Aṅguttara Nikāya

5. Rohitassavaggo –– Rohita, the son of gods

1. Samādhibhāvanāsuttaṃ –– Developments of concentration

005.01. Bhikkhus, these four are the developments of concentration. What four?

Here, bhikkhus, a concentration developed and made much conduces to a pleasant abiding here and now. A concentration developed and made much conduces to gain of knowledge and vision. A concentration developed and made much conduces to mindfull awareness. and a concentration developed and made much conduces to the destruction of desires.

Bhikkhus, what is the concentration developed and made much would conduce to a pleasant abiding here and now?.

Here bhikkhus, the bhikkhu secluding the mind from sensual desires ... re ... attains to the fourth higher state of mind. Bhikkhus, this concentration developed and made much would conduce to a pleasant abiding here and now.

Bhikkhus, what is the concentration developed and made much would conduce to a gain of knowledge and vision?

Here, bhikkhus, the bhikkhu attends to the perception of light and intends the perception of daylight. In the day time, intends night and in the night, intends day. Thus with an open mind develops the uncovered mind, full of light.

Bhikkhus, this concentration developed and made much would conduce to a gain of knowledge and vision.

Bhikkhus, what is the concentration developed and made much would conduce to mindfull awareness?

Here, bhikkhus, to the bhikkhu feelings arise, persist and fade knowingly,. perceptions arise, persist and fade knowingly and thoughts arise, persist and fade knowingly.

Bhikkhus, this concentration developed and made much conduces to mindfull awareness.

Bhikkhus, what concentration developed and made much would conduce to the destructin of desires?

Here, bhikkhus, the bhikkhu abides reflecting the arising and fading of the five holdling masses. This is matter, this its arising and this its fading. This is feeling, this its arising and this its fading. This is perception, this its arising and this its fading. These are determinations, this its arising and this its fading. This is consciousness, this its arising and this its fading. Bhikkhus, these four are the developments of concentration. On account of this it was stated as follows in the Parayana Vagga in reply to Puṇṇa’s quest.

Discriminatingly considering this world and the beyond, not seeing any vacillations,

I say he has crossed over, is appeased, emancipated and without desires.

2. Pañhabyākaraṇasuttaṃ –– Answering a question

005.02. Bhikkhus, these four are the ways of answering a question. What four?

Bhikkhus, there is a question to be replied directly, there is a question to be replied with counter questions, there is one to be put aside and another to be classsified and explained.

Bhikkhus, these four are the ways of answering a question.

One needs a direct reply, another an explanatory one,
The third should be counter questioned and the fourth put aside.
The bhikkhu tackling a question in these four ways is clever.
Approaches the difficult to see, by way of words and phrases
Clever in the useless and essential, penetrating the question
The wise avoid the useless and take the essential.

3. Paṭhamakodhasuttaṃ –– The first on hatefulness

005.03. Bhikkhus, these four persons are evident in the world. What four?

The one, pursuing anger and not the good Teaching, pursuing hard heartedness and not the good Teaching, pursuing gains and not the good Teaching, and pursuing hospitality and not the good Teaching.

Bhikkhus, these four persons are evident in the world.

Bhikkhus, these four persons are evident in the world. What four?

The one, pursuing the good Teaching not anger, pursuing the good Teaching not hard heartedness, pursuing the good Teaching not gains, and pursuing the good Teaching not hospitality.

Bhikkhus, these four persons are evident in the world.

The bhikkhu pursuing anger, hard heartedness, gain and hospitality,
Does not grow in the Teaching declared by the rightfully Enlightened One.
Those who pursued and now pursue the good Teaching
Grow in the Teaching declared by the rightfully Enlightened One.

4. Dutiyakodhasuttaṃ –– The second on hatefulness

005.04. Bhikkhus, these four are not the right Teaching. What four?

Pursuing anger and not the good Teaching, pursuing hard heartedness and not the good Teaching, pursuing gains and not the good Teaching, and pursuing hospitality and not the good Teaching.

Bhikkhus, these four are not the right Teaching.

Bhikkhus, these four areṭhe right Teaching. What four?

Pursuing the good Teaching not pursuing anger, pursuing the good Teaching not hard heartedness, pursuing the good Teaching not gains, and pursuing the good Teaching not hospitality.

Bhikkhus, these four are the right Teaching.

Pursuing anger, hard heartedness, gain and hospitality, the bhikkhu,
Does not grow, like soiled seeds embedded in the well prepared field .
Those pursuing and now pursue the good Teaching
Grow in the Teaching declared by the rightfully Enlightened One.
Like the water that absorbs the medicine.

