The Chapter with Rohitassa
AN 4.41 Ways of Developing Immersion Further Samādhibhāvanāsutta
"Mendicants, there are these four ways of developing immersion further. What four? There is a way of developing immersion further that leads to blissful meditation in this life. There is a way of developing immersion further that leads to gaining knowledge and vision. There is a way of developing immersion further that leads to mindfulness and awareness. There is a way of developing immersion further that leads to the ending of defilements.
And what is the way of developing immersion further that leads to blissful meditation in this life? It's when a mendicant, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskillful qualities, enters and remains in the first absorption ... second absorption ... third absorption ... fourth absorption. This is the way of developing immersion further that leads to blissful meditation in this life.
And what is the way of developing immersion further that leads to gaining knowledge and vision? It's when a mendicant applies their mind to the perception of light, focusing on the perception of day: as by day, so by night; as by night, so by day. And so, with an open and unenveloped heart, they develop a mind that's full of radiance. This is the way of developing immersion further that leads to gaining knowledge and vision.
And what is the way of developing immersion further that leads to mindfulness and awareness? It's when a mendicant knows feelings as they arise, as they remain, and as they go away. They know perceptions as they arise, as they remain, and as they go away. They know thoughts as they arise, as they remain, and as they go away. This is the way of developing immersion further that leads to mindfulness and awareness.
And what is the way of developing immersion further that leads to the ending of defilements? It's when a mendicant meditates observing rise and fall in the five grasping aggregates. 'Such is form, such is the origin of form, such is the ending of form. Such is feeling, such is the origin of feeling, such is the ending of feeling. Such is perception, such is the origin of perception, such is the ending of perception. Such are choices, such is the origin of choices, such is the ending of choices. Such is consciousness, such is the origin of consciousness, such is the ending of consciousness.' This is the way of developing immersion further that leads to the ending of defilements.
These are the four ways of developing immersion further. And it was in this connection that I said in 'The Way to the Far Shore', in 'The Questions of Puṇṇaka':
'Having appraised the world high and low,
there is nothing in the world that disturbs them.
Peaceful, unclouded, untroubled,
>with no need for hope,
they've crossed over rebirth and old age, I declare.'"
AN 4.42 Ways of Answering Questions Pañhabyākaraṇasutta
"Mendicants, there are these four ways of answering questions. What four? There is a question that should be answered categorically. There is a question that should be answered analytically. There is a question that should be answered with a counter-question. There is a question that should be set aside.
These are the four ways of answering questions.
One is stated categorically,
another analytically,
a third with a counter-question,
while a fourth is set aside.A mendicant who knows each of these,
in line with good principles,
is said to be skilled
in the four kinds of questions.They're intimidating, hard to defeat,
deep, and hard to crush.
They're expert in both
what the meaning is and what it isn't.Rejecting what is not the meaning,
an astute person grasps the meaning.
An attentive one, comprehending the meaning,
is said to be astute."
AN 4.43 Valuing Anger Paṭhamakodhagarusutta
"Mendicants, these four people are found in the world. What four? People who value anger, or denigration, or material things, or honor rather than the true teaching. These are the four people found in the world.
These four people are found in the world. What four? People who value the true teaching rather than anger, or denigration, or material things, or honor. These are the four people found in the world.
Mendicants who value anger and denigration,
possessions and honor,
don't grow in the teaching
that was taught by the perfected Buddha.But those who value the true teaching,
who have lived it, and are living it now,
these do grow in the teaching
that was taught by the perfected Buddha."
AN 4.44 Valuing Anger (2nd) Dutiyakodhagarusutta
"Mendicants, these four things oppose the true teaching. What four? Valuing anger, denigration, material things, and honor rather than the true teaching. These are the four things that oppose the true teaching.
These four things are the true teaching. What four? Valuing the true teaching rather than anger, denigration, material things, and honor. These are the four things that are the true teaching.
A mendicant who values anger and denigration,
possessions and honor,
doesn't grow in the true teaching,
like a rotten seed in a good field.But those who value the true teaching,
who have lived it, and are living it now,
these do grow in the teaching,
like well-watered herbs."
AN 4.45 With Rohitassa Rohitassasutta
At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's monastery.
Then, late at night, the glorious god Rohitassa, lighting up the entire Jeta's Grove, went up to the Buddha, bowed, stood to one side, and said to him:
"Sir, is it possible to know or see or reach the end of the world by traveling to a place where there's no being born, growing old, dying, passing away, or being reborn?"
"Reverend, I say it's not possible to know or see or reach the end of the world by traveling to a place where there's no being born, growing old, dying, passing away, or being reborn."
"It's incredible, sir, it's amazing, how well said this was by the Buddha.
Once upon a time, I was a seer called Rohitassa of the Bhoja people. I was a sky-walker with psychic powers. I was as fast as a light arrow easily shot across the shadow of a palm tree by a well-trained expert archer with a strong bow. My stride was such that it could span from the eastern ocean to the western ocean. Having such speed and stride, this wish came to me: 'I will reach the end of the world by traveling.' I traveled for my whole lifespan of a hundred years---pausing only to eat and drink, go to the toilet, and sleep to dispel weariness---and I passed away along the way, never reaching the end of the world.
It's incredible, sir, it's amazing, how well said this was by the Buddha."
"Reverend, I say it's not possible to know or see or reach the end of the world by traveling to a place where there's no being born, growing old, dying, passing away, or being reborn. But I also say there's no making an end of suffering without reaching the end of the world. For it is in this fathom-long carcass with its perception and mind that I describe the world, its origin, its cessation, and the practice that leads to its cessation.
