In the Mind

For many of us hanging around meditation centres, Buddhist societies, "eminent" Monks, Teachers, or holding Bachelor's or Master's degrees in Buddhism or Philosophy, this sutta is a sobering lesson.......

This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard:

"Even if a monk, taking hold of my outer cloak, were to follow right behind me, placing his feet in my footsteps,

yet if he were to be greedy for sensual pleasures,

strong in his passions,

malevolent in mind,

corrupt in his resolves,

his mindfulness muddled, unalert, uncentered, his mind scattered,

& his faculties uncontrolled,

then he would be far from me, and I from him.

Why is that? Because he does not see the Dhamma. Not seeing the Dhamma, he does not see me.

"But even if a monk were to live one hundred leagues away, yet if he were to have no greed for sensual objects, were not strong in his passions, not malevolent in mind, uncorrupt in his resolves, his mindfulness established, alert, centered, his mind at singleness, & his faculties well-restrained, then he would be near to me, and I to him.

Why is that? Because he sees the Dhamma. Seeing the Dhamma, he sees me."

Though following right behind,
 full of desire, vexation:
see how far he is! —
the perturbed
 from the unperturbed,
the bound
 from the Unbound,
the greedy one
 from the one with no greed.

But the wise person who, through
 direct knowledge of Dhamma,
 gnosis of Dhamma,
grows still & unperturbed
like a lake unruffled by wind:
see how close he is! —
the unperturbed to the unperturbed,
the Unbound to the Unbound,
the greedless one
to the one with no greed.