The Discourse to Prince Bodhi
[13. All about Attainments]
When this was said, prince Bodhi said this to the Fortunate One: “How long, reverend Sir, when a monk gains the Realised One as trainer, before he, in regard to that good for which young men of good family rightly go forth from the home to the homeless life, that unsurpassed conclusion to the spiritual life, can dwell having known, experienced, and attained it himself in this very life?”
“Now then, Prince, here I will ask you something in return: as you see fit, so you should answer. What do you think of this, Prince, are you skilled in the art of training a mounted elephant with a goad?”
“Yes, reverend Sir, I am skilled in the art of training a mounted elephant with a goad.”
“What do you think of this, Prince, if a man came here thinking: ‘Prince Bodhi is skilled in the art of training a mounted elephant with a goad, I will train in his presence in the art of training a mounted elephant with a goad.’
But for one without faith he cannot attain what can be attained by one with faith, for one with many afflictions he cannot attain what can be attained by one with few afflictions, for one who is treacherous and deceitful he cannot attain what can be attained by one who is not treacherous and deceitful, for one who is lazy he cannot attain what can be attained by one who is energetic, for one with little wisdom he cannot attain what can be attained by one who is wise.
What do you think of this, Prince, can that man train in your presence in the art of training a mounted elephant with a goad?”
“Being endowed with even one of those qualities that man could not train in my presence in the art of training a mounted elephant with a goad, what to say about one with all five qualities!”
“What do you think of this, Prince, if a man came here thinking: ‘Prince Bodhi is skilled in the art of training a mounted elephant with a goad, I will train in his presence in the art of training a mounted elephant with a goad.’
But for one with faith he can attain what can be attained by one with faith, for one with few afflictions he can attain what can be attained by one with few afflictions, for one who is not treacherous and deceitful he can attain what can be attained by one who is not treacherous and deceitful, for one who is energetic he can attain what can be attained by one who is energetic, for one who is wise he can attain what can be attained by one who is wise.
What do you think of this, Prince, can that man train in your presence in the art of training a mounted elephant with a goad?”
“Being endowed with even one of those qualities that man could train in my presence in the art of training a mounted elephant with a goad, what to say about one with all five qualities!”
“Thus, Prince, there are these five qualities of striving. Which five? Here, Prince, a monk has faith, he believes in the Realised One’s Awakening thus:
Such is he, the Fortunate One, the Worthy One, the Perfect Sambuddha, the one endowed with understanding and good conduct, the Happy One, the one who understands the worlds, the Teacher of gods and men, the Buddha, the Fortunate One, the unsurpassed guide for those people who need taming.
He is one with few afflictions and little illness, endowed with good digestion and metabolism, neither too cool nor too hot, but in the middle, and suitable for striving.
He is not treacherous or deceitful and shows himself as he really is to his teachers and his wise spiritual friends.
He lives energetically, giving up unwholesome things, and undertaking wholesome things, steadfast, making strong effort, not abandoning responsibility regarding wholesome things.
He is wise, endowed with wisdom regarding rising and falling, regarding noble penetration, regarding what leads to the complete destruction of suffering.
These, Prince, are the five qualities of striving. Endowed, Prince, with these five qualities, a monk who gains the Realised One as trainer, in regard to that good for which young men of good family rightly go forth from the home to the homeless life, that unsurpassed conclusion to the spiritual life, he can dwell having known, experienced, and attained it himself within seven years.
Let alone seven years, Prince, endowed with these five qualities, a monk who gains the Realised One as trainer, in regard to that good for which young men of good family rightly go forth from the home to the homeless life, that unsurpassed conclusion to the spiritual life, he can dwell having known, experienced, and attained it himself within six years.
Let alone six years, Prince, endowed with these five qualities, a monk who gains the Realised One as trainer, in regard to that good for which young men of good family rightly go forth from the home to the homeless life, that unsurpassed conclusion to the spiritual life, he can dwell having known, experienced, and attained it himself within five years.
