AN 3 The Book of the Threes – Tikanipāta > AN 3.103 Before Awakening

Numbered Discourses 3.103 – Aṅguttara Nikāya 3.103

11. Awakening – 11. Sambodhavagga

AN 3.103 Before Awakening – Pubbevasambodhasutta

1.1

“Bhikkhū, before my awakening—when I was still unawakened but intent on awakening—I thought:

“Pubbeva me, bhikkhave, sambodhā anabhisambuddhassa bodhisattasseva sato etadahosi:

1.2

‘What’s the gratification in the world? What’s the drawback? What’s the escape?’

‘ko nu kho loke assādo, ko ādīnavo, kiṁ nissaraṇan’ti?

1.3

Then it occurred to me:

Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhave, etadahosi:

1.4

‘The pleasure and happiness that arise from the world: this is its gratification.

‘yaṁ kho lokaṁ paṭicca uppajjati sukhaṁ somanassaṁ, ayaṁ loke assādo.

1.5

That the world is anicca, suffering, and perishable: this is its drawback.

Yaṁ loko anicco dukkho vipariṇāmadhammo, ayaṁ loke ādīnavo.

1.6

Removing and giving up desire and greed for the world: this is its escape.’

Yo loke chandarāgavinayo chandarāgappahānaṁ, idaṁ loke nissaraṇan’ti.

1.7

As long as I didn’t truly understand the world’s gratification, drawback, and escape in this way for what they are, I didn’t announce my supreme perfect awakening in this world with its gods, Māras, and Brahmās, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans.

Yāvakīvañcāhaṁ, bhikkhave, evaṁ lokassa assādañca assādato ādīnavañca ādīnavato nissaraṇañca nissaraṇato yathābhūtaṁ nābbhaññāsiṁ, neva tāvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya ‘anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhiṁ abhisambuddho’ti paccaññāsiṁ.

1.8

But when I did truly understand the world’s gratification, drawback, and escape in this way for what they are, I announced my supreme perfect awakening in this world with its gods, Māras, and Brahmās, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans.

Yato ca khvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, evaṁ lokassa assādañca assādato ādīnavañca ādīnavato nissaraṇañca nissaraṇato yathābhūtaṁ abbhaññāsiṁ, athāhaṁ, bhikkhave, sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya ‘anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhi� abhisambuddho’ti paccaññāsiṁ.

1.9

Knowledge and vision arose in me:

Ñāṇañca pana me dassanaṁ udapādi:

1.10

‘My freedom is unshakable; this is my last rebirth; now there’ll be no more future lives.’”

‘akuppā me vimutti, ayamantimā jāti, natthi dāni punabbhavo’”ti.

1.11

Paṭhamaṁ.