Reading guide
Knowing and seeing, not merely wishing
"The ending of defilements is for one who knows and sees, not for one who does not know or see" — specifically, knowing each aggregate's own origin and ending, not merely the aggregate's bare existence.
A mendicant not committed to development might wish "if only my mind were freed from the defilements by not grasping" — but wishing alone does not free the mind. "It's because they're undeveloped," specifically in the seven sets of qualities that make up the path.
The hen and her unincubated eggs
A hen with eight, ten, or twelve eggs, who has not "properly sat on them to keep them warm and incubated," might wish for her chicks to hatch safely — but wishing cannot substitute for the incubation itself.
The same structure is then given in reverse: a hen who has properly incubated her eggs need not even wish for them to hatch — the outcome follows from the doing, independent of any wish attached to it.
The adze handle worn smooth
"A mason or their apprentice sees the marks of his fingers and thumb on the handle of his adze" — but has no way of knowing exactly how much wore away today, how much yesterday, how much before that. "They just know what has been worn away."
Applied directly to practice: a committed mendicant likewise cannot track exactly how much of the defilements wore away on any given day — only that, over time, wearing away has in fact occurred. Development is real and cumulative even when its increments are invisible.
The ship's ropes, weathered and rotted
A final image: a seafaring ship's ropes, soaked for six months in water, then hauled up and weathered by wind and sun through the dry season, finally soaked again by monsoon rain — at which point they "readily collapse and rot away."
"In the same way, when a mendicant is committed to development their fetters readily collapse and rot away" — the final collapse looks sudden, but it is the outcome of an accumulated, largely invisible process of wear, exactly like the adze handle and the hatching eggs before it.
Key terms
The text
§1At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, I say that the ending of defilements is for one who knows and sees, not for one who does not know or see. For one who knows and sees what? ‘Such is form, such is the origin of form, such is the ending of form. Such is feeling … Such is perception … Such are choices … Such is consciousness, such is the origin of consciousness, such is the ending of consciousness.’ The ending of the defilements is for one who knows and sees this.
§2When a mendicant is not committed to development, they might wish: ‘If only my mind were freed from the defilements by not grasping!’ Even so, their mind is not freed from defilements by not grasping. Why is that? You should say: ‘It’s because they’re undeveloped.’ Undeveloped in what? Undeveloped in the four kinds of mindfulness meditation, the four right efforts, the four bases of psychic power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven awakening factors, and the noble eightfold path.
§3Suppose there was a chicken with eight or ten or twelve eggs. But she had not properly sat on them to keep them warm and incubated. That chicken might wish: ‘If only my chicks could break out of the eggshell with their claws and beak and hatch safely!’ But they can’t break out and hatch safely. Why is that? Because that chicken with eight or ten or twelve eggs has not properly sat on them to keep them warm and incubated. In the same way, when a mendicant is not committed to development, they might wish: ‘If only my mind was freed from the defilements by not grasping!’ Even so, their mind is not freed from defilements by not grasping. Why is that? You should say: ‘It’s because they’re undeveloped.’ Undeveloped in what? Undeveloped in the four kinds of mindfulness meditation, the four right efforts, the four bases of psychic power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven awakening factors, and the noble eightfold path.
§4When a mendicant is committed to development, they might not wish: ‘If only my mind were freed from the defilements by not grasping!’ Even so, their mind is freed from defilements by not grasping. Why is that? You should say: ‘It’s because they are developed.’ Developed in what? Developed in the four kinds of mindfulness meditation, the four right efforts, the four bases of psychic power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven awakening factors, and the noble eightfold path.
§5Suppose there was a chicken with eight or ten or twelve eggs. And she properly sat on them to keep them warm and incubated. That chicken might not wish: ‘If only my chicks could break out of the eggshell with their claws and beak and hatch safely!’ But still they can break out and hatch safely. Why is that? Because that chicken with eight or ten or twelve eggs properly sat on them to keep them warm and incubated. In the same way, when a mendicant is committed to development, they might not wish: ‘If only my mind were freed from the defilements by not grasping!’ Even so, their mind is freed from defilements by not grasping. Why is that? You should say: ‘It’s because they are developed.’ Developed in what? Developed in the four kinds of mindfulness meditation, the four right efforts, the four bases of psychic power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven awakening factors, and the noble eightfold path.
§6Suppose a mason or their apprentice sees the marks of his fingers and thumb on the handle of his adze. They don’t know how much of the handle was worn away today, how much yesterday, and how much previously. They just know what has been worn away. In the same way, when a mendicant is committed to development, they don’t know how much of the defilements were worn away today, how much yesterday, and how much previously. They just know what has been worn away. Suppose there was a sea-faring ship bound together with ropes. For six months they deteriorated in the water. Then in the cold season it was hauled up on dry land, where the ropes were weathered by wind and sun. When the monsoon clouds soaked it with rain, the ropes would readily collapse and rot away. In the same way, when a mendicant is committed to development their fetters readily collapse and rot away.”
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