Saṃyutta Nikāya
5. Mahā-Vagga
54. Ānāpāna Saṃyutta
2. Ānanda or Dutiya Vagga

The Aspiration Collection

Sutta 15

Paṭhama Bhikkhū Suttaṃ

Beggars 1

Translated from the Pāḷi
by
Michael M. Olds

[1] I Hear Tell:

Once upon a time Bhagava,
Sāvatthi-town revisiting.

There then a large number of beggars approached Bhagava and drew near.

Having drawn near they exchanged greetings together with Bhagava.

Having exchanged greetings and shared friendly talk they took seats to one side.

Seated to one side then,
those beggars said this to Bhagava:

"Now can it be, Bhante that one thing,
developed and made much of,
brings to fulfillment four things;
that four things,
developed and made much of,
bring to fulfillment seven things;
that seven things,
developed and made much of,
bring to fulfillment two things?"

"It can be, beggars that one thing,
developed and made much of,
brings to fulfillment four things;
that four things,
developed and made much of,
bring to fulfillment seven things;
that seven things,
developed and made much of,
bring to fulfillment two things."

"But, Bhante, what one thing,
developed and made much of,
brings to fulfillment four things;
what four things,
developed and made much of,
bring to fulfillment seven things;
what seven things,
developed and made much of,
bring to fulfillment two things?"

"Recollecting-aspiration-serenity, beggars,
is one thing,
developed and made much of,
that brings to fulfillment
the four settings-up of mind;
the four setting's-up of mind,
developed and made much of,
bring to fulfillment the seven dimensions of awakening;
the seven dimensions of awakening,
developed and made much of,
bring to fulfillment vision and freedom.

And how developed does recollecting-aspiration-serenity,
when made much of,
bring to fulfillment the four settings-up of mind?

Here beggars, a beggar having gotten himself off to the forest
or to the root of some tree,
or to some empty hut,
and having taken up his seat there sitting down,
setting the body upright,
legs bent-across-lapwise,
remembering, he attends to the face,
just so he recollects inspiration,
just so he recollects expiration.

If he inspires deeply, he knows:
'I am inspiring deeply.'

If he breaths out deeply, he knows:
'I am expiring deeply.'

If he inspires shallowly, he knows:
'I am inspiring shallowly.'

If he expires shallowly, he knows:
'I am expiring shallowly.'

'Reflecting on the totality of bodily experience,
I will inspire,'
this is the way he trains.

'Reflecting on the totality of bodily experience,
I will expire,'
this is the way he trains.

'Pacifying own-body-making,
I will inspire,'
this is the way he trains.

'Pacifying own-body-making,
I will expire,'
this is the way he trains.

'Observing enthusiasm,
I will inspire,'
this is the way he trains.

'Reflecting on enthusiasm,
I will expire,'
this is the way he trains.

'Observing pleasure,
I will inspire,'
this is the way he trains.

'Observing pleasure,
I will expire,'
this is the way he trains.

'Reflecting on the own-making of thoughts,
I will inspire,'
this is the way he trains.

'Reflecting on the own-making of thoughts,
I will expire,'
this is the way he trains.

'Pacifying the own-making of thoughts,
I will inspire,'
this is the way he trains.

'Pacifying the own-making of thoughts,
I will expire,'
this is the way he trains.

'Reflecting on the heart,
I will inspire,'
this is the way he trains.

'Reflecting on the heart,
I will expire,'
this is the way he trains.

'Abundantly content in heart,
I will inspire,'
this is the way he trains.

'Abundantly content in heart,
I will expire,'
this is the way he trains.

'Composing the heart,
I will inspire,'
this is the way he trains.

'Composing the heart,
I will expire,'
this is the way he trains.

'Liberating the heart,
I will inspire,'
this is the way he trains.

'Liberating the heart,
I will expire,'
this is the way he trains.

'On the look-out for inconsistency,
I will inspire,'
this is the way he trains.

'On the look-out for inconsistency,
I will expire,'
this is the way he trains.

