Aṇguttara Nikāya
X. Dasaka-Nipāta
III. Mahā Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
X. The Book of the Tens
III: The Great Chapter
Sutta 28
Dutiya Mahā Pañha Suttaṃ
The Great Questions (b)
Translated from the Pali by F. L. Woodward, M.A.
Copyright The Pali Text Society
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Once the Exalted One was staying at Kajaṇgala[1] in Bamboo Grove.
Now a great number of lay followers of Kajaṇgala
came to see the nun of Kajaṇgala,
and on coming to her
saluted her
and sat down at one side.
So seated those lay followers of Kajaṇgala said this
to the nun of Kajaṇgala:
"This was said, lady, by the Exalted One
in The Great Questions:
'The one question,
the one statement,
the one explanation;
the two questions,
the two statements,
the two explanations;
the three questions,
the three statements,
the three explanations;
the four questions,
the four statements,
the four explanations;
the five questions,
the five statements,
the five explanations;
[55]the six questions,
the six statements,
the six explanations;
the seven questions,
the seven statements,
the seven explanations;
the eight questions,
the eight statements,
the eight explanations;
the nine questions,
the nine statements,
the nine explanations;
the ten questions,
the ten sttements,
the ten explanations.'
■
Pray, lady,
how should this that was said in brief by the Exalted One
be regarded in full?"
§
"Well, worthy sirs,
I have not heard it
or gathered it face to face with the Exalted One,
nor yet from the monks [38] who make the mind to grow.[2]
Nevertheless do ye listen how it appears to me.
Pay attention carefully and I will speak."
"We will, lady," replied those lay followers
to the nun of Kajaṇgala,
who then said this:
"'The one question,
the one statement,
the one explanation':
this was said by the Exalted One.
Owing to what was it said?
If in one thing, worthy sirs,
a monk has rightly made good growth of mind,
if rightly he have sight to the furthest bounds
and rightly comprehend the aim[3] (in things),
then in this same visible state
he makes an end of Ill.
In what one thing?
In this, namely:
All beings are persisters by food.
In this one thing, worthy sirs,
a monk has rightly made good growth of mind,
if rightly he have sight to the furthest bounds
and rightly comprehend the aim (in things),
then in this same visible state
he makes an end of Ill.
'The one question,
the one statement,
the one explanation'
was said because of this.
■
'The two questions,
the two statements,
the two explanations':
this was said by the Exalted One.
Owing to what was it said?
If in two things, worthy sirs,
a monk has rightly made good growth of mind,
if rightly he have sight to the furthest bounds
and rightly comprehend the aim (in things),
then in this same visible state
he makes an end of Ill.
In what two things?
Both in name-and-visible-body-complex.
In these two things, worthy sirs,
a monk has rightly made good growth of mind,
if rightly he have sight to the furthest bounds
and rightly comprehend the aim (in things),
then in this same visible state
he makes an end of Ill.
'The two questions,
the two statements,
the two explanations'
was said because of this.
■
'The three questins,
the three statements,
the three explanations':
this was said by the Exalted One.
Owing to what was it said?
If in three things, worthy sirs,
a monk has rightly made good growth of mind,
if rightly he have sight to the furthest bounds
and rightly comprehend the aim (in things),
then in this same visible state
he makes an end of Ill.
In what three things?
The three knowings (by sensation).
In these three things, worthy sirs,
a monk has rightly made good growth of mind,
if rightly he have sight to the furthest bounds
and rightly comprehend the aim (in things),
then in this same visible state
he makes an end of Ill.
'The three questions,
the three statements,
the three explanations'
was said because of this.
■
[56]'The four questions,
the four statements,
the four explanations':
this was said by the Exalted One.
Owing to what was it said?
If in four things, worthy sirs,
a monk has rightly made good growth of mind,
if rightly he have sight to the furthest bounds
and rightly comprehend the aim (in things),
then in this same visible state
he makes an end of Ill.
In what four things?
In the four arisings of mindfulness.
If in these four things, worthy sirs,
a monk has rightly made good growth of mind,
if rightly he have sight to the furthest bounds
and rightly comprehend the aim (in things),
then in this same visible state
he makes an end of Ill.
