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How is it that concentrating on One Thing, Ahara, Food, (see The First Lesson [a]) can encompass the entire system?
The following sutta is translated "The Purification of Almsfood" by Bhikkhu Bhodi. "Purification" here is a term that points to the process whereby the food received by a Beggar is made to produce the maximum outcome for the giver. This involves putting that food to the best possible use with the least possible hanging on . . . in other words, with "detachment."
To visualize the meaning, recollect the saying "You are what you eat." (overlooking the non-Pali implications of the words "You Are") and then imagine the processing of a meal from beginning to end as it passes from the hand to the mouth, is chewed and savored, swallowed, passes down through the esophagus into the stomach, from there into the intestines where the valuable nutrients are extracted and the waste material is sent on down the intestines to pass on out. That which remains is then absorbed into the bloodstream and is used to nourish the cells which in their turn extract what they need and disguard the waste, and so forth until what has been eaten comes down to that which supports one's efforts to end Dukkha. When in so "reviewing" one can see that the maximum value has been extracted from each bite eaten and the best possible use has been made of it's nutrients then one can be said to have "cleaned up the beggars bowl" or "polished the plate" or "clean'tup ever'a scrapon ya platta!": Pindapataparisuddhi.
[The Pindapataparisuddhi Sutta, Sutta 151 of the Majjhima Nikaya, translated by Bhikkhu Nanamoli and Bhikkhu Bodi, reprinted with permission: © Bhikkhu Bodhi 1995. Reprinted from The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha: A New Translation of the Majjhima Nikaya with permission of Wisdom Publications, 199 Elm St., Somerville MA 02144 U.S.A, www.wisdompubs.org; footnotes not included; the footnotes that appear in the text now are my own.]
Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was living at Rajagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrels' Sanctuary. Then, when it was evening, the venerable Sariputta rose from meditation and went to the Blessed One. After paying homage to him, he sat down at one side. The Blessed One then said to him:
"Sariputta, your faculties are clear. The colour of your skin is pure and bright. What abiding do you often abide in now, Sariputta?"
"Now, venerable sir, I often abide in voidness."[1]
"Good, good, Sariputta! Now, indeed, you often abide in the abiding of a great man. For this is the abiding of a great man, namely, voidness.
"So, Sariputta, if a bhikkhu should wish: 'May I now often abide in voidness,' he should consider thus: 'On the path by which I went to the village for alms, or in the place where I wandered for alms, or on the path by which I returned from the almsround, was there any desire, lust, hate, delusion, or aversion in my mind regarding forms cognizable by the eye? If, by so reviewing, he knows thus: 'On the path by which I went to the village for alms, or in the place where I wandered for alms, or on the path by which I returned from the almsround, there was desire, lust, hate, delusion, or aversion[2] in my mind regarding forms cognizable by the eye,' then he should make an effort to abandon those evil unwholesome states. But if, by reviewing, he knows thus: 'On the path by which I went to the village for alms, and in the place where I wandered for alms, and on the path by which I returned from the almsround, there was no desire, lust, hate, delusion, or aversion in my mind regarding forms cognizable by the eye,' then he can abide happy and glad, training day and night in wholesome states.
"Again, Sariputta, a bhikkhu should consider thus: 'On the path by which I went to the village for alms, or in the place where I wandered for alms, or on the path by which I returned from the almsround, was there any desire, lust, hate, delusion, or aversion in my mind regarding sounds cognizable by the ear? . . . regarding odours cognizable by the nose? . . . regarding flavours cognizable by the tongue? . . . regarding tangibles cognizable by the body? . . . regarding mind-objects cognizable by the mind?[3]' If, by reviewing, he knows thus: 'On the path by which I went to the village for alms. . . there was desire, lust, hate, delusion, or aversion in my mind regarding mind-objects cognizable by the mind,' then he should make an effort to abandon those evil unwholesome states. But if, by reviewing, he knows thus: 'On the path by which I went to the village for alms . . . there was no desire, lust, hate, delusion, or aversion in my mind regarding mind-objects cognizable by the mind,' then he can abide happy and glad, training day and night in wholesome states.
"Again, Sariputta, a bhikkhu should consider thus: 'Are the five cords of sensual pleasure[4] abandoned in me? If, by reviewing, he knows thus: 'The five cords of sensual pleasure are not abandoned in me,' then he should make an effort to abandon those five cords of sensual pleasure. But it, by reviewing, he knows thus: 'The five cords of sensual pleasure are abandoned in me,' then he can abide happy and glad, training day and night in wholesome states.
"Again, Sariputta, a bhikkhu should consider thus: 'Are the five hindrances abandoned in me?[5]' If, by reviewing he knows thus: 'The five hindrances are not abandoned in me,' then he should make an effort to abandon those five hindrances. But if, by reviewing, he knows thus: 'The five hindrances are abandoned in me,' then he can abide happy and glad, training day and night in wholesome states.
Again, Sariputta, a bhikkhu should consider thus: 'Are the five aggregates affected by clinging[6] fully understood by me?' If, by reviewing, he knows thus: 'The five aggregates affected by clinging are not fully understood by me,' then he should make an effort to fully understand those five aggregates affected by clinging. But if, by reviewing, he knows thus: 'The five aggregates affected by clinging are fully understood by me,' then he can abide happy and glad, training day and night in wholesome states.
"Again, Sariputta, a bhikkhu should consider thus: 'Are the four foundations of mindfulness[7] developed in me?' If, by reviewing, he knows thus: 'The four foundations of mindfulness are not developed in me,'; then he should make an effort to develop those four foundations of mindfulness. But if, by reviewing, he knows thus: 'The four foundations of mindfulness are developed in me,' then he can abide happy and glad, training day and nigh in wholesome states.
