Aṇguttara Nikāya
Chakka Nipāta
VI. Mahā Vagga

The Book of the Gradual Sayings
The Book of the Sixes
Chapter VI: The Great Chapter

Sutta 62

Puris'Indriya-Ñāna Suttaṃ

The Solemn Utterance^[1]

Translated from the Pali by E.M. Hare.

[1] Thus have I heard:

Once, while the Exalted One
walked a walk among the Kosalese
with a great company of the Order's monks,
he came to a Kosalan town called Dandakappaka.^[2]

And the Exalted One
stepped down from the road
and sat on a seat made ready
at the foot of a tree;
but the monks entered Dandakappaka
to seek a lodging.

■

Now the venerable Ānanda,
with a number of monks,
went to the river Aciravatī^[3]
to bathe his limbs;
and after he had bathed
and had come out,
he stood in one garment
drying his limbs.^[4]

Then a monk approached the venerable Ānanda
and said:

'Ānanda, reverend sir,
was it after concentrating his whole mind^[5]
that Devadatta was declared by the Exalted One:

"Gone^[6] wayward,
hell-bound for a kalpa,
unpardonable is Devadatta" -

or was it from some deva-source
(he learnt it)?'

[287] 'It was even as the Exalted One has declared.'^[7]

■

Now the venerable Ānanda
approached the Exalted One,
saluted
and sat down at one side;
and so seated,
he told the Exalted One:

"Now I, bhante,
with a number of monks,
went to the river to bathe our limbs;
and after I had bathed
and had come out,
I stood in one garment
drying my limbs.

Then a monk approached me and said:

'Ānanda, reverend sir,
was it after concentrating his whole mind
that Devadatta was declared by the Exalted One:

"Gone wayward,
hell-bound for a kalpa,
unpardonable is Devadatta" -
or was it from some deva-source?'

And I responded:

'It was even as the Exalted One has declared.'

■

(Then said the Exalted One:)

'Either, Ānanda,
that monk must be new,
not long gone forth,
or if an elder,
a witless one.

How, when I have definitely declared it,
can there be an alternative?

I know not another person
of whom this was declared by me,
after full mental concentration,
save of Devadatta.

And so long, Ānanda,
as I saw a bright spot^[8] in Devadatta,
even the prick-end of a horse-hair^[9] in size,
I declared not:

"Gone wayward,
hell-bound for a kalpa,
unpardonable is Devadatta!"

but it was when I saw none, that I declared:

"Gone wayward,
hell-bound for a kalpa,
unpardonable is Devadatta!"

■

'Imagine,^[10] Ānanda,
a cesspool,
of a man's depth,
brimful of dung
and a man fallen in,
head and all -
though a man appear,
ready to help,
to do the friendly,
to set him in safety,
to lift him out;
yet were he to go all round that cesspool,
he would not see
even the prick-end of a horse-hair of that man
unsmeared with dung
by whieh to grasp
and lift him out.

■

And it is even so with Devadatta, Ānanda,
when I saw not a bright spot in him -
not even the prick-end of a horse-hair in size -
then I declared:

"Gone wayward,
hell-bound for a kalpa,
unpardonable is Devadatta!"

Wouldst thou hear, Ānanda, the Tathāgata
analyzing the feelings
and thoughts of man?'

'This is the time, 0 Blessed One;
this is the time, 0 Well-gone,
for the Exalted One
to analyze men's feelings and thoughts!'

The monks having heard
will bear it in mind.'

'Well, hearken, Ānanda,
pay good heed,
I will speak.'

'Yes, lord,'
rejoined the venerable Ānanda;
and the Exalted One said;

'Suppose, Ānanda,
by mind compassing mind,
I know this [288] of some person:

"There is both good and evil in him."

Then presently,
by mind compassing mind,
I know:

"The good has disappeared,
the evil is uppermost;
but the root of goodness
is not cut off
and from that good will proceed.

Thus in future
he is bound not to fall."

-◦-

If,^[11] Ānanda, seed,
neither split,
rotten,
nor spoilt by wind and heat,
but vital,^[12]
well-seasoned,
be thrown on well-tilled ground
in a goodly field;
can you say for certain:

"It will yield its growth,
increase
and abundance"?'

'Yes, surely, lord.'

