26

THE B U D D H I S T T R A D I T I O N

this day, and are part of "Right Mindfulness," the seventh stage of
the Noble Eightfold Path. The translation is considerably abridged.
T h e L ord was staying a t SavatthI a t th e m onastery of
A n ath ap in d aka in th e G rove of Jeta. O n e m orning h e drew ed,
took his robe an d bowl, an d w en t in to S avattnl for alms,
w ith th e R everend Rahula^ following close b eh in d him . As
th ey w alked th e L ord, . . . w ith o u t looking round, spoke
to h im th u s:
All m aterial form s, past, present, or future, w ithin or
w ith o u t, gross or subtly, base or fine, far or near, all should
b e viewed w ith full understanding w ith th e th o u g h t T h is
is n o t m ine, this is n o t I, this is n o t m y soul.
O nly m aterial form s. L ord?
N o , n o t only m aterial form s, R ahula, b u t also sensation,
perception, th e psychic constructions, an d consciousness.
\ ^ o w ould go to th e village to collect alms today, w heii
h e has been exhorted by th e L ord him self? said Rahula. A n d
h e tu rn e d back a n d sat cross-legged, w ith body erect, col
lected in th o u g h t.
T h e n th e V enerable Sariputta,^ seeing h im thus, said to
h im : D evelop concentration on inhalation an d exhalation,
for w hen th is is developed an d increased it is very productive
a n d h elp fu l.
T ow ards evening R ahula rose an d w en t to th e Lord, a n d
asked h im how h e could develop concentration on inhalatio n
a n d exhalation. A nd th e L ord said:
R ahula, w hatever is h ard an d solid in an individual, such
as hair, nails, te e th , skin, flesh, an d so on, is called th e p er
sonal elem ent o f ea rth . The personal elem ent of w ater is
com posed of bile, phlegm , pus, blood, sweat, a n d so o n .
T h e personal elem en t of fire is th a t w hich warm s a n d con
sum es o r burns up, an d produces m etabolism o f food a n d
d rin k in digestion. 'The personal elem ent o f air is th e w in d
in th e body w hich moves upw ards or dow nw ards, th e w inds
* 'The Buddhas son, who, after his fathers enlightenment, became
a monk.
* O r self (atta).
* The five components of individuality.
* One of the Buddhas chief disciples.