The first chapter below consists of Buddhist wisdom that relates to "The Fruits of the
Contemplative Life," Samannaphala Sutta, DN 2. It is followed by sayings and extracts from "The Roots of the Uposatha," Muluposatha Sutta, AN 3.70.
Most of these extracts and sayings are attributed to Buddha (563?–483? BCE). After
his yogic enlightenment he devoted 45 years to sharing his teachings. Some cornerstones can
be rendered as "Suffering can be ended," and "Right livelihood favours contemplation" [well
implied]. Today, estimatedly 300-500 million people profess a Buddhist faith. There are many variants.
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Four "Steps" (Jhanas) on the Way Lightly Rephrased
1. Quite withdrawn a contemplative enters and remains in the first jhana, which is rapture and pleasure accompanied by directed thought and evaluation. The contemplative permeates
this very body with rapture and pleasure. - Buddha mod
2. With the stilling of directed thought and evaluation, the contemplative enters and remains in the second jhana, which is rapture and pleasure born of composure, unification of
awareness, and internal assurance. There is nothing of the contemplative's entire body
that is not pervaded by rapture and pleasure born of composure. - Buddha mod
3. With the fading of rapture, the contemplative remains in equanimity, mindful and alert, and physically sensitive of pleasure. He enters and remains in the third jhana, which is
equanimous and mindful: he has a pleasurable abiding. - Buddha mod
4. With the abandoning of pleasure and stress the able practitioner enters and remains in the fourth jhana, which is purity of equanimity and mindfulness, neither-pleasure nor
stress. He sits with a pure, bright awareness. Permeating the body with a pure, bright
awareness is a fruit of the contemplative life. - Buddha mod
Source: "The Fruits of the Contemplative Life," Samannaphala Sutta, DN 2
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Most of these sayings and statements tie in with statements of Buddha as recorded in the
Digha Nikaya (DN). There is a link to it at the bottom of the page.
A concentrated mind becomes
mindful and more unperturbed
From developing a concentrated, pure mind one may wield manifold supranormal powers:
Having been one he becomes many; having been many he becomes one. He appears. He vanishes.
He goes unimpeded through walls, ramparts, and mountains as if through space. He dives in
and out of the earth as if it were water. He walks on water without sinking as if it were
dry land. Sitting cross-legged he flies through the air like a winged bird. - Buddha de
Some priests and contemplatives maintain themselves by wrong livelihood, including lowly
arts. - Buddha
By directing and inclining his steadied, well concentrated mind to knowledge of the
awareness of other beings, he knows the awareness of other beings, other individuals, having
encompassed it with his own awareness. He discerns a mind with aversion as a mind with
aversion, and a mind without aversion as a mind without aversion. He discerns a restricted
mind as a restricted mind, an enlarged mind as an enlarged mind. And he discerns an excelled
mind [one that is not at the most excellent level] as an excelled mind. He discerns a
concentrated mind as a concentrated mind. - Buddha
It is well to abstain from damaging seed and plant life. - Buddha de
A good man dwells without covetousness. - Buddha ◇
The good one abstains from running messages and errands for people. - Buddha de
The noble one prefer a secluded dwelling, sits down, crosses his legs, holds his body
erect, and brings mindfulness to the fore. - Buddha de
With his mind thus concentrated, purified, steady, and unperturbed, he directs and
inclines it to knowledge of passing away and re-appearance of things. - Buddha de
A great man abstains from abusive speech. He speaks words that are soothing to the ear,
that are affectionate, that go to the heart. - Buddha de
Backing up an inward-turning,
undisturbed, concentrated mind matters - it tends to clarify itself from inside
Through pleasure the mind should become concentrated. - Buddha de (3)
Abandoning restlessness and anxiety, we should dwell undisturbed, with our minds
inwardly stilled. - Buddha
A fine person abstains from watching vanity
shows and from heedless and idle games.
- Buddha de ◇
It is very good to abstain from the taking of life for the welfare of all living beings.
- Buddha mod
If there were a pool of water in a mountain glen – clear, limpid, and unsullied
– where a man with good eyesight standing on the bank could see shells, gravel, and
pebbles, and also shoals of fish swimming about and resting, and it would occur to him,
"This pool of water is clear, limpid, and unsullied." With his mind thus concentrated and
well purified, one directs and inclines the well steadied mind to the knowledge of the
ending of the mental fermentations and the way leading to the cessation of fermentations.'
