AN 4 The Book of the Fours – Catukkanipāta > AN 4.165 Patience (2nd)

Numbered Discourses 4.165 – Aṅguttara Nikāya 4.165

17. Practice – 17. Paṭipadāvagga

AN 4.165 Patience (2nd) – Dutiyakhamasutta

1.1

“Bhikkhū, there are four ways of practice.

“Catasso imā, bhikkhave, paṭipadā.

1.2

What four?

Katamā catasso?

1.3

Impatient practice, patient practice, taming practice, and calming practice.

Akkhamā paṭipadā, khamā paṭipadā, damā paṭipadā, samā paṭipadā.

2.1

And what’s the impatient practice?

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, akkhamā paṭipadā?

2.2

It’s when a bhikkhu cannot endure cold, heat, hunger, and thirst. They cannot endure the touch of flies, mosquitoes, wind, sun, and reptiles. They cannot endure rude and unwelcome criticism. And they cannot put up with physical pain—sharp, severe, acute, unpleasant, disagreeable, and life-threatening.

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco akkhamo hoti sītassa uṇhassa jighacchāya pipāsāya, ḍaṁsamakasavātātapasarīsapasamphassānaṁ duruttānaṁ durāgatānaṁ vacanapathānaṁ uppannānaṁ sārīrikānaṁ vedanānaṁ dukkhānaṁ tibbānaṁ kharānaṁ kaṭukānaṁ asātānaṁ amanāpānaṁ pāṇaharānaṁ anadhivāsakajātiko hoti.

2.3

This is called the impatient practice.

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, akkhamā paṭipadā.

3.1

And what’s the patient practice?

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, khamā paṭipadā?

3.2

It’s when a bhikkhu endures cold, heat, hunger, and thirst. They endure the touch of flies, mosquitoes, wind, sun, and reptiles. They endure rude and unwelcome criticism. And they put up with physical pain—sharp, severe, acute, unpleasant, disagreeable, and life-threatening.

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco khamo hoti sītassa uṇhassa jighacchāya pipāsāya, ḍaṁsamakasavātātapasarīsapasamphassānaṁ duruttānaṁ durāgatānaṁ vacanapathānaṁ uppannānaṁ sārīrikānaṁ vedanānaṁ dukkhānaṁ tibbānaṁ kharānaṁ kaṭukānaṁ asātānaṁ amanāpānaṁ pāṇaharānaṁ adhivāsakajātiko hoti.

3.3

This is called the patient practice.

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, khamā paṭipadā.

4.1

And what’s the taming practice?

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, damā paṭipadā?

4.2

When a bhikkhu sees a sight with their eyes, they don’t get caught up in the features and details. …

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu cakkhunā rūpaṁ disvā na nimittaggāhī hoti …pe…

4.3

When they hear a sound with their ears …

sotena saddaṁ sutvā …

4.4

When they smell an odor with their nose …

ghānena gandhaṁ ghāyitvā …

4.5

When they taste a flavor with their tongue …

jivhāya rasaṁ sāyitvā …

4.6

When they feel a touch with their body …

kāyena phoṭṭhabbaṁ phusitvā …

4.7

When they know a thought with their mind, they don’t get caught up in the features and details.

manasā dhammaṁ viññāya na nimittaggāhī hoti nānubyañjanaggāhī;

4.8

If the faculty of mind were left unrestrained, bad unskillful qualities of desire and aversion would become overwhelming. For this reason, they practice restraint, protecting the faculty of mind, and achieving restraint over it.

yatvādhikaraṇamenaṁ manindriyaṁ asaṁvutaṁ viharantaṁ abhijjhādomanassā pāpakā akusalā dhammā anvāssaveyyuṁ, tassa saṁvarāya paṭipajjati; rakkhati manindriyaṁ; manindriye saṁvaraṁ āpajjati.

4.9

This is called the taming practice.

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, damā paṭipadā.

5.1

And what’s the calming practice?

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, samā paṭipadā?

5.2

It’s when a bhikkhu doesn’t tolerate a sensual, malicious, or cruel thought. They don’t tolerate any bad, unskillful qualities that have arisen, but give them up, get rid of them, calm them, eliminate them, and obliterate them.

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu uppannaṁ kāmavitakkaṁ nādhivāseti pajahati vinodeti sameti byantīkaroti anabhāvaṁ gameti, uppannaṁ byāpādavitakkaṁ …pe… uppannaṁ vihiṁsāvitakkaṁ … uppannuppanne pāpake akusale dhamme nādhivāseti pajahati vinodeti sameti byantīkaroti anabhāvaṁ gameti.

5.3

This is called the calming practice.

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, samā paṭipadā.

5.4

These are the four ways of practice.”

Imā kho, bhikkhave, catasso paṭipadā”ti.

5.5

Pañcamaṁ.