Let alone five years, Prince, endowed with these five qualities, a monk who gains the Realised One as trainer, in regard to that good for which young men of good family rightly go forth from the home to the homeless life, that unsurpassed conclusion to the spiritual life, he can dwell having known, experienced, and attained it himself within four years.
Let alone four years, Prince, endowed with these five qualities, a monk who gains the Realised One as trainer, in regard to that good for which young men of good family rightly go forth from the home to the homeless life, that unsurpassed conclusion to the spiritual life, he can dwell having known, experienced, and attained it himself within three years.
Let alone three years, Prince, endowed with these five qualities, a monk who gains the Realised One as trainer, in regard to that good for which young men of good family rightly go forth from the home to the homeless life, that unsurpassed conclusion to the spiritual life, he can dwell having known, experienced, and attained it himself within two years.
Let alone two years, Prince, endowed with these five qualities, a monk who gains the Realised One as trainer, in regard to that good for which young men of good family rightly go forth from the home to the homeless life, that unsurpassed conclusion to the spiritual life, he can dwell having known, experienced, and attained it himself within one year.
Let alone one year, Prince, endowed with these five qualities, a monk who gains the Realised One as trainer, in regard to that good for which young men of good family rightly go forth from the home to the homeless life, that unsurpassed conclusion to the spiritual life, he can dwell having known, experienced, and attained it himself within seven months.
Let alone seven months, Prince, endowed with these five qualities, a monk who gains the Realised One as trainer, in regard to that good for which young men of good family rightly go forth from the home to the homeless life, that unsurpassed conclusion to the spiritual life, he can dwell having known, experienced, and attained it himself within six months.
Let alone six months, Prince, endowed with these five qualities, a monk who gains the Realised One as trainer, in regard to that good for which young men of good family rightly go forth from the home to the homeless life, that unsurpassed conclusion to the spiritual life, he can dwell having known, experienced, and attained it himself within five months.
Let alone five months, Prince, endowed with these five qualities, a monk who gains the Realised One as trainer, in regard to that good for which young men of good family rightly go forth from the home to the homeless life, that unsurpassed conclusion to the spiritual life, he can dwell having known, experienced, and attained it himself within four months.
Let alone four months, Prince, endowed with these five qualities, a monk who gains the Realised One as trainer, in regard to that good for which young men of good family rightly go forth from the home to the homeless life, that unsurpassed conclusion to the spiritual life, he can dwell having known, experienced, and attained it himself within three months.
Let alone three months, Prince, endowed with these five qualities, a monk who gains the Realised One as trainer, in regard to that good for which young men of good family rightly go forth from the home to the homeless life, that unsurpassed conclusion to the spiritual life, he can dwell having known, experienced, and attained it himself within two months.
Let alone two months, Prince, endowed with these five qualities, a monk who gains the Realised One as trainer, in regard to that good for which young men of good family rightly go forth from the home to the homeless life, that unsurpassed conclusion to the spiritual life, he can dwell having known, experienced, and attained it himself within one month.
Let alone one month, Prince, endowed with these five qualities, a monk who gains the Realised One as trainer, in regard to that good for which young men of good family rightly go forth from the home to the homeless life, that unsurpassed conclusion to the spiritual life, he can dwell having known, experienced, and attained it himself within half a month.
Let alone half a month, Prince, endowed with these five qualities, a monk who gains the Realised One as trainer, in regard to that good for which young men of good family rightly go forth from the home to the homeless life, that unsurpassed conclusion to the spiritual life, he can dwell having known, experienced, and attained it himself within seven days and nights.
Let alone within seven days and nights, Prince, endowed with these five qualities, a monk who gains the Realised One as trainer, in regard to that good for which young men of good family rightly go forth from the home to the homeless life, that unsurpassed conclusion to the spiritual life, he can dwell having known, experienced, and attained it himself within six days and nights.
