spoon and get overly stuffed and then become lazy and tired and wanting to go for a nap. But in each bite that you take, really pay attention to where the mind is and allow the flavors to be imbibed by the tongue in relation to the mind. And if there is craving arising, as you slow down this eating process, this is actually very beneficial in terms of one's health as well, because it gives the mind time to recognize when it is actually full. You just shovel in your food, you might still be hungry, whereas you've actually overstuffed your stomach. But if you take time with your food

you give enough time for the brain to recognize the amount of food that is being ingested and then be able to relay the information back to the digestive system and say, okay, that's enough, the body is full and it requires what it needs. So in this way you're eating healthily and not becoming overly, overly stuffed. You're not becoming indulgent in the food. And so it says, he considers thus: shall terminate old feelings. Those old feelings are of hunger and, you know, that discomfort, without arising new feelings. Those new feelings would be of being overstuffed and having more craving for the food and so on. And I shall be healthy, in the sense of eating as is required for the body, and blameless, and shall live in comfort. So eat to your comfort level. A noble disciple is moderate in eating. And how is a noble disciple devoted to wakefulness? Here, during the day, while walking back and forth and sitting, a noble disciple purifies his mind of obstructive states. So while doing walking meditation, for example, one is noticing if there are states in reference to the hindrances

that are arising and using the four efforts to let go of those states: recognize the unwholesome states, let go of them, generate wholesome states, and maintain them. In the first watch of the night, while walking back and forth and sitting, so walking meditation and sitting, he purifies the mind of obstructive states. Again, he does the same thing in the middle watch of the night. He lies down on the right side in the lion's pose, with one foot overlapping the other, mindful and fully aware, after noting in his mind the time for rising. So this middle watch of the night is somewhere around 10 o'clock or 11 o'clock till 2 or 3 a.m. So this is the instruction for monastics: be mindful of the amount of sleep that you have. But also for lay followers, which is to say that you have to be more mindful of the sleep that is required for the mind and body, so you don't need to follow this exactly as a lay follower, because the kinds of activity one does while in the lay life require more energy, require a lot more

mental and physical energy, depending upon what kind of work might be done, and one's schedule is definitely different from that of a monastic. So you might require more sleep, whatever it might be, but what you have to be mindful of is the requirement for sleep. And more importantly, when you're ready to wake up: are you ready to wake up, or do you need five more minutes or ten more minutes, and you're just shuffling in bed and not able to get up? So be mindful of that. And using the lion's pose is a very healthy way of sleeping. It's a good way of maintaining mindfulness while being asleep. That's a more advanced practice, because as you start to become more aware, as you start to become more mindful, you can be aware of when the mind starts to drift into certain states of sleep, into certain stages of sleep, and then how it arises back from certain stages of sleep back to wakefulness. There's a certain level of after arising in the third watch of the night, while walking back and forth and sitting, he purifies his mind of obstructive states.

That is how a noble disciple is devoted to wakefulness. And how does a noble disciple possess seven good qualities? Here a noble disciple has faith. He places his faith in the Tathagata thus: Blessed One is accomplished. Fully enlightened. Perfect in true knowledge and conduct. Sublime. Knower of worlds. Incomparable leader of persons to be tamed. Teacher of gods and humans. Enlightened.

Blessed. So this is referring to faith, or that conviction that is deeply rooted after one has entered the stream. After one has seen this process of the eightfold path, understood it through mindfulness, understood it through following the path, following sila, following samadhi, and attaining some form of insight through the nibbana experience, one no longer has doubt in the path, and in this case no longer has doubt in the Tathagata, in the Buddha or his teachings. This deeply rooted conviction is what replaces that doubt in the path. One of the fetters that are destroyed for sotapanna is, of course, no longer having belief in rites and rituals that will take one to nibbana, and no longer having any kind of self-view or any ideas of a sense of self, seeing it through and having the intellectual understanding that there can't be an abiding self.

