Aṇguttara Nikāya
Catukka Nipāta
XIX: Yodhajīva Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
The Book of the Fours
Chapter XIX: Fighting Man
Sutta 184
Jāṇussonī Suttaṃ
Fearless
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.
Now the brahmin Jāṇussonī[1] came to visit the Exalted One
and on coming to him
greeted him courteously
and having greeted him courteously,
sat down at one side.
So seated the brahmin Jāṇussonī
said this to the Exalted One:
'For my part, Master Gotama,
I say this,
I hold this view:
There is no one subject to death but fears,
falls a-trembling
at the thought of death.'
'Well, brahmin, there is such an one.
But there is also one subject to death
who does not fear,
who does not fall a-trembling
at the thought of death.
And of what sort is that one
who being subject to death
fears and falls a-trembling
at the thought of death?
In this case, brahmin, a certain one
is not freed from passions,
not freed from lusts,
not freed from desire,
affection,
from thirst and fever,
not freed from craving.
Then a grievous sickness afflicts such an one.
Thus afflicted by grievous sickness
it occurs to him:
Alas! the passions that I love
will [181] leave me,
or I shall leave
the passions that I love.
Thereupon he grieves and wails,
laments
and beats the breast
and falls into utter bewilderment.
This one, brahmin, being subject to death,
is afraid,
he falls a-trembling
at the thought of death.
■
Again, brahmin, here a certain one
who as regards body
is not freed from lusts,
not freed from desire,
affection,
from thirst and fever,
not freed from craving.
Then a grievous sickness afflicts such an one.
Thus afflicted by grievous sickness
it occurs to him:
Alas! the passions that I love
will leave me,
or I shall leave
the passions that I love.
Thereupon he grieves and wails,
laments
and beats the breast
and falls into utter bewilderment.
This one, brahmin, being subject to death,
is afraid,
he falls a-trembling
at the thought of death.
■
Yet again, brahmin, here a certain one
has done no lovely deed,
has done no profitable deed,
has given no shelter to the timid;[2]
he has done evil,
cruel,
wrongful deeds.
Then a grievous sickness afflicts such an one.
Thus afflicted by grievous sickness
it occurs to him:
Alas! I have done no lovely deed,
has done no profitable deed,
has given no shelter to the timid;
he has done evil,
cruel,
wrongful deeds.
To the doom
of those who have done no lovely deed,
have done no profitable deed,
have given no shelter to the timid;
have done evil,
cruel,
wrongful deeds
hereafter I am going.
Thereupon he grieves and wails,
laments
and beats the breast
and falls into utter bewilderment.
This one, brahmin, being subject to death,
is afraid,
he falls a-trembling.
■
Yet again, brahmin, here a certain one
is doubtful,
full of perplexity,[3]
has come to no conclusion[4] as to true dhamma.[5]
Then a grievous sickness afflicts such an one.
Thus afflicted by grievous sickness
it occurs to him:
Alas! I am doubtful,
full of perplexity,
have come to no conclusion as to true dhamma.
Thereupon he grieves and wails,
laments
and beats the breast
and falls into utter bewilderment.
This one also, being subject to death,
is afraid,
he falls a-trembling.
Thus these four, being subject to death,
are afraid,
fall a-trembling.
§
And of what sort, brahmin, is he who,
though subject to death,
is not afraid,
does not fall a-trembling
at the thought of [182] death?
In this case, brahmin, a certain one
is freed from passions,
freed from lusts,
freed from desire,
affection,
from thirst and fever,
freed from craving.
Then a grievous sickness afflicts such an one.
Thus afflicted by grievous sickness
it does not occur to him:
Alas! the passions that I love
will leave me,
or I shall leave
the passions that I love.
He does not grieve and wail,
lament
and beat the breast
and fall into utter bewilderment.
This one, brahmin, being subject to death,
is not afraid,
he does not falls a-trembling
at the thought of death.
■
Again, brahmin, here a certain one
who as regards body
is freed from lusts,
freed from desire,
affection,
from thirst and fever,
freed from craving.
Then a grievous sickness afflicts such an one.
Thus afflicted by grievous sickness
it does not occur to him:
Alas! the passions that I love
will leave me,
or I shall leave
the passions that I love.
He does not grieve and wail,
lament
and beat the breast
and fall into utter bewilderment.
This one, brahmin, being subject to death,
is not afraid,
he does not fall a-trembling
at the thought of death.
■
Yet again, brahmin, here a certain one
has done lovely deeds,
has profitable deeds,
has given shelter to the timid;
he has done no evil,
cruel,
wrongful deeds.
Then a grievous sickness afflicts such an one.
Thus afflicted by grievous sickness
it occurs to him:
I have done lovely deeds,
profitable deeds,
given shelter to the timid;
I have done no evil,
cruel,
wrongful deeds.
To the destination
of those who have done lovely deeds,
profitable deeds,
given shelter to the timid;
have done no evil,
cruel,
wrongful deeds
hereafter I am going.
He does not grieve and wail,
lament
and beat the breast
and fall into utter bewilderment.
This one, brahmin, being subject to death,
is not afraid,
he does not fall a-trembling
at the thought of death.
■
Once more, brahmin, here a certain one is not doubtful,
is not full of perplexity,
has come to a conclusion[6] as to true dhamma.
Then a grievous sickness afflicts him.
Thus afflicted by grievous sickness
it occurs to him:
Surely I have no doubt,
I have no worry,
I have come to a conclusion as to true dhamma.
Thus he grieves not,
wails not,
nor beats the breast,
nor falls into utter bewilderment thereat.
This one, brahmin,
though subject to death, fears not,
falls not a-trembling
at the thought of death.
So these are the four who,
though subject to death,
fear not,
fall not a-trembling
at the thought of death.'
§
'It is wonderful, worthy Gotama!
It is marvellous, worthy Gotama!
May the worthy Gotama accept me as one who has gone to him for refuge from this day forth so long as life may last.'
[1] Cf. S. ii, 76, v, 4; A. i, 56, etc.
[2] Bhīruttāṇo (bhīru-tāṇa). Cf. Itv. 25. Comy. expl. bhītassa parittāya kattā.
[3] Text vicikicchī; Sinh. text and Comy. veci-. Cf. Expos. II, 491.
[4] Aniṭṭhaṃ-gato.
[5] Saddhamma.
[6] Text should read niṭṭhaṇ
