Girimananda Sutta

Discourse to Girimananda Thera

Translated from the Pali by Piyadassi Thera
For free distribution only
Thus have I heard:
On one occasion the Blessed One was living near Savatthi at etavana
at the monastery of !natha"indi#a$ %ow at that time& the 'enerable
Girimananda was a(icted with a disease& was su)ering there from&
and was gravely ill$ Thereu"on the 'enerable *nanda a""roached the
Buddha and having saluted him sat beside him$ So seated the
'enerable *nanda said this to the Blessed One:
+Bhante ,'enerable Sir&- the 'enerable Girimananda is a(icted with
disease& is su)ering there from& and is gravely ill$ It were well& bhante&
if the Blessed One would visit the 'enerable Girimananda out of
com"assion for him$+ ,Thereu"on the Buddha said-:
+Should you& *nanda& visit the mon# Girimananda and recite to him the
ten contem"lations& then that mon# Girimananda having heard them&
will be immediately cured of his disease$
+.hat are the ten/
0ontem"lation of im"ermanence$
0ontem"lation of anatt ,absence of a "ermanent self or
soul-$
0ontem"lation of foulness (asubha).
0ontem"lation of disadvantage ,danger-$
0ontem"lation of abandonment$
0ontem"lation of detachment$
0ontem"lation of cessation$
0ontem"lation of distaste for the whole world$
0ontem"lation of im"ermanence of all com"onent things$
1indfulness of in2breathing and out2breathing$
+!nd what& *nanda& is contem"lation of im"ermanence/ 3erein&
*nanda& a mon# having gone to the forest or to the foot of a tree or to
an em"ty house ,lonely "lace- contem"lates thus: 41atter ,visible
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ob5ects- is im"ermanent6 feeling or sensation is im"ermanent6
"erce"tion is im"ermanent6 formations are im"ermanent6
consciousness is im"ermanent$ Thus he dwells contem"lating
im"ermanence in these 7ve aggregates$4 This& *nanda& is called
contem"lation of im"ermanence$
+!nd what *nanda is contem"lation of anatt/ 3erein& *nanda& a
mon# having gone to the forest or to the foot of a tree or to a lonely
"lace contem"lates thus: 4The eye is not the self6 visible ob5ects are
not the self6 the ear is not the self6 sounds are not the self6 the nose is
not the self6 smells are not the self6 the tongue is not the self6 tastes
are not the self6 the body is not the self6 bodily contacts ,tangible
ob5ects- are not the self6 the mind is not the self6 mental ob5ects are
not the self$4 Thus he dwells contem"lating not self in these internal
and e8ternal bases$ This& *nanda& is called contem"lation of anatt.
+!nd what& *nanda& is contem"lation of foulness/ 3erein& *nanda& a
mon# contem"lates this body u"wards from the soles of the feet&
downwards from the to" of the hair& enclosed in s#in& as being full of
many im"urities$ In this body there are head2hairs& body2hairs& nails&
teeth& s#in& 9esh& sinews& bones& marrow& #idneys& heart& liver& "leura&
s"leen& lungs& intestines& intestinal tract& stomach& feces& bile& "hlegm&
"us& blood& sweat& fat& tears& grease& saliva& nasal mucous& synovium
,oil lubricating the 5oints-& and urine$ Thus he dwells contem"lating
foulness in this body$ This& *nanda& is called contem"lation of foulness$
+.hat& *nanda& is contem"lation of disadvantage ,danger-/ 3erein&
*nanda& a mon# having gone to the forest& or to the foot of a tree& or to
a lonely "lace& contem"lates thus: 41any are the su)erings& many are
the disadvantages ,dangers- of this body since diverse diseases are
engendered in this body& such as the following: :ye2disease& ear2
disease& nose2disease& tongue2disease& body2disease& headache&
mum"s& mouth2disease& tooth2ache& cough& asthma& catarrh& heart2
burn& fever& stomach ailment& fainting& dysentery& swelling& gri"es&
le"rosy& boils& scrofula& consum"tion& e"ile"sy& ringworm& itch&
eru"tion& tetter& "ustule& "lethora& diabetes& "iles& cancer& 7stula& and
diseases originating from bile& from "hlegm& from wind& from con9ict of
the humors& from changes of weather& from adverse condition ,faulty
de"ortment-& from devices ,"racticed by others-& from kamma-vipaka
,results of #amma-6 and cold& heat& hunger& thirst& e8crement& and
urine$4 Thus he dwells contem"lating disadvantage ,danger- in this
body$ This *nanda& is called contem"lation of disadvantage ,danger-$
+!nd what& *nanda& is contem"lation of abandonment/ 3erein&
*nanda& a mon# does not tolerate a thought of sensual desire that has
arisen in him& dis"els it& ma#es an end of it& and annihilates it$ 3e does
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not tolerate a thought of ill2will that has arisen in him& but abandons&
dis"els it& ma#es an end of it& and annihilates it$ 3e does not tolerate a
thought of cruelty that has arisen in him but abandons it& dis"els it&
ma#es an end of it& and annihilates it$ 3e does not tolerate evil&
un"ro7table states that arise in him from time to time& but abandons
them& dis"els them& ma#es an end of them& and annihilates them$ This&
*nanda& is called contem"lation of abandonment$
+!nd what& *nanda& is contem"lation of detachment/ 3erein& *nanda&
a mon# having gone to the forest& or to the foot of a tree& or to a lonely