'On the look-out for the end of lust,
I will inspire,'
this is the way he trains.

'On the look-out for the end of lust,
I will expire,'
this is the way he trains.

'On the look-out for ending,
I will inspire,'
this is the way he trains.

'On the look-out for ending,
I will expire,'
this is the way he trains.

'On the look-out for opportunities to let go,
I will inspire,'
this is the way he trains.

'On the look-out for opportunities to let go,
I will expire,'
this is the way he trains.

■

At such a time, beggars, as a bhikkhu
inspiring deeply, knows:
'I am inspiring deeply',
expiring deeply, knows:
'I am expiring deeply',
inspiring shallowly, knows:
'I am inspiring shallowly',
expiring shallowly, knows:
'I am expiring shallowly',
'Reflecting on the totality of bodily experience
I will inspire,' trains,
'Reflecting on the totality of bodily experience,
I will expire,' trains,
'Pacifying own-body-making,
I will inspire,' trains,
'Pacifying own-body-making,
I will expire,' trains —
at such a time, beggars,
a bhikkhu lives bodily overseeing body,
ardent,
self-composed,
remembering,
having put away the greed and dissatisfactions of the world.

How so?

Here, beggars, respiration is said to be
another term for body.

This is how, at such a time, beggars,
a bhikkhu lives bodily overseeing body,
ardent,
self-composed,
remembering,
having put away the greed and dissatisfactions of the world.

■

At such a time, beggars, as a bhikkhu
trains 'Observing enthusiasm,
I will inspire,'
trains 'Reflecting on enthusiasm,
I will expire,'
trains 'Observing pleasure,
I will inspire,'
trains 'Observing pleasure,
I will expire,'
trains 'Reflecting on the own-making of thoughts,
I will inspire,'
trains 'Reflecting on the own-making of thoughts,
I will expire,'
trains 'Pacifying the own-making of thoughts,
I will inspire,'
trains 'Pacifying the own-making of thoughts,
I will expire,' —
at such a time, beggars, a bhikkhu lives in sensations overseeing sensations,
ardent,
self-composed,
remembering,
having put away the greed and dissatisfactions of the world.

How so?

Here, beggars, well investigated,
respiration is said to be another term for sensation.

This is how, at such a time, beggars,
a bhikkhu lives in sensations overseeing sensations,
ardent,
self-composed,
remembering,
having put away the greed and dissatisfactions of the world.

■

At such a time, beggars, as a bhikkhu
trains 'Reflecting on the heart,
I will inspire,'
trains 'Reflecting on the heart,
I will expire,'
trains 'Abundantly content in heart,
I will inspire,'
trains 'Abundantly content in heart,
I will expire,'
trains 'Composing the heart,
I will inspire,'
trains 'Composing the heart,
I will expire,'
trains 'Liberating the heart,
I will inspire,'
trains 'Liberating the heart,
I will expire,' —
at such a time, beggars, a bhikkhu lives in mental states overseeing mental states,
ardent,
self-composed,
remembering,
having put away the greed and dissatisfactions of the world.

How so?

It is not, beggars,
with absent-mindedness and lack of self-awareness,
that recollecting-aspiration-serenity is said to be developed.

This is how, at such a time, beggars,
a bhikkhu lives in mental states overseeing mental states,
ardent,
self-composed,
remembering,
having put away the greed and dissatisfactions of the world.

■

At such a time, beggars, as a bhikkhu
trains 'On the look-out for inconsistence,
I will inspire,'
trains 'On the look-out for inconsistence,
I will expire,'
trains 'On the look-out for the end of lust,
I will inspire,'
trains 'On the look-out for the end of lust,
I will expire,'
trains 'On the look-out for ending,
I will inspire,'
trains 'On the look-out for ending,
I will expire,'
trains 'On the look-out for opportunities to let go,
I will inspire,'
trains 'On the look-out for opportunities to let go,
I will expire,' —
at such a time, beggars, a bhikkhu lives in the Dhamma overseeing the Dhamma,
ardent,
self-composed,
remembering,
having put away the greed and dissatisfactions of the world.

