मेघियसुत्तं

‘‘खुद्दा वितक्‍का सुखुमा वितक्‍का,

अनुगता [अनुग्गता (सी॰ क॰ अट्ठकथायं पाठन्तरं)] मनसो उप्पिलावा [उब्बिलापा (सी॰ स्या॰ पी॰)]।

एते अविद्वा मनसो वितक्‍के,

हुरा हुरं धावति भन्तचित्तो॥

‘‘एते च विद्वा मनसो वितक्‍के,

आतापियो संवरती सतीमा।

अनुगते मनसो उप्पिलावे,

असेसमेते पजहासि बुद्धो’’ति॥ पठमं।

Little thoughts, subtle thoughts,

when followed, stir up the heart.

Not comprehending the thoughts of the heart,

one runs here & there,

the mind out of control.

But comprehending the thoughts of the heart,

one who is ardent, mindful,

restrains them.

When, followed, they stir up the heart,

one awakened

lets them go without trace.

Buddha

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"Meghiya Sutta: About Meghiya" (Ud 4.1), translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Access to Insight, 3 September 2012,http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/ud/ud.4.01.than.html . Retrieved on 4 March 2013 (Offline Edition 2013.03.04.11).

Composure and Self-awareness

In avoiding mistakes, the important point is composure. If we have composure guarding our thoughts, words, and deeds at every moment, we won't make any mistakes at all. The mistakes we make are due to lack of composure. We're forgetful, absentminded, heedless, complacent, exuberant, or deluded — and thus we make mistakes. Remember the maxim, "Keep your composure as a protective shield, and you'll do bravely in the field."
Every form of life — human, animal, even plant life — survives through struggle, in line with the saying, "Life is struggle." At whatever moment we can no longer keep up the struggle, we have to die. So as long as we keep our composure, then even when death comes, only the body dies — just as with the life of the Lord Buddha and the arahants: They had full composure with every mental moment, so that they never made mistakes. That was how they reached deathlessness, the state of immortality. Thus their death was called parinibbana: the disbanding and extinguishing of nothing more than the physical and mental phenomena termed the five aggregates (khandha): body, feeling, perception, mental processes, and consciousness.
Thus we should develop composure (mindfulness before acting, speaking and thinking) and self-awareness (clear comprehension while acting, speaking, and thinking). Once we are done, we should use mindfulness to check back and consider if anything is defective or if everything is in proper order. If anything is defective, then immediately make corrections so as to be perfect the next time around. If everything is already in order, keep trying to have things in even better order until reaching the ultimate.

by Chao Khun Nararatana Rajamanit (Tryk Dhammavitakko)

 translated from the Thai by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Access to Insight, 7 June 2010, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/thai/nararatana/iridescence.html . Retrieved on 20 October 2011.

जागरियसुत्तं Sutta on Wakefulness

वुत्तञ्हेतं भगवता, वुत्तमरहताति मे सुतं –

‘‘जागरो चस्स, भिक्खवे, भिक्खु विहरेय्य सतो सम्पजानो समाहितो पमुदितो विप्पसन्‍नो च तत्थ कालविपस्सी च कुसलेसु धम्मेसु। जागरस्स, भिक्खवे, भिक्खुनो विहरतो सतस्स सम्पजानस्स समाहितस्स पमुदितस्स विप्पसन्‍नस्स तत्थ कालविपस्सिनो कुसलेसु धम्मेसु द्विन्‍नं फलानं अञ्‍ञतरं फलं पाटिकङ्खं – दिट्ठेव धम्मे अञ्‍ञा, सति वा उपादिसेसे अनागामिता’’ति। एतमत्थं भगवा अवोच। तत्थेतं इति वुच्‍चति –

