Sāriputta and the ProtégéSāriputtasaddhivihārikasutta

At one time Venerable Sāriputta was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā sāriputto sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Then a certain mendicant went up to Venerable Sāriputta, and exchanged greetings with him.Atha kho aññataro bhikkhu yenāyasmā sāriputto tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā sāriputtena saddhiṁ sammodi.

When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side, and said to him,Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho so bhikkhu āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ etadavoca: “Reverend Sāriputta, a mendicant protégé of mine has resigned the training and returned to a lesser life.”“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.“Evametaṁ, āvuso, hoti indriyesu aguttadvārassa, bhojane amattaññuno, jāgariyaṁ ananuyuttassa. It is quite impossible for such a mendicant to maintain the full and pure spiritual life for the rest of their life.‘So vatāvuso, bhikkhu indriyesu aguttadvāro bhojane amattaññū jāgariyaṁ ananuyutto yāvajīvaṁ paripuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ santānessatī’ti netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati. 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.‘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?Kathañcāvuso, indriyesu guttadvāro hoti? When a mendicant sees a sight with the eyes, they don’t get caught up in the features and details.Idhāvuso, bhikkhu cakkhunā rūpaṁ disvā na nimittaggāhī hoti nānubyañjanaggāhī. 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.Yatvādhikaraṇamenaṁ cakkhundriyaṁ asaṁvutaṁ viharantaṁ abhijjhādomanassā pāpakā akusalā dhammā anvāssaveyyuṁ tassa saṁvarāya paṭipajjati, rakkhati cakkhundriyaṁ, cakkhundriye saṁvaraṁ āpajjati. When they hear a sound with their ears …Sotena saddaṁ sutvā … When they smell an odor with their nose …ghānena gandhaṁ ghāyitvā … When they taste a flavor with their tongue …jivhāya rasaṁ sāyitvā … When they feel a touch with their body …kāyena phoṭṭhabbaṁ phusitvā … When they know an idea with their mind, they don’t get caught up in the features and details.manasā dhammaṁ viññāya na nimittaggāhī hoti nānubyañjanaggāhī. 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.Yatvādhikaraṇamenaṁ manindriyaṁ asaṁvutaṁ viharantaṁ abhijjhādomanassā pāpakā akusalā dhammā anvāssaveyyuṁ, tassa saṁvarāya paṭipajjati, rakkhati manindriyaṁ, manindriye saṁvaraṁ āpajjati. That’s how someone guards the sense doors.Evaṁ kho, āvuso, indriyesu guttadvāro hoti.

And how does someone eat in moderation?Kathañcāvuso, bhojane mattaññū hoti? It’s when a mendicant reflects rationally on the food that they eat:Idhāvuso, bhikkhu paṭisaṅkhā yoniso āhāraṁ āhāreti: ‘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.’‘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. That’s how someone eats in moderation.Evaṁ kho, āvuso, bhojane mattaññū hoti.

And how is someone committed to wakefulness?Kathañcāvuso, jāgariyaṁ anuyutto hoti? It’s when a mendicant practices walking and sitting meditation by day, purifying their mind from obstacles.Idhāvuso, bhikkhu divasaṁ caṅkamena nisajjāya āvaraṇīyehi dhammehi cittaṁ parisodheti. In the first watch of the night, they continue to practice walking and sitting meditation.Rattiyā paṭhamaṁ yāmaṁ caṅkamena nisajjāya āvaraṇīyehi dhammehi cittaṁ parisodheti. 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.Rattiyā majjhimaṁ yāmaṁ dakkhiṇena passena sīhaseyyaṁ kappeti pāde pādaṁ accādhāya sato sampajāno, uṭṭhānasaññaṁ manasi karitvā. In the last watch, they get up and continue to practice walking and sitting meditation, purifying their mind from obstacles.Rattiyā pacchimaṁ yāmaṁ paccuṭṭhāya caṅkamena nisajjāya āvaraṇīyehi dhammehi cittaṁ parisodheti. That’s how someone is committed to wakefulness.Evaṁ kho, āvuso, jāgariyaṁ anuyutto hoti.

So you should train like this:Tasmātihāvuso, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ: ‘We will guard the sense doors, eat in moderation, and be committed to wakefulness.’‘indriyesu guttadvārā bhavissāma, bhojane mattaññuno, jāgariyaṁ anuyuttā’ti. That’s how you should train.”Evañhi vo, āvuso, sikkhitabban”ti.