Aṅguttara Nikāya
X. Dasaka-Nipāta
VIII: Ākaṅkha-Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
X. The Book of the Tens
VIII: On Wishes
Sutta 71
Ākaṅkheyya Suttaɱ
Wishing
Translated from the Pali by F. L. Woodward, M.A.
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Once the Exalted One was dwelling near Sāvatthī,
at Jeta Grove,
in Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.
There the Exalted One addressed the monks, saying:
"Monks."
"Yes, sir," replied those monks to the Exalted One, who said this:
"Monks, do ye dwell proficient in virtue,
proficient in the Obligation,
do ye dwell restrained with the restraint of the Obligation,
proficient in the practice of good conduct,
seeing grounds for fear in minutest faults;
do ye undertake and train yourselves
in the training of the precepts.
■
If a monk should wish:
'0 that I were dear and charming
to my fellows in the Brahma-life,
that I were esteemed and sought after by them!' -
then let him be a fulfiller of the virtues,
in his own self let him be given to peace of mind,
not rejecting musing,[1]
possessed of insight,
fostering resort to lonely spots.
■
If a monk should wish:
'0 that I were the winner of supplies of robe and alms-food,
of bed and lodging,
of medicines and necessaries for sickness!' -
then let him be a fulfiller of the virtues,
in his own self let him be given to peace of mind,
not rejecting musing,
possessed of insight,
fostering resort to lonely spots.
■
If a monk should wish:
'0 may the services of those whose[2] offerings of robe and alms-food
of bed and lodging,
of medicines and necessaries for sickness
which I make use of
be of great fruit and profit to them!' -
then let him be a fulfiller of the virtues,
in his own self let him be given to peace of mind,
not rejecting musing,
possessed of insight,
fostering resort to lonely spots.
■
[132]If a monk should wish:
'0 may that piety of mine,[3]
[90] remembered by those kinsmen and blood-relations
(dead and) gone before,[4] be of great fruit and profit!' -
then let him be a fulfiller of the virtues,
in his own self let him be given to peace of mind,
not rejecting musing,
possessed of insight,
fostering resort to lonely spots.
■
If a monk should wish:
'May I be content
with any supply of robe and alms-food
of bed and lodging,
of medicines and necessaries for sickness
that I may get!' -
then let him be a fulfiller of the virtues,
in his own self let him be given to peace of mind,
not rejecting musing,
possessed of insight,
fostering resort to lonely spots.
■
If a monk should wish:
'May I endure cold and heat,[5]
hunger and thirst,
the bite of flies and mosquitoes,
the contact of wind and sun and creeping things;
may I endure abusive, pain-causing ways of speech
and painful bodily feelings,
grievous,
sharp,
racking,
distracting
and discomforting,
that drain the life away' -
then let him be a fulfiller of the virtues,
in his own self let him be given to peace of mind,
not rejecting musing,
possessed of insight,
fostering resort to lonely spots.
■
If a monk should wish:
'May I overcome likes and dislikes,
may not likes and dislikes overcome me,
but may I abide ever and again
vanquishing likes and dislikes as they arise.' -
then let him be a fulfiller of the virtues,
in his own self let him be given to peace of mind,
not rejecting musing,
possessed of insight,
fostering resort to lonely spots.
■
If a monk should wish:
'May I overcome fear and dread,
may not fear and dread overcome me,
but may I abide ever and again
vanquishing fear and dread as they arise.' -
then let him be a fulfiller of the virtues,
in his own self let him be given to peace of mind,
not rejecting musing,
possessed of insight,
fostering resort to lonely spots.
■
If a monk should wish:
'May I win easily and without effort
the four stages of musing
which are of the clear consciousness,[6]
which are concerned with the happy life
in this same visible state.' -
then let him be a fulfiller of the virtues,
in his own self let him be given to peace of mind,
not rejecting musing,
possessed of insight,
fostering resort to lonely spots.
■
If a monk should wish:
'By destroying the cankers
may I attain in this same visible state,
of myself realizing it by comprehension,
the cankerless heart's release,
the release by insight,
and so abide.' -
then let him be a fulfiller of the virtues,
in his own self let him be given to peace of mind,
not rejecting musing,
possessed of insight,
fostering resort to lonely spots.
Monks, do ye dwell proficient in virtue,
proficient in the Obligation,
do ye dwell restrained with the restraint of the [91] Obligation,
proficient in the practice of good conduct,
seeing grounds for fear in minutest faults;
do ye undertake and train yourselves
in the training of the precepts."
[2] Text has yesāhaɱ for yesam ahaɱ.
[3] Cf. Khp. § 7 and Petavatthu. The pitris, fathers, are supposed to be in heaven, but the petas (pretas), referred to here, are in purgatory, sometimes translated as 'ghosts,' and supposed to be conscious of offerings made to them by the living.
[4] Cf. Khp.VII.v.10, petānay dakkhiṇaɱ dajjā pubbe kataɱ anussaraɱ. Here text reads pasanna-cittā, agreeing with petā; but Comy. pasanna-cittaɱ, referred to by taɱ following, and explains as I have translated.
[5] As at G.S. ii, 122.
[6] Abhicetasika; cf. G.S. ii, 24. According to Comy. it is abhikkanta-visuddha-cittaɱ.