-◦-

'Even so, Ānanda,
by mind compassing mind,
I know of some person:

"There is good and evil in him"

and then
by mind compassing mind,
I know:

"The good has disappeared,
the evil is uppermost;
but the root of goodness
is not cut off
and from that good will proceed.

Thus in future
he is bound not to fall."

Verily, Ānanda,
thus, by mind compassing mind,
the person of man is known to the Tathāgata;
thus, by mind compassing mind,
the feelings and thoughts of man
are known to the Tathāgata;
thus, by mind comparing mind,
the future rise of things^[13]
is known to the Tathāgata.

■

Or suppose, by mind compassing mind,
I know this of some person:

"There is both good and evil in him."

Then presently,
by mind compassing mind,
I know:

"The good has disappeared,
the evil is uppermost;
and the root of goodness
is cut off
and from that evil will proceed.

Thus in future
he is bound to fall."

-◦-

If seed,
neither split,
rotten,
nor spoilt by wind and heat,
but vital,
well-seasoned,
be thrown on stony ground,
can you say for certain:

"It'll not yield its growth,
increase
or abundance"?'

'Yes, surely, lord.'

-◦-

'Even so, Ānanda, I know of some person:

"There is both good and evil in him."

Then presently,
by mind compassing mind,
I know:

"The good has disappeared,
the evil is uppermost;
and the root of goodness
is cut off
and from that evil will proceed.

Thus in future
he is bound to fall."

■

Or suppose, by mind compassing mind,
I know this of some person:

"There's not a bright spot
the size of a hair's prick-end in him";

and being [289] utterly black in his evil,
he will, on the broking up of the body after death,
arise in the wayward way,
the ill way,
the abyss,
hell.

-◦-

Ānanda, if seed,
split,
rotten,
spoilt by wind and heat,
be thrown on well-tilled ground
in a goodly field;
can you say for certain:

"It'll not yield growth,
increase
or abundance"?'

'Yes, surely, lord.'

-◦-

'Even so, Ānanda, by mind compassing mind,
I know this of some person:

"There's not a bright spot
the size of a hair's prick-end in him";

and being utterly black in his evil,
he will, on the broking up of the body after death,
arise in the wayward way,
the ill way,
the abyss,
hell.

■

Now, when he had thus spoken,
the venerable Ānanda said to the Exalted One:

'Lord, is it possible to declare
other three counterparts
of these three persons?'

'It is, Ānanda,'
and the Exalted One said:

'Suppose, Ānanda,
by mind compassing mind,
I know this of some person:

"There is both good and evil in him."

Then presently,
by mind compassing mind,
I know:

"The good has disappeared,
the evil is uppermost;
but the root of goodness
is not cut off,
yet he goes about to uproot it altogether.

Thus he is bound to fall in future."

-◦-

If, Ānanda, burning,
blazing,
fiery coals
are thrown on stony ground;
can you say for certain:

"They'll not grow,
increase
or spread"?'

'Yes, surely, lord.'

-◦-

'Or when in the evening
the sun sets,
can you say for certain:

"Light will go,
darkness will come"?'

'Yes. surely, lord.'

-◦-

'Or^[14] later on,
when night is part-spent
and men eat;
can you say for certain:

"Light has gone,
darkness is come"?

'Yes, surely, lord.'

-◦-

'Even so, Ānanda, I know of some person:

"There is both good and evil in him."

Then presently,
by mind compassing mind,
I know:

"The good has disappeared,
the evil is uppermost;
but the root of goodness
is not cut off,
yet he goes about to uproot it altogether.

Thus he is bound to fall in future."

Verily, Ānanda,
thus, by mind compassing mind,
the person [290] of man is known to the Tathāgata;
thus, by mind compassing mind,
the feelings and thoughts of man
are known to the Tathāgata;
thus, by mind comparing mind,
the future rise of things
is known to the Tathāgata.

■

Or suppose,
by mind compassing mind,
I know of some person:

"There is both good and evil in him."

Then presently,
by mind compassing mind,
I know:

"The evil has disappeared,
the good is uppermost;
and though he has not cut off the root of evil
he goes about to uproot it all together.

Thus he is bound not to fall in future."

-◦-

If, Ānanda, burning,
blazing,
fiery coals
are thrown on a heap of dry grass or sticks;
can you say for certain:

"They'll grow, increase and spread"?'

