Aṇguttara Nikāya
Catukka Nipāta
XVII: Paṭipadā Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
The Book of the Fours
Chapter XVII: Modes of Progress
Sutta 169
Kilesa-Parinibbāna Suttaṃ
With Some Effort
Translated from the Pali by f. L. Woodward, M.A.
Copyright The Pali Text Society
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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
in this very life is set free,
but with some effort.[1]
Again a certain person
is set free when body breaks up,
but with some effort.
Herein again, monks, [161] a certain person
is set free in this very life,
but without effort.
Yet again a certain person
is set free
when body breaks up,
but without effort.
§
Now, monks, how is a person
one who in this very life is set free,
but with some effort?
In this case a monk lives contemplating the unloveliness in body,
aware of the repulsiveness of food,
aware of his distaste for all the world,
aware of impermanence in all the activities.
Thus awareness of death
is well implanted in the very self.
He lives dependent
on these five powers of a pupil,
to wit:
the power of faith,
the power of modesty,
the power of self-restraint,
the power of energy,
the power of power of wisdom.
In him these five controlling faculties
are manifested in abundance,
to wit:
the controlling faculty of faith,
the controlling faculty of energy,
the controlling faculty of mindfulness,
the controlling faculty of concentration,
the controlling faculty of wisdom.
Thus, by the preponderance of these five controlling faculties
in this very life, he is set free,
but with some effort.
And how, monks, is a person
set free when body breaks up,
but with some effort?
In this case a monk lives contemplating the unloveliness in body,
aware of the repulsiveness of food,
aware of his distaste for all the world,
aware of impermanence in all the activities.
Thus awareness of death
is well implanted in the very self.
He lives dependent
on these five powers of a pupil,
to wit:
the power of faith,
the power of modesty,
the power of self-restraint,
the power of energy,
the power of power of wisdom.
In him these five controlling faculties
are dully manifested,
to wit:
the controlling faculty of faith,
the controlling faculty of energy,
the controlling faculty of mindfulness,
the controlling faculty of concentration,
the controlling faculty of wisdom.
Thus, by the dullness of these faculties,
he is set free
with some effort
when body breaks up.
And how, monks, is a person set free
in this very life,
but without effort?
In this case a monk,
aloof from sense-desires,
aloof from evil conditions,
enters upon the first musing,
which is accompanied by thought directed and sustained,
born of seclusion,
zestful and easeful,
and abides therein.
Then by the calming down
of thought directed and sustained,
enters upon the second musing,
that calming of the inner self,
that one-pointedness of mind
apart from thought directed and sustained,
that is born of mental balance,
zestful and easeful,
and having attained it
abides therein.
Then, by the fading out of zest,
disinterested,
mindful and composed,
experiences in his own person
that ease of which the Ariyans declare:
"He who is disinterested and alert dwells at ease."
So he attains and abides in the third musing.
Then, by abandoning both ease and discomfort,
by the ending of both happiness and unhappiness felt before,
he attains the fourth musing,
a state of neither ease nor discomfort,
an equanimity of utter purity,
and having attained it abides therein.
He lives dependent
on these five powers of a pupil:
the power of faith,
the power of modesty,
that of self-restraint,
that of energy,
and the power of wisdom.
In him these five controlling faculties are manifested in abundance,
to wit:
the controlling faculty of faith,
the controlling faculty of energy,
the controlling faculty of mindfulness,
the controlling faculty of concentration,
the controlling faculty of wisdom.
Thus by the preponderance of these five controlling faculties
he is set free in this very life
without effort.
And how, monks, is a person
one who is set free
without effort
when body breaks up?
In this case a monk,
aloof from sense-desires,
aloof from evil conditions,
enters upon the first musing,
which is accompanied by thought directed and sustained,
born of seclusion,
zestful and easeful,
and abides therein.
Then by the calming down
of thought directed and sustained,
enters upon the second musing,
that calming of the inner self,
that one-pointedness of mind
apart from thought directed and sustained,
that is born of mental balance,
zestful and easeful,
and having attained it
abides therein.
Then, by the fading out of zest,
disinterested,
mindful and composed,
experiences in his own person
that ease of which the Ariyans declare:
"He who is disinterested and alert dwells at ease."
So he attains and abides in the third musing.
Then, by abandoning both ease and discomfort,
by the ending of both happiness and unhappiness felt before,
he attains the fourth musing,
a state of neither ease nor discomfort,
an equanimity of utter purity,
and having attained it abides therein.
He lives dependent
on these five powers of a pupil:
the power of faith,
the power of modesty,
that of self-restraint,
that of energy,
and the power of wisdom.
But in him these five [162] controlling faculties
are dully manifested,
to wit:
the controlling faculty of faith,
the controlling faculty of energy,
the controlling faculty of mindfulness,
the controlling faculty of concentration,
the controlling faculty of wisdom.
Owing to the dullness of these five faculties,
it is not till body breaks up
that he is set free without effort.
So these are the four persons found existing in the world.'
[1] Sa-saṇkhāra-parinibbāyī. At Dial. iii, 227, 'with some toil.' At PuggA. on Pugg. 17 expl. as dukkhena, kasirena, adhimatta-payogaṃ hatvā (with considerable effort). But at Buddh. Psych. Ethics, § 146, n. 1, explained as instigated. Generally, we may see that mediacy, absence of immediacy is meant. Cf. K.S. v, 57; Expos. i, 207: 'the import is with external plan, effort, instigation, expedient, totality of causes.' Comy. on S. v loc. cit. has sappayogena as at VM. ii, 710, where Prof. Mating Tin trans. (Path of Purity, iii, 874): 'Enters complete nirvana with external instigation.'
As to parinibbāyin, SA. i, 20, 37 defs. 'gone out by the going out of the impurities.' Comy. on our text expands the textual explanation, saying that these grades are a matter of strength of the controlling faculties, but does not explain parinibbāyin.
