Thus I have heard: At one time the Lord was staying near Savatthi in the palace of Migara’s mother in the Eastern Monastery. Then
the brahman Ganaka-Moggallana approached the Lord; having approached he
exchanged greetings with the Lord; having conversed in a friendly and
courteous way, he sat down at a respectful distance. As he was sitting
down at a respectful distance, Ganaka-Moggallana the brahman spoke thus
to the Lord: “Just as, good Gotama, in this palace of Migara’s mother
there can be seen a gradual training, a gradual doing, a gradual
practice, that is to say as far as the last flight of stairs,[1]
so, too, good Gotama, for these brahmans there can be seen a gradual
training, a gradual doing, a gradual practice, that is to say in the
study [of the Vedas];[2]
so too, good Gotama, for these archers there can be seen a gradual…
practice, that is to say in archery; so too, good Gotama, for us whose
livelihood is calculation[3]
there can be seen a gradual training, a gradual practice, that is to
say in accountancy. For when we get a pupil, good Gotama, we first of
all make him calculate: ‘One one, two twos, three threes, four fours,
five fives, six sixes, seven sevens, eight eights, nine nines, ten
tens,’ and we, good Gotama, also make him calculate a hundred. Is it not
possible, good Gotama, to lay down a similar gradual training, gradual
doing, gradual practice in respect of this dhamma and discipline?”

“It is possible, brahman, to lay down a gradual training, a gradual doing, a gradual practice in respect of this dhamma
and discipline, Brahman, even a skilled trainer of horses, having taken
on a beautiful thoroughbred first of all gets it used to the training
in respect of wearing the bit. Then he gets it used to further training —
even so brahman, the Tathagata, having taken on a man to be tamed,
first of all disciplines him thus:

Morality

“‘Come you, monk, be of moral habit, live controlled by the control
of the Obligations, endowed with [right] behavior and posture, seeing
peril in the slightest fault and, undertaking them, train yourself in
the rules of training.’ As soon, brahman, as the monk is of moral habit,
controlled by the control of the Obligations, endowed with [right]
behavior and posture; seeing peril in the slightest fault and,
undertaking them, trains himself in the rules of training, the Tathagata
disciplines him further saying:

Sense-control

“‘Come you monk, be guarded as to the doors of the sense-organs;
having seen a material shape with the eye, do not be entranced with the
general appearance, do not be entranced with the detail; for if one
dwells with the organ of sight uncontrolled, covetousness and dejection,
evil, unskillful states of mind, may flow in. So fare along controlling
it, guard the organ of sight, achieve control over the organ of sight.
Having heard a sound with the ear… Having smelt a smell with the
nose… Having savored a taste with the tongue… Having felt a touch
with the body… Having cognized a mental state with the mind, do not be
entranced with the detail. For if one dwells with the organ of mind
uncontrolled, covetousness and dejection, evil, unskillful states of
mind, may flow in. So fare along controlling it; guard the organ of
mind, achieve control over the organ of mind.’

Moderation in eating

“As soon, brahman, as a monk is guarded as to the doors of the
sense-organs, the Tathagata disciplines him further, saying: ‘Come you,
monk, be moderate in eating; you should take food reflecting carefully,
not for fun or indulgence or personal charm or beautification, but
taking just enough for maintaining this body and keeping it going, for
keeping it unharmed, for furthering the Brahma-faring,[4]
with the thought: Thus will I crush out an old feeling, and I will not
allow a new feeling to arise, and then there will be for me subsistence
and blamelessness and abiding in comfort.’

Vigilance

“As soon, brahman, as a monk is moderate in eating, the Tathagata
disciplines him further, saying: ‘Come you, monk, dwell intent on
vigilance; during the day while pacing up and down, while sitting down,
cleanse the mind of obstructive mental states; during the middle watch
of the night, lie down on the right side in the lion posture, foot
resting on foot, mindful, clearly conscious, reflecting on the thought
of getting up again; during the last watch of the night, when you have
arisen, while pacing up and down, while sitting down, cleanse the mind
of obstructive mental states.’

