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Buddhism

Ud 3:5 · Mahā Moggallāna (Kolita Sutta)

Thai temple painting: Prince Vessantara gives away the white elephant
Vessantara Jātaka, Chapter 2 (Himavanta Forest) · Thai, Rattanakosin, c. 1850–1870 · Walters Art Museum

I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Sāvatthī at Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. And on that occasion Ven. Mahā Moggallāna was sitting not far from the Blessed One, his legs crossed, his body held erect, having mindfulness immersed in the body well-established within. The Blessed One saw Ven. Mahā Moggallāna sitting not far away, his legs crossed, his body held erect, having mindfulness immersed in the body well-established within.

Then, on realizing the significance of that, the Blessed One on that occasion exclaimed:

With mindfulness immersed in the body

well-established, restrained

with regard to the six contact-media–

continually centered,

a monk

can know

unbinding for himself.

See also: MN 119; SN 47:20


Translated by Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu. © 2014 / rev. 2017 Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu — released under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 licence, for free distribution only. Source: dhammatalks.org (Metta Forest Monastery).

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