Aṇguttara Nikāya


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Aṇguttara Nikāya
Sattaka Nipāta
Avyākata Vagga

The Book of the Gradual Sayings
The Book of the Sevens
Chapter VI: The Unexplained

Sutta 55

Not Cloaked[1]

Translated from the Pali by E.M. Hare.

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[48]

[1][olds] THUS have I heard:

Once the Exalted One was dwelling near Sāvatthī,
and there he addressed the monks, saying:

"Monks."

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

"Monks, these four[2] need not be cloaked by the Tathāgata,
and of three he is blameless.

 

§

 

What four need not be cloaked?

Monks, in bodily act the Tathāgata is wholly pure;
there is no wrongdoing in deed by the Tathāgata
which he would cloak, thinking:

"Let none know this of me."

Monks, in act of word the Tathāgata is wholly pure;
there is no wrongdoing in word by the Tathāgata
which he would cloak, thinking:

"Let none know this of me."

Monks, in act of thought the Tathāgata is wholly pure;
there is no wrongdoing in thought by the Tathāgata
which he would cloak, thinking:

"Let none know this of me."

Monks, in mode of living
the Tathāgata is wholly pure;
there is no wrong mode of living by the Tathāgata
which he would cloak, thinking:

"Let none know this of me."

These four need not be cloaked by the Tathāgata.

Of what three is he blameless?

Monks, the Tathāgata's Dhamma is well proclaimed.

Herein, truly, a recluse, brahman, deva, Mara, Brahmā
or anyone in the world
might with justice blame me, saying:

"In this way[3] has Dhamma not been well proclaimed by you."

Monks, I see no sign of this;
and, seeing no sign,
I abide won to peace,
won to fearlessness,
won to confidence.[4]

Monks, well made known by me to listeners
are the steps [49] in the way to the cool,[5]
since my listeners who have stepped them,
after destroying the cankers,
enter and abide in the cankerless mind-emancipation,
wisdom-emancipation,
here and now realizing it by their own knowledge.

Herein, truly, a recluse, brahman, deva, Mara, Brahmā
or anyone in the world
might with justice blame me, saying:

"In this way have the steps not been well made known,
since your listeners who have stepped them,
after destroying the cankers,
enter and abide in the cankerless mind-emancipation,
wisdom-emancipation,
here and now realizing it by their own knowledge.

"Monks, I see no sign of this;
and, seeing no sign;
and, seeing no sign,
I abide won to peace,
won to fearlessness,
won to confidence.

Monks, not one hundred only
of my gatherings of listeners,
after destroying the cankers,
enter and abide in cankerless mind-emancipation,
wisdom-emancipation,
here and now realizing it by their own knowledge.

Herein, truly, a recluse, brahman, deva, Mara, Brahmā
or anyone in the world
might with justice blame me, saying:

"See,[6] there are no hundreds of your gatherings of listeners who,
after destroying the cankers,
enter and abide in cankerless mind-emancipation,
wisdom-emancipation,
here and now realizing it by their own knowledge.

"Monks, I see no sign of this;
and, seeing no sign;
and, seeing no sign,
I abide won to peace,
won to fearlessness,
won to confidence.

Of these three he is blameless.

Verily, monks, these four need not be cloaked by the Tathāgata,
and of these three he is blameless.'

 


[1] The uddana in the text is misprinted; we should read, Sīh'arakkhita-.

[2] Three recur at D. iii, 217 (see Dial. iii, 210 n.); cf. Vin. ii, 248; A. iii, 124; Mil. 170; the whole passage is quoted at SnA. 37 and SA. 277.

Childers, pg 162, 'Iti pi': With foll. api: Iti pi so bhagavā, behold the Blessed One (B. Lot. S61); tmhehi bhūtaṃ bhūtato paṭijānitabbaṃ iti p'etaṃ bhūtaṃ iti p'etaṃ tacchaṃ atthi c'etaṃ amhesu saṃvijjati ca pan'etaṃ amhesu, you must recognize the truth as truh, saying, This is true, this is real, it is among us, it exists among us; Tassa evam assa, bherisaddo iti i, mutiṇgasaddo iti pi, saṇkhapaṇa-vadeṇḍimasaddo iti pi ti, he should thnk thus "'Tis the sound of tomtoms, 'tis the sound of tabours, 'tis the sound of chanks and drums."

p.p. explains it all — p.p.

[3] Iti pi, see Childers, Dict., p. 162.

[4] Cf. M. i, 72; A. ii, 9.

[5] Nibbāna-gāminī paṭipadā.

[6] Iti pi.

 


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