The end of the world can never
be reached by traveling.
But without reaching the end of the world,
there's no release from suffering.So an intelligent person, understanding the world,
has completed the spiritual journey,
>and gone to the end of the world.
A calm one, knowing the end of the world,
does not hope for this world or the next."
AN 4.46 With Rohitassa (2nd) Dutiyarohitassasutta
Then, when the night had passed, the Buddha addressed the mendicants: "Tonight, the glorious god Rohitassa, lighting up the entire Jeta's Grove, came to me, bowed, stood to one side, and said to me: 'Sir, is it possible to know or see or reach the end of the world by traveling to a place where there's no being born, growing old, dying, passing away, or being reborn?' ...
(The rest is the same as the previous discourse, AN 4.45.)
AN 4.47 Very Far Apart Suvidūrasutta
"Mendicants, these four things are very far apart. What four? The firmament and the earth. ... The near and the far shore of the ocean. ... Where the sun rises and where it sets. ... The teaching of the virtuous and the teaching of the wicked. ... These are the four things very far apart.
The firmament is far from the earth;
they say the other shore of the ocean is far;
and where the sun rises is far
from where that beacon sets.
But even further apart than that, they say,
is the teaching of the virtuous from the wicked.The company of the virtuous is reliable;
as long as it remains, it stays the same.
But the company of the wicked is fickle,
and so the teaching of the virtuous
>is far from the wicked."
AN 4.48 With Visākha, Pañcāli's Son Visākhasutta
At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's monastery.
Now at that time Venerable Visākha, Pañcāli's son, was educating, encouraging, firing up, and inspiring the mendicants in the assembly hall with a Dhamma talk. His words were polished, clear, articulate, expressing the meaning, comprehensive, and independent.
Then in the late afternoon, the Buddha came out of retreat and went to the assembly hall. He sat down on the seat spread out, and addressed the mendicants, "Mendicants, who was educating, encouraging, firing up, and inspiring the mendicants in the assembly hall with a Dhamma talk?"
"Sir, it was Venerable Visākha, Pañcāli's son."
Then the Buddha said to Visākha, "Good, good, Visākha! It's good that you educate, encourage, fire up, and inspire the mendicants in the assembly hall with a Dhamma talk, with words that are polished, clear, articulate, expressing the meaning, comprehensive, and independent.
Though an astute person is mixed up with fools,
they don't know unless he speaks.
But when he speaks they know,
he's teaching the state free of death.He should speak and illustrate the teaching,
holding up the banner of the seers.
Words well spoken are the seers' banner,
for the teaching is the banner of the seers."
AN 4.49 Perversions Vipallāsasutta
"Mendicants, there are these four perversions of perception, mind, and view. What four?
Taking impermanence as permanence.
Taking suffering as happiness.
Taking not-self as self.
Taking ugliness as beauty.
These are the four perversions of perception, mind, and view.
There are these four corrections of perception, mind, and view. What four?
Taking impermanence as impermanence.
Taking suffering as suffering.
Taking not-self as not-self.
Taking ugliness as ugliness.
These are the four corrections of perception, mind, and view.
Perceiving impermanence as permanence,
suffering as happiness,
not-self as self,
and ugliness as beauty---
sentient beings are ruined by wrong view,
deranged, out of their minds.Yoked by Māra's yoke, these people
find no sanctuary from the yoke.
Sentient beings continue to transmigrate,
with ongoing birth and death.But when the Buddhas arise
in the world, those beacons
reveal this teaching,
that leads to the stilling of suffering.When a wise person hears them,
they get their mind back.
Seeing impermanence as impermanence,
suffering as suffering,not-self as not-self,
and ugliness as ugliness---
taking up right view,
they've risen above all suffering."
AN 4.50 Corruptions Upakkilesasutta
"Mendicants, these four corruptions obscure the sun and moon, so they don't shine and glow and radiate. What four? Clouds ... Fog ... Smoke ... An eclipse of Rāhu, lord of titans ... These are four corruptions that obscure the sun and moon, so they don't shine and glow and radiate.
In the same way, these four things corrupt ascetics and brahmins, so they don't shine and glow and radiate. What four?
There are some ascetics and brahmins who drink beer and wine, not refraining from drinking beer and wine. This is the first thing that corrupts ascetics and brahmins ...
There are some ascetics and brahmins who have sex, not refraining from sex. This is the second thing that corrupts ascetics and brahmins ...
There are some ascetics and brahmins who accept gold and currency, not refraining from receiving gold and currency. This is the third thing that corrupts ascetics and brahmins ...
There are some ascetics and brahmins who make a living the wrong way, not refraining from wrong livelihood. This is the fourth thing that corrupts ascetics and brahmins ...
These are four things that corrupt ascetics and brahmins, so they don't shine and glow and radiate.
Some ascetics and brahmins
are plagued by greed and hate;
men shrouded by ignorance,
enjoying things that seem pleasant.Drinking beer and wine,
having sex,
accepting currency and gold:
they're ignorant.
Some ascetics and brahmins
make a living the wrong way.These corruptions were spoken of
by the Buddha, kinsman of the Sun.
When corrupted by these,
some ascetics and brahmins
don't shine or glow.
Impure, dirty creatures,shrouded in darkness,
bondservants of craving, full of attachments,
swell the horrors of the charnel ground,
taking up future lives."