[326] On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Rājagaha, on Mount Gijjhakūṭa. Now on that occasion the Venerable Soṇa was dwelling at Rājagaha in the Sītavana. Then, while the Venerable Soṇa was alone in seclusion, this reflection arose in his mind: "Whatever disciples of the Blessed One dwell with energy (vīriya) aroused, I am one of them; and yet my mind (citta) is not liberated from the taints (āsava) through non-clinging. Now, wealth exists in my family, and it is possible both to enjoy wealth and to make merit. What if I were to give up the training, return to the lower life, enjoy wealth, and make merit?"
Then the Blessed One, having known with his own mind the reflection in the Venerable Soṇa's mind, just as a strong man might extend his bent arm or bend his extended arm, vanished from Mount Gijjhakūṭa and appeared before the Venerable Soṇa in the Sītavana. The Blessed One sat down on the prepared seat. The Venerable Soṇa, having paid homage to the Blessed One, sat down to one side. As the Venerable Soṇa sat to one side, the Blessed One said this to him: "Soṇa, when you were alone in seclusion, did not this reflection arise in your mind: 'Whatever disciples of the Blessed One dwell with energy aroused, I am one of them; and yet my mind is not liberated from the taints through non-clinging. Now, wealth exists in my family, and it is possible both to enjoy wealth and to make merit. What if I were to give up the training, return to the lower life, enjoy wealth, and make merit?'"
"So it is, venerable sir."
"What do you think, Soṇa? Formerly, when you were a householder, were you skilled in the sounds of the lute's strings?"
"So it is, venerable sir."
"What do you think, Soṇa? When the strings of your lute were too taut, was your lute on that occasion melodious and fit for use?"
"No indeed, venerable sir."
"What do you think, Soṇa? When the strings of your lute were too slack, was your lute on that occasion melodious and fit for use?"
"No indeed, venerable sir."
"But when, Soṇa, the strings of your lute were neither too taut nor too slack, but set to an even pitch, was your lute on that occasion melodious and fit for use?"
"So it is, venerable sir."
"Even so, Soṇa, energy that is too strenuously aroused leads to restlessness, and energy that is too slack leads to laziness. Therefore, Soṇa, resolve upon evenness of energy, penetrate to evenness of the faculties (indriya), and take up the sign (nimitta) therein."
"Yes, venerable sir," the Venerable Soṇa replied to the Blessed One. Then the Blessed One, having exhorted the Venerable Soṇa with this exhortation, just as a strong man might extend his bent arm or bend his extended arm, vanished from the Sītavana and appeared on Mount Gijjhakūṭa.
Then, at a later time, the Venerable Soṇa resolved upon evenness of energy, penetrated to evenness of the faculties, and took up the sign therein. Then the Venerable Soṇa, dwelling alone, withdrawn, heedful, ardent, and resolute, in no long time realized for himself with direct knowledge, in this very life, that unsurpassed consummation of the holy life for the sake of which sons of good family rightly go forth from the home life into homelessness, and having entered upon it, he dwelt therein. He knew: "Birth is destroyed, the holy life has been lived, done is what had to be done, there is nothing further for this state of being." And the Venerable Soṇa became one of the arahants.
Then, when the Venerable Soṇa had attained arahantship, this occurred to him: "What if I were to approach the Blessed One and, having approached, declare final knowledge (aññā) in the Blessed One's presence." Then the Venerable Soṇa approached the Blessed One; having approached and paid homage to the Blessed One, he sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, the Venerable Soṇa said this to the Blessed One:
"Venerable sir, a bhikkhu who is an arahant, whose taints are destroyed, who has lived the holy life, done what had to be done, laid down the burden, attained his own goal, utterly destroyed the fetters of existence, and is liberated through right final knowledge — he is intent upon six things: he is intent upon renunciation (nekkhamma), intent upon seclusion (paviveka), intent upon non-affliction (abyāpajjha), intent upon the destruction of craving (taṇhā), intent upon the destruction of clinging (upādāna), and intent upon non-bewilderment (asammoha).
"It may be, venerable sir, that some venerable one here might think: 'Surely this venerable one is intent upon renunciation in reliance upon mere faith alone.' But this should not be seen thus, venerable sir. A bhikkhu whose taints are destroyed, venerable sir, who has lived the holy life and done what had to be done, seeing in himself nothing still to be done and no adding to what has been done, is intent upon renunciation because of the destruction of lust (rāga), through being devoid of lust; is intent upon renunciation because of the destruction of hatred, through being devoid of hatred; is intent upon renunciation because of the destruction of delusion, through being devoid of delusion.