He has shame. He is ashamed of misconduct in body, speech and mind, ashamed of engaging in evil, unwholesome deeds. So the shame is translated from the Pali hiri, h-i-r-i, and in Sanskrit it's hri, and it is translated sometimes as shame, but a better way of understanding it is diligence, or having a conscience, having a moral compass, so that while one is walking on the path, one knows if one is diverting from wholesome states. So this moral compass, this voice of reason, this voice of one's conscience, continues to guide the mind in reference to abiding and being able to practice right speech and right action, right behavior and right livelihood. So it's more about being diligent, more about being mindful in the present and seeing if the action one is going to take is wholesome or unwholesome. He has fear of wrongdoing. He is afraid of misconduct in body, speech and mind, afraid of engaging in evil, unwholesome deeds.

So this fear is translated from ottappa, I believe, and this fear is more about understanding the consequences of having misconduct in body, mind and speech, understanding that there is cause and consequence. So that fear is really just recognizing if one were to commit this action, say this word, or think in this way, if it causes unwholesome effects, if it causes negative effects, one is aware of that. And so that fear, so to speak, is the awareness of that, and one prevents oneself, so to speak, from committing those acts or saying those words or thinking those thoughts. And so, in the mindfulness of the precepts, a sotapanna does not easily break the precepts, and if they do, they get very concerned about that and immediately confess what they did and then come back to maintaining the five precepts again. So they're very mindful of what precepts need to be followed and whether they are being followed and so on.

He has learned much, remembers what he has learned, and consolidates what he has learned: such teachings as are good in the beginning, good in the middle and good in the end, with the right meaning and phrasing, and affirm a holy life that is utterly perfect and pure, of remembered, recited verbally, investigated with the mind, and penetrated well by view. So here, as one continues on the path, as one has stream entry, there is greater interest that is generated in the mind in the suttas, in the words of the Buddha, in the Dhamma and the teachings. So a lot of the things that one rediscovers, so to speak, after one's practice, one rediscovers certain things in relation to the jhana. One is able to recognize a lot of the things that the Buddha is talking about, and so one is able to consolidate it based on one's experience.

One is able to see that this teaching in the beginning, in relation to morals and ethics, is good; this teaching in relation to samadhi, in relation to the practice of jhana, is good; and this practice of insight, having the awareness and understanding and wisdom that arises, is good as well. One understands the right meaning and phrasing, so one is able to dissect and decipher the meaning based on one's experience, and is able to recognize those meanings dependent upon one's own personal experience. So it affirms the holy life, meaning it affirms one's own practice that is utterly perfect and pure. Such teachings as these, he has learned much of, meaning that interest that is generated. One continues to learn through Dhamma talks, one continues to learn through reading suttas, and remembers them. In today's world it's great, because you have YouTube, so you can always go back to something that you might not have heard correctly the first time and then go through it again, and you'll have a different understanding sometimes.

Recited verbally, in this case read it, since now in this world most of the things that we do is learning by reading or learning by watching and seeing and, of course, by listening, investigated with the mind. So you have the understanding, and you reflect based on your own experience, and because of that you have certain insights that arise. And so, that was penetrated well by view. That view is the right view of four noble truths. Ultimately it directs back to your understanding of the four noble truths and how you're able to understand the things that are being said in reference to that. So the four noble truths, in that sense, are the guiding stone, the way through which one is able to compare the other teachings and see if it stands up to the understanding of the four noble truths. He is energetic in abandoning unwholesome states and in undertaking wholesome states. He is steadfast, firm in striving, not remiss in developing wholesome states. So this is right effort. One is energetic, one has energy by that effort to abandon unwholesome states and undertake wholesome states. One is steadfast