5. Rohitassasuttaṃ –– To Rohita the son of gods

005.05. At one time the Blessed One was abiding in the monastery offered by Anāthapiṇḍika in Jeta’s grove in Sāvatthi. When the night was far spent, Rohitassa the son of the gods illuminated the complete Jeta’s grove with a resplendent light, approached the Blessed One, worshipped, stood on a side and said:

Venerable sir, is it possible to know, see or achieve that state which has no birth, decay, death, disappearing and appearing by going to the end of the world?

Friend, I do not say that the state that has no birth, decay, death, disappearing and appearing could be known, seen or achieved by going to the end of the world.

Venerable sir, it is wonderful and surprising, these good words of the Blessed One. Friend, I do not say that the state that has no birth, decay, death, disappearing and appearing could be known, seen or achieved by going to the end of the world. Venerable sir, in the past there was a sage, the son of a villager, with psychic powers to go through the air. Venerable sir, then I had such a speed, a trained, proficient archer, with deft hands, would put down a standing palm in a very short time and without difficulty, such was my speed. Venerable sir my stride was such, putting one foot on the eastern ocean the other I put on the western ocean. Endowed with that speed and that stride, this desire arose to me. I will reach the end of the world. I travelled for a hundred years, through out my life span stopping only to eat, drink taste and enjoy. For urinating, excreting, to expel sleepiness and exhaustion and not coming to the end of the world I died on the way. Venerable sir, wonderful and surprising are these good words of the Blessed One: Friend, I do not say that the state that has no birth, decay, death, disappearing and appearing could be known, seen or achieved by going to the end of the world.

Friend, I do not say that the state that has no birth, decay, death, disappearing and appearing could be known, seen or achieved by going to the end of the world, nor do I declare the ending of unpleasantness without coming to the end of the world. Yet friend, I appoint the arising, cessation and the path leading to the cessation of the world in this fathom long body, which is conscious and perceptive

The end of the world can never be attained.
Neither is there release from unpleasantess, without coming to the end of the world
The wise knower of the worlds reached the end of the world leading the holy life.
Gone to the end of the world and quieted himself, does not desire this or the other world.

6. Dutiya Rohitassasuttaṃ –– The second, Rohita, the son of gods

005.06. Ṭhe Blessed One at the end of that night addressed the bhikkhus: Bhikkhus, last night When the night was far spent, Rohitassa the son of the gods illuminated the complete Jeta’s grove with a resplendent light, approached me worshipped, stood on a side and said:

Venerable sir, is it possible to know, see or achieve that state which has no birth, decay, death, disappearing and appearing by going to the end of the world?

Bhikkhus, then I said Friend, I do not say that the state that has no birth, decay, death, disappearing and appearing could be known, seen or achieved by going to the end of the world.

Then Rohitassa the son of the gods said: Venerable sir, it is wonderful and surprising, these good words of the Blessed One: Friend, I do not say that the state that has no birth, decay, death, disappearing and appearing could be known, seen or achieved by going to the end of the world. Venerable sir, in the past there was a sage, the son of a villager, with psychic powers to go through the air. Venerable sir, then I had such a speed, a trained, proficient archer, with deft hands, would put down a standing palm in a very short time and without difficulty, such was my speed. Venerable sir my stride was such, putting one foot on the eastern ocean the other I put on the western ocean. Endowed with that speed and that stride, this desire arose to me. I will reach the end of the world. I travelled for a hundred years, through out my life span stopping only to eat, drink taste and enjoy. For urinating, excreting, to expel sleepiness and exhaustion and not coming to the end of the world I died on the way. Venerable sir, wonderful and surprising are these good words of the Blessed One: Friend, I do not say that the state that has no birth, decay, death, disappearing and appearing could be known, seen or achieved by going to the end of the world.

Bhikkhus, then I said: Friend, I do not say that the state that has no birth, decay, death, disappearing and appearing could be known, seen or achieved by going to the end of the world, nor do I declare the ending of unpleasantness without coming to the end of the world. Yet friend, I appoint the arising, cessation and the path leading to the cessation of the world in this same fathom long body.

The end of the world can never be attained.
There’s no release from unpleasantess, without coming to the end of the world either.
The wise knower of the worlds reached the end of the world leading the holy life.
Gone to the end of the world and quieted himself, does not desire this or the other world.

7. Suvidūrasuttaṃ –– Far apart

005.07. Bhikkhus, these four things are far apart. What four?

Bhikkhus, the sky is far away from the earth, the great oceas’s hither shore and the thither shore is the second, where the sun rises and where it sets and the Teaching of the mind and the teaching not concerning the mind is the fourth.

Bhikkhus, these four things are far apart.

The sky and earth are far removed, so too the two shores of the great ocean,
The sun rises and sets far away, the Teaching of the mind is different from other teachings.
The association with the mind is stable and stays as long as life lasts.
The Teaching not associated with the mind wanes quickly
Therefore the Teaching of the mind is far removed from other teachings.

