MN17 — Vanapattha sutta - Forest Retreat

Thus have I heard:

At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthi in Jetas Grove, in the monastery of Anāthapiṇḍika. There, the Blessed One addressed the disciples: Disciples!

Venerable Sir, those disciples replied to the Blessed One.

The Blessed One said this: I will teach you the discourse on the wilderness, disciples. Listen to it carefully, pay close attention, and I will speak.

Yes, Venerable Sir, replied those disciples to the Blessed One.

The Blessed One said: Here, disciples, a disciple dwells relying on a certain wilderness. While dwelling relying on that wilderness, neither is mindfulness established, nor is the mind concentrated, nor are the taints destroyed, nor is the unsurpassed security from bondage attained. And the requisites of life which ought to be gained by a renunciate, robe, alms food, lodging, medicines, and supports for the sick, are difficult to obtain.

Therefore, disciples, the disciple should reflect thus: I am dwelling relying on this wilderness, yet neither is my mindfulness established nor is my mind concentrated, nor are my taints destroyed, nor have I attained the unsurpassed security from bondage. And the requisites of life that one ought to gain as a renunciate, robe, alms food, lodging, medicines, and supports for the sick, are obtained with difficulty.

Therefore, disciples, that disciple should depart from that wilderness by night or day; he should not remain there.

But here, disciples, a disciple dwells relying on a certain wilderness. While dwelling relying on that wilderness, mindfulness is not established, the mind is not concentrated, taints are not destroyed, nor is the unsurpassed security from bondage attained. And the requisites of life that are to be obtained by a renunciate, robe, alms food, lodging, medicines, and supports for the sick, are obtained without difficulty.

Therefore, disciples, the disciple should reflect thus:

I reside in this forest area. While staying in this forest area, my mindfulness is not established, my mind does not become concentrated, my defilements are not destroyed, and I do not attain supreme security from bondage. The requisites of a disciples life, robes, alms food, lodging, and medicine, come easily.

However, I did not leave the household life and become a disciple for the sake of robes, alms food, lodging, or medicine. Yet, while residing in this forest area, my mindfulness is not established, my mind does not become concentrated, my defilements are not destroyed, and I do not attain supreme security from bondage.

Therefore, disciples, that disciple should consider leaving that forest area and should not stay there.

Here, disciples, a disciple resides in another forest area. In that forest area, while staying, his mindfulness becomes established, his mind becomes concentrated, his defilements are destroyed, and he attains supreme security from bondage. But the requisites of a disciples life, robes, alms food, lodging, and medicine, are obtained with difficulty.

Therefore, disciples, that disciple should reflect thus: I reside in this forest area. While staying in this forest area, my mindfulness becomes established, my mind becomes concentrated, my defilements are destroyed, and I attain supreme security from bondage. The requisites, robes, alms food, lodging, and medicine, are obtained with difficulty.

Nevertheless, I did not leave the household life for the sake of robes, alms food, lodging, or medicine.

Now, while dwelling based on this forest grove, my unestablished mindfulness becomes established, my unsettled mind is settled in concentration, my unended taints move towards their ending, and the unsurpassed safety from bondage, which was not attained, is attained. Therefore, disciples, a disciple should remain in that forest grove and should not depart.

Here, disciples, a disciple is dwelling based on a certain forest grove. For him, living based on that forest grove, his unestablished mindfulness becomes established, his unsettled mind is settled in concentration, his unended taints move towards their ending, and the unsurpassed safety from bondage, which was not attained, is attained. Furthermore, the requisites for life that should be gathered by one who has gone forth, robes, alms-food, dwellings, and medicinal support for the sick, are acquired with little difficulty.

Therefore, disciples, a disciple should reflect in this way: I am dwelling based on this forest grove. For me, living based on this forest grove, my unestablished mindfulness becomes established, my unsettled mind is settled in concentration, my unended taints move towards their ending, and the unsurpassed safety from bondage, which was not attained, is attained. Furthermore, the requisites for life that should be gathered by one who has gone forth, robes, alms-food, dwellings, and medicinal support for the sick, are acquired with little difficulty.

