Aṅguttara Nikāya
X. Dasaka-Nipāta
IV. Upāli Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
X. The Book of the Tens
IV: Upāli and Ānanda
Sutta 34
Nisasaya Suttaɱ
Tutelage
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 Upāli came to see the Exalted One,
and on coming to him
saluted him
and sat down at one side.
So seated, he said this to the Exalted One:
"Pray, sir, by a monk how qualified should tutelage[1] be assigned?"
"He must possess ten qualities, Upāli, in order to assign tutelage.
§
What ten?
Herein a monk is virtuous,
restrained with the restraint of the obligation,
proficient in following the practice of right conduct,
seeing cause for fear in the slightest faults,
he takes up and trains himself in the rules of morality.
■
Then he has heard much,
bears in mind what he has heard,
he hoards up what he has heard.
Those teachings which are alike lovely at the beginning,
lovely in the middle,
lovely at the end (of life),
proclaim in the spirit and the letter
the all-fulfilled,
the utterly purified brahma-life -
suchlike are the teachings he has much heard,
borne in mind,
practised in speech,
pondered in the heart,
rightly penetrated by view.
■
By him the obligation in full is thoroughly learned by heart,
well analysed,
with thorough knowledge of the meaning,
clearly divided sutta by sutta
and in minute detail.
■
He is competent to attend to the sick
or to cause such attendance.
■
He is competent to calm discontent
or cause it to be calmed.
■
He is competent to restrain bad conduct in accordance with dhamma (lawfully) (or to see that it is done)[2]
■
He is competent to dissuade the adoption of theories (or to see that it is done)[2]
■
He is competent to establish one in the higher virtue.
■
He is competent to establish one in the higher thought.
■
He is competent to establish one in the higher insight.
One must possess these ten qualities, Upāli,
in order to assign tutelage."
"Pray, sir, to a monk how qualified should a novice be provided?"[ed1]
"He must possess ten qualities, Upāli, in order to be provided a novice.
§
What ten?
Herein a monk is virtuous,
restrained with the restraint of the obligation,
proficient in following the practice of right conduct,
seeing cause for fear in the slightest faults,
he takes up and trains himself in the rules of morality.
■
Then he has heard much,
bears in mind what he has heard,
he hoards up what he has heard.
Those teachings which are alike lovely at the beginning,
lovely in the middle,
lovely at the end (of life),
proclaim in the spirit and the letter
the all-fulfilled,
the utterly purified brahma-life -
suchlike are the teachings he has much heard,
borne in mind,
practised in speech,
pondered in the heart,
rightly penetrated by view.
■
By him the obligation in full is thoroughly learned by heart,
well analysed,
with thorough knowledge of the meaning,
clearly divided sutta by sutta
and in minute detail.
■
He is competent to attend to the sick
or to cause such attendance.
■
He is competent to calm discontent
or cause it to be calmed.
■
He is competent to restrain bad conduct in accordance with dhamma (lawfully) (or to see that it is done)[2]
■
He is competent to dissuade the adoption of theories (or to see that it is done)[2]
■
He is competent to establish one in the higher virtue.
■
He is competent to establish one in the higher thought.
■
He is competent to establish one in the higher insight.
■
One must possess these ten qualities, Upāli,
in order to be provided a novice."
[1] Nissaya. Cf. Vin. i, 40 (Comy. on A. i, 99 bālassa avyattassa [?] seyyasakassa bhikkhuno [wrong at G.S. i, 84 n.: apparently the name (Seyyasaka) of a monk, according to Words in S. by Prof. Dines Andersen, J.P.T.S., 1909] niyassa-kamma [read nissaya-; so also at A. i, 99 and Pv. iv, i], an act of a chapter of monks appointing a tutor to unreliable students). The upaṭṭhāka has charge of a novice. For sāmaṇera upaṭṭhāpetabbo see Vin. i, 64 ff.
[2] Cf. Vin. ii, 74 (words bracketed omitted in our text). For waiting on sick, Vin. i, 64.
[ed1] Bhk. Bodhi has this as a separate sutta. Woodward has abridged this such that the two questions are put as one where the question asked is: "... a monk how qualified should tutelage be assigned ...[his elipsis] and a novice provided for?" and words the conclusion: "... must possess ... in order to assign tutelage and provide for a novice." The question is ambiguous concerning whether this means caring for a novice or having a novice assigned as an attendant. The answer implies that the issue is the care of the novice. The wording here has been reworked to fit a separate question and answer and with the idea that the question is the qualifications of the bhikkhu to have an attendent. See: Bhk. Bodhi where he has this as "...possess to be attended upon by a novice?" and "...may be attended upon by a novice." bhikkhunā sāmaṇero upaṭṭhāpetabbo
