The Related Discourses
2. The Sense Fields
| （二一二） 不放逸行 | 96 (212). The Careful Practice |
|---|---|
| 如是我聞： 一時，佛住舍衛國、祇樹、給孤獨園。 | 1. Thus I have heard:1 One time, the Buddha was staying at Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park in Jeta’s Grove of Śrāvastī. |
| 爾時，世尊告諸比丘： 「我不為一切比丘說不放逸行，亦非不為一切比丘說不放逸行。 | 2. It was then that the Bhagavān addressed the monks, “I don’t teach careful practice for all monks, nor do I not teach careful practice for all monks. |
| 「不向何等像類比丘說不放逸行？ 若比丘得阿羅漢，盡諸有漏，離諸重擔，逮得己利，盡諸有結，心正解脫。 如是像類比丘，我不為說不放逸行。 所以者何？ 彼諸比丘已作不放逸故，不復堪能作放逸事。 我今見彼諸尊者得不放逸果，是故不為彼說不放逸行。 | 3. “For what type of monk is it inappropriate to teach careful practice? Suppose a monk becomes an arhat, has stopped being contaminated, rid himself of the heavy burden, won his own reward, ended the bonds of existence, and is correctly liberated in mind. I don’t teach the careful practice for that type of monk. Why is that? Because those monks have already been careful, they aren’t capable of doing negligent things any more. Now that I see that those venerables have gained the fruit of being careful, I don’t teach careful practice for them. |
| 「為何等像類比丘說不放逸行？ 若諸比丘在學地者，未得心意增上安隱，向涅槃住。 如是像類比丘，我為其說不放逸行。 所以者何？ 以彼比丘習學諸根，心樂隨順資生之具，親近善友。 不久當得盡諸有漏。 無漏心解脫、慧解脫。 現法自知作證： 『我生已盡，梵行已立，所作已作。』 自知不受後有。 | 4. “For what type of monk do I teach careful practice? Suppose there are monks in the stage of learning who’ve yet to attain a higher peace of mind or orient themselves toward living in nirvāṇa. I teach the careful practice for this type of monk. Why is that? It’s because that monk is training his faculties, his mind is happy with the neccesities of life that he has, and he has made good friends. It won’t be long before he can stop being contaminated. Without contamination, he’ll be liberated in mind and liberated in wisdom. He’ll realize for himself in the present: ‘My births have been ended, the religious life has been established, and the task has been accomplished.’ He himself will know that he won’t be subject to another existence. |
| 「所以者何？ 彼眼識所可愛樂、染著之色，彼比丘見已，不喜、不讚歎、不染、不繫著住。 以不喜、不讚歎、不染、不著住故，專精勝進。 身心止息，心安極，住不忘。 常定一心，無量法喜。 但逮得第一三昧正受，終不退滅隨於眼色。 於耳、鼻、舌、身、意識法亦復如是。」 | 5. “Why is that? That monk won’t be gladdened by, praise, be affected by, or live bound to the delightful and affecting forms that his visual awareness has seen. Because he isn’t gladdened by, doesn’t praise, isn’t affected by, and doesn’t live bound [to those forms], he’s focused and makes progress. His body and mind will be calm, and his mind will be at peace and remain unforgetful. Always settled with a unified mind, his joy in the Dharma will be measureless. Just by gaining the first attainment of samādhi, he’ll never retreat from cessation or follow his eyes and form. It would be likewise with his auditory, olfactory, gustatory, somatic, and mental awareness and notions.” |
| 佛說此經已，諸比丘聞佛所說歡喜，奉行。 | 6. After the Buddha spoke this sūtra, the monks who heard what the Buddha taught rejoiced and approved. |
Notes
This is sūtra no. 212 in the Taisho edition and no. 274 in Yinshun (T99.2.53c7-29). Its closest parallel is SN 35.134. These two parallels are very similar aside from a couple small details. One is that the location here is the default one at Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park. Another is that here the Buddha refers to “careful practice” in general, while he mentions it specifically in the context of the six sense fields in SN 34.134. [back]
Translator: Charles Patton
Last Revised: 15 April 2025
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