Aṅguttara Nikāya
XI. Ekā-Dasaka Nipāta
I. Nissāya

The Book of Elevens

Sutta 2

Na Cetanā-Karaṇīya Suttaṃ

No Making Intentions

 

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[1][pts][than] ^[1]"For one devoted to ethics, beggars,
possessing ethics,
there is no making the intention:

'Let being without self-reproach arise in me.'

Things are such, beggars,
for one devoted to ethics
possessing ethics
that being without self-reproach arises.

 

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Being without self-reproach, beggars,
there is no making the intention:

'Let gladness arise in me.'

Things are such, beggars,
for one without self-reproach
that gladness arises.

 

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Being glad, beggars,
there is no making the intention:

'Let approval arise in me.'

Things are such, beggars,
for one who is glad
that approval arises.

 

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Having mental approval, beggars,
there is no making the intention:

'Let bodily impassivity arise in me.'

Things are such, beggars,
for one who has mental approval
that bodily impassivity arises.

 

■

 

Being bodily impassive, beggars,
there is no making the intention:

'Let me experience pleasure.'

Things are such, beggars,
that one who is bodily impassive
experiences pleasure."

 

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Being bodily impassive, beggars,
there is no making the intention:

'Let my heart be serene.'

Things are such, beggars,
for one who is bodily impassive
that the heart is serene.

 

■

 

Being serene, beggars,
there is no making the intention:

'Let me know and see things
the way they are.'

Things are such, beggars,
that one who is serene
knows and sees things
the way they are.

 

■

 

In one who knows and sees things
the way they are, beggars,
there is no making the intention:

'Let me be weary.'

Things are such, beggars,
that one who knows and sees things
the way they are
is weary.

 

■

 

In one who is weary, beggars,
there is no making the intention:

'Let me be dispassionate.'

Things are such, beggars,
that one who is weary
is dispassionate.

 

■

 

In one who is dispassionate, beggars,
there is no making the intention:

'Let me see for myself
freedom through knowing and seeing.'

Things are such, beggars,
that one who is dispassionate
sees for himself
freedom through knowing and seeing.

 

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Thus then, beggars,
dispassion
has freedom through knowing and seeing
as its purpose
freedom through knowing and seeing
as its advantage;

weariness,
dispassion
as its purpose
dispassion
as its advantage;

knowing and seeing things
the way they are
weariness
as its purpose
weariness
as its advantage;

serenity
knowing and seeing things
the way they are
as its purpose
knowing and seeing things
the way they are
as its advantage;

being pleased
serenity
as its purpose
serenity
as its advantage;

impassivity
being pleased
as its purpose
being pleased
as its advantage;

approval
impassivity
as its purpose
impassivity
as its advantage;

gladness
approval
as its purpose
approval
as its advantage;

being without self-reproach
gladness
as its purpose
gladness
as its advantage;

skillful ethical standards
being without self-reproach
as its purpose
being without self-reproach
as its advantage.;

 

■

 

Thus then, beggars,
one thing over-flows
into another.

One thing fulfils
another
leading one from
the not-beyond
to the beyond.

 

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^[1] This sutta has no Nidana, but it is hard not to see that this sutta belongs with the previous one.