Sutta 9: On the Ten Thoughts

[The following represents an unverified English translation. For all purposes consult the original Chinese text.]

[0780a16] Thus have I heard:

At one time, Buddha (佛 [fu]) was in Śrāvastī (舍衛國 [she wei guo]), in the Jetavana-Anāthapiṇḍada Garden (祇樹給孤獨園 [qi shu gei gu du yuan]).

[0780a16] wén rú shì:

yī shí, fú zài shě wèi guó qí shù gěi gū dú yuán.

[0780a16] wen ru shi:

yi shi, fu zai she wei guo qi shu gei gu du yuan.

[The following represents an unverified English translation. For all purposes consult the original Chinese text.]

[0780a17] At that time, the World-Honored One (世尊 [shi zun]) told the bhikkhus (比丘 [bi qiu]): "Whoever cultivates the ten thoughts (十想 [shi xiang]) will exhaust the defilements (有漏 [you lou]), attain supernatural powers (通作證 [tong zuo zheng]), and gradually reach Nirvana (涅槃 [nie pan]). What are these ten? Namely, the thought of bones (白骨想 [bai gu xiang]), the thought of blue-black discoloration (青瘀想 [qing yu xiang]), the thought of swelling (膨脹想 [peng zhang xiang]), the thought of undigested food (食不消想 [shi bu xiao xiang]), the thought of blood (血想 [xue xiang]), the thought of being eaten (噉想 [dan xiang]), the thought of impermanence (有常無常想 [you chang wu chang xiang]), the thought of craving for food (貪食想 [tan shi xiang]), the thought of death (死想 [si xiang]), and the thought of the unattractiveness of all worldly phenomena (一切世間不可樂想 [yi qie shi jian bu ke le xiang]). These, bhikkhus (比丘 [bi qiu]), are the ten thoughts (十想 [shi xiang]); whoever cultivates them will exhaust the defilements (有漏 [you lou]) and reach the realm of Nirvana (涅槃界 [nie pan jie]). Furthermore, bhikkhus (比丘 [bi qiu]), among the ten thoughts (十想 [shi xiang]), the thought of the unattractiveness of all worldly phenomena (一切世間不可樂想 [yi qie shi jian bu ke le xiang]) is the foremost. Why is that? Whoever cultivates the thought of unattractiveness and practices the Dharma (法 [fa]) with faith, these two individuals will certainly attain realization without delay. Therefore, bhikkhus (比丘 [bi qiu]), whether sitting under a tree (樹下靜處 [shu xia jing chu]) in a quiet place (露坐 [lu zuo]), you should contemplate these ten thoughts (十想 [shi xiang]). This is how, bhikkhus (比丘 [bi qiu]), you should learn."

[0780a17] ěr shí, shì zūn gào zhū bǐ qiū: “qí yǒu xiū xíng shí xiǎng zhě, biàn jǐn yǒu lòu, huò tōng zuò zhèng, jiàn zhì niè pán. yún hé wèi shí? suǒ wèi bái gǔ xiǎng,, qīng yū xiǎng,, [yuè*páng] zhàng xiǎng,, shí bù xiāo xiǎng,, xuè xiǎng,, dàn xiǎng,, yǒu cháng wú cháng xiǎng,, tān shí xiǎng,, sǐ xiǎng,, yī qiè shì jiān bù kě lè xiǎng. shì wèi, bǐ qiū! xiū cǐ shí xiǎng zhě, dé jǐn yǒu lòu, dé zhì niè pán jiè. yòu shì, bǐ qiū! shí xiǎng zhī zhōng, yī qiè shì jiān bù kě lè xiǎng zuì wèi dì yī. suǒ yǐ rán zhě, qí yǒu xiū xíng bù kě lè xiǎng, chí xìn fèng fǎ, cǐ èr rén bì yuè cì qǔ zhèng. shì gù, bǐ qiū! ruò zài shù xià jìng chù lù zuò, dāng sī wéi cǐ shí xiǎng. shì gù, bǐ qiū! dāng zuò shì xué.”

[0780a17] er shi, shi zun gao zhu bi qiu: "qi you xiu xing shi xiang zhe, bian jin you lou, huo tong zuo zheng, jian zhi nie pan. yun he wei shi? suo wei bai gu xiang,, qing yu xiang,, [yue*pang] zhang xiang,, shi bu xiao xiang,, xue xiang,, dan xiang,, you chang wu chang xiang,, tan shi xiang,, si xiang,, yi qie shi jian bu ke le xiang. shi wei, bi qiu! xiu ci shi xiang zhe, de jin you lou, de zhi nie pan jie. you shi, bi qiu! shi xiang zhi zhong, yi qie shi jian bu ke le xiang zui wei di yi. suo yi ran zhe, qi you xiu xing bu ke le xiang, chi xin feng fa, ci er ren bi yue ci qu zheng. shi gu, bi qiu! ruo zai shu xia jing chu lu zuo, dang si wei ci shi xiang. shi gu, bi qiu! dang zuo shi xue."

[The following represents an unverified English translation. For all purposes consult the original Chinese text.]

[0780a26] At that time, the bhikkhus (比丘 [bi qiu]), having heard what the Buddha (佛 [fu]) said, rejoiced and put it into practice.

[0780a26] ěr shí, zhū bǐ qiū wén fú suǒ shuō, huān xǐ fèng xíng.

[0780a26] er shi, zhu bi qiu wen fu suo shuo, huan xi feng xing.