Aṇguttara Nikāya
X. Dasaka-Nipāta
I. Ānisaṇsa Vagga
The Book of Tens
Sutta 2
Cetanā-Karaṇīya Suttaṃ
Thought Formation
Translated from the Pāḷi
by
Michael M. Olds
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:
"For the ethical, beggars,
being thoroughly ethical,
there is no need to form the thought:
'Let freedom from remorse arise in me!'
Such are things,[1] beggars,
that for the ethical,
being thoroughly ethical,
freedom from remorse arises.
For the free from remorse, beggars,
there is no need to form the thought:
'Let joy arise!'
Such are things, beggars,
that for the free from remorse,
joy arises.
For the joyful, beggars,
there is no need to form the thought:
'Let enthusiasm arise!'
Such are things, beggars,
that for the joyful,
enthusiasm arises.
For the enthusiastic in mind[2], beggars
there is no need to form the thought:
'Let my body become impassive!'[3]
Such are things, beggars,
that for the mentally enthusiastic,
the body becomes impassive.
For the impassive in body, beggars,
there is no need to form the thought[4]:
'I experience pleasure!'
Such are things, beggars,
that for the impassive in body,
the pleasant is experienced.
For the pleased, beggars,
there is no need to form the thought:
'Let my heart be serene!'
Such are things, beggars,
that for the pleased,
the heart is serene.
For the serene, beggars,
there is no need to form the thought:
'I know and see things as they are.'
Such are things, beggars,
that for the serene,
things are known and seen as they are.
Things being known and seen as they are, beggars,
there is no need to form the thought:
'I feel satisfaction, dispassion.'
Such are things, beggars,
that knowing and seeing things as they are
there is satisfaction, dispassion.
There being satisfaction, beggars, dispassion
there is no need to form the thought:
'I witness the knowing and seeing of freedom.'
Such are things, beggars,
satisfied, dispassionate,
there is witnessing knowing and seeing freedom.
Thus it is then, beggars,
that knowing and seeing freedom
is the point, the benefit
of satisfaction and dispassion;
satisfaction and dispassion
is the point, the benefit
of knowing and seeing things as they are;
knowing and seeing things as they are
is the point, the benefit
of serenity;
serenity of heart
is the point, the benefit
of experiencing pleasure;
experiencing pleasure
is the point, the benefit
of becoming bodily impassive;
becoming bodily impassive
is the point, the benefit
of enthusiasm;
enthusiasm
is the point, the benefit
of joy;
joy
is the point, the benefit
of freedom from remorse;
freedom from remorse
is the point, the benefit
of being thoroughly ethical.
Thus it is then, beggars,
that one thing leads to another,
one thing builds up another
in the journey from the not-beyond to the beyond."
[1] Dhammatā esā. Such is Dhamma. Dhamma here neither simply 'thing' nor 'the Teaching', but analogous to the Tao or Great Spirit, or Great Mind, but not the Buddha Mind though this is what is mistaken for that.
[2] Another case that points to 'excited' as the meaning of pitī. So here we see someone thinking that a distinction is needed as to the type of this pitī. In other words, not of the carnal variety.
[3] Passaddhi. Woodward has calm here.
[4] Woodward notes the change from optative to indicative but does not speculate as to why. I will fill the need: Look at what this sutta is saying: 'One begins by modifying and eliminating the most trouble-causing behavior by following a set of ethical values. This eliminates a barrier to deep emotional feelings of joy, that is, deep emotional feelings of remorse. Then without wasting one step we turn the mind onto what it is that we are doing and we see that we are re-forming our world for the better. OK! Enthusiasm. Beginning at the crude level of carnal lust, moving up to love and adoration, moving up to rapture; its all enthusiasm. And it is intensely pleasurable. This is definitely the time to throw in the zinger. When we are beginning, we hear about perfect ethical conduct and freedom from remorse and joy and Enthusiasm and the power to form with thought. So the beginner is always 'Let my body be such; let my sensations be so.' And here we are being shown the foolishness of that in the clarity of the relationship between perfect ethical behavior and the absence of remorse and all the variations one could work on that theme. We see this and we are convinced! Then the next step changes gear. Its talking about not needing to form the thought that an "I" is experiencing something. Experiencing. Is the subjective experience that "I sense pleasure!" a thought? It is a thought, and it is a thought with a trap. The trap is the "I" part. It is not that for pleasure to be sensed that no thought is needed; it is that no thought of self is needed to go along with that sensing of pleasure. Ja dig?
