Thus have I heard:
One time, the Budha was staying at Anaathapindidas Ashrama in Jetavana of Shraavastii.
At that time, Bhagavaan was surrounded by countless thousands of people as he expounded the Dharma. At that time, a Brahmana from the riverside, carrying a heavy burden, approached Bhagavaan. Upon arriving, he set down his burden and stood silently to one side. The Brahmana thought, “Today, the sramana Gautama is surrounded by countless thousands of people as he expounds the Dharma. I am now as pure as the sramana Gautama. Why? Because the sramana Gautama eats fine rice and various delicacies, while I eat only fruits and vegetables to sustain myself.”
At that time, Bhagavaan, knowing the Brahmana’s thoughts, said to the Bhikshus, “If a being is bound by twenty-one fetters that defile the mind, you should know that such a person will fall into wretched realms and not be reborn in a good place.
What are the twenty-one fetters? The fetter of anger, the fetter of malice, the fetter of drowsiness, the fetter of restlessness, the fetter of doubt, the fetter of resentment, the fetter of envy, the fetter of irritation, the fetter of jealousy, the fetter of hatred, the fetter of shamelessness, the fetter of lack of conscience, the fetter of deceit, the fetter of fraud, the fetter of pretense, the fetter of contention, the fetter of arrogance, the fetter of conceit, the fetter of jealousy, the fetter of overestimation, and the fetter of greed.
Bhikshus, if someone is bound by these twenty-one fetters that defile the mind, you should know that such a person will fall into wretched realms and not be reborn in a good place. Just as a new white cloth, over time, becomes old and stained with dust, and even if one tries to dye it blue, yellow, red, or black, the color will not take. Why? Because of the stains.
Similarly, Bhikshus, if someone is bound by these twenty-one fetters that defile the mind, you should know that such a person will fall into wretched realms and not be reborn in a good place.
“If, however, someone is free from these twenty-one fetters that defile the mind, you should know that such a person will be reborn in heaven and not fall into hell. Just as a new, clean white cloth can be dyed any color—blue, yellow, red, or black—and the color will take perfectly, without fading. Why? Because it is clean.
Similarly, if someone is free from these twenty-one fetters that defile the mind, you should know that such a person will be reborn in heaven and not fall into wretched realms.
“If a noble disciple gives rise to the fetter of anger, upon reflecting, they can pacify it. They can pacify the fetter of malice, the fetter of drowsiness, the fetter of restlessness, the fetter of doubt, the fetter of resentment, the fetter of envy, the fetter of irritation, the fetter of jealousy, the fetter of hatred, the fetter of shamelessness, the fetter of lack of conscience, the fetter of deceit, the fetter of fraud, the fetter of pretense, the fetter of contention, the fetter of arrogance, the fetter of conceit, the fetter of jealousy, the fetter of overestimation, and the fetter of greed.
“If a noble disciple is free from anger, malice, and delusion, with a mind full of joy, they can fill one direction with loving-kindness and delight in it. They can fill the second, third, and fourth directions in the same way.
Above, below, and all around, everywhere, they fill the entire world with boundless, immeasurable, and incalculable loving-kindness, free from anger and malice, and delight in it. Having filled their mind with loving-kindness, they attain joy, and their mind becomes upright.”
“Again, with a mind full of compassion, they fill one direction and delight in it. They fill the second, third, and fourth directions in the same way.
Above, below, and all around, everywhere, they fill the entire world with boundless, immeasurable, and incalculable compassion, free from anger and malice, and delight in it. Having filled their mind with compassion, they attain joy, and their mind becomes upright.”
“Again, with a mind full of sympathetic joy, they fill one direction and delight in it. They fill the second, third, and fourth directions in the same way. Above, below, and all around, everywhere, they fill the entire world with boundless, immeasurable, and incalculable sympathetic joy, free from anger and malice, and delight in it. Having filled their mind with sympathetic joy, they attain joy, and their mind becomes upright.”
“Again, with a mind full of equanimity, they fill one direction and delight in it. They fill the second, third, and fourth directions in the same way. Above, below, and all around, everywhere, they fill the entire world with boundless, immeasurable, and incalculable equanimity, free from anger and malice, and delight in it. Having filled their mind with equanimity, they attain joy, and their mind becomes upright.”
“Thus, they develop faith in the Tathaagata, unshakable and firm, like a high and visible banner that cannot be moved. Devas, Nagas, Yaksas, asuras, sramanas, brahmanas, and all worldly beings rejoiced at these words, their minds becoming perfectly upright.
This is the Tathaagata, the Arhat, the Samyak-Sambuddha, perfect in wisdom and conduct, the Sugata, the Knower of the World (loka-vid), the Anuttara, the Tamer of Beings (purusha-damya-saarathih), the Teacher of Devas and Humans (Shaasta deva-manushyaaṇaam), the Budha, the Bhagavaan. Rejoicing in this, their minds become upright, and they also attain realization of the Dharma.
