MAHĀ MĀLUNKYA SUTTA: LONGER DISCOURSE TO VEN. MĀLUNKYAPUTTA
The 152 discourses are divided into three parts consisting of 50, 50 and 52 discourses respectively. Mahā Mālunkya sutta is the 64th discourse included in the middle part. (1)
“And what, Ānanda, is the path, the practice for abandoning the five lower fetters?”
“Here, Ānanda, a monk secluded from attachments, by giving up unskilful qualities, and complete settling of bodily discomfort, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskilful qualities, enters and remains in the first absorption, accompanied by initial application and sustained application, rapture and pleasure born of seclusion. Whatever phenomena that are there connected with form, feeling, perception, mental formations and consciousness, he contemplates them as impermanent, as suffering, as a disease, as a boil, as a dart, as misery, as an affliction, as alien, as falling apart, as empty, as not-self. He turns his mind away from those states and directs his mind to the property of deathlessness: ‘This is peaceful; this is sublime; that is the stilling of all activities; the letting go of all attachments; the ending of craving; dispassion; extinguishment.’ Abiding in that, he attains the destruction of mental influxes. If he does not attain the destruction of the mental influxes because of this Dhamma passion and Dhamma delight, then with the destruction of the five lower fetters, they are reborn spontaneously. There, they attain extinguishment and are not subject to returning from that world. This, Ānanda, is the path, the practice, for abandoning the five lower fetters.”
“Venerable Sir, if this is the path, the practice, for abandoning the five lower fetters, then how is it that some monks here are liberated in mind while others are liberated by wisdom?”
“In that case, Ānanda, I say it is the difference in their faculties.”
In this sutta, Lord Buddha explains how to attain the anagami stage with each jhanas. Venerable Ananda asked: “How did some bhikkhus attain liberation through wisdom?” Lord Buddha replied: “It is the difference of faculties.”
How can we know which faculties are most appropriate for ourselves? I understand that only a Lord Buddha is able to give us the best training. Are there other ways that can bring us closer to the best?