Aṇguttara Nikāya
VIII. Aṭṭhaka Nipāta
VII. Bhūmi-Cāla Vagga
The Book of Eights
Sutta 63
Sankhitta-Desita Suttaṃ
A Condensed[1] Dhamma Discourse
Translated from the Pāḷi
by
Michael M. Olds
Once upon a time The Lucky Man, Sāvatthi Town revisiting.
There then a bhikkhu drew near the Lucky Man.
Having drawn near The Lucky Man,
and given salutation,
he took a seat to one side.
Seated to one side, then, this bhikkhu addressed The Lucky Man:
"It would be well for me, bhante,
if the Bhagavā would teach a condensed Dhamma,
such that having heard Bhagavā's Dhamma,
I could live alone,
apart,
careful,
ardent,
intent on striving."
[aside] "... and even so are there some confused persons
who neither come to my Dhamma talks,
nor think they should follow me."
"Let, Bhante, Bhagavā teach a condensed Dhamma
teach, Well-gone, a condensed Dhamma!
It may be such that even I might come to understand
the goal spoken of by Bhagavā;
it may be such that even I might become one
to receive what the Bhagavā says."
"In that case then, bhikkhu, train yourself this way:
'Let my heart,
having become well-composed within,
be still,
and not give rise to bad, unskillful things
that, persisting, overwhelm the heart.'
This is how, bhikkhu, to train yourself.
When, bhikkhu, your heart,
having become well-composed within,
is still,
and does not give rise to bad, unskillful things
that, persisting, overwhelm the heart,
then, bhikkhu, you must train yourself thus:
'Let freedom of heart through friendliness be made-become,
made a big thing,
made a vehicle,
made a reality,
come to greatness,
well-set going.'
This is how, bhikkhu, to train yourself.
When, bhikkhu, this serene state
has been made become this way,
made a big thing,
proceed thus, bhikkhu, with this serenity:
'Become with thinking along with pondering.
Become without thinking, but with pondering.
Become completely without thinking, without pondering.
Become along with enthusiasm.
Become completely without enthusiasm.
Become accompanied just with the agreeable.
Become accompanied just with detachment.'
This is how, bhikkhu, to train yourself.
When, bhikkhu, this serene state
has been made become this way,
made a big thing,
proceed thus, bhikkhu, with this serenity:
'Let freedom of heart through sympathy be made-become,
made a big thing,
made a vehicle,
made a reality,
come to greatness,
well-set going.'
This is how, bhikkhu, to train yourself.
When, bhikkhu, this serene state
has been made become this way,
made a big thing,
proceed thus, bhikkhu, with this serenity:
'Become with thinking along with pondering.
Become without thinking, but with pondering.
Become completely without thinking, without pondering.
Become along with enthusiasm.
Become completely without enthusiasm.
Become accompanied just with the agreeable.
Become accompanied just with detachment.'
This is how, bhikkhu, to train yourself.
When, bhikkhu, this serene state
has been made become this way,
made a big thing,
proceed thus, bhikkhu, with this serenity:
'Let freedom of heart through empathy be made-become,
made a big thing,
made a vehicle,
made a reality,
come to greatness,
well-set going.'
This is how, bhikkhu, to train yourself.
When, bhikkhu, this serene state
has been made become this way,
made a big thing,
proceed thus, bhikkhu, with this serenity:
'Become with thinking along with pondering.
Become without thinking, but with pondering.
Become completely without thinking, without pondering.
Become along with enthusiasm.
Become completely without enthusiasm.
Become accompanied just with the agreeable.
Become accompanied just with detachment.'
This is how, bhikkhu, to train yourself.
When, bhikkhu, this serene state
has been made become this way,
made a big thing,
proceed thus, bhikkhu, with this serenity:
'Let freedom of heart through detachment be made-become,
made a big thing,
made a vehicle,
made a reality,
come to greatness,
well-set going.'
This is how, bhikkhu, to train yourself.
When, bhikkhu, this serene state
has been made become this way,
made a big thing,
proceed thus, bhikkhu, with this serenity:
'Become with thinking along with pondering.
