Once when the Venerable
Anuruddha
and the Venerable
Sariputta
were living at
Vesāli in
Ambapālī's
Grove. Then, in the early evening,
the Venerable
Sariputta
emerged from his daylong seclusion, went
to the Venerable
Anuruddha
and said: Friend
Anuruddha,
indeed is
your appearance serene and your visual expression is pure & bright!
In what dwelling does the Venerable
Anuruddha
now usually dwell?
Now, friend, I usually dwell with a mind well established in the four
foundations of awareness. What four? Here, friend, I dwell solely
reflecting upon the
body only as a formed group ...
reflecting upon the
feelings
only as passing sensations ...
reflecting upon the
mind
only as habitual & transient moods ...
reflecting upon all
phenomena only as constructed mental states ...
while keen,
clearly comprehending,
acutely aware, thereby removing
all desire and frustration rooted in this world. The Bhikkhu, friend,
who is an Arahat, one whose
mental fermentations are destroyed,
who has lived the Noble life, done what had to be done, laid down
the burden, reached his own goal, by utterly eliminating the chains
of endless re-becoming, one entirely released through final direct
knowledge, usually dwells with a mind well established in these four
foundations of awareness.... Then Venerable
Sariputta
exclaimed:
It is a gain for us, friend, it is well won by us, friend, that we were
in the very presence of the Venerable
Anuruddha
when he roared
such a lion's roar...
Source (edited extract): The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha.
Samyutta Nikāya. [V:301-2] section 52: Anuruddha. Thread 9: The All!