Therefore, disciples, a disciple should remain in that forest grove for the rest of his life and not depart.

Here, disciples, a disciple is dwelling based on a certain village...

based on a certain town...

based on a certain city...

based on a certain country...

based on a certain person. For him, living based on that person, his unestablished mindfulness does not become established, his unsettled mind is not settled in concentration, his unended taints do not move towards their ending, and the unsurpassed safety from bondage, which was not attained, is not attained. Furthermore, the requisites for life that should be gathered by one who has gone forth, robes, alms-food, dwellings, and medicinal support for the sick, are acquired with difficulty.

Therefore, disciples, a disciple should reflect in this way:

I dwell depending on this person. While residing dependent on this person, neither does mindfulness become established nor does the mind become concentrated, the taints do not diminish, and the unsurpassed safety from bondage is not attained. The requisites of living that must be gathered by one gone forth, robe, alms food, lodging, and medicinal support for the sick, are obtained with difficulty.

Therefore, disciples, a disciple should leave a person like this, either by night or by day, after saying farewell, not clinging to them.

However, disciples, a disciple may dwell depending on another person. While residing dependent on this person, neither does mindfulness become established nor does the mind become concentrated, the taints do not diminish, and the unsurpassed safety from bondage is not attained. Yet the requisites of living that must be gathered are obtained with ease.

Therefore, disciples, a disciple should reflect thus: I dwell depending on this person. While residing dependent on this person, neither does mindfulness become established nor does the mind become concentrated, the taints do not diminish, and the unsurpassed safety from bondage is not attained. Yet the requisites of living are obtained with ease. I did not go forth from the lay life for the sake of a robe, alms food, lodging, or medicinal support for the sick. Yet while dwelling depending on this person, neither does mindfulness become established nor does the mind become concentrated, the taints do not diminish, and the unsurpassed safety from bondage is not attained.

Therefore, disciples, even if this be the case, a disciple should say farewell to that person and depart, not clinging to them.

However, disciples, a disciple may dwell depending on another person.

When one resides dependent on such a person, unestablished mindfulness becomes established, an unconfined mind becomes concentrated, unexhausted taints are destroyed, and the unsurpassed safety from bondage is attained.

In this life of renunciation, the requisites for living, a robe, alms food, lodging, and medicines for the sick, are acquired with difficulty.

Therefore, a disciple should reflect: I am dwelling dependent on this person. As I dwell dependent on this person, unestablished mindfulness becomes established, an unconfined mind becomes concentrated, unexhausted taints are destroyed, and I attain the unsurpassed safety from bondage.

The requisites for a disciple are acquired with difficulty, robe, alms food, lodging, and medicines for the sick.

Yet, I did not go forth from the household life into homelessness for the sake of a robe, alms food, lodging, or medicine.

However, as I dwell dependent on this person, unestablished mindfulness becomes established, an unconfined mind becomes concentrated, unexhausted taints are destroyed, and I attain the unsurpassed safety from bondage.

Therefore, disciples, a disciple should not abandon such a person, but follow them.

Here, disciples, a disciple resides dependent on another person.

As he resides dependent on this person, unestablished mindfulness becomes established, an unconfined mind becomes concentrated, unexhausted taints are destroyed, and the unsurpassed safety from bondage is attained.

In this life of renunciation, the requisites for living, robe, alms food, lodging, and medicine, are acquired with ease.

Those requisites of life that should be acquired by one who has gone forth, the robe, almsfood, lodging, and medicinal requisites for the sick, come easily. Therefore, disciples, even for his whole life, that person should be followed and not abandoned, even if he is driven away.

Thus spoke the Blessed One. The disciples were delighted and rejoiced in the Blessed Ones words.

Here ends the Vanapattha Sutta, the seventh.