firm in striving and not remiss in developing wholesome states, which means, in essence, practicing the 6R's: using mindfulness to recognize whenever the mind is in an unwholesome state, letting go of your attention to it, bringing your awareness back to mind and body, relaxing and letting go of the tension from those unwholesome states, using the re-smile to generate a wholesome state, and then returning to a wholesome state. If it's in the meditation, your brahmavihara practice or whatever it might be; and in daily life, just being aware of a wholesome state in mind. So that could be a brahmavihara, that could just be this quiet mind, equanimity, whatever it might be, and continue to maintain awareness of that. He has mindfulness. He possesses the highest mindfulness and skill. He recalls and recollects what was done long ago and spoken long ago. So mindfulness really helps to be very aware of situations, and by doing so, once memory is retained, further, if you're mindful in that situation and you are present in that situation, it's easier for the mind to absorb what is happening

and then one is able to recollect something from a previous time, recollect something that happened a long time ago, because of that mindfulness. It is said that even emotions also create this ability to remember, but a clear mind is better than an emotional mind. A mind filled with clarity, which means a mind that is essentially relaxed and joyful and content and present in whatever is happening, is able to retain things faster and deeper. He is wise. He possesses wisdom regarding rise and disappearance that is noble and penetrative and leads to the complete destruction of suffering. In this case, sotapanna has seen the arising and passing away of consciousness, for example in infinite consciousness. Through mindfulness one is also able to see very easily the arising and passing away of different states: the arising and passing away of bodily and mental states, of sensory experiences, the arising and passing away of hindrances, the arising and passing away of the factors of awakening, and so on and so forth. So this wisdom is in reference to seeing that impermanence.

That wisdom of impermanence gives rise to not holding on to things, because one understands all things to be not-self. And so when this deepens, if it has or it brings fruition, the complete destruction of suffering, because of that penetrative insight. So the more one is able to recognize everything as being impermanent and not hold on to things, not personalize things, understand whatever is happening in any moment is just an arising and passing away, the more one is able to recognize this, the more one is able to sit with this and see this. It deepens in the mind, and the mind starts to let go of very subtle identification, with this very subtle personalization of this arising and passing away. When that happens, one sees the emptiness of self in all things. One doesn't personalize, and one doesn't, and in doing that one prevents any further craving from arising, prevents any of the links that lead to suffering from arising. So that is the complete destruction of suffering. Ultimately this is brought to fruition by the level of the arahant, when one actually lets go completely and destroys the fetters and destroys the taints, destruction

of suffering. That is how a noble disciple possesses seven good qualities. And how is a noble disciple one who obtains at will the four jhanas that constitute the higher mind and provide a pleasant abiding here and now? Now, he goes to the four jhanas. He says they're quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states. A noble disciple enters upon and abides in the first jhana with the stilling of applied and sustained thought. He enters upon and abides in the second jhana with the fading away as well of rapture. He enters upon and abides in the third jhana with the abandoning of pleasure and pain. He enters upon and abides in the fourth jhana, which has neither pain nor pleasure, purity of mindfulness due to equanimity. That is how a noble disciple is one who obtains at will, without trouble or difficulty, the four jhanas that constitute a higher mind and provide a pleasant abiding here and now. When a noble disciple has thus become one who is possessed of virtue, who guards the doors of his sense faculties, who is moderate in eating, who is devoted to wakefulness, who possesses seven good qualities,

who obtains at will, without trouble or difficulty, the four jhanas that constitute the higher mind and provide a pleasant abiding here and now, he is called one in higher training, who has entered upon the way. His eggs are unspoiled. He is capable of breaking out, capable of enlightenment, capable of attaining the supreme security from bondage. Suppose there were a hen with eight or ten or twelve eggs, which she had covered, incubated and nurtured properly. Even though she did not wish, oh, that my chicks might pierce their shells with the points of their claws and beaks and hatch out safely, yet the chicks are capable of piercing their shells with the points of their claws and beaks and hatching out safely. So too, when a noble disciple has thus become one who's possessed of all of these qualities that Ananda has talked about, he is one, he is called one in higher training, who has entered upon the way. He is one who is a stream enterer. His eggs are unspoiled. He is capable of breaking out, capable of enlightenment, capable of attaining supreme security from bondage.

