Becoming Indra

or

The Powers of the Aristocrats

I HEAR TELL:

Once upon a time Bhagava, Dark-Jungle Town, Mukhelu Grove residing.
There, Uttara, a brahman youth who was the student of Parasariya
and who (putting one and one together)
was most likely the person who became known later as Thera Parapara,
having approached the Lucky Man,
having greeted him respectfully and exchanged polite talk,
took a low seat to one side
and waited in eager anticipation of the afternoon's discourse.

Then the Lucky man said this to Uttara the brahman youth:
"Tell me, Uttara, does Parasariya teach becoming Indra?"

"Yes, Good Gotama, Parasariya does teach becoming Indra."

"How, exactly, Uttara, does Parasariya teach becoming Indra?"

"Here, Good Gotama, Parasariya teaches:
'See no material form with the eye,
hear no sound with the ear.'

"In this case, Uttara,
a blind man will have become Indra,
a deaf man will have become Indra,
for a blind man sees no material form with the eye,
a deaf man hears no sound with the ear."

At this Uttara fell silent,
shaken,
bowled over,
downcast,
overwhelmed,
at-a-loss,
speechless.

Bhagava, seeing the shaken, bowled over, downcast, overwhelmed, at-a-loss, speechless state of Uttara,
addressed the Venerable Ananda:
"The way Parasariya teaches becoming Indra
is one thing, Ananda,
the way becoming Indra is taught
in the discipline of the Aristocrats
is something altogether unsurpassed."

"Now is the Time, Bhagava!
Now is the Time, Well-gone!
When becoming Indra
in the unsurpassed way it is taught
in the discipline of the Aristocrats
is presented
it will be remembered by the Bhikkhus!

"Very well, Ananda.
Pay attention!
Give ear!
I will speak!"

"So be it, Bhagava!"

"What is the unsurpssed becoming Indra
in the discipline of the Aristocrats?

Here, Ananda, when a Beggar sees a material form with the eye,
from this there arises the liked,
the disliked,
the liked-and-disliked.

He understands the situation this way:
'Present in me now is that which is liked,
disliked, liked-and-disliked.
This is occuring as a consequence of confouning,
it is a biproduct,
the rebound of an earlier conjuration
...but this,
this is calm,
this is high,
that is, objective detachment.'

That way the birth of the liked,
the birth of the disliked,
the birth of the liked-and-disliked
is aborted and objective detachment stands fast.

In the same way, Ananda,
as a man with eyes in his head that can see,
could open his eyes,
or having opened his eyes
could close them,
such is the rapidity,
such is the speed,
such is the small amount of trouble involved
in aborting the birth of the liked,
the birth of the disliked,
the birth of the liked-and-disliked
and standing fast in objective detachment.

This is The Way, Ananda,
in the discipline of the Aristocrats,
the unsurpassed becoming Indra is taught
with regard to eye-consciousness and visible objects.

Again, Ananda,
when a Beggar hears a sound with the ear,
from this there arises the liked,
the disliked,
the liked-and-disliked.

He understands the situation this way:
'Present in me now is that which is liked,
disliked, liked-and-disliked.
This is occuring as a consequence of confouning,
it is a biproduct,
the rebound of an earlier conjuration
...but this,
this is calm,
this is high,
that is, objective detachment.'

That way the birth of the liked,
the birth of the disliked,
the birth of the liked-and-disliked
is aborted and objective detachment stands fast.

In the same way, Ananda,
as a strong man can easily

[SNAP FINGERS]
snap his fingers,
such is the rapidity,
such is the speed,
such is the small amount of trouble involved
in aborting the birth of the liked,
the birth of the disliked,
the birth of the liked-and-disliked
and standing fast in objective detachment.

This is The Way, Ananda,
in the discipline of the Aristocrats,
the unsurpassed becoming Indra is taught
with regard to ear-consciousness and sounds.