"It may be, venerable sir, that some venerable one here might think: 'Surely this venerable one, hankering after gain, honour, and fame, is intent upon seclusion.' But this should not be seen thus, venerable sir. A bhikkhu whose taints are destroyed, venerable sir, who has lived the holy life and done what had to be done, seeing in himself nothing still to be done and no adding to what has been done, is intent upon seclusion because of the destruction of lust, through being devoid of lust; is intent upon seclusion because of the destruction of hatred, through being devoid of hatred; is intent upon seclusion because of the destruction of delusion, through being devoid of delusion.
"It may be, venerable sir, that some venerable one here might think: 'Surely this venerable one, falling back on adherence to rules and rituals (sīlabbataparāmāsa) as the essence, is intent upon non-affliction.' But this should not be seen thus, venerable sir. A bhikkhu whose taints are destroyed, venerable sir, who has lived the holy life and done what had to be done, seeing in himself nothing still to be done and no adding to what has been done, is intent upon non-affliction because of the destruction of lust, through being devoid of lust; is intent upon non-affliction because of the destruction of hatred, through being devoid of hatred; is intent upon non-affliction because of the destruction of delusion, through being devoid of delusion. …
"Because of the destruction of lust, through being devoid of lust, he is intent upon the destruction of craving; because of the destruction of hatred, through being devoid of hatred, he is intent upon the destruction of craving; because of the destruction of delusion, through being devoid of delusion, he is intent upon the destruction of craving. Because of the destruction of lust, through being devoid of lust, he is intent upon the destruction of clinging; because of the destruction of hatred, through being devoid of hatred, he is intent upon the destruction of clinging; because of the destruction of delusion, through being devoid of delusion, he is intent upon the destruction of clinging. Because of the destruction of lust, through being devoid of lust, he is intent upon non-bewilderment; because of the destruction of hatred, through being devoid of hatred, he is intent upon non-bewilderment; because of the destruction of delusion, through being devoid of delusion, he is intent upon non-bewilderment.
"Venerable sir, when a bhikkhu's mind is thus rightly liberated, even if powerful forms cognizable by the eye come into the range of the eye, they do not overwhelm his mind; his mind remains unmixed, steady, attained to imperturbability, and he contemplates its passing away. Even if powerful sounds cognizable by the ear …, odours cognizable by the nose, tastes cognizable by the tongue, tangibles cognizable by the body, mental phenomena cognizable by the mind come into the range of the mind, they do not overwhelm his mind; his mind remains unmixed, steady, attained to imperturbability, and he contemplates its passing away.
"Suppose, venerable sir, there were a mountain of rock, without clefts, without hollows, of one solid mass: even if a violent storm of wind and rain were to come from the eastern quarter, it would not shake it, make it quake, or make it tremble; even if a violent storm of wind and rain were to come from the western quarter …; even if a violent storm of wind and rain were to come from the northern quarter; even if a violent storm of wind and rain were to come from the southern quarter, it would not shake it, make it quake, or make it tremble. Even so, venerable sir, when a bhikkhu's mind is thus rightly liberated, even if powerful forms cognizable by the eye come into the range of the eye, they do not overwhelm his mind; his mind remains unmixed, steady, attained to imperturbability, and he contemplates its passing away. Even if powerful sounds cognizable by the ear …, odours cognizable by the nose, tastes cognizable by the tongue, tangibles cognizable by the body, mental phenomena cognizable by the mind come into the range of the mind, they do not overwhelm his mind; his mind remains unmixed, steady, attained to imperturbability, and he contemplates its passing away."
For one intent upon renunciation
and upon seclusion of mind,
intent upon non-affliction
and upon the destruction of clinging,
intent upon the destruction of craving
and upon non-bewilderment of mind —
having seen the arising of the sense bases (āyatana),
the mind is rightly liberated.
For that bhikkhu, rightly liberated,
of peaceful mind,
there is no adding to what has been done;
nothing to be done is found.
As a mountain of one solid rock
is not stirred by the wind,
so forms, tastes, sounds,
odours, and contacts, one and all,
agreeable and disagreeable phenomena,
do not make such a one tremble;
his mind is steady, fully released,
and he contemplates its passing away.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.