AN 3.102 Nimittasutta |
Themes: Nimitta Sutta (3:103) |
“adhi-cittam-anuyuttena, bhikkhave, bhikkhunā tīṇi nimittāni kālena kālaṃ manasi kātabbāni— |
“A monk intent on heightened mind should attend periodically to three themes: |
kālena kālaṃ samādhi-nimittaṃ manasi kātabbaṃ, |
He should attend periodically to the theme of concentration; |
kālena kālaṃ paggaha-nimittaṃ manasi kātabbaṃ, |
he should attend periodically to the theme of uplifted energy; |
kālena kālaṃ upekkhā-nimittaṃ manasi kātabbaṃ. |
he should attend periodically to the theme of equanimity. |
Sace, bhikkhave, adhi-cittam-anuyutto bhikkhu ekantaṃ samādhi-nimittaṃyeva manasi kareyya, |
If the monk intent on heightened mind were to attend solely to the theme of concentration, |
ṭhānaṃ taṃ cittaṃ kosajjāya saṃvatteyya. |
it’s possible that his mind would tend to laziness. |
Sace, bhikkhave, adhi-cittam-anuyutto bhikkhu ekantaṃ paggaha-nimittaṃyeva manasi kareyya, |
If he were to attend solely to the theme of uplifted energy, |
ṭhānaṃ taṃ cittaṃ uddhaccāya saṃvatteyya. |
it’s possible that his mind would tend to restlessness. |
Sace, bhikkhave, adhi-cittam-anuyutto bhikkhu ekantaṃ upekkhā-nimittaṃyeva manasi kareyya, |
If he were to attend solely to the theme of equanimity, |
ṭhānaṃ taṃ cittaṃ na sammā samādhiyeyya āsavānaṃ khayāya. |
it’s possible that his mind would not be rightly concentrated for the ending of the effluents. |
Yato ca kho, bhikkhave, adhi-cittam-anuyutto bhikkhu |
But when he |
kālena kālaṃ samādhi-nimittaṃ manasi karoti, |
attends periodically to the theme of concentration, |
kālena kālaṃ paggaha-nimittaṃ manasi karoti, |
attends periodically to the theme of uplifted energy, |
kālena kālaṃ upekkhā-nimittaṃ manasi karoti, |
attends periodically to the theme of equanimity, |
taṃ hoti cittaṃ muduñca kammaniyañca pabhassarañca, |
his mind is pliant, malleable, luminous, |
na ca pabhaṅgu, |
& not brittle. |
sammā samādhiyati āsavānaṃ khayāya. |
It is rightly concentrated for the ending of the effluents. |
Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, suvaṇṇakāro vā suvaṇṇakārantevāsī vā ukkaṃ" bandheyya, |
“Just as if a goldsmith or goldsmith’s apprentice were to set up a smelter. |
ukkaṃ bandhitvā ukkāmukhaṃ ālimpeyya", |
Having set up the smelter, he would fire the receptacle. |
ukkāmukhaṃ ālimpetvā saṇḍāsena jātarūpaṃ gahetvā ukkāmukhe" pakkhipeyya, |
Having fired the receptacle, he would take hold of some gold with his tongs and place it in the receptacle. |
ukkāmukhe" pakkhipitvā kālena kālaṃ abhidhamati, |
Periodically he would blow on it, |
kālena kālaṃ udakena paripphoseti, |
periodically sprinkle it with water, |
kālena kālaṃ ajjhupekkhati. |
periodically examine it closely. |
Sace, bhikkhave, suvaṇṇakāro vā suvaṇṇakārantevāsī vā taṃ jātarūpaṃ ekantaṃ abhidhameyya, |
If he were solely to blow on it, |
ṭhānaṃ taṃ jātarūpaṃ ḍaheyya. |
it’s possible that the gold would burn up. |
Sace, bhikkhave, suvaṇṇakāro vā suvaṇṇakārantevāsī vā taṃ jātarūpaṃ ekantaṃ udakena paripphoseyya, |
If he were solely to sprinkle it with water, |
ṭhānaṃ taṃ jātarūpaṃ nibbāpeyya. |
it’s possible that the gold would grow cold. |
Sace, bhikkhave, suvaṇṇakāro vā suvaṇṇakārantevāsī vā taṃ jātarūpaṃ ekantaṃ ajjhupekkheyya, |
If he were solely to examine it closely, |
ṭhānaṃ taṃ jātarūpaṃ na sammā paripākaṃ gaccheyya. |
it’s possible that the gold would not come to full perfection. |
Yato ca kho, bhikkhave, suvaṇṇakāro vā suvaṇṇakārantevāsī vā taṃ jātarūpaṃ kālena kālaṃ abhidhamati, |
But when he periodically blows on it, |
kālena kālaṃ udakena paripphoseti, |