Again, Ananda,
when a Beggar smells a smell with the nose,
from this there arises the liked,
the disliked,
the liked-and-disliked.

He understands the situation this way:
'Present in me now is that which is liked, disliked, liked-and-disliked.
This is occuring as a consequence of confouning,
it is a biproduct,
the rebound of an earlier conjuration
...but this, this is calm,
this is high,
that is, objective detachment.'

That way the birth of the liked,
the birth of the disliked,
the birth of the liked-and-disliked
is aborted and objective detachment stands fast.

In the same way, Ananda,
as drops of rain roll-off
a downturned lotus leaf
without sticking,
such is the rapidity,
such is the speed,
such is the small amount of trouble involved
in aborting the birth of the liked,
the birth of the disliked,
the birth of the liked-and-disliked
and standing fast in objective detachment.

This is The Way, Ananda,
in the discipline of the Aristocrats,
the unsurpassed becoming Indra is taught
with regard to nose-consciousness and scents.

Again, Ananda,
when a Beggar tastes a taste with the tongue,
from this there arises the liked,
the disliked,
the liked-and-disliked.

He understands the situation this way:
'Present in me now is that which is liked,
disliked, liked-and-disliked.
This is occuring as a consequence of confouning,
it is a biproduct,
the rebound of an earlier conjuration
...but this,
this is calm,
this is high,
that is, objective detachment.'

That way the birth of the liked,
the birth of the disliked,
the birth of the liked-and-disliked
is aborted and objective detachment stands fast.

In the same way, Ananda,
as a gob of spit
formed on the end of the tongue of a strong man
is easily expelled,
such is the rapidity,
such is the speed,
such is the small amount of trouble involved
in aborting the birth of the liked,
the birth of the disliked,
the birth of the liked-and-disliked
and standing fast in objective detachment.

This is The Way, Ananda,
in the discipline of the Aristocrats,
the unsurpassed becoming Indra is taught
with regard to tongue-consciousness and tastes.

Again, Ananda,
when a Beggar feels a touch with the body,
from this there arises the liked,
the disliked,
the liked-and-disliked.

He understands the situation this way:
'Present in me now is that which is liked,
disliked, liked-and-disliked.
This is occuring as a consequence of confouning,
it is a biproduct,
the rebound of an earlier conjuration
...but this,
this is calm,
this is high,
that is, objective detachment.'

That way the birth of the liked,
the birth of the disliked,
the birth of the liked-and-disliked is aborted
and objective detachment stands fast.

In the same way, Ananda,
as a strong man can stretch out his arm, if folded,
or, if stretched out can bend it back,
such is the rapidity,
such is the speed,
such is the small amount of trouble involved
in aborting the birth of the liked,
the birth of the disliked,
the birth of the liked-and-disliked
and standing fast in objective detachment.

This is The Way, Ananda,
in the discipline of the Aristocrats,
the unsurpassed becoming Indra is taught
with regard to body-consciousness and touches.

Again, Ananda,
when a Beggar becomes conscious
of a mental object with the mind,
from this there arises the liked,
the disliked,
the liked-and-disliked.

He understands the situation this way:
'Present in me now is that which is liked,
disliked, liked-and-disliked.
This is occuring as a consequence of confouning,
it is a biproduct,
the rebound of an earlier conjuration
...but this,
this is calm,
this is high,
that is, objective detachment.'

That way the birth of the liked,
the birth of the disliked,
the birth of the liked-and-disliked is aborted
and objective detachment stands fast.

In the same way, Ananda,
as if during the day
an iron cauldron had been heated red-hot
and into it one or two drops of watter were to fall
... long is the time between drops;

and then they're gone like a shot,
such is the rapidity,
such is the speed,
such is the small amount of trouble involved
in aborting the birth of the liked,
the birth of the disliked,
the birth of the liked-and-disliked
and standing fast in objective detachment.

This is The Way, Ananda,
in the discipline of the Aristocrats,
the unsurpassed becoming Indra is taught
with regard to mind-consciousness and mental objects.

