Numbered Discourses 5.144

15. At Tikaṇḍakī

At Tikaṇḍakī

At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāketa, in Tikaṇḍakī Wood. There the Buddha addressed the bhikkhus, “Bhikkhus!”

“Venerable sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:

“Bhikkhus, a bhikkhu would do well to meditate from time to time perceiving the following: the repulsive in the unrepulsive,

the unrepulsive in the repulsive,

the repulsive in both the unrepulsive and the repulsive, and

the unrepulsive in both the repulsive and the unrepulsive.

A bhikkhu would do well to meditate from time to time staying equanimous, mindful and aware, rejecting both the repulsive and the unrepulsive.

For what reason should a bhikkhu meditate perceiving the repulsive in the unrepulsive? ‘May greed not arise in me for things that arouse greed.’ A bhikkhu should meditate perceiving the repulsive in the unrepulsive for this reason.

For what reason should a bhikkhu meditate perceiving the unrepulsive in the repulsive? ‘May hate not arise in me for things that provoke hate.’ …

For what reason should a bhikkhu meditate perceiving the repulsive in both the unrepulsive and the repulsive? ‘May greed not arise in me for things that arouse greed. May hate not arise in me for things that provoke hate.’ …

For what reason should a bhikkhu meditate perceiving the unrepulsive in both the repulsive and the unrepulsive? ‘May hate not arise in me for things that provoke hate. May greed not arise in me for things that arouse greed.’ …

For what reason should a bhikkhu meditate staying equanimous, mindful and aware, rejecting both the repulsive and the unrepulsive? ‘May no greed for things that arouse greed, hate for things that provoke hate, or delusion for things that promote delusion arise in me in any way at all.’ For this reason a bhikkhu should meditate staying equanimous, mindful and aware, rejecting both the repulsive and the unrepulsive.”