Aṅguttara Nikāya
IX. Navaka Nipāta
I. Sambodha Vagga

The Book of Nines

Sutta 2

Nissaya-Sampanna Suttaṃ

Thorough Grounding

Translated from the Pāḷi
by
Michael M. Olds

 

---

 

[1][pts][upal] I hear tell

Once upon a time The Lucky Man,
Sāvātthi-town revisiting,
Anāthapiṇḍika's Jetavana sporting ground.

There then a certain beggar
approached The Lucky Man and
drew near.

Having drawn near The Lucky Man and
having made respectful greetings,
he took a seat to one side.

Having taken a seat to one side then,
that beggar said this to The Lucky Man:

"'Thorough grounding.^[1] Thorough grounding" is the expression, bhante.

Now how, bhante,
can a beggar be said to have
'thorough grounding'?"

"If a beggar,
grounded in faith
turns away from the unskillful
to make become the skillful
the unskillful is by that let go.

"If a beggar,
grounded in sense of shame
turns away from the unskillful
to make become the skillful
the unskillful is by that let go.

"If a beggar,
grounded in fear of blame
turns away from the unskillful
to make become the skillful
the unskillful is by that let go.

"If a beggar,
grounded in the energetic
turns away from the unskillful
to make become the skillful
the unskillful is by that let go.

"If a beggar,
grounded in wisdom
turns away from the unskillful
to make become the skillful
the unskillful is by that let go.

Indeed it is
that this bhikkhu
thus grounded in
this aristocratic wisdom
in seeing the unskillful,
abandons it.

 

§

 

And then further, beggar, a beggar,
supported by these five things,
four things ground abandoning.

What four?

Here beggar, a beggar
has only one aim in his practice
has only one aim in his patience
has only one aim in his avoidance
has only one aim in his abandoning.

It is in this way then beggar,
that a beggar is said to have
'thorough grounding'"

 

---

^[1] Nissaya-sampanno. Well supported.

^[2] upanissāya PED: basis, reliance, support, foundation, assurance, certainty; especially sufficing condition or qualification for Arahantship; vihātabbā PED: to abandon, forsake, leave; to give up, dismiss

^[3] saṅkhāy'ekaṃ saṅkhāy' PED: destruction, consumption, loss, end ekaṃ

^[4] paṭisevati PED: to follow, pursue, indulge in (accusative), practise

^[5] adhivāseti PED: 2. to have patience, bear, endure

^[6] parivajjeti PED: to shun, avoid, keep away from

^[7] vinodeti PED: to drive out, dispel, remove, put away

 

---

Contact:

Copyright Statement