Become without thinking, but with pondering.
Become completely without thinking, without pondering.
Become along with enthusiasm.
Become completely without enthusiasm.
Become accompanied just with the agreeable.
Become accompanied just with detachment.'
This is how, bhikkhu, to train yourself.
When, bhikkhu, this serene state
has been made become this way,
made a big thing,
proceed thus, bhikkhu, with this serenity:
'Living in a body,
I will oversee the body,
ardent, self-aware, minding,
having settled down worldly coveting and depression.'
This is how, bhikkhu, to train yourself.
When, bhikkhu, this serene state
has been made become this way,
made a big thing,
proceed thus, bhikkhu, with this serenity:
'Become with thinking along with pondering.
Become without thinking, but with pondering.
Become completely without thinking, without pondering.
Become along with enthusiasm.
Become completely without enthusiasm.
Become accompanied just with the agreeable.
Become accompanied just with detachment.'
This is how, bhikkhu, to train yourself.
When, bhikkhu, this serene state
has been made become this way,
made a big thing,
proceed thus, bhikkhu, with this serenity:
'Living in sense-experience,
I will oversee sense-experience,
ardent, self-aware, minding,
having settled down worldly coveting and depression.'
This is how, bhikkhu, to train yourself.
When, bhikkhu, this serene state
has been made become this way,
made a big thing,
proceed thus, bhikkhu, with this serenity:
'Become with thinking along with pondering.
Become without thinking, but with pondering.
Become completely without thinking, without pondering.
Become along with enthusiasm.
Become completely without enthusiasm.
Become accompanied just with the agreeable.
Become accompanied just with detachment.'
This is how, bhikkhu, to train yourself.
When, bhikkhu, this serene state
has been made become this way,
made a big thing,
proceed thus, bhikkhu, with this serenity:
'Living in mental states,
I will oversee mental states,
ardent, self-aware, minding,
having settled down worldly coveting and depression.'
This is how, bhikkhu, to train yourself.
When, bhikkhu, this serene state
has been made become this way,
made a big thing,
proceed thus, bhikkhu, with this serenity:
'Become with thinking along with pondering.
Become without thinking, but with pondering.
Become completely without thinking, without pondering.
Become along with enthusiasm.
Become completely without enthusiasm.
Become accompanied just with the agreeable.
Become accompanied just with detachment.'
This is how, bhikkhu, to train yourself.
When, bhikkhu, this serene state
has been made become this way,
made a big thing,
proceed thus, bhikkhu, with this serenity:
'Living in the Dhamma,
I will oversee things,
ardent, self-aware, minding,
having settled down worldly coveting and depression.'
This is how, bhikkhu, to train yourself.
When, bhikkhu, this serene state
has been made become this way,
made a big thing,
proceed thus, bhikkhu, with this serenity:
'Become with thinking along with pondering.
Become without thinking, but with pondering.
Become completely without thinking, without pondering.
Become along with enthusiasm.
Become completely without enthusiasm.
Become accompanied just with the agreeable.
Become accompanied just with detachment.'
This is how, bhikkhu, to train yourself.
When, bhikkhu, this serene state
has been made become well developed this way,
proceeding thus, bhikkhu —
approaching, whatever is thus approached,
is approached in comfort;
whenever, however, standing,
the standing is comfortable,
whenever, however seated,
the seat is comfortable,
whenever, however the place for lying down be made,
the place for lying down that is made is comfortable."
There then, this bhikkhu,
having been so instructed with this instruction,
living alone,
apart,
careful,
ardent,
intent on striving
in no long time
clearly understood, incorporated, and achieved that goal
that unsurpassable living of the godly life
for which sons of good families
leave home for homelessness
seeing it for himself in this visible thing.
And he knew:
"Left behind is re-birth;
lived is the godly life,
done is duty's doing,
no further is there it'n-n-at'n."
And this bhikkhu became another of the Arahants.
[1] Sankhitta. Usually: 'In Brief', but this sutta is not brief but does encompass a whole course of instruction condensed down considerably.
