1At Sāvatthī. "Bhikkhus, I say that the destruction of the taints is for one who knows and sees, not for one who does not know and does not see. For one who knows what, who sees what, does the destruction of the taints come about? ‘Such is form, such its origin, such its passing away; such is feeling … such is perception … such are volitional formations … such is consciousness, such its origin, sn.iii.153 such its passing away’: it is for one who knows thus, for one who sees thus, that the destruction of the taints comes about. [n.210] Also at SN12.23. The following, through to the end, is also at AN7.71.

2"Bhikkhus, when a bhikkhu does not dwell devoted to development, even though such a wish as this might arise in him: ‘Oh, that my mind might be liberated from the taints by nonclinging!’ yet his mind is not liberated from the taints by nonclinging. For what reason? It should be said: because of nondevelopment. Because of not developing what? Because of not developing the four establishments of mindfulness … the four right strivings … the four bases for spiritual power … the five spiritual faculties … the five powers … the seven factors of enlightenment … the Noble Eightfold Path. [n.211] Again, these are the thirty-seven aids to enlightenment. The theme of this sutta might be compared with MN126, which deals with the question whether, in living the holy life, it is necessary to make a wish (āsañ ce pi karitvā) in order to achieve the fruit (phalassa adhigamaya). Here the word rendered "wish" is icchā.

3"Suppose, bhikkhus there was a hen with eight, ten, or twelve eggs that she had not covered, incubated, and nurtured properly. Even though such a wish as this might arise in her: ‘Oh, that my chicks might pierce their shells with the points of their claws and beaks and hatch safely!’ yet the chicks are incapable of piercing their shells with the points of their claws and beaks and hatching safely. For what reason? Because that hen with eight, ten, or twelve eggs had not covered, incubated, and nurtured them properly.

"So too, bhikkhus, when a bhikkhu does not dwell devoted to development, even though such a wish as this might arise in him: ‘Oh, that my mind might be liberated from the taints by nonclinging! ’ yet his mind is not liberated from the taints by nonclinging. For what reason? It should be said: because of nondevelopment. Because of not developing what? Because of not developing … the Noble Eightfold Path.

4"Bhikkhus, when a bhikkhu dwells devoted to development, sn.iii.154 even though no such wish as this might arise in him: ‘Oh, that my mind might be liberated from the taints by nonclinging!’ yet his mind is liberated from the taints by nonclinging. For what reason? It should be said: because of development. Because of developing what? Because of developing the four establishments of mindfulness … the four right strivings … the four bases for spiritual power … the five spiritual faculties … the five powers … the seven factors of enlightenment … the Noble Eightfold Path.

5"Suppose, bhikkhus, there was a hen with eight, ten, or twelve eggs that she had covered, incubated, and nurtured properly. Even though no such wish as this might arise in her: ‘Oh, that my chicks might pierce their shells with the points of their claws and beaks and hatch safely!’ yet the chicks are capable of piercing their shells with the points of their claws and beaks and of hatching safely. For what reason? Because that hen with eight, ten, or twelve eggs had covered, incubated, and nurtured them properly.

"So too, bhikkhus, [n.212] The simile of the chicks is applied differently at MN I 104,3–13 and MN I 357,6–358,2. See too Vin III 3–5. Spk elaborates on the comparison of the bhikkhu's enlightenment to the hatching of chicks: The hen's preparatory work is like the bhikkhu's devotion to development. The nonrotting of the eggs is like the bhikkhu's not falling away from insight knowledge; the drying up of the moisture in the eggs is like the drying up of attachment to the three realms of existence; the thinning of the egg shells is like the thinning of ignorance; the maturation of the chicks is like the maturation of insight knowledge. The time when the chicks break the shells and emerge safely is like the time when the bhikkhu breaks the shell of ignorance and attains arahantship. And as the chicks go about adorning the village field, so the great arahant enters into fruition attainment which takes Nibbāna as its object, and thus adorns his monastery. when a bhikkhu dwells devoted to development, even though no such wish as this might arise in him: ‘Oh, that my mind might be liberated from the taints by nonclinging! ’ yet his mind is liberated from the taints by nonclinging. For what reason? It should be said: because of development. Because of developing what? Because of developing … the Noble Eightfold Path.

