MN 107 - Gañakamoggallāna Sutta - With Moggallāna the Accountant

• Reference
  • With Moggallāna the Accountant
  • Ganakamoggallana Sutta: The Discourse to Ganaka-Moggallana

Introduction

The Gañakamoggallāna Sutta (MN 107) is a discourse in which the Buddha describes the gradual training (anupubbasikkhā) that leads a practitioner from ethical conduct to the highest goal of Nibbāna. This sutta highlights the structured and systematic nature of the Dhamma, showing how one progresses step by step.

The Gradual Training (Anupubbasikkhā)

The Buddha describes the step-by-step training required for spiritual progress:

A. Ethical Conduct (Sīla) – The Foundation

1. Undertaking the Precepts
   • The disciple refrains from killing, stealing, lying, sexual misconduct, and intoxication.
   • Ethical conduct purifies one’s actions and speech.
2. Guarding the Sense Doors
   • The disciple avoids sensory distractions and cultivates mindful restraint over the six senses.
3. Moderation in Eating
   • Practicing self-discipline in food consumption to support meditation.
4. Wakefulness
   • Being diligent and mindful throughout the day and night.

B. Mental Development (Samādhi) – Training the Mind

5. Cultivating Mindfulness and Clear Comprehension
   • The disciple maintains awareness of body, feelings, mind, and mental objects.
6. Seclusion and Abandoning Five Hindrances
   • The practitioner seeks solitude and removes distractions (such as sensual desire, ill-will, sloth and torpor, restlessness and worry, and doubt).
7. Developing Jhāna (Deep Concentration)
   • The disciple enters meditative absorption (jhāna):
     1. First Jhāna – Rapture and joy arise from seclusion.
     2. Second Jhāna – Deepening concentration, rapture fades.
     3. Third Jhāna – Equanimity and mindful happiness.
     4. Fourth Jhāna – Pure equanimity and mental stability.

C. Wisdom (Paññā) – Insight Leading to Liberation

8. Seeing Things as They Truly Are
   • The disciple gains insight into impermanence (anicca), suffering (dukkha), and non-self (anattā).
9. Attaining Liberation (Nibbāna)
   • By perfecting insight, defilements are eradicated, leading to the realization of Nibbāna.

Key Teachings from the Sutta

1. The Buddha is the one who shows the way.
2. The Dhamma is Gradual, Not Instant
   • Awakening does not happen suddenly but through consistent training in morality, meditation, and wisdom.
3. Self-Discipline is Essential
   • Just as a profession requires training, so too does the path to enlightenment.
4. Step-by-Step Approach is Practical
   • The Buddha’s teachings are structured and methodical, making them accessible for all levels of practitioners.
5. Jhāna (Meditation) is a Key to Wisdom
   • Deep mental concentration (samādhi) leads to insight (vipassanā) and eventually liberation.

Practical Application

• Follow the Gradual Path: Start with ethical conduct (sīla), develop mindfulness, then deepen concentration and insight.
• Cultivate Patience: Awakening takes time and requires step-by-step training.
• Apply Discipline in Practice: Just as a profession requires practice, so does spiritual development.
• Integrate Meditation (Jhāna): Concentration is not separate from wisdom—it is a crucial foundation for insight.