"Again, Sariputta, a bhikkhu should consider thus: 'Are the four right kinds of striving[8] developed in me? . . . Are the four bases for spiritual power[9] developed in me? .. . . Are the five faculties[10] developed in me? . . . Are the five powers[11] developed in me? . . . Are the seven enlightenment factors[12] developed in me? . . . Is the Noble Eightfold Path[13] developed in me? . . . Are serenity and insight[14] developed in me?' If, by reviewing, he knows thus: 'Serenity and insight are not developed in me,'; Then he should make an effort to develop them. But if, by reviewing, he knows thus: 'Serenity and insight are developed in me,' then he can abide happy and glad, training day and night in wholesome states.
"Again, Sariputta, a bhikkhu should consider thus: 'Are true knowledge and deliverance[15] realized by me?' If, by reviewing, he knows thus: 'True knowledge and deliverance are not realized by me,' then he should make an effort to realize true knowledge and deliverance. But if, by reviewing, he knows thus: 'True knowledge and deliverance are realized by me,' then he can abide happy and glad, training day and night in wholesome states.
"Sariputta, whatever recluses and brahmins in the past have purified their almsfood have all done so by repeatedly reviewing thus. Whatever recluses and brahmins in the future will purify their almsfood will all do so by repeatedly reviewing thus. Whatever recluses and brahmins in the present are purifying their almsfood are all doing so by repeatedly reviewing thus. Therefore, Sariputta, you should train thus: 'We will purify our almsfood by repeatedly reviewing thus.'"
That is what the Blessed One said. The venerable Sariputta was satisfied and delighted in the Blessed One's words.
[a] This sutta could also just as easily be categorized under:
The Sixth Lesson
The Fifth Lesson
The Seventh Lesson
The Eighth Lesson
[1] suññataviharena
[2] the asavas, as Bhikkhu Bhodi points out, with some redundancy: lust=desire, hate=aversion.
[3] see The Sixth Lesson
[4] pañca (5) kaamagunaa the five strands of sense pleasure: of the eye, ear, nose, tongue and body. Note: not of the mind.
[5] panca niivara.naa the five Downbound Mindbending Bindups to Highgetting
[6] pañc'upaadaanakkhandhaa the Five Stockpiles, see The Fifth Lesson
[7] cattaaro satipa.t.thaanaa the Four Satisfaction Pastures of the Masters
[8] cattaaro sammappadhaanaa the Four Right Efforts
[9] cattaro iddhipaadaa The Four Power Paths
[10] pañc'indriyaanii The Five Mighty Strengths: Strength over the faculties of sight, sound, scent, taste and touch.
[11] pañca balaanii The Five Balancing Strengths: Trust, Energy, Memory, Getting High, and Wisdom
[12] satta bojjha.ngaa The Seven Dimensions of Awakening Wisdom, see The Seventh Lesson
[13] ariyo attha.ngiko maggo The Aristocratic Multi-Dimensional Way
[14] samatho & vipassanaa Calm and Review
[15] vijjaa & vimuttii Vision and Freedom
Emptiness:
getting rid of the Asavas:
the realm of the senses:
eye and sights
ear and sounds
nose and scents
tongue and tastes
body and touches
mind and ideas
the 5 strands of sense pleasure
of the eye
of the ear
of the nose
of the tongue
of the body
the 5 bindups
wanting
anger
lazy ways and inertia
fear and trembling
doubt
the 5 stockpiles
materiality
perception
sense experience
personalization
consciousness
the 4 satipatthanas
Satisfaction with Body
Satisfaction with Sense Experience
Satisfaction with Emotions
Satisfaction with Dhamma
the 4 right efforts
the 4 power paths
Based on Wishes
Based on Heart
The Third Satisfaction
Based on Energy
The Third Dimension of Wisdom
Based on Reminiscence
the 5 mighty strengths:
over the eye
over the ear
over the nose
over the tongue
over the body
the 5 balancing strengths:
by way of Trust
in the Buddha
The one who set forth the doctrine in this list
in the Dhamma
Approximately the items in this list
in the Sangha
as meaning those who have accomplished the goal according to the doctrines in this list
by way of Energy
the Third Dimension of Awakening
by way of Memory
the Seventh Dimension of Awakening, and
the Seventh Dimension of the Magga
by way of Getting High
the Sixth Dimension of Awakening, and
the Eighth Dimension of the Magga
by way of Wisdom
the 7 dimensions of wisdom:
the science of Memory Building
the Seventh Dimension of the Magga
the Aristocratic Eight-dimensional Way
the science of Research
into the Dhamma (roughly a list that looks like this)
the science of Energy Building
approximately High Self Control
the science of Enthusiasm
the science of Impassivity (poise)
the science of Getting High
the Eighth Dimension of the Magga
the science of Objective Detachment
the Aristocratic Eight-dimensional Way:
High Working Hypothesis
contains The Magga
High Principles
High Talk
High Works
High Lifestyle
High Self Control
The effort to restrain states not yet developed that are not on this list
The effort to get rid of present states not corresponding to this list
The effort to retain present states that correspond to this list
The effort to obtain states not yet developed that are not on this list
High Satisfaction Pastures
the four Satisfaction Pastures of the Masters
the Aristocratic Eight-dimensional Way
High Getting High
High Vision
of Downbound Confounded Rebounding Conjuration
High Objective Detachment
calm and review
vision and freedom
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