Suda Sutta - Meditation and Cooking
"Suppose that there is a foolish, inexperienced, unskillful cook who has presented a king or a king's minister with various kinds of curry: mainly sour, mainly bitter, mainly peppery, mainly sweet, alkaline or non-alkaline, salty or non-salty.
He does not take note of1 his master, thinking, 'Today my master likes this curry, or he reaches out for that curry, or he takes a lot of this curry, or he praises that curry. Today my master likes mainly sour curry... Today my master likes mainly bitter curry... mainly peppery curry... mainly sweet curry... alkaline curry... non-alkaline curry... salty curry... Today my master likes non-salty curry, or he reaches out for non-salty curry, or he takes a lot of non-salty curry, or he praises non-salty curry.'
As a result, he is not rewarded with clothing or wages or gifts.
Why is that?
Because the foolish, inexperienced, unskillful cook does not pick up on the theme of his own master.
"In the same way, there are cases where a foolish, inexperienced, unskillful monk remains focused on the body in & of itself — ardent, alert, & mindful — putting aside greed & distress with reference to the world.
As he remains thus focused on the body in & of itself, his mind does not become concentrated, his defilements2 are not abandoned.
He does not take note of that fact.3
He remains focused on feelings in & of themselves... the mind in & of itself... mental qualities in & of themselves — ardent, alert, & mindful — putting aside greed & distress with reference to the world.
As he remains thus focused on mental qualities in & of themselves, his mind does not become concentrated, his defilements are not abandoned. He does not take note of that fact.
As a result, he is not rewarded with a pleasant abiding here & now, nor with mindfulness & alertness.
Why is that?
Because the foolish, inexperienced, unskillful monk does not take note of his own mind.4
"Now suppose that there is a wise, experienced, skillful cook who has presented a king or a king's minister with various kinds of curry: mainly sour, mainly bitter, mainly peppery, mainly sweet, alkaline or non-alkaline, salty or non-salty.
He takes note of his master, thinking, 'Today my master likes this curry, or he reaches out for that curry, or he takes a lot of this curry or he praises that curry. Today my master likes mainly sour curry... Today my master likes mainly bitter curry... mainly peppery curry... mainly sweet curry... alkaline curry... non-alkaline curry... salty curry... Today my master likes non-salty curry, or he reaches out for non-salty curry, or he takes a lot of non-salty curry, or he praises non-salty curry.'
As a result, he is rewarded with clothing, wages, & gifts.
Why is that?
Because the wise, experienced, skillful cook picks up on the theme of his own master.
"In the same way, there are cases where a wise, experienced, skillful monk remains focused on the body in & of itself... feelings in & of themselves... the mind in & of itself... mental qualities in & of themselves — ardent, alert, & mindful — putting aside greed & distress with reference to the world.
As he remains thus focused on mental qualities in & of themselves, his mind becomes concentrated, his defilements are abandoned.
He takes note of that fact.
As a result, he is rewarded with a pleasant abiding here & now, together with mindfulness & alertness.
Why is that?
Because the wise, experienced, skillful monk picks up on the theme of his own mind."
-- Samyutta Nikaya XLVII.8
Suggestions for Further Reading
- Auspicious and Admirable Friendship, Kalyanamittata
- Practical advice for meditators
- Buddhism - Guidelines for Meditation
- Code of Conduct and Discipline For the Buddhist Monks
- Rules For Monks in Theravada Buddhism
- Bodhinyana A Collection of Dhamma Talks
- Buddhism - Meditation Upon the Body
- Principles of Lay Buddhism
- The Buddha's Method of Teaching
- About The Buddhist Meditation
- Dana - Charity and Generosity in Buddhism
- Dana, The Practice of Giving
- The Role of Meditation Pain, Illness and Death
- Dhamma Vinaya - Training Rules for the Monks
- Duties of the Buddhist Sangha
- Giving Gifts and Money to the Buddhist Monks
- The Buddha On How The World Will End
- An Anthology of The Teachings of Ajaan Lee Dhammadharo
- Ajan Suwat Suvaco on The Dhamma Practice
- Talks on the Dhamma Practice For the Buddhist Monks
- Food Rules For Buddhist Monks
- Training the Mind With Mindfulness
- Pabajja, Entering Into to Buddhist Monkhood
- Understanding Anicca, Dukkha, and Anatta
- Buddhism For Lay Buddhists
- Buddhism - Stages in the Practice of Dhamma
- Suda Sutta - Meditation and Cooking
- Anapana Sati, Meditation on Breathing
- Buddhist Meditation and Depth Psychology
- Forty Dhamma Talks on Meditation
- Buddhism: A Method of Mind Training
- Anapanasati Sutta Mindfulness of Breathing
- The Place of Vipassana Meditation in Buddhism
- Buddhism - The Power of Mindfulness
- A Modern Treatise on Buddhist Satipatthana Meditation
- A Teaching on Satipatthana Vipassana Meditation
- Talks for Beginning Meditators
- Buddhism - Talks on the Training of the Mind
- Essays On Dharma
- Esoteric Mystic Hinduism
- Introduction to Hinduism
- Hindu Way of Life
- Essays On Karma
- Hindu Rites and Rituals
- The Origin of The Sanskrit Language
- Symbolism in Hinduism
- Essays on The Upanishads
- Concepts of Hinduism
- Essays on Atman
- Hindu Festivals
- Spiritual Practice
- Right Living
- Yoga of Sorrow
- Happiness
- Mental Health
- Concepts of Buddhism
- General Essays
Notes
1. Lit.: "pick
up on the theme of."
2.
Comy: the five Hindrances (niivara.na).
3. Or: "does not pick
up on that theme."
4.
Or: "does not pick up on the theme of his own mind."
Source:Copyright © 1997 Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Reproduced and reformatted from Access to Insight edition © 1997 For free distribution. This work may be republished, reformatted, reprinted, and redistributed in any medium. It is the author's wish, however, that any such republication and redistribution be made available to the public on a free and unrestricted basis and that translations and other derivative works be clearly marked as such.