Sleeping Peacefully

Upon a time, Bhagavan stayed at Raajagaha in Sita forest. At that time, Anathapindika came Rajagaha to do few things, and wanted to audience with Bhagavan.

 

Then the layman thought: â€œNow it was not the time, tomorrow was the time to audience Bhagavan. With that thinking, Anathapindika went to sleep. In that night, he woke up three times, just thought it was morning.

 

Then Anathapindika went to Sita forest. At that moment, Bhagavan woke up when the night just finished and being walked outdoor.  Bhagavan saw Anathapindika coming from afar then he talked to Anathapindika :

 

Come here, Sudatta !

 

Anathapindika bowed his head and payed homage with Bhagavan :

 

“Bhagavan, did the Lord get sleep peacefully?”

Bhagavan replied : 

 

“Brahmins is tranquility

 

Always in peaceful living

 

No desire lust

 

Pure and clean,

 

All cravings eradicated

 

Tranquility, live in peaceful

 

Mind achieves peace.

 

(DTKVN, Samyutta I, chapter 10, Sudatta section, VNCPHVN published, 1993, page 465)

 

PREFACE :

 

While waiting for some important work coming or feeling sorrows, complicated, most of us feel so restless, worried, sleepless.

That wakefulness occurs very normal in human life. If we do not know how to fix, it will impact negatively on health and work which is about to come.  Anathapindika is also, hope to audience Bhagavan; so he woke up three times, thought it was the morning and surely, tomorrow his health went down because of sleeplessness.

  

According to the wisdom of Bhagavan, peaceful sleeping is the important factor to save healthy, always sober, happy, freshness in life and the most is to create refreshing, to uplifting spirit. Being like that, we must first set up a peaceful life for body and our mind.

 

For body, reasonable working and eating system are neccessary, as avoiding many stimulants, fatty, vegetarian diet, which is also a Taichi method very good for a sound sleep. Especially to establish mental stability. Dreams, illusion, desire, plan for future are vital for life but it is also culprit disturb peaceful sleep.

 

 In other words, greed, lust, and things are not as expected has stirred mind, make human suffering, insecutiry. In addition, the excessive joys also contribute to oscillate, sleepless. So, tranquility of citta by the method of meditation is essential for everyone.

 

When a person has pure mind , is no longer desired dominant always living in tranquility , then waking as sleeping is also peaceful. So, the true happiness in life is to have a healthy body and peaceful spirit, which our forefathers have ever experienced : “It’s blissful to have good appetite and sound sleep”.

 

Quảng Tánh

 Translated into English by Bùi Ngọc Trinh.