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Saṁyutta Nikāya 52.8 Linked Discourses 52.8
1. Rahogatavagga 1. In Private
Salaḷāgārasutta The Salaḷa Tree Hut
Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā anuruddho sāvatthiyaṁ viharati salaḷāgāre. At one time Venerable Anuruddha was staying near Sāvatthī in the salaḷa tree hut. Salaḷa was the awakening tree of the Buddha Paduma (Tha Ap 179:1.2), which suggests it was a large tree. It is sometimes identified with frankincense (sallakī, Sanskrit śallakī, Boswellia serrata), but seems to me unlikely. Frankincense thrives in arid highlands quite distant from the rich riverlands of Sāvatthī, and is a straggly tree unsuited to construction (although the hut could simply be near a frankincense). The flowers or garlands of salaḷa are, in poetry, abundant (eg. Ja 511:27.3, Tha Ap 209, Tha Ap 556:3.3), but the frankincense flower is small and a poor candidate for garlands. MN 93:11.6 and MN 96:16.3 speak of the fire of the salaḷa, but no Pali reference, so far as I know, speaks of the most characteristic feature of frankincense, its aromatic gum used for incense. Sometimes the variant readings suggest a confusion with the pine tree sarala (Pinus roxburghii, SN 56.32:2.2), but that of course has no flowers.
Tatra kho āyasmā anuruddho bhikkhū āmantesi …pe… etadavoca: There Venerable Anuruddha addressed the mendicants:
“seyyathāpi, āvuso, gaṅgā nadī pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā. “Reverends, suppose that, although the Ganges River slants, slopes, and inclines to the east,
Atha mahājanakāyo āgaccheyya kudālapiṭakaṁ ādāya: a large crowd were to come along with a spade and basket, saying:
‘mayaṁ imaṁ gaṅgānadiṁ pacchāninnaṁ karissāma pacchāpoṇaṁ pacchāpabbhāran’ti. ‘We’ll make this Ganges River slant, slope, and incline to the west!’
Taṁ kiṁ maññathāvuso, api nu so mahājanakāyo gaṅgānadiṁ pacchāninnaṁ kareyya pacchāpoṇaṁ pacchāpabbhāran”ti? What do you think, reverends? Would they succeed?”
“No hetaṁ, āvuso”. “No, reverend.
“Taṁ kissa hetu”? Why is that?
“Gaṅgā, āvuso, nadī pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā. The Ganges River slants, slopes, and inclines to the east.
Sā na sukarā pacchāninnaṁ kātuṁ pacchāpoṇaṁ pacchāpabbhāraṁ. It’s not easy to make it slant, slope, and incline to the west.
Yāvadeva ca pana so mahājanakāyo kilamathassa vighātassa bhāgī assā”ti. That large crowd will eventually get weary and frustrated.”
“Evameva kho, āvuso, bhikkhuṁ cattāro satipaṭṭhāne bhāventaṁ cattāro satipaṭṭhāne bahulīkarontaṁ rājāno vā rājamahāmattā vā mittā vā amaccā vā ñātī vā sālohitā vā bhogehi abhihaṭṭhuṁ pavāreyyuṁ: “In the same way, while a mendicant develops and cultivates the four kinds of mindfulness meditation, if rulers or their chief ministers, friends or colleagues, relatives or family should invite them to accept wealth, saying:
‘ehambho purisa, kiṁ te ime kāsāvā anudahanti? ‘Please, my man, why let these ocher robes torment you?
Kiṁ muṇḍo kapālamanusañcarasi? Why follow the practice of shaving your head and carrying an alms bowl?
Ehi hīnāyāvattitvā bhoge ca bhuñjassu puññāni ca karohī’ti. Come, return to a lesser life, enjoy wealth, and make merit!’
So vata, āvuso, bhikkhu cattāro satipaṭṭhāne bhāvento cattāro satipaṭṭhāne bahulīkaronto sikkhaṁ paccakkhāya hīnāyāvattissatīti—netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati. It is quite impossible for a mendicant who is developing and cultivating the four kinds of mindfulness meditation to resign the training and return to a lesser life.
Taṁ kissa hetu? Why is that?
Yañhi taṁ, āvuso, cittaṁ dīgharattaṁ vivekaninnaṁ vivekapoṇaṁ vivekapabbhāraṁ taṁ vata hīnāyāvattissatīti—netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati. Because for a long time that mendicant’s mind has slanted, sloped, and inclined to seclusion. So it’s impossible for them to return to a lesser life.
Kathañcāvuso, bhikkhu cattāro satipaṭṭhāne bhāveti, cattāro satipaṭṭhāne bahulīkarotīti? And how does a mendicant develop and cultivate the four kinds of mindfulness meditation?
Idhāvuso, bhikkhu kāye kāyānupassī viharati …pe… It’s when a mendicant meditates by observing an aspect of the body …
vedanāsu …pe… feelings …
citte …pe… mind …
dhammesu dhammānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ. principles—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.
Evaṁ kho, āvuso, bhikkhu cattāro satipaṭṭhāne bhāveti, cattāro satipaṭṭhāne bahulīkarotī”ti. That’s how a mendicant develops and cultivates the four kinds of mindfulness meditation.”
Aṭṭhamaṁ.