Aṇguttara Nikāya
9. Navaka Nipāta
2. Sīhanāda Vagga

The Book of Nines

Sutta 16

Saññā Suttaṃ

Perceptions

Translated from the Pāḷi
by
Michael M. Olds

 

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[1][than][pts][upal] I Hear Tell:

Once upon a time, Bhagava, Sāvatthi-town revisiting.

There, to the beggars gathered round,
he said this:

"There are these nine perceptions, beggars,
which, made a big thing of,
have great fruit
are of great advantage;
lead on to the deathless,
culminate in the deathless.

What nine?

Perception of the ugly,
perception of death,
perception of the revolting nature of food,
perception of non-indulgence in all worlds,
perception of change,
perception of pain in change,
perception of not-self in the painful,
perception of letting go,
perception of dispassion.

These are those nine perceptions, beggars,
which, made a big thing of,
have great fruit
are of great advantage;
lead on to the deathless,
culminate in the deathless."