AN 4 The Book of the Fours – Catukkanipāta > AN 4.87 The Son

Numbered Discourses 4.87 – Aṅguttara Nikāya 4.87

9. Confirmed – 9. Macalavagga

AN 4.87 The Son – Puttasutta

1.1

“Bhikkhū, these four people are found in the world.

“Cattārome, bhikkhave, puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ.

1.2

What four?

Katame cattāro?

1.3

The confirmed ascetic, the white lotus ascetic, the pink lotus ascetic, and the exquisite ascetic of ascetics.

Samaṇamacalo, samaṇapuṇḍarīko, samaṇapadumo, samaṇesu samaṇasukhumālo.

2.1

And how is a person a confirmed ascetic?

Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo samaṇamacalo hoti?

2.2

It’s when a bhikkhu is a practicing trainee,

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sekho hoti pāṭipado;

2.3

who lives aspiring to the supreme sanctuary.

anuttaraṁ yogakkhemaṁ patthayamāno viharati.

2.4

It’s like the eldest son of an anointed aristocratic king. He has not yet been anointed, but is eligible, and has been confirmed in the succession.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, rañño khattiyassa muddhāvasittassa jeṭṭho putto ābhiseko anabhisitto macalappatto;

2.5

In the same way, a bhikkhu is a practicing trainee, who lives aspiring to the supreme sanctuary.

evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sekho hoti pāṭipado, anuttaraṁ yogakkhemaṁ patthayamāno viharati.

2.6

That’s how a person is a confirmed ascetic.

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo samaṇamacalo hoti.

3.1

And how is a person a white lotus ascetic?

Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo samaṇapuṇḍarīko hoti?

3.2

It’s when a bhikkhu realizes the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life. And they live having realized it with their own insight due to the ending of defilements. But they don’t have direct meditative experience of the eight liberations.

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharati, no ca kho aṭṭha vimokkhe kāyena phusitvā viharati.

3.3

That’s how a person is a white lotus ascetic.

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo samaṇapuṇḍarīko hoti.

4.1

And how is a person a pink lotus ascetic?

Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo samaṇapadumo hoti?

4.2

It’s when a bhikkhu realizes the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life. … And they have direct meditative experience of the eight liberations.

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharati, aṭṭha ca vimokkhe kāyena phusitvā viharati.

4.3

That’s how a person is a pink lotus ascetic.

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo samaṇapadumo hoti.

5.1

And how is a person an exquisite ascetic of ascetics?

Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo samaṇesu samaṇasukhumālo hoti?

5.2

It’s when a bhikkhu usually uses only what they’ve been invited to accept—robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick—rarely using them without invitation.

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu yācitova bahulaṁ cīvaraṁ paribhuñjati, appaṁ ayācito; yācitova bahulaṁ piṇḍapātaṁ paribhuñjati, appaṁ ayācito; yācitova bahulaṁ senāsanaṁ paribhuñjati, appaṁ ayācito; yācitova bahulaṁ gilānappaccayabhesajjaparikkhāraṁ paribhuñjati, appaṁ ayācito.

5.3

When living with other spiritual practitioners, they usually treat them agreeably by way of body, speech, and mind, and rarely disagreeably.

Yehi kho pana sabrahmacārīhi saddhiṁ viharati, tyassa manāpeneva bahulaṁ kāyakammena samudācaranti, appaṁ amanāpena; manāpeneva bahulaṁ vacīkammena samudācaranti, appaṁ amanāpena; manāpeneva bahulaṁ manokammena samudācaranti, appaṁ amanāpena;

5.4

And they usually present them with agreeable things, rarely with disagreeable ones.

manāpaṁyeva bahulaṁ upahāraṁ upaharanti, appaṁ amanāpaṁ.

5.5

They’re healthy, so the various unpleasant feelings—stemming from disorders of bile, phlegm, wind, or their conjunction; or caused by change in weather, by not taking care of yourself, by overexertion, or as the result of past deeds—usually don’t come up.

Yāni kho pana tāni vedayitāni pittasamuṭṭhānāni vā semhasamuṭṭhānāni vā vātasamuṭṭhānāni vā sannipātikāni vā utupariṇāmajāni vā visamaparihārajāni vā opakkamikāni vā kammavipākajāni vā, tāni panassa na bahudeva uppajjanti. Appābādho hoti.

5.6

They get the four absorptions—blissful meditations in the present life that belong to the higher mind—when they want, without trouble or difficulty.

Catunnaṁ jhānānaṁ ābhicetasikānaṁ diṭṭhadhammasukhavihārānaṁ nikāmalābhī hoti akicchalābhī akasiralābhī,

5.7

And they realize the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life. …

āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharati.

5.8

That’s how a person is an exquisite ascetic of ascetics.

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo samaṇesu samaṇasukhumālo hoti.

6.1

And if anyone should be rightly called an exquisite ascetic of ascetics, it’s me.

Yañhi taṁ, bhikkhave, sammā vadamāno vadeyya samaṇesu samaṇasukhumāloti, mameva taṁ, bhikkhave, sammā vadamāno vadeyya samaṇesu samaṇasukhumāloti.

6.2

For I usually use only what I’ve been invited to accept …

Ahañhi, bhikkhave, yācitova bahulaṁ cīvaraṁ paribhuñjāmi, appaṁ ayācito; yācitova bahulaṁ piṇḍapātaṁ paribhuñjāmi, appaṁ ayācito; yācitova bahulaṁ senāsanaṁ paribhuñjāmi, appaṁ ayācito; yācitova bahulaṁ gilānappaccayabhesajjaparikkhāraṁ paribhuñjāmi, appaṁ ayācito.

6.3

When living with other spiritual practitioners, I usually treat them agreeably …

Yehi kho pana bhikkhūhi saddhiṁ viharāmi te me manāpeneva bahulaṁ kāyakammena samudācaranti, appaṁ amanāpena; manāpeneva bahulaṁ vacīkammena samudācaranti, appaṁ amanāpena; manāpeneva bahulaṁ manokammena samudācaranti, appaṁ amanāpena; manāpaṁyeva bahulaṁ upahāraṁ upaharanti, appaṁ amanāpaṁ.

6.4

I’m healthy …

6.5

I get the four absorptions when I want, without trouble or difficulty.

Catunnaṁ kho panasmi jhānānaṁ ābhicetasikānaṁ diṭṭhadhammasukhavihārānaṁ nikāmalābhī akicchalābhī akasiralābhī,

6.6

And I’ve realized the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life. …

āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharāmi.

7.1

So if anyone should be rightly called an exquisite ascetic of ascetics, it’s me.

Yañhi taṁ, bhikkhave, sammā vadamāno vadeyya samaṇesu samaṇasukhumāloti, mameva taṁ, bhikkhave, sammā vadamāno vadeyya samaṇesu samaṇasukhumāloti.

7.2

These are the four people found in the world.”

Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmin”ti.

7.3

Sattamaṁ.