Aṇguttara Nikāya
VIII. Aṭṭhaka Nipāta
VIII. Yamaka-Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
VIII. The Book of the Eights
Chapter VIII: The Pairs
Sutta 77
Icchā Suttaṃ
Hankering[ed1]
Translated from the Pali by E.M. Hare.
Copyright The Pali Text Society
Commercial Rights Reserved
For details see Terms of Use.
[1] Thus have I heard:
Once the Venerable Sāriputta was dwelling near Sāvatthī.
There the Venerable Sāriputta addressed the monks, saying:
'Friends, Monks.'
'Yes, friend,' they replied, and Venerable Sāriputta said:
2. 'Monks, these eight persons are found in the world.
What eight?
3. Friends, take the case of a monk, in whom,
while living in seclusion
not stirred to effort,[1]
there arises a hankering after possessions.[2]
He rouses himself,
exerts himself
and strives for possessions;
but, though he rouse himself,
exert himself
and strive,
possessions come not to him.
From not getting possessions,
he mourns,
grieves,
wails,
beats his breast
and falls into distraction.[3]
Friends, this monk is called:
"One who lives hankering after possessions" -
he rouses himself,
exerts himself
and strives for possessions,
but not getting them he becomes a mourner,
a wailer;
he has fallen from Saddhamma.[4]
■
4. Take the case, friends, of a monk, in whom,
while living in seclusion
not stirred to effort,
there arises a hankering after possessions.
He rouses himself,
exerts himself
and strives for possessions;
and rousing himself
exerting himself
and striving for possessions;
possessions come to him.
From getting possessions,
he becomes elated,
excited,
he falls into a state of elation,
excitement.
Friends, this monk is called:
"One who lives hankering after possessions" -
he rouses himself,
exerts himself
and strives for possessions,
and from getting them
he becomes elated,
excited;
and falls into a state of elation,
excitement;
he has fallen from Saddhamma.
■
5. Take the case, friends, of a monk in whom,
while living in seclusion
not stirred to effort,
there arises a hankering after possessions.
He does not rouse himself,
nor exert himself,
nor strive for possessions;
and not rousing himself,
nor exerting himself,
nor striving for possessions;
they come not to him.
Not getting possessions,
he mourns,
grieves,
wails,
beats his breast
and falls into distraction.
Friends, this monk is called:
"One who lives hankering after possessions " - ,
he does not rouse himself,
nor exert himself,
nor strive for possessions;
and not getting them,
he mourns,
grieves,
wails,
beats his breast
and falls into distraction;
he has fallen from Saddhamma.
■
6. Take the case, friends, of a monk in whom,
while living in seclusion
not stirred to effort,
there arises a hankering after possessions.
He does not rouse himself,
nor exert himself,
nor strive for possessions;
and not rousing himself,
nor exerting himself,
nor striving for possessions;
possessions come to him.
From getting possessions,
he becomes elated,
excited,
he falls into a state of elation,
excitement.
Friends, this monk is called:
"One who lives hankering after possessions " - ,
he does not rouse himself,
nor exert himself,
nor strive for possessions;
and getting them
he becomes elated,
excited,
he falls into a state of elation,
excitement;
he has fallen from Saddhamma.
■
7. Take the case, friends, of a monk, in whom,
while living in seclusion
not stirred to effort,
there arises a hankering after possessions.
He rouses himself,
exerts himself
and strives for possessions;
but, though he rouse himself,
exert himself
and strive,
possessions come not to him.
From not getting possessions,
he does not mourn,
does not grieve,
does not wail,
does not beat his breast
and does not fall into distraction.
Friends, this monk is called:
"One who lives hankering after possessions" -
he rouses himself,
exerts himself
and strives for possessions,
but not getting them he does not become a mourner,
a wailer;
he has not fallen from Saddhamma.
■
8. Take the case, friends, of a monk, in whom,
while living in seclusion
not stirred to effort,
there arises a hankering after possessions.
He rouses himself,
exerts himself
and strives for possessions;
and rousing himself
exerting himself
and striving for possessions;
possessions come to him.
From getting possessions,
he does not becomes elated,
excited,
he does not fall into a state of elation,
excitement.
Friends, this monk is called:
"One who lives hankering after possessions" -
he rouses himself,
exerts himself
and strives for possessions,
and from getting them
he does not become elated,
excited;
and does not fall into a state of elation,
excitement;
he has not fallen from Saddhamma.
■
Take the case, friends, of a monk in whom,
while living in seclusion
not stirred to effort,
there arises a hankering after possessions.
He does not rouse himself,
nor exert himself,
nor strive for possessions;
and not rousing himself,
nor exerting himself,
nor striving for possessions;
they come not to him.
Not getting possessions,
he does not mourn,
grieve,
wail,
or beat his breast
and does not fall into distraction.
Friends, this monk is called:
"One who lives hankering after possessions " - ,
he does not rouse himself,
nor exert himself,
nor strive for possessions;
and not getting them,
he does not mourn,
grieve,
wail,
or beat his breast
and does not fall into distraction;
he has not fallen from Saddhamma.
■
Take the case, friends, of a monk in whom,
while living in seclusion
not stirred to effort,
there arises a hankering after possessions.
He does not rouse himself,
nor exert himself,
nor strive for possessions;
and not rousing himself,
nor exerting himself,
nor striving for possessions;
possessions come to him.
From getting possessions,
he does not become elated,
excited,
he does not fall into a state of elation,
excitement.
Friends, this monk is called:
"One who lives hankering after possessions " - ,
he does not rouse himself,
nor exert himself,
nor strive for possessions;
and getting them
he does not become elated,
excited,
he does not fall into a state of elation,
excitement;
he has not fallen from Saddhamma.
Friends, these eight persons are found in this world.'
[1] Nirāyattavutti. Comy. anāyatta-.
[2] Lābha. Comy. the four requisites.
[3] Cf. M. i, 86; also A. ii, 188; iii, 416; on sammoha see DhS. trsl., § 390.
[4] Comy. vipassanā, inward vision.
[ed1] Hare has abridged this sutta with the note: (The venerable Sāriputta preaches sutta 61 of the Eights). It is fully reproduced here including the footnotes.