"lace& contem"lates thus: 4This is "eaceful& this is sublime& namely& the
stilling of all conditioned things& the giving u" of all substratum of
becoming& the e8tinction of craving& detachment& %ibb;na$4 This&
*nanda& is called contem"lation of detachment$
+!nd what& *nanda& is contem"lation of cessation/ 3erein& *nanda& a
mon# having gone to the forest& or to the foot of a tree& or to a lonely
"lace& contem"lates thus: 4this is "eaceful& this is sublime& namely& the
stilling of all com"onent things& the e8tinction of craving& cessation&
%ibb;na$4 This& *nanda& is called contem"lation of cessation$
+!nd what& *nanda& is contem"lation of distaste for the whole world/
3erein& *nanda& ,a mon#- by abandoning any concern and clinging to
this world& by abandoning mental "re5udices& wrong beliefs& and latent
tendencies concerning this world& by not gras"ing them& but by giving
them u"& becomes detached$ This& *nanda& Is called contem"lation of
distaste for the whole world$
+!nd what& *nanda& is contem"lation of im"ermanence of all
com"onent things/ 3erein& *nanda& a mon# is wearied& humiliated& and
disgusted with all conditioned things$ This& *nanda& is called
contem"lation of im"ermanence of all com"onent things$
+!nd what& *nanda& is mindfulness of in2breathing and out2breathing/
3erein& *nanda& a mon# having gone to the forest& or to the foot of a
tree& or to a lonely "lace& sits down& having folded his legs crosswise&
#ee"ing the body erect& and his mindfulness alive& mindful he breathes
in& mindful he breathes out$
+.hen he is breathing in a long breath& he #nows: 4I am breathing in a
long breath4& when he is breathing out a long breath& he #nows: 4I am
breathing out a long breath46 when he is breathing in a short breath& he
#nows: 4I am breathing in a short breath4& when he is breathing out a
short breath& he #nows: 4I am breathing out a short breath$4 40onscious
of the entire "rocess <1= I shall breathe in4& thus he trains himself$
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40onscious of the entire "rocess I shall breathe out4& thus he trains
himself$
+40alming the entire "rocess& I shall breathe in4& thus he trains himself6
4calming the entire "rocess I shall breathe out4& thus he trains himself$
+4:8"eriencing ra"ture& I shall breathe in4& thus he trains himself6
4e8"eriencing ra"ture& I shall breathe out4& thus he trains himself$
+4:8"eriencing bliss& I shall breathe in4& thus he trains himself6
4e8"eriencing bliss& I shall breathe out4& thus he trains himself$
+4:8"eriencing the mental formations ,feeling and "erce"tion-& I shall
breathe in4& thus he trains himself6 4e8"eriencing the mental
formations& I shall breathe out4& thus he trains himself$
+40alming the mental formations& I shall breathe in4& thus he trains
himself6 4calming the mental formations& I shall breathe out4& thus he
trains himself$
+4:8"eriencing the mind ,according to the fourfold absor"tions& or
jhanas), I shall breathe in4& thus he trains himself6 4e8"eriencing the
mind& I shall breathe out4& thus he trains himself$
+4:8ceedingly gladdening the mind ,by samatha, calming& as well as by
vipassana, insight-& I shall breathe in4& thus he trains himself6
4e8ceedingly gladdening the mind& I shall breathe out4& thus he trains
himself$
+40oncentrating the mind ,on the breath-& I shall breathe in4& thus he
trains himself6 concentrating the mind I shall breathe out4& thus he
trains himself$
+4>iberating the mind ,from the nivaranas, or hindrances-& I shall
breathe in4& thus he trains himself& 4liberating the mind I shall breathe
out4& thus he trains himself6 4contem"lating im"ermanence ,in body&
feelings& "erce"tions& volitional formations& consciousness-& I shall
breathe in4& thus he trains himself6 4contem"lating im"ermanence& I
shall breathe out4& thus he trains himself6 4contem"lating detachment& I
shall breathe in4& thus he trains himself6 4contem"lating detachment& I
shall breathe out4& thus he trains himself6 4contem"lating cessation& I
shall breathe in4& thus he trains himself& 4contem"lating cessation& I
shall breathe out4& thus he trains himself6 4contem"lating
abandonment& I shall breathe in4& thus he trains himself6 4contem"lating
abandonment& I shall breathe out4& thus he trains himself$
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+This& *nanda& is called mindfulness of in2breathing and out2breathing$
If& *nanda& you visit the mon# Girimananda and recite to him these ten
contem"lations& then that mon#& Girimananda& having heard them& will
be immediately cured of his a(iction$+
Thereu"on the 'enerable *nanda& having learned these ten
contem"lations from the Blessed One& visited the 'enerable
Girimananda& and recited to him the ten contem"lations$ .hen the
'enerable Girimananda had heard them& his a(iction was immediately
cured$ 3e recovered from that a(iction& and thus disa""eared the
a(iction of the 'enerable Girimananda$
Footnote:
1. Sabba-kaya. >iterally& +the whole ,breath- body$+ !ccording to the
Visuddhi Magga, kaya here does not mean the "hysical body& but the
whole mass of in2breathing and out2breathing$
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