205. （二〇五）五下分结经

I have heard thus:

At one time, the Buddha was traveling in the country of Śrāvastī, staying at the Jeta Grove Anāthapiṇḍada-ārāma.

At that time, the World-Honored One said to the bhikṣus, "I have previously spoken of the five lower fetters. Do you remember them?" The bhikṣus remained silent and did not reply.

The World-Honored One again asked the bhikṣus three times, "I have previously spoken of the five lower fetters. Do you remember them?" The bhikṣus also remained silent and did not reply three times.

At that time, Venerable Mālatīputra was in the assembly. Then Venerable Mālatīputra rose from his seat, arranged his robe over one shoulder, joined his palms towards the Buddha, and said, "World-Honored One, you have previously spoken of the five lower fetters, and I remember them.

The World-Honored One asked, "Mālatīputra! I have previously spoken of the five lower fetters. Do you remember them?"

Venerable Mālatīputra replied, "The World-Honored One has previously spoken of the first lower fetter, which I remember. Desire, anger, holding wrong views, holding wrong precepts, and doubt - the World-Honored One has spoken of the fifth lower fetter, which I remember."

The World-Honored One rebuked him, saying, "Mālatīputra! How do you remember the five lower fetters I spoke of? Mālatīputra! From which mouth did you remember the five lower fetters I spoke of? Mālatīputra! Are you not being criticized by many non-Buddhist teachers using the analogy of an infant? Mālatīputra! An infant is soft and lying on its back, without any desire, let alone being entangled by desire. Yet, because of its nature, it is said to have the desire affliction. Mālatīputra! An infant is soft and lying on its back, without any sentient being, let alone being entangled by anger. Yet, because of its nature, it is said to have the anger affliction. Mālatīputra! An infant is soft and lying on its back, without any self, let alone being entangled by the view of self. Yet, because of its nature, it is said to have the view of self affliction. Mālatīputra! An infant is soft and lying on its back, without any precepts, let alone being entangled by the view of precepts. Yet, because of its nature, it is said to have the view of precepts affliction. Mālatīputra! An infant is soft and lying on its back, without any Dharma, let alone being entangled by doubt. Yet, because of its nature, it is said to have the doubt affliction. Mālatīputra! Are you not being criticized by many non-Buddhist teachers using this analogy of an infant?" Thereupon, Venerable Mālatīputra, having been rebuked by the World-Honored One face to face, was inwardly distressed, lowered his head in silence, lost his eloquence, and was as if waiting for something.

At that time, the World-Honored One, having rebuked Venerable Mālatīputra face to face, remained silent. Then Venerable Ānanda, standing behind the World-Honored One, holding a fan and fanning the Buddha, joined his palms towards the Buddha and said, "World-Honored One! Now is the time. Well-Gone One! Now is the time. If the World-Honored One would speak to the monks about the five lower fetters, the monks would listen well and remember them well from the World-Honored One.

The World-Honored One said, "Ānanda! Listen carefully and keep it in mind."

Venerable Ānanda said, "Yes, I will listen to the teaching."

The Buddha said, "Ānanda! There are some who are bound by desire. When a desire arises, they do not know how to let go of it as it truly is. Not knowing how to let go of it as it truly is, their desire becomes more intense and cannot be controlled or eliminated. This is a lower fetter. Ānanda! There are some who are bound by anger. When an angry thought arises, they do not know how to let go of it as it truly is. Not knowing how to let go of it as it truly is, their anger becomes more intense and cannot be controlled or eliminated. This is a lower fetter. Ānanda! There are some who are bound by the view of the self. When a thought of the view of the self arises, they do not know how to let go of it as it truly is. Not knowing how to let go of it as it truly is, their view of the self becomes more intense and cannot be controlled or eliminated. This is a lower fetter. Ānanda! There are some who are bound by the grasping of rules and rituals. When a thought of grasping rules and rituals arises, they do not know how to let go of it as it truly is. Not knowing how to let go of it as it truly is, their grasping of rules and rituals becomes more intense and cannot be controlled or eliminated. This is a lower fetter. Ānanda! There are some who are bound by doubt. When a doubtful thought arises, they do not know how to let go of it as it truly is. Not knowing how to let go of it as it truly is, their doubt becomes more intense and cannot be controlled or eliminated. This is a lower fetter.

