The Book of the Nines

Beginning with good friendship, the Buddha teaches nine things that give rise to the qualities that lead to awakening.

The things that a mendicant relies on as supports in spiritual practice.

Venerable Meghiya, while attending on the Buddha, wants to go off and meditate in a forest alone. The Buddha discourages him, but he goes anyway. When his meditation doesn’t go well, he returns chastened to the Buddha, who teaches him about the benefits of good companions and other fundamentals of a balanced spiritual practice.

Nandaka is teaching the monks when the Buddha arrives. Unbeknown to those inside, the Buddha waits until the talk was finished, then enters. Nandaka is embarrassed at keeping the Buddha waiting, but the Buddha praises him and offers a teaching on the four things a mendicant should complete. Nandaka then teaches five benefits of listening to Dhamma.

A noble disciple who develops four powers overcomes five fears.

Four kinds of person who one should or should not associate with. A similar distinction is made regarding robes, almsfood, lodgings, towns, and countries.

The wanderer Sutavā asks the Buddha about five things a perfected one cannot do; the Buddha expands it to nine.

The wanderer Sajjha asks the Buddha about five things a perfected one cannot do; the Buddha expands it to nine, which differ slightly from AN 9.7.

Nine kinds of persons: the eight noble persons and the ordinary person.

Nine persons are worthy of gifts: the eight noble persons and a member of the spiritual family.

After the rains season, Sāriputta takes leave of the Buddha. Another monk falsely accuses Sāriputta of hitting him before leaving. The Buddha calls Sāriputta to answer the accusation. Before the Saṅgha, Sāriputta denies it, uttering a powerful statement of spiritual prowess.

Sāriputta visits some wanderers, who claim that only perfected ones are free from bad rebirth. Sāriputta has no opinion on this, but asks the Buddha, who replies that even stream-enterers are freed from lower rebirth.

Venerables Mahākoṭṭhita and Sāriputta discuss whether the spiritual path is for the purpose of changing the results of deeds.

Sāriputta questions Venerable Samiddhi on the basis of intentions and thoughts.

The body is compared to a boil with nine orifices.

Nine perceptions to be developed in meditation.

Nine factors in how a family relates to the Saṅgha.

Nine factors for a glorious sabbath: the eight precepts and the meditation on love.

Some deities come to the Buddha and speak of how their practice in their past life was limited and unsatisfactory.

The wealthy and devoted lay supporter Anāthapiṇḍika rather curiously says that only poor alms are given in his home. The Buddha praises gracious and bounteous generosity. But meditation surpasses even the greatest offering.

A comparison of the people of India, of Uttarakuru, and of the heaven of the Thirty-Three.

Nine kinds of horses are compared with nine kinds of monks.

Nine things that are rooted in craving.

Nine realms into which sentient beings may be reborn.

Nine reflections by which a mendicant knows their mind has wisdom.

Venerables Candikāputta and Sāriputta differ in their interpretation of a teaching proposed by the notorious schismatic Devadatta.

A householder who has eliminated the perils that come with breaking the five precepts, and possesses the four factors of stream-entry is freed from lower rebirths.

A householder who has eliminated the perils that come with breaking the five precepts, and possesses the four factors of stream-entry is freed from lower rebirths.

Nine grounds for resentment.

Nine ways of removing resentment.

Nine meditative states, each of which arises from the cessation of something present in the previous state.

Nine progressive meditation states.

Nine progressive meditation states, explained in detail.

Sāriputta declares that extinguishment is bliss, precisely because nothing is felt there. He explains this apparent paradox with reference to the nine progressive meditations.

Just as a foolish cow can get in trouble wandering the mountains, a foolish mendicant can get lost practicing absorption if they do it wrongly.

The ending of defilements happens due to the practice of absorption meditation.

Ānanda exclaims how amazing it is that the Buddha has found a way to freedom while still experiencing the world. Questioned by the monk Udāyī, Ānanda recounts a discussion on advanced meditation with the nun Jaṭilagāhiyā.

Two brahmin cosmologists ask the Buddha to decide between competing claims as to whether the cosmos is infinite. Rejecting metaphysical claims, the Buddha says that there is no end of the world that can be reached by traveling; but without reaching the end of the world you can’t be free of suffering.

In the wars between gods and demons, they find safety only in their own fortress. Similarly, a mendicant finds safety in absorption.

A bull elephant, annoyed by living in the herd, goes off by himself. Similarly, a mendicant feeling crowded in a monastery goes off by themselves and happily meditates in seclusion.

The householder Tapussa reflects that it is renunciation that distinguishes lay from monastic. The Buddha responds by giving a long account of his practice of absorption before awakening.

At Udāyī’s request, Ānanda explains an obscure verse spoken (in SN 2.7) by a deity. The nine progressive meditations are the escape from confinement.

The Buddha speaks of a “direct witness’, that is, someone who personally has thorough and proficient experience of the different meditation states.

One liberated by wisdom first enters the meditation states, then understands them.

One freed both ways is both proficient in and understands the meditation states.

The teaching apparent in the present life is experienced provisionally in deep meditation, and completely when the defilements end.

Extinguishment apparent in the present life is experienced provisionally in deep meditation, and completely when the defilements end.