Aṇguttara Nikāya
VIII. Navaka Nipāta
III. Satt'Āvāsa Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
VIII. The Book of the Nines
Chapter III: Spheres of Beings
Sutta 27
Paṭhama Vera-Bhaya Suttaṃ
Dread and Hatred (a)
Translated from the Pali by E.M. Hare.
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[1] Thus have I heard:
Once the Exalted One was dwelling near Savatthī, at Jeta Grove, in Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.
Now the householder, Anāthapiṇḍika, came and visited the Exalted One,
saluted him and sat down at one side.
So seated, the Exalted One said to him:
[273] [1]"When, householder, for the Ariyan disciple
the fivefold dread and hatred has ceased,
and he is endowed with the four possessions[2] of the Streamwinner,
he may, should he wish,
declare the self just by the self:
'Destroyed for me is hell;
destroyed for me is rebirth in the womb of an animal;
destroyed for me is the realm of Petas;
destroyed for me is the untoward way,
the ill way,
the abyss.
I am a Streamwinner,
not subject to any falling back,
assured and bound for the awakening.'
§
What fivefold dread and hatred has ceased?
[3]When, householder,
the taker of life,
by reason of his taking life,
breeds dread and hatred in this world,
or when he breeds dread and hatred in the next world,
he experiences in the mind
pain and grief;
but he who abstains from taking life
breeds no dread and hatred in this world,
breeds no dread and hatred in the next world,
nor experiences in the mind
pain and grief.
Thus that dread and hatred has ceased for him,
who abstains from taking life.
■
When, householder,
the taker of what is not given
by reason of his taking what is not given,
breeds dread and hatred in this world,
or when he breeds dread and hatred in the next world,
he experiences in the mind
pain and grief;
but he who abstains from taking what is not given
breeds no dread and hatred in this world,
breeds no dread and hatred in the next world,
nor experiences in the mind
pain and grief.
Thus that dread and hatred has ceased for him,
who abstains from taking what is not given.
■
When, householder,
the lustful evil liver
by reason of his lustful evil living,
breeds dread and hatred in this world,
or when he breeds dread and hatred in the next world,
he experiences in the mind
pain and grief;
but he who abstains from lustful evil living
breeds no dread and hatred in this world,
breeds no dread and hatred in the next world,
nor experiences in the mind
pain and grief.
Thus that dread and hatred has ceased for him,
who abstains from lustful evil living.
■
When, householder,
the liar
by reason of his lying,
breeds dread and hatred in this world,
or when he breeds dread and hatred in the next world,
he experiences in the mind
pain and grief;
but he who abstains from lying
breeds no dread and hatred in this world,
breeds no dread and hatred in the next world,
nor experiences in the mind
pain and grief.
Thus that dread and hatred has ceased for him,
who abstains from lying.
■
And when, householder,
he who indulges in spirituous liquor,
the cause of sloth,
by reason of indulging in spirituous liquor,
breeds dread and hatred in this world,
or when he breeds dread and hatred in the next world,
he experiences in the mind pain and grief;
but he who abstains from indulging in spirituous liquor
breeds no dread and hatred in this world,
nor in the next world,
nor experiences in the mind pain and grief.
Thus that dread and hatred has ceased for him,
who abstains from indulging in spirituous liquor.
[274] This is the fivefold dread and hatred which has ceased.
§
With what possessions of a Streamwinner is he endowed?
Herein, householder, the Ariyan disciple is endowed with unwavering faith in the Buddha:
'Of a truth he is the Exalted One,
arahant,
wholly awake,
abounding in wisdom and righteousness,
the well-farer,
the world-knower,
the incomparable tamer of tamable men,
the teacher of devas and men,
the Buddha,
the Exalted One.'
■
He is endowed with unwavering faith in Dhamma:
'Well proclaimed is Dhamma by the Exalted One,
which is for every-day life,[4]
not for another time;[5]
it bids one come and see;
a guide to be understood by the intelligent,
each for himself.'
■
He is possessed with unwavering faith in the Order:
'Well trained is the Order of the disciples of the Exalted One;
upright is their practice;
they are trained in method;
trained in the proper course
is the Order of the disciples of the Exalted One -
that is to say, the four pairs,
the eight groups of persons.[6]
■
Such is the Exalted One's Order of disciples -
worthy of offerings,
worthy of oblations,
worthy of gifts,
meet to be reverently saluted,
the world's peerless field for merit.
■
With virtues dear to Ariyans is he endowed,
which are unbroken and without a rent,
untarnished and without a blemish,[7]
purifying,
praised by the wise,
uncontaminated
and conducive to concentration.
With these four possessions of a Streamwinner is he endowed.
§
When, householder, for the Ariyan disciple
this fivefold dread and hatred has ceased
and he is endowed with these four possessions of a Streamwinner,
he may, should he wish,
declare the self just by the self:[8]
'Destroyed for me is hell;
destroyed for me is rebirth in the womb of an animal;
destroyed for me is the realm of Petas;
destroyed for me is the untoward way,
the ill way,
the abyss.
I am a Streamwinner,
not subject to any falling back,
assured and bound for the awakening.'"
[1] This sutta, with the exception of the causal clauses, recurs at S. ii, 68 (K.S. ii, 47). There, as here, immediately follows the same sutta preached to the monks; Comy., however, discriminates: § 27 deals with the way of Stream winning, § 28 with the Streamwinner himself. In both suttas S. has 'at Savatthī.' Cf. also A. v, 182; iii, 204; Sn.A. 210; K.S. translates: fivefold guilty dread; our Comy. (Mp. 802) observes: Both the dread of mental terror and the hatred of a person.
[2] Cf. D. ii, 93; S. v, 357; A. iii, 211; this passage and statement of the 'four possessions' is called Dhammādasa, the mirror of Dhamma, at D. and S. See also D. iii, 227; A. ii, 56; S. i, 219; M. i, 37 and passim.
[3] This recurs at A. iii, 205.
[4] Sandiṭṭhiko.
[5] Akāliko.
[6] Those disciples who have attained to one or more of the four paths or four fruits. See the full commentary at Vism. trsl. 252 ff.
[7] This is a stock phrase; cf. above, p. 31.
[8] Attanā'va attānaṃ.
