The Goldsmith

“Bhikkhus, when a bhikkhu is devoted to the higher mind, from time to time he should give attention to three marks. (1) From time to time he should give attention to the mark of concentration; (2) from time to time to the mark of exertion; and (3) from
time to time to the mark of equanimity.

“If a bhikkhu devoted to the higher mind attends exclusively to the mark of concentration, it is possible that his mind will veer towards laziness. If he attends exclusively to the mark of exertion, it is possible that his mind will veer towards restlessness. If he attends exclusively to the mark of equanimity, it is possible that his mind will not be properly concentrated for the destruction of the taints. But when a bhikkhu devoted to the higher mind from time to time gives attention to the mark of concentration, from time to time to the mark of exertion, and from time to time to the mark of equanimity, his mind becomes malleable, wieldy, and luminous, pliant and properly concentrated for the destruction of the taints.

“Suppose, bhikkhus, a goldsmith or his apprentice would prepare a furnace, heat up the crucible, take some gold with tongs, and put it into the crucible. Then from time to time he would blow on it, from time to time sprinkle water over it, and from time to time just look on. If the goldsmith or his apprentice were to exclusively blow on the gold, it is possible that the gold would just burn up. If he were to exclusively sprinkle water on the gold, it is possible the gold would cool down. If he were exclusively to just look on, it is
possible the gold would not reach the right consistency. But if the goldsmith or his apprentice from time to time blows on it, from time to time sprinkles water over it, and from time to time just looks on, the gold would become malleable, wieldy, and luminous,
pliant and properly fit for work. Then whatever kind of ornament the goldsmith wishes to make from it—whether a bracelet, earrings, a necklace, or a golden garland—he can
achieve his purpose.

“So too, when a bhikkhu is devoted to the higher mind, from time to time he should give attention to three marks. From time to time he should give attention to the mark of concentration; from time to time to the mark of exertion; and from time to time to the mark of equanimity.

“If a bhikkhu devoted to the higher mind attends exclusively to the mark of concentration, it is possible that his mind will veer towards laziness. If he attends exclusively to the mark of exertion, it is possible that his mind will veer towards restlessness. If he attends exclusively to the mark of equanimity, it is possible that his mind will not be properly concentrated for the destruction of the taints. But when from time to time he gives attention to the mark of concentration, from time to time to the mark of exertion, and from time to time to the mark of equanimity, his mind becomes malleable, wieldy, and luminous, not brittle but properly concentrated for the destruction of the taints. Then, there being a suitable basis, he is capable of realizing any state realizable by direct knowledge towards which he might incline his mind.

“If he wishes: ‘May I wield the various kinds of psychic potency: having been one, may I become many; having been many, may I become one; may I appear and vanish; may I go unhindered through a wall, through a rampart, through a mountain as though through space; may I dive in and out of the earth as though it were water; may I walk on water without sinking as though it were earth; seated cross-legged, may I travel in space like a bird; with my hand may I touch and stroke the moon and sun so powerful and mighty; may I exercise mastery with the body as far as the brahmā world,’he is capable of realizing it, there being a suitable basis. “If he wishes: ‘May I, with the divine ear element, which is purified and surpasses the human, hear both kinds of sounds, the divine and human, those that are far as well as near,’he is capable of realizing it, there being a suitable basis.

“If he wishes: ‘May I understand the minds of other beings and persons, having encompassed them with my own mind. May I understand a mind with lust as a mind with lust, anda mind without lust as a mind without lust; a mind with hatred as a mind with hatred, and a mind without hatred as a mind without hatred; a mind with delusion as a mind with delusion, and a mind without delusion as a mind without delusion; a contracted mind as contracted and a distracted mind as distracted; an exalted mind as exalted and an unexalted mind as unexalted; a surpassable mind as surpassable and an unsurpassable mind as unsurpassable; a concentrated mind as concentrated and an unconcentrated mind as unconcentrated; a liberated mind as liberated and an unliberated mind as unliberated,’ he is capable of realizing it, there being a suitable basis.

“If he wishes: ‘May I recollect my manifold past abodes, that is, one birth, two births, three births, four births, five births, ten births, twenty births, thirty births, forty births, fifty births, a hundred births, a thousand births, a hundred thousand births, many eons of world-dissolution, many eons of world-evolution, many eons of world-dissolution and world-evolution thus: “There I was so named, of such a clan, with such an appearance, such was my food, such my experience of pleasure and pain, such my life span; passing away from there, I was reborn elsewhere, and there too I was so named, of such a clan, with such an appearance, such was my food, such my experience of pleasure and pain, such my life span; passing away from there, I was reborn here”—may I thus recollect my manifold past abodes with their aspects and details,’he is capable of realizing it, there being a suitable basis.

“If he wishes: ‘May I, with the divine eye, which is purified and surpasses the human, see beings passing away and being reborn, inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate, and understand how beings fare on in accordance with their kamma thus: “These beings who engaged in misconduct by body, speech, and mind, who reviled the noble ones, held wrong view, and undertook kamma based on wrong view, with the breakup of the body, after death, have been reborn in the plane of misery, in a bad destination, in the lower world, in hell; but these beings who engaged in good conduct by body, speech, and mind, who did not revile the noble ones, who held right view, and undertook kamma based on right view, with the breakup of the body, after death, have been reborn in a good destination, in the heavenly world”—thus with the divine eye, which is purified and surpasses the human, may I see beings passing away and being reborn, inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate, and understand how beings fare on in accordance with their kamma,’he is capable of realizing it, there being a suitable basis.

If he wishes: ‘May I, with the destruction of the taints, in this very life realize for myself with direct knowledge the taintless liberation of mind, liberation by wisdom; and having entered upon it, may I dwell in it,’he is capable of realizing it, there being a suitable basis.”

from the Aṅguttara Nikāya – The Book of Threes – Sutta 102
“The Numerical Discourses of the Buddha”

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