8. Visākhasuttaṃ –– Venerable Visākha

005.08. At one time the Blessed One was living in the monastery offered by Anāthapiṇḍika in Jeta’s grove in Sāvatthi. At that time venerable Visākha Panchaliputta was instructing, advising gladdening and making the hearts light of the bhikkhus in the attendence hall talking in polite language without impurities, explaining in emancipated words. Then the Blessed One getting up from his seclusion in the evening, approached the attndence hall, sat on the prepared seat and addressed the bhikkhus:

Bhikkhus, who was in the attendence hall talking in polite language without impurities, explaining in emancipated words?

Venerable sir, venerable Visākha Panchaliputta was instructing, advising gladdening and making the hearts light of the bhikkhus in the attendence hall talking in polite language without impurities, explaining in emancipated words.

The Blessed One addressed venerable Visākha Pancaliyaputta: Visākha, it is good, that you instruct, advise gladden and make the hearts light of the bhikkhus in the attendence hall talking in polite language without impurities, explaining in emancipated words.

Knows what should not be told when the wise are with the foolish,
When explaining the deathless state knows what should be told
Explaining and illustrating the Teaching the flag of the sages is raised.
Polite words are the flags of the sages, the Teaching is the flag of the sage.

9. Vipallāsasuttaṃ –– Distortions

005.09. Bhikkhus, these four are the distortions of perceptions, thoughts and views. What four?

Bhikkhus, seeing permanence in impermanence is a distortion of perceptions, thoughts and views. Seeing pleasantness in unpleasantness is a distortion of perceptions, thoughts and views. Seeing a self where a self is lacking is a distortion of perceptions, thoughts and views. Seeing agreeability in the non agreeable is a distortion of perceptions, thoughts and views. Bhikkhus, these four are the distortions of perceptions, thoughts and views.

Sentient beings, with wrong view, unsound consciousness and scattered thoughts,
Perceive, permanence in impermanence, pleasantness in unpleasantness
A self, where there isn’t one and agreeability in disagreeability.
Those sentient beings not associated with highest appeasement
Follow Death, moving in exsitences from birth to death and birth.
When the Enlightened One is born in the world and declare the Teaching,
To overcome unpleasantness, hearing it they become wise,
And rectifying their consciousness see impermanence in impermanence,
The unpleasant as unpleasant, the lack of a self and its disagreeability
Gaining right view end all unpleasantness.

10. Upakilesasuttaṃ –– Minor defilements

005. 10. Bhikkhus, these four defile the moon and sun and the defiled moon and sun do not warm up, shine and illuminate. What four?

Bhikkhus, dark clouds defile the moon and sun and the defiled moon and sun do not warm up, shine and illuminateṬhe earth defile the moon and sun and the defiled moon and sun do not warm up, shine and illuminate. A mass of smoke defile the moon and sun and the defiled moon and sun do not warm up, shine and illuminate. Ṭhe king of Titans defile the moon and sun and the defiled moon and sun do not warm up, shine and illuminate.

Bhikkhus, these four defile the moon and sun and the defiled moon and sun do not warm up, shine and illuminate.

In the same manner bhikkhus, these four defile recluses and Brahmins and a certain defiled recluse or Brahmin does not warm up, shine and illuminate. What four?

Bhikkhus, there are some recluses and Brahmins who take intoxicant and brewd drinks, not abstaining from them. This is the first defilement, defiled by which recluses and Brahmins do not warm up, shine and illuminate.

Bhikkhus, there are some recluses and Brahmins who indulge in sexual relations, not abstaining from them. This is the second defilement, defiled by which recluses and Brahmins do not warm up, shine and illuminate.

Bhikkhus, there are some recluses and Brahmins who accept gold and silver, not abstaining from it. This is the third defilement, defiled by which recluses and Brahmins do not warm up, shine and illuminate.

Bhikkhus, there are some recluses and Brahmins who make a wrong livelihood, not abstaining from it. This is the fourth defilement, defiled by which recluses and Brahmins do not warm up, shine and illuminate.

Bhikkhus, these four, defile recluses and Brahmins and a certain defiled recluse or Brahmin does not warm up, shine and illuminate.

Some miserable recluses and Brahmins fallen for greed and hate
Shrouded in ignorance, see agreeability in pleasure.
They take intoxicant drinks, indulge in sexual relations
Accept gold and silver and lead a wrong livelihood.
The kinsman of the sun said, these are defilements,
On account of which recluses and Brahmins do not shine.
Shrouded, in darkness, slaved to craving clinging to existences,
They increase cemeterys, stretching for future rebirth.