'The four questions,
the four statements,
the four explanations'
was said because of this.
■
'The five questions,
the five statements,
the five explanations':
this was said by the Exalted One.
Owing to what was it said?
If in five things, worthy sirs,
a monk has rightly made good growth of mind,
if rightly he have sight to the furthest bounds
and rightly comprehend the aim (in things),
then in this same visible state
he makes an end of Ill.
What five things?
In the five faculties.
If in these five things, worthy sirs,
a monk has rightly made good growth of mind,
if rightly he have sight to the furthest bounds
and rightly comprehend the aim (in things),
then in this same visible state
he makes an end of Ill.
'The five questions,
the five statements,
the five explanations':
was said because of this.
■
[57]'The six questions,
the six statements,
the six explanations':
this was said by the Exalted One.
Owing to what was it said?
If in six things, worthy sirs,
a monk has rightly made good growth of mind,
if rightly he have sight to the furthest bounds
and rightly comprehend the aim (in things),
then in this same visible state
he makes an end of Ill.
What six things?
The [39] six elements of deliverance.[4]
If in these six things, worthy sirs,
a monk has rightly made good growth of mind,
if rightly he have sight to the furthest bounds
and rightly comprehend the aim (in things),
then in this same visible state
he makes an end of Ill.
'The six questions,
the six statements,
the six explanations'
was said because of this.
■
'The seven questions,
the seven statements,
the seven explanations':
this was said by the Exalted One.
Owing to what was it said?
If in seven things, worthy sirs,
a monk has rightly made good growth of mind,
if rightly he have sight to the furthest bounds
and rightly comprehend the aim (in things),
then in this same visible state
he makes an end of Ill.
In what seven things?
The seven limbs of wisdom.[5]
If in these seven things, worthy sirs,
a monk has rightly made good growth of mind,
if rightly he have sight to the furthest bounds
and rightly comprehend the aim (in things),
then in this same visible state
he makes an end of Ill.
'The seven questions,
the seven statements,
the seven explanations'
was said owing to this.
■
'The eight questions,
the eight statements,
the eight explanations':
this was said by the Exalted One.
Owing to what was it said?
If in eight things, worthy sirs,
a monk has rightly made good growth of mind,
if rightly he have sight to the furthest bounds
and rightly comprehend the aim (in things),
then in this same visible state
he makes an end of Ill.
In what eight things?
The Ariyan Eightfold Way.
If in these eight things, worthy sirs,
a monk has rightly made good growth of mind,
if rightly he have sight to the furthest bounds
and rightly comprehend the aim (in things),
then in this same visible state
he makes an end of Ill.
'The eight questions,
the eight statements,
the eight explanations'
was said owing to this.
■
'The nine questions,
the nine statements,
the nine explanations':
this was said by the Exalted One.
Owing to what was it said?
If in nine things, worthy sirs,
a monk has rightly made good growth of mind,
if rightly he have sight to the furthest bounds
and rightly comprehend the aim (in things),
then in this same visible state
he makes an end of Ill.
In what nine things?
The nine abodes of beings.
If in these nine things, worthy sirs,
a monk has rightly made good growth of mind,
if rightly he have sight to the furthest bounds
and rightly comprehend the aim (in things),
then in this same visible state
he makes an end of Ill.
'The nine questions,
the nine statements,
the nine explanations'
was said owing to this.
■
'The ten questions,
the ten statements,
the ten explanations':
this was said by the Exalted One.
Owing to what was it said?
If in ten things, worthy sirs,
a monk has rightly made good [40] growth of mind,
if rightly he have sight to the furthest bounds
and rightly comprehend the aim (in things),
then in this same visible state
he makes an end of Ill.
In what ten things?
The ten right ways of action.[6]
If in these ten things, worthy sirs,
a monk has rightly made good growth of mind,
if rightly he have sight to the furthest bounds
and rightly comprehend the aim (in things),
then in this same visible state
he makes an end of Ill.
'The ten questions,
the ten statements,
the ten explanations'
was said owing to this.
