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Numbered Discourses 4.171 – Aṅguttara Nikāya 4.171

18. Intention – 18. Sañcetaniyavagga

AN 4.171 Intention – Cetanāsutta

 

1.1

“Bhikkhū, as long as there’s a body, the intention that gives rise to bodily action causes pleasure and pain to arise in oneself.

“Kāye vā, bhikkhave, sati kāyasañcetanāhetu uppajjati ajjhattaṁ sukhadukkhaṁ.

1.2

As long as there’s a voice, the intention that gives rise to verbal action causes pleasure and pain to arise in oneself.

Vācāya vā, bhikkhave, sati vacīsañcetanāhetu uppajjati ajjhattaṁ sukhadukkhaṁ.

1.3

As long as there’s a mind, the intention that gives rise to mental action causes pleasure and pain to arise in oneself. But these only apply when conditioned by ignorance.

Mane vā, bhikkhave, sati manosañcetanāhetu uppajjati ajjhattaṁ sukhadukkhaṁ avijjāpaccayāva.

2.1

By oneself one makes the choice that gives rise to bodily, verbal, and mental action, conditioned by which that pleasure and pain arise in oneself.

Sāmaṁ vā taṁ, bhikkhave, kāyasaṅkhāraṁ abhisaṅkharoti, yaṁpaccayāssa taṁ uppajjati ajjhattaṁ sukhadukkhaṁ.

2.2

Or else others make the choice …

Pare vāssa taṁ, bhikkhave, kāyasaṅkhāraṁ abhisaṅkharonti, yaṁpaccayāssa taṁ uppajjati ajjhattaṁ sukhadukkhaṁ.

2.3

One consciously makes the choice …

Sampajāno vā taṁ, bhikkhave, kāyasaṅkhāraṁ abhisaṅkharoti, yaṁpaccayāssa taṁ uppajjati ajjhattaṁ sukhadukkhaṁ.

2.4

Or else one unconsciously makes the choice …

Asampajāno vā taṁ, bhikkhave, kāyasaṅkhāraṁ abhisaṅkharoti, yaṁpaccayāssa taṁ uppajjati ajjhattaṁ sukhadukkhaṁ.

3.1

 

Sāmaṁ vā taṁ, bhikkhave, vacīsaṅkhāraṁ abhisaṅkharoti, yaṁpaccayāssa taṁ uppajjati ajjhattaṁ sukhadukkhaṁ;

3.2

 

pare vāssa taṁ, bhikkhave, vacīsaṅkhāraṁ abhisaṅkharonti;

3.3

 

yaṁpaccayāssa taṁ uppajjati ajjhattaṁ sukhadukkhaṁ;

3.4

 

sampajāno vā taṁ, bhikkhave, vacīsaṅkhāraṁ abhisaṅkharoti, yaṁpaccayāssa taṁ uppajjati ajjhattaṁ sukhadukkhaṁ;

3.5

 

asampajāno vā taṁ, bhikkhave, vacīsaṅkhāraṁ abhisaṅkharoti, yaṁpaccayāssa taṁ uppajjati ajjhattaṁ sukhadukkhaṁ.

4.1

 

Sāmaṁ vā taṁ, bhikkhave, manosaṅkhāraṁ abhisaṅkharoti, yaṁpaccayāssa taṁ uppajjati ajjhattaṁ sukhadukkhaṁ;

4.2

 

pare vāssa taṁ, bhikkhave, manosaṅkhāraṁ abhisaṅkharonti, yaṁpaccayāssa taṁ uppajjati ajjhattaṁ sukhadukkhaṁ;

4.3

 

sampajāno vā taṁ, bhikkhave, manosaṅkhāraṁ abhisaṅkharoti, yaṁpaccayāssa taṁ uppajjati ajjhattaṁ sukhadukkhaṁ;

4.4

 

asampajāno vā taṁ, bhikkhave, manosaṅkhāraṁ abhisaṅkharoti, yaṁpaccayāssa taṁ uppajjati ajjhattaṁ sukhadukkhaṁ.

5.1

Ignorance is included in all these things.

Imesu, bhikkhave, dhammesu avijjā anupatitā,

5.2

But when ignorance fades away and ceases with nothing left over, there is no body and no voice and no mind, conditioned by which that pleasure and pain arise in oneself.

avijjāya tveva asesavirāganirodhā so kāyo na hoti yaṁpaccayāssa taṁ uppajjati ajjhattaṁ sukhadukkhaṁ, sā vācā na hoti yaṁpaccayāssa taṁ uppajjati ajjhattaṁ sukhadukkhaṁ, so mano na hoti yaṁpaccayāssa taṁ uppajjati ajjhattaṁ sukhadukkhaṁ,

5.3

There is no field, no ground, no scope, and no basis, conditioned by which that pleasure and pain arise in oneself.

khettaṁ taṁ na hoti …pe… vatthu taṁ na hoti …pe… āyatanaṁ taṁ na hoti …pe… adhikaraṇaṁ taṁ na hoti yaṁpaccayāssa taṁ uppajjati ajjhattaṁ sukhadukkhanti.

6.1

Bhikkhū, there are four kinds of reincarnation.

Cattārome, bhikkhave, attabhāvapaṭilābhā.

6.2

What four?

Katame cattāro?

6.3

There is a reincarnation where one’s own intention is effective, not that of others.

Atthi, bhikkhave, attabhāvapaṭilābho, yasmiṁ attabhāvapaṭilābhe attasañcetanā kamati, no parasañcetanā.

6.4

There is a reincarnation where the intention of others is effective, not one’s own.

