Raahula
Thus I have heard: One time, the Budha was staying at
Anaathapindidas Ashrama in Jetavana of Shraavastii.
At that time, when it was the proper hour, the Bhagavaan wore his robe, took his alms bowl, and, together with Raahula, entered Shraavastii to seek alms.
At that time, the Bhagavaan turned to the right and said to Raahula:
“You should now contemplate form as impermanent.”
Raahula replied, “Indeed, Bhagavaan, ruupa is anitya (impermanent).”
The Bhagavaan said, “Raahula, vedanaa (feeling), samjnyaa (perception), Sanskaara (actions), and vijnyaana (consciousness) are all anitya (impermanent).”
Raahula replied, “Indeed, Bhagavaan, vedanaa (feeling), samjnyaa (perception), Sanskaara (actions), and vijnyaana (consciousness) are all anitya (impermanent).”
At that time, the venerable Raahula reflected: “What is the reason for this?
Right now, we are on our way into the city for alms, walking along the road.
Why does the Bhagavaan personally instruct me at this moment?
It would be proper for me to return to where I reside and not enter the city for alms.”
At that time, the venerable Raahula immediately turned back midway and returned to Jetavana Vihaara.
Carrying his robe and alms bowl, he went to a tree, sat down with an upright body and focused mind in the lotus posture.
With utmost concentration, he contemplated,
“Ruupa is anitya (impermanent),” and likewise reflected,
“Vedanaa, samjnyaa, samskaara, and vijnyaana are all anitya (impermanent).”
At that time, after the Bhagavaan had finished begging for alms in Shraavastii and had taken his meal, he was walking in meditation at Jetavana Vihaara.
Gradually, he arrived at the place where venerable Raahula was.
Upon arrival, he said to Raahula: “You should cultivate the practice of Aanaapaana (mindfulness of breathing).
By cultivating this practice, all thoughts of sorrow and distress will be completely eradicated.
Furthermore, you should contemplate the impurity of the body (ashubha-bhaavanaa), so that all craving (trsnaa) may be completely extinguished.
Raahula, you should cultivate mettaa (loving-kindness). Once you have cultivated loving-kindness, all anger (dveṣa) will be eradicated.
Raahula, you should cultivate karuṇaa (compassion). Once you have cultivated compassion, all harmful thoughts will be entirely removed.
Raahula, you should cultivate muditaa (sympathetic joy). Once you have cultivated sympathetic joy, all jealousy (iirsyaa) will be eradicated.
Raahula, you should cultivate upeksaa (equanimity). Once you have cultivated equanimity, all arrogance (maana) will be completely extinguished.”
At that time, the Bhagavaan recited this verse to Raahula:
“Do not frequently give rise to attachments,
Always conform to the Dharma.
Such a wise person,
Their name shall spread far and wide.”
“Holding a torch for others,
Dispersing great darkness.
Devas and Naagas revere and honor,
Respecting the noble teacher.”
At that time, Bhikshu Raahula replied to the Bhagavaan with this verse:
“I do not give rise to attachments,
Always abiding in the Dharma.
Such a wise one,
Is able to honour the Teacher.”
At that time, the Bhagavaan, having given this instruction, departed and returned to his quiet chamber.
At that time, the venerable Raahula again thought:
“How should I cultivate Aanaapaana in order to eliminate sorrow and worry, and be free from all thoughts?”
Then, Raahula rose from his seat and went to the Bhagavaan.
Having arrived, he bowed his head at the Bhagavaan’s feet and sat to one side.
After a short while, he withdrew slightly and respectfully asked the Bhagavaan:
“How should one cultivate Aanaapaana in order to eliminate sorrow and worry, be free from all thoughts, attain great fruits, and taste the nectar of liberation?”
The Bhagavaan said: “Excellent! Excellent, Raahula!
You are able to let out the lion’s roar before the Tathaagata and ask such a question:
‘How should one cultivate Aanaapaana in order to eliminate sorrow and worry, be free from all thoughts, attain great fruits, and taste the nectar of liberation?’
Now, Raahula, listen carefully!
Listen carefully and contemplate it well.
I shall explain it to you in detail.”
Raahula replied: “Yes, Bhagavaan.”
At that time, the venerable Raahula received the teaching from the Bhagavaan.
The Bhagavaan said:
“Thus, Raahula, if a bhikshu delights in solitude, in a place free from people, he should sit with an upright body and a focused mind, assuming the lotus posture.
Without any other distractions, he should direct his attention to the tip of his nose.
When breathing out long, he knows he is breathing out long.
When breathing in long, he knows he is breathing in long.
When breathing out short, he knows he is breathing out short.
When breathing in short, he knows he is breathing in short.
When breathing out cool, he knows it is cool.
When breathing in cool, he knows it is cool.
When breathing out warm, he knows it is warm.
When breathing in warm, he knows it is warm.
He fully observes the entire body as it breathes in and breathes out, knowing it completely.
At times, when there is breath, he knows there is breath.
At times, when there is no breath, he knows there is no breath.
If the breath arises from the mind, he knows it arises from the mind.
If the breath enters into the mind, he knows it enters into the mind.
Thus, Raahula, one who is able to cultivate the practice of Aanaapaana will have no thoughts of sorrow, distress, or confusion. He will attain great results and taste the nectar of liberation.”
