Aṇguttara Nikāya
Chakka-Nipāta
III: Anuttariya-Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
The Book of the Sixes
Chapter III: Above All
Sutta 27
Paṭhama Samaya Suttaṃ
The Times (a)
Translated from the Pali by E.M. Hare.
Copyright The Pali Text Society
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Once the Exalted One was dwelling near Sāvatthī.
Now a certain monk visited the Exalted One,
saluted him
and sat down at one side;
and so seated,
he said to the Exalted [225] One:
'Lord, how often should one go and see a monk who is a student of mind?'[1]
'Monk, these six times
one should go and see a monk
who is a student of the mind.
What six?
Herein, monk, when a monk is obsessed in heart by passionate lust,
overwhelmed by passionate lust
and knows no refuge,
as there really is,
from the surge of passionate lust;
then let him visit a monk,
who has made a study of mind,
and say this to him:
"Good sir, I am indeed obsessed in heart by passionate lust,
overwhelmed thereby,
nor know I any refuge from the surge thereof.
Well were it for me,
if the venerable one would teach me Dhamma
to rid me of this lusting."
Then the monk will teach him Dhamma
to rid him of that lust.
This, monk, is the first time
to go and see a monk
who has made a study of mind.
■
Again, when in heart he is obsessed by ill-will[2]
overwhelmed by ill-will
and knows no refuge,
as there really is,
from the surge of ill-will;
then let him visit a monk,
who has made a study of mind,
and say this to him:
"Good sir, I am indeed obsessed in heart by ill-will,
overwhelmed by ill-will,
nor know I any refuge from the surge of ill-will.
Well were it for me,
if the venerable one would teach me Dhamma
to rid me of this ill-will."
Then the monk will teach him Dhamma
to rid him of that ill-will.
This, monk, is the second time
to go and see a monk
who has made a study of mind.
■
Again, when in heart he is obsessed by sloth and torpor
overwhelmed by sloth and torpor
and knows no refuge,
as there really is,
from the surge of sloth and torpor;
then let him visit a monk,
who has made a study of mind,
and say this to him:
"Good sir, I am indeed obsessed in heart by sloth and torpor,
overwhelmed by sloth and torpor,
nor know I any refuge from the surge of sloth and torpor.
Well were it for me,
if the venerable one would teach me Dhamma
to rid me of this sloth and torpor."
Then the monk will teach him Dhamma
to rid him of that sloth and torpor.
This, monk, is the third time
to go and see a monk
who has made a study of mind.
■
Again, when in heart he is obsessed by flurry and worry
overwhelmed by flurry and worry
and knows no refuge,
as there really is,
from the surge of flurry and worry;
then let him visit a monk,
who has made a study of mind,
and say this to him:
"Good sir, I am indeed obsessed in heart by flurry and worry,
overwhelmed by flurry and worry,
nor know I any refuge from the surge of flurry and worry.
Well were it for me,
if the venerable one would teach me Dhamma
to rid me of this flurry and worry."
Then the monk will teach him Dhamma
to rid him of that flurry and worry.
This, monk, is the fourth time
to go and see a monk
who has made a study of mind.
■
Again, when in heart he is obsessed by or by doubt,
overwhelmed by doubt
and knows no refuge,
as there really is,
from the surge of doubt;
then let him visit a monk,
who has made a study of mind,
and say this to him:
"Good sir, I am indeed obsessed in heart by doubt,
overwhelmed by doubt,
nor know I any refuge from the surge of doubt.
Well were it for me,
if the venerable one would teach me Dhamma
to rid me of this doubt."
Then the monk will teach him Dhamma
to rid him of that doubt.
This, monk, is the fifth time
to go and see a monk
who has made a study of mind.
■
Moreover, monk, when from some image,[3]
as he concentrates thereon,
there comes not to him at intervals
canker-destruction,
nor knows he that image
nor realizes it;
then let him visit a monk,
who has made a study of mind, and say:
"Good sir, from this image,
as I concentrate thereon,
there comes not to me at intervals
canker-destruction,
nor know I that image
nor realize it.
Well were it for me, if the venerable [226] one would teach me Dhamma
to the end that I may destroy the cankers."
Then the monk will teach him Dhanāna to destroy the cankers.
This, monk, is the sixth time
to go and see a monk
who has made a study of mind.'
[1] Mano-bhāvanīya, Comy. ettha manaṃ vaḍḍheti. K.S. iii, 1 and v, 320; 'worshipful'; F. Dial, ii, 304: 'of great intellect.'Cf. Gotama the Man, p. 153; Sakya, p. 245; Manual, p. 223.
[2] Comy. explains Dhamma in the first five as (1) asubha-kammaṭṭhāna; (2) metta-;i (3) thīna-middha-vinodana- or aloka-saññā or viriyārambha-vatthu; (4) samatha-kammaiṭṭhāna; (5) tiṇṇaṃ ratanānaṃ guṇakathaṃ kathento.
[3] Nimitta, mental reflex.
