Aṅguttara Nikāya
Pañcaka Nipāta
III: Pañc'aṅgika Vagga

The Book of Fives

Sutta 26

Vimutt'Āyatana Suttaṃ

Access to Freedom

Translated from the Pāḷi
by
Michael M. Olds

 

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[1][pts][bodh][than] I Hear Tell:

Once Upon a Time, The Lucky Man, Sāvatthī-town
came-a revisiting.

There, to the Beggars gathered round, he said:

"Beggars!"

And the beggars responding:
"Broke Tooth!"
Bhagava said:

"There are these five situations giving access^[1] to freedom, beggars,
wherein, in a beggar residing with care, ardent, holding firm,
the previously unfreed heart is freed,
the previously not thoroughly destroyed corrupting influences go to their destruction,
the previously unreached unsurpassable security of calm^[2] is finally won.

What five?

Here, beggars, the Master,
or some fellow Brahma-traveler standing in the place of instructor,
gives a beggar a dissertation on Dhamma.

Whatever it may be ... whatever it is, beggars,
that the Master,
or some fellow Brahma-traveler standing in the place of instructor,
gives such a beggar as a dissertation on Dhamma
such that it is ... such that it may be,
that it is by this that he reaches experience of Dhamma
and experiences Dhamma
with this reaching experience of Dhamma,
experiencing Dhamma,
joy is born,
there being joy,
enthusiasm is born,
there being enthusiasm,
the body is pacified,
bodily impassivity is experience of pleasure,
pleased at heart one is serene.

This is the first situation giving access to freedom, beggars,
wherein, in a beggar residing with care, ardent, holding firm,
the previously unfreed heart is freed,
the previously not thoroughly destroyed corrupting influences go to their destruction,
the previously unreached unsurpassable security of calm is finally won.

Again and further, beggars, the Master,
or some fellow Brahma-traveler standing in the place of instructor,
not giving a beggar a dissertation on Dhamma,
but, explaining Dhamma in whatever way heard, in whatever way mastered,
he himself gives a dissertation to those gathered round.

Whatever it may be ... whatever it is, beggars,
that explaining Dhamma in whatever way heard, in whatever way mastered,
he himself gives a dissertation to those gathered round
such that it is ... such that it may be,
that it is by this that he reaches experience of Dhamma
and experiences Dhamma
with this reaching experience of Dhamma,
experiencing Dhamma,
joy is born,
there being joy, enthusiasm is born,
there being enthusiasm, the body is pacified,
bodily impassivity is experience of pleasure,
pleased at heart one is serene.

This is the second situation giving access to freedom, beggars,
wherein, in a beggar residing with care, ardent, holding firm,
the previously unfreed heart is freed,
the previously not thoroughly destroyed corrupting influences go to their destruction,
the previously unreached unsurpassable security of calm is finally won.

Again and further, beggars, the Master,
or some fellow Brahma-traveler standing in the place of instructor,
not giving a beggar a dissertation on Dhamma,
not himself giving a dissertation to those gathered round,
explaining Dhamma in whatever way heard, in whatever way mastered,
but, explaining Dhamma in whatever way heard, in whatever way mastered,
he makes a review thereof.

Whatever it may be ... whatever it is, beggars,
that explaining Dhamma in whatever way heard, in whatever way mastered,
he makes a review thereof
such that it is ... such that it may be,
that it is by this that he reaches experience of Dhamma
and experiences Dhamma
with this reaching experience of Dhamma,
experiencing Dhamma,
joy is born,
there being joy, enthusiasm is born,
there being enthusiasm, the body is pacified,
bodily impassivity is experience of pleasure,
pleased at heart one is serene.

This is the third situation giving access to freedom, beggars,
wherein, in a beggar residing with care, ardent, holding firm,
the previously unfreed heart is freed,
the previously not thoroughly destroyed corrupting influences go to their destruction,
the previously unreached unsurpassable security of calm is finally won.

Again and further, beggars, the Master,
or some fellow Brahma-traveler standing in the place of instructor,
not giving a beggar a dissertation on Dhamma,
not himself giving a dissertation to those gathered round,
explaining Dhamma in whatever way heard, in whatever way mastered,
not making a review explaining Dhamma in whatever way heard, in whatever way mastered,
but, pondering over Dhamma in whatever way heard, in whatever way mastered by heart,
he thinks about it with a mind intent on detachment.

Whatever it may be ... whatever it is, beggars,
that pondering over Dhamma in whatever way heard, in whatever way mastered by heart
he thinks about it with a mind intent on detachment
such that it is ... such that it may be,
that it is by this that he reaches experience of Dhamma
and experiences Dhamma
with this reaching experience of Dhamma,
experiencing Dhamma,
joy is born,
there being joy, enthusiasm is born,
there being enthusiasm, the body is pacified,
bodily impassivity is experience of pleasure,
pleased at heart one is serene.

This is the fourth situation giving access to freedom, beggars,
wherein, in a beggar residing with care, ardent, holding firm,
the previously unfreed heart is freed,
the previously not thoroughly destroyed corrupting influences go to their destruction,
the previously unreached unsurpassable security of calm is finally won.

Again and further, beggars, the Master,
or some fellow Brahma-traveler standing in the place of instructor,
not giving a beggar a dissertation on Dhamma,
not himself giving a dissertation to those gathered round,
explaining Dhamma in whatever way heard, in whatever way mastered,
not making a review explaining Dhamma in whatever way heard, in whatever way mastered,
not pondering over Dhamma in whatever way heard, in whatever way mastered by heart
not thinking about it with a mind intent on detachment
but, he has well grasped one or another sign of serenity
studied it well, retained it well, well refined it by wisdom.

Whatever it may be ... whatever it is, beggars,
that is that sign of serenity that he has well grasped
studied well, retained well, well refined by wisdom
such that it is ... such that it may be,
that it is by this that he reaches experience of Dhamma
and experiences Dhamma
with this reaching experience of Dhamma,
experiencing Dhamma,
joy is born,
there being joy, enthusiasm is born,
there being enthusiasm, the body is pacified,
bodily impassivity is experience of pleasure,
pleased at heart one is serene.

This is the fifth situation giving access to freedom, beggars,
wherein, in a beggar residing with care, ardent, holding firm,
the previously unfreed heart is freed,
the previously not thoroughly destroyed corrupting influences go to their destruction,
the previously unreached unsurpassable security of calm is finally won.

These are those five situations giving access to freedom, beggars,
wherein, in a beggar residing with care, ardent, holding firm,
the previously unfreed heart is freed,
the previously not thoroughly destroyed corrupting influences go to their destruction,
the previously unreached unsurpassable security of calm is finally won.

 

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^[1] Āyatana. Realms, or spheres of.

^[2] Yoga-k-khema = Yoke-calming; Bodhi: 'security from bondage'; Hare: 'peace from effort.' I suggest this is having become yoked to a calm or peace that is stable rather than the usual understanding of freedom from a yoke.