Release^[1]

Translated by E. M. Hare

[21] [15]

[1][bodh][olds][than] Thus have I heard:

Once the Exalted One dwelt near Sāvatthī;
and there he addressed the monks, saying:

"Monks."

'Yes, lord,' they replied; and the Exalted One said:

"Monks, there are these five spheres^[2] of release
wherein the unreleased mind of a monk,
abiding zealous,
ardent
and resolute,
finds release;
or the cankers,
not yet wholly destroyed,
come to complete destruction;
or the unsurpassed peace from effort,
not yet attained,
is won.

What five?

Monks, take the case when the Master,
or some fellow in the godly life
who acts as teacher,
instructs a monk in Dhamma —
while he teaches,
that monk partakes of both the spirit
and the letter
of this Dhamma;
when the Master,
or some fellow in the godly life
who acts as teacher,
instructs a monk in Dhamma
gladness^[3] springs [16] up;
from that, zest;^[4]
in such a state his whole^[5] being calms down;
when he is calm,
ease is experienced;
and for him who dwells at ease
the mind is composed.^[6]

Monks, this is the first sphere of release
wherein the unreleased mind of a monk,
abiding zealous,
ardent
and resolute,
finds release;
or the cankers,
not yet wholly destroyed,
come to complete destruction;
or the unsurpassed peace from effort,
not yet attained,
is won.

Again, monks, when the Master,
or some fellow in the godly life
who acts as teacher,
does not instruct him in Dhamma,
but he himself instructs others in detail
as he has heard it,
as he has learnt it by heart —
while he thus teaches,
that monk partakes of both the spirit
and the letter
of this Dhamma;
when he himself instructs others in detail
as he has heard dhamma,
as he has learnt it by heart
gladness springs up;
from that, zest;
in such a state his whole being calms down;
when he is calm,
ease is experienced;
and for him who dwells at ease
the mind is composed.

Monks, this is the second sphere of release
wherein the unreleased mind of a monk,
abiding zealous,
ardent
and resolute,
finds release;
or the cankers,
not yet wholly destroyed,
come to complete destruction;
or the unsurpassed peace from effort,
not yet attained,
is won.

Monks, this is the third sphere of release
wherein the unreleased mind of a monk,
abiding zealous,
ardent
and resolute,
finds release;
or the cankers,
not yet wholly destroyed,
come to complete destruction;
or the unsurpassed peace from effort,
not yet attained,
is won.

Or else, monks, when the Master,
or some fellow in the godly life
who acts as teacher,
does not instruct him in Dhamma,
nor does he himself instruct others in detail
as he has heard it,
as he has learnt it by heart,
nor does he repeat Dhamma,
as he has heard it,
as he has learnt it;
but in his heart
he ponders
and reflects on Dhamma,
as he has heard it,
as he has learnt it;
he reviews it carefully in his mind;
and while doing so,
that monk partakes of both the spirit
and the letter
of this Dhamma;
when in his heart
he ponders
and reflects on Dhamma,
as he has heard it,
as he has learnt it;
reviews it carefully in his mind
gladness springs up;
from that, zest;
in such a state his whole being calms down;
when he is calm,
ease is experienced;
and for him who dwells at ease
the mind is composed.

Monks, this is the fourth sphere of release
wherein the unreleased mind of a monk,
abiding zealous,
ardent
and resolute,
finds release;
or the cankers,
not yet wholly destroyed,
come to complete destruction;
or the unsurpassed peace from effort,
not yet attained,
is won.

Or else, monks, when the Master,
or some fellow in the godly life
who acts as teacher,
does not instruct him in Dhamma,
nor does he himself instruct others in detail
as he has heard it,
as he has learnt it by heart,
nor does he repeat Dhamma,
as he has heard it,
as he has learnt it;
nor does he, in his heart
he ponder
and reflect on Dhamma,
as he has heard it,
as he has learnt it;
nor does he review it carefully in his mind;
but some concentration sign^[7]
is rightly grasped by him,
rightly held by the attention,
rightly reflected on,
rightly penetrated by insight;
and while this takes place,
that monk partakes of both the spirit
and the letter
of this Dhamma;
when some concentration sign
is rightly grasped by him,
rightly held by the attention,
rightly reflected on,
rightly penetrated by insight
gladness springs up;
from that, zest;
in such a state his whole being calms down;
when he is calm,
ease is experienced;
and for him who dwells at ease
the mind is composed.

Monks, this is the fifth sphere of release
wherein the unreleased mind of a monk,
abiding zealous,
ardent
and [17] resolute,
finds release;
or the cankers,
not yet wholly destroyed,
come to complete destruction;
or the unsurpassed peace from effort,
not yet attained,
is won.

Monks, these are the five spheres of release
wherein the unreleased mind of a monk,
abiding zealous,
ardent
and resolute,
finds release;
or the cankers,
not yet wholly destroyed,
come to complete destruction;
or the unsurpassed peace from effort,
not yet attained,
is won.'

^[1] Vimutti. The whole sutta recurs at D. iii, 241; from the notes at Dial. iii, 229 it would seem that D.A. is much the same as our Comy.

^[2] Āyatanāni. Comy. kāraṇānī. Dial. occasions.

^[3] Pāmujja. Comy. taruṇapīti.

^[4] Pīti. Comy. tuṭṭhā kārabhūta balavapīti.

^[5] Kāyo. Comy. nāmakāyo, 'name and shape.'

^[6] Composed by the concentration which is the fruit of arahantship (Comy.). The passage is a stock one and recurs at D. i, 73; M. i, 37; Vin. i, 294.

^[7] Comy. a concentration on one of the thirty-eight objects (ārammana-kasiṇa); see Vism. trsl. 97; Cpd. 64,

Aṇguttara Nikāya Pañcaka Nipāta III: Pañc'aṇgika Vagga

The Book of the Gradual Sayings The Book of the Fives III: The Fivefold

Sutta 26

Vimutt'Āyatana Suttaṃ

Release[1]

Aṇguttara Nikāya
Pañcaka Nipāta
III: Pañc'aṇgika Vagga

The Book of the Gradual Sayings
The Book of the Fives
III: The Fivefold

Release^[1]