Based upon that same supreme mindfulness whose purity is due to equanimity, this noble disciple recollects his manifold past lives. So these eggs that Ananda is talking about, the eggs that are unspoiled, it's in relation to understanding that one has now entered the path. One can no longer fall back. Now that one has entered the stream, nibbana, or rather arahatship, is promised. It can happen in this life or in another life, but it will be delivered. The mind will be finally delivered.

So such a mind need not worry about enlightenment, need not worry about trying to attain cessation again, need not worry about trying to attain nibbana again. That worry, that wanting, that craving, that's what prevents the mind from further treading the path, from further attaining the different states of enlightenment. And so he knows that he is capable of breaking out. He knows he's capable of enlightenment. He is one who is capable of attaining the supreme security from bondage. Based on this firm understanding, one should comfortably understand the jhana process and comfortably practice without any desire, without trying to hatch the eggs before their time. Allow the processes to happen in such a way that they all happen naturally. Allow the enlightenment factors to come upon the mind naturally. Allow the brahma viharas to come about naturally. Allow the mind to traverse through the jhanas naturally. Just watch and observe, and 6R's whenever required. That's all that's required. And just allow the mind to sink deeper and deeper through the jhana process, knowing with that conviction and that confidence that

the path is going to be completed at some stage or another, at some time or another. Just enjoy that process in knowing that, and just allow the mind to rest and observe without identifying, clinging onto and grasping onto the different factors within the meditation process. And so he talks now about threefold knowledge. He says, based upon that same supreme mindfulness whose purity is due to equanimity, meaning based on that foundation of the fourth jhana, one can then recollect the manifold past lives, thus with their aspects and particulars. He recollects his manifold past lives. This is his first breaking out, like that of the hen's chicks from their shells. Based upon that same supreme mindfulness whose purity is due to equanimity, with the divine eye which is purified and surpasses the human,

When he recollects his many past lives with their aspects and particulars, that pertains to his true knowledge. So everything in relation to being mindful of one's practice, attaining the jhanas, being mindful of one's conduct, all of that is sila and samadhi, actually, because one attains to jhanas and so on. But once one gets insight, this pertains to that true knowledge. That is the actual insight, the right knowledge that arises when, with the divine eye, he sees beings passing away and reappearing and understands how beings pass on according to their actions. That pertains to his true knowledge, that is the insight, the wisdom that arises when, by realizing for himself with direct knowledge, he here and now enters upon and abides in the deliverance of mind and deliverance by wisdom that are taintless with the destruction of the taints. That pertains to his true knowledge. Now, this true knowledge is in reference to the understanding of dependent origination. So in the case of the threefold knowledge, as Ananda has been describing it, it pertains to understanding dependent origination.

in relation to one's own choices and one looks back on the different formations and the choices dependent upon those formations so one is seeing dependent origination on a macro level one then understands comma and how comma flows through dependent origination which creates that wheel of samsara in the second fold knowledge and then in the third one understands completely let's go of those links as an understanding of the five aggregates as being impersonal not worth holding on to and has no under no idea or identification with them let's go of that personal sense of self one then destroys the taints one destroys the taint of sensory cravings seeing that sensory craving arises dependent upon causes conditions let's go of identification or being seeing that the being is caused by clinging that clinging being dependent upon craving and that craving being dependent upon previous causes and conditions let's go completely of ignorance because in seeing this flow of karma in seeing how rebirth arises in seeing how dependent origination arises one is able to see

