Aṅguttara Nikāya
X. Dasaka-Nipāta
III. Mahā Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
X. The Book of the Tens
III: The Great Chapter
Sutta 22
Adhivutti-Pada Suttaɱ
Statements of Doctrine
Translated from the Pali by F. L. Woodward, M.A.
Copyright The Pali Text Society
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Once the Exalted One was dwelling near Sāvatthī.
Now the venerable Ānanda went to see the Exalted One,
and on coming to him saluted him
and sat down at one side
and the Exalted One said this to him:
"Whatsoever things, Ānanda,
conduce to realizing the truth
of this or that statement of doctrine,[1]
confidently do I claim,
after thorough comprehension of it,
to teach dhamma about them
in such a way that,
when proficient,
a man shall know of the real that it is,
of the unreal that it is not;
of the mean that it is mean,
of the exalted that it is exalted;
of that which has something beyond it,
that it has something beyond it;
of that which is unsurpassed,
that it is unsurpassed.
For there is the possibility[2] of his knowing
or seeing
or realizing that which can be known,
seen or realized.
This, Ānanda, is knowledge unsurpassable,
the knowledge of this or that thing
as it really is.
Than this knowledge, Ānanda,
there is no other knowledge surpassing it
or more excellent,
I declare.
§
Ānanda, there are these ten Wayfarer's powers
of the Wayfarer
possessed of which powers
the Wayfarer claims leadership,
roars his lion's roar in the companies
and sets rolling the Brahma-wheel.
What are the ten?
Herein, Ānanda, the Wayfarer knows,
as it really is,
causal occasion (of a thing) as such,
and what is not causal occasion as such.
Inasmuch as the Wayfarer knows,
as it really is,
causal occasion (of a thing) as such,
and what is not causal occasion as such,
this is a Wayfarer's power of the Wayfarer,
because of which power
he claims leadership,
roars his lion's roar
and sets rolling the Brahma-wheel.
■
Then again, Ānanda, the Wayfarer knows,
as it really is,
the fruit of actions
past, future and present,
both in their causal occasion
and in their conditions.
Inasmuch as the Wayfarer knows,
as it really is,
the fruit of actions
past, future and present,
both in their causal occasion
and in their conditions,
this is a Wayfarer's power of the Wayfarer,
because of which power
he claims leadership,
roars his lion's roar
and sets rolling the Brahma-wheel.
■
Then again, Ānanda, the Wayfarer knows
every bourn-going faring-on,
as it really is.
Inasmuch as the Wayfarer knows
every bourn-going faring-on,
as it really is.,
this is a Wayfarer's power of the Wayfarer,
because of which power
he claims leadership,
roars his lion's roar
and sets rolling the Brahma-wheel.
■
Then again, Ānanda, the Wayfarer knows the world
as it really is,
in its divers shapes and forms.
Inasmuch as the Wayfarer knows the world
as it really is,
in its divers shapes and forms,
this is a Wayfarer's power of the Wayfarer,
because of which power
he claims leadership,
roars his lion's roar
and sets rolling the Brahma-wheel.
■
Again, Ānanda, the Wayfarer knows,
as they really are,
the divers characters of beings.
Inasmuch as the Wayfarer knows,
as they really are,
the divers characters of beings,
this is a Wayfarer's power of the Wayfarer,
because of which power
he claims leadership,
roars his lion's roar
and sets rolling the Brahma-wheel.
■
Again the Wayfarer knows,
as they really are,
the state of the faculties of other beings,
of other persons.
Inasmuch as the Wayfarer knows,
as they really are,
the state of the faculties of other beings,
of other persons,
this is a Wayfarer's power of the Wayfarer,
because of which power
he claims leadership,
roars his lion's roar
and sets rolling the Brahma-wheel.
■
Again the Wayfarer knows
as they really are
the fault,
the purification,
and the emergence
of attainments in musing,
liberation
and concentration.
Inasmuch as the Wayfarer knows
as they really are
the fault,
the purification,
and the emergence
of attainments in musing,
liberation
and concentration,
this is a Wayfarer's power of the Wayfarer,
because of which power
he claims leadership,
roars his lion's roar
and sets rolling the Brahma-wheel.
■
Again the Wayfarer can recall
his manifold dwellings aforetime,
thus:
One birth,
two births,
three, four, five,
even ten births,
twenty, thirty, forty, fifty births;
even a hundred births,
a thousand, a hundred thousand births.
Likewise the divers folding up of aeons,
the divers unfolding of aeons,
the divers folding-unfolding of aeons.
(remembering):
At that time I had such a name,
was of such a family,
of such complexion,
was thus supported,
thus and thus experienced weal and woe,
had such and such span of life.
As that one,
I deceasing thence
rose up again at that time;
then too I had such a name,
was of such a family,
of such complexion,
was thus supported,
thus and thus experienced weal and woe,
had such and such span of life.