- Buddha
Focusing one's mind well
brings about many pleasures, increase of alertness is one of many
A good man lives not by stealth but by means of a self that has become pure. - Buddha de (5)
By means of the heavenly eye, purified and surpassing the human eyes – he sees
beings and he discerns how they are inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, fortunate and
unfortunate in accordance with their karma. . - Buddha
Endowed with this noble restraint over the sense faculties, the sturdy monk is inwardly
sensitive to the pleasure of being blameless. - Buddha mod
Incline the concentrated mind well - and to knowledge. - Buddha mod
A fit man finds little interesting in philosophical discussions. - Buddha mod
For a monk, wrong livelihood includes such as consecrating sites for construction. . - Cf. Buddha
The fit one dwells with an awareness devoid of sloth and drowsiness, mindful, alert,
percipient of light. - Buddha de
Abandoning ill will and anger, the good man dwells with an awareness devoid of ill will,
sympathetic with the welfare of all living beings. - Buddha de
With his mind thus concentrated, he directs and inclines it to knowledge of the
recollection of previous homes (meaning: past lives). He recollects manifold past lives, and
in their modes and details. - Buddha
The good man, abandoning divisive speech he loves concord, delights in concord, enjoys
concord. - Buddha de
Good health, not being in prison, freedom, a
place of security, these make some people
glad, nay, enraptured, nay, tranquil - and hence sensitive to pleasure. - Buddha de ✪
It is well to abstain from forms of scheming and persuading. They include improper ways
of trying to gain material support from donors. - Buddha de
Having crossed over uncertainty, he suffers no perplexity with regard to skilful mental
qualities. - Buddha
The fine man acts with alertness: Going forward and returning, he acts with alertness.
When looking toward and looking away. When bending and extending his limbs. When carrying
his outer cloak, his upper robe, and his bowl. When eating, drinking, chewing, and tasting.
When urinating and defecating. When walking, standing, sitting, falling asleep, waking up,
talking, and remaining silent, he acts with alertness. - Buddha de
The good man speaks in season, speaks what is factual, what is in accordance with the
goal. - Buddha de
The fair man speaks words worth treasuring. They are reasonable and may be
circumscribed. - Buddha de
The fine man cleanses his mind. - Buddha de
The good man abstains from false speech. He speaks the truth, holds to the truth, is
firm, reliable, no deceiver. - Buddha de
The great man cleanses his mind of covetousness. - Buddha de
The great one abstains from idle chatter. - Buddha de
Priests and contemplatives are to abstain from such lowly arts as forecasting defeats
while living off food given in faith. - Buddha de
The strong monk is inwardly sensitive to the pleasure of being blameless. - Buddha de
With his mind well concentrated and inclined to the divine ear ---the contemplating one
knows, "That is the sound of kettledrums, that is the sound of small drums, that is the
sound of conchs, that is the sound of cymbals, and that is the sound of tom-toms."
- Buddha
A good man abstains from the use of false scales, deception, and fraud. - Buddha de
The nobly content monk takes only his barest necessities along. - Buddha
The proper monk is mindful and alert. - Cf Buddha (7)
The pure man, while living off food given in faith, abstains from collecting debts,
making investments and loans, and bringing forth flames from the mouth. - Cf Buddha
He hears – by means of the inner ear – both kinds of sounds: divine and human,
whether near or far. - Buddha de
There seems to be little gain in talking about lowly topics and thoughtless debates.
- Cf Buddha
- A well concentrated mind enters one's heart.
- A fit way of living backs up the gentle heart (life-core) within.
- Focusing adequately favours recall and recollections after time, and helps the mind's auto-cleaning work from within as well.
Concentrate on, to gain a favourable living attuned to your deep heart.
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Abstain from false speech. - Buddha
Buddha is an expert with regard to the world. - Buddha mod
By recollecting the Tathagata [i.e., Buddha] the mind should be calmed, and joy arise,
and defilements of the mind abandoned. - Buddha de
It is owing to Brahma that one's mind is calmed. - Buddha
It should do well to abandon imposing seats and beds. - Cf Buddha
Kingship over human beings is a meagre thing when compared with heavenly bliss.
- Buddha
One should indeed abstain from fermented and distilled liquors that cause
heedlessness. - Buddha
One should not tell a lie. - Buddha
One should refrain from the sexual act that is the villager's way. - Buddha
The defiled mind can also be cleansed by recollecting solid virtues and living with
them. - Buddha de
The defiled mind ought to be cleansed through the proper technique. - Buddha de
The Sangha [Community] of the Buddha's disciples consists of those who have practiced
well, straight-forwardly, methodically, and masterfully. Such disciples should be worthy of
gifts, worthy of hospitality, worthy of offerings, worthy of respect, and merit. - Buddha mod
Those who speak the truth and hold to the truth are reliable, and no deceivers. - Buddha de
