Acelakavagga - Buddham Dhammam

“Mendicants, there are three practices. “Tisso imā, bhikkhave, paṭipadā. What three? Katamā tisso? The addicted practice, the scorching practice, and the middle practice. Āgāḷhā paṭipadā, nijjhāmā paṭipadā, majjhimā paṭipadā.

And what’s the addicted practice? Katamā ca, bhikkhave, āgāḷhā paṭipadā? It’s when someone has this doctrine and view: Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco evaṁvādī hoti evaṁdiṭṭhi: ‘There’s nothing wrong with sensual pleasures’; ‘natthi kāmesu doso’ti. so they throw themselves into sensual pleasures. So kāmesu pātabyataṁ āpajjati. This is called the addicted practice. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, āgāḷhā paṭipadā.

And what’s the scorching practice? Katamā ca, bhikkhave, nijjhāmā paṭipadā? It’s when someone goes naked, ignoring conventions. They lick their hands, and don’t come or wait when called. They don’t consent to food brought to them, or food prepared on their behalf, or an invitation for a meal. Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco acelako hoti muttācāro, hatthāpalekhano, naehibhadantiko, natiṭṭhabhadantiko, nābhihaṭaṁ na uddissakataṁ na nimantanaṁ sādiyati. They don’t receive anything from a pot or bowl; or from someone who keeps sheep, or who has a weapon or a shovel in their home; or where a couple is eating; or where there is a woman who is pregnant, breastfeeding, or who lives with a man; or where there’s a hound waiting or flies buzzing. They accept no fish or meat or beer or wine, and drink no fermented gruel. So na kumbhimukhā paṭiggaṇhāti, na kaḷopimukhā paṭiggaṇhāti na eḷakamantaraṁ na daṇḍamantaraṁ na musalamantaraṁ na dvinnaṁ bhuñjamānānaṁ na gabbhiniyā na pāyamānāya na purisantaragatāya na saṅkittīsu na yattha sā upaṭṭhito hoti na yattha makkhikā saṇḍasaṇḍacārinī na macchaṁ na maṁsaṁ na suraṁ na merayaṁ, na thusodakaṁ pivati. They go to just one house for alms, taking just one mouthful, or two houses and two mouthfuls, up to seven houses and seven mouthfuls. So ekāgāriko vā hoti ekālopiko, dvāgāriko vā hoti dvālopiko … sattāgāriko vā hoti sattālopiko; They feed on one saucer a day, two saucers a day, up to seven saucers a day. ekissāpi dattiyā yāpeti, dvīhipi dattīhi yāpeti … sattahipi dattīhi yāpeti; They eat once a day, once every second day, up to once a week, and so on, even up to once a fortnight. They live pursuing the practice of eating food at set intervals. ekāhikampi āhāraṁ āhāreti, dvāhikampi āhāraṁ āhāreti … sattāhikampi āhāraṁ āhāreti—iti evarūpaṁ addhamāsikampi pariyāyabhattabhojanānuyogamanuyutto viharati.

They eat herbs, millet, wild rice, poor rice, water lettuce, rice bran, scum from boiling rice, sesame flour, grass, or cow dung. They survive on forest roots and fruits, or eating fallen fruit. So sākabhakkhopi hoti, sāmākabhakkhopi hoti, nīvārabhakkhopi hoti, daddulabhakkhopi hoti, haṭabhakkhopi hoti, kaṇabhakkhopi hoti, ācāmabhakkhopi hoti, piññākabhakkhopi hoti, tiṇabhakkhopi hoti, gomayabhakkhopi hoti, vanamūlaphalāhāro yāpeti pavattaphalabhojī.

They wear robes of sunn hemp, mixed hemp, corpse-wrapping cloth, rags, lodh tree bark, antelope hide (whole or in strips), kusa grass, bark, wood-chips, human hair, horse-tail hair, or owls’ wings. So sāṇānipi dhāreti, masāṇānipi dhāreti, chavadussānipi dhāreti, paṁsukūlānipi dhāreti, tirīṭānipi dhāreti, ajinampi dhāreti, ajinakkhipampi dhāreti, kusacīrampi dhāreti, vākacīrampi dhāreti, phalakacīrampi dhāreti, kesakambalampi dhāreti, vāḷakambalampi dhāreti, ulūkapakkhikampi dhāreti, They tear out their hair and beard, committed to this practice. kesamassulocakopi hoti kesamassulocanānuyogamanuyutto, They constantly stand, turning down seats. ubbhaṭṭhakopi hoti āsanapaṭikkhitto, They squat, committed to the endeavor of squatting. ukkuṭikopi hoti ukkuṭikappadhānamanuyutto, They lie on a mat of thorns, making a mat of thorns their bed. kaṇṭakāpassayikopi hoti kaṇṭakāpassaye seyyaṁ kappeti, They’re devoted to ritual bathing three times a day, including at dusk. sāyatatiyakampi udakorohanānuyogamanuyutto viharati—And so they live pursuing these various ways of mortifying and tormenting the body. iti evarūpaṁ anekavihitaṁ kāyassa ātāpanaparitāpanānuyogamanuyutto viharati. This is called the scorching practice. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, nijjhāmā paṭipadā.

And what’s the middle practice? Katamā ca, bhikkhave, majjhimā paṭipadā? It’s when a mendicant meditates by observing an aspect of the body—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world. Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kāye kāyānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ; They meditate observing an aspect of feelings … vedanāsu …pe… They meditate observing an aspect of the mind … citte …pe… They meditate observing an aspect of principles—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world. dhammesu dhammānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ. This is called the middle practice. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, majjhimā paṭipadā.

These are the three practices. Imā kho, bhikkhave, tisso paṭipadāti.