the Noble Truths. One is able to see through dependent origination how suffering arises and the causes of that suffering. Arising means seeing the first and second Noble Truth. In letting go of that, one is practicing the third Noble Truth, which is the cessation of suffering. In practicing this, one is cultivating the path, which is rooted in right view and rooted in right intention, and then practised through right conduct, through speech, action and livelihood, and makes the effort to see this. See whenever craving arises and lets go of that: correct mindfulness and correct collectedness, effective mindfulness and effective collectedness, or effective observation and effective collectedness. In doing so, one is able to actually see the full Noble Truths. By doing so, and having that process deepen, one lets go of ignorance, which is that deep ignorance of not seeing the full Noble Truths in every moment. Now this noble disciple is thus said to be perfect in true knowledge and conduct, perfect in true knowledge and conduct

And this stanza was uttered by the Brahma Sanankumara. So apparently he was around listening to Ananda speak, and he was inspired to say this based on what Ananda said: the noble clan is held to be the best of people as to lineage, but best of gods and humans is one perfect in true knowledge and conduct. This noble clan is in reference to the ariyas, those who have become stream-enterers, those who have cultivated the Dhamma, cultivated the path. But the best of those gods and humans are those who have perfected the path by obtaining arahatship. Now that stanza was well sung by the Brahma Sanankumara, not ill-sung. It was well spoken, not ill-spoken. It has a meaning and is not meaningless, and it was approved by the Blessed One. Then the Blessed One rose and addressed the venerable Ananda thus: Good, Ananda, good, good Ananda, good that you have spoken to the Sakyans of Kapilavatthu about the disciple in higher training who has entered upon the way

That is what the venerable Ananda said. The Teacher approved. The Sakyans of Kapilavatthu were satisfied and delighted in the venerable Ananda's words. Does anybody have any questions or comments? So Nelson, I have a question. At the beginning, the Sutta is talking about the shame or the diligence to avoid any unwholesome actions. And my question is, to what level should one cultivate that in terms of being afraid, having fear for doing even the slightest wrongdoing, which also could result into mental proliferation, into a long duration feeling of unhappiness and unease, and then one might need to go to forgiveness practice or something else, although the action that's being performed might be the slightest

wrongdoing or unskillful action. Yeah, because that's what I'm not sure about, isn't it? Or, yeah, well, here's the thing. In terms of, let's say, in this case, this is a disciple in higher training who has entered the way. This is a sotapanna, so they have cultivated the path enough to be able to embed, let's say, in their minds the understanding of the five precepts, the understanding of following sila and good conduct, because of doing it so much and because of practising these wholesome states of mind. One is quite mindful and very aware of when there is a potential in that moment for the arising of something unwholesome. So it's not about guarding in the sense of always worrying

about, am I going to commit something that is unwholesome, but using mindfulness, the extent of seeing how the mind is responding to a situation, because everything starts with the mind. So in any situation where the mind responds in an unwholesome manner, if you can recognize it, you'll be able to let go of it, cultivate something wholesome or generate something wholesome, and then be able to know that your intention is right. So it's a matter of being dependent upon that mindfulness. This moral compass is inbuilt in a sotapanna, meaning they have an understanding of sila on a deep level. To that extent they are able to know what is wholesome and unwholesome, but they're not worrying about what's happening, in terms of whether they're going to commit something wholesome or unwholesome. They're just present for that situation, to be able to see in their mind if something potentially unwholesome will arise, and if it does, they use right effort to let go of it and generate something wholesome, so that they don't commit misconduct in body, mind or speech