As that one,
I deceasing thence rose up again here.
Thus with all details and characteristics
he can recall his manifold dwellings aforetime.
Inasmuch as the Wayfarer can recall
his manifold dwellings aforetime,
thus:
One birth,
two births,
three, four, five,
even ten births,
twenty, thirty, forty, fifty births;
even a hundred births,
a thousand, a hundred thousand births.
Likewise the divers folding up of aeons,
the divers unfolding of aeons,
the divers folding-unfolding of aeons.
(remembering):
At that time I had such a name,
was of such a family,
of such complexion,
was thus supported,
thus and thus experienced weal and woe,
had such and such span of life.
As that one,
I deceasing thence
rose up again at that time;
then too I had such a name,
was of such a family,
of such complexion,
was thus supported,
thus and thus experienced weal and woe,
had such and such span of life.
As that one,
I deceasing thence rose up again here.
Thus with all details and characteristics
he can recall his manifold dwellings aforetime,
this is a Wayfarer's power of the Wayfarer,
because of which power
he claims leadership,
roars his lion's roar
and sets rolling the Brahma-wheel.
■
Yet again, Ānanda, the Wayfarer with the deva-sight,
purified and surpassing that of men,
beholds beings deceasing
and rising up again;
beings both mean and excellent,
fair and foul,
gone to a happy bourn,
gone to an ill-bourn
according to their deeds
(so as to say):
Alas, sirs, these beings,
given to the practice of evil deeds,
of evil words,
of evil thoughts,
scoffing at the Ariyans,
of perverted view
and reaping the fruits of their perverted view -
these beings,
when body broke up,
beyond death rose up again in the Waste,
the Ill-bourn,
the Downfall,
in Purgatory!
Or: Ah, sirs, these beings,
given to the practice of good deeds,
of good words,
of good thoughts,
not scoffing at the Ariyans,
but of sound view
and reaping the fruits of their sound view -
these beings,
when body broke up,
beyond death rose up again in the Happy Bourn
in the heaven world.
Thus with the deva-sight,
purified and surpassing that of men,
beholds beings deceasing
and rising up again;
beings both mean and excellent,
fair and foul,
gone to a happy bourn,
gone to an ill-bourn
according to their deeds.
Inasmuch as the Wayfarer with the deva-sight,
purified and surpassing that of men,
beholds beings deceasing
and rising up again;
beings both mean and excellent,
fair and foul,
gone to a happy bourn,
gone to an ill-bourn
according to their deeds
(so as to say):
Alas, sirs, these beings,
given to the practice of evil deeds,
of evil words,
of evil thoughts,
scoffing at the Ariyans,
of perverted view
and reaping the fruits of their perverted view -
these beings,
when body broke up,
beyond death rose up again in the Waste,
the Ill-bourn,
the Downfall,
in Purgatory!
Or: Ah, sirs, these beings,
given to the practice of good deeds,
of good words,
of good thoughts,
not scoffing at the Ariyans,
but of sound view
and reaping the fruits of their sound view -
these beings,
when body broke up,
beyond death rose up again in the Happy Bourn
in the heaven world.
Thus with the deva-sight,
purified and surpassing that of men,
beholds beings deceasing
and rising up again;
beings both mean and excellent,
fair and foul,
gone to a happy bourn,
gone to an ill-bourn
according to their deeds,
this is a Wayfarer's power of the Wayfarer,
because of which power
he claims leadership,
roars his lion's roar
and sets rolling the Brahma-wheel.
■
Once more, Ānanda, the Wayfarer,
by destroying the cankers
in this same visible existence,
attains the heart's release,
the release by insight,
himself thoroughly comprehending it,
and having realized it
abides therein.
Inasmuch as the Wayfarer,
by destroying the cankers
in this same visible existence,
attains the heart's release,
the release by insight,
himself thoroughly comprehending it,
and having realized it
abides therein,
this is a Wayfarer's power of the Wayfarer,
because of which power
he claims leadership,
roars his lion's roar
and sets rolling the Brahma-wheel.
These then, Ānanda, are ten Wayfarer's powers of the Wayfarer, Ānanda,
possessed of which powers
the Wayfarer claims leadership,
roars his lion's roar
and sets rolling the Brahma-wheel."
[1] Text and uddāna wrongly read adhimutti-, perhaps by confusion with that word in the sixth item of the previous sutta. Reading adhivutti (dogma); cf. D. i, 13; DA. i, 103; M. ii, 228; Trenekner-Andersen P. Dict. s.v. The comments agree with those of our Comy.: adhivuitiyo ti diṭṭhiyo vuccanti, diṭṭhi-dīpakani vacanāni, adding that all Buddhas, past, future and present, do assert doctrinal views of this nature.
[2] Ṭhanaɱ etaɱ vijjati.
