46.10 （一〇）观想

Thus have I heard:

At one time, the Buddha was at Anāthapiṇḍada's Park in the Jeta Grove near Śrāvastī.

At that time, a bhikṣu came to where the World-Honored One was, bowed his head at the Buddha's feet, and sat to one side. The bhikṣu then said to the World-Honored One, "The Tathāgata has just now spoken to the bhikṣus about the ten kinds of thoughts. If one can cultivate them, one can sever the contaminants and accomplish the practice of being without contaminants. But, World-Honored One, I am not able to practice these thoughts. The reason is that my desire is excessive, and my body and mind are agitated, unable to find peace."

At that time, the World-Honored One told the bhikṣu, "You should now abandon the thought of purity and contemplate the thought of impurity; abandon the thought of permanence and contemplate the thought of impermanence; abandon the thought of self and contemplate the thought of no-self; abandon the thought of pleasure and contemplate the thought of displeasure. The reason is that if a bhikṣu contemplates the thought of purity, his desire will become rampant; if he contemplates the thought of impurity, desire will be absent. Bhikṣus should know that desire is impure, like a pile of excrement; desire is like a cuckoo, with many sounds; desire is without return, like a poisonous snake; desire is like an illusion, like snow melting in the sun; one should contemplate abandoning desire, like discarding a corpse. Desire will harm oneself, like a snake carrying poison; desire is insatiable, like drinking salty water; desire is difficult to satisfy, like the ocean swallowing rivers; desire is full of fear, like a rākṣasa village; desire is like an enemy, always to be avoided. Desire is like a little taste, like honey smeared on a knife; desire is unlovable, like white bones on the road; desire appears externally, like flowers growing in a latrine; desire is not true, like a painted bottle, with ugly things inside and a special appearance outside; desire is not solid, also like foam. Therefore, bhikṣu! You should contemplate abandoning the thought of desire and contemplate the thought of impurity. You, bhikṣu! Should remember the ten thoughts practiced under the Buddha Kāśyapa in the past. Now contemplate the ten thoughts again, and the mind with contaminants will be liberated."

At that time, the bhikṣu wept and shed tears, unable to stop himself. He immediately bowed his head at the Buddha's feet and said to the World-Honored One, "Only, World-Honored One! I have been foolish and deluded for a long time. The Tathāgata himself has just now spoken of the ten thoughts, and I am just about to distance myself from them. Now I confess and repent, and will not commit them again in the future! I only pray that the Tathāgata will accept my grave faults and forgive my inadequacies!"

The Buddha told the bhikṣu, "I allow you to change your faults and not commit them again. Also, the Tathāgata has spoken to you about the ten thoughts, but you are unwilling to uphold them."

At that time, the bhikṣu, having heard the World-Honored One's instruction, in a secluded place, disciplined himself and contemplated. The reason why a noble son shaves his beard and hair, puts on the three Dharma robes, and practices the unsurpassed Brahma-conduct is to ascend to his aspirations; to have exhausted birth and death, established the Brahma-conduct, accomplished what is to be done, and no longer to receive a womb, knowing it as it is. At that time, the bhikṣu then became an arhat.

At that time, the bhikṣus, having heard the Buddha's teaching, joyfully received and upheld it.

binding prohibitions, abode of sages and worthies, two powers, ten
thoughts, close to the country, unobstructed, ten treatises, cf.【麗】, conception contemplation

Thus have I heard:

At one time, the Buddha was at Anāthapiṇḍada's Park in the Jeta Grove near Śrāvastī.

At that time, the World-Honored One told the bhikṣus, "There are ten kinds of mindfulness that, when practiced extensively and distinguished, can completely eliminate desire, form, and formless realms, pride, and ignorance. What are the ten? They are mindfulness of the Buddha, mindfulness of the Dharma, mindfulness of the bhikṣu saṃgha, mindfulness of precepts, mindfulness of giving, mindfulness of heaven, mindfulness of tranquility and insight, mindfulness of counting breaths, mindfulness of the body, and mindfulness of death. These are called, bhikṣus, the ten kinds of mindfulness that, when practiced by sentient beings, can completely eliminate desire, form, and formless realms, all ignorance and pride. Thus, bhikṣus, you should train in this way."

At that time, the bhikṣus, having heard the Buddha's teaching, joyfully received and practiced it.