Ānanda! If one relies on the path and traces to sever the five lower fetters, it is impossible for one to sever the five lower fetters without relying on this path and traces. Ānanda! It is like a person who wants to obtain fruit. In order to obtain fruit, he enters the forest with an axe. He sees a tree with roots, trunk, branches, leaves, and fruit. It is impossible for him to obtain fruit by not cutting the roots and trunk. Similarly, Ānanda! If one relies on the path and traces to sever the five lower fetters, it is impossible for one to sever the five lower fetters without relying on this path and traces. Ānanda! If one relies on the path and traces to sever the five lower fetters, it is possible for one to sever the five lower fetters by relying on this path and traces. Ānanda! It is like a person who wants to obtain fruit. In order to obtain fruit, he enters the forest with an axe. He sees a tree with roots, trunk, branches, leaves, and fruit. It is possible for him to obtain fruit by cutting the roots and trunk. Similarly, Ānanda! If one relies on the path and traces to sever the five lower fetters, it is possible for one to sever the five lower fetters by relying on this path and traces.

Ānanda! What path and traces are relied upon to sever the five lower fetters? Ānanda! There is one who is not bound by desire. If a desire arises, he knows how to let go of it as it truly is. Having known how to let go of it as it truly is, that desire is extinguished. Ānanda! There is one who is not bound by anger. If an angry thought arises, he knows how to let go of it as it truly is. Having known how to let go of it as it truly is, that angry thought is extinguished. Ānanda! There is one who is not bound by the view of the self. If a thought of the view of the self arises, he knows how to let go of it as it truly is. Having known how to let go of it as it truly is, that view of the self is extinguished. Ānanda! There is one who is not bound by the grasping of rules and rituals. If a thought of grasping rules and rituals arises, he knows how to let go of it as it truly is. Having known how to let go of it as it truly is, that grasping of rules and rituals is extinguished. Ānanda! There is one who is not bound by doubt. If a doubtful thought arises, he knows how to let go of it as it truly is. Having known how to let go of it as it truly is, that doubt is extinguished. Ānanda! This is the path and traces relied upon to sever the five lower fetters.

Ānanda! It is like the Ganges River, whose waters overflow its banks. If someone comes to the other shore and wants to cross the river, they think, 'The Ganges River is overflowing its banks. I have something to do on the other shore and want to cross. But my body is not strong enough to safely float me to the other shore.' Ānanda! Know that this person is weak. Similarly, Ānanda! If someone is aware of the cessation and nirvāṇa, but their mind is not inclined towards it and is not pure, and they do not abide in liberation, Ānanda! Know that this person is like the weak person who is not strong. Ānanda! It is like the Ganges River, whose waters overflow its banks. If someone comes to the other shore and wants to cross the river, they think, 'The Ganges River is overflowing its banks. I have something to do on the other shore and want to cross. My body is now strong enough to safely float me to the other shore.' Ānanda! Know that this person is strong. Similarly, Ānanda! If someone is aware of the cessation and nirvāṇa, their mind is inclined towards it and is pure, and they abide in liberation. Ānanda! Know that this person is like the strong person.

Ānanda! It is like a mountain stream, very deep and wide, with a long, swift current, carrying much driftwood. There is no boat or bridge there. If someone comes to the other shore and has something to do, they want to cross. When they want to cross, they think, 'This mountain stream is very deep and wide, with a long, swift current, carrying much driftwood. There is no boat or bridge there to cross. I have something to do on the other shore and want to cross. What expedient means can I use to safely reach the other shore?' They further think, 'I should gather grass and wood on this shore, bind them into a raft, and ride it across.' They then gather grass and wood on the shore, bind them into a raft, ride it across, and safely reach the other shore. Similarly, Ānanda! If a bhikṣu clings to and relies on disenchantment, abides in disenchantment, and stops evil bodily actions, his mind enters into detachment and samādhi, being free from desire and evil and unwholesome dharmas, with initial and sustained thought, joy and happiness, he attains the first dhyāna and abides in it. Relying on this, he observes the arising and perishing of thought. Having observed the arising and perishing of thought, he abides there, necessarily attaining the exhaustion of taints. If he abides there and does not attain the exhaustion of taints, he will necessarily advance to attain a place of rest.

