Saṃyutta Nikāya
I. Sagātha Vagga
8. Vaṇgīsa-Thera-Saṃyutta

The Book of the Kindred Sayings
I. Kindred Sayings with Verses
8. The Vaṇgisa Suttas

Sutta 4

Ānanda Suttaṃ

Ānanda

Translated by Mrs. Rhys Davids
Assisted by Sūriyagoḍa Sumangala Thera
Copyright The Pali Text Society. Public Domain.

 

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[238]

[4.1][than] THUS HAVE I HEARD: —

The venerable Ānanda was once staying near Sāvatthī,
at the Jeta Vana,
in Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.

And [one day], rising early,
he took bowl and robe
and went into Sāvatthī for alms,
with the venerable Vaṇgīsa
as his attendant recluse.

Now on that occasion
disaffection arose in the latter,
and lust harassed his heart.

Then to Ānanda he addressed the verse^[1]: —

[239] My sense with passion burns, my heart's aflame.
Thou of the Gotamas,^[2] compassion take!
'T were well to tell how I may quench^[3] [the fire].

[Ānanda —]

Because perception is upset, perverse,
Therefore they heart's a-flame. Thou shouldst avoid
[Looking at] lovely objects passion-linked.
Look at thine acts as other than thyself,^[4]
Tending to ill, and as devoid of soul;
Extinguish this strong lust in fear lest thou
Burn in the time to come again, again.
And train thy mind, intent and well composed,
To contemplate what is not fair to view.
Let there be heedfulness concerning sense,
And be thou filled with a sane distaste.
Study the absence of the Threefold Sign;^[5]
Cast out the baneful bias of conceit,
Hath the mind mastered vain imaginings,
Then mayst thou go thy ways calm and serene.^[6]

 

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^[1] Pss. of the Brethren, vers. 1223-26. The incident may have taken place before Ānanda became attached to the post he held so long.

^[2] Ānanda was a Gotama, first cousin to the Buddha.

^[3] Nibbāpanaṃ: 'a putting out'; so below (extinguish).

^[4] Parato. Cf. Pss. of the Brethren, p. 383, n. 3. B.'s exegesis says: aniccato, 'as transient'; in his usual thirst for reference to categories. This pair of lines and the next pair are not in Theragāthā. The first occurs in A. ii, 18, with ñatvā for passa.

^[5] Lit. study (or develop) the sign-less — a technical phrase of doctrine. B.: 'develop that insight due to the destruction of the signs or appearsnces [of all things] suggesting permanence, happiness, and soul, which is called "the sign-less."'

^[6] These eight lines occur in Pss. of the Sisters, 19, 20.