The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha - Bhikkhu Nanamoli [465]
12. “When a bhikkhu abides thus, if his mind inclines to talking, he resolves: ‘Such talk as is low, vulgar, coarse, ignoble, unbeneficial, and which does not lead to disenchantment, dispassion, cessation, peace, direct knowledge, enlightenment, and Nibbāna, that is, talk of kings, robbers, ministers, armies, dangers, battles, food, drink, clothing, beds, garlands, perfumes, relatives, vehicles, villages, towns, cities, countries, women, heroes, streets, wells, the dead, trivialities, the origin of the world, the origin of the sea, whether things are so or are not so: such talk I shall not utter.’ In this way he has full awareness of that.
“But he resolves: ‘Such talk as deals with effacement, as favours the mind’s release, and which leads to complete disenchantment, dispassion, cessation, peace, direct knowledge, enlightenment, and Nibbāna, that is, talk on wanting little, on contentment, seclusion, aloofness from society, arousing energy, virtue, concentration, wisdom, deliverance, knowledge and vision of deliverance: such talk I shall utter.’ In this way he has full awareness of that.
13. “When a bhikkhu abides thus, [114] if his mind inclines to thinking, he resolves: ‘Such thoughts as are low, vulgar, coarse, ignoble, unbeneficial, and which do not lead to disenchantment, dispassion, cessation, peace, direct knowledge, enlightenment, and Nibbāna, that is, thoughts of sensual desire, thoughts of ill will, and thoughts of cruelty: such thoughts I shall not think.’ In this way he has full awareness of that.
“But he resolves: ‘Such thoughts as are noble and emancipating, and lead the one who practises in accordance with them to the complete destruction of suffering, that is, thoughts of renunciation, thoughts of non-ill will, and thoughts of non-cruelty: such thoughts I shall think.’ In this way he has full awareness of that.
14. “Ānanda, there are these five cords of sensual pleasure.1155 What five? Forms cognizable by the eye that are wished for, desired, agreeable, and likeable, connected with sensual desire and provocative of lust. Sounds cognizable by the ear…Odours cognizable by the nose…Flavours cognizable by the tongue… Tangibles cognizable by the body that are wished for, desired, agreeable, and likeable, connected with sensual desire and provocative of lust. These are the five cords of sensual pleasure.
15. “Herein a bhikkhu should constantly review his own mind thus: ‘Does any mental excitement concerning any base among these five cords of sensual pleasure ever arise in me?’ If, on reviewing his mind, the bhikkhu understands: ‘Mental excitement concerning a certain base among these five cords of sensual pleasure does arise in me,’ then he understands: ‘Desire and lust for the five cords of sensual pleasure are unabandoned in me.’ In this way he has full awareness of that. But if, on reviewing his mind, the bhikkhu understands: ‘No mental excitement concerning any base among these five cords of sensual pleasure arises in me,’ then he understands: ‘Desire and lust for the five cords of sensual pleasure are abandoned in me.’ In this way he has full awareness of that.
16. “Ānanda, there are these five aggregates affected by clinging, 1156 in regard to which a bhikkhu should abide contemplating rise and fall thus: ‘Such is material form, such its arising, such its disappearance; such is feeling, such [115] its arising, such its disappearance; such is perception, such its arising, such its disappearance; such are formations, such their arising, such their disappearance; such is consciousness, such its arising, such its disappearance.’
17. “When he abides contemplating rise and fall in these five aggregates affected by clinging, the conceit ‘I am’ based on these five aggregates affected by clinging is abandoned in him. When that is so, that bhikkhu understands: ‘The conceit “I am” based on these five aggregates affected by clinging is abandoned in me.’ In that way he has full awareness of that.
18. “These states are entirely wholesome and have a wholesome outcome; they are noble,