Dasuttarasutta 2.1: 8. Groups of Eight

Up to Ten 2.1

Language: English

8. Groups of Eight

2.1.3

There are eight causes and reasons that lead to acquiring the wisdom fundamental to the spiritual life, and to its increase, growth, development, and fulfillment once it has been acquired.

2.1.5

It’s when a mendicant lives relying on the Teacher or a spiritual companion in a teacher’s role. And they set up a keen sense of conscience and prudence for them, with warmth and respect.

When a mendicant lives relying on the Teacher or a spiritual companion in a teacher’s role—with a keen sense of conscience and prudence for them, with warmth and respect—from time to time they go and ask them questions:

2.1.8

‘Why, sir, does it say this?

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What does that mean?’

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Those venerables clarify what is unclear, reveal what is obscure, and dispel doubt regarding the many doubtful matters.

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This is the second cause.

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After hearing that teaching they perfect withdrawal of both body and mind.

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This is the third cause.

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Furthermore, a mendicant is ethical, restrained in the monastic code, conducting themselves well and resorting for alms in suitable places. Seeing danger in the slightest fault, they keep the rules they’ve undertaken.

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This is the fourth cause.

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Furthermore, a mendicant is very learned, remembering and keeping what they’ve learned. These teachings are good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, meaningful and well-phrased, describing a spiritual practice that’s entirely full and pure. They are very learned in such teachings, remembering them, rehearsing them, mentally scrutinizing them, and penetrating them theoretically.

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This is the fifth cause.

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Furthermore, a mendicant lives with energy roused up for giving up unskillful qualities and embracing skillful qualities. They are strong, staunchly vigorous, not slacking off when it comes to developing skillful qualities.

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This is the sixth cause.

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Furthermore, a mendicant is mindful. They have utmost mindfulness and alertness, and can remember and recall what was said and done long ago.

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This is the seventh cause.

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Furthermore, a mendicant meditates observing rise and fall in the five grasping aggregates.

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‘Such is form, such is the origin of form, such is the disappearance of form.

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Such is feeling, such is the origin of feeling, such is the disappearance of feeling.

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Such is perception, such is the origin of perception, such is the disappearance of perception.

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Such are choices, such is the origin of choices, such is the disappearance of choices.

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Such is consciousness, such is the origin of consciousness, such is the disappearance of consciousness.’

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This is the eighth cause.

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What eight things should be developed?

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The noble eightfold path, that is:

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right view, right purpose, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion.

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What eight things should be completely understood?

2.1.35

Eight worldly conditions:

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gain and loss, fame and disgrace, blame and praise, pleasure and pain.

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What eight things should be given up?

2.1.39

Eight wrong ways:

2.1.40

wrong view, wrong purpose, wrong speech, wrong action, wrong livelihood, wrong effort, wrong mindfulness, and wrong immersion.

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What eight things make things worse?

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Eight grounds for laziness.

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Firstly, a mendicant has some work to do.

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They think:

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‘I have some work to do. But while doing it my body will get tired. I’d better have a lie down.’

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They lie down, and don’t rouse energy for attaining the unattained, achieving the unachieved, and realizing the unrealized.

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This is the first ground for laziness.

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Furthermore, a mendicant has done some work.

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They think:

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‘I’ve done some work. But while working my body got tired. I’d better have a lie down.’

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They lie down, and don’t rouse energy …

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This is the second ground for laziness.

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Furthermore, a mendicant has to go on a journey.

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They think:

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‘I have to go on a journey. But while walking my body will get tired. I’d better have a lie down.’

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They lie down, and don’t rouse energy …

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This is the third ground for laziness.

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Furthermore, a mendicant has gone on a journey.

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They think:

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‘I’ve gone on a journey. But while walking my body got tired. I’d better have a lie down.’

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They lie down, and don’t rouse energy …

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This is the fourth ground for laziness.

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Furthermore, a mendicant has wandered for alms, but they didn’t get to fill up on as much food as they like, coarse or fine.

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They think:

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‘I’ve wandered for alms, but I didn’t get to fill up on as much food as I like, coarse or fine. My body is tired and unfit for work. I’d better have a lie down.’…

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This is the fifth ground for laziness.

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Furthermore, a mendicant has wandered for alms, and they got to fill up on as much food as they like, coarse or fine.

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They think:

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‘I’ve wandered for alms, and I got to fill up on as much food as I like, coarse or fine. My body is heavy, unfit for work, like I’ve just eaten a load of beans. I’d better have a lie down.’…

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They lie down, and don’t rouse energy …

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This is the sixth ground for laziness.

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Furthermore, a mendicant feels a little sick. They think:

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‘I feel a little sick. Lying down would be good for me. I’d better have a lie down.’

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They lie down, and don’t rouse energy …

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This is the seventh ground for laziness.

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Furthermore, a mendicant has recently recovered from illness.

