Aṇguttara Nikāya
Catukka Nipāta
XVIII: Sañcetaniya Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
The Book of the Fours
Chapter XVIII: Intentional
Sutta 178
Ceto-Vimutti Suttaṃ
The Village Pond
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 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 monk having attained to[1] some peaceful way of heart's release abides therein.
He gives work of mind
to the ending of the person-pack,[2]
but as he does so
his heart leaps not up,
does not settle down,
does not stay fixed
in the [172] ending of the person-pack;
it is not released therefrom.
For such a monk
this ending of the person-pack
is not to be looked for.
Just as if, monks,
a man were to seize a branch
with his hand smeared with resin;[3] that hand of his
would cleave to[4] it,
grip it,
would be held fast; -
even so, monks, when a monk has attained
to some peaceful way of heart's release
he abides therein.
He gives work of mind
to the ending of the person-pack,
but as he does so
his heart leaps not up,
does not settle down,
does not stay fixed in
the ending of the person-pack;
it is not released therefrom.
For such a monk
the ending of the person-pack
is not to be looked for.
■
But in this case
suppose a monk has attained
to some peaceful way of heart's release
and abides therein.
He gives work of mind
to the ending of the person-pack,
his heart leaps up[5] thereto,
settles down therein,
stays fixed in the ending thereof;
it is released therefrom.
For such a monk as this
the ending of the person-pack
is to be looked for.
Just as if, monks,
a man were to seize a branch
with a clean hand,
that hand of his
would not cleave to it,
would not grip it,
would not be held fast, -
even so, monks, when a monk has attained
to some peaceful way of heart's release
and abides therein,
he gives work of mind
to the ending of the person-pack,
his heart leaps up thereto,
settles down therein,
stays fixed in the ending thereof;
it is released therefrom.
For such a monk as this
the ending of the person-pack
is to be looked for.
■
Herein again, monks,
suppose a monk attains
to some peaceful way of the heart's release
and abides therein.
He gives work of mind
to the breaking up of ignorance,
but as he does so
his heart leaps not up thereto,
settles not down therein,
stays not fixed therein,
is not released therefrom.
For such a monk
this breaking up of ignorance
is not to be looked for.
Suppose, monks, there is a village pond
that has stood for [173] countless years,
and a man blocks up all its inlets[6]
and opens up all outlets,
and the sky rains not down steadily,[7] -
then for that village pond
no breach of dyke[8] is to be looked for.
Even so, monks,
when a monk has attained
to some peaceful way of heart's release
and abides therein.
He gives work of mind
to the breaking up of ignorance,
but as he does so
his heart leaps not up thereto,
settles not down therein,
stays not fixed therein,
is not released therefrom.
For such a monk
this breaking up of ignorance
is not to be looked for.
■
But in this case
suppose a monk attains
to some peaceful way of heart's release
and abides therein.
He gives work of mind
to the breaking up of ignorance.
His heart leaps up thereto,
settles down therein,
stays fixed in the ending thereof;
it is released therefrom.
For such a monk
the breaking up of ignorance
is to be looked for.
Suppose, monks, there is a village pond
that has stood for countless years,
and a man opens up all its inlets
and blocks up all its outlets,
and the sky rains down steadily.
Thus for that village pond
a breach of dyke is to be looked for.
Even so, monks,
when a monk attains
to some peaceful way of heart's release,
he abides therein;
he gives work of mind
to the breaking up of ignorance.
As he does so
his heart leaps up thereto,
settles down therein,
stays fixed therein,
is released therefrom.
For such a monk
this breaking up of ignorance
is to be looked for.
So these, monks, are the four persons
to be found existing in the world.'
[1] Text should read upasampajja. Comy. 'one of the eight attainments' (i.e., the four musings and the four spheres of consciousness, etc.).
[2] Sakkāya. Cf. K.S. iii, 134 n.
[3] Lasa-gatena, so texts and Comy. Cf. K.S. v, 127 (lepa).
[4] Cf. Sn. v. 791:
te uggahāyanti nirassajanti||
kapīva sākhaṃ pamuñcaṃ gahāya,||
and the simile of the monkey at S. v, 148.
[5] Text should read pakkhandati.
[6] Aya-mukhāni, cf. Dial. I, 125 n.
[7] S. v, 379. [but ?]
[8] Āli- = pāḷi (Comy.); cf. A. iii, 28.
