The Discourse about Meghiya

Thus I heard:
at one time the Fortunate One was dwelling near Cālikā, on the Cālikā mountain.

Then at that time venerable Meghiya was the Fortunate One’s attendant. Then venerable Meghiya went to the Fortunate One, and after going and worshipping the Fortunate One, he stood on one side. While stood on one side venerable Meghiya said this to the Fortunate One: “Reverend Sir, I want to enter Jantugāma for alms.” “Now is the time for whatever you are thinking, Meghiya.”

Then venerable Meghiya having dressed in the morning time, after picking up his bowl and robe, entered Jantugāma for alms. Having walked for alms in Jantugāma, while returning from the alms-round after the meal, he went to the bank of the river Kimikālā (Black-Worm River), and after going to the bank of the river Kimikālā, while wandering around and strolling around on a walk, he saw a pleasing and delightful mango grove.

Having seen (it), this occurred to him: “This is surely a pleasing and delightful mango grove. For a son of a good family who needs to strive this is surely enough for striving. If the Fortunate One would allow me I could come to this mango grove for striving.”

Then venerable Meghiya went to the Fortunate One, and after going and worshipping the Fortunate One, he sat down on one side. While sat on one side venerable Meghiya said this to the Fortunate One: “Here, reverend Sir, having dressed in the morning time, after picking up my bowl and robe, I entered Jantugāma for alms. Having walked for alms in Jantugāma, while returning from the alms-round after the meal, I went to the bank of the river Kimikālā, and after going to the bank of the river Kimikālā, while wandering around and strolling around on a walk, I saw a pleasing and delightful mango grove.

Having seen (it), this occurred to me: ‘This is surely a pleasing and delightful mango grove. For a son of a good family who needs to strive this is surely enough for striving. If the Fortunate One would allow me, I could come to this mango grove for striving.’ If the Fortunate One would allow me, reverend Sir, I could go to that mango grove for striving.”

When that was said, the Fortunate One said this to venerable Meghiya: “You should wait for as long as I am alone, Meghiya, until some other monk arrives.”

For a second time venerable Meghiya said this to the Fortunate One: “There is nothing further for the Fortunate One to do, reverend Sir, there is nothing to add to what has been done. But for me, reverend Sir, there is (something) further to do, there is (something) to add to what has been done. If the Fortunate One would allow me, reverend Sir, I could go to that mango grove for striving.”

For a second time the Fortunate One said this to venerable Meghiya: “You should wait for as long as I am alone, Meghiya, until some other monk arrives.”

For a third time venerable Meghiya said this to the Fortunate One: “There is nothing further for the Fortunate One to do, reverend Sir, there is nothing to add to what has been done. But for me, reverend Sir, there is (something) further to do, there is (something) to add to what has been done. If the Fortunate One would allow me, reverend Sir, I could go to that mango grove for striving.”

“When you are talking about striving, Meghiya, what can we say? Note the use of the plural here, an honorific form. Now is the time for whatever you are thinking, Meghiya.”

Then venerable Meghiya, after rising from his seat, worshipping and circumambulating the Fortunate One, went to that mango grove, and after going and entering that mango grove, he sat down to dwell for the day at the root of a certain tree.

Then to venerable Meghiya, as he was dwelling in that mango grove, for the most part only three bad, unwholesome thoughts occurred, that is to say: the thought of sensual pleasure, the thought of ill-will, the thought of harming. Then it occurred to venerable Meghiya: “Surely it is wonderful, surely it is marvellous, that I who, out of faith, have gone forth from the home to homelessness, should then be ensnared by these three bad, unwholesome thoughts, that is to say: by the thought of sensual pleasure, by the thought of ill-will, by the thought of harming.

Then venerable Meghiya, having risen from seclusion in the evening time, went to the Fortunate One, and after going and worshipping the Fortunate One, he sat down on one side. While sat on one side venerable Meghiya said this to the Fortunate One: “Here, reverend Sir, as I was dwelling in that mango grove, for the most part only three bad, unwholesome thoughts occurred, that is to say: the thought of sensual pleasure, the thought of ill-will, the thought of harming. Then, reverend Sir, it occurred to me: ‘Surely it is wonderful, surely it is marvellous, that I who, out of faith, have gone forth from the home to homelessness, should then be ensnared by these three bad, unwholesome thoughts, that is to say: by the thought of sensual pleasure, by the thought of ill-will, by the thought of harming.’ ”

“For he whose freedom of mind is not fully mature, Meghiya, there are five things that lead to maturity. What five?

