At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāketa, in Tikaṇḍakī Wood. Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sākete viharati tikaṇḍakīvane. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants, Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: “Mendicants!” “bhikkhavo”ti.

“Venerable sir,” they replied. “Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. The Buddha said this: Bhagavā etadavoca:

1. “Mendicants, a mendicant would do well to meditate from time to time perceiving the following: the repulsive in the unrepulsive, “Sādhu, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kālena kālaṁ appaṭikūle paṭikūlasaññī vihareyya.
2. the unrepulsive in the repulsive, Sādhu, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kālena kālaṁ paṭikūle appaṭikūlasaññī vihareyya.
3. the repulsive in both the unrepulsive and the repulsive, and Sādhu, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kālena kālaṁ appaṭikūle ca paṭikūle ca paṭikūlasaññī vihareyya.
4. the unrepulsive in both the repulsive and the unrepulsive. Sādhu, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kālena kālaṁ paṭikūle ca appaṭikūle ca appaṭikūlasaññī vihareyya.
5. A mendicant would do well to meditate from time to time staying equanimous, mindful and aware, shunning both the repulsive and the unrepulsive. Sādhu, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kālena kālaṁ paṭikūlañca appaṭikūlañca tadubhayaṁ abhinivajjetvā upekkhako vihareyya sato sampajāno.

For what reason should a mendicant meditate perceiving the repulsive in the unrepulsive? Kiñca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu atthavasaṁ paṭicca appaṭikūle paṭikūlasaññī vihareyya? ‘May greed not arise in me for things that arouse greed.’ ‘Mā me rajanīyesu dhammesu rāgo udapādī’ti—A mendicant should meditate perceiving the repulsive in the unrepulsive for this reason. idaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu atthavasaṁ paṭicca appaṭikūle paṭikūlasaññī vihareyya.

For what reason should a mendicant meditate perceiving the unrepulsive in the repulsive? Kiñca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu atthavasaṁ paṭicca paṭikūle appaṭikūlasaññī vihareyya? ‘May hate not arise in me for things that provoke hate.’ … ‘Mā me dosanīyesu dhammesu doso udapādī’ti—idaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu atthavasaṁ paṭicca paṭikūle appaṭikūlasaññī vihareyya.

For what reason should a mendicant meditate perceiving the repulsive in both the unrepulsive and the repulsive? Kiñca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu atthavasaṁ paṭicca appaṭikūle ca paṭikūle ca paṭikūlasaññī vihareyya? ‘May greed not arise in me for things that arouse greed. May hate not arise in me for things that provoke hate.’ … ‘Mā me rajanīyesu dhammesu rāgo udapādi, mā me dosanīyesu dhammesu doso udapādī’ti—idaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu atthavasaṁ paṭicca appaṭikūle ca paṭikūle ca paṭikūlasaññī vihareyya.

For what reason should a mendicant meditate perceiving the unrepulsive in both the repulsive and the unrepulsive? Kiñca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu atthavasaṁ paṭicca paṭikūle ca appaṭikūle ca appaṭikūlasaññī vihareyya? ‘May hate not arise in me for things that provoke hate. May greed not arise in me for things that arouse greed.’ … ‘Mā me dosanīyesu dhammesu doso udapādi, mā me rajanīyesu dhammesu rāgo udapādī’ti—idaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu atthavasaṁ paṭicca paṭikūle ca appaṭikūle ca appaṭikūlasaññī vihareyya.

For what reason should a mendicant meditate staying equanimous, mindful and aware, shunning both the repulsive and the unrepulsive? Kiñca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu atthavasaṁ paṭicca paṭikūlañca appaṭikūlañca tadubhayaṁ abhinivajjetvā upekkhako vihareyya? ‘May no greed for things that arouse greed, hate for things that provoke hate, or delusion for things that promote delusion arise in me in any way at all.’ ‘Sato sampajāno mā me kvacani katthaci kiñcanaṁ rajanīyesu dhammesu rāgo udapādi, mā me kvacani katthaci kiñcanaṁ dosanīyesu dhammesu doso udapādi, mā me kvacani katthaci kiñcanaṁ mohanīyesu dhammesu moho udapādī’ti—For this reason a mendicant should meditate staying equanimous, mindful and aware, shunning both the repulsive and the unrepulsive.” idaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu atthavasaṁ paṭicca paṭikūlañca appaṭikūlañca tadubhayaṁ abhinivajjetvā upekkhako vihareyya sato sampajāno”ti.

Catutthaṁ.