Release

Then a Tathagata arises in the world, a Perfect Arhat, a Supreme Buddha, perfect in the knowledge and the practice, a wellfarer, world-knower, Charioteer unsurpassed of men to be tamed, Teacher of devas and mankind, Awakened, Exalted One … and He teaches the Dharma.  The man hears the Dharma, forsakes the world, and enters upon the Ariyan self-training in the Buddha Sangha.

Then he, becomes master of this Ariyan group of virtues, master of this Ariyan restraint of faculties and this Ariyan mindful self-possession, seeks out some secluded lodging, a forest, the foot of a tree, a mountain, a cave, a mountain grotto, a charnel-field, a lonely grove, the open air, a heap of straw.

There, when he has begged his food and eaten it, he sits down, croslegged and holds his body straight, setting mindfulness before him, and rejecting the covetousness that is in the world, he abides in thought that is freed from dejection.  He puts away the taint of malevolence, and abides in the thought of harmlessness.  With kindly thought for every living thing and creature he cleanses his heart of the taint of malevolence.  Casting away sloth and torpor, he abides free from these.  Conscious of illumination, mindful and self-possesssed, he cleanses his heart from sloth and torpor.  Abandoning flurry and worry, unshaken he abides, inwardly calm in thought he cleanses his heart of worry and flurry.  He abandons wavering, and having passed over wavering so abides; no more a questioner of the how and why of things that are good, he cleanses his heart of wavering.

Thus abandoning the Five Hindrances, wearing down by wisdom the impurities that still remain, aloof from sensual desires, aloof from evil things, he enters upon the Four Trances (as before described).

Then, when he sees a shape with the eye, he is no longer enamoured of enticing shapes.  He is not repelled by repellent shapes, but dwells with mindfulness established.  Boundless is his sphere of thought.  He knows that release of heart, that release by wisdom, as it really is, and by which those ill unprofitable things come to cease without leaving anything behind.

He rejects satisfaction and dissatisfaction.  Whatever feeling he feels, be it pleasant, painful or neutral, he welcomes it not, greets it not, clings not fast to it.  Thereby ceases the lure.  By the ceasing of the lure ceases grasping.  By the ceasing of grasping ceases coming to be… and so is the ceasing of all this mass of suffering.

This release by the destruction of craving, Bhikkhus, which I have thus succinctly given you, do you bear it in mind. 

M.N. i. 265-71

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(Some Sayings of the Buddha – According to the Pali Canon, translated from the Pali by F.L.Woodward, Oxford University Press, Madras, 1925).