Aṇguttara Nikāya
Catukka Nipāta
XIII: Bhaya Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
The Book of the Fours
XIII: Fears
Sutta 125
Amity (a)[1]
Translated from the Pali by F. L. Woodward, M.A.
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[1][than][nymo] Thus have I heard:
On a certain occasion the Exalted One was staying near Sāvatthī.
Then the Exalted One addressed the monks, saying:
"Monks."
"Yes, lord," they replied, and the Exalted One said:
"Monks, these four persons are found existing in the world.
What four?
Herein, monks, a certain person lives
irradiating one quarter (of the world)
with a heart possessed of amity;
so also as to the second,
third
and fourth quarter of the world;
and in like manner above,
below,
across,
everywhere,
for all sorts and conditions,
he lives irradiating the whole world
with a heart [133] possessed of amity
that is widespread,
grown great
and boundless,
free from enmity
and untroubled.
He enjoys the sweetness of it,
longs for it
and finds happiness therein.
Established therein,
given thereto,
generally spending his time therein
and not falling away therefrom,
when he makes an end
he is reborn in the company of devas of the Brahma-group.
A kalpa, monks, is the life-span
of the devas of the Brahmā-group.
Therein the ordinary man stays
and spends his time
according to the life-span of those devas;
then he goes to purgatory
or the womb of an animal,
he goes to the peta-realm.
But a disciple of the Exalted One,
after staying there
and spending his time
according to the life-span of those devas,
finally passes away in that same state.
Such, monks, is the distinction,
such the specific feature,
the difference between the learned Ariyan disciple
and the unlearned ordinary man
in the matter of bourn and rebirth.
Then again, monks, a certain person here
lives irradiating one quarter of the world
with a heart possessed of compassion;
so also as to the second,
third
and fourth quarter of the world;
and in like manner above,
below,
across,
everywhere,
for all sorts and conditions,
he lives irradiating the whole world
with a heart possessed of compassion
that is widespread,
grown great
and boundless,
free from enmity
and untroubled.
He enjoys the sweetness of it,
longs for it
and finds happiness therein.
Established therein,
given thereto,
generally spending his time therein
and not falling away therefrom,
when he makes an end
he is reborn in the company of the Radiant devas.
Now, monks, the life-span of those devas is two kalpas.
Therein the ordinary man stays
and spends his time
according to the life-span of those devas;
then he goes to purgatory
or the womb of an animal,
he goes to the peta-realm.
But a disciple of the Exalted One,
after staying there
and spending his time
according to the life-span of those devas,
finally passes away in that same state.
Such, monks, is the distinction,
such the specific feature,
the difference between the learned Ariyan disciple
and the unlearned ordinary man
in the matter of bourn and rebirth.
Then again, monks, a certain person here
lives irradiating one quarter of the world
with a heart possessed of sympathy;
so also as to the second,
third
and fourth quarter of the world;
and in like manner above,
below,
across,
everywhere,
for all sorts and conditions,
he lives irradiating the whole world
with a heart possessed of sympathy
that is widespread,
grown great
and boundless,
free from enmity
and untroubled.
He enjoys the sweetness of it,
longs for it
and finds happiness therein.
Established therein,
given thereto,
generally spending his time therein
and not falling away therefrom,
when he makes an end
he is reborn in the company of the Ever-radiant devas.
Now, monks, the life-span of those devas is four kalpas.
Therein the ordinary man stays
and spends his time
according to the life-span of those devas;
then he goes to purgatory
or the womb of an animal,
he goes to the peta-realm.
But a disciple of the Exalted One,
after staying there
and spending his time
according to the life-span of those devas,
finally passes away in that same state.
Such, monks, is the distinction,
such the specific feature,
the difference between the learned Ariyan disciple
and the unlearned ordinary man
in the matter of bourn and rebirth.
Then again, monks, a certain person here
lives irradiating one quarter of the world
with a heart possessed of equanimity;
so also as to the second,
third
and fourth quarter of the world;
and in like manner above,
below,
across,
everywhere,
for all sorts and conditions,
he lives irradiating the whole world
with a heart possessed of equanimity
that is widespread,
grown great
and boundless,
free from enmity
and untroubled.
He enjoys the sweetness of it,
longs for it
and finds happiness therein.
Established therein,
given thereto,
generally spending his time therein
and not falling away therefrom,
when he makes an end
he is reborn in the company of the Vehapphala devas.
Now, monks, the life-span of the Vehapphala devas is five hundred kalpas.
Therein the ordinary man stays
and spends his time
according to the life-span of those devas;
then he goes to purgatory
or the womb of an animal,
he goes to the peta-realm.
But a disciple of the Exalted One,
after staying there
and spending his time
according to the life-span of those devas,
finally passes away in that same state.
Such, monks, is the distinction,
such the specific feature,
the difference between the learned Ariyan disciple
and the unlearned ordinary man
in the matter of bourn and rebirth.
So these four persons are found existing in the world.'
[1] For these Sublime or God-moods cf. K.S. v, 98 n.; Gotama the Man, 180, and Sakya, 216 f., 392, by Mrs. Rhys Davids.
