[This Sutta from the Pali Canon seems to assume that some Buddhists concluded from Buddhist teachings that only internal spiritual transformation is important, and that a person with high spiritual attainments is free of moral restrictions in her interactions with others. This Sutta reverses this picture, criticizing spiritual experiences as mere "pleasure," and giving a long list of moral prescriptions as essential to the Buddhist way.
This text makes reference to a progressive series of four "trance" states, or "jhanas," frequently described in the Pali Canon. Click here for a passage describing these states. ML]
I heard it this way: At one time the Lord was staying near Savatthi in the Jeta Grove in Anatapindika's monastery. The venerable Cunda the Great, emerging towards evening from solitary meditation, approached the Lord. Having approached, having greeted the Lord, he sat down at a respectful distance.
[Cunda asks Gotama for instruction, initially about getting rid of "wrong views". After a brief answer to this question, Gotama goes on to the main subject of this Sutta, Purifying.]
Think of this situation, Cunda:
Some monk,
rising above the pleasures of the senses
rising above unskilled states of mind,
may enter on and rest in the first trance
which is accompanied by both beginning of thoughts and continued thoughts
which is born of rising above
which is most pleasurable and joyful.
It may occur to this monk:
"I'm making progress by purifying myself."
But this, Cunda, is not yet called "purifying" in the true noble way.
This is only called "Being at ease now" in the true noble way...
Think of this situation, Cunda:
Some monk,
by setting aside beginnings of thoughts and continued thoughts,
with his mind internally at peace and concentrated on a single point,
may enter on and rest in the second trance
in which there are no beginnings of thoughts or continued thoughts
which is born of concentration
which is most pleasurable and joyful.
It may occur to this monk:
"I'm making progress by purifying myself."
But this, Cunda, is not yet called "purifying" in the true noble way.
This is only called "Being at ease now" in the true noble way.
[Here follows a description of four further trances, ending with:]
Think of this situation, Cunda:
Some monk,
by going completely beyond the plane of no-thing,
enters on and rest in the plane of neither-perception-nor-non-perception.
It may occur to him:
"I'm making progress by purifying myself"
But these, Cunda, are not called "purifying" in the true noble way.
These are called "resting places that are peaceful" in the true noble way.
This rather, Cunda, is the "purifying" you should do:
Think: "Others may do harm, we will do no harm"
This is how "purifying" is to be done.
Think:
Others may do violence to living things
we will do no violence to living things.
Others may take what is not given
we will refrain from taking what is not given.
Others will not travel the highest way
we will travel the highest way.
Others will speak lies
we will not speak lies.
Others may be of harsh speech
of rough speech
of frivolous speech.
We will refrain from harsh speech
from rough speech
from frivolous speech.
Others may be greedy,
we will not be greedy.
Others may have corrupt minds
we will not have corrupt minds....
This is how "purifying" is to be done.
Cunda, I say that the "arising of thought" is very helpful
in the achieving of skilled states of mind,
not to speak of gesture and speech
that are in accord with good thoughts.
And so, Cunda, the thought should arise:
"Others may do harm, we will not do harm.
Others may do violence to living things,
we will not do violence to living things,
Others may take what is not given,
we will not take what is not given."
Etc.
Cunda,
there is a rough road to travel on
and a smooth road to travel on.
there is a rough ford for crossing the river
and a smooth ford for crossing the river.
Just so, Cunda,
there is the harmless path for the harmful person to travel
there is refraining from violence for the violent person to go by...
there is not taking what is not given
for the one who wants to take what is not given.
Cunda,
just as every unskilled state of mind leads downwards
and every skilled state of mind leads upwards,
So non-harming comes to be a higher state for one who was doing harm
not doing violence comes to be a higher state for one who was violent
not taking what is not given comes to be a higher state
for one who used to take...
Cunda, this can't be brought about
when one sunk in the mud himself
wants to pull out another sunk in the mud.
