Retelling: Vova Pyatsky and Smadar Pyatsky (based on the translations of the suttas published on Theravada.ru and SuttaCentral.net)
Russian Version: Дведхавитакка Сутта, Два вида мысли, Мадджхима Никая 19 | Три Ваджры
Translation to English: Roni Sherman and Marina Sherman
Two Kinds of thought
Once the Blessed One told his disciples that in his youth, when He was still an ascetic seeking Awakening, He decided to divide his thoughts into two groups: to one group, he assigned thoughts associated with sensual desire, ill-will, and harm to oneself and others; and to the other group, he assigned thoughts associated with renunciation, the abandonment of ill-will, and the cessation of harm to oneself and others.
When the Bodhisattva meditated on a thought associated with sensual desire or with ill-will or with harm, he realized that this thought leads to the pain of Himself and others, that it creates obstacles, difficulties, leads away from wisdom and nibbana. Then such a thought subsided and vanished.
What is constantly considered becomes the focus of the mind. When bad thoughts are considered, good thoughts are discarded, and the mind tends to bad behaviour. To avoid this, the Bodhisattva treated bad thoughts like a herdsman treats his cows in the season when the crops rise. He pokes them with a stick on their sides, not letting them go wherever they please, so that they do not harm the crops.
When the Bodhisattva meditated on a thought associated with renunciation, abandoning ill-will, and cessation of harm to oneself and others — He realized that in this thought there is no pain to himself or to others, that it does not create obstacles, or hurdles, does not lead away from wisdom and nibbana. However, he also realized that if He were to consider this thought excessively, He would tire his mind, make it tense, while strain — is an obstacle to concentration. Therefore he unified and calmed his mind, establishing it in tranquility.
What is consistently considered becomes the direction of the mind. When wholesome thoughts are considered, unwholesome thoughts are discarded, and the mind tends to wholesome behavior. How to consider wholesome thoughts? In the season when the crop is already harvested from the fields and is collected in barns in the village, the cowherd sits under a tree and only makes sure that the cows would be nearby. Likewise, a concentrated mind makes sure that wholesome thoughts are present in it.
The four Dhyanas
Without creating excitement in himself, the Bodhisattva effortlessly transitioned from one state of concentration to another: from concentration based on the senses to concentration based on discriminative effort, to concentration based on relaxation and abandonment, to concentration without support. He transitioned from one form of concentration to another in order, in reverse order, in random order until his mind became strong and capable of splitting a hair.
The Three Supermundane Knowledges
On the night that the Blessed One attained perfect Awakening, He attained three kinds of supermundane wisdom: He embraced his past lives with His attainment, He understood the law of karma and comprehended the paths of rebirth of beings, and He witnessed the cessation of the stains of excitement in the mind.
Having attained these three kinds of wisdom, the Buddha directly realized that the sacred duty of His life has been fulfilled, He is liberated, there is no more return of ignorance. He also realized that this is what happens to all those who pass this path.
The example of the herd of deer
The Buddha told his disciples a parable: near a swamp there lived a large herd of deer. One day, a wicked man, wishing them captivity and death, closed the safe passage through the swamp, scaring the deers off with a scarecrow, and placed bait by a false passage leading to the swamp. However, a good man came who destroyed the scarecrow, opened the safe passage, and removed the bait leading to the swamp.
After telling the parable, the Buddha explained it: the swamp — is the submersion of the mind in the activity of the senses; the large herd of deer — are beings; the wicked man — is a false view; the good man — is the Tathagatha; the false passage — is wrong thought, speech and actions. The safe passage — is right thought, speech and actions; the scarecrow — is ignorance; the bait — is pleasure and passion.
After finishing his story, the Buddha encouraged his disciples to study the Teaching, to not postpone it, to not experience frustration later.