On one occasion Ven. Sariputta & Ven. Maha Kotthita were staying near Varanasi in the
Deer Park at Isipatana.
Then Ven. Maha Kotthita, emerging from seclusion in the late
afternoon, went to Ven. Sariputta and, on arrival, exchanged
courteous greetings with him. After an exchange of friendly
greetings & courtesies, he sat to one side. As he was sitting
there, he said to Ven. Sariputta, "Sariputta my friend, which
things should a virtuous monk attend to in an appropriate way?"
"A virtuous monk, Kotthita my friend, should attend in an
appropriate way to the five clinging-aggregates as inconstant,
stressful, a disease, a cancer, an arrow, painful, an affliction,
alien, a dissolution, an emptiness, not-self. Which five? Form as a
clinging-aggregate, feeling... perception... fabrications...
consciousness as a clinging-aggregate. A virtuous monk should
attend in an appropriate way to these five clinging-aggregates as
inconstant, stressful, a disease, a cancer, an arrow, painful, an
affliction, alien, a dissolution, an emptiness, not-self. For it is
possible that a virtuous monk, attending in an appropriate way to
these five clinging-aggregates as inconstant... not-self, would
realize the fruit of stream-entry."
"Then which things should a monk who has attained stream-entry
attend to in an appropriate way?"
"A monk who has attained stream-entry should attend in an
appropriate way to these five clinging-aggregates as inconstant,
stressful, a disease, a cancer, an arrow, painful, an affliction,
alien, a dissolution, an emptiness, not-self. For it is possible
that a monk who has attained stream-entry, attending in an
appropriate way to these five clinging-aggregates as inconstant...
not-self, would realize the fruit of once-returning."
"Then which things should a monk who has attained once-returning
attend to in an appropriate way?"
"A monk who has attained once-returning should attend in an
appropriate way to these five clinging-aggregates as inconstant,
stressful, a disease, a cancer, an arrow, painful, an affliction,
alien, a dissolution, an emptiness, not-self. For it is possible
that a monk who has attained once-returning, attending in an
appropriate way to these five clinging-aggregates as inconstant...
not-self, would realize the fruit of non-returning."
"Then which things should a monk who has attained non-returning
attend to in an appropriate way?"
"A monk who has attained non-returning should attend in an
appropriate way to these five clinging-aggregates as inconstant,
stressful, a disease, a cancer, an arrow, painful, an affliction,
alien, a dissolution, an emptiness, not-self. For it is possible
that a monk who has attained non-returning, attending in an
appropriate way to these five clinging-aggregates as inconstant...
not-self, would realize the fruit of arahantship."
"Then which things should an arahant attend to in an appropriate
way?"
"An arahant should attend in an appropriate way to these five
clinging-aggregates as inconstant, stressful, a disease, a cancer,
an arrow, painful, an affliction, alien, a dissolution, an
emptiness, not-self. Although, for an arahant, there is nothing
further to do, and nothing to add to what has been done, still
these things — when developed & pursued — lead both to a
pleasant abiding in the here-&-now and to mindfulness &
alertness."
"Silavant Sutta:
Virtuous" (SN 22.122), translated from the Pali by Thanissaro
Bhikkhu. Access to Insight, 29 June 2010,
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn22/sn22.122.than.html
. Retrieved on 8 May 2013.