Here, Meghiya, a monk has a good friend, Kalyāṇamitta, a good friend can mean 1) one who is a good friend; and 2) one who has a good friend, i.e. one who cultivates good friends. a good companion, a good comrade. For he whose freedom of mind is not fully mature, Meghiya, this is the first thing that leads to maturity.

Furthermore, Meghiya, a monk is virtuous, he lives restrained with the Pātimokkha restraint, and is endowed with (suitable) conduct and resort, seeing danger in the slightest faults, he trains in the training rules he has undertaken. For he whose freedom of mind is not fully mature, Meghiya, this is the second thing that leads to maturity.

Furthermore, Meghiya, a monk has talk about what is very austere, that is suitable for opening up the mind, and that leads to absolute disenchantment, dispassion, cessation, peace, deep knowledge, complete Awakening and Emancipation, such as: talk on wanting little, talk on being satisfied, talk on complete seclusion, talk on disassociation, talk on arousing energy, talk on virtue, talk on concentration, talk on wisdom, talk on freedom, talk on knowing and seeing freedom. Such talk as this he gains as he desires, he gains without difficulty, gains without trouble. For he whose freedom of mind is not fully mature, Meghiya, this is the third thing that leads to maturity.

Furthermore, Meghiya, a monk dwells with energy aroused for the giving up of unwholesome things, for the taking up of wholesome things, steadfast, of firm endeavour, one who has not thrown off the burden in regard to wholesome things. For he whose freedom of mind is not fully mature, Meghiya, this is the fourth thing that leads to maturity.

Furthermore, Meghiya, a monk is wise, he is endowed with wisdom that leads to (seeing) rise and disappearance, with noble penetration, that leads to the complete destruction of suffering. For he whose freedom of mind is not fully mature, Meghiya, this is the fifth thing that leads to maturity.

For he whose freedom of mind is not fully mature, Meghiya, these five things leads to maturity.

It can be expected, Meghiya, that for a monk who has a good friend, a good companion, a good comrade, that he will be virtuous, that he will live restrained with the Pātimokkha restraint, and will be endowed with (suitable) conduct and resort, seeing danger in the slightest fault, and will train in the training rules he has undertaken.

It can be expected, Meghiya, that for a monk who has a good friend, a good companion, a good comrade, that he will have talk that is very austere, that is suitable for opening up the mind, and that leads to absolute disenchantment, dispassion, cessation, peace, deep knowledge, complete Awakening and Emancipation, such as: talk on wanting little, talk on being satisfied, talk on complete seclusion, talk on disassociation, talk on stirring up energy, talk on virtue, talk on concentration, talk on wisdom, talk on freedom, talk on knowing and seeing freedom. Such talk as this he gains as he desires, he gains without difficulty, gains without trouble.

It can be expected, Meghiya, that for a monk who has a good friend, a good companion, a good comrade, that he will be a monk with energy aroused for the giving up of unwholesome things, for the taking up of wholesome things, steadfast, of firm endeavour, one who has not thrown off the burden in regard to wholesome things.

It can be expected, Meghiya, that for a monk who has a good friend, a good companion, a good comrade, that he will be wise, endowed with wisdom that leads to (seeing) rise and disappearance, with noble penetration, that leads to the complete destruction of suffering.

Then, Meghiya, with a monk who is established in these five things, four further things ought to be developed:

The (meditation on the) unattractive should be developed for the giving up of passion,
friendliness (meditation) should be developed for the giving up of ill-will,
mindfulness of breathing should be developed for the cutting off of thoughts,
the perception of impermanence should be developed for the complete uprooting of the conceit ‘I am’.

To one who has the perception of impermanence, Meghiya, the perception of non-self is established, one who perceives non-self reaches the complete uprooting of the conceit ‘I am’, in this very life (reaches) Emancipation.”

Then the Fortunate One, having understood the significance of it, on that occasion uttered this exalted utterance: