seclusion – Daily Sutta Reading

AN 3.93 Pavivekasutta: Seclusion

“Mendicants, wanderers of other religions advocate three kinds of seclusion. What three? Seclusion in robes, almsfood, and lodgings.

Wanderers of other religions advocate this kind of seclusion in robes. They wear robes of sunn hemp, mixed hemp, corpse-wrapping cloth, rags, lodh tree bark, antelope hide (whole or in strips), kusa grass, bark, wood-chips, human hair, horse-tail hair, or owls’ wings. This is what wanderers of other religions advocate for seclusion in robes.

Wanderers of other religions advocate this kind of seclusion in almsfood. They eat herbs, millet, wild rice, poor rice, water lettuce, rice bran, scum from boiling rice, sesame flour, grass, or cow dung. They survive on forest roots and fruits, or eating fallen fruit. This is what the wanderers of other religions advocate for seclusion in almsfood.

Wanderers of other religions advocate this kind of seclusion in lodgings. They stay in a wilderness, at the root of a tree, in a charnel ground, a forest, the open air, a heap of straw, or a threshing-hut. This is what wanderers of other religions advocate for seclusion in lodgings. These are the three kinds of seclusion that wanderers of other religions advocate.

In this teaching and training, there are three kinds of seclusion for a mendicant. What three? Firstly, a mendicant is ethical, giving up unethical conduct, being secluded from it. They have right view, giving up wrong view, being secluded from it. They’ve ended defilements, giving up defilements, being secluded from them. When a mendicant has these three kinds of seclusion, they’re called a mendicant who has reached the peak and the pith, being pure and consolidated in the core.

When a farmer’s rice field is ripe, they’d have the rice cut swiftly, gathered swiftly, transported swiftly, made into heaps swiftly, threshed swiftly, the straw removed swiftly, winnowed swiftly, brought over swiftly, pounded swiftly, and have the husks removed swiftly. In this way that farmer’s crop would reach the peak and the pith, being pure and consolidated in the core.

In the same way, when a mendicant is ethical, giving up unethical conduct, being secluded from it; when they have right view, giving up wrong view, being secluded from it; when they’ve ended defilements, giving up defilements, being secluded from them: they’re called a mendicant who has reached the peak and the pith, being pure and consolidated in the core.”

Read this translation of Aṅguttara Nikāya 3.93 Pavivekasutta: Seclusion by Bhikkhu Sujato on SuttaCentral.net. Or listen on PaliAudio.com or SC-Voice.net. Or explore the Pali on DigitalPaliReader.online.

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Iti 38 Vitakkasutta: Often Occurring Thoughts

This was said by the Lord…

“Bhikkhus, two thoughts often occur to the Tathāgata, the Arahant, the Fully Enlightened One: the thought of security (for beings) and the thought of solitude.

“The Tathāgata, bhikkhus, is one who delights in and enjoys non-ill will. As the Tathāgata delights in and enjoys non-ill will, this thought often occurs to him: ‘By this behaviour I do not oppress anyone either frail or firm.’The Tathāgata, bhikkhus, is one who delights in and enjoys solitude. As the Tathāgata delights in and enjoys solitude, this thought often occurs to him: ‘What is unwholesome has been abandoned.’

“Therefore, bhikkhus, I say, you too must live delighting in and enjoying non-ill will. As you so live this thought will often occur to you: ‘By this behaviour we do not oppress anyone either frail or firm.’

“Bhikkhus, you too must live delighting in and enjoying solitude. As you so live this thought will often occur to you: ‘What is unwholesome? What has not been abandoned? What have we abandoned?’”

Two thoughts occur to him,
The Tathāgata, the Awakened One
Who endured what is beyond endurance:
Security (for beings) was the first thought spoken of,
Solitude was the second announced.

The dispeller of darkness, gone beyond,
The great sage who has reached attainment,
Become a master, freed from taints,
Who has crossed over entirely,
Released by the destruction of craving—
That sage bears his final body,
And having left behind Māra, I say,
He has gone beyond decay.

As one standing on a mountain peak
Might see all round the people down below,
So having ascended the Dhamma-palace,
The vastly wise one, all-seeing,
Views the people of the world.
The sorrowless one views below
Those still immersed in sorrow,
Overwhelmed by birth and decay.

Read this translation of Itivuttaka 38 Vitakkasutta: Often Occurring Thoughts by John D. Ireland on SuttaCentral.net. Or read a different translation on SuttaCentral.net, SuttaFriends.org or DhammaTalks.org. Or listen on SC-Voice.net. Or explore the Pali on DigitalPaliReader.online.

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SN 9.1 Viveka Sutta: Seclusion

[NOTE: Devatā is the Pali word for a type of god. Some devatās are bound to the earth and live in forests like the one in this sutta.]

I have heard that on one occasion a certain monk was staying among the Kosalans in a forest grove. Now at that time, as he had gone to spend the day in the grove, he was thinking unskillful thoughts, connected with the household life.

Then the devatā inhabiting the forest grove, feeling sympathy for the monk, desiring his benefit, desiring to bring him to his senses, approached him and addressed him with this verse:

“Desiring seclusion
you’ve entered the forest,
and yet your mind
goes running outside.
You, a person:
subdue your desire for people.
Then you’ll be happy, free
          from passion.
Dispel discontent,
be mindful.
Let me remind you
of that which is good—
for the dust
of the regions below
     is hard to transcend.
Don’t let the dust
of the sensual
pull
     you
          down.

As a bird
spattered with dirt
sheds the adhering dust with a shake,
so a monk
—energetic & mindful—
sheds the adhering dust.”

The monk, chastened by the devatā, came to his senses.

Read this translation of Saṁyutta Nikāya 9.1 Viveka Sutta. Seclusion by Bhikkhu Ṭhanissaro on DhammaTalks.org. Or read a different translation on SuttaCentral.net. Or listen on PaliAudio.com or SC-Voice.net. Or explore the Pali on DigitalPaliReader.online.

Thag 10.2 Ekavihāriyattheragāthā: Ekavihāriya

If no-one else is found
in front or behind,
it’s extremely pleasant
to be dwelling alone in a forest grove.

Come now, I’ll go alone
to the wilderness praised by the Buddha.
It’s pleasant for a mendicant
to be dwelling alone and resolute.

Alone and self-disciplined,
I’ll quickly enter the delightful forest,
which gives joy to meditators,
and is frequented by rutting elephants.

In Sītavana, so full of flowers,
in a cool mountain cave,
I’ll bathe my limbs
and walk mindfully alone.

When will I dwell alone,
without a companion,
in the great wood, so delightful,
my task complete, free of defilements?

This is what I want to do:
may my wish succeed!
I’ll make it happen myself,
for no-one can do another’s duty.

Fastening my armor,
I’ll enter the forest.
I won’t leave
without attaining the end of defilements.

As the cool breeze blows
with fragrant scent,
I’ll split ignorance apart,
sitting on the mountain-peak.

In a forest grove covered with blossoms,
in a cave so very cool,
I take pleasure in the Mountainfold,
happy with the happiness of freedom.

I’ve got all I wished for
like the moon on the fifteenth day.
With the utter ending of all defilements,
now there’ll be no more future lives.

Read this translation of Theragāthā 10.2 Ekavihāriyattheragāthā: Ekavihāriya by Bhikkhu Sujato on SuttaCentral.net. Or read a different translation on SuttaFriends.org or DhammaTalks.org. Or listen on SC-Voice.net.

AN 5.181 Āraññikasutta: Wilderness Dwellers

“Mendicants, there are these five kinds of wilderness dwellers. What five? A person may be wilderness dweller because of stupidity and folly. Or because of wicked desires, being naturally full of desires. Or because of madness and mental disorder. Or because it is praised by the Buddhas and their disciples. Or for the sake of having few wishes, for the sake of contentment, self-effacement, seclusion, and simplicity. These are the five kinds of wilderness dwellers. But the person who dwells in the wilderness for the sake of having few wishes is the foremost, best, chief, highest, and finest of the five.

From a cow comes milk, from milk comes curds, from curds come butter, from butter comes ghee, and from ghee comes cream of ghee. And the cream of ghee is said to be the best of these. In the same way, the person who dwells in the wilderness for the sake of having few wishes is the foremost, best, chief, highest, and finest of the five.”

Read this translation of Aṅguttara Nikāya 5.181 Āraññikasutta: Wilderness Dwellers by Bhikkhu Sujato on SuttaCentral.net. Or read a different translation on SuttaCentral.net. Or listen on SC-Voice.net.

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