The Dharma of the Tathaagata is supremely pure, unshakable, and revered by all. Thus, the wise should reflect in this way, rejoice in it, and also attain realization of the Sangha. The Sangha of the Tathaagata is supremely pure, with gentle conduct, accomplished in all aspects of the Dharma: accomplished in Shila, Samadhi, Prajna, Vimukti (liberation), and the knowledge and vision of liberation.
The Sangha consists of the four pairs and eight kinds of noble beings. This is the Sangha of the Tathaagata, worthy of respect and reverence, truly worthy of service. Rejoicing in this, their minds become upright.”
“Furthermore, with this Samadhi, the mind becomes utterly pure and free from defilements. All fetters are exhausted, without any stain remaining. With gentle and pliant conduct, one attains spiritual powers and comes to know countless past lives—all previous existences become completely clear. Whether one life, two lives, three lives, four lives, five lives, ten lives, twenty lives, thirty lives, forty lives, fifty lives, a hundred lives, a thousand lives, a hundred thousand lives; through periods of cosmic formation and dissolution, through immeasurable aeons of arising and ceasing—’There I was, with such a name, such a clan, such an appearance. Thus I lived, thus I sustained myself, experiencing such pleasures and pains. My lifespan was of such length. Passing from that existence, I was reborn there; passing from there, I was reborn here.’ In this way, one recollects innumerable past lives in complete detail.””
“Furthermore, with this samādhi, the mind becomes utterly pure and free from defilements, and one comes to know the thoughts of all beings. With the divine eye (divya-cakṣus), one observes the multitude of sentient beings—those being born, those passing away, those with beautiful forms and those with ugly forms, those destined for fortunate realms and those bound for miserable realms, the noble and the base—all according to their karmic deeds and the fruits they reap.
There are beings who engage in evil conduct of body, speech, and mind—who slander the noble ones, hold wrong views, and act according to false understanding. When their bodies perish and their lives end, they are reborn in the three miserable realms, sinking into the mire of suffering.
Yet there are also beings who cultivate wholesome conduct of body, speech, and mind—who do not slander the noble ones, who possess right view and reject wrong views. When their bodies perish and their lives end, they are reborn in the heavens, in blissful realms.
Thus, with the purified divine eye, one perceives the multitude of sentient beings—those arising and those perishing, the beautiful and the ugly, those bound for happiness and those bound for misery, the noble and the base—all in accordance with their deeds and the fruits they must bear.”
“Furthermore, with this Samadhi, the mind becomes utterly pure and free from defilements, with all fetters eradicated. The nature of mind becomes pliant and attains spiritual powers. One then delights in the knowledge of the destruction of the aasravas (taints).
One contemplates suffering as it truly is;
contemplates the origin of suffering as it truly is;
contemplates the cessation of suffering as it truly is;
contemplates the path leading to the cessation of suffering as it truly is.
Having thus contemplated, the mind is liberated from the aasrava of sensual desire, the aasrava of existence, and the aasrava of ignorance. Having attained liberation, one gains the knowledge of liberation: ‘Birth is exhausted, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming back to any state of existence’ – this one knows as it truly is.
Thus, O bhikshus, when a noble disciple’s mind is thus liberated, even if he partakes of fine rice and various delicious foods, even if he consumes as much as Mount Sumeru, no fault accrues. Why is this? Because desire has been exhausted through the cessation of craving; because hatred has been exhausted through the cessation of aversion; because delusion has been exhausted through the cessation of ignorance. This, O bhikshus, is called a true bhikshu among bhikshus – one who has inwardly completed the supreme purification.”
At that time, the Brahmana from the riverside said to Bhagavaan, “Sramana Gautama, you should go to the banks of the Sundarii River to bathe.”
Bhagavaan asked: “Tell me, brahmaṇa—what makes these waters the Sundarii River?”
The Brahmana replied, “The Sundarii River is a deep source of merit and a light to the world. Anyone who bathes in its waters will have all their evils completely eradicated.”
At that time, Bhagavaan spoke this verse:
“For countless eons, this body has bathed in that river,
And in all the small ponds, it has been everywhere.
Fools delight in such things,
Engaging in dark and impure deeds.
With past sins filling their bodies,
How can that river save them?
The pure are always joyful,
Pure in conduct and discipline.
The pure perform pure deeds,
And their aspirations are fulfilled.
If one refrains from stealing,
Practices kindness and refrains from killing,
Maintains truthfulness and avoids false speech,
And keeps the mind balanced without increase or decrease—
If you bathe in this way,
You will surely attain peace.
What can that river achieve?
It is like a blind man groping in the dark.”
At that time, the Brahmana said to Bhagavaan, “Enough, enough, Gautama! Just as one who is bent is straightened, one in darkness sees light, one who is lost is shown the path, and a lamp is lit in a dark room for one without eyes, so too, sramana Gautama, you have explained this profound Dharma in countless ways. I wish to follow the path.”
At that time, the Brahmana from the riverside took up the path and received full ordination. As a noble disciple, he went forth to practice the supreme noble life: birth was exhausted, the noble life had been lived, what had to be done had been done, and there was no more coming back to any state of existence. Thus, the Venerable Sundarii became an Arahant.
When the Venerable Sundarii heard what the Budha said, he followed it with joy.