Padhana Sutta

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jcsuperstar
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Padhana Sutta

Post by jcsuperstar »

Snp 3.2 PTS: Sn 425-449
Padhana Sutta: Exertion
translated from the Pali by
Thanissaro Bhikkhu
To me —
resolute in exertion
near the river Nerañjara,
making a great effort,
doing jhana
to attain rest from the yoke —

Namuci [1] came,
speaking words of compassion:
"You are ashen, thin.
Death is in
your presence.
Death
has 1,000 parts of you.
Only one part
is your life.
Live, good sir!
Life is better.
Alive,
you can do
acts of merit.
Your living the holy life,
performing the fire sacrifice,
will heap up much merit.
What use is exertion to you?
Hard to follow
— the path of exertion —
hard to do, hard
to sustain."

Saying these verses,
Mara stood in the Awakened One's presence.
And to that Mara, speaking thus,
the Blessed One said this:

"Kinsman of the heedless,
Evil One,
come here for whatever purpose:
I haven't, for merit,
even the least bit of need.
Those who have need of merit:
those are the ones
Mara's fit to address.

In me are conviction,
austerity,
persistence,
discernment.
Why, when I'm so resolute
do you petition me
to live?
This wind could burn up
even river currents.
Why, when I'm resolute
shouldn't my blood dry away?
As my blood dries up
gall & phlegm dry up.
As muscles waste away,
the mind grows clearer;
mindfulness, discernment,
concentration stand
more firm.
Staying in this way,
attaining the ultimate feeling, [2]
the mind has no interest
in sensual passions.
See:
a being's
purity!

Sensual passions are your first army.
Your second is called Discontent.
Your third is Hunger & Thirst.
Your fourth is called Craving.
Fifth is Sloth & Drowsiness.
Sixth is called Terror.
Your seventh is Uncertainty.
Hypocrisy & Stubbornness, your eighth.
Gains, Offerings, Fame, & Status
wrongly gained,
and whoever would praise self
& disparage others.

That, Namuci, is your army,
the Dark One's commando force.
A coward can't defeat it,
but one having defeated it
gains bliss.
Do I carry muñja grass? [3]
I spit on my life.
Death in battle woud be better for me
than that I, defeated,
survive.

Sinking here, they don't appear,
some priests & contemplatives.
They don't know the path
by which those with good practices
go.

Seeing the bannered force
on all sides —
the troops, Mara
along with his mount —
I go into battle.
May they not budge me
from
my spot.
That army of yours,
that the world with its devas
can't overcome,
I will smash with discernment —
as an unfired pot with a stone.

Making my resolve mastered,
mindfulness well-established,
I will go about, from kingdom to kingdom,
training many disciples.
They — heedful, resolute
doing my bidding —
despite your wishes, will go
where, having gone,
there's no grief."
Mara:
"For seven years, I've dogged
the Blessed One's steps,
but haven't gained an opening
in the One Self-awakened
& glorious.
A crow circled a stone
the color of fat
— 'Maybe I've found
something tender here.
Maybe there's something delicious' —
but not getting anything delicious there,
the crow went away.
Like the crow attacking the rock,
I weary myself with Gotama."

As he was overcome with sorrow,
his lute fell from under his arm.
Then he, the despondent spirit,
right there
disappeared.





Notes
1.Mara.
2.The highest equanimity that can be attained through jhana.
3.Muñja grass was the ancient Indian equivalent of a white flag. A warrior expecting that he might have to surrender would take muñja grass into battle with him. If he did surrender, he would lie down with the muñja grass in his mouth. The Buddha, in asking this rhetorical question, is indicating that he is not the type of warrior who would carry muñja grass. If defeated, he would rather die than surrender.
สัพเพ สัตตา สุขีตา โหนตุ

the mountain may be heavy in and of itself, but if you're not trying to carry it it's not heavy to you- Ajaan Suwat
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jcsuperstar
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Re: Padhana Sutta

Post by jcsuperstar »

Padhana Sutta: The Great Struggle
translated from the Pali by
John D. Ireland
"When, near the river Nerañjara, I exerted myself in meditation for attaining to security from bondage, [1] there came Namuci [2] speaking words of compassion:

"'You are emaciated and ill-looking, you are near to death! A thousand parts of you belong to death and only a fraction of you is alive. Live, good Sir! It is better to live. Living you may perform meritorious deeds. From practicing celibacy and tending the sacrificial fire much merit is made, but what is obtained from striving? It is difficult to enter the path of exertion, it is difficult to do, difficult to maintain.'"