It is brought about when one not sunk in the mud
pulls out another who is sunk in the mud.
This can't be brought about
when one who is not tamed, not trained,
whose desires are not completely quenched,
wants by himself to tame and train
and quench the desires of another.
It is brought about when one who is tamed and trained,
whose desires are completely quenched,
tames, trains, and completely quenches the desires of another...
This, Cunda, is what I have to teach
about "purifying"
about "the arising of thoughts"
about "the way to travel"
about "progress upwards"
about "complete quenching".
Whatever a teacher does from compassion,
looking out for the welfare of his followers,
that I have done for you.
Monks seek out places under trees, solitary places in the forest,
where they can gain enlightenment.
These words, Cunda, are for you
"places under trees",
"solitary places in the forest".
Meditate, Cunda,
do not be lazy
do not open yourself to later regrets.
This is my instruction for you.
This is what the Lord said.
The venerable Cunda was delighted, and rejoiced in what the Lord had said.
May all beings be happy and secure
And all come finally to be happy in themselves.
All in whom the breath of life exists --
The strong and the weak,
The tall and large, the short, and those in between
Omitting none, the little creatures or the very great,
All creatures who are seen, and all those unseen,
Those that live far away, and those that live very near
Those that are here and those that would like to be here --
May all come finally to be happy in themselves.
Let not anyone ever mislead another,
Nor look down on anyone in any place.
Let no one wish ill to others
Because of fights and hostility.
Just like a mother cares for her child,
Her only child, as long as it lives,
So awaken in your heart a boundless thoughtfulness
For every creature here.
Awaken in your heart a boundless friendliness
For all the things and creatures in the world,
Above, and below, and all around the world,
A friendliness unrestricted, free of all hate and hostility.
As you stand, or walk, or sit, or lie,
Till you are overcome by sleep,
Devote yourself to developing this kind of mindfulness,
A state of mind truly called "the saintly way".
The Pali Canon doesn't have any perfectly consistent set of principles regarding the relation between enlightenment and morality. I think it assumes that it's important to be morally good and to obey rules of common moral decency. It places special emphasis on "compassion" for everyone. On the other hand, it is also careful to emphasize that morally good feelings also belong to the khandhas, so one should not Crave or Cling to them. This is the point of the following passage, which is a comment on the exercise described immediately above:
[Suppose] a monk abides, having suffused the first quarter [of the world] with a mind of friendliness, likewise the second [quarter], the third, and the fourth; just so above, below, across, he abides, having suffused the whole world everywhere, in every way with a mind of friendliness that is far-reaching, wide-spread, immeasurable, without enmity, without malevolence...
In each case he reflects that the freedom of mind - whether it be of friendliness, compassion, sympathetic joy or even-mindedness - is [only] a higher product, belonging to the higher thought, and as such is impermanent, liable to stopping. Established on that [thought] he is not liable to return from that world [i.e. he will attain Nibbana in his next life].
[This next section refers to a meditation practice involving progressively formless mental states, or jhanas. Click here for passages describing these in detail.]
Then again...a monk, by passing quite beyond all perceptions of material shapes, by the dying down of all perceptions of sensory reaction by the non-attention to perceptions of difference, on thinking: "Ether is unending", enters into and abides in the plane of infinite ether.
By passing quite beyond the plane of infinite ether, on thinking: "Consciousness is unending", he enters into and abides in the plane of infinite consciousness.
By passing quite beyond the plane of infinite consciousness, on thinking: "There is not anything" he enters into and abides in the plane of infinite no-thing-ness.
Of each of these attainments he ponders that it is only a higher product, belonging to the higher thought, and as such is impermanent, liable to stopping.
Established on that, he attains...not liable to return from that world. Each one of the things mentioned has been pointed out by the Lord who knows and sees...a perfect Buddha, whereby if a monk abide diligent, ardent, self-resolute, his mind, as yet unfreed, is freed; and the outflows, not yet extinguished, come to an end; and he attains the matchless security from the bonds.