This is The Way, Ananda,
in the discipline of the Aristocrats,
the unsurpassed becoming Indra is taught.

§

But how, Ananda,
is a beginner to practice,
having come This Way?

Here, Ananda,
when a Beggar sees a material form with the eye,
from this there arises the liked,
the disliked,
the liked-and-disliked.

So when the liked,
the disliked,
the liked-and-disliked
has arisen
he becomes aware of the danger,
exercises humility and avoidance.

When a Beggar hears a sound with the ear,
smells a scent with the nose,
tastes a taste with the tongue,
feels a touch with the body
or becomes conscious of a mental object with the mind,
from this there arises the liked,
the disliked,
the liked-and-disliked.

So when the liked,
the disliked,
the liked-and-disliked
has arisen
he becomes aware of the danger,
exercises humility and avoidance.

This is The Way, Ananda,
a beginner is taught to practice
the unsurpassed becoming Indra
in the discipline of the Aristocrats.

§

And how, Ananda,
is it with an Aristocrat
who has become Indra?

Here, Ananda,
when a Beggar sees a material form with the eye,
from this there arises the liked,
the disliked,
the liked-and-disliked.

Sucha one as suchas sucha
may wishum wishes suchas such:

"Let me live not perceiving
what goes against the grain
in what goes against the grain."
And suchis such as suchas is
for such a such'n such as suchis this.

Or he may wish:
"Let me live perceiving
what goes against the grain
in what does not go against the grain."

Or he may wish:
"Let me live not perceiving
what goes against the grain
in both what goes against the grain
and what does not go against the grain."

Or he may wish:
"Let me live perceiving
what goes against the grain
in both what goes against the grain
and what does not go against the grain."

Or he may wish:
"Let me live avoiding both
what goes against the grain
and what does not go against the grain,
satisfied,
clearly conscious,
detached."

And suchis such as suchas is
for such a such'n such as suchis such.

Here, Ananda, when a Beggar hears a sound with the ear,
smells a scent with the nose,
tastes a taste with the tongue,
feels a touch with the body,
becomes conscious of a mental object with the mind,
from this there arises the liked,
the disliked,
the liked-and-disliked.

If he should wish:

"Let me live not perceiving
what goes against the grain
in what goes against the grain,"
then he lives not perceiving
what goes against the grain
in what goes against the grain.

Or he may wish:
"Let me live perceiving
what goes against the grain
in what does not go against the grain,"
then he lives perceiving
what goes against the grain
in what does not go against the grain.

Or he may wish:
"Let me live not perceiving
what goes against the grain in both
what goes against the grain
and what does not go against the grain,"
then he lives not perceiving
what goes agains the grain in both
what goes against the grain
and what does not go against the grain.

Or he may wish:
"Let me live perceiving
what goes against the grain in both
what goes against the grain
and what does not go against the grain,"
then he lives perceiving
what goes against the grain
in both what goes against the grain
and what does not go against the grain.

Or he may wish:
"Let me live avoiding both
what goes against the grain
and what does not go against the grain,
satisfied,
clearly conscious,
detached,"
then he lives avoiding both
what goes against the grain
and what does not go against the grain,
satisfied,
clearly conscious,
detached.

This is The Way it is, Ananda,
for an Aristocrat who has become Indra.

§

This, Ananda, is the The Way
the unsurpssed becoming Indra is taught
in the discipline of the Aristocrats.

This is the way the beginner is taught
to practice the unsurpassed becoming Indra
in the discipline of the Aristocrats.

This is the way an Aristocrat
who has Become Indra is described.

That, Ananda, which ought to be done by a teacher for his students,
out of compassion for them,
has been done by me.
Here are the roots of trees.
Here are places of solitude.
Practice the burnings, Ananda,
do not be careless,
do not allow cause for later regret!
This is our instruction to you!

This is what Bhagava said,
and those Beggars gathered round
were thrilled by what they heard.