Aṇguttara Nikāya
Sattaka Nipāta
Dhana Vaggo
Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammā-Sambuddhassa[ed1]
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
The Book of the Sevens
Chapter I: Treasures
Sutta 1
Paṭhama Piya-Bhikkhū Suttaṃ
Grounds for Praise
Translated from the Pali by E.M. Hare.
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Once the Exalted One was dwelling near Sāvatthī,[1]
at Jeta Grove, in Anāthapiṇḍika's Park;
and there he addressed the monks, saying:
"Monks."
'Yes, lord,' they replied;
and the Exalted One said:
"Monks, cumbered by these seven things
a monk is neither dear
nor pleasant
to his fellows in the godly life,
is not respected
nor what he ought to become.[2]
What seven?
Consider the monk who is greedy of gain,
greedy of honour,
greedy of praise,[3]
lacks conscientiousness and fear of blame,
is filled with evil desires
and wrong views.
■
Verily, monks, cumbered by these seven things
he is neither dear
nor pleasant
to his fellows in the godly life,
is not respected
nor what he ought to become.'
§
"Monks, cumbered[ed2] by these seven things
a monk is dear
pleasant
to his fellows in the godly life,
is respected
and is what he ought to become.
What seven?
Consider the monk who is not greedy of gain,
not greedy of honour,
not greedy of praise,
has conscientiousness and fear of blame,
is not filled with evil desires
and does not have wrong views.
■
Verily, monks, cumbered by these seven things
he is dear
pleasant
to his fellows in the godly life,
is respected
and is what he ought to become.'
[1] The capital of Kosala, in Nepal.
[2] Cf. G.S. iii, 87.
[3] Cf. below, p. 107; [Ed.: also possibly the next sutta.] A. ii, 240; It. 72.
[ed1] Hare omits.
[ed2] Hare omits the positive series. His use of the word 'cumbered' for the negative attributes makes the conversion to the positive awkward because one cannot say of an attribute that isn't there that it is an encumberance, or that one is unencumbered by it, but it has been left as is.
