Wednesday, December 11, 2013

"Virtuous" - From The Connected Discourses of the Buddha: A New Translation of the Samyutta Nikaya by Bhikkhu Bodhi






On one occasion the Venerable Sariputta and the Venerable Mahakotthita were  dwelling at Baranasi in the Deer Park at Isipatana. Then, in the evening, the Venerable Mahakotthita emerged from seclusion, approached the Venerable Sariputta, exchanged greetings, and said to him: "Friend Sariputta, what are the things that virtuous bhikkhu should carefully attend to?"

"Friend Kotthita, a virtous bhikkhu should carefully attend to the five aggregates subject to clinging as impermanent, as suffering, as a disease, as a tumor, as a dart, as misery, as an affliction, as alien, as disintegrating, as empty, as nonself. What five? The form aggregate subject to clinging, the feeling aggregate subject to clinging, the perception aggregate subject to clinging, the volitional formations aggregate subject to clinging, the consciousness aggregate subject to clinging. A virtuous bhikkhu should carefully attend to these five aggregates subject to clinging as impermanent... as nonself. When, friend, a virtuous bhikkhu carefully attends thus to these five aggregates subject to clinging, it is possible that he may realize the fruit of stream-entry."

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