MN Highlights

Highlights from my efforts to read the Tipitaka in Pali

M. 1 – mūlapariyāyasuttaṃ
nandī dukkhassa mūlaṃ
Delight is the root of suffering.

M. 2 – sabbāsavasuttaṃ
ye dhammā manasikaraṇīyā te dhamme manasi karoti.
Whatever dhammas should be kept in mind, he keeps those dhammas in mind.
uppannānaṃ sārīrikānaṃ vedanānaṃ dukkhānaṃ tibbānaṃ kharānaṃ kaṭukānaṃ asātānaṃ amanāpānaṃ pāṇaharānaṃ adhivāsakajātiko hoti.
Towards arisen bodily feelings, painful, sharp, piercing, severe, unendearing, unappealing, life-taking, one is of a patient temperament.

M. 3 – dhammadāyādasuttaṃ
dhammadāyādā me, bhikkhave, bhavatha, mā āmisadāyādā.
Become heirs of my dhamma, o bhikkhus, not heirs of my material wealth.
lobho ca pāpako doso ca pāpako.
Greed is evil too, anger is evil too.

M. 4 – bhayabheravasuttaṃ
durabhisambhavāni araññavanapatthāni pantāni senāsanāni
Hard to endure are lonely, secluded dwellings in forest woods.

dukkaraṃ pavivekaṃ
It is difficult to make do in complete seclusion.

durabhiramaṃ ekatte
It is difficult to rejoice in being alone.

haranti maññe mano vanāni samādhiṃ alabhamānassa bhikkhuno
One would think the forests would carry away the mind of a bhikkhu without concentration.

M. 5 – anaṅgaṇasuttaṃ
yvāyaṃ puggalo sāṅgaṇova samāno ‘atthi me ajjhattaṃ aṅgaṇa’nti yathābhūtaṃ nappajānāti, tassetaṃ pāṭikaṅkhaṃ na chandaṃ janessati na vāyamissati na vīriyaṃ ārabhissati tassaṅgaṇassa pahānāya; so sarāgo sadoso samoho sāṅgaṇo saṃkiliṭṭhacitto kālaṃ karissati.
That person who, being stained, does not know as it is, “there is this stain inside of me,” will, for that reason, without doubt, not give rise to zeal, will not exert himself, will not arouse effort for the abandonment of that stain. With lust, with anger, with delusion, with stains, defiled in mind will he finish his life.

M. 6 – ākaṅkheyyasuttaṃ
pātimokkhasaṃvarasaṃvutā viharatha ācāragocarasampannā aṇumattesu vajjesu bhayadassāvino
Dwell with restraint in regards to the monastic code, endowed with knowledge of resort and non-resort, seeing danger in the slightest fault.

M. 7 – vatthasuttaṃ
citte saṃkiliṭṭhe, duggati pāṭikaṅkhā.
When the mind is defiled, an evil bourne will be, undoubtedly.

citte asaṃkiliṭṭhe, sugati pāṭikaṅkhā.
When the mind is undefiled, a good bourne will be, undoubtedly.

M. 8 – sallekhasuttaṃ
‘pare vihiṃsakā bhavissanti, mayamettha avihiṃsakā bhavissāmā’ti sallekho karaṇīyo.
One should practice austerity thus: ‘Others will be abusive; here, we will not be abusive.’

cittuppādampi kho ahaṃ, cunda, kusalesu dhammesu bahukāraṃ vadāmi, ko pana vādo kāyena vācāya anuvidhīyanāsu!
Indeed, Cunda, the mere arising in the mind of a wholesome thought is of great merit; not to mention acting and speaking accordingly!

etāni rukkhamūlāni, etāni suññāgārāni, jhāyatha, mā pamādattha, mā pacchāvippaṭisārino ahuvattha’ ayaṃ kho amhākaṃ anusāsanī.
Here are tree-roots, here empty huts; meditate, don’t be negligent, don’t be sorry later! This indeed is our admonition to you.

M. 9 – sammādiṭṭhisuttaṃ
ettāvatāpi kho, āvuso, ariyasāvako sammādiṭṭhi hoti, ujugatāssa diṭṭhi, dhamme aveccappasādena samannāgato, āgato imaṃ saddhammaṃ.
To that extent, friend, a disciple of the noble ones is one of right view; straight is his view; he possesses unwavering confidence in the Dhamma; he has arrived unto this true Dhamma.

M. 10 – mahāsatipaṭṭhānasuttaṃ
yāvadeva ñāṇamattāya paṭissatimattāya anissito ca viharati, na ca kiñci loke upādiyati.
And one dwells unattached with simple and direct mindfulness just to the extent of knowing; and one clings to nothing in the world.