How does one advance to attain a place of rest? He stops thinking and reflection, internally pacifies and unifies his mind, without thinking or reflection, gives rise to samādhi, and experiences joy and happiness, attaining the second dhyāna and abiding in it. Relying on this, he observes the arising and perishing of thought. Having observed the arising and perishing of thought, he abides there, necessarily attaining the exhaustion of taints. If he abides there and does not attain the exhaustion of taints, he will necessarily advance to attain a place of rest. How does one advance to attain a place of rest? He is free from the desire for joy, abandons it, and dwells without seeking, with right mindfulness and right knowledge, experiencing bodily happiness. That is said by the noble ones, the noble ones' abandonment, mindfulness, happiness, and dwelling in emptiness, attaining the third dhyāna and abiding in it. Relying on this, he observes the arising and perishing of thought. Having observed the arising and perishing of thought, he abides there, necessarily attaining the exhaustion of taints. If he abides there and does not attain the exhaustion of taints, he will necessarily advance to attain a place of rest. How does one advance to attain a place of rest? He stops pain and pleasure, and the disappearance of joy and sorrow, neither painful nor pleasant, with equanimity, mindfulness, and purity, attaining the fourth dhyāna and abiding in it. Relying on this, he observes the arising and perishing of thought. Having observed the arising and perishing of thought, he abides there, necessarily attaining the exhaustion of taints. If he abides there and does not attain the exhaustion of taints, he will necessarily advance to attain a place of rest.

How does one advance to attain a place of rest? He transcends all perceptions of form, eliminates perceptions of obstruction, does not think of various perceptions, and abides in the sphere of infinite space. He relies on this to observe the arising and perishing of thought. Having observed the arising and perishing of thought, he abides there, necessarily attaining the exhaustion of taints. If he abides there and does not attain the exhaustion of taints, he will necessarily advance to attain a place of rest. How does one advance to attain a place of rest? He transcends the entire sphere of infinite space, and abides in the sphere of infinite consciousness. He relies on this to observe the arising and perishing of thought. Having observed the arising and perishing of thought, he abides there, necessarily attaining the exhaustion of taints. If he abides there and does not attain the exhaustion of taints, he will necessarily advance to attain a place of rest. How does one advance to attain a place of rest? He transcends the entire sphere of infinite consciousness, and abides in the sphere of nothingness. If he has any perception, it may be pleasant, painful, or neither painful nor pleasant. He observes that this perception is impermanent, observes its arising and perishing, observes detachment from it, observes its cessation, observes its abandonment, and observes its relinquishment. Having observed this perception as impermanent, observed its arising and perishing, observed detachment from it, observed its cessation, observed its abandonment, and observed its relinquishment, he no longer accepts this world. Having no longer accepted this world, he is no longer afraid. Because he is no longer afraid, he attains parinirvāṇa. His births are exhausted, the holy life has been established, what was to be done has been done, and he will not be reborn again, knowing it as it really is.

"Not far from the village, there is a large plantain tree. If a person takes an axe to break the plantain tree, breaking it into pieces, breaking it into ten parts, or a hundred parts. Breaking it into ten parts, or a hundred parts, then tearing off the leaves, one cannot see the joints, let alone the fruit. Ānanda! In this way, if a bhikṣu has any perception, whether pleasant, painful, or neither painful nor pleasant, he observes that this perception is impermanent, observes its arising and perishing, observes detachment from it, observes its cessation, observes its abandonment, and observes its relinquishment. Having observed this perception as impermanent, observed its arising and perishing, observed detachment from it, observed its cessation, observed its abandonment, and observed its relinquishment, he no longer accepts this world. Having no longer accepted this world, he is no longer afraid. Because he is no longer afraid, he attains parinirvāṇa. His births are exhausted, the holy life has been established, what was to be done has been done, and he will not be reborn again, knowing it as it really is."

Then Venerable Ānanda, with palms joined towards the Buddha, said: "World-Honored One! It is truly amazing! The World-Honored One has established the basis for the bhikṣus to rely on, speaking of abandoning the taints and transcending the taints. However, the bhikṣus have not quickly attained the unsurpassed, namely the complete end of suffering."

The World-Honored One said: "So it is, Ānanda! So it is, Ānanda! It is truly amazing! I have established the basis for the bhikṣus to rely on, speaking of abandoning the taints and transcending the taints. However, the bhikṣus have not quickly attained the unsurpassed, namely the complete end of suffering. Why is that? Because there are differences among people, the cultivation of the path has distinctions of refinement and coarseness. Because the cultivation of the path has distinctions of refinement and coarseness, there are differences among people. Ānanda! Therefore, I say there are differences among people."

The Buddha spoke thus. Venerable Ānanda and the bhikṣus, having heard the Buddha's words, rejoiced and upheld them.