Aṅguttara Nikāya
IX. Navaka Nipāta
I. Sambodha Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
IX. The Book of the Nines
Chapter I: The Awakening
Namo tassa Bhagavato arahato Sammā-sambuddhassa
Sutta 1
Sambodhi-Pakkhiya Suttaɱ
The Awakening
Translated from the Pali by E.M. Hare.
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[1][than][upal] Thus have I heard:
Once the Exalted One was dwelling near Savatthī, at Jeta Grove, in Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.
There he addressed the monks, saying: "Monks."
"Yes, lord," they replied; and the Exalted One said:
"If, monks, wanderers of other views should question you thus:
'For conditious that wing to the awakening,[1]
what, reverend sirs, is the thing[2] to make become?'
How would you, thus questioned, reply to those wanderers?
"Lord, our ideas have their foundation in the Exalted One;
they are guided by the Exalted One
and are protected by him!
Well indeed were it for us,
if the Exalted One were to make clear the essence of this matter;
then, on hearing it,
the monks would bear it in mind!"[3]
"Wherefore, monks, listen, pay heed, I will speak."
"Yes, lord," they replied; and the Exalted One said:
"If, monks, wanderers of other views should question you thus:
'For conditions that wing to the awakening,
what, [232] reverend sirs, is the thing to make become?'
- you should, so questioned, reply to them:
'Herein, reverend sirs, a monk has a good friend, a good companion, a good comrade.'
This is the first thing to make become for conditions that wing to the awakening.
■
'Again, sirs, a monk is virtuous and dwells restrained by the restraint of the Obligations;
he is perfect in behaviour and habitude,
seeing danger in the smallest fault;
undertaking the training,
he trains himself accordantly.'[4]
This is the second thing to make become for conditions that wing to the awakening.
■
'Then, sirs, that talk which is serious and a help to opening the heart -
that is to say,
talk on wanting little,
on contentment,
on loneliness,
on going apart,
on strenuous endeavour,
on virtue,
on concentration,
on wisdom,
on emancipation,
on the knowledge and vision of emancipation
- a monk obtains at will,
easily and without difficulty.'[5]
This is the third thing to make become for conditions that wing to the awakening.
■
'Then, sirs, a monk dwells strenuous in purpose,
putting away unrighteous conditions,
taking to righteousness;
persevering and energetic,
he shirks not the burden of righteousness.'[6]
This is the fourth thing to make become for conditions that wing to the awakening.
■
'Moreover, sirs, a monk has wisdom
and is endowed therewith
as to the way of growth and decay,
with Ariyan penetration
concerning the way to the utter destruction of ill.'[7]
This, reverend sirs, is the fifth thing to make become for conditions that wing to the awakening.
§
Monks, this may be expected of a monk,
who has a good friend,
companion, comrade:
he will be virtuous,
and dwell restrained by the restraint of the Obligations;
perfect in behaviour and habitude,
seeing danger in the smallest fault;
undertaking the training,
training himself accordantly.
■
This may also be expected of a monk,
who has a good friend,
companion, comrade:
that talk which is serious and a help to opening the heart -
that is to say,
talk on wanting little,
on contentment,
on loneliness,
on going apart,
on strenuous endeavour,
on virtue,
on concentration,
on wisdom,
on emancipation,
on the knowledge and vision of emancipation
- he will obtain at will,
easily and without difficulty.
■
Moreover this may also be expected of a monk,
who has a good friend,
companion, comrade:
he will dwell strenuous in purpose,
putting away unrighteous conditions,
taking to righteousness;
persevering and energetic,
and will not shirk the burden of righteousness.
■
And this may also be expected of a monk,
who has a good friend,
companion, comrade:
he will have wisdom
and be endowed therewith
as to the way of growth and decay,
with Ariyan penetration
concerning the way to the utter destruction of ill.
§
[233] Then, monks, when that monk is established in those five conditions,
four more conditions must be made to become,
that is to say,
(reflection on) foul things[8]
must be made to become,
to put away passion;
(reflection on) amity[9]
must be made to become,
to put away ill-will;
mindfulness in in-breathing and out-breathing[10]
must be made to become,
to cut off distraction;[11] the thought of impermanence
must be made to become,
to uproot the conceit 'I am.'[12]
The term here translatted 'not-self' in one place and 'no self' in the next is Anatta, not, or non-self in both cases.
— p.p.
For a monk who thinks on impermanence,
the thought of not-self endures;
thinking on there being no self,
he wins to the state wherein the conceit 'I am'
has been uprooted,
to the cool,
even in this life.'[13]
[1] Sambodha-pakkhika, I have not been able to trace this compound elsewhere. The context clearly shows that it is not the same as bodhi-pakkhiyā dhammā (see above, p. 151); the Comy, observes catumagga-sankhātassa sambodhassa pakkhe bhavānaɱ upakārakdnaɱ. At Ud. 36 f., where the nine recur, the first five are aparipakkāya cetovimuttiyā pañca dhammā paripākāya saṅvattanti. Ud.A. 220 ff. has full comments. On -pakkh- ('side, flank, wing') cf. the stock sentence - e.g., D. i, 71: 'as a bird carries as he flies just his wings with him.'
[2] Upanisā. Comy, upanissayappaccayo (see Vism. 535 for this). Upanisā is possibly connected with √SAD, 'seated near,' and so 'secret.' Cf. K.S. iii, 163 n.
[3] Cf. above, p. 221.
[4] Cf. above, p. 95; Vism. 20.
[5] Cf. A. iii, 117, 121; v. 67; M. iii, 113; Mil. 344; below, p. 237.
[8] For the Jhāna of foul things, see DhS. trsl., § 263 ff., and the references given there.
[9] Cf. above, p. 54, the second part; but this probably refers to the mettā Jhāna practice, see DhS., § 251.
[10] See K.S. v, 275, and the references there; cf. M. i, 425; Vism. 291.
[11] Vitakka.
[12] Cf. above, p. 29.
[13] The Comy. gives the following parable: It is like a man, who sets about cutting rice with a sickle at one end of a paddy field. Cattle, breaking down his fence, push their way in; so he puts down his sickle and seizes a stick and drives them out by the same way, repairs the fence and finishes his cutting. The field is the Buddha's message; the harvester is the striver; the sickle is insight; the cutting time is reflection time; the stick is reflection on foul things; the fence is restraint; the cattle breaking in is the rising of passion; their ejection and his return to work is the destruction of passion and his return to reflection.