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They think:

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‘I’ve recently recovered from illness. My body is weak and unfit for work. I’d better have a lie down.’

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They lie down, and don’t rouse energy …

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This is the eighth ground for laziness.

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What eight things lead to distinction?

2.1.85

Eight grounds for arousing energy.

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Firstly, a mendicant has some work to do. They think:

2.1.87

‘I have some work to do. While working it’s not easy to focus on the instructions of the Buddhas. I’d better preemptively rouse up energy for attaining the unattained, achieving the unachieved, and realizing the unrealized.’

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They rouse energy for attaining the unattained, achieving the unachieved, and realizing the unrealized.

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This is the first ground for arousing energy.

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Furthermore, a mendicant has done some work.

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They think:

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‘I’ve done some work. While I was working I wasn’t able to focus on the instructions of the Buddhas. I’d better preemptively rouse up energy.’…

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This is the second ground for arousing energy.

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Furthermore, a mendicant has to go on a journey.

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They think:

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‘I have to go on a journey. While walking it’s not easy to focus on the instructions of the Buddhas. I’d better preemptively rouse up energy.’…

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This is the third ground for arousing energy.

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Furthermore, a mendicant has gone on a journey.

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They think:

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‘I’ve gone on a journey. While I was walking I wasn’t able to focus on the instructions of the Buddhas. I’d better preemptively rouse up energy.’…

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This is the fourth ground for arousing energy.

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Furthermore, a mendicant has wandered for alms, but they didn’t get to fill up on as much food as they like, coarse or fine.

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They think:

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‘I’ve wandered for alms, but I didn’t get to fill up on as much food as I like, coarse or fine. My body is light and fit for work. I’d better preemptively rouse up energy.’…

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This is the fifth ground for arousing energy.

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Furthermore, a mendicant has wandered for alms, and they got to fill up on as much food as they like, coarse or fine.

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They think:

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‘I’ve wandered for alms, and I got to fill up on as much food as I like, coarse or fine. My body is strong and fit for work. I’d better preemptively rouse up energy.’…

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This is the sixth ground for arousing energy.

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Furthermore, a mendicant feels a little sick.

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They think:

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‘I feel a little sick. It’s possible this illness will worsen. I’d better preemptively rouse up energy.’…

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This is the seventh ground for arousing energy.

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Furthermore, a mendicant has recently recovered from illness.

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They think:

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‘I’ve recently recovered from illness. It’s possible the illness will come back. I’d better preemptively rouse up energy for attaining the unattained, achieving the unachieved, and realizing the unrealized.’

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They rouse energy for attaining the unattained, achieving the unachieved, and realizing the unrealized.

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This is the eighth ground for arousing energy.

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What eight things are hard to comprehend?

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Eight lost opportunities for spiritual practice.

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Firstly, a Realized One has arisen in the world. He teaches the Dhamma leading to peace, extinguishment, awakening, as proclaimed by the Holy One.

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But that individual has been reborn in hell.

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This is the first lost opportunity for spiritual practice.

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Furthermore, a Realized One has arisen in the world …

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But that individual has been reborn in the animal realm.

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This is the second lost opportunity for spiritual practice.

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Furthermore, a Realized One has arisen in the world …

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But that individual has been reborn in the ghost realm.

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This is the third lost opportunity for spiritual practice.

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Furthermore, a Realized One has arisen in the world …

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But that individual has been reborn in one of the long-lived orders of gods.

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This is the fourth lost opportunity for spiritual practice.

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Furthermore, a Realized One has arisen in the world …

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But that individual has been reborn in the borderlands, among uneducated foreigners, where monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen do not go.

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This is the fifth lost opportunity for spiritual practice.

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Furthermore, a Realized One has arisen in the world …

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And an individual is reborn in a central country. But they have wrong view and distorted perspective:

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‘There’s no meaning in giving, sacrifice, or offerings. There’s no fruit or result of good and bad deeds. There’s no afterlife. There’s no such thing as mother and father, or beings that are reborn spontaneously. And there’s no ascetic or brahmin who is rightly comported and rightly practiced, and who describes the afterlife after realizing it with their own insight.’

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This is the sixth lost opportunity for spiritual practice.

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Furthermore, a Realized One has arisen in the world …

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And an individual is reborn in a central country. But they’re witless, dull, idiotic, and unable to distinguish what is well said from what is poorly said.

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This is the seventh lost opportunity for spiritual practice.

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Furthermore, a Realized One has not arisen in the world …

2.1.146

so there is no teaching of the Dhamma leading to peace, extinguishment, awakening, as proclaimed by the Holy One. But an individual is reborn in a central country. And they’re wise, bright, clever, and able to distinguish what is well said from what is poorly said.

Translations (2)

Od jedan do deset — sr
Bis zehn aufwärts — German

Commentaries (1)

Sumaṅgalavilāsinī — Buddhaghosa, Pāli

Linked texts (1)

Dasuttarasutta — Pāli