1At one time Venerable Anuruddha was staying near Sāvatthī in the frankincense-tree hut. There Venerable Anuruddha addressed the mendicants: “Reverends, suppose that, although the Ganges river slants, slopes, and inclines to the east, a large crowd were to come along with a spade and basket, saying: ‘We’ll make this Ganges river slant, slope, and incline to the west!’ What do you think, reverends? Would they succeed?”

“No, reverend. Why is that? The Ganges river slants, slopes, and inclines to the east. It’s not easy to make it slant, slope, and incline to the west. That large crowd will eventually get weary and frustrated.”

2“In the same way, while a mendicant develops and cultivates the four kinds of mindfulness meditation, if rulers or their ministers, friends or colleagues, relatives or family should invite them to accept wealth, saying: ‘Please, mister, why let these ocher robes torment you? Why follow the practice of shaving your head and carrying an alms bowl? Come, return to a lesser life, enjoy wealth, and make merit!’

3It’s simply impossible for a mendicant who is developing and cultivating the four kinds of mindfulness meditation to reject the training and return to a lesser life. Why is that? Because for a long time that mendicant’s mind has slanted, sloped, and inclined to seclusion. So it’s impossible for them to return to a lesser life.

And how does a mendicant develop the four kinds of mindfulness meditation? It’s when a mendicant meditates by observing an aspect of the body … feelings … mind … principles — keen, aware, and mindful, rid of desire and aversion for the world.

That’s how a mendicant develops and cultivates the four kinds of mindfulness meditation.”

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.