‘ahametaṁ sammāsamādhiṁ dhammapadaṁ paccakkhāya asamāhitaṁ vibbhantacittaṁ samaṇaṁ vā brāhmaṇaṁ vā paññāpessāmī’ti, tamahaṁ tattha evaṁ vadeyyaṁ: ‘I’ll reject this Dhamma footprint of right immersion, and describe a true ascetic or brahmin who is scattered, with straying mind.’ Then I’d say to them: So vata, paribbājakā, sammāsamādhiṁ dhammapadaṁ paccakkhāya asamāhitaṁ vibbhantacittaṁ samaṇaṁ vā brāhmaṇaṁ vā paññāpessatīti netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati. It’s quite impossible to reject this Dhamma footprint of right immersion, and point out a true ascetic or brahmin who is scattered, with straying mind. Sammāsamādhiñce bhavaṁ dhammapadaṁ garahati paṭikkosati, ye ca hi asamāhitā vibbhantacittā samaṇabrāhmaṇā te bhoto pujjā te bhoto pāsaṁsā. If you reject the Dhamma footprint of right immersion, you must honor and praise those ascetics and brahmins who are scattered, with straying minds.
Muṭṭhassaccaṁ appahāya, asampajaññaṁ appahāya, cetaso vikkhepaṁ appahāya— Unmindfulness, lack of situational awareness, and scattered mind. Tayome, bhikkhave, dhamme appahāya abhabbo muṭṭhassaccaṁ pahātuṁ asampajaññaṁ pahātuṁ cetaso vikkhepaṁ pahātuṁ. Without giving up three things you can’t give up unmindfulness, lack of situational awareness, and scattered mind. ime kho, bhikkhave, tayo dhamme appahāya abhabbo muṭṭhassaccaṁ pahātuṁ asampajaññaṁ pahātuṁ cetaso vikkhepaṁ pahātuṁ. Without giving up these three things you can’t give up unmindfulness, lack of situational awareness, and scattered mind. So upārambhacitto samāno abhabbo muṭṭhassaccaṁ pahātuṁ asampajaññaṁ pahātuṁ cetaso vikkhepaṁ pahātuṁ. When you’ve got a fault-finding mind you can’t give up unmindfulness, lack of situational awareness, and a scattered mind. So vikkhittacitto samāno abhabbo ayonisomanasikāraṁ pahātuṁ kummaggasevanaṁ pahātuṁ cetaso līnattaṁ pahātuṁ. When your mind is scattered you can’t give up irrational application of mind, following a wrong path, and mental sluggishness. Muṭṭhassaccaṁ pahāya, asampajaññaṁ pahāya, cetaso vikkhepaṁ pahāya— Unmindfulness, lack of situational awareness, and a scattered mind. Tayome, bhikkhave, dhamme pahāya bhabbo muṭṭhassaccaṁ pahātuṁ asampajaññaṁ pahātuṁ cetaso vikkhepaṁ pahātuṁ. After giving up three things you can give up unmindfulness, lack of situational awareness, and scattered mind. ime kho, bhikkhave, tayo dhamme pahāya bhabbo muṭṭhassaccaṁ pahātuṁ asampajaññaṁ pahātuṁ cetaso vikkhepaṁ pahātuṁ. After giving up these three things you can give up unmindfulness, lack of situational awareness, and scattered mind. So anupārambhacitto samāno bhabbo muṭṭhassaccaṁ pahātuṁ asampajaññaṁ pahātuṁ cetaso vikkhepaṁ pahātuṁ. When you don’t have a fault-finding mind you can give up unmindfulness, lack of situational awareness, and a scattered mind. So avikkhittacitto samāno bhabbo ayonisomanasikāraṁ pahātuṁ kummaggasevanaṁ pahātuṁ cetaso līnattaṁ pahātuṁ. When your mind isn’t scattered you can give up irrational application of mind, following a wrong path, and mental sluggishness.
