Todayand#8217;s FBA Dharmabyte, is a lovely reading of the story of and#8220;Meghiyaand#8221; by Sangharakshita.
Beautifully read by Sangharakshita, these readings are taken from the oldest scriptural texts and evoke the real spirit of early Buddhism and#8211; the struggles, the joys and the triumphs of ordinary people who followed the path to Truth.
The and#8220;Readings from the Pali Canonand#8221; was recorded in 2000 to mark the Digital Legacy project to begin transferring Dharmachakraand#8217;s archive to digital format!
[music] Dharma Bites is brought to you by Free Buddhist Audio, the Dharma for your life. Our work is funded entirely by donations from our generous listeners. If you would like to help us keep this free, make a contribution at freebuddhistaudio.com/donate. Thank you, and happy listening. Inchalika, thus have I heard, when a certain occasion the exalted one was staying at Charlika, on Charlika hill. On that occasion the Venable Meghia was in attendance on the exalted one. Then the Venable Meghia came to the exalted one, and on coming to him, saluted him, and stood at one sight. As he thus stood, he said to the exalted one, "I desire, sir, to enter Juntoo village for Armscrest. Do whatever you think it is time for, Meghia." So the Venable Meghia, robing himself in the forenoon and taking bowl and robe, entered Juntoo village in quest of Armsfood. And after questing for Armsfood, there returned after his runs. And after eating his meal went towards the bank of the river Kimikala. On reaching it, while taking exercise by walking up and down and to and fro, he saw a lovely, delightful mango grove. At the sight of it he thought, truly lovely and delightful is this mango grove. A proper place surely is this for a cleansement striving for concentration. If the exalted one would give me leave, I would come here to this mango grove to strive for concentration. So the Venable Meghia went to the exalted one and sat down at one sight. And as he sat thus, he told the exalted one of his find and what he had thought and said, "If the exalted one gives me leave, I would go to that mango grove to strive for concentration." But these words, the exalted one said to the Venable Meghia, "Wait a little, Meghia. I am alone till some other monk arrives." Then a second time, the Venable Meghia said to the exalted one, "Sir, the exalted one has nothing further to be done. Has nothing more to add to what he has done. But for me, sir, there is more yet to be done. But is more to be added to what I have done. If the exalted one gives me leave, I would go to that mango grove to strive for concentration." Then a second time, the exalted one replied, "Wait a little, Meghia. I am alone till some other monk arrives." Then, yet a third time, the Venable Meghia made his request. And the exalted one replied, "Well, Meghia, what can I say when you talk of striving for concentration? Do what you think it is time for, Meghia?" Accordingly, the Venable Meghia rose from his seat, saluted the exalted one with his right side and went away to that mango grove. On reaching it plunged into it, and sat down for the midday rest at the foot of a certain tree. Now, as the Venable Meghia was staying in that mango grove, there came habitually upon him three evil, untroffitable forms of thought to wit, thoughts lustful, thoughts malicious, and thoughts harmful. Then the Venable Meghia thought thus, "It is strange in truth. It is a wonderful thing in truth that I, who in faith went forth from home to the homeless, should thus be assailed by these three evil, untroffitable forms of thought to wit, thoughts lustful, thoughts malicious, and thoughts harmful." So it even tied he arose from his solitude and went to the exalted one. While coming to him said, "Sir, while I have been staying in that mango grove, there came habitually upon me three evil, untroffitable forms of thought. Then sir, I thought, "It is strange in truth. It is wonderful in truth that I should be assailed thus." Meghia, when the heart's release is immature, five things contuce to its maturity. What five? You're in Meghia, a monk, has a lovely intimacy, a lovely friendship, a lovely comradeship. When the heart's release is immature, this is the first thing that conuses to its maturity. Then again Meghia, a monk is virtuous. He abides restraint with the restraint of the obligations. He is perfect in the practice of right behavior. He sees danger in trifling faults. He undertakes and trains himself in the ways of training. When the heart's release is immature, this, Meghia, is the second thing that conuses to its maturity. Then again Meghia, as regards talk that is serious and suitable for opening up the heart, and conuses to downright revulsion, to dispassion, to ending, to calm, to comprehension, to perfect insight, to nibana, better to say, talk about wanting little, about contentment, about solitude, about avoiding society, about putting forth energy, talk about virtue, concentration of mind and wisdom, talk about release, knowledge and insight of release. Let's talk as this the monk gets at pleasure without pain and without stint. When the heart's release is immature, Meghia, this is the third thing that conuses to its maturity. Then again Meghia, a monk abides resolute in energy for the abandoning of unprofitable things, for the acquiring of profitable things. He is stout and strong in effort, not laying aside the burden in things profitable. When the heart's release is immature, Meghia, this is the fourth thing that conuses to its maturity. Then again Meghia, a monk is possessed of insight, endowed with the insight that goes on to discern the rise and fall, with the Aryan penetration which goes on to penetrate the perfect ending of ill. When the heart's release is immature, Meghia, this is the fifth thing that conuses to its maturity. Now Meghia, this may be looked for by a monk who has a lovely intimacy, a lovely friendship, a lovely comradeship, that he will become virtuous, will abide restrained by the restraint of the obligations, be perfect in the practice of right behavior, see danger in trifling faults, undertaken to train himself in the ways of training. This, Meghia, may be looked for by a monk, that he will become virtuous, that he will undertake the ways of training, that he will get at pleasure without pain and without stint, such talk as is serious about concentration of mind, insight of release. This, Meghia, may be looked for, that he will be possessed of insight to penetrate, to the perfect ending of ill. Moreover, Meghia, by the monk who is established in these five conditions, for other things are to be made to grow thus. The idea of the unlovely is to be made to grow for the abandoning of lust. Emmity is to be made to grow for the abandoning of malice, mindfulness of in-breathing and out-breathing is to be made to grow for the suppression of discursive thought. The consciousness of impermanence is to be made to grow for the uprooting of the pride of egoism. In him, Meghia, who is conscious of impermanence, the consciousness of what is not the self is established. He who is conscious of what is not the self wins the uprooting of the pride of egoism in this very life, namely, he wins Nibbana. Thereupon the exalted one gave utterance to this verse of uplift. Thoughts trite and subtle, taking shape, cause mind to be elated. Man, ignorant of these, with whirling brain strays to and fro, but knowing them, ardent and mindful, checks these thoughts of mind. When mind's elation cometh not to pass, the enlightened sage abandons utterly these thoughts of mind that none remain. We hope you enjoyed today's Dharma Bite. Please help us keep this free. Make a contribution at freebuddhistaudio.com/donny and thank you. [MUSIC] [BLANK_AUDIO]