So somebody wrote a question here: when the Buddha lies down while being aware of the time of waking or getting up, if I recall correctly, you explained it as being aware of body and mind in the different states of sleep. Another explanation I heard is that the Buddha, or any arahant or anagami, whenever he needs this kind of rest, determines the time when to get out of nirodha samapatti, and then goes into nirodha until that determined time. What is your take on that? So this can be in reference to sleeping or in reference to nirodha samapatti. If one has cultivated the ability to have the determination to go into different states and come out of them at a predetermined time, or ultimately cessation, it's the same. It's one and the same. If you take a nap and you say that the mind will be refreshed and you'll get up after 20 minutes, it's the same as having that intention that the mind will go into cessation and emerge after 20

minutes. Here's another question: can sakadagami practise asubha bhavana, adinava sanna, navasivathika to deal with the remainder of lust? Okay, so I understood a couple of those words. Asubha bhavana, I'm presuming, means seeing the foulness of the body, and foulness practices and so on. Adinava sanna, I'm not sure what that is. Adinava... does anybody know? Fearfulness of the body? Okay. Navasivathika: cemetery observation. Ah, okay, okay, got it, got it, types of cemetery observation. Yeah, yeah. For sakadagami I would say that it's not necessary, because the sakadagami's mindfulness is such that they're able to recognize the lust or craving that arises almost immediately, and are able to recognize it and let go of that. But as a secondary practice, if it's something that one is inclined to do, by all means one can do it

Any other questions, comments? I have a comment on hiri and ottappa, the question he asked. Hiri really means, I had read somewhere, that before doing anything, before doing any wrong activity, there its fear gets created, or some resistance, like the mind doesn't go inclined to that, and there is some conflict created before doing the wrong action. Yeah. Ottappa is like after doing the wrong action, this conflict causes disturbance

And I feel like hiri and ottappa are not something we can cultivate. I think they come by themselves. What do you think? Is it something we can cultivate? I think it's something you can cultivate, in the sense that you are able to know what is wholesome and unwholesome. Once you have that, then by continuous practice of generating the mindfulness to be able to see what is unwholesome, and being able to make the choice to do something that is wholesome, you're able to cultivate the knowledge, let's say the memory. I would say that hiri is basically that fearfulness in reference to, as you mentioned, but I consider it more like a moral compass. So what I mean by that is, you know what is right or wrong after having experienced it. So it's dependent upon past experiences

And the cultivation of that is dependent upon memory and learning of what is right, what is good conduct, what is wrong, and what is bad conduct. And then in reference to ottappa, you can see it as something in reference to knowing the consequences of that. And yes, it can also be, having done something that is unwholesome, the mind immediately regrets it, has remorse for it, to do right by that, immediately wanting to get us into a state of wholesomeness. So you could translate it as being afraid, let's say, or mindful of the consequences, in reference to preventing any unwholesome states from rising, but also, yes, in reference to being mindful of the effects after having committed something that is unwholesome. Okay. Okay, thanks for your explanation

And I want to add something else for this. Even for children: if children are raised properly, they don't try to do something wrong. Or even if they do something wrong, they will say, oh, I had done some mistakes, something like that. Even there, there is a slight form of hiri and ottappa. Yeah, definitely. Definitely. Because it is based on seeing the effects of one's actions. You see, again, it's about seeing cause and consequence

Like, as a little child, another child bullies another child with words and actions, but then seeing the consequence of bullying, seeing that the other child is crying and was hurt, there's something in the mind that is empathetic towards that. Right? Yeah. So yes, you could say it's inborn in the sense that everyone is born with wanting to be wholesome, wanting to have empathy, wanting to have compassion. But it can be further developed, so that it becomes natural, so that it becomes automatic. Yeah, it can be cultivated, yes. Hi, Delson. Hello. Oh, yes, if it is okay, I can ask a couple of questions. So this sutta has some sort of element of exertion, that you need to strive and be able to be mindful, indicating some sort of effort that you need to proactively, continuously watch

And it's just that it gives some impression that you need to be kind of putting too much energy. So there should be a balance, I guess, that you need to practise of letting go even during your daily life. You cannot keep track of everything and you inadvertently make some mistakes. You break a precept, and you should not be kind of really regretful in a way that you need to let go. So this element is kind of included in the practice of meditation.

