What the Buddha Taught

by Walpola Rahula

Then he reflects wisely: This is Dukkha (suffering). He reflects wisely: This is the arising (cause) of Dukkha. He reflects wisely: This is the Cessation of Dukkha. He reflects wisely: This is the Path leading to the Cessation of Dukkha.

‘Bhikkhus, a bhikkhu, considering wisely, lives with his eyes restrained. Now, if there are any troubles, distresses and vexations for him when he lives without restraining his eyes, those troubles, distresses and vexations are not for him when he lives restraining his eyes in this manner.

troubles to be got rid of by use? Bhikkhus, a bhikkhu, considering wisely, makes use of his robes—only to keep off cold, to keep off heat, to keep off gadflies, mosquitoes, winds and the sun, and creeping creatures, and to cover himself decently. Considering wisely, he makes use of food

‘Now, what are the mind’s impurities? Cupidity—excessive desire—is an impurity of the mind; enmity . . . anger . . . rancour . . . hypocrisy . . . malice . . . jealousy. . . avarice . . . trickery . . . deceit . . . obduracy . . . haughtiness . . . pride . . . arrogance . . . inflation . . . indolence is an impurity of the mind.

obduracy . . . haughtiness . . . pride . . . arrogance . . . inflation . . . indolence recognizing it as an impurity of the mind, he finds serene joy (satisfaction) in the Enlightened One: (knowing that)

when one is glad, joy arises; when the mind is joyful, the body becomes relaxed; when relaxed, one feels content: the mind of the contented man is concentrated.

namely the Four Foundations (four forms of Presence) of Mindfulness. What are the four?

having overcome covetousness and repugnance towards the world (of body); observing feelings, having overcome covetousness and repugnance towards the world (of feelings) . . . observing (the activities of) the mind, having overcome covetousness and repugnance towards the world (of mind); observing mental objects, having overcome covetousness and repugnance towards the world (of mental objects).’

BODY) ‘And how does a bhikkhu live observing (the activities of) the body? [1. Breathing] ‘Here Bhikkhus, a bhikkhu having gone to the forest, to the foot of a tree or to some empty place, sits down, with his legs crossed, keeps his body straight and his mindfulness alert.

‘Thus he lives observing (the activities of) the body internally, or . . . externally, or . . . both internally and externally.

[2. Postures of the body] ‘And further, Bhikkhus, a bhikkhu knows when he is going, “I am going”. He knows when he is standing, “I am standing”. He knows when he is sitting, “I am sitting”. He knows when he is lying down, “I am lying down”. Or he knows just how his body is disposed.

‘And further, Bhikkhus, a bhikkhu applies full attention either in going forward or back; in looking straight on or looking away; in bending or in stretching; in wearing robes or carrying the bowl; in eating, drinking, chewing or savouring; in attending to the calls of nature; in walking, in standing, in sitting; in falling asleep, in waking; in speaking or in keeping silence.

Bhikkhus, a bhikkhu reflects on this very body enveloped by the skin and full of manifold impurity, from the sole up, and from the top of the hair down, thinking thus: There are in this body hair of the head, hair of the body, nails, teeth . . . synovial fluid, urine.

‘And further, Bhikkhus, a bhikkhu reflects on this very body, as it is, and it is constituted, by way of the material elements: “There are in this body the element of earth, the element of water, the element of fire, the element of wind”.

(2) ‘And further, Bhikkhus, just as a bhikkhu sees a body thrown on to the cemetery, being eaten by crows, hawks, vultures, dogs, jackals or by different kinds of worms, so he applies this perception to his own body thus: “Verily, my own body, too, is of the same nature; such it will become and will not escape it”.

(6) ‘And further, Bhikkhus, just as a bhikkhu sees a body thrown on to the cemetery reduced to disconnected bones, scattered in all directions—here a bone of the hand, there a bone of the foot, a shin bone, a thigh bone, the pelvis, spine and skull. . . .

(9) ‘And further, Bhikkhus, just as a bhikkhu sees a body thrown on to the cemetery reduced to bones rotten and become dust . . . so he applies this perception to his own body thus: “Verily, my own body, too, is of the same nature; such it will become and will not escape it”. ‘Thus he lives observing the body .

‘Here, Bhikkhus, a bhikkhu when experiencing a pleasant feeling knows: “I experience a pleasant feeling”; when experiencing a painful feeling, he knows: “I experience a painful feeling”; when experiencing a neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling, he knows: “I experience a neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling”.

‘He lives in this way observing feelings internally, . . . or externally, or . . . internally and externally. He lives observing origination-factors in feelings, or dissolution-factors in feelings, or origination-and-dissolution factors in feelings.

‘Here Bhikkhus, a bhikkhu knows the mind with lust, as being with lust; the mind without lust, as being without lust; the mind with hate, as being with hate; the mind without hate, as being without hate;

‘He lives in this way observing the mind internally, or externally, or internally and externally. He lives observing origination-factors in mind or dissolution-factors in mind or origination-and-dissolution-factors in mind.

‘Here, Bhikkhus, when sense-desire is present, a bhikkhu knows: “Sense-desire is in me”, or when sense-desire is not present, he knows: “There is no sense-desire in me”. He knows how the non-arisen sense-desire arises; he knows how the arisen sense-desire disappears; and he knows how the non-arising in the future of the abandoned sense-desire comes to be.

‘Here, Bhikkhus, a bhikku thinks: Thus is material form; it arises in this way; and it disappears in this way. Thus is feeling; it arises in this way; and it disappears in this way. Thus is perception; it arises in this way; and it disappears in this way. Thus are mental formations; they arise in this way; and they disappear in this way. Thus is consciousness; it arises in this way; and it disappears in this way. ‘Thus he lives contemplating mental objects internally, etc. . . . In this way, Bhikkhus, a bhikkhu lives contemplating the five aggregates of clinging as mental objects.