(Mv.V.1.11) [2] Then the thought occurred to Soṇa Koḷivisa, “As I understand the Dhamma that the Blessed One teaches, it’s not easy living at home to live the holy life totally perfect, totally pure, like a polished shell. What if I were to shave off my hair & beard, put on the ochre robes, and go forth from the household life into homelessness.”

Then the 80,000 villagers, having delighted in the Blessed One’s words and expressed their approval, got up from their seats, bowed down to the Blessed One, circumambulated him, keeping him to their right, and left.

(Mv.V.1.12) Then Soṇa Koḷivisa, not long after the 80,000 villagers had left, went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, bowed down to the Blessed One and sat to one side. As he was sitting there, he said to the Blessed One, “As I understand the Dhamma that the Blessed One teaches, it’s not easy living at home to live the holy life totally perfect, totally pure, like a polished shell. I want to shave off my hair & beard, put on the ochre robes, and go forth from the household life into homelessness. Lord, may the Blessed One give me the Going-forth.”

So Soṇa Koḷivisa obtained the Going-forth in the Blessed One’s presence; he obtained Acceptance. Not long after his acceptance, Ven. Soṇa was staying in the Cool Grove. [1]

(Mv.V.1.13) As he practiced walking meditation with over-aroused persistence, his feet split. The walking path was covered in blood as if cows had been slaughtered. Then, as Ven. Soṇa was alone in seclusion, this train of thought arose in his awareness: “Of the Blessed One’s disciples who have aroused their persistence, I am one, but my mind is not released from the effluents through lack of clinging/sustenance. Now, my family has enough wealth that it would be possible to enjoy wealth & make merit. What if I were to return to the lower life, enjoy wealth, and make merit?”

(Mv.V.1.14) Then the Blessed One, as soon as he perceived with his awareness the train of thought in Ven. Soṇa’s awareness — just as a strong man might extend his flexed arm or flex his extended arm — disappeared from Vulture Peak Mountain and appeared in the Cool Wood. Then the Blessed One, walking on an inspection tour of the lodgings with several monks, went to Ven. Soṇa’s walking path. The Blessed One saw Ven. Soṇa’s walking path covered in blood and, on seeing it, addressed the monks, “Monks, whose walking path is this — covered in blood as if cows have been slaughtered?”

(Mv.V.1.15) “Lord, this is the walking path of Ven. Soṇa, whose persistence is over-aroused: His feet split, so this walking path of his is covered in blood as if cows have been slaughtered.”

Then the Blessed One went to Ven. Soṇa’s dwelling and, on arrival, sat down on a seat laid out. Ven. Soṇa, after bowing down to the Blessed One, also sat to one side. As he was sitting there, the Blessed One said to him, “Just now, as you were meditating in seclusion, didn’t this train of thought appear to your awareness: ‘Of the Blessed One’s disciples who have aroused their persistence, I am one, but my mind is not released from the effluents through lack of clinging/sustenance. Now, my family has enough wealth that it would be possible to enjoy wealth & make merit. What if I were to, return to the lower life, enjoy wealth, and make merit?’”

“Yes, lord.”

“Now what do you think, Soṇa? Before, when you were a house-dweller, were you skilled at playing the vīṇā?”

“Yes, lord.”

“And what do you think, Soṇa? When the strings of your vīṇā were too taut, was your vīṇā, at that time, in tune and playable?”

“No, lord.”

(Mv.V.1.16) “And what do you think, Soṇa? When the strings of your vīṇā were too loose, was your vīṇā, at that time, in tune and playable?”

“No, lord.”

“And what do you think, Soṇa? When the strings of your vīṇā were neither too taut nor too loose, but established to be right on pitch, was your vīṇā, at that time, in tune and playable?”

“Yes, lord.”

“In the same way, Soṇa, over-aroused persistence leads to restlessness, overly slack persistence leads to laziness.

(Mv.V.1.17) “Thus you should determine the right pitch for your persistence, attune the pitch of the faculties (to that), and there pick up your theme.”

“Yes, lord,” Ven. Soṇa responded to the Blessed One.

Then, having given this exhortation to Ven. Soṇa, the Blessed One — as a strong man might extend his flexed arm or flex his extended arm — disappeared from the Cool Wood and appeared on Vulture Peak Mountain.

(Mv.V.1.18) So after that, Ven. Soṇa determined the right pitch for his persistence, attuned the pitch of the faculties (to that), and there picked up his theme. Then, dwelling alone, secluded, heedful, ardent, & resolute, he in no long time reached & remained in the supreme goal of the holy life for which clansmen rightly go forth from home into homelessness, directly knowing & realizing it for himself in the here & now. He knew: “Birth is ended, the holy life fulfilled, the task done. There is nothing further for the sake of this world.”

And thus Ven. Soṇa became another one of the arahants.

