43. No Need for Thought （四三）不思经

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, "Ānanda! One who upholds the precepts should not think, 'May I not regret it.' Ānanda! It is simply the nature of the Dharma that one who upholds the precepts will not regret it. Ānanda! One who does not regret it should not think, 'May I be joyful.' Ānanda! It is simply the nature of the Dharma that one who does not regret it will be joyful. Ānanda! One who is joyful should not think, 'May I be pleased.' Ānanda! It is simply the nature of the Dharma that one who is joyful will be pleased. Ānanda! One who is pleased should not think, 'May I be at peace.' Ānanda! It is simply the nature of the Dharma that one who is pleased will be at peace in body. Ānanda! One who is at peace should not think, 'May I be happy.' Ānanda! It is simply the nature of the Dharma that one who is at peace will experience the happiness of awakening. Ānanda! One who is happy should not think, 'May I be concentrated.' Ānanda! It is simply the nature of the Dharma that one who is happy will have a concentrated mind. Ānanda! One who is concentrated should not think, 'May I see things as they truly are and know them as they truly are.' Ānanda! It is simply the nature of the Dharma that one who is concentrated will see things as they truly are and know them as they truly are. Ānanda! One who sees things as they truly are and knows them as they truly are should not think, 'May I be disgusted.' Ānanda! It is simply the nature of the Dharma that one who sees things as they truly are and knows them as they truly are will be disgusted. Ānanda! One who is disgusted should not think, 'May I be free from desire.' Ānanda! It is simply the nature of the Dharma that one who is disgusted will be free from desire. Ānanda! One who is free from desire should not think, 'May I be liberated.' Ānanda! It is simply the nature of the Dharma that one who is free from desire will be liberated from all desire, anger, and delusion.

"Ānanda! This is how, through upholding the precepts, one attains non-regret, through non-regret, one attains joy, through joy, one attains happiness, through happiness, one attains tranquility, through tranquility, one attains bliss, and through bliss, one attains a concentrated mind. Ānanda! The noble disciple of much learning, with a concentrated mind, sees things as they truly are and knows them as they truly are. Through seeing things as they truly are and knowing them as they truly are, one attains disgust, through disgust, one attains freedom from desire, through freedom from desire, one attains liberation, and through liberation, one knows liberation. Birth is exhausted, the holy life has been established, what was to be done has been done, there is no more coming back to any state of existence, and this is known as it truly is. Ānanda! This is how the Dharma benefits the Dharma, and the Dharma is the cause of the Dharma. In this way, this precept leads to the highest, namely, crossing over from this shore to the other shore."

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