Mara spoke these words whilst standing in the presence of the Awakened One. To Mara speaking thus, the Lord replied:

"You who are the friend of the negligent, O Evil One, for what reason have you come here? Those who still have use for merit Mara may consider worthwhile addressing. I have faith and energy and wisdom. Being thus bent on striving why do you ask me to live? This wind will wither the currents of the rivers, why should not my exertion dry up even the blood? When the blood dries up, the bile and phlegm wither. On the wasting away of the flesh the mind becomes more and more serene and my mindfulness, wisdom and concentration are established more firmly. In me, who abides enduring such an extreme experience, the mind does not long for sensual pleasures. See the purity of a being!

"Sensual desire is your first army, the second is called discontent, the third is hunger and thirst, the fourth craving, the fifth sluggishness and laziness, the sixth fear, the seventh indecision, and the eighth disparagement of others and stubbornness: gain, fame, honor, prestige wrongly acquired and whoever praises himself and despises others — these, Namuci, are your armies, the Dark One's [3] striking forces. A lazy, cowardly person cannot overcome them, but by conquering them one gains bliss.

"I wear muñja-grass! [4] Shame on life here in this world! It is better for me to die in battle than to live defeated. Some recluses and brahmanas are not seen (exerting themselves) here, so immersed are they (in worldliness). They are not aware of that path by which those of perfect conduct walk.

"Seeing the surrounding army ready and Mara mounted (on his elephant), I am going out to fight so that he may not shift me from my position. This army of yours which the world together with the devas is unable to subdue, that I will destroy with wisdom, like an unbaked clay-bowl with a stone. Having mastered the mind and firmly established mindfulness I shall wander from country to country guiding many disciples. And they will be diligent and energetic in practicing my teaching, the teaching of one without sensual desire, and they will go where, having gone, one does not grieve."

Mara: "For seven years I followed the Lord step by step but did not find an opportunity to defeat that mindful Awakened One. A crow flew around a stone having the color of fat: 'Can we find even here something tender? May it be something to eat?'

"Not finding anything edible the crow left that place. As with the crow and the stone, we leave Gotama, having approached and become disheartened."

Overcome by sorrow his lute fell from his arm and thereupon the unhappy spirit disappeared from that place.




Notes
1.Yogakkhema, a name for Nibbana.
2.Namuci, meaning "He who does not let go" (his hold over beings easily) is a name for Mara, the Evil One.
3.The "Dark One" or Kanha (Sanskrit: Krishna), is another name for Mara. He is the Indian Cupid (Kamadeva) and personifies sensual passions. He carries a lute (vina), mentioned at the close, with which he captivates beings by his playing. His other equipment includes a bow, arrows, a noose and a hook.
4.Indian warriors used to wear a tuft of a certain grass, called muñja, on their head or headgear, for indicating that they were prepared to die in battle and determined not to retreat.
สัพเพ สัตตา สุขีตา โหนตุ

the mountain may be heavy in and of itself, but if you're not trying to carry it it's not heavy to you- Ajaan Suwat
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mikenz66
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Re: Padhana Sutta

Post by mikenz66 »

This Sutta features in the book:

In This Very Life
by Sayādaw U Pandita
Chapter 3: The Ten Armies of Māra
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/pesala/Pan ... /mara.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Mike
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Re: Padhana Sutta

Post by mikenz66 »

I find this Sutta a little confusing.

Since it talks about the river at Bodh Gaya:
"When, near the river Nerañjara, I exerted myself in meditation for attaining to security from bondage..."
and talks about an emaciated Gotama, it is presumably before his enlightenment, though it states:
Mara spoke these words whilst standing in the presence of the Awakened One.
Also, presumably this passage:
Mara: "For seven years I followed the Lord step by step but did not find an opportunity to defeat that mindful Awakened One..."
refer to the seven years of Gotama's quest.

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effort
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Re: Padhana Sutta

Post by effort »

..., the second is called discontent...
what kind of discontent?
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effort
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Re: Padhana Sutta

Post by effort »

no reply, easy question or nobody has an answer? discontent of current mind state, discontent of what you achieved, of what you didn't achieve? i feel always unsatisfied with my mind state, so this also has to be abandon?
karaniyama
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Re: Padhana Sutta

Post by karaniyama »

effort wrote:no reply, easy question or nobody has an answer? discontent of current mind state, discontent of what you achieved, of what you didn't achieve? i feel always unsatisfied with my mind state, so this also has to be abandon?
Hello - in my understanding it is simply discontent in the same way that craving is simply craving - the object of the discontent is not that relevant here I think, as when discontent has taken over the mind it is like a fire, in that it will burn up whatever combustible object it finds. In this sense it is a hindrance. There are some cases where discontent might be useful as you have alluded to - when one hasnt achieved what one has a set out to do. This kind of discontent is not a hindrance as it is a basis for attaining the unattained - which was the case with Boddhisatta's attainments with his former teachers - he was not satisfied with those attainments. In that case in can be a spur to make a further effort. Contentment is something to be cultivated when it applies to worldly matters, food, clothing etc but not to spiritual matters. Mara seeks sow discontent in wordly matters as this is one thing that ties beings to rebirth.
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