M. 11 – cūḷasīhanādasuttaṃ
anupādiyaṃ na paritassati, aparitassaṃ paccattaññeva parinibbāyati.
Unclinging, one longs not; longing not, one is fully released for oneself.

M. 12 – mahāsīhanādasuttaṃ
āsavānaṃ khayā anāsavaṃ cetovimuttiṃ paññāvimuttiṃ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṃ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharantaṃ, ekantasukhā vedanā vedayamānaṃ.
Having destroyed the taints, having realized liberation by mental power and for himself in experiential reality

M. 13 – mahādukkhakkhandhasuttaṃ
‘yampi me ahosi tampi no natthī’ti. ayampi, bhikkhave, kāmānaṃ ādīnavo sandiṭṭhiko, dukkhakkhandho kāmahetu kāmanidānaṃ kāmādhikaraṇaṃ kāmānameva hetu.
‘What was mine is no longer!’ This (mourning), indeed, o monks, is a danger of sensuality that can be seen for oneself; a mass of suffering with sensuality as its cause, sensuality as its origin, sensuality as its creator. Indeed, it is caused by sensuality.

M. 14 – cūḷadukkhakkhandhasuttaṃ
‘appassādā kāmā bahudukkhā bahupāyāsā, ādīnavo ettha bhiyyo’ti iti cepi ariyasāvakassa yathābhūtaṃ sammappaññāya sudiṭṭhaṃ hoti, so ca aññatreva kāmehi aññatra akusalehi dhammehi pītisukhaṃ nādhigacchati, aññaṃ vā tato santataraṃ; atha kho so neva tāva anāvaṭṭī kāmesu hoti.
‘Of little enjoyment is sensuality, of great suffering, great vexation; there is exceeding danger therein.’ Even though there be this proper understanding by a disciple of the noble ones, through right wisdom is it really is, if he has not gone on to realize rapture and bliss that is apart from sensuality, apart from unwholesome dhammas, or some other state more peaceful than that, then he is indeed not freed thereby from enticement in regards to sensuality.

M. 15 – anumānasuttaṃ
sace panāvuso, bhikkhu paccavekkhamāno sabbepime pāpake akusale dhamme pahīne attani samanupassati, tenāvuso, bhikkhunā teneva pītipāmojjena vihātabbaṃ, ahorattānusikkhinā kusalesu dhammesu.
If, friends, a monk when considering, perceives that, verily, all of these evil, unwholesome states are abandoned in oneself, then, friends, that monk should dwell in that very rapture and delight, training day and night in wholesome states.

M. 16 – cetokhilasuttaṃ
sa kho so, bhikkhave, evaṃ ussoḷhīpannarasaṅgasamannāgato bhikkhu bhabbo abhinibbidāya, bhabbo sambodhāya, bhabbo anuttarassa yogakkhemassa adhigamāya.
Indeed, o monks, such a monk as that, endowed with these factors having exertion as their fifth, is capable of complete disenchantment, capable of enlightenment, capable of attaining to the unsurpassed liberation from bondage.

M. 17 – vanapatthasuttaṃ
‘tassa me imaṃ puggalaṃ upanissāya viharato anupaṭṭhitā ceva sati upaṭṭhāti, asamāhitañca cittaṃ samādhiyati, aparikkhīṇā ca āsavā parikkhayaṃ gacchanti, ananuppattañca anuttaraṃ yogakkhemaṃ anupāpuṇāmi. ye ca kho ime pabbajitena jīvitaparikkhārā samudānetabbā cīvarapiṇḍapātasenāsanagilānappaccayabhesajjaparikkhārā te appakasirena samudāgacchantī’ti. tena, bhikkhave, bhikkhunā yāvajīvampi so puggalo anubandhitabbo, na pakkamitabbaṃ, api panujjamānenapī
‘While dwelling in dependence on this person, my unfortified mindfulness becomes fortified, my unfocused mind becomes focused, my undestroyed taints go to destruction, and I attain the unattained unexcelled liberation from bondage. Also, whatever of these necessities for the reclusive life are to be collected, viz. the necessities of robes, almsfood, dwelling, or medicine for the sick, those come to be obtained with little difficulty.’ O monks, that monk should stick with such a person for as long as life lasts, not depart from him even if told to go away.