English Translation

Pāli Text

“Mendicants, there are three practices. What three? The addicted practice, the scorching practice, and the middle practice.

And what’s the addicted practice? It’s when someone has this doctrine and view: ‘There’s nothing wrong with sensual pleasures’; so they throw themselves into sensual pleasures. This is called the addicted practice.

And what’s the scorching practice? It’s when someone goes naked, ignoring conventions. They lick their hands, and don’t come or wait when called. They don’t consent to food brought to them, or food prepared on their behalf, or an invitation for a meal. They don’t receive anything from a pot or bowl; or from someone who keeps sheep, or who has a weapon or a shovel in their home; or where a couple is eating; or where there is a woman who is pregnant, breastfeeding, or who lives with a man; or where there’s a hound waiting or flies buzzing. They accept no fish or meat or beer or wine, and drink no fermented gruel. They go to just one house for alms, taking just one mouthful, or two houses and two mouthfuls, up to seven houses and seven mouthfuls. They feed on one saucer a day, two saucers a day, up to seven saucers a day. They eat once a day, once every second day, up to once a week, and so on, even up to once a fortnight. They live pursuing the practice of eating food at set intervals.

They eat herbs, millet, wild rice, poor rice, water lettuce, rice bran, scum from boiling rice, sesame flour, grass, or cow dung. They survive on forest roots and fruits, or eating fallen fruit.

They wear robes of sunn hemp, mixed hemp, corpse-wrapping cloth, rags, lodh tree bark, antelope hide (whole or in strips), kusa grass, bark, wood-chips, human hair, horse-tail hair, or owls’ wings. They tear out their hair and beard, committed to this practice. They constantly stand, turning down seats. They squat, committed to the endeavor of squatting. They lie on a mat of thorns, making a mat of thorns their bed. They’re devoted to ritual bathing three times a day, including at dusk. And so they live pursuing these various ways of mortifying and tormenting the body. This is called the scorching practice.

And what’s the middle practice? It’s when a mendicant meditates by observing an aspect of the body—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world. They meditate observing an aspect of feelings … They meditate observing an aspect of the mind … They meditate observing an aspect of principles—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world. This is called the middle practice.

These are the three practices.

“Tisso imā, bhikkhave, paṭipadā. Katamā tisso? Āgāḷhā paṭipadā, nijjhāmā paṭipadā, majjhimā paṭipadā.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, āgāḷhā paṭipadā? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco evaṁvādī hoti evaṁdiṭṭhi: ‘natthi kāmesu doso’ti. So kāmesu pātabyataṁ āpajjati. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, āgāḷhā paṭipadā.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, nijjhāmā paṭipadā? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco acelako hoti muttācāro, hatthāpalekhano, naehibhadantiko, natiṭṭhabhadantiko, nābhihaṭaṁ na uddissakataṁ na nimantanaṁ sādiyati. So na kumbhimukhā paṭiggaṇhāti, na kaḷopimukhā paṭiggaṇhāti na eḷakamantaraṁ na daṇḍamantaraṁ na musalamantaraṁ na dvinnaṁ bhuñjamānānaṁ na gabbhiniyā na pāyamānāya na purisantaragatāya na saṅkittīsu na yattha sā upaṭṭhito hoti na yattha makkhikā saṇḍasaṇḍacārinī na macchaṁ na maṁsaṁ na suraṁ na merayaṁ, na thusodakaṁ pivati. So ekāgāriko vā hoti ekālopiko, dvāgāriko vā hoti dvālopiko … sattāgāriko vā hoti sattālopiko; ekissāpi dattiyā yāpeti, dvīhipi dattīhi yāpeti … sattahipi dattīhi yāpeti; ekāhikampi āhāraṁ āhāreti, dvāhikampi āhāraṁ āhāreti … sattāhikampi āhāraṁ āhāreti—iti evarūpaṁ addhamāsikampi pariyāyabhattabhojanānuyogamanuyutto viharati.

So sākabhakkhopi hoti, sāmākabhakkhopi hoti, nīvārabhakkhopi hoti, daddulabhakkhopi hoti, haṭabhakkhopi hoti, kaṇabhakkhopi hoti, ācāmabhakkhopi hoti, piññākabhakkhopi hoti, tiṇabhakkhopi hoti, gomayabhakkhopi hoti, vanamūlaphalāhāro yāpeti pavattaphalabhojī.

So sāṇānipi dhāreti, masāṇānipi dhāreti, chavadussānipi dhāreti, paṁsukūlānipi dhāreti, tirīṭānipi dhāreti, ajinampi dhāreti, ajinakkhipampi dhāreti, kusacīrampi dhāreti, vākacīrampi dhāreti, phalakacīrampi dhāreti, kesakambalampi dhāreti, vāḷakambalampi dhāreti, ulūkapakkhikampi dhāreti, kesamassulocakopi hoti kesamassulocanānuyogamanuyutto, ubbhaṭṭhakopi hoti āsanapaṭikkhitto, ukkuṭikopi hoti ukkuṭikappadhānamanuyutto, kaṇṭakāpassayikopi hoti kaṇṭakāpassaye seyyaṁ kappeti, sāyatatiyakampi udakorohanānuyogamanuyutto viharati—iti evarūpaṁ anekavihitaṁ kāyassa ātāpanaparitāpanānuyogamanuyutto viharati. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, nijjhāmā paṭipadā.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, majjhimā paṭipadā? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kāye kāyānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ; vedanāsu …pe… citte …pe… dhammesu dhammānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, majjhimā paṭipadā.

Imā kho, bhikkhave, tisso paṭipadāti.

These are the three practices. Imā kho, bhikkhave, tisso paṭipadāti.