periodically sprinkles it with water, |
kālena kālaṃ ajjhupekkhati, |
periodically examines it closely, |
taṃ hoti jātarūpaṃ muduñca kammaniyañca pabhassarañca, |
the gold becomes pliant, malleable, & luminous. |
na ca pabhaṅgu, |
It is not brittle, |
sammā upeti kammāya. |
and is ready to be worked. |
Yassā yassā ca pilandhanavikatiyā ākaṅkhati—yadi paṭṭikāya, |
Then whatever sort of ornament he has in mind—whether a belt, |
yadi kuṇḍalāya, |
an earring, |
yadi gīveyyake, |
a necklace, |
yadi suvaṇṇamālāya—tañcassa atthaṃ anubhoti. |
or a gold chain—the gold would serve his purpose. |
Evamevaṃ kho, bhikkhave, adhi-cittam-anuyuttena bhikkhunā tīṇi nimittāni kālena kālaṃ manasi kātabbāni— |
“In the same way, a monk intent on heightened mind should attend periodically to three themes: |
kālena kālaṃ samādhi-nimittaṃ manasi kātabbaṃ, |
He should attend periodically to the theme of concentration; |
kālena kālaṃ paggaha-nimittaṃ manasi kātabbaṃ, |
he should attend periodically to the theme of uplifted energy; |
kālena kālaṃ upekkhā-nimittaṃ manasi kātabbaṃ. |
he should attend periodically to the theme of equanimity. |
Sace, bhikkhave, adhi-cittam-anuyutto bhikkhu ekantaṃ samādhi-nimittaṃyeva manasi kareyya, |
If the monk intent on heightened mind were to attend solely to the theme of concentration, |
ṭhānaṃ taṃ cittaṃ kosajjāya saṃvatteyya. |
it’s possible that his mind would tend to laziness. |
Sace, bhikkhave, adhi-cittam-anuyutto bhikkhu ekantaṃ paggaha-nimittaṃyeva manasi kareyya, |
If he were to attend solely to the theme of uplifted energy, |
ṭhānaṃ taṃ cittaṃ uddhaccāya saṃvatteyya. |
it’s possible that his mind would tend to restlessness. |
Sace, bhikkhave, adhi-cittam-anuyutto bhikkhu ekantaṃ upekkhā-nimittaṃyeva manasi kareyya, |
If he were to attend solely to the theme of equanimity, |
ṭhānaṃ taṃ cittaṃ na sammā samādhiyeyya āsavānaṃ khayāya. |
it’s possible that his mind would not be rightly concentrated for the ending of the effluents. |
Yato ca kho, bhikkhave, adhi-cittam-anuyutto bhikkhu |
But when he |
kālena kālaṃ samādhi-nimittaṃ manasi karoti, |
attends periodically to the theme of concentration, |
kālena kālaṃ paggaha-nimittaṃ manasi karoti, |
attends periodically to the theme of uplifted energy, |
kālena kālaṃ upekkhā-nimittaṃ manasi karoti, |
attends periodically to the theme of equanimity, |
taṃ hoti cittaṃ muduñca kammaniyañca pabhassarañca, |
his mind is pliant, malleable, luminous, |
na ca pabhaṅgu, |
& not brittle. |
sammā samādhiyati āsavānaṃ khayāya. |
It is rightly concentrated for the ending of the effluents. |
Yassa yassa ca abhiññāsacchikaraṇīyassa dhammassa cittaṃ abhininnāmeti abhiññāsacchikiriyāya, |
“And then whichever of the higher knowledges he turns his mind to know & realize, |
tatra tatreva sakkhibhabbataṃ pāpuṇāti sati satiāyatane. |
he can witness them for himself whenever there is an opening. |
So sace ākaṅkhati: ‘anekavihitaṃ iddhividhaṃ paccanubhaveyyaṃ … pe … (cha abhiññā vitthāretabbā. |
(...1. supranormal powers, 2. divine ear, 3. knowing minds of others, 4. recalling previous lives, 5. divine eye, 6. destruction of āsavās ... ) |
) Āsavānaṃ khayā … pe … sacchikatvā upasampajja vihareyyan’ti, |
“If he wants, then through the ending of the effluents, he enters & remains in the effluent-free awareness-release & discernment-release, having directly known and realized them for himself right in the here & now. |
tatra tatreva sakkhibhabbataṃ pāpuṇāti sati satiāyatane”ti. |
He can witness this for himself whenever there is an opening.” |
Ekādasamaṃ. |
(end of sutta) |