Aṇguttara Nikāya
X. Dasaka-Nipāta
IX: Thera-Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
X. The Book of the Tens
IX: The Elders
Sutta 90
Khīṇ'Āsava-Bala Suttaṃ
The Powers
Translated from the Pali by F. L. Woodward, M.A.
Copyright The Pali Text Society
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[1] THUS have I heard:
Once the Exalted One was dwelling near Sāvatthī.
Now the venerable Sāriputta came to see the Exalted One,
and on coming to him saluted him
and sat down at one side.
As he sat at one side the Exalted One said this to him:
"Pray, Sāriputta, what are the powers
of the monk[1] who has destroyed the cankers?
Possessed of what powers
does the monk who has destroyed the cankers,
come to know of the destruction of the cankers:
'Destroyed in me are the cankers'"?
■
"Tenfold, sir, are the powers
of the monk who has destroyed the cankers,
possessed of which powers he knows:
'Destroyed in me are the cankers.'
§
What are the ten?
In this matter, sir,
by the monk who has destroyed the cankers
all compounded things are
by right insight
clearly seen,
as they really are,
to be of the nature of impermanence.
In so far as
by the monk who has destroyed the cankers
all compounded things are
by right insight
clearly seen,
as they really are,
to be of the nature of impermanence,
this is a power of the monk who has destroyed the cankers,
by reason of which power he comes to know:
'Destroyed in me are the cankers.'
■
Then again, sir,
by the monk who has destroyed the cankers
all compounded things are seen by right insight,
as they really are,
as being like unto burning charcoal.[2]
In so far as
by the monk who has destroyed the cankers
all compounded things are seen by right insight,
as they really are,
as being like unto burning charcoal,
this is a power of the monk who has destroyed the cankers,
by reason of which power he comes to know:
'Destroyed in me are the cankers.'
■
Again, sir,
the thoughts of the monk who has destroyed the cankers
flow towards seclusion,[3]
slide and tend to seclusion,
come to rest in seclusion,
take delight in seclusion,
come utterly to cease
in all conditions that may give rise to cankers.
In so far as
the thoughts of the monk who has destroyed the cankers
flow towards seclusion,
slide and tend to seclusion,
come to rest in seclusion,
take delight in seclusion,
come utterly to cease
in all conditions that may give rise to cankers,
this is a power of the monk who has destroyed the cankers,
by reason of which power he comes to know:
'Destroyed in me are the cankers.'
■
Again, sir, by the monk who has destroyed the cankers
the four arisings of mindfulness
are made to grow,
thoroughly made to grow.
In so far as by the monk who has destroyed the cankers
the four arisings of mindfulness
are made to grow,
thoroughly made to grow,
this is a power of the monk who has destroyed the cankers,
by reason of which power he comes to know:
'Destroyed in me are the cankers.'
■
Again, sir, by the monk who has destroyed the cankers
the four best efforts[4] are made to grow,
thoroughly made to grow.
In so far as by the monk who has destroyed the cankers
the four best efforts are made to grow,
thoroughly made to grow,
this is a power of the monk who has destroyed the cankers,
by reason of which power he comes to know:
'Destroyed in me are the cankers.'
■
Again, sir, by the monk who has destroyed the cankers
the four bases of psychic power[5]
are made to grow,
thoroughly made to grow.
In so far as by the monk who has destroyed the cankers
the four bases of psychic power
are made to grow,
thoroughly made to grow,
this is a power of the monk who has destroyed the cankers,
by reason of which power he comes to know:
'Destroyed in me are the cankers.'
■
Again, sir, by the monk who has destroyed the cankers
the five faculties
are made to grow,
thoroughly made to grow.
In so far as by the monk who has destroyed the cankers
the five faculties
are made to grow,
thoroughly made to grow,
this is a power of the monk who has destroyed the cankers,
by reason of which power he comes to know:
'Destroyed in me are the cankers.'
■
Again, sir, by the monk who has destroyed the cankers
the five powers
are made to grow,
thoroughly made to grow.
In so far as by the monk who has destroyed the cankers
the five powers
are made to grow,
thoroughly made to grow,
this is a power of the monk who has destroyed the cankers,
by reason of which power he comes to know:
'Destroyed in me are the cankers.'
■
Again, sir, by the monk who has destroyed the cankers
the seven limbs of wisdom
are made to grow,
thoroughly made to grow.
In so far as by the monk who has destroyed the cankers
the seven limbs of wisdom
are made to grow,
thoroughly made to grow,
this is a power of the monk who has destroyed the cankers,
by reason of which power he comes to know:
'Destroyed in me are the cankers.'
■
Again, sir, by the monk who has destroyed the cankers
[118] the Ariyan Eightfold Way
is made to grow,
thoroughly made to grow.
In so far as in a monk who has destroyed the cankers
the Ariyan Eightfold Way is made to grow,
thoroughly made to grow,
this is a power of the monk who has destroyed the cankers,
by reason of which power he comes to know:
'Destroyed in me are the cankers.'
These, sir, are the ten powers
of the monk who has destroyed the cankers."
[1] Eight of these are at A. iv, 224.
[2] One of many similes for kāmā at M. i, 130.
[3] Viveka-. Cf. K.S. v, 223.
[4] Ibid., 219.
[5] Ibid. 225, etc.