Let alone within six days and nights, Prince, endowed with these five qualities, a monk who gains the Realised One as trainer, in regard to that good for which young men of good family rightly go forth from the home to the homeless life, that unsurpassed conclusion to the spiritual life, he can dwell having known, experienced, and attained it himself within five days and nights.
Let alone within five days and nights, Prince, endowed with these five qualities, a monk who gains the Realised One as trainer, in regard to that good for which young men of good family rightly go forth from the home to the homeless life, that unsurpassed conclusion to the spiritual life, he can dwell having known, experienced, and attained it himself within four days and nights.
Let alone within four days and nights, Prince, endowed with these five qualities, a monk who gains the Realised One as trainer, in regard to that good for which young men of good family rightly go forth from the home to the homeless life, that unsurpassed conclusion to the spiritual life, he can dwell having known, experienced, and attained it himself within three days and nights.
Let alone within three days and nights, Prince, endowed with these five qualities, a monk who gains the Realised One as trainer, in regard to that good for which young men of good family rightly go forth from the home to the homeless life, that unsurpassed conclusion to the spiritual life, he can dwell having known, experienced, and attained it himself within two days and nights.
Let alone within two days and nights, Prince, endowed with these five qualities, a monk who gains the Realised One as trainer, in regard to that good for which young men of good family rightly go forth from the home to the homeless life, that unsurpassed conclusion to the spiritual life, he can dwell having known, experienced, and attained it himself within one day and night.
Let alone within one day and night, Prince, endowed with these five qualities, a monk who gains the Realised One as trainer, instructed in the evening can attain distinction by morning, instructed in the morning can attain distinction by evening.”
When this was said, Prince Bodhi said this to the Fortunate One: “Oh, the Buddha, oh the Dhamma, oh the well-taught Dhamma! Indeed, instructed in the evening he can attain distinction by morning, instructed in the morning he can attain distinction by evening!”
When this was said, the student Sañjikāputta said this to Prince Bodhi: “Now this venerable Bodhi says this: ‘Oh, the Buddha, oh the Dhamma, oh the well-taught Dhamma!’ but then he doesn’t go to the reverend Gotama for refuge or to the Dhamma, or to the Saṅgha of monks.”
“Do not say that, dear Sañjikāputta, do not say that, dear Sañjikāputta.
Face-to-face, dear Sañjikāputta, I heard this from my Noble Mother, face-to-face I learned it: At one time, dear Sañjikāputta, the Fortunate One was dwelling near Kosambī, in Ghosita’s Monastery.
Then my Noble Mother, who was pregnant, approached the Fortunate One, and after approaching and worshipping the Fortunate One, she sat down on one side.
While sitting on one side my Noble Mother said this to the Fortunate One: ‘Whatever this is, reverend Sir, in my womb, a boy or a girl, he goes to the reverend Gotama for refuge, and to the Dhamma, and to the Saṅgha of monks. Please bear in mind that he is a lay disciple who has gone for refuge from today forward for as long as he has the breath of life.’
At one time, dear Sañjikāputta, ‘the Fortunate One was dwelling here amongst the Bhaggas in the Deer Park in Bhesakaḷā’s Wood on the Crocodile Hill.
Then my nurse, carrying me on her hip, approached the Fortunate One, and after approaching and worshipping the Fortunate One, she stood on one side.
While standing on one side my nurse said this to the Fortunate One: ‘This Prince Bodhi, reverend Sir, goes to the reverend Gotama for refuge, and to the Dhamma, and to the Saṅgha of monks. Please bear in mind that he is a lay disciple who has gone for refuge from today forward for as long as he has the breath of life.’
Now today, dear Sañjikāputta, for a third time I go to the reverend Gotama for refuge, and to the Dhamma, and to the Saṅgha of monks.
Please bear in mind that I am a lay disciple who has gone for refuge from today forward for as long as I have the breath of life.”
The Discourse to Prince Bodhi is Finished