Aṇguttara Nikāya
X. Dasaka-Nipāta
VI. Sa-Citta Vagga
Sutta 59
Pabbajita Suttaṃ
Gone Forth
Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
[1][pts][bodh] "Therefore,[ed1] monks, you should train yourselves, 'Our mind will be strengthened in keeping with the Going Forth, and we will not remain with our mind overcome by any arisen unskillful qualities.
"'Our mind will be strengthened with the perception of inconstancy.[1]
"'Our mind will be strengthened with the perception of not-self.
"'Our mind will be strengthened with the perception of unattractiveness.
"'Our mind will be strengthened with the perception of drawbacks.
"'Having known the in-tune and out-of-tune[2] of the world,[31] our mind will be strengthened with that perception.
"'Having known the coming into being and non-becoming of the world,[4] our mind will be strengthened with that perception.
"'Our mind will be strengthened with the perception of abandoning.
"'Our mind will be strengthened with the perception of dispassion.
"'Our mind will be strengthened with the perception of cessation.’
"That is how you should train yourselves.
"When the mind of a monk is strengthened in keeping with the Going Forth, and doesn’t remain overcome by any arisen unskillful qualities,
when his mind is strengthened with the perception of inconstancy,
when his mind is strengthened with the perception of not-self,
when his mind is strengthened with the perception of unattractiveness,
when his mind is strengthened with the perception of drawbacks,
when, having known the in-tune and out-of-tune of the world, his mind is strengthened with that perception,
when, having known the coming into being and non-becoming of the world, his mind is strengthened with that perception,
when his mind is strengthened with the perception of abandoning,
when his mind is strengthened with the perception of dispassion,
when his mind is strengthened with the perception of cessation,
then one of two fruits can be expected for him: either gnosis right here & now, or—if there be any remnant of clinging-sustenance—non-return."[5]
[ed1] Tasmātiha.Obviously this refers to the previous sutta. AN10.58
[1] The perceptions of inconstancy, not-self, unattractiveness, drawbacks, abandoning, dispassion, and cessation are explained in AN 10:60.
[2] Samañca visamañca: Throughout ancient cultures, the terminology of music was used to describe the moral quality of people and actions. Dissonant intervals or poorly-tuned musical instruments were metaphors for evil; harmonious intervals and well-tuned instruments, metaphors for good. In Pali, the term sama, "even," described an instrument tuned on-pitch; visama,"uneven," an instrument off-pitch. There is a famous passage (AN 6:55) where the Buddha reminds Soṇa Koḷivisa — who had been over-exerting himself in the practice — that a lute sounds appealing only if the strings are neither too taut nor too lax, but "evenly" tuned. This image would have special resonances with the Buddha's teaching on the middle way. It also adds meaning to the term samaṇa — monk or contemplative — which the texts frequently mention as being derived from sama.See also MN 97.
[3] Loka: The term "world" here should be understood in line with the definition given in SN4.35.82.
[5] The conclusion here is identical with the conclusion of the descriptions of the practice of establishing mindfulness in DN 22 and MN 10.
