Aṇguttara-Nikāya
II. Duka Nipāta
VII. Sukha Vagga
The Book of Twos
Suttas 63-75
Pleasures[ed1]
Translated from the Pāḷi
by
Michael M. Olds
Sutta 63
[63.1][pts] "These two are pleasures, beggars.
Which two?
The pleasure of home-owning
and the pleasure of entering into homelessness.[1]
These, beggars, are those two pleasures.
Of these two pleasures, beggars,
this is the superior,
that is, the pleasure of entering into homelessness."
Sutta 64
[64.1][pts] "These two are pleasures, beggars.
Which two?
The pleasure of the sensual
and the pleasure of renunciation.
These, beggars, are those two pleasures.
Of these two pleasures, beggars,
this is the superior,
that is, the pleasure of renunciation."
Sutta 65
[65.1][pts] "These two are pleasures, beggars.
Which two?
The pleasure of involvement
and the pleasure of uninvolvement.
These, beggars, are those two pleasures.
Of these two pleasures, beggars,
this is the superior,
that is, the pleasure of uninvolvement."
Sutta 66
[66.1][pts] "These two are pleasures, beggars.
Which two?
[81]The pleasure associated with the no-good[2]
and the pleasure disassociated from the no-good.
These, beggars, are those two pleasures.
Of these two pleasures, beggars,
this is the superior,
that is, the pleasure disassociated from the no-good."
Sutta 67
[67.1][pts] "These two are pleasures, beggars.
Which two?
The pleasure associated with the carnal
and the pleasure disassociated from the carnal.
These, beggars, are those two pleasures.
Of these two pleasures, beggars,
this is the superior,
that is, the pleasure disassociated from the carnal."
Sutta 68
[68.1][pts] "These two are pleasures, beggars.
Which two?
The pleasure that is aristocratic
and the pleasure that is not aristocratic.
These, beggars, are those two pleasures.
Of these two pleasures, beggars,
this is the superior,
that is, the pleasure that is aristocratic."
Sutta 69
[69.1][pts] "These two are pleasures, beggars.
Which two?
The pleasure of the body
and the pleasure of the mind.
These, beggars, are those two pleasures.
Of these two pleasures, beggars,
this is the superior,
that is, the pleasure of the mind."
Sutta 70
[70.1][pts] "These two are pleasures, beggars.
Which two?
The pleasures accompanied by excitement
and the pleasures disassociated from excitement.
These, beggars, are those two pleasures.
Of these two pleasures, beggars,
this is the superior,
that is, the pleasure disassociated from excitement."
Sutta 71
[71.1][pts] "These two are pleasures, beggars.
Which two?
The pleasure of enjoyment
and the pleasure of detachment.
These, beggars, are those two pleasures.
Of these two pleasures, beggars,
this is the superior,
that is, the pleasure of detachment."
Sutta 72
[72.1][pts] "These two are pleasures, beggars.
Which two?
The pleasure of high-getting[3] and the pleasure without high-getting.
These, beggars, are those two pleasures.
Of these two pleasures, beggars,
this is the superior,
that is, the pleasure of high-getting."
Sutta 73
[73.1][pts] "These two are pleasures, beggars.
Which two?
The pleasure of interest associated with excitement
and the pleasure of interest disassociated from excitement.
These, beggars, are those two pleasures.
Of these two pleasures, beggars,
this is the superior,
that is, the pleasure of interest disassociated from excitement."
Sutta 74
[74.1][pts][than] "These two are pleasures, beggars.
Which two?
The pleasure of the interest which is enjoyed
and the pleasure of the interest which is detached.
These, beggars, are those two pleasures.
Of these two pleasures, beggars,
this is the superior,
that is, the pleasure of the interest which is detached."
Sutta 75
[75.1][pts] "These two are pleasures, beggars.
Which two?
The pleasure of interest in the material
and the pleasure of interest in the immaterial.
These, beggars, are those two pleasures.
Of these two pleasures, beggars,
this is the superior,
that is, the pleasure of interest in the immaterial."
[1] Pabbajjā: Usually translated home-leaving or renunciation. Originally the taking up of and living of any sort of wandering lifestyle. Nomad. Drifter. Vagabond. Any style of life characterized primarily by not settling down into home-ownership. Today it has come to mean the act of formally renouncing the householders life and taking up the role of the Buddhist Bhikkhu.
[2] Āsava. Usually, of course, "The Āsavas" = wanting, living, wanting to escape; but undefined "āsava" means any thing that brings no good from association with it.
[3] Samādhi. My take being that this means attaining a state that is "Empty, Pointless, and Signless" — empty of lust, anger and blindness, not based on a purpose associated with lust, anger or blindness; not giving off signs of lust, anger or blindness. Alternatively, if Samādhi is taken more broadly: with 'focus' and without 'focus'. Or with regard to state of mind it is best as 'serenity'; being above it all.
[ed1] In this group of suttas, samādhi is translated "High-getting" whereas more recently it is being translated "Serenity"; "asava" is "no-goods" where now it is being translated "corrupting influences"; "etadgga" is "Superior" where now it is being translated "topmost".
