Capala (Pacala) Sutta: Nodding
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an07/an07.058.than.html
Once[1] the Blessed One was
living among the Bhaggas in the Deer Park at Bhesakala Grove, near
Crocodile
Haunt. At that time Ven. Maha Moggallana[2] sat nodding near the
village of Kallavalaputta, in Magadha. The Blessed One, with his
purified divine eye, surpassing the human, saw Ven. Maha Moggallana
as he sat nodding near the village of Kallavalaputta, in Magadha.
As soon as he saw this — just as a strong man might extend his
flexed arm or flex his extended arm — he disappeared from among the
Bhaggas in the Deer Park at Bhesakala Grove, near Crocodile Haunt,
and re-appeared near the village of Kallavalaputta, in Magadha,
right in front of Ven. Maha Moggallana. There he sat down on a
prepared seat. As he was sitting there, the Blessed One said to
Ven. Maha Moggallana, "Are you nodding, Moggallana? Are you
nodding?"
"Yes, lord."
"Well then, Moggallana, whatever perception you have in mind
when drowsiness descends on you, don't attend to that perception,
don't pursue it. It's possible that by doing this you will shake
off your drowsiness.
"But if by doing this you don't shake off your drowsiness, then
recall to your awareness the Dhamma as you have heard &
memorized it, re-examine it & ponder it over in your mind. It's
possible that by doing this you will shake off your drowsiness.
"But if by doing this you don't shake off your drowsiness, then
repeat aloud in detail the Dhamma as you have heard & memorized
it. It's possible that by doing this you will shake off your
drowsiness.
"But if by doing this you don't shake off your drowsiness, then
pull both your earlobes and rub your limbs with your hands. It's
possible that by doing this you will shake off your drowsiness.
"But if by doing this you don't shake off your drowsiness, then
get up from your seat and, after washing your eyes out with water,
look around in all directions and upward to the major stars &
constellations. It's possible that by doing this you will shake off
your drowsiness.
"But if by doing this you don't shake off your drowsiness, then
attend to the perception of light, resolve on the perception of
daytime, [dwelling] by night as by day, and by day as by night. By
means of an awareness thus open & unhampered, develop a
brightened mind. It's possible that by doing this you will shake
off your drowsiness.
"But if by doing this you don't shake off your drowsiness, then
— percipient of what lies in front & behind — set a distance to
meditate walking back & forth, your senses inwardly immersed,
your mind not straying outwards. It's possible that by doing this
you will shake off your drowsiness.
"But if by doing this you don't shake off your drowsiness, then
— reclining on your right side — take up the lion's posture, one
foot placed on top of the other, mindful, alert, with your mind set
on getting up. As soon as you wake up, get up quickly, with the
thought, 'I won't stay indulging in the pleasure of lying down, the
pleasure of reclining, the pleasure of drowsiness.' That is how you
should train yourself.
"Furthermore, Moggallana, should you train yourself: 'I will not
visit families with my pride[3] lifted high.' That
is how you should train yourself. Among families there are many
jobs that have to be done, so that people don't pay attention to a
visiting monk. If a monk visits them with his trunk lifted high,
the thought will occur to him, 'Now who, I wonder, has caused a
split between me and this family? The people seem to have no liking
for me.' Getting nothing, he becomes abashed. Abashed, he becomes
restless. Restless, he becomes unrestrained. Unrestrained, his mind
is far from concentration.
"Furthermore, Moggallana, should you train yourself: 'I will
speak no confrontational speech.' That is how you should train
yourself. When there is confrontational speech, a lot of discussion
can be expected. When there is a lot of discussion, there is
restlessness. One who is restless becomes unrestrained.
Unrestrained, his mind is far from concentration.
"It's not the case, Moggallana, that I praise association of
every sort. But it's not the case that I dispraise association of
every sort. I don't praise association with householders and
renunciates. But as for dwelling places that are free from noise,
free from sound, their atmosphere devoid of people, appropriately
secluded for resting undisturbed by human beings: I praise
association with dwelling places of this sort."
When this was said, Ven. Moggallana said to the Blessed One:
"Briefly, lord, in what respect is a monk released through the
ending of craving, utterly complete, utterly free from bonds, a
follower of the utterly holy life, utterly consummate: foremost
among human & heavenly beings?"
"There is the case, Moggallana, where a monk has heard,
'All phenomena are unworthy of attachment.' Having
heard that all phenomena are unworthy of attachment, he fully knows
all things. Fully knowing all things, he fully comprehends all
things. Fully comprehending all things, then whatever feeling he
experiences — pleasure, pain, neither pleasure nor pain — he
remains focused on inconstancy, focused on dispassion, focused on
cessation, focused on relinquishing with regard to that feeling. As
he remains focused on inconstancy, focused on dispassion, focused
on cessation, focused on relinquishing with regard to that feeling,
he is unsustained by[4] anything in the
world. Unsustained, he is not agitated. Unagitated, he is unbound
right within. He discerns: 'Birth is ended, the holy life
fulfilled, the task done. There is nothing further for this
world.'
"It is in this respect, Moggallana, that a monk, in brief, is
released through the ending of craving, utterly complete, utterly
free from bonds, a follower of the utterly holy life, utterly
consummate: foremost among human & heavenly beings."
