AN 3.81 - Samana Sutta: Ascetics [Book Of The Threes]

Ektaji explains the 'AN 3.81 - Samana Sutta - Ascetics [Book of the threes]' from Anguttara Nikaya (The Numerical Discourses of the Buddha: A Complete Translation of the Anguttara Nikaya by Bhikkhu Bodhi) Book of the Threes Sutta 81.

These suttas, originally in Pali language, are at the heart of Buddha's teachings. Ektaji uses some Pali words so that the meaning and importance of the sutta is not lost in translation and interpretation.
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Transcript

Salaam. Salaam. Salaam. Welcome to Buddha Sangha. Today we will do a Sutta from Anguttara Nithaya. It is Sutta No. 3. 81. It is from the book of the threes under section 4 aesthetics. Sutta No. 81. Because there are these three ascetic tasks to be practiced by an ascetic. What three? One, The undertaking of the training in the higher virtuous behaviour. Two, The undertaking of the training in the higher mind. Three, The undertaking of the training in the higher wisdom. These are the three ascetic tasks to be practiced by an ascetic. Higher virtuous behaviour is Sheel. Higher mind is Samadhi. And higher wisdom is Panniya. Only when you have a virtuous behaviour can your mind be silent. When your mind becomes silent automatically you move into a state of higher mind, The state of Samadhi. And only when you reach the state of Samadhi do you recognize the higher wisdom. This happens automatically. It is not something that you have to do stepwise. You only have to focus on cleaning the inner environment and be at ceaseless, Without getting tired. Continuous effort. Come what may, I will not let agitation take over. Come what may, I will not let any negative thought take over. My inner environment will always remain pure. I will give you an example. Sometimes someone just comes and says something to you which is not very sweet to hear, Not very pleasant for you. What starts happening inside? Have you noticed? A whirlpool of the same words keeps arising, Keeps arising, Keeps arising like a cyclone. It continuously agitates your mind. That person said one sentence to agitate you only once. But you yourself keep repeating it like a broken record again and again and again and again. And that itself, The repetition itself is what agitates you. So really has that person agitated you or have you agitated yourself? You see, It is you that has agitated yourself. One person through one pebble. You started running all around in your pool with that pebble in your hand and you stirred the mud and the dirt in your own pool. In your own agitation, You have increased your own misery. So recognize this that agitation is not caused by an external object. Agitation is caused by my own craving, My own attachment, My own desire that this should be this way and this should not be this way. When you are not attached, It doesn't matter. Everybody has the freedom of speech and they can say what they want. But I will not give the reins of my inner peace in somebody else's hands. I will not be a slave to somebody else's words. Just this inner conviction helps you become established, Helps you become more and more silent. You focus on yourself, Not externally. All we need to do is turn around. We are facing the wrong direction. All we need to do is turn around and look in the correct direction. Focus should be my inner purity. Just by maintaining a virtuous inner environment, Automatically that virtuousness will reflect in my external behavior and external environment. And that itself, That virtuousness, That silence within me will help me go into Samadhi. It's not about the other person going into Samadhi. It is about me going into that peaceful state, That happy quiet state inside. The happy quiet state is Samadhi. That's it. It may sound like a big word but it is very simple to attain. All you need to do is drop that craving that somebody else should say only what I want to hear. So these are the three tasks that need to be practiced and how therefore, Vikku, You should train yourselves thus. We will have a keen desire to undertake the training in the higher virtuous behavior. We will have a keen desire to undertake the training in the higher mind. We will have a keen desire to undertake the training in the higher wisdom. It is in this way that you should train yourselves. So what is the most important instruction? A keen desire to train myself. It is not about the other person. It is not about external people, Situations and things. It does not matter whether you live in a palace or you live in a hut. It does not matter if everything is hunky-dory outside or it is absolute disaster. It is about my inner environment. In all kinds of situations, I will maintain a keen desire to train my mind in virtuousness. And what are the virtuous vows that we have taken? I will not kill. I will not take what is not given to me. I will not use harsh speech. I will not use malicious words. I will not have any ill will for anybody. And I will always maintain the right view. Avoid the wrong view. So take up these vows. It is very important that you protect yourself. If you protect yourself from getting agitated, You will be able to be at peace. And only when you are at peace can you spread peace around. If inside I am agitated, I can never spread peace and love around. Do you see what I am saying? So start training yourself. Be your own light. Don't trust me. Don't trust the Buddha. Experiment on your own mind and see that by being virtuous, Do you benefit or do you not? You decide if your mind is more peaceful or not by implementing a few of the virtuous vows. Automatically, You will recognize whether this virtuousness takes you to the higher mind or not. And then automatically you will realize from the higher mind, Do you get higher wisdom or not? Be your own light. Atu vithu eva. Copyright © 2020 Mooji Media Ltd. All Rights Reserved. No part of this recording may be reproduced without Mooji Media Ltd. 's express consent.