83. （八三）长老上尊睡眠经

I have heard thus:

At one time, the Buddha was wandering in the country of Vārāṇasī, staying in the Deer Park at the Sītavana near the Rṣipatana.

At that time, the Venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana was wandering in the country of Magadha, staying in the village of Good Friends. Then, the Venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana alone in a quiet place, sat in meditation and fell asleep. The World-Honored One, knowing from afar that the Venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana alone in a quiet place, sat in meditation and fell asleep, having known this, immediately entered the samādhi of suchness, and with the samādhi of suchness, in the time it takes a strong man to bend and stretch his arm, disappeared from the Deer Park at the Sītavana near the Rṣipatana in Vārāṇasī and appeared before the Venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana in the village of Good Friends in Magadha. Then, the World-Honored One, having awakened from samādhi, said, "Mahāmaudgalyāyana! You are sleeping. Mahāmaudgalyāyana! You are sleeping."

The Venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana said to the World-Honored One, "Yes, World-Honored One!"

The Buddha said again, "Mahāmaudgalyāyana! Do not cultivate or spread the characteristics of sleep as you have described them. If you do not eliminate sleep in this way, Mahāmaudgalyāyana! You should follow the teachings you have heard, uphold them, spread them, recite them, and cultivate them. If you do not eliminate sleep in this way, Mahāmaudgalyāyana! You should follow the teachings you have heard, uphold them, and explain them to others. If you do not eliminate sleep in this way, Mahāmaudgalyāyana! You should follow the teachings you have heard, uphold them, contemplate them with your mind, and reflect on them. If you do not eliminate sleep in this way, Mahāmaudgalyāyana! You should rub your ears with both hands. If you do not eliminate sleep in this way,

If you do not eliminate sleep in this way, Mahāmaudgalyāyana! You should wash your face and eyes with cold water and sprinkle your body. If you do not eliminate sleep in this way, Mahāmaudgalyāyana! You should go outside the room, look at the four directions, and gaze at the stars. If you do not eliminate sleep in this way, Mahāmaudgalyāyana! You should go outside the room, go to the edge of the room, and walk in the open air, guarding the senses, with the mind at ease within, with the thought of rising later. If you do not eliminate sleep in this way, Mahāmaudgalyāyana! You should give up the walking path, go to the edge of the walking path, spread out your sitting mat, cross your legs, and sit. If you do not eliminate sleep in this way, Mahāmaudgalyāyana! You should return to the room, spread out your robe in four layers on the bed, fold your saṃghāṭī robe to make a pillow, lie on your right side, place one foot on the other, think of light, establish right mindfulness and right knowledge, and always think of rising.

Mahāmaudgalyāyana! Do not think of the pleasure of the bed, the ease of lying down, or the delight of sleeping. Do not be greedy for wealth and profit, or attached to fame. Why is this? I say that all dharmas are not to be associated with, and yet I also say that they are to be associated with. Mahāmaudgalyāyana! What dharmas do I say are not to be associated with? Mahāmaudgalyāyana! If the dharmas of the monastic and lay life are combined and associated, I say that these dharmas are not to be associated with. Mahāmaudgalyāyana! If the dharmas of the monastic and lay life are combined and associated, then there will be much speaking. If there is much speaking, then there will be agitation. If there is agitation, then the mind will not be still. Mahāmaudgalyāyana! If the mind is not still, then the mind will be far from concentration. Mahāmaudgalyāyana! Therefore I say that they are not to be associated with. Mahāmaudgalyāyana! What dharmas do I say are to be associated with? Mahāmaudgalyāyana! The place without affairs, I say that this dharma is to be associated with, the mountain forests, the foot of trees, empty and quiet places, high cliffs, stone chambers, places of silence and soundlessness, far away, without evil, without people, suitable for sitting in meditation. Mahāmaudgalyāyana! I say that this dharma is to be associated with.

Mahāmaudgalyāyana! When you enter the village to beg for alms, you should be disgusted with gain, offerings, and respect. If you are disgusted with gain, offerings, and respect, then you should enter the village to beg for alms. Mahāmaudgalyāyana! Do not enter the village to beg for alms with a lofty and great mind. Why is this? In the houses of the elders, there are such things. When a bhikṣu comes to beg for alms, it causes the elders not to pay attention. The bhikṣu then thinks: 'Who has ruined my elder's house? Why is this? When I enter the elder's house, the elder does not pay attention.' Because of this, sorrow arises. Because of sorrow, agitation arises. Because of agitation, the mind does not rest. Because the mind does not rest, the mind is far from concentration. Mahāmaudgalyāyana! When you expound the Dharma, do not speak with contention. If you speak with contention, then you will speak much. Because of speaking much, agitation arises. Because of the arising of agitation, the mind does not rest. Because the mind does not rest, the mind is far from concentration. Mahāmaudgalyāyana! When you expound the Dharma, do not speak forcefully, but expound the Dharma like a lion. Mahāmaudgalyāyana! When you expound the Dharma, speak with a humble mind, abandon strength, destroy strength, and break down strength. You should speak without force, like a lion. Mahāmaudgalyāyana! You should train like this.

At that time, Venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana rose from his seat, bared his right shoulder, joined his palms towards the Buddha, and said: "World-Honored One! How can a bhikṣu attain the ultimate, the ultimate purity, the ultimate practice of the Brahma-way, and the ultimate completion of the Brahma-way?"

The World-Honored One said: "Mahāmaudgalyāyana! If a bhikṣu perceives pleasure, pain, or neither pleasure nor pain, he should observe that these perceptions are impermanent, arising and ceasing, to be abandoned, desireless, to be extinguished, and to be let go. Having observed that these perceptions are impermanent, arising and ceasing, to be abandoned, desireless, to be extinguished, and to be let go, he does not accept this world. Because of not accepting this world, he is not weary. Because of not being weary, he attains parinirvāṇa, with the end of birth, the establishment of the Brahma-way, the completion of what was to be done, and the knowledge of not being reborn again. Mahāmaudgalyāyana! Such a bhikṣu attains the ultimate, the ultimate purity, the ultimate practice of the Brahma-way, and the ultimate completion of the Brahma-way.

The Buddha spoke thus. Venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana, having heard the Buddha's words, rejoiced and upheld them.