M.18 – madhupiṇḍikasuttaṃ
yathāvādī kho, āvuso, sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya na kenaci loke viggayha tiṭṭhati, yathā ca pana kāmehi visaṃyuttaṃ viharantaṃ taṃ brāhmaṇaṃ akathaṃkathiṃ chinnakukkuccaṃ bhavābhave vītataṇhaṃ saññā nānusenti evaṃvādī kho ahaṃ, āvuso, evamakkhāyī
I am one who preaches in such a way, friend, whereby one, in this world with angels and gods, rests quarrelling with no one in the world, with its the populace of humans and angels, monks and priests; whereby, dwelling disconnected from sensuality, that brahmin, not asking ‘how, how?’, with doubt cut off, having removed craving for this or that existence, is not controlled by his perceptions. One who preaches thus, indeed, am I, friend; one who teaches thus.

M. 19 – dvedhāvitakkasuttaṃ
yaññadeva, bhikkhave, bhikkhu bahulamanuvitakketi anuvicāreti, tathā tathā nati hoti cetaso.
Whatever, o monks, a monk thinks of and about frequently, thereto inclined becomes his mind.

ahaṃ, bhikkhave, addasaṃ akusalānaṃ dhammānaṃ ādīnavaṃ okāraṃ saṃkilesaṃ, kusalānaṃ dhammānaṃ nekkhamme ānisaṃsaṃ vodānapakkhaṃ.
I, o monks, saw the danger of unwholesome dhammas, their baseness and defilement, and the benefit of wholesome dhammas, their association with purity and renunciation.

seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, gimhānaṃ pacchime māse sabbasassesu gāmantasambhatesu gopālako gāvo rakkheyya, tassa rukkhamūlagatassa vā abbhokāsagatassa vā satikaraṇīyameva hoti ‘etā gāvo’ti. evamevaṃ kho, bhikkhave, satikaraṇīyameva ahosi ‘ete dhammā’ti.
Just as, o monks, when, in the last month of the hot season, all crops have been stored in the village, a cowherd would guard cattle, aving gone to the root of a tree or to the open air, there being need only for mindfulness that ‘those are the cattle’. Just so, o monks, there was need only for mindfulness that ‘those are the dhammas’.

āraddhaṃ kho pana me, bhikkhave, vīriyaṃ ahosi asallīnaṃ, upaṭṭhitā sati asammuṭṭhā, passaddho kāyo asāraddho, samāhitaṃ cittaṃ ekaggaṃ.
Resolute indeed, o monks, was my effort, and unshaken; my mindfulness established and unconfused; the body calmed and unagitated; the mind composed and one-pointed.

avijjā vihatā vijjā uppannā; tamo vihato āloko uppanno; yathā taṃ appamattassa ātāpino pahitattassa viharato.
Ignorance was dispelled, gnosis arose; darkness was dispelled, light arose; so it is for one who dwells vigilant, energetic and self-intent.

iti kho, bhikkhave, vivaṭo mayā khemo maggo sovatthiko pītigamanīyo, pihito kummaggo, ūhato okacaro, nāsitā okacārikā. yaṃ, bhikkhave, satthārā karaṇīyaṃ sāvakānaṃ hitesinā anukampakena anukampaṃ upādāya, kataṃ vo taṃ mayā. etāni, bhikkhave, rukkhamūlāni, etāni suññāgārāni; jhāyatha, bhikkhave, mā pamādattha; mā pacchā vippaṭisārino ahuvattha. ayaṃ vo amhākaṃ anusāsanī
So indeed, o monks, opened is the path of safety, of well-being, for going to drink; closed is the useless path; pulled out is the male decoy, destroyed is the female decoy. What, o monks, should be done by a teacher wishing for the benefit of his students, by a compassionate one out of compassion, done for you is that by me. There, o monks, are the tree-root dwellings, there the empty huts. Meditate, o monks; don’t be negligent – don’t be regretful later. This is our instruction to you.

M. 20 – vitakkasaṇṭhānasuttaṃ
tassa tesaṃ vitakkānaṃ vitakkasaṅkhārasaṇṭhānaṃ manasikaroto ye pāpakā akusalā vitakkā chandūpasaṃhitāpi dosūpasaṃhitāpi mohūpasaṃhitāpi te pahīyanti te abbhatthaṃ gacchanti. tesaṃ pahānā ajjhattameva cittaṃ santiṭṭhati sannisīdati ekodi hoti samādhiyati.
When he establishes in his mind the nature of those thoughts as being mental constructions, then whatever evil, unwholesome thoughts there may be – associated with desire, associated with anger or associated with delusion, they are abandoned; they go to extintion. At their abandonment, the mind that is inwardly focussed stands still, lies still, is one, is focused.