Aṇguttara Nikāya
Pañcaka Nipāta
V: Muṇḍa-Rāja Vagga
The Book of Fives
Sutta 48
Alabbha-Nīyaṭhāna Suttaṃ
The Unattainable
Translated from the Pāḷi
by
Michael M. Olds
Once upon a time the Lucky Man,
Sāvatthi-town came a revisit'n.
"Beggars!
There are these five states which are unattainable
by shaman, brahman, God, gods or the Devil;
not by anyone in the world.
What five?
The state where there is aging but no old age.
This is the first state which is unattainable
by shaman, brahman, God, gods or the Devil;
not by anyone in the world.
The state where there is going but no being gone.
This is the second state which is unattainable
by shaman, brahman, God, gods or the Devil;
not by anyone in the world.
The state where there is dying but no death.
This is the third state which is unattainable
by shaman, brahman, God, gods or the Devil;
not by anyone in the world.
The state where there is passing but no passing away.
This is the fourth state which is unattainable
by shaman, brahman, God, gods or the Devil;
not by anyone in the world.
The state where there is disappearance but no disappearing.
This is the fifth state which is unattainable
by shaman, brahman, God, gods or the Devil;
not by anyone in the world.
Beggars! For the untamed, untrained, uneducated common man,
aging brings old age.
But when old age approaches
he does not think:
'Aging does not bring old age only to me.
Wherever aging is to be seen,
there one also sees
the arriving and departing,
passing away and coming to be of beings.
To one and all aging brings old age.
If I were one who,
when old age comes
were to weep and lament,
grieve and complain,
beat my breast in frustration, anger and despair,
then food would no longer provide enjoyment
and wasting would afflict my body
and my business would suffer
and my enemies would be happy
while my friends would be sad.'
And, indeed, beggars,
when old age comes,
he is one who weeps and laments,
grieves and complains,
beats his breast in frustration, anger and despair,
and food no longer provides enjoyment to him
and wasting afflicts his body
and his business suffers
and his enemies are happy
while his friends are sad.
This fellow, Beggars,
is just to be known as
an untamed, untrained, uneducated common man;
struck by misfortune's arrow he simply torments himself.
Beggars! For the untamed, untrained, uneducated common man,
going brings being gone.
But when going approaches
he does not think:
'Going does not bring being gone only to me.
Wherever going is to be seen,
there one also sees the arriving and departing,
passing away and coming to be of beings.
To one and all going brings being gone.
If I were one who,
when going comes
were to weep and lament,
grieve and complain,
beat my breast in frustration, anger and despair,
then food would no longer provide enjoyment
and wasting would afflict my body
and my business would suffer
and my enemies would be happy
while my friends would be sad.'
And, indeed, beggars,
when going comes,
he is one who weeps and laments,
grieves and complains,
beats his breast in frustration, anger and despair,
and food no longer provides enjoyment to him
and wasting afflicts his body
and his business suffers
and his enemies are happy
while his friends are sad.
This fellow, Beggars,
is just to be known as
an untamed, untrained, uneducated common man;
struck by misfortune's arrow he simply torments himself.
Beggars! For the untamed, untrained, uneducated common man,
dying brings death.
But when death approaches
he does not think:
'Dying does not bring death only to me.
Wherever dying is to be seen,
there one also sees the arriving and departing,
passing away and coming to be of beings.
To one and all dying brings death.
If I were one who,
when dying comes
were to weep and lament,
grieve and complain,
beat my breast in frustration, anger and despair,
then food would no longer provide enjoyment
and wasting would afflict my body
and my business would suffer
and my enemies would be happy
while my friends would be sad.'
And, indeed, beggars,
when dying comes,
he is one who weeps and laments,
grieves and complains,
beats his breast in frustration, anger and despair,
and food no longer provides enjoyment to him
and wasting afflicts his body
and his business suffers
and his enemies are happy
while his friends are sad.
This fellow, Beggars,
is just to be known as
an untamed, untrained, uneducated common man;
struck by misfortune's arrow he simply torments himself.
Beggars! For the untamed, untrained, uneducated common man,
passing brings passing away.
But when passing approaches
he does not think:
'Passing does not bring passing away only to me.
Wherever passing is to be seen,
there one also sees the arriving and departing,
passing away and coming to be of beings.
To one and all passing brings passing away.
If I were one who,
when passing comes
were to weep and lament,
grieve and complain,
beat my breast in frustration, anger and despair,
then food would no longer provide enjoyment
and wasting would afflict my body
and my business would suffer
and my enemies would be happy
while my friends would be sad.'
And, indeed, beggars,
when passing comes,
he is one who weeps and laments,
grieves and complains,
beats his breast in frustration, anger and despair,
and food no longer provides enjoyment to him
and wasting afflicts his body
and his business suffers
and his enemies are happy
while his friends are sad.
This fellow, Beggars,
is just to be known as
an untamed, untrained, uneducated common man;
struck by misfortune's arrow he simply torments himself.
Beggars! For the untamed, untrained, uneducated common man,
disappearance brings disappearing.
But when disappearance approaches
he does not think:
'Disappearance does not bring disappearing only to me.
Wherever disappearance is to be seen,
there one also sees the arriving and departing,
passing away and coming to be of beings.
To one and all disappearance brings disappearing.