Atthi, bhikkhave, attabhāvapaṭilābho, yasmiṁ attabhāvapaṭilābhe parasañcetanā kamati, no attasañcetanā.

6.5

There is a reincarnation where both one’s own and others’ intentions are effective.

Atthi, bhikkhave, attabhāvapaṭilābho, yasmiṁ attabhāvapaṭilābhe attasañcetanā ca kamati parasañcetanā ca.

6.6

There is a reincarnation where neither one’s own nor others’ intentions are effective.

Atthi, bhikkhave, attabhāvapaṭilābho, yasmiṁ attabhāvapaṭilābhe nevattasañcetanā kamati, no parasañcetanā.

6.7

These are the four kinds of reincarnation.”

Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro attabhāvapaṭilābhā”ti.

7.1

When he said this, Venerable Sāriputta said to the Buddha:

Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā sāriputto bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

7.2

“Sir, this is how I understand the detailed meaning of the Buddha’s brief statement.

“imassa kho ahaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa evaṁ vitthārena atthaṁ ājānāmi:

7.3

Take the case of the reincarnation where one’s own intention is effective, not that of others. Those sentient beings pass away from that realm due to their own intention.

‘tatra, bhante, yāyaṁ attabhāvapaṭilābho yasmiṁ attabhāvapaṭilābhe attasañcetanā kamati no parasañcetanā, attasañcetanāhetu tesaṁ sattānaṁ tamhā kāyā cuti hoti.

7.4

Take the case of the reincarnation where the intention of others is effective, not one’s own. Those sentient beings pass away from that realm due to the intention of others.

Tatra, bhante, yāyaṁ attabhāvapaṭilābho yasmiṁ attabhāvapaṭilābhe parasañcetanā kamati no attasañcetanā, parasañcetanāhetu tesaṁ sattānaṁ tamhā kāyā cuti hoti.

7.5

Take the case of the reincarnation where both one’s own and others’ intentions are effective. Those sentient beings pass away from that realm due to both their own and others’ intentions.

Tatra, bhante, yāyaṁ attabhāvapaṭilābho yasmiṁ attabhāvapaṭilābhe attasañcetanā ca kamati parasañcetanā ca, attasañcetanā ca parasañcetanā ca hetu tesaṁ sattānaṁ tamhā kāyā cuti hoti.

7.6

But sir, in the case of the reincarnation where neither one’s own nor others’ intentions are effective, what kind of gods does this refer to?”

Tatra, bhante, yāyaṁ attabhāvapaṭilābho yasmiṁ attabhāvapaṭilābhe neva attasañcetanā kamati no parasañcetanā, katame tena devā daṭṭhabbā’”ti?

7.7

“Sāriputta, it refers to the gods reborn in the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception.”

“Nevasaññānāsaññāyatanūpagā, sāriputta, devā tena daṭṭhabbā”ti.

8.1

“What is the cause, sir, what is the reason why some sentient beings pass away from that realm as returners who come back to this state of existence,

“Ko nu kho, bhante, hetu ko paccayo, yena m’idhekacce sattā tamhā kāyā cutā āgāmino honti āgantāro itthattaṁ?

8.2

while others are non-returners who don’t come back?”

Ko pana, bhante, hetu ko paccayo, yena m’idhekacce sattā tamhā kāyā cutā anāgāmino honti anāgantāro itthattan”ti?

8.3

“Sāriputta, take a person who hasn’t given up the lower fetters. In the present life they enter and abide in the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception.

“Idha, sāriputta, ekaccassa puggalassa orambhāgiyāni saṁyojanāni appahīnāni honti, so diṭṭheva dhamme nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharati.

8.4

They enjoy it and like it and find it satisfying.

So tadassādeti, taṁ nikāmeti, tena ca vittiṁ āpajjati;

8.5

If they abide in that, are committed to it, and meditate on it often without losing it, when they die they’re reborn in the company of the gods of the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception.

tattha ṭhito tadadhimutto tabbahulavihārī aparihīno kālaṁ kurumāno nevasaññānāsaññāyatanūpagānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjati.

8.6

When they pass away from there, they’re a returner, who comes back to this state of existence.

So tato cuto āgāmī hoti āgantā itthattaṁ.

9.1

Sāriputta, take a person who has given up the lower fetters. In the present life they enter and abide in the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception.

Idha pana, sāriputta, ekaccassa puggalassa orambhāgiyāni saṁyojanāni pahīnāni honti, so diṭṭheva dhamme nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ upasampajja viharati.

9.2

They enjoy it and like it and find it satisfying.

So tadassādeti, taṁ nikāmeti, tena ca vittiṁ āpajjati;

9.3

If they abide in that, are committed to it, and meditate on it often without losing it, when they die they’re reborn in the company of the gods of the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception.

tattha ṭhito tadadhimutto tabbahulavihārī aparihīno kālaṁ kurumāno nevasaññānāsaññāyatanūpagānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjati.

9.4

When they pass away from there, they’re a non-returner, not coming back to this state of existence.

So tato cuto anāgāmī hoti anāgantā itthattaṁ.

10.1

This is the cause, this is the reason why some sentient beings pass away from that realm as returners who come back to this state of existence,

Ayaṁ kho, sāriputta, hetu ayaṁ paccayo, yena m’idhekacce sattā tamhā kāyā cutā āgāmino honti āgantāro itthattaṁ.

10.2

while others are non-returners who don’t come back.”

Ayaṁ pana, sāriputta, hetu ayaṁ paccayo, yena m’idhekacce sattā tamhā kāyā cutā anāgāmino honti anāgantāro itthattan”ti.

10.3

 

Paṭhamaṁ.