Is that kind of a right understanding? Is that you, once you have done all these inner preparations, you have taken up the precept, then you purify the mind during those practices of meditation with four jhanas, right? Or would you be kind of balancing those two aspects of exertion and the laxity? I don't know what to say.

Yeah. Go ahead. Yeah. I mean, do you, are you, what is the approach should be? Should you balance these two all the time or take deal with them in meditation? Yeah. The wonderful thing about the Dharma is everything is sort of interconnected and folds into each other. So it's not about separating sila and samadhi. It's not about making the exertion to practice sila. and then in samadhi cultivating it separately there is a interconnection so when you do follow sila when you do follow the precepts when you do follow the sila aspect of vehicle path it cultivates a mind that is prone to being more balanced of course one still has to deal with the effects of while the hindrances as effects of not previously following precepts.

And so one is actually in that process of meditation, purifying the mind further by noticing the hindrances and not reacting in a way that causes craving or aversion, not personalizing it. By doing so, you are dealing with old karma and letting it go instead of personalizing it and then making and generating new karma based on your reaction in the meditation.

So the exertion here, it should not be understood to be something that needs to be forceful, that needs to be something that one takes, you know, very, very, you know, with a lot of strength and all those things. It's just a commitment to make sure that the mind notices when unwholesome states arise and then having the capacity to be able to let go of that through the six hour process. and then generate an awesome state through the smile or through a Brahma Vihara or through an awakening factor so it can be something that's very actually relaxed the effort doesn't have to be you see you don't have to try to make the effort in terms of I have to always make sure that I'm awesome in this case in the process of practice whether in daily life or meditation

It's a flow. You allow the mind to notice when things are happening. And if something unwholesome arises at that point, you let go of it and then generate something wholesome. So it's not about trying to do it. It's about doing it as the need arises, whether it's in daily practice, in daily living or in meditation. Thank you. One more question. This sutta is basically saying that once you have done all these sort of groundwork, the preparations, then those four jhanas will become naturally developed.

And that will allow you to go beyond. And this is what Buddha is calling the higher mind. And what this higher mind is, is it the ability to understand? the Four Noble Truth, depending on origination. This is the higher mind in that sense, correct? Yeah, this is a mind that is malleable. This is a mind that is wielding. This is a mind that is basically in jhana, having been purified through insight within the jhana practice.

So yes, one should understand that in practicing sila, it makes it easier for the mind to get into samadhi. It makes it easier for the mind to cultivate jhana. But as a general rule also, one should see that more often than not, somebody who has already entered the stream will have quite a purified mind already. So it's much easier because of the way of purifying the mind, because of the lack of the three fetters, and because of their mind being generally wholesome, it's easy for them to get into jhana for one who was just beginning practice as well thank you and the experience of jhana as a i i heard you talking about that earlier there is a different level yeah those who have just done the beginning beginning practice and experience a glimpse of jhana and those who can consciously enter the jhana with some kind of experience experiences, their experience tends to be different, more stable?

The experience tends to be more stable, but it also tends to be more informed. Meaning when you're starting out on the path, you are experiencing the jhanas, but you might not be able to delineate between one jhana and the other. You might not be able to delineate the different factors that are present in one jhana. But as one continues to become or cultivate mastery the jhanas one can see as sariputta does in anupada one by one the different states that arise and pass away in relation to the different factors of the jhana in relation to the mind in relation to contact feeling and perception internally in relation to one's attention and intention and so on so it's it's because of the fact that somebody has continued to practice continue to let go uh the unwholesome states the mind further and further, one who has more practice will be able to identify jhanas on a deeper level than ones just starting on.

Thank you. That's perfect. Okay. Let's share some merit. May suffering ones be suffering free, and the fear struck, fearless be. May the grieving shed our grief, and may all beings find relief. May all beings share this merit that we have thus acquired for the acquisitions of all kinds of happiness. May being inhabited in space and earth, diverse and nagas of mighty power, merit of ours. May they long protect the Buddha's dispensation.