Sutra Collection (A, Part-1)

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9:25 h Buddhist

Sutra (Sanskrit: सूत्र, romanized: sūtra, lit. 'string, thread') in Indian literary traditions refers to an aphorism or a collection of aphorisms in the form of a manual or, more broadly, a condensed manual or text. In Buddhism, sutras, also known as suttas, are canonical scriptures, many of which are regarded as records of the oral teachings of Gautama Buddha. They are not aphoristic, but are quite detailed, sometimes with repetition.

Sutra Collection

A, Part-1

I, Ánanda, Live in the Fullness of Emptiness
Empty of Empty Habits
Not an Empty Habitat

A Little Spell of Emptiness

Translated from the Pali by Michael Olds

I hear tell:

Once Upon A Time, The Lucky Man, Savatthi-Town, East-Park, The Palace of Migara’s Mother came-a-visiting. At this time, Ánanda, just emerging from his afternoon’s sit down practice, went to the Teacher, greeted him, and sat down to one side. There he said:

Sir, at one time, The Lucky Man was residing among the Sakyans in the market town of Nagaraka, and I, also, was there. In that place, I recall having heard, learnt, studied, grasped, face-to-face with the Lucky Man, this statement made by him: “At this time, Ánanda, I reside in the fullness of emptiness.” Did I hear this correctly?

Yes, Ánanda, you heard, learnt, studied, grasped this correctly. Previously, as well as now, I reside in the fullness of emptiness.

In the same way, Ánanda, as this Palace of Migara’s Mother is empty of the disturbances of the city: empty of elephants, cows, horses, asses; empty of dealings with gold and silver; empty of groups of men and women, and there is only this that remains to disturb the emptiness: that is, the vibration emanating off the beggars here; in the same way, a beggar, paying no attention to the disturbances of the city, paying no attention to human beings, pays attention only to the vibration emanating off the forest. He takes to paying attention only to perception of the forest, and cleans out, tidies up and liberates his mind.

He understands: “This way there is no disturbance emanating from perception of the city. This way there is no disturbance emanating from perception of human beings. This way there is only that disturbance which emanates off perception of the forest.” Thus: “This way is empty of disturbance emanating from perception of the city. This way is empty of disturbance emanating from perception of human beings. This way there is only this that disturbs the emptiness: that is, the vibration which emanates off perception of the forest.”

In this way he regards that which is present as empty of that which is not present; and, with regard to what remains, he understands that: ‘That being; this is.’

Thus, Ánanda, there is in the case of this case, a sitting-down-to-empty-out that results in surpassing purity.

And again, Ánanda, deeper than that, paying no attention to human beings, paying no attention to the forest, he takes to paying attention only to perception of earth, and cleans out, tidies up and liberates his mind.

In the same way as he would regard a bull’s hide, stretched out to cure, held down by a hundred pegs, it’s life done gone; when he pays attention to earth, he does not think about anything on earth such as dry land or rivers or swamps or marshes with plants with branches and thorns or mountains or plains, but he only just pays attention to the vibration which emanates off perception of earth. He takes to paying attention only to perception of earth, and cleans out, tidies up and liberates his mind.

He understands: “This way there is no disturbance emanating from perception of human beings. This way there is no disturbance emanating from perception of the forest.” Thus: “This way is empty of disturbance emanating from perception of human beings. This way is empty of disturbance emanating from perception of the forest. This way there is only this that disturbs the emptiness: that is, the vibration which emanates off perception of earth.”

In this way he regards that which is present as empty of that which is not present; and, with regard to what remains, he understands that: ‘That being; this is.’

Thus, Ánanda, there is in the case of this case, a sitting-down-to-empty-out that results in surpassing purity.