206. （二〇六）心秽经

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 addressed the bhikṣus, saying, "If bhikṣus and bhikṣuṇīs do not uproot the five defilements in the mind and do not untie the five bonds in the mind, then I say that those bhikṣus and bhikṣuṇīs will certainly regress. What are the five defilements that are not uprooted? There may be one who has doubts about the World-Honored One, wavering, not opening the mind, not understanding the mind, and the mind not being at peace. If there is one who has doubts about the World-Honored One, wavering, not opening the mind, not understanding the mind, and the mind not being at peace, this is called not uprooting the first defilement in the mind, namely, towards the World-Honored One. It is the same for the Dharma, precepts, and teachings. If there are various virtuous practices praised by the World-Honored One, one then criticizes, belittles, troubles, and harms them, not opening the mind, not understanding the mind, and the mind not being at peace. This is called the fifth defilement not uprooted in the mind, namely, towards the virtuous practices.

What are the five bonds in the mind that are not untied? There may be one whose body is not free from defilement, desire, attachment, and thirst. If one's body is not free from defilement, desire, attachment, and thirst, then one's mind does not incline towards it, is not peaceful, does not abide, and does not understand, and one practices solitary sitting by oneself. If one's mind does not incline towards it, is not peaceful, does not abide, and does not understand, and one practices solitary sitting by oneself, this is called the first bond in the mind that is not untied, namely, the body.

Furthermore, there may be one who speaks of the holy meaning, which is soft and free from the obstructions of doubt, namely, speaking of precepts, concentration, wisdom, liberation, the knowledge and vision of liberation, diminishing, not gathering, few desires, contentment, cutting off, being without desire, extinguishing, solitary sitting, and dependent origination. If a bhikṣu's mind does not incline towards such a teaching by the śramaṇa, is not peaceful, does not abide, and does not understand, and he practices solitary sitting by himself, if his mind does not incline towards it, is not peaceful, does not abide, and does not understand, and he practices solitary sitting by himself, this is called the third bond in the mind that is not untied, namely, speaking.

Furthermore, because of having attained a little, one abides in the middle and does not seek further progress. If one abides in the middle because of having attained a little and does not seek further progress, then one's mind does not incline towards it, is not peaceful, does not abide, and does not understand, and one practices solitary sitting by oneself. If one's mind does not incline towards it, is not peaceful, does not abide, and does not understand, and one practices solitary sitting by oneself, this is called the fifth bond in the mind that is not untied, namely, progress.

What is meant by well uprooting the five impurities in the mind? There may be one who has no doubts about the World-Honored One, is not hesitant, has an open mind, has mental understanding, and has a peaceful mind. If one has no doubts about the World-Honored One, is not hesitant, has an open mind, has mental understanding, and has a peaceful mind, this is called the first well-uprooted impurity in the mind, namely, towards the World-Honored One, the Dharma, the precepts, and the teachings.

What is meant by unbinding the five bonds in the mind? There may be one who is free from defilement, desire, attachment, and thirst in the body. If one is free from defilement, desire, attachment, and thirst in the body, then one's mind inclines towards it, is peaceful, abides, and understands, and one practices solitary sitting by oneself. If one's mind inclines towards it, is peaceful, abides, and understands, and one practices solitary sitting by oneself, this is called the first unbinding of the bond in the mind, namely, towards the body.

Furthermore, there may be one who speaks in accordance with the meaning of the noble ones, is gentle, and has no doubts or obscurations, namely, speaking about precepts, concentration, wisdom, liberation, the knowledge and vision of liberation, diminishing, not gathering, few desires, contentment, abandoning, desirelessness, cessation, solitary sitting, and dependent origination. For such a bhikkhu, the teachings of the renunciant, his mind inclines towards it, is peaceful, abides, and understands, and he practices solitary sitting by himself. If his mind inclines towards it, is peaceful, abides, and understands, and he practices solitary sitting by himself, this is called the third unbinding of the bond in the mind, namely, towards the teachings.

Furthermore, because of having attained a little, one does not dwell in between, but seeks further progress. If one, because of having attained a little, does not dwell in between, but seeks further progress, then one's mind inclines towards it, is peaceful, abides, and understands, and one practices solitary sitting by oneself. If one's mind inclines towards it, is peaceful, abides, and understands, and one practices solitary sitting by oneself, this is called the fifth unbinding of the bond in the mind, namely, towards further progress.

"What are the five? Cultivating the concentration of desire, accomplishing the destruction of the supernormal power of the mind, based on detachment, based on lack of desire, based on cessation, based on letting go, heading towards the non-category. Cultivating the concentration of effort, the concentration of mind, and the concentration of contemplation, accomplishing the destruction of the supernormal power of contemplation, based on detachment, based on lack of desire, based on cessation, based on letting go, heading towards the non-category. Enduring the fifth, he accomplishes these fifteen qualities of endurance and self-acceptance. For one who accomplishes self-acceptance, there is definitely knowledge, definitely seeing, definitely right full awakening, definitely reaching the gate of immortality, definitely approaching nirvana. I say there is no one who does not reach nirvana. It is like a hen hatching ten or twelve eggs, covering them, warming them, and watching over them at the right times. If the hen is negligent, some of the eggs may be pecked open by the chicks with their beaks and they emerge safely. That is the best. In the same way, a bhikkhu who accomplishes these fifteen qualities of endurance and self-acceptance, self-acceptance, definitely knows, definitely sees, definitely right full awakens, definitely reaches the gate of immortality, definitely approaches nirvana. I say there is no one who does not attain nirvana."

The Buddha spoke thus. Those bhikṣus, having heard the Buddha's words, rejoiced and practiced accordingly.