Aṇguttara Nikāya
X. Dasaka-Nipāta
I. Ānisaṇsa Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
X. The Book of the Tens
I. Profit
Honour to that Exaalted One, Arahant,
the Fully Enlightened One
Sutta 1
Kim Atthiya? Suttaṃ
What is the object?[1]
Translated from the Pali by F. L. Woodward, M.A.
Copyright The Pali Text Society
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[1][bodh][olds] Thus have I heard:
On a certain occasion the Exalted One was staying near Sāvatthī
at Jeta Grove, in Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.
Then the venerable Ānanda came to see the Exalted One,
and on coming to him saluted the Exalted One
and sat down at one side.
So seated he said this to him:
"Pray, sir, what is the object,
what is the profit
of good conduct?"[2]
"Why, Ānanda, freedom from remorse[3] is the object,
freedom from remorse is the profit
of good conduct."
■
[2] "Pray, sir, what is the object,
what is the profit
of freedom from remorse?"
"Joy, Ānanda, is the object,
joy is the profit
of freedom from remorse."
■
"But, sir, what is the object,
what is the profit
of joy?"
"Rapture, Ānanda,
is the object,
rapture is the profit
of joy."
■
"But pray, sir, what is the object,
what is the profit
of rapture?"
"Calm, Ānanda,
is the object,
calm is the profit
of rapture."
■
"But, sir, what is the object,
what is the profit
of calm?"
"Happiness, Ānanda,
is the object,
happiness is the profit
of calm."
■
[2]"Pray, sir, what is the object,
what is the profit
of happiness?"
"Concentration,[4] Ānanda,
is the object,
concentration is the profit
of happiness."
■
"But pray, sir, what is the object,
what is the profit
of concentration?'
"Knowing and seeing things as they really are, Ānanda,
is the object and profit
of concentration."
■
"What is the object, sir,
what the profit
of knowing and seeing things as they really are?"
"Revulsion and fading of interest, Ānanda,
is the object of it."
■
"Pray, sir, what is the object and profit
of revulsion and fading of interest?"
"Release by knowing and seeing, Ānanda,
is the object and profit of these.
■
So you see, Ānanda,
good conduct has freedom from remorse
as object and profit;
freedom from remorse has joy;
joy has rapture;
rapture has calm;
calm has happiness;
happiness has concentration;
concentration has seeing things as they really are;
seeing things as they really are has revulsion and fading interest;
revulsion and fading of interest [3] has release by knowing and seeing as their object and profit.
So you see, Ānanda, good conduct leads gradually up to the summit."[5]
[1]Kim-atthiyaṇ. It is not easy to translate this, the adjective of attha (cf. G.S. iv, pp. vii, x, xix). The root-idea is 'thing-sought,' or '-needed,' and so 'aimed at.' This is well shown in the much-used parable of the man sār-atthiko (-ika=iya), 'seeking (or needing) timber': see below again, p. 201; also five times in the Majjhima and four times in K.S. The 'forward view' in the contexts makes such a term as 'of what use' not quite so suitable.
[2]Sīlāni (good conduct) is more literally habits, then, moral habits. The English words give too wide and deep a range.
[3] Avippaṭisāro; cf. D. i, 73; S. iv, 351; A. iii, 21 = G.S. iii, 16. In the Elevens the same set is made into eleven by taking revulsion-and-fading as two terms.
[4]Samādhi.
[5]Anupubbena aggāya parenti; cf. S. ii. 20, ucchedaṇ pareti; below, pp. 139, 312 of text (hānāya). Comy. arahattāya gacchanti. Cf. with this sequence that in K.S. ii. 26 (XII, § 27), and p. viii.
