1On one occasion the Venerable Anuruddha was living at Sāvatthī in a salaḷa-tree hut. There the Venerable Anuruddha addressed the bhikkhus thus …

"Friends, the river Ganges slants, slopes, and inclines towards the east. Now suppose a great crowd of people would come along bringing a shovel and basket, thinking: ‘We will make this river Ganges slant, slope, and incline towards the west.’ [n.286] As at SN35.244 and SN45.160. What do you think, friends, would that great crowd of people be able to make the river Ganges slant, slope, and incline towards the west?"

"No, friend. For what reason? Because the river Ganges slants, slopes, and inclines towards the east, and it is not easy to make it slant, slope, and incline towards the west. That great crowd of people would only reap fatigue and vexation."

2"So too, friends, when a bhikkhu is developing and cultivating the four establishments of mindfulness, kings or royal ministers, friends or colleagues, relatives or kinsmen, sn.v.301 might invite him to accept wealth, saying: ‘Come, good man, why let these saffron robes weigh you down? Why roam around with a shaven head and begging bowl? Come, having returned to the lower life, enjoy wealth and do meritorious deeds.’

3Indeed, friends, when that bhikkhu is developing and cultivating the four establishments of mindfulness, it is impossible that he will give up the training and return to the lower life. For what reason? Because for a long time his mind has slanted, sloped, and inclined towards seclusion. Thus it is impossible that he will give up the training and return to the lower life.

"And how, friends, does a bhikkhu develop and cultivate the four establishments of mindfulness? Here, friends, a bhikkhu dwells contemplating the body in the body … feelings in feelings … mind in mind … phenomena in phenomena, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure in regard to the world.

"It is in this way, friends, that a bhikkhu develops and cultivates the four establishments of mindfulness."

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā anuruddho sāvatthiyaṁ vihārati salaḷāgāre. Tatra kho āyasmā anuruddho bhikkhū āmantesi … pe … etadavoca:

"Seyyathāpi, āvuso, gaṅgā nadī pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā. Atha mahājanakāyo āgaccheyya kudālapiṭakaṁ ādāya: ‘mayaṁ imaṁ gaṅgānadiṁ pacchāninnaṁ karissāma pacchāpoṇaṁ pacchāpabbhāran’ti. Taṁ kiṁ maññathāvuso, api nu so mahājanakāyo gaṅgānadiṁ pacchāninnaṁ kareyya pacchāpoṇaṁ pacchāpabbhāran"ti?

"No hetaṁ, āvuso". "Taṁ kissa hetu"? "Gaṅgā, āvuso, nadī pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā. Sā na sukarā pacchāninnaṁ kātuṁ pacchāpoṇaṁ pacchāpabbhāraṁ. Yāvadeva ca pana so mahājanakāyo kilamathassa vighātassa bhāgī assā"ti.

2"Evameva kho, āvuso, bhikkhuṁ cattāro satipaṭṭhāne bhāventaṁ cattāro satipaṭṭhāne bahulīkarontaṁ rājāno vā rājamahāmattā vā mittā vā amaccā vā ñātī vā sālohitā vā bhogehi abhihaṭṭhuṁ pavāreyyuṁ: ‘ehambho purisa, kiṁ te ime kāsāvā anudahanti? Kiṁ muṇḍo kapālamanusañcarasi? Ehi hīnāyāvattitvā bhoge ca bhuñjassu puññāni ca karohī’ti.

3So vata, āvuso, bhikkhu cattāro satipaṭṭhāne bhāvento cattāro satipaṭṭhāne bahulīkaronto sikkhaṁ paccakkhāya hīnāyāvattissatīti – netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati. Taṁ kissa hetu? Yañhi taṁ, āvuso, cittaṁ dīgharattaṁ vivekaninnaṁ vivekapoṇaṁ vivekapabbhāraṁ taṁ vata hīnāyāvattissatīti – netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati.

Kathañcāvuso, bhikkhu cattāro satipaṭṭhāne bhāveti, cattāro satipaṭṭhāne bahulīkarotīti? Idhāvuso, bhikkhu kāye kāyānupassī vihārati … pe … vedanāsu … pe … citte … pe … dhammesu dhammānupassī vihārati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ.

Evaṁ kho, āvuso, bhikkhu cattāro satipaṭṭhāne bhāveti, cattāro satipaṭṭhāne bahulīkarotī"ti.

Aṭṭhamaṁ.