'Yes, surely, lord.'

-◦-

'Or when dawn faces night
and the sun mounts up,
can you say for certain:

"Darkness will go,
light will come"?'

'Yes, surely, lord.'

-◦-

'Or^[15] later on,
at midday,
at meal time,
can you say for certain:

"Darkness has gone,
light is come"?'

'Yes, surely, lord.'

-◦-

'Even so, Ānanda, I know of some person:

"There is both good and evil in him."

Then presently,
by mind compassing mind,
I know:

"The evil has disappeared,
the good is uppermost;
and though he has not cut off the root of evil
he goes about to uproot it all together.

Thus he is bound not to fall in future."

■

Or suppose,
by mind compassing mind,
I know of some person:

"There is good and evil in him."

Then presently,
by mind compassing mind,
I know:

"There is not in him
evil amounting to a hair's prick-end,
and being exceedingly pure in faultlessness,
he will, here now,
become completely cool."^[16]

-◦-

If, Ānanda,
coals,
cold and extinct,^[17]
be thrown on a heap of dry grass or sticks;
can you say for certain:

"These coals will not grow,
increase
or spread"?'

'Yes, surely, lord.'

-◦-

'Even so, Ānanda,
by mind compassing mind,
I know of some person:

"There is good and evil in him "-

then ptesently:

"There is not even a hair's prick-end of evil in him;
and being exceedingly pure in faultlessness,
he will, here now,
become completely cool."

-◦-

[291] There, Ānanda,
of those first three persons,
one is bound not to fall,
one is bound to fall
and one goes the wayward way,
hell-bound:
and of the last three persons,
one is bound not to fall,
one is bound to fall
and one is bound for Nibbāna.'^[18]

^[1] The text reads udakaṃ with S.e., but one MS. udānaṃ.

^[2] Comy. is silent; I find no mention of this town elsewhere. Daṇḍaka forest (M. i, 378; Mil. 130) was in the Dekkan, see Chwang, ii, 199.

^[3] Sāvatthī was close to this river (? Gandak); see M. ii, 113; Chwang, i, 398.

^[4] Cf. above VI, § 43.

^[5] Sabba-ceitaso samannāharitvā.

^[6] Cf. Vin. ii, 202; A. iv, 100; It. 85.

^[7] See above VI, § 44, and Comy.'s remark there, n. 7.

^[8] Sukkaṃ dhammaṃ.

^[9] See Dial. ii, 151 n.; G.S. i, 60 n.

^[10] Cf. M. i, 74; D. ii, 324; Vin. iii, 106.

Mark iv, 1: ... And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine, Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow: And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth ... And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable. And he said unto them ... The sower soweth the word. And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts. And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended. And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit ...
K.J.V.

— p.p.

^[11] Cf. D. ii, 354; S. iii, 54; v, 380; A. i, 135. We may compare the Parable of the Sower (Mark iv, 1, etc.)

^[12] Sāradāni. Comy. sārādāni gahita-sārāni, sarade māse vā nibbattāni. See K.S. iii, 46 n.

^[13] Dhammasamuppādo. In K.S. v, 323 rendered '(question of) doctrine arising,' which scarcely fits the present context.

^[14] Abhidose aḍḍha-rattaṃ bhatta-kāla-samaye. Comy. reads abhido, observing: abhi-aḍḍha-rattaṃ, aḍḍha-ratte abhimukhe bhūte. S.e. is as our text. Abhidose I take to mean later on than evening, and aḍḍha-rattaṃ between 9 and 11 o'clock, which is when many Easterners take their meal. Comy. remarks rajahs and clansmen eat at the time referred to.

^[15] Abhidose majjhantike.

^[16] Parinibbāyissaii.

^[17] Sītāni nibbutāni.

^[18] Parinibibbāna-dhammo.

Aṇguttara Nikāya Chakka Nipāta VI. Mahā Vagga

The Book of the Gradual Sayings The Book of the Sixes Chapter VI: The Great Chapter

Sutta 62

Puris'Indriya-Ñāna Suttaṃ

The Solemn Utterance[1]

Aṇguttara Nikāya
Chakka Nipāta
VI. Mahā Vagga

The Book of the Gradual Sayings
The Book of the Sixes
Chapter VI: The Great Chapter

The Solemn Utterance^[1]