Mindfulness and clear consciousness

“As soon, brahman, as a monk is intent on vigilance, the Tathagata
disciplines him further, saying: ‘Come you, monk, be possessed of
mindfulness and clear consciousness, acting with clear consciousness
whether you are approaching or departing, acting with clear
consciousness whether you are looking ahead or looking round, acting
with clear consciousness whether you are bending in or stretching out
[the arms], acting with clear consciousness whether you are carrying the
outer cloak, the bowl or robe, acting with clear consciousness whether
you are eating, drinking, munching, savoring, acting with clear
consciousness whether you are obeying the calls of nature, acting with
clear consciousness whether you are walking, standing, sitting, asleep,
awake, talking or being silent.’

Overcoming of the five hindrances

“As soon, brahman, as he is possessed of mindfulness and clear
consciousness, the Tathagata disciplines him further, saying: ‘Come you,
monk, choose a remote lodging in a forest, at the root of a tree, on a
mountain slope, in a glen, a hill cave, a cemetery, a woodland grove, in
the open, or on a heap of straw.’ On returning from alms-gathering
after the meal, the monk sits down crosslegged, holding the back erect,
having made mindfulness rise up in front of him. He, getting rid of
covetousness for the world, dwells with a mind devoid of covetousness,
he cleanses the mind of covetousness. Getting rid of the taint of
ill-will, he dwells benevolent in mind; compassionate and merciful
towards all creatures and beings, he cleanses the mind of ill-will.
Getting rid of sloth and torpor, he dwells without sloth or torpor;
perceiving the light, mindful and clearly conscious he cleanses the mind
of sloth and torpor. Getting rid of restlessness and worry, he dwells
calmly; the mind inward tranquil, he cleanses the mind of restlessness
and worry. Getting rid of doubt, he dwells doubt-crossed; unperplexed as
to the states that are skilled,[5] he cleanses his mind of doubt.

Jhana

“He, by getting rid of these five hindrances,[6]
which are defilements of the mind and deleterious to intuitive wisdom,
aloof from pleasures of the senses, aloof from unskilled states of mind,
enters and abides in the first meditation which is accompanied by
initial thought and discursive thought, is born of aloofness and is
rapturous and joyful. By allaying initial thought and discursive
thought, his mind subjectively tranquilized and fixed on one point, he
enters and abides in the second meditation which is devoid of initial
thought and discursive thought, is born of concentration and is
rapturous and joyful. By the fading out of rapture, he dwells with
equanimity, attentive and clearly conscious, and experiences in his
person that joy of which the ariyans[7]
say: ‘Joyful lives he who has equanimity and is mindful,’ and he enters
and abides in the third meditation. By getting rid of anguish, by the
going down of his former pleasures and sorrows, he enters and abides in
the fourth meditation which has neither anguish nor joy, and which is
entirely purified by equanimity and mindfulness.

“Brahman, such is my instruction for those monks who are learners
who, perfection being not yet attained, dwell longing for the
incomparable security from the bonds. But as for those monks who are
perfected ones, the cankers destroyed, who have lived the life, done
what was to be done, shed the burden, attained to their own goal, the
fetters of becoming utterly destroyed, and who are freed by perfect
profound knowledge — these things conduce both to their abiding in ease
here and now as well as to their mindfulness and clear consciousness.”

When this had been said, the brahman Ganaka-Moggallana spoke thus to the Lord:

“Now, on being exhorted thus and instructed thus by the good Gotama,
do all the good Gotama’s disciples attain the unchanging goal[8] — nibbana or do some not attain it?”

“Some of my disciples, brahman, on being exhorted and instructed thus
by me, attain the unchanging goal — nibbana; some do not attain it.”

