Aṅguttara-Nikāya
III. Tika Nipāta
IV. Devadūta Vagga
The Book of the
Gradual Sayings
or
More-Numbered Suttas
Part III
The Book of the Threes
Chapter IV
Messengers of the Gods
Sutta 32
Ānanda Suttaɱ
(a) To Venerable Ānanda
Translated from the Pali
by Sister Upalavanna
[1][pts][bodh][olds][than] Then venerable Ānanda approached the Blessed One,
worshipped sat on side
and said thus to the Blessed One:
Venerable sir, is there a kind of concentration
in which there does not arise
latent tendencies of measuring as
'I be' and 'it is to me'
in this sixfold conscious body,
and externally on account of any signs,
in which concentration,
the mind is released
and released through wisdom
and in which one abides
without the latent tendencies of measuring as
'I be' and 'it is to me'?
Ānanda, there is such a concentration
in which there does not arise
latent tendencies of measuring as
'I be' and 'it is to me'
in this sixfold conscious body,
and externally on account of any signs,
in which concentration one abides,
the mind released
and released through wisdom,
without the latent tendencies of measuring as
'I be' and 'it is to me'
and one could abide in it.
Venerable sir, how is that concentration?
Ānanda, here, it occurs to the bhikkhu:
This is peaceful,
this is exalted,
such as the appeasement of all determinations,
giving up of all substratum,
destruction of craving,
non attachment,
cessation and extinction.
Ānanda, in this manner
there is to the bhikkhu a concentration
in which there does not arise
latent tendencies of measuring as
'I be' and 'it is to me'
in this sixfold conscious body,
and externally on account of any signs.
In this concentration,
the mind is released
and released through wisdom,
one abides without the latent tendencies of measuring as
'I be' and 'it is to me'
and in which one could abide.
Ānanda, it was on account of this,
that I had answered thus to Punnaka in the Parayanavagga:
Destroying everything high and low, if he does not tremble,
Is appeased, emancipated, without confusion and desires,
I say, he has crossed birth and decay.
§
(b) To Venerable Sāriputta
[2][pts][olds][bodh] Then venerable Sāiputta approached the Blessed One,
worshipped and sat on a side.
The Blessed One said to venerable Sāiputta:
Sāiputta, I preach in short and in detail,
I preach in short and detail too,
those who understand it are rare.
O! Blessed One,
O! Well gone One,
this is the time to preach in short and in detail,
the time to preach in short and detail too,
there are those who understand it.
Therefore Sāiputta, you should train thus:
In this sixfold conscious body,
and externally on account of any signs,
there will not be the latent tendencies of measuring as
'I be' and 'it is to me.'
That is the abiding in which the mind is released
and the abiding,
'release through wisdom'.
Sāiputta, to one abiding in this
there are no latent tendencies of measuring as
'I be' and 'it is to me.'
We will abide in that release of mind
and release through wisdom.
Sāiputta, you should train in this manner.
Sāiputta, in this sixfold conscious body
and externally on account of any signs,
when there are no latent tendencies of measuring as
'I be' and 'it is to me,'
that is the release of mind
and the release through wisdom.
Sāiputta, to this it is said
the bhikkhu has cut up craving
and removed the bonds,
rightfully penetrated measuring
and ended unpleasantness.
Sāiputta, it is on account of this
that I have answered to Udaya in this way:
Dispelling the interest for sensuality together with pleasure;
Pulling out sloth and putting an end to doubts,
And purifying mindfulness with equanimity preceded by logical thinking.
I declare the release which is knowing,[1] by breaking up ignorance.
[1] The release which is knowing. 'aññāvimokkhaɱ'. This is one of the releases declared by the Blessed One. It amounts to complete control of the six doors of mental contact. Such a person does not change the least on account of data from any of the doors of mental contact. He enjoys a pleasantness that is rare here and now.