“Tathā tathā, bhikkhave, bhikkhu upaparikkheyya yathā yathā upaparikkhato bahiddhā cassa viññāṇaṁ avikkhittaṁ avisaṭaṁ, ajjhattaṁ asaṇṭhitaṁ anupādāya na paritasseyya. “A mendicant should examine in any such a way that their consciousness is neither scattered and diffused externally nor stuck internally, and they are not anxious because of grasping. yathā yathā → yathā yathāssu (bj); yathā yathāssa (sya-all, km, pts1ed) ‘tathā tathā, bhikkhave, bhikkhu upaparikkheyya, yathā yathā upaparikkhato bahiddhā cassa viññāṇaṁ avikkhittaṁ avisaṭaṁ ajjhattaṁ asaṇṭhitaṁ anupādāya na paritasseyya, bahiddhā, bhikkhave, viññāṇe avikkhitte avisaṭe sati ajjhattaṁ asaṇṭhite anupādāya aparitassato āyatiṁ jātijarāmaraṇadukkhasamudayasambhavo na hotī’ti. ‘A mendicant should examine in any such a way that their consciousness is neither scattered and diffused externally nor stuck internally, and they are not anxious because of grasping. When this is the case and they are no longer anxious, there is for them no coming to be of the origin of suffering—of rebirth, old age, and death in the future.’ Kathañcāvuso, bahiddhā viññāṇaṁ vikkhittaṁ visaṭanti vuccati? And how is consciousness scattered and diffused externally? Idhāvuso, bhikkhuno cakkhunā rūpaṁ disvā rūpanimittānusāri viññāṇaṁ hoti rūpanimittassādagadhitaṁ rūpanimittassādavinibandhaṁ rūpanimittassādasaṁyojanasaṁyuttaṁ bahiddhā viññāṇaṁ vikkhittaṁ visaṭanti vuccati. Take a mendicant who sees a sight with their eyes. Their consciousness follows after the signs of that sight, tied, attached, and fettered to gratification in its signs. So their consciousness is said to be scattered and diffused externally. manasā dhammaṁ viññāya dhammanimittānusāri viññāṇaṁ hoti; dhammanimittassādagadhitaṁ dhammanimittassādavinibandhaṁ dhammanimittassādasaṁyojanasaṁyuttaṁ bahiddhā viññāṇaṁ vikkhittaṁ visaṭanti vuccati. When they know an idea with their mind, their consciousness follows after the signs of that idea, tied, attached, and fettered to gratification in its signs. So their consciousness is said to be scattered and diffused externally. Evaṁ kho, āvuso, bahiddhā viññāṇaṁ vikkhittaṁ visaṭanti vuccati. That’s how consciousness is scattered and diffused externally. Kathañcāvuso, bahiddhā viññāṇaṁ avikkhittaṁ avisaṭanti vuccati? And how is consciousness not scattered and diffused externally? Idhāvuso, bhikkhuno cakkhunā rūpaṁ disvā na rūpanimittānusāri viññāṇaṁ hoti, na rūpanimittassādagadhitaṁ na rūpanimittassādavinibandhaṁ na rūpanimittassādasaṁyojanasaṁyuttaṁ bahiddhā viññāṇaṁ avikkhittaṁ avisaṭanti vuccati. Take a mendicant who sees a sight with their eyes. Their consciousness doesn’t follow after the signs of that sight, and is not tied, attached, and fettered to gratification in its signs. So their consciousness is said to be not scattered and diffused externally. manasā dhammaṁ viññāya na dhammanimittānusāri viññāṇaṁ hoti na dhammanimittassādagadhitaṁ na dhammanimittassādavinibandhaṁ na dhammanimittassādasaṁyojanasaṁyuttaṁ bahiddhā viññāṇaṁ avikkhittaṁ avisaṭanti vuccati. When they know an idea with their mind, their consciousness doesn’t follow after the signs of that idea, and is not tied, attached, and fettered to gratification in its signs. So their consciousness is said to be not scattered and diffused externally. Evaṁ kho, āvuso, bahiddhā viññāṇaṁ avikkhittaṁ avisaṭanti vuccati. That’s how consciousness is not scattered and diffused externally. ‘tathā tathā, bhikkhave, bhikkhu upaparikkheyya yathā yathā upaparikkhato bahiddhā cassa viññāṇaṁ avikkhittaṁ avisaṭaṁ, ajjhattaṁ asaṇṭhitaṁ anupādāya na paritasseyya. ‘A mendicant should examine in any such a way that their consciousness is neither scattered and diffused externally nor stuck internally, and they are not anxious because of grasping.
