Aṅguttara Nikāya
Pañcaka Nipāta
8. Yodhājīva Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
The Book of the Fives
VIII. The Warrior
Sutta 71
Paṭhama Ceto-Vimutti-Phala Suttaɱ
The Fruits of Mind-Emancipation (a)
Translated by E. M. Hare
Copyright The Pali Text Society
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[1] Thus have I heard:
Once the Exalted One dwelt near Sāvatthī;
and there he addressed the monks, saying:
"Monks."
'Yes, lord,' they replied;
and the Exalted One said:
"Monks, these five things,
when made become,
made an increase in,
have as their fruits
mind-emancipation
and the advantages thereof,
insight-emancipation
and the advantages thereof.
What five?
Monks, herein a monk abides
perceiving the foulness of the body;
is conscious of the cloying of food;
is conscious of distaste as to the world;
perceives impermanence in all compounded things;
and the thought of death
is by him inwardly well established.
Monks, these five things,
when made become,
made an increase in,
have as their fruits
mind-emancipation
and the advantages thereof,
insight-emancipation
and the advantages thereof.
§
Monks, when[1] indeed a monk is both
mind-emancipated
and insight-emancipated,
that monk is said to have lifted the barrier,[2]
filled in the moat,
pulled up the pillar,[3]
withdrawn the bolts,
an Ariyan,
with flag laid low,
with burden dropped,[4]
free of the fetters.[5]
■
And how, monks,
has the monk lifted the barrier?
Herein by the monk
ignorance is got rid of,
cut down to the roots,
made as a palm-tree stump,
made so that it cannot grow up in the future,
conditioned so that it cannot rise again.
Thus, monks, has the monk
lifted the barrier.
■
And how, monks, has the monk
filled in the moat?
Herein [70] by the monk
coming-to-be again,
birth
and faring on
are got rid of,
cut down to the roots,
made as a palm-tree stump,
made so that it cannot grow up in the future,
conditioned so that it cannot rise again.
Thus, monks, has the monk
filled in the moat.
■
And how, monks, has the monk
pulled up the pillar?
Herein by the monk
craving is got rid of,
cut down to the roots,
made as a palm-tree stump,
made so that it cannot grow up in the future,
conditioned so that it cannot rise again.
Thus, monks, has the monk
pulled up the pillar.
■
And how, monks, has the monk
withdrawn the bolts?
Herein by the monk
the five lower fetters are got rid of,
cut down to the roots,
made as a palm-tree stump,
made so that it cannot grow up in the future,
conditioned so that it cannot rise again.
Thus, monks, has the monk
withdrawn the bolts.
■
And how, monks, is the monk
an Ariyan,
with flag laid low,
with burden dropped,
free of the fetters?
Herein, monks, by the monk
the conceit "I am" is got rid of,
cut down to the roots,
made as a palm-tree stump,
made so that it cannot grow up in the future,
conditioned so that it cannot rise again.
Thus, monks, is the monk an Ariyan,
with flag laid low,
with burden dropped,
free of the fetters.'
[1] This passage recurs at M. i, 139.
[3] Abbuḷhesiko. Comy. esikātthambhaɱ luñcitvā. P.E.D., desire, but the Comy. regards all terms as analogues, so the literal trsl. is given.
[4] Cf. Th. i, 1021.
[5] The Comy. explains with much exegetical matter by a simile: Imagine two cities, one a city of robbers, the other a city of peace; and suppose some mighty soldier were to think: 'So long as the robbers' city exists, the city of peace is not free from fear.' So he dons his armour and attacks and burns that city and returns to rejoice at home. The skandha group is the robbers' city, Nibbāna is the city of peace, an earnest striver is the mighty soldier.
