Aṇguttara Nikāya
Catukka Nipāta
XX: Mahā Vagga
Sutta 200
Pema Sutta
Love
Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
Proofed against and modified in accordance with the revised edition at dhammatalks.org
For free distribution only.
[1][pts] "Monks, these four things are born.
Which four?
Love is born of love.
Aversion is born of love.
Love is born of aversion.
Aversion is born of aversion.
§
"And how is love born of love?
There is the case where an individual is pleasing, appealing, and charming to (another) individual.
Others treat that individual as pleasing, appealing, and charming,
and the other one thinks,
'This individual is pleasing, appealing, and charming to me.
Others treat this individual as pleasing, appealing, and charming.'
He gives rise to love for them.
This is how love is born of love.
■
"And how is aversion born of love?
There is the case where an individual is pleasing, appealing, and charming to (another) individual.
Others treat that individual as displeasing, unappealing, and not charming,
and the other one thinks,
'This individual is pleasing, appealing, and charming to me.
Others treat this individual as displeasing, unappealing, and not charming.'
He gives rise to aversion for them.
■
This is how aversion is born of love.
"And how is love born of aversion?
There is the case where an individual is displeasing, unappealing, and not charming to (another) individual.
Others treat that individual as displeasing, unappealing, and not charming,
and the other one thinks,
'This individual is displeasing, unappealing, and not charming to me.
Others treat this individual as displeasing, unappealing, and not charming.'
He gives rise to love for them.
■
This is how love is born of aversion.
"And how is aversion born of aversion?
There is the case where an individual is displeasing, unappealing, and not charming to (another) individual.
Others treat that individual as pleasing, appealing, and charming,
and the other one thinks,
'This individual is displeasing, unappealing, and not charming to me.
Others treat this individual as pleasing, appealing, and charming.'
He gives rise to aversion for them.
This is how aversion is born of aversion.
"Monks, these are the four things that are born.
§
"Now, on the occasion when a monk,
quite secluded from sensuality,
secluded from unskillful qualities,
enters and remains in the first jhāna
— rapture and pleasure born of seclusion,
accompanied by directed thought and evaluation —
then any love of his
that is born of love
does not come about.
Any aversion of his
that is born of love
does not come about.
Any love of his
that is born of aversion
does not come about.
Any aversion of his
that is born of aversion
does not come about.
■
"On the occasion when a monk
with the stilling of directed thought and evaluations,
enters and remains in the second jhāna —
rapture and pleasure born of concentration,
unification of awareness
free from directed thought and evaluation
internal assurance —
then any love of his
that is born of love
does not come about.
Any aversion of his
that is born of love
does not come about.
Any love of his
that is born of aversion
does not come about.
Any aversion of his
that is born of aversion
does not come about.
■
"On the occasion when a monk
with the fading of rapture,
remains in equanimity,
mindful and alert,
senses pleasure with the body,
and enters and remains in the third jhāna —
of which the Noble Ones declare,
'Equanimous and mindful,
he has a pleasurable abiding.' —
then any love of his
that is born of love
does not come about.
Any aversion of his
that is born of love
does not come about.
Any love of his
that is born of aversion
does not come about.
Any aversion of his
that is born of aversion
does not come about.
■
"On the occasion when a monk,
with the abandoning of pleasure and pain,
as with the earlier disappearance of elation and distress,
enters and remains in the fourth jhāna,
— purity of equanimity and mindfulness,
neither pleasure nor pain—
then any love of his
that is born of love
does not come about.
Any love of his
that is born of aversion
does not come about.
Any aversion of his
that is born of aversion
does not come about.
■
"On the occasion when a monk,
through the ending of effluents,
enters and remains
in the effluent-free awareness-release and discernment-release,
having directly known and realized them for himself
right in the here and now,
then any love of his
that is born of love
is abandoned,
its root destroyed,
like an uprooted palm tree,
deprived of the conditions of existence,
not destined for future arising.
Any aversion of his
that is born of love
is abandoned,
its root destroyed,
like an uprooted palm tree,
deprived of the conditions of existence,
not destined for future arising.
Any love of his
that is born of aversion
is abandoned,
its root destroyed,
like an uprooted palm tree,
deprived of the conditions of existence,
not destined for future arising.
Any aversion of his
that is born of aversion
is abandoned,
its root destroyed,
like an uprooted palm tree,
deprived of the conditions of existence,
not destined for future arising.
"This is said to be a monk
who doesn't pull in,
doesn't push away,
doesn't smolder,
doesn't flare up,
and doesn't burn.
§
"And how does a monk pull in?
There is the case
where a monk assumes form to be the self,
or the self as possessing form,
or form as in the self,
or the self as in form.
He assumes feeling to be the self,
or the self as possessing feeling,
or feeling as in the self,
or the self as in feeling.
He assumes perception to be the self,
or the self as possessing perception,
or perception as in the self,
or the self as in perception.
He assumes (mental) fabrications to be the self,
or the self as possessing fabrications,
or fabrications as in the self,
or the self as in fabrications.