(Mv.V.1.19) [3] Then, on the attainment of arahantship, the thought occurred to Ven. Soṇa: “What if I were to go to the Blessed One and, on arrival, to declare gnosis in his presence?”

So he then went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As he was sitting there he said to the Blessed One:

(Mv.V.1.20) “Lord, when a monk is an arahant, with his effluents ended, one who has reached fulfillment, done the task, laid down the burden, attained the true goal, totally destroyed the fetter of becoming, and is released through right gnosis, he is dedicated to six things: He is dedicated to renunciation, seclusion, non-afflictiveness, the ending of clinging/sustenance, the ending of craving, & non-deludedness.

(Mv.V.1.21) “Now it may occur to a certain venerable one to think, ‘Perhaps it is entirely dependent on a measure of conviction that this venerable one is dedicated to renunciation,’ but it should not be seen in that way.

“The monk whose effluents are ended, having fulfilled (the holy life), does not see in himself anything further to do, or anything further to add to what he has done. It is because of the ending of passion, because of his being free of passion, that he is dedicated to renunciation. It is because of the ending of aversion, because of his being free of aversion, that he is dedicated to renunciation. It is because of the ending of delusion, because of his being free of delusion, that he is dedicated to renunciation.

(Mv.V.1.22) “Now it may occur to a certain venerable one to think, ‘Perhaps it is because he desires gain, honor, & fame that this venerable one is dedicated to seclusion,’ but it should not be seen in that way.

“The monk whose effluents are ended, having fulfilled (the holy life), does not see in himself anything further to do, or anything further to add to what he has done. It is because of the ending of passion, because of his being free of passion, that he is dedicated to seclusion. It is because of the ending of aversion, because of his being free of aversion, that he is dedicated to seclusion. It is because of the ending of delusion, because of his being free of delusion, that he is dedicated to seclusion.

(Mv.V.1.23) “Now it may occur to a certain venerable one to think, ‘Perhaps it is because he falls back on attachment to habits & practices as being essential that he is dedicated to non-afflictiveness,’ but it should not be seen in that way.

“The monk whose effluents are ended, having fulfilled (the holy life), does not see in himself anything further to do, or anything further to add to what he has done. It is because of the ending of passion, because of his being free of passion, that he is dedicated to non-afflictiveness. It is because of the ending of aversion, because of his being free of aversion, that he is dedicated to non-afflictiveness. It is because of the ending of delusion, because of his being free of delusion, that he is dedicated to non-afflictiveness.

(Mv.V.1.24) “It is because of the ending of passion, because of his being free of passion, that he is dedicated to the ending of clinging/sustenance. It is because of the ending of aversion, because of his being free of aversion, that he is dedicated to the ending of clinging/sustenance. It is because of the ending of delusion, because of his being free of delusion, that he is dedicated to the ending of clinging/sustenance. It is because of the ending of passion, because of his being free of passion, that he is dedicated to the ending of craving. It is because of the ending of aversion, because of his being free of aversion, that he is dedicated to the ending of craving. It is because of the ending of delusion, because of his being free of delusion, that he is dedicated to the ending of craving. It is because of the ending of passion, because of his being free of passion, that he is dedicated to non-deludedness. It is because of the ending of aversion, because of his being free of aversion, that he is dedicated to non-deludedness. It is because of the ending of delusion, because of his being free of delusion, that he is dedicated to non-deludedness.

(Mv.V.1.25) “Lord, even if powerful forms cognizable by the eye come into the visual range of a monk whose mind is thus rightly released, his mind is neither overpowered nor even engaged. Being still, having reached imperturbability, he focuses on their passing away.[2]

“And even if powerful sounds cognizable by the ear …

“aromas cognizable by the nose …

“flavors cognizable by the tongue …

“tactile sensations cognizable by the body…

“(Even if powerful) ideas cognizable by the intellect come into his mental range, his mind is neither overpowered nor even engaged. Being still, having reached imperturbability, he focuses on their passing away.

(Mv.V.1.26) “Just as if there were a mountain of rock — without cracks, without fissures, one solid mass — and then from the east there were to come a powerful storm of wind & rain: (The storm) would neither make it shiver nor make it quiver nor make it shake.

“And then from the west there were to come a powerful storm of wind & rain …

“And then from the north there were to come a powerful storm of wind & rain …

“And then from the south there were to come a powerful storm of wind & rain: (The storm) would neither make it shiver nor make it quiver nor make it shake.

“In the same way, lord, even if powerful forms cognizable by the eye come into the visual range of a monk whose mind is thus rightly released, his mind is neither overpowered nor even engaged. Being still, having reached imperturbability, he focuses on their passing away.

“And even if powerful sounds cognizable by the ear …

“aromas cognizable by the nose …

“flavors cognizable by the tongue …

“tactile sensations cognizable by the body…

“(Even if powerful) ideas cognizable by the intellect come into his mental range, his mind is neither overpowered nor even engaged. Being still, having reached imperturbability, he focuses on their passing away.