The Medium Discourses
Chapter 10: Forests
| （一一〇）中阿含 林品 自觀心經第四 (第二小土城誦) | 110. Examining One’s Own Mind (2) |
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| 我聞如是： 一時，佛遊舍衛國，在勝林、給孤獨園。 | 1. Thus I have heard:1 One time, the Buddha traveled to the country of Śrāvastī and stayed at Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park in Jeta’s Grove. |
| 爾時，世尊告諸比丘： 「若有比丘不能善觀於他心者，當自善觀察於己心。 應學如是。 云何比丘善自觀心？ 比丘者，若有此觀，必多所饒益： 『我為多行增伺，為多行無增伺？』 『我為多行瞋恚心，為多行無瞋恚心？』 『我為多行睡眠纏，為多行無睡眠纏？』 『我為多行調貢高，為多行無調貢高？』 『我為多行疑惑，為多行無疑惑？』 『我為多行身諍，為多行無身諍？』 『我為多行穢污心，為多行無穢汙心？』 『我為多行信，為多行不信？』 『我為多行精進，為多行懈怠？』 『我為多行念，為多行無念？』 『我為多行定，為多行無定？』 『我為多行惡慧，為多行無惡慧？』 | 2. It was then that the Bhagavān addressed the monks, “If a monk is unable to examine another’s mind well, he should examine his own mind well. He should train in that way. How does a monk examine his own mind well? If a monk were to perform this examination, he’d surely gain much from it: ‘Do I often act covetous, or do I often act without covetousness?’ ‘Do I often act hateful, or do I often act without hatefulness?’ ‘Do I often act ensnared in drowsiness, or do I often act without drowsiness?’ ‘Do I often act haughty, or do I often act without haughtiness?’ ‘Do I often act uncertainly or do I often act without uncertainty?’ ‘Do I often act violent, or do I often act without violence?’ ‘Do I often act with defiled thoughts, or do I often act without defiled thoughts?’ ‘Do I often act faithfully, or do I often act unfaithfully?’ ‘Do I often act energetically, or do I often act lazily?’ ‘Do I often act mindfully, or do I often act unmindfully?’ ‘Do I often act settled, or do I often act unsettled?’ ‘Do I often act with poor wisdom, or do I often act without poor wisdom?’2 |
| 「若比丘觀時，則知： 『我多行增伺⋯瞋恚心⋯睡眠纏⋯調貢高⋯疑惑⋯身諍⋯穢汙心⋯不信⋯懈怠⋯無念⋯無定⋯多行惡慧』者。 彼比丘欲滅此惡不善法故，便以速求方便。 學極精勤，正念正智，忍不令退。 猶人為火燒頭、燒衣。 急求方便救頭、救衣。 如是，比丘欲滅此惡不善法故。 便以速求方便。 學極精勤，正念正智，忍不令退。 | 3. “Suppose that a monk knows this when he examines himself: ‘I often act covetous … hateful … ensnared in drowsiness … haughty … uncertain … violent … with defiled thoughts … unfaithful … lazy … unmindful … unsettled … often act with poor wisdom.’ Wanting to cease these bad and unskillful qualities, that monk will quickly pursue the methods to do so. He trains with utmost diligence, right mindfulness, right knowledge, and perseverance, not letting himself regress. He’s like a man with his hair and clothes on fire. He immediately seeks to put out his hair and clothes. Such is this monk who wants to cease these bad and unskillful qualities. He quickly pursues the method to do so. He trains with utmost diligence, right mindfulness, right knowledge, and perseverance, not letting himself regress. |
| 「若比丘觀時，則知： 『我多行無增伺⋯無瞋恚心⋯無睡眠纏⋯無調貢高⋯無疑惑⋯無身諍⋯無穢污心⋯有信⋯有進⋯有念⋯有定⋯多行無惡慧』者。 彼比丘住此善法已，當求漏盡智通作證。 所以者何？ 我說不得畜一切衣，亦說得畜一切衣。 云何衣我說不得畜？ 若畜衣便增長惡不善法、衰退善法者，如是衣我說不得畜。 云何衣我說得畜？ 若畜衣便增長善法、衰退惡不善法者，如是衣我說得畜。 | 4. “Suppose a monk knows this when he examines himself: ‘I often act without covetousness … without hatefulness … without drowsiness … without haughtiness … without uncertainty … without violence … without defiled thoughts … with faithfulness … with energy … with mindfulness … with settledness … often act without poor wisdom.’ Having abided in these good qualities, that monk must seek to realize the knowledge that his contaminants are ended. Why is that? I say there’s clothing that none of which can be kept, and I say there’s clothing that all of which can be kept. What is the clothing that none of which can be kept? If keeping the clothing increases bad and unskillful qualities and diminishes skillful qualities, such clothing I say cannot be kept. What is the clothing I say can be kept? If keeping the clothing increases skillful qualities and diminishes bad and unskillful qualities, such clothing I say can be kept.3 |
| 「如衣，飲食、床榻、村邑亦復如是。 我說不得狎習一切人，亦說得狎習一切人。 云何人我說不得狎習？ 若狎習人便增長惡不善法、衰退善法者，如是人我說不得狎習。 云何人我說得與狎習？ 若狎習人便增長善法、衰退惡不善法者，如是人我說得與狎習。 | 5. “Like clothing, meals, seats, and towns are likewise. I say there are people whom none can be associated with, and I also say there are people whom all can be associated with. Who are the people whom I say cannot be associated with? If associating with a person increases bad and unskillful qualities and diminishes skillful qualities, such people I say cannot be associated with. Who are the people whom I say can be associated with? If associating with a person increases skillful qualities and diminishes bad and unskillful qualities, such people I say can be associated with. |
| 「彼可習法知如真，不可習法亦知如真。 彼可習法、不可習法知如真已，不可習法便不習，可習法便習。 彼不可習法不習，可習法習已，便增長善法，衰退惡不善法。 是謂比丘善自觀心，善自知心，善取善捨。」 | 6. “He truly knows which qualities should be cultivated, and he truly knows which qualities shouldn’t be cultivated. Once he truly knows that, he doesn’t cultivate the qualities that shouldn’t be cultivated, and he cultivates the qualities that should be cultivated. Once he doesn’t cultivate the qualities that he shouldn’t and cultivates the qualities that he should, he then increases skillful qualities and diminishes bad and unskillful qualities. This is called a monk who examines his own mind well and skillfully chooses and discards qualities once he knows his mind well.” |
| 佛說如是。 彼諸比丘聞佛所說歡喜，奉行。 | 7. This is what the Buddha said. Those monks who heard what the Buddha taught rejoiced and approved. |
| 自觀心經第四竟 (六百六十字) | End of the fourth sūtra, Examining One’s Own Mind (660 Chinese characters) |
Notes
For the source text, cf. T26.1.598c21-9b7. AN 10.51 is a direct parallel to this sūtra. It’s very similar to MĀ 109 (and AN 10.53). It also bears a resemblance to MĀ 95 and 96, sharing a couple different standard formulas with them. [back]
This list of bad and unskillful qualities is the same as the one found in MĀ 95 and 96. I annotated my translation of each term in the notes to MĀ 95. [back]
See the notes to MĀ 109 for my comments on this passage about things that can and cannot be kept. [back]
Translator: Charles Patton
Last Revised: 12 October 2025
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