He assumes consciousness to be the self,
or the self as possessing consciousness,
or consciousness as in the self,
or the self as in consciousness.
This is how a monk pulls in.
■
"And how does a monk not pull in?
There is the case
where a monk doesn't assume form to be the self,
or the self as possessing form,
or form as in the self,
or the self as in form.
He doesn't assume feeling to be the self,
or the self as possessing feeling
or feeling as in the self,
or the self as in feeling.
He doesn't assume perception to be the self,
or the self as possessing perception
or perception as in the self,
or the self as in perception.
doesn't assume fabrications to be the self,
or the self as possessing fabrications
or fabrications as in the self,
or the self as in fabrications.
He doesn't assume consciousness to be the self,
or the self as possessing consciousness,
or consciousness as in the self,
or the self as in consciousness.
This is how a monk doesn't pull in.
■
"And how does a monk push away?
There is the case
where a monk returns insult
to one who has insulted him,
returns anger to one who is angry at him,
quarrels with one who is quarreling.
This is how a monk pushes away.
■
"And how does a monk not push away?
There is the case
where a monk doesn't return insult
to one who has insulted him,
doesn't return anger to one who is angry at him,
doesn't quarrel with one who is quarreling.
This is how a monk doesn't push away.
■
"And how does a monk smolder?
There is the case where,
there being 'I am,'
there comes to be 'I am here,'
there comes to be 'I am like this'
there comes to be 'I am otherwise'
there comes to be 'I am bad'
there comes to be 'I am good'
there comes to be 'I might be'
there comes to be 'I might be here'
there comes to be 'I might be like this'
there comes to be 'I might be otherwise'
there comes to be 'May I be'
there comes to be 'May I be here'
there comes to be 'May I be like this'
there comes to be 'May I be otherwise'
there comes to be 'I will be'
there comes to be 'I will be here'
there comes to be 'I will be like this'
there comes to be 'I will be otherwise.'
■
"And how does a monk not smolder?
There is the case where,
there being 'I am,'
there doesn't come to be 'I am here,'
there doesn't come to be 'I am like this'
there doesn't come to be 'I am otherwise'
there doesn't come to be 'I am bad'
there doesn't come to be 'I am good'
there doesn't come to be 'I might be'
there doesn't come to be 'I might be here'
there doesn't come to be 'I might be like this'
there doesn't come to be 'I might be otherwise'
there doesn't come to be 'May I be'
there doesn't come to be 'May I be here'
there doesn't come to be 'May I be like this'
there doesn't come to be 'May I be otherwise'
there doesn't come to be 'I will be'
there doesn't come to be 'I will be here'
there doesn't come to be 'I will be like this'
there doesn't come to be 'I will be otherwise.'
■
"And how does a monk flare up?
There is the case where,
there being 'I am because of this (or: by means of this),'
there comes to be 'I am here because of this,'
there comes to be 'I am like this because of this'
there comes to be 'I am otherwise because of this'
there comes to be 'I am bad because of this'
there comes to be 'I am good because of this'
there comes to be 'I might be because of this'
there comes to be 'I might be here because of this'
there comes to be 'I might be like this because of this'
there comes to be 'I might be otherwise because of this'
there comes to be 'May I be because of this'
there comes to be 'May I be here because of this'
there comes to be 'May I be like this because of this'
there comes to be 'May I be otherwise because of this'
there comes to be 'I will be because of this'
there comes to be 'I will be here because of this'
there comes to be 'I will be like this because of this'
there comes to be 'I will be otherwise because of this.'
■
"And how does a monk not flare up?
There is the case where,
there not being 'I am because of this (or: by means of this),'
there doesn't come to be 'I am here because of this,'
there doesn't come to be 'I am like this because of this'
there doesn't come to be 'I am otherwise because of this'
there doesn't come to be 'I am bad because of this'
there doesn't come to be 'I am good because of this'
there doesn't come to be 'I might be because of this'
there doesn't come to be 'I might be here because of this'
there doesn't come to be 'I might be like this because of this'
there doesn't come to be 'I might be otherwise because of this'
there doesn't come to be 'May I be because of this'
there doesn't come to be 'May I be here because of this'
there doesn't come to be 'May I be like this because of this'
there doesn't come to be 'May I be otherwise because of this'
there doesn't come to be 'I will be because of this'
there doesn't come to be 'I will be here because of this'
there doesn't come to be 'I will be like this because of this'
there doesn't come to be 'I will be otherwise because of this.'
■
"And how does a monk burn?
There is the case
where a monk's conceit of 'I am'
is not abandoned,
its root destroyed,
made like a palmyra stump,
deprived of the conditions of development,
not destined for future arising.
This is how a monk burns.
■
"And how does a monk not burn?
There is the case
where a monk's conceit of 'I am'
is abandoned,
its root destroyed,
made like a palmyra stump,
deprived of the conditions of development,
not destined for future arising.
This is how a monk doesn't burn."
Of Related Interest:
MN 2;
MN 87;
SN 1:25;
SN 12:20;
AN 4:19;
AN 4.199
AN 7:60;
AN 10:80
