Aṇguttara Nikāya
XI. Ekā-Dasaka Nipāta
I. Nissāya
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
XI. The Book of the Elevens
I. Dependence[1]
Sutta 1
Honour to that Exaalted One, Arahant, the Fully Enlightened One
Kim Atthiya? Suttaṃ
What is the Use?[ed1][2]
Translated from the Pali by F. L. Woodward, M.A.
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[311] [1][than][olds] Now the venerable Ānanda came to see the Exalted One,
and on coming to him saluted him and sat down at one side.
So seated he said this to the Exalted One:
"Pray, sir, what is the object,
what is the profit
of good conduct?"[3]
"Why, Ānanda, freedom from remorse[4] is the object,
freedom from remorse is the profit
of good conduct."
■
"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."
■
"Pray, sir, what is the object,
what is the profit
of joy?"
"Rapture, Ānanda, is the object,
rapture is the profit
of joy."
■
"Pray, sir, what is the object,
what is the profit
of rapture?"
"Calm, Ānanda, is the object,
calm is the profit
of rapture."
■
"Pray, sir, what is the object,
what is the profit
of calm?"
"Happiness, Ānanda, is the object,
happiness is the profit
of calm."
■
"Pray, sir, what is the object,
what is the profit
of happiness?"
"Concentration,[5] Ānanda, is the object,
concentration is the profit
of happiness."
■
"Pray, sir, what is the object,
what is the profit
of concentration?"
"Knowing and seeing things as they really are, Ānanda, is the object
knowing and seeing things as they really are is the profit
of concentration."
■
"Pray, sir, what is the object,
what is the profit
of knowing and seeing things as they really are?"
"Revulsion, Ānanda, is the object
revulsion is the profit
of knowing and seeing things as they really are."
■
"Pray, sir, what is the object,
what is the profit
of revulsion?"
"Fading of interest, Ānanda, is the object
fading of interest is the profit
of revulsion."
■
"Pray, sir, what is the object,
what is the profit
of fading of interest?"
"Release by knowing and seeing, Ānanda, is the object
relese by knowing and seeing is the profit
of fading of interest.
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;
revulsion has fading interest;
and fading of interest has release by knowing and seeing as their object and profit.
So you see, Ānanda, good conduct leads gradually up to the summit."[6]
[1] Nissāya is the name given to this chapter, from the frequent occurrence of the word in §9. Text wrongly prints nissaya (pupillage), the name of a sutta of the Tens, No. 34.
The following footnotes from AN 10.1
[2] 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 [here]; 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.
[3] Sīlāni (good conduct) is more literally habits, then, moral habits. The English words have too wide and deep a range.
[4] Avippaṭisāro; cf. D. i, 73; S. iv, 351; A. iii, 21 = G.S. iii, 16. In the Elevens [Here} the same set is made into eleven by taking revulsion-and-fading as two terms.
[5] Samādhi.
[6] 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.
[ed1] Adapted from AN 10 1. Woodward notes: "This sutta is exactly the same as No. 1 of this volume [GS V], except that one of the ten qualities 'nibbidā-virāga' is here divided so as to make eleven."