At that time, after the Bhagavaan had fully expounded the subtle and profound Dharma to Raahula, Raahula immediately rose from his seat, paid homage at the Budha’s feet, circumambulated him three times, and departed.
He went to Andha Grove, sat under a tree with an upright body and a focused mind, assuming the lotus posture.
Without any other distractions, he fixed his attention on the tip of his nose.
When breathing out long, he knew he was breathing out long.
When breathing in long, he knew he was breathing in long.
When breathing out short, he knew he was breathing out short.
When breathing in short, he knew he was breathing in short.
When breathing out cool, he knew it was cool.
When breathing in cool, he knew it was cool.
When breathing out warm, he knew it was warm.
When breathing in warm, he knew it was warm.
He fully observed the entire body as it breathed in and out, knowing it completely.
At times, when there was breath, he knew there was breath.
At times, when there was no breath, he knew there was no breath.
If the breath arose from the mind, he knew it arose from the mind.
If the breath entered into the mind, he knew it entered into the mind.
At that time, Raahula, contemplating in this manner, gave rise to the aspiration for liberation of the mind and immediately attained release, with no further afflictions.
With initial thought (vitarka) and sustained thought (vicaara), mindfulness, joy, and ease, he entered and abided in the first dhyaana.
With the cessation of initial and sustained thought, he experienced inner joy, focused his mind single-pointedly, and, with the joy born of samaadhi, entered and abided in the second dhyaana.
With the fading of joy, he remained equanimous, clearly aware, and mindful, experiencing happiness in the body.
The noble ones constantly seek and uphold this mindful happiness, and thus he entered and abided in the third dhyaana.
With the cessation of pleasure and pain, and the disappearance of previous sorrow and joy, he attained a state beyond suffering and happiness, with purified mindfulness and equanimity, and thus entered and abided in the fourth dhyaana.
With this samaadhi, his mind became purified, free from defilements, and his body became soft and pliant.
He understood his origin and recalled his past actions.
He personally realised the knowledge of past lives, remembering countless kalpas.
He also knew 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, ten thousand lives, even tens of thousands of lives.
He saw the cycles of cosmic formation and dissolution—countless formations and countless dissolutions—spanning innumerable eons beyond measure.
“I have been born there, bearing such a name and such a family lineage.
I ate such food, experienced such pleasure and suffering, and had a lifespan of such length.
From that existence, I was reborn here; from this existence, I was reborn there.”
With this samaadhi, his mind became purified, free from stains and defilements, and unbound from all fetters.
He also knew the arising of thoughts in sentient beings.
With his divine eye, pure and flawless, he beheld the various types of beings—
those being born and those passing away, those of good complexion and those of bad complexion, those bound for good destinations and those bound for evil destinations, whether beautiful or ugly— he saw their actions and deeds as they truly were.
There were beings who engaged in unwholesome bodily conduct, unwholesome speech, and unwholesome mental conduct—
who slandered the noble ones, upheld wrong views, and committed actions based on wrong views.
At the breaking up of the body after death, they fell into the hell realms.
There were also beings who engaged in wholesome bodily conduct, wholesome speech, and wholesome mental conduct— who did not slander the noble ones, who upheld right views, and committed actions based on right views.
At the breaking up of the body after death, they were reborn in the heavenly realms.
Thus, with the divine eye, pure and flawless, he beheld the various types of beings—those being born and those passing away, those of good complexion and those of bad complexion, those bound for good destinations and those bound for evil destinations, whether beautiful or ugly—he saw their actions and deeds as they truly were.
He further directed his mind and realized the complete eradication of the aasravas (defilements).
He contemplated, “This is suffering,” and knew it as it truly is.
He further contemplated the origin of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the path leading out of suffering, and knew them as they truly are.
Through this contemplation, his mind was liberated from the taint of desire, liberated from the taint of existence, and liberated from the taint of ignorance.
Having attained liberation, he realised the knowledge of liberation:
“Birth and death have been completely exhausted, the holy life has been fully accomplished, what was to be done has been done.”
He knew with certainty: “There is no further becoming.”
At that time, the venerable Raahula attained Arahantship.
At that time, the venerable Raahula, having attained Arahantship, rose from his seat, arranged his robes properly, and went to the Bhagavaan.
He bowed his head at the feet of the Bhagavaan and stood to one side.
He addressed the Bhagavaan, saying:
“What was sought has been attained. All the aasravas (defilements) have been completely eradicated.”
At that time, the Bhagavaan addressed the bhikshus:
“Among those who have attained Arahantship, there is none equal to Raahula.
In the discussion of the complete exhaustion of the aasravas (defilements), it is also Raahula Bhikshu.
In the discussion of observance of precepts, it is also Raahula Bhikshu.
Why is this so?
Because in the past, the Tathaagatas, the Budhas, also had such a Raahula Bhikshu.
If one were to speak of ‘the son of the Buddha,’ it is also Raahula Bhikkhu.
Born directly from the Budha, he is supreme in the Dharma.”
At that time, the Bhagavaan addressed the bhikshus:
“Among my disciples, the foremost in the observance of precepts is Raahula Bhikshu.”
At that time, the Bhagavaan spoke this verse:
“Fully endowed with the discipline of precepts,
All faculties also perfected.
Gradually, one shall attain
The complete eradication of all fetters.”
When the bhikshus heard what the Budha said, they followed it with joy.