SN 46.1 - Himavanta Sutta: The Himalayas
Translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
Source: https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn46/sn46.001.than.html
License: CC-BY-NC-4.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Copyright: ©1997 Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
License notice: The text of this page ("Himavanta Sutta: The Himalayas", by Thanissaro Bhikkhu) is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. To view a copy of the license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/. Documents linked from this page may be subject to other restrictions.
Attribution: ©1997 Thanissaro Bhikkhu. The text of this page ("Himavanta Sutta: The Himalayas", by Thanissaro Bhikkhu) is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. To view a copy of the license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/. Documents linked from this page may be subject to other restrictions. Transcribed from a file provided by the translator. Last revised for Access to Insight on 30 November 2013. How to cite this document (a suggested style): "Himavanta Sutta: The Himalayas" (SN 46.1), translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Access to Insight (BCBS Edition), 30 November 2013, https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn46/sn46.001.than.html .
Changes: Presentation only: original HTML markup reflowed into plain text; wording, numbering and source repetitions retained. No repetitions expanded.
Completeness: ABBREVIATED. Every source-unit character is preserved, including introductions, notes and verse structure. Thanissaro's collection-level note explicitly states that repetitions were cut: https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/about.html. This is evidence about the translation method, not an assertion that every individual unit contains an omission; no repetitions reconstructed.

"Monks, it is in dependence on the Himalayas, the king of mountains, that serpents (nagas) grow in body and gain in strength. Having grown in body and gained strength there, they descend to the small lakes. Having descended to the small lakes, they descend to the large lakes... the small rivers... the large rivers... to the great ocean. There they attain greatness & prosperity in terms of the body.

"In the same way, it is in dependence on virtue, established on virtue, having developed & pursued the seven factors of Awakening, that a monk attains to greatness & prosperity in terms of mental qualities. And how is it that a monk — in dependence on virtue, established on virtue, having developed & pursued the seven factors for Awakening — attains to greatness & prosperity in terms of mental qualities?

"There is the case where a monk develops mindfulness as a factor for Awakening dependent on seclusion, dependent on dispassion, dependent on cessation, resulting in relinquishment. He develops analysis of qualities as a factor for Awakening...persistence as a factor for Awakening...rapture as a factor for Awakening...serenity as a factor for Awakening...concentration as a factor for Awakening...equanimity as a factor for Awakening dependent on seclusion, dependent on dispassion, dependent on cessation, resulting in relinquishment. This is how a monk — in dependence on virtue, established on virtue, having developed & pursued the seven factors for Awakening — attains to greatness & prosperity in terms of mental qualities."