“What is the cause, good Gotama, what the reason that; since nibbana
does exist, since the way leading to nibbana exists, since the good
Gotama exists as adviser, some of the good Gotama’s disciples on being
exhorted thus and instructed thus by the good Gotama, attain the
unchanging goal — nibbana, but some do not attain it?”

“Well then, brahman, I will question you on this point in reply. As
it is pleasing to you, so you may answer me. What do you think about
this, brahman? Are you skilled in the way leading to Rajagaha?”

“Yes, sir, skilled am I in the way leading to Rajagaha.”

“What do you think about this? A man might come along here wanting to
go to Rajagaha. Having approached you, he might speak thus: ‘I want to
go to Rajagaha, sir; show me the way to this Rajagaha.’ You might speak
thus to him: “Yes, my good man, this road goes to Rajagaha; go along it
for a while. When you have gone along it for a while you will see a
village; go along for a while; when you have gone along for a while you
will see a market town; go for a while. When you have gone along for a
while you will see Rajagaha with its delightful parks, delightful
forests, delightful fields, delightful ponds. But although he has been
exhorted and instructed thus by you, he might take the wrong road and go
westwards. Then a second man might come along wanting to go to
Rajagaha…(as above)… you will see Rajagaha with its
delightful… ponds.’ Exhorted and instructed thus by you he might get
to Rajagaha safely. What is the cause, brahman, what the reason that,
since Rajagaha does exist, since the way leading to Rajagaha exists,
since you exist as adviser, the one man, although being exhorted and
instructed thus by you, may take the wrong road and go westwards while
the other may get to Rajagaha safely?”

“What can I, good Gotama, do in this matter? A shower of the way, good Gotama, am I.”

“Even so, brahman, nibbana does
exist, the way leading to nibbana exists and I exist as adviser. But
some of my disciples, on being exhorted and instructed thus by me attain
the unchanging goal — nibbana, some do not attain it. What can I,
brahman, do in this matter? A shower of the way, brahman, is a
Tathagata.”

When this had been said, the brahman Ganaka-Moggallana spoke thus to the Lord:

“Good Gotama, as for those persons who, in want of a way of living,
having gone forth from home into homelessness without faith, who are
crafty, fraudulent, deceitful, who are unbalanced and puffed up, who are
shifty, scurrilous and of loose talk, the doors of whose sense-organs
are not guarded, who do not know moderation in eating, who are not
intent on vigilance, indifferent to recluseship, not of keen respect for
the training, who are ones for abundance, lax, taking the lead in
backsliding, shirking the burden of seclusion, who are indolent, of
feeble energy, of confused mindfulness, not clearly conscious, not
concentrated but of wandering minds, who are weak in wisdom, drivelers —
the good Gotama is not in communion with them. But as for those
young men of respectable families who have gone forth from home into
homelessness from faith, who are not crafty, fraudulent or deceitful,
who are not unbalanced or puffed up, who are not shifty, scurrilous or
of loose talk, the doors of whose sense-organs are guarded, who know
moderation in eating, who are intent on vigilance, longing for
recluseship, of keen respect for the training, who are not ones for
abundance, not lax, shirking, backsliding, taking the lead in seclusion,
who are of stirred up energy, self-resolute, with mindfulness aroused,
clearly conscious, concentrated, their minds one-pointed, who have
wisdom, are not drivelers — the good Gotama is in communion with them.
As, good Gotama, black gum is pointed to as chief of root-scents, as
red sandalwood is pointed to as chief of the pith-scents, as jasmine is
pointed to as chief of the flower scents — even so is the exhortation of
the good Gotama highest among the teachings of today. Excellent,
good Gotama, excellent, good Gotama. As, good Gotama, one might set
upright what had been upset, or disclose what had been covered, or show
the way to one who had gone astray, or bring an oil-lamp into the
darkness so that those with vision might see material shapes — even so
in many a figure is dhamma made clear by the good Gotama. I am going to the revered Gotama for refuge and to dhamma
and to the Order of monks May the good Gotama accept me as a
lay-follower going for refuge from today forth for as long as life
lasts.”