If I were one who,
when disappearance comes
were to weep and lament,
grieve and complain,
beat my breast in frustration, anger and despair,
then food would no longer provide enjoyment
and wasting would afflict my body
and my business would suffer
and my enemies would be happy
while my friends would be sad.'
And, indeed, beggars,
when disappearance comes,
he is one who weeps and laments,
grieves and complains,
beats his breast in frustration, anger and despair,
and food no longer provides enjoyment to him
and wasting afflicts his body
and his business suffers
and his enemies are happy
while his friends are sad.
This fellow, Beggars,
is just to be known as
an untamed, untrained, uneducated common man;
struck by misfortune's arrow he simply torments himself.
Beggars! For the well tamed, well trained, well educated student of the Aristocrats,
aging brings old age.
But when old age approaches he does think:
'Aging does not bring old age only to me.
Wherever aging is to be seen,
there one also sees the arriving and departing,
passing away and coming to be of beings.
To one and all aging brings old age.
If I were one who, when old age comes
were to weep and lament,
grieve and complain,
beat my breast in frustration, anger and despair,
then food would no longer provide enjoyment
and wasting would afflict my body
and my business would suffer
and my enemies would be happy
while my friends would be sad.'
And, beggars, when old age comes,
he does not weep and lament,
grieve and complain,
beat his breast in frustration, anger and despair.
This fellow, Beggars,
is one to be known as
a well tamed, well trained, well educated
student of the Aristocrats;
struck by misfortune's arrow
he drains off the poison
with which the common man torments himself
and lives untormented,
unpoisoned, cool.
Beggars! For the well tamed, well trained, well educated student of the Aristocrats,
going brings being gone.
But when going approaches he does think:
'Going does not bring being gone only to me.
Wherever going is to be seen,
there one also sees the arriving and departing,
passing away and coming to be of beings.
To one and all going brings being gone.
If I were one who, when going comes
were to weep and lament,
grieve and complain,
beat my breast in frustration, anger and despair,
then food would no longer provide enjoyment
and wasting would afflict my body
and my business would suffer
and my enemies would be happy
while my friends would be sad.'
And, beggars, when going comes,
he does not weep and lament,
grieve and complain,
beat his breast in frustration, anger and despair.
This fellow, Beggars,
is one to be known as
a well tamed, well trained, well educated
student of the Aristocrats;
struck by misfortune's arrow
he drains off the poison
with which the common man torments himself
and lives untormented,
unpoisoned, cool.
Beggars! For the well tamed, well trained, well educated student of the Aristocrats,
dying brings death.
But when dying approaches he does think:
'Dying does not bring death only to me.
Wherever dying is to be seen,
there one also sees the arriving and departing,
passing away and coming to be of beings.
To one and all dying brings death.
If I were one who, when dying comes
were to weep and lament,
grieve and complain,
beat my breast in frustration, anger and despair,
then food would no longer provide enjoyment
and wasting would afflict my body
and my business would suffer
and my enemies would be happy
while my friends would be sad.'
And, beggars, when dying comes,
he does not weep and lament,
grieve and complain,
beat his breast in frustration, anger and despair.
This fellow, Beggars,
is one to be known as
a well tamed, well trained, well educated
student of the Aristocrats;
struck by misfortune's arrow
he drains off the poison
with which the common man torments himself
and lives untormented,
unpoisoned, cool.
Beggars! For the well tamed, well trained, well educated student of the Aristocrats,
passing brings passing away.
But when passing approaches he does think:
'Passing does not bring passing away only to me.
Wherever passing is to be seen,
there one also sees the arriving and departing,
passing away and coming to be of beings.
To one and all passing brings passing away.
If I were one who, when passing comes
were to weep and lament,
grieve and complain,
beat my breast in frustration, anger and despair,
then food would no longer provide enjoyment
and wasting would afflict my body
and my business would suffer
and my enemies would be happy
while my friends would be sad.'
And, beggars, when passing comes,
he does not weep and lament,
grieve and complain,
beat his breast in frustration, anger and despair.
This fellow, Beggars,
is one to be known as
a well tamed, well trained, well educated
student of the Aristocrats;
struck by misfortune's arrow
he drains off the poison
with which the common man torments himself
and lives untormented,
unpoisoned, cool.
Beggars! For the well tamed, well trained, well educated student of the Aristocrats,
disappearance brings disappearing.
But when disappearance approaches he does think:
'Disappearance does not bring disappearing only to me.
Wherever disappearing is to be seen,
there one also sees the arriving and departing,
passing away and coming to be of beings.
To one and all disappearance brings disappearing.
If I were one who, when disappearance comes
were to weep and lament,
grieve and complain,
beat my breast in frustration, anger and despair,
then food would no longer provide enjoyment
and wasting would afflict my body
and my business would suffer
and my enemies would be happy
while my friends would be sad.'
And, beggars, when disappearance comes,
he does not weep and lament,
grieve and complain,
beat his breast in frustration, anger and despair.
This fellow, Beggars,
is one to be known as
a well tamed, well trained, well educated
student of the Aristocrats;
struck by misfortune's arrow
he drains off the poison
with which the common man torments himself
and lives untormented,
unpoisoned, cool.
These, beggars, are the five states which are unattainable
by shaman, brahman, God, gods or the Devil;
not by anyone in the world."