‘‘जागरन्ता सुणाथेतं, ये सुत्ता ते पबुज्झथ।

सुत्ता जागरितं सेय्यो, नत्थि जागरतो भयं॥

‘‘यो जागरो च सतिमा सम्पजानो, समाहितो मुदितो विप्पसन्‍नो च।

कालेन सो सम्मा धम्मं परिवीमंसमानो, एकोदिभूतो विहने तमं सो॥

‘‘तस्मा हवे जागरियं भजेथ, आतापी भिक्खु निपको झानलाभी।

संयोजनं जातिजराय छेत्वा, इधेव सम्बोधिमनुत्तरं फुसे’’ति॥

अयम्पि अत्थो वुत्तो भगवता, इति मे सुतन्ति। दसमं।

This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard: "A monk should be wakeful: mindful, alert, centered, sensitive, clear, and calm. And there he should, at the appropriate times, see clearly into skillful mental qualities. For a monk who is wakeful — mindful, alert, centered, sensitive, clear, and calm, seeing clearly, at the appropriate times, into skillful mental qualities — one of two fruits can be expected: either gnosis right in the present life, or — if there be any remnant of clinging-sustenance — non-return."

Those who are wakeful, listen!

Those who are sleeping, wake up!

Wakefulness is better than sleep.

For those who are wakeful, there's no danger, no fear.

Whoever is wakeful, mindful, alert,

centered, sensitive, calm, and clear,

rightly exploring the Dhamma at appropriate times,

will — at oneness — shatter the darkness.

So be devoted to wakefulness.

 The ardent monk — masterful, acquiring jhana,

 cutting the fetter of birth and aging —

touches right here a self-awakening un-surpassed.

 "Itivuttaka: The Group of Twos" (Iti 28-49), translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Access to Insight, 19 September 2010, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/iti/iti.2.028-049.than.html.

Appamada

Monks, I know not of any other single thing of such power to cause the arising of good thoughts if not yet arisen, or to cause the waning of evil thoughts if already arisen, as heedfulness. In him who is heedful, good thoughts not yet arisen, do arise, and evil thoughts, if arisen, do wane

The man who delights in mindfulness and regards heedlessness with dread, is not liable to fall away. He is in the vicinity of Nibbana.
— Dhammpad

"Appamado mahato atthaya sanvattati: " Mindfulness is conducive to great profit

Buddha

mindfulness of death

Once the Blessed One was staying in the Brick Hall at Naadikaa. There he addressed the monks as follows:
"Mindfulness of death, monks, if cultivated and frequently practiced, brings great fruit, great benefit; it merges in the Deathless, ends in the Deathless. And how, monks, is it cultivated (in that way)?
"When, monks, the day fades and night sets in... or when the night is spent and the day breaks, a monk should reflect thus: 'Many might be the causes of my death: a snake or a scorpion or a centipede may sting me, and through that I may die. This would be a hindrance to me. Or I may stumble and have a fall; or the food I ate may cause illness; or bile, phlegm, or piercing (pains of body-) gases may upset my health; humans or non-humans may assault me; and through this I may die. That would be a hindrance to me.'
"Then that monk should further reflect thus: 'Do I harbor in myself any evil and unwholesome qualities, which are still undiscarded and would be a hindrance to me if I were to die tonight or during the day?'
"If, on reflection, that monk realizes that those evil, unwholesome qualities are still in him, then he should, with strong resolve, apply all his effort, vigor and exertion, (together with) mindfulness and clear comprehension, for the sake of discarding them.
"Just as a man whose turban or hair is on fire will, to extinguish the fire, with strong resolve, apply all his effort, vigor and exertion, (together with) mindfulness and clear comprehension; even so should that monk resolutely apply all his effort... for discarding his evil and unwholesome qualities.
"But if, on reflection, that monk realizes that there are in him no such evil and unwholesome qualities that might be a hindrance to him if he were to die tonight or during the day, then he may well feel gladness and joy. By day and night he should train himself in everything that is beneficial.
"If, monks, mindfulness of death is cultivated in that way, and is frequently practiced, it will bring great fruit, great benefit, and it will merge in the Deathless, will end in the Deathless."