6"When, bhikkhus, a carpenter [n.213] Reading palagaṇḍassa with Be and Se. Spk glosses vaḍḍhakissa. or a carpenter's apprentice looks at the handle of his adze, he sees the impressions of his fingers and his thumb, but he does not know: ‘So much of the adze handle has been worn away today, so much yesterday, so much earlier.’ But when it has worn away, the knowledge occurs to him that it has worn away.

"So too, bhikkhus, when a bhikkhu dwells devoted to development, sn.iii.155 even though no such knowledge occurs to him: ‘So much of my taints has been worn away today, so much yesterday, so much earlier,’ yet when they are worn away, the knowledge occurs to him that they have been worn away.

"Suppose, bhikkhus, there was a seafaring ship bound with rigging that had been worn away in the water for six months. [n.214] The simile is also at SN45.158. I read it as in Se and Ee. Spk develops this simile even more minutely than the simile of the chicks. In brief: Like the wearing away of the rigging by the ocean water is the wearing away of the bhikkhu's fetters by his going forth (into homelessness), study, and questioning. Like the time the ship is hauled onto dry land is the time the bhikkhu takes up a meditation subject and dwells in the forest. Like the drying up of the rigging by wind and sun during the day is the drying up of craving by insight knowledge. Like the wetting by snow at night is the wetting of the mind by gladness and joy arisen from meditation. Like the rain cloud pouring down is the knowledge of the path of arahantship. Like the decay of the rigging is the attainment of the fruit of arahantship. Like the persistence of the rigging in a decrepit state is the persistence of the arahant as he lives on benefitting the multitude. Like the collapse of the decrepit rigging is the arahant's attainment of the Nibbāna element without residue. It would be hauled up on dry land during the cold season and its rigging would be further attacked by wind and sun. Inundated by rain from a rain cloud, the rigging would easily collapse and rot away. So too, bhikkhus, when a bhikkhu dwells devoted to development, his fetters easily collapse and rot away."

1Sāvatthinidānaṁ. "Jānato ahaṁ, bhikkhave, passato āsavānaṁ khayaṁ vadāmi, no ajānato no apassato. Kiñca, bhikkhave, jānato kiṁ passato āsavānaṁ khayo hoti? ‘Iti rūpaṁ, iti rūpassa samudayo, iti rūpassa atthaṅgamo; iti vedanā … iti saññā … iti saṅkhārā … iti viññāṇaṁ, iti viññāṇassa samudayo, iti viññāṇassa atthaṅgamo’ti – evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, jānato evaṁ passato āsavānaṁ khayo hoti.

2Bhāvanānuyogaṁ ananuyuttassa, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno vihārato kiñcāpi evaṁ icchā uppajjeyya: ‘aho vata me anupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimucceyyā’ti, atha khvassa neva anupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimuccati. Taṁ kissa hetu? ‘Abhāvitattā’ tissa vacanīyaṁ. Kissa abhāvitattā? Abhāvitattā catunnaṁ satipaṭṭhānānaṁ, abhāvitattā catunnaṁ sammappadhānānaṁ, abhāvitattā catunnaṁ iddhipādānaṁ, abhāvitattā pañcannaṁ indriyānaṁ, abhāvitattā pañcannaṁ balānaṁ, abhāvitattā sattannaṁ bojjhaṅgānaṁ, abhāvitattā ariyassa aṭṭhaṅgikassa maggassa.

3Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, kukkuṭiyā aṇḍāni aṭṭha vā dasa vā dvādasa vā. Tānassu kukkuṭiyā na sammā adhisayitāni, na sammā pariseditāni, na sammā paribhāvitāni. Kiñcāpi tassā kukkuṭiyā evaṁ icchā uppajjeyya: ‘aho vata me kukkuṭapotakā pādanakhasikhāya vā mukhatuṇḍakena vā aṇḍakosaṁ padāletvā sotthinā abhinibbhijjeyyun’ti, atha kho abhabbāva te kukkuṭapotakā pādanakhasikhāya vā mukhatuṇḍakena vā aṇḍakosaṁ padāletvā sotthinā abhinibbhijjituṁ. Taṁ kissa hetu? Tathā hi pana, bhikkhave, kukkuṭiyā aṇḍāni aṭṭha vā dasa vā dvādasa vā; tāni kukkuṭiyā na sammā adhisayitāni, na sammā pariseditāni, na sammā paribhāvitāni.

Evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhāvanānuyogaṁ ananuyuttassa bhikkhuno vihārato kiñcāpi evaṁ icchā uppajjeyya: ‘aho vata me anupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimucceyyā’ti, atha khvassa neva anupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimuccati. Taṁ kissa hetu? ‘Abhāvitattā’tissa vacanīyaṁ. Kissa abhāvitattā? Abhāvitattā catunnaṁ satipaṭṭhānānaṁ … pe … aṭṭhaṅgikassa maggassa.

4Bhāvanānuyogaṁ anuyuttassa, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno vihārato kiñcāpi na evaṁ icchā uppajjeyya: ‘aho vata me anupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimucceyyā’ti, atha khvassa anupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimuccati. Taṁ kissa hetu? ‘Bhāvitattā’tissa vacanīyaṁ. Kissa bhāvitattā? Bhāvitattā catunnaṁ satipaṭṭhānānaṁ, bhāvitattā catunnaṁ sammappadhānānaṁ, bhāvitattā catunnaṁ iddhipādānaṁ, bhāvitattā pañcannaṁ indriyānaṁ, bhāvitattā pañcannaṁ balānaṁ, bhāvitattā sattannaṁ bojjhaṅgānaṁ, bhāvitattā ariyassa aṭṭhaṅgikassa maggassa.

5Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, kukkuṭiyā aṇḍāni aṭṭha vā dasa vā dvādasa vā. Tānassu kukkuṭiyā sammā adhisayitāni, sammā pariseditāni, sammā paribhāvitāni. Kiñcāpi tassā kukkuṭiyā na evaṁ icchā uppajjeyya: ‘aho vata me kukkuṭapotakā pādanakhasikhāya vā mukhatuṇḍakena vā aṇḍakosaṁ padāletvā sotthinā abhinibbhijjeyyun’ti, atha kho bhabbāva te kukkuṭapotakā pādanakhasikhāya vā mukhatuṇḍakena vā aṇḍakosaṁ padāletvā sotthinā abhinibbhijjituṁ. Taṁ kissa hetu? Tathā hi pana, bhikkhave, kukkuṭiyā aṇḍāni aṭṭha vā dasa vā dvādasa vā; tānassu kukkuṭiyā sammā adhisayitāni, sammā pariseditāni, sammā paribhāvitāni.

Evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhāvanānuyogaṁ anuyuttassa bhikkhuno vihārato kiñcāpi na evaṁ icchā uppajjeyya: ‘aho vata me anupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimucceyyā’ti, atha khvassa anupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimuccati. Taṁ kissa hetu? ‘Bhāvitattā’tissa vacanīyaṁ. Kissa bhāvitattā? Bhāvitattā catunnaṁ satipaṭṭhānānaṁ … pe … bhāvitattā ariyassa aṭṭhaṅgikassa maggassa.

6Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, palagaṇḍassa vā palagaṇḍantevāsissa vā vāsijaṭe dissanteva aṅgulipadāni dissati aṅguṭṭhapadaṁ. No ca khvassa evaṁ ñāṇaṁ hoti: ‘ettakaṁ vata me ajja vāsijaṭassa khīṇaṁ, ettakaṁ hiyyo, ettakaṁ pare’ti. Atha khvassa khīṇe khīṇantveva ñāṇaṁ hoti.

Evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhāvanānuyogaṁ anuyuttassa bhikkhuno vihārato kiñcāpi na evaṁ ñāṇaṁ hoti: ‘ettakaṁ vata me ajja āsavānaṁ khīṇaṁ, ettakaṁ hiyyo, ettakaṁ pare’ti, atha khvassa khīṇe khīṇantveva ñāṇaṁ hoti.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, sāmuddikāya nāvāya vettabandhanabaddhāya vassamāsāni udake pariyādāya hemantikena thalaṁ ukkhittāya vātātapaparetāni vettabandhanāni. Tāni pāvusakena meghena abhippavuṭṭhāni appakasireneva paṭippassambhanti pūtikāni bhavanti; evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhāvanānuyogaṁ anuyuttassa bhikkhuno vihārato appakasireneva saṁyojanāni paṭippassambhanti pūtikāni bhavantī"ti.

Navamaṁ.