Overview
The Buddha critiqued ascetics who misunderstood what it meant to train oneself. In his dialogues, he emphasized that true mastery requires fortifying both the physical and mental reactions to worldly contact, ensuring that neither pleasant nor painful feelings can enslave the mind.
The List
- Kāya-bhāvanā - Physical Development: Not bodybuilding, but the development of physical endurance and equanimity. It means training oneself so that pleasant physical feelings do not overpower the mind and generate craving.
- Citta-bhāvanā - Mental Development: The development of mental resilience. It means training the mind so that painful feelings do not overpower it and generate aversion or despair.
Textual References
- Canonical: Mahāsaccaka Sutta (MN 36) – The Buddha explains to the ascetic Saccaka that one who lacks these two developments is easily overwhelmed by pleasure and pain, while the Noble Disciple remains unshaken.