Such a one, with wisdom seeing well,
becomes objectively detached
and lets go of greed and dissatisfaction.

This is how, at such a time, beggars,
a bhikkhu lives in the Dhamma overseeing the Dhamma,
ardent,
self-composed,
remembering,
having put away the greed and dissatisfactions of the world.

■

This is how, beggars, recollecting-aspiration-serenity
when made much of
brings to fulfillment the four settings-up of mind.

ii
Four Fulfils Seven

And how developed, beggars do the four setting's-up of mind,
made much of,
bring to fulfillment the seven dimensions of self-awakening?

Body

At whatever time, beggars,
as a bhikkhu lives in body overseeing body
with established mind,
at such a time, beggars,
a bhikkhu's mind is not confused.

At whatever time, beggars,
that a bhikkhu's mind is established unconfused,
at such a time
a bhikkhu's mind dimension of self-awakening is set up.

At whatever time, beggars,
that a bhikkhu's mind dimension of self-awakening is produced,
at such a time
a bhikkhu attains and brings to fulfillment
the mind dimension of self-awakening.

Living thus minded,
he undertakes the wise investigation,
exploration,
thorough remembrance of things.

■

At whatever time, beggars, as a bhikkhu,
living thus minded,
undertakes the wise investigation,
exploration,
thorough remembrance of things,
at such a time
a bhikkhu's investigation-of-things dimension of self awakening is set up.

At whatever time
that a bhikkhu's investigation-of-things dimension of self-awakening is produced,
at such a time
a bhikkhu attains and brings to fulfillment
the investigation-of-things dimension of self-awakening.

With this wise investigation,
exploration,
thorough remembrance of things,
tireless energy is set up.

■

At whatever time, beggars,
as a bhikkhu wisely investigates,
explores,
thoroughly remembers things
with tireless energy set up,
at such a time
a bhikkhu has set up the energy dimension of self-awakening.

At whatever time
that a bhikkhu's energy dimension of self-awakening is produced,
at such a time
a bhikkhu attains and brings to fulfillment
the energy dimension of self-awakening.

This setting up of the energy dimension of self-awakening
gives rise to uncarnal excitement.

■

At whatever time, beggars,
as a bhikkhu sets up his energy
there arises uncarnal excitement,
at such a time
a bhikkhu has set up the enthusiasm dimension of self-awakening.

At whatever time
that a bhikkhu's enthusiasm-dimension of self-awakening is produced,
at such a time
a bhikkhu attains and brings to fulfillment
the enthusiasm dimension of self-awakening.

Enthusiastic in mind,
the body is impassive,
the heart is impassive.

■

At whatever time, beggars,
as a bhikkhu is Enthusiastic in mind,
the body impassive,
the heart impassive,
at such a time
a bhikkhu has set up the impassivity dimension of self-awakening.

At whatever time
that a bhikkhu's impassivity dimension of self-awakening is produced,
at such a time
a bhikkhu attains and brings to fulfillment
the impassivity dimension of self-awakening.

Impassive the body is happy,
the heart is serene.

■

At whatever time, beggars,
as a bhikkhu is impassive
the body happy,
the heart serene,
at such a time
a bhikkhu has set up the serenity dimension of self-awakening.

At whatever time
that a bhikkhu's serenity dimension of self-awakening is produced,
at such a time
a bhikkhu attains and brings to fulfillment
the serenity dimension of self-awakening.

He, serene of heart and happy
has become objectively detached.

■

At whatever time, beggars,
as a bhikkhu is serene of heart and happy,
at such a time
a bhikkhu has set up the detachment dimension of self-awakening.

At whatever time
that a bhikkhu's detachment dimension of self-awakening is produced,
at such a time
a bhikkhu attains and brings to fulfillment
the detachment-dimension of self-awakening.

Sensation

At whatever time, beggars,
as a bhikkhu lives in sensations overseeing sensations
with established mind,
at such a time, beggars,
a bhikkhu's mind is not confused.