The Salaḷa Tree HutSalaḷāgārasutta

At one time Venerable Anuruddha was staying near Sāvatthī in the <i lang='pi' translate='no'>salaḷa</i> tree hut.Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā anuruddho sāvatthiyaṁ viharati salaḷāgāre. There Venerable Anuruddha addressed the mendicants:Tatra kho āyasmā anuruddho bhikkhū āmantesi …pe… etadavoca: “Reverends, suppose that, although the Ganges River slants, slopes, and inclines to the east,“seyyathāpi, āvuso, gaṅgā nadī pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā. a large crowd were to come along with a spade and basket, saying:Atha mahājanakāyo āgaccheyya kudālapiṭakaṁ ādāya: ‘We’ll make this Ganges River slant, slope, and incline to the west!’‘mayaṁ imaṁ gaṅgānadiṁ pacchāninnaṁ karissāma pacchāpoṇaṁ pacchāpabbhāran’ti. What do you think, reverends? Would they succeed?”Taṁ kiṁ maññathāvuso, api nu so mahājanakāyo gaṅgānadiṁ pacchāninnaṁ kareyya pacchāpoṇaṁ pacchāpabbhāran”ti?

“No, reverend.“No hetaṁ, āvuso”. Why is that?“Taṁ kissa hetu”? The Ganges River slants, slopes, and inclines to the east.“Gaṅgā, āvuso, nadī pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā. It’s not easy to make it slant, slope, and incline to the west.Sā na sukarā pacchāninnaṁ kātuṁ pacchāpoṇaṁ pacchāpabbhāraṁ. That large crowd will eventually get weary and frustrated.”Yāvadeva ca pana so mahājanakāyo kilamathassa vighātassa bhāgī assā”ti.

“In the same way, while a mendicant develops and cultivates the four kinds of mindfulness meditation, if rulers or their chief ministers, friends or colleagues, relatives or family should invite them to accept wealth, saying:“Evameva kho, āvuso, bhikkhuṁ cattāro satipaṭṭhāne bhāventaṁ cattāro satipaṭṭhāne bahulīkarontaṁ rājāno vā rājamahāmattā vā mittā vā amaccā vā ñātī vā sālohitā vā bhogehi abhihaṭṭhuṁ pavāreyyuṁ: ‘Please, my man, why let these ocher robes torment you?‘ehambho purisa, kiṁ te ime kāsāvā anudahanti? Why follow the practice of shaving your head and carrying an alms bowl?Kiṁ muṇḍo kapālamanusañcarasi? Come, return to a lesser life, enjoy wealth, and make merit!’Ehi hīnāyāvattitvā bhoge ca bhuñjassu puññāni ca karohī’ti.

It is quite impossible for a mendicant who is developing and cultivating the four kinds of mindfulness meditation to resign the training and return to a lesser life.So vata, āvuso, bhikkhu cattāro satipaṭṭhāne bhāvento cattāro satipaṭṭhāne bahulīkaronto sikkhaṁ paccakkhāya hīnāyāvattissatīti—netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati. Why is that?Taṁ kissa hetu? Because for a long time that mendicant’s mind has slanted, sloped, and inclined to seclusion. So it’s impossible for them to return to a lesser life.Yañhi taṁ, āvuso, cittaṁ dīgharattaṁ vivekaninnaṁ vivekapoṇaṁ vivekapabbhāraṁ taṁ vata hīnāyāvattissatīti—netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati.

And how does a mendicant develop and cultivate the four kinds of mindfulness meditation?Kathañcāvuso, bhikkhu cattāro satipaṭṭhāne bhāveti, cattāro satipaṭṭhāne bahulīkarotīti? It’s when a mendicant meditates by observing an aspect of the body …Idhāvuso, bhikkhu kāye kāyānupassī viharati …pe… feelings …vedanāsu …pe… mind …citte …pe… principles—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.dhammesu dhammānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ. That’s how a mendicant develops and cultivates the four kinds of mindfulness meditation.”Evaṁ kho, āvuso, bhikkhu cattāro satipaṭṭhāne bhāveti, cattāro satipaṭṭhāne bahulīkarotī”ti.