§
Thus, worthy sirs,
as to the words of the Exalted One:
'The one question,
the one statement,
the one explanation;
the two questions,
the two statements,
the two explanations;
the three questions,
the three statements,
the three explanations;
the four questions,
the four statements,
the four explanations;
the five questions,
the five statements,
the five explanations;
the six questions,
the six statements,
the six explanations;
the seven questions,
the seven statements,
the seven explanations;
the eight questions,
the eight statements,
the eight explanations;
the nine questions,
the nine statements,
the nine explanations;
the ten questions,
the ten sttements,
the ten explanations.'
uttered in brief,
thus do I understand the meaning of them in full.
§
However, if you, worthy sirs, wish to do so,
you can go to see the Exalted One himself
and ask him about the meaning of this.
As the Exalted One expounds it,[7]
so do you bear it in mind."
"We will, lady," replied those lay followers to the Kajaṇgala, nun,
and after praising her reply
and returning thanks,
they rose up
and saluting the Kajaṇgala, nun
by keeping the right side towards her,
went away to see the Exalted One;
and on coming to him,
saluted him
and sat down at one side.
As they sat thus
they told him all their talk with the Kajaṇgala, nun.
The Exalted One said this:
"It is well! It is well, housefathers!
A wise woman is the Kajaṇgala, nun.
If you, housefathers, were to come to me
and ask about the meaning of this
I should give just the same explanation
as that given by the Kajaṇgala, nun.
Indeed that is the meaning of it,
and so should ye bear it in mind."
Sisters, p. xxxvi [on the idea of women Dhamma teachers]: "And in the Aṇguttara Nikāya we meet with another Sister, called 'The Kajangalan' - namely, of that town - who, though no Pslmist, expounds to an inquiring congregation the very theme, the first question concerning which bafled her notable colleague, Bhaddā Curlyhair (Ang. Nik., v. 54 f.; Ps. xlvi)
— p.p.
[1] Cf. Sisters, p. xxxvi; Gotama the Man, 147, 156.
Mano-bhāvanīyānaṃ. "Bhāvanīyo without the mano is at times a very hard word to trnslate. Not on p. 192, where 'becomes not what he ought to become' (a-bhāvanīyo hoti) is unexceptionable; so p. 87. This is literally correct, but in the compound, the 'participle of necessity' in -iyo seems to me not here at all; we have the affix of agency: -iko or -iyo. This gives us a 'mind-making-becom-er,' an uncouth compound which is fairly well rendered by 'student of mind.' [note: So vaḍḍhan-iyo, the Commentary's equivalent a 'growe-er' (See p. 192, n.3] Let the reader not think I comment on trifles. In the wording of growth, of a making to grow, making become, we have the once central driving force that arose with Buddhism. That man 'is' was not enough. Man must become a More, else never will he attain to his full stature as God: - here is original Buddhism carrying out to the Many the torch drooping in the hands of the Brahman teaching of the Few." [Ed.: Caution! This is Mrs. Rhys Davids infliction of her personal view on the reader. There is nothing in the Suttas to support the idea that man is to become Cap G God or, in fact, to 'become' anything as a final goal. Following the teachings one is to make become or develop to the point where becoming is abandoned.]
— p.p.
[2] Mano-bhāvanīyānaṃ. I trans. this wrongly at K.S. iii, 1. See Mrs. Rhys Davids' remarks in her Introduction to Gradual Sayings iii, p. xii, and Sakya, 245. Compare the use of subhāvita-citto in the nun's reply.
[3] Attha-.
[4] Chasu nissaraṇīyesu dhātūsu. Three are at Itivuttaka, p. 61 (deliverance from the kāmā, by nekkhamma, āruppaṃ, nirodha); five at A. iii, 245 - G.S. iii, 179 (from kāma, vyāpāda, vihesa, rūpa and sakkāya); but six at D. iii, 247 (mettā, karuṇā, muditā, upekhā, animitta-ceto-vimutti and asmī ti māna-samugghāta, which are probably those referred to here.
[5] Cf. K.S. v, 51 ff.
[6] The nun improves on the ten negatives of the previous answer. In § 176 below these kamma-pathā are called dhamma-pathā (3 sīlas of kāya, 4 of vācā, and 3 of mano). Cf. D. iii, 71, 269, 290; K.S. ii, lll.
[7] Reading v.l. naṃ for vo.