Purāyaṁ kāyo idheva vikirati; before it’s scattered right here Purāyaṁ kāyo idheva vikirati; before it’s scattered right here Atha kho āyasmato upasenassa kāyo tattheva vikiri; And his body was scattered right there
iti me chando na ca atilīno bhavissati, na ca atippaggahito bhavissati, na ca ajjhattaṁ saṅkhitto bhavissati, na ca bahiddhā vikkhitto bhavissati. They think: “My enthusiasm won’t be too lax or too tense. And it’ll be neither constricted internally nor scattered externally.” iti me vīmaṁsā na ca atilīnā bhavissati, na ca atippaggahitā bhavissati, na ca ajjhattaṁ saṅkhittā bhavissati, na ca bahiddhā vikkhittā bhavissati. They think: “My inquiry won’t be too lax or too tense. And it’ll be neither constricted internally nor scattered externally.” vikkhittaṁ vā cittaṁ ‘vikkhittaṁ cittan’ti pajānāti; scattered mind …
iti me chando na ca atilīno bhavissati, na ca atippaggahito bhavissati, na ca ajjhattaṁ saṅkhitto bhavissati, na ca bahiddhā vikkhitto bhavissati. They think: ‘My enthusiasm won’t be too lax or too tense. And it’ll be neither constricted internally nor scattered externally.’ iti me vīmaṁsā na ca atilīnā bhavissati, na ca atippaggahitā bhavissati, na ca ajjhattaṁ saṅkhittā bhavissati, na ca bahiddhā vikkhittā bhavissati. They think: ‘My inquiry won’t be too lax or too tense. And it’ll be neither constricted internally nor scattered externally.’
iti me chando na ca atilīno bhavissati, na ca atippaggahito bhavissati, na ca ajjhattaṁ saṅkhitto bhavissati, na ca bahiddhā vikkhitto bhavissati. They think: ‘My enthusiasm won’t be too lax or too tense. And it’ll be neither constricted internally nor scattered externally.’ iti me vīmaṁsā na ca atilīnā bhavissati, na ca atippaggahitā bhavissati, na ca ajjhattaṁ saṅkhittā bhavissati, na ca bahiddhā vikkhittā bhavissati. They think: ‘My inquiry won’t be too lax or too tense. And it’ll be neither constricted internally nor scattered externally.’ Katamo ca, bhikkhave, bahiddhā vikkhitto chando? And what is enthusiasm that’s scattered externally? Yo, bhikkhave, chando bahiddhā pañca kāmaguṇe ārabbha anuvikkhitto anuvisaṭo— It’s when enthusiasm is frequently scattered and diffused externally on account of the five kinds of sensual stimulation. ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, bahiddhā vikkhitto chando. This is called enthusiasm scattered externally. Katamā ca, bhikkhave, bahiddhā vikkhittā vīmaṁsā? And what is inquiry that’s scattered externally? Yā, bhikkhave, vīmaṁsā bahiddhā pañca kāmaguṇe ārabbha anuvikkhittā anuvisaṭā— It’s when inquiry is frequently scattered and diffused externally on account of the five kinds of sensual stimulation. ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, bahiddhā vikkhittā vīmaṁsā …pe… This is called inquiry scattered externally. …
iti me chando na ca atilīno bhavissati, na ca atippaggahito bhavissati, na ca ajjhattaṁ saṅkhitto bhavissati, na ca bahiddhā vikkhitto bhavissati. They think: “My enthusiasm won’t be too lax or too tense. And it’ll be neither constricted internally nor scattered externally.” iti me vīmaṁsā na ca atilīnā bhavissati, na ca atippaggahitā bhavissati, na ca ajjhattaṁ saṅkhittā bhavissati, na ca bahiddhā vikkhittā bhavissati. They think: “My inquiry won’t be too lax or too tense. And it’ll be neither constricted internally nor scattered externally.”
iti me chando na ca atilīno bhavissati, na ca atippaggahito bhavissati, na ca ajjhattaṁ saṅkhitto bhavissati, na ca bahiddhā vikkhitto bhavissati. He thinks: ‘My enthusiasm won’t be too lax or too tense. And it’ll be neither constricted internally nor scattered externally.’ iti me vīmaṁsā na ca atilīnā bhavissati, na ca atippaggahitā bhavissati, na ca ajjhattaṁ saṅkhittā bhavissati, na ca bahiddhā vikkhittā bhavissati …pe… He thinks: ‘My inquiry won’t be too lax or too tense. And it’ll be neither constricted internally nor scattered externally.’ …
iti me chando na ca atilīno bhavissati, na ca atippaggahito bhavissati, na ca ajjhattaṁ saṅkhitto bhavissati, na ca bahiddhā vikkhitto bhavissati. He thinks: ‘My enthusiasm won’t be too lax or too tense. And it’ll be neither constricted internally nor scattered externally.’ iti me vīmaṁsā na ca atilīnā bhavissati, na ca atipaggahitā bhavissati, na ca ajjhattaṁ saṅkhittā bhavissati, na ca bahiddhā vikkhittā bhavissati. He thinks: ‘My inquiry won’t be too lax or too tense. And it’ll be neither constricted internally nor scattered externally.’