AN 4 The Book of the Fours – Catukkanipāta > AN 4.194 At Sāpūga

Numbered Discourses 4.194 – Aṅguttara Nikāya 4.194

20. The Great Chapter – 20. Mahāvagga

AN 4.194 At Sāpūga – Sāmugiyasutta

1.1

At one time Venerable Ānanda was staying in the land of the Koliyans, where they have a town named Sāpūga.

Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā ānando koliyesu viharati sāmugaṁ nāma koliyānaṁ nigamo.

1.2

Then several Koliyans from Sāpūga went up to Ānanda, bowed, and sat down to one side. Then Venerable Ānanda said to them:

Atha kho sambahulā sāmugiyā koliyaputtā yenāyasmā ānando tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinne kho te sāmugiye koliyaputte āyasmā ānando etadavoca:

2.1

“Byagghapajjas, these four factors of trying to be pure have been rightly explained by the Blessed One, who knows and sees, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha. They are in order to purify sentient beings, to get past sorrow and crying, to make an end of pain and sadness, to end the cycle of suffering, and to realize extinguishment.

“Cattārimāni, byagghapajjā, pārisuddhipadhāniyaṅgāni tena bhagavatā jānatā passatā arahatā sammāsambuddhena sammadakkhātāni sattānaṁ visuddhiyā sokaparidevānaṁ samatikkamāya dukkhadomanassānaṁ atthaṅgamāya ñāyassa adhigamāya nibbānassa sacchikiriyāya.

2.2

What four?

Katamāni cattāri?

2.3

The factors of trying to be pure in ethics, mind, view, and freedom.

Sīlapārisuddhipadhāniyaṅgaṁ, cittapārisuddhipadhāniyaṅgaṁ, diṭṭhipārisuddhipadhāniyaṅgaṁ, vimuttipārisuddhipadhāniyaṅgaṁ.

3.1

And what is the factor of trying to be pure in ethics?

Katamañca, byagghapajjā, sīlapārisuddhipadhāniyaṅgaṁ?

3.2

It’s when a bhikkhu is ethical, restrained in the code of conduct, conducting themselves well and seeking alms in suitable places. Seeing danger in the slightest fault, they keep the rules they’ve undertaken.

Idha, byagghapajjā, bhikkhu sīlavā hoti …pe… samādāya sikkhati sikkhāpadesu.

3.3

This is called purity of ethics.

Ayaṁ vuccati, byagghapajjā, sīlapārisuddhi.

3.4

They think: ‘I will fulfill such purity of ethics, or, if it’s already fulfilled, I’ll support it in every situation by wisdom.’ Their enthusiasm for that—their effort, zeal, vigor, perseverance, mindfulness, and situational awareness—is called the factor of trying to be pure in ethics.

Iti evarūpiṁ sīlapārisuddhiṁ aparipūraṁ vā paripūressāmi paripūraṁ vā tattha tattha paññāya anuggahessāmīti, yo tattha chando ca vāyāmo ca ussāho ca ussoḷhī ca appaṭivānī ca sati ca sampajaññañca, idaṁ vuccati, byagghapajjā, sīlapārisuddhipadhāniyaṅgaṁ.

4.1

And what is the factor of trying to be pure in mind?

Katamañca, byagghapajjā, cittapārisuddhipadhāniyaṅgaṁ?

4.2

It’s when a bhikkhu, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskillful qualities, enters and remains in the first absorption … second absorption … third absorption … fourth absorption.

Idha, byagghapajjā, bhikkhu vivicceva kāmehi …pe… catutthaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati.

4.3

This is called purity of mind.

Ayaṁ vuccati, byagghapajjā, cittapārisuddhi.

4.4

They think: ‘I will fulfill such purity of mind, or, if it’s already fulfilled, I’ll support it in every situation by wisdom.’ Their enthusiasm for that—their effort, zeal, vigor, perseverance, mindfulness, and situational awareness—is called the factor of trying to be pure in mind.

Iti evarūpiṁ cittapārisuddhiṁ aparipūraṁ vā paripūressāmi paripūraṁ vā tattha tattha paññāya anuggahessāmīti, yo tattha chando ca vāyāmo ca ussāho ca ussoḷhī ca appaṭivānī ca sati ca sampajaññañca, idaṁ vuccati, byagghapajjā, cittapārisuddhipadhāniyaṅgaṁ.

5.1

And what is the factor of trying to be pure in view?

Katamañca, byagghapajjā, diṭṭhipārisuddhipadhāniyaṅgaṁ?

5.2

Take a bhikkhu who truly understands: ‘This is suffering’ … ‘This is the origin of suffering’ … ‘This is the cessation of suffering’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering’.

Idha, byagghapajjā, bhikkhu ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti.

5.3

This is called purity of view.

Ayaṁ vuccati, byagghapajjā, diṭṭhipārisuddhi.

5.4

They think: ‘I will fulfill such purity of view, or, if it’s already fulfilled, I’ll support it in every situation by wisdom.’ Their enthusiasm for that—their effort, zeal, vigor, perseverance, mindfulness, and situational awareness—is called the factor of trying to be pure in view.

Iti evarūpiṁ diṭṭhipārisuddhiṁ aparipūraṁ vā …pe… tattha tattha paññāya anuggahessāmīti, yo tattha chando ca vāyāmo ca ussāho ca ussoḷhī ca appaṭivānī ca sati ca sampajaññañca, idaṁ vuccati, byagghapajjā, diṭṭhipārisuddhipadhāniyaṅgaṁ.

6.1

And what is the factor of trying to be pure in freedom?

Katamañca, byagghapajjā, vimuttipārisuddhipadhāniyaṅgaṁ?

6.2

That noble disciple—who has these factors of trying to be pure in ethics, mind, and view—detaches their mind from things that arouse greed, and frees their mind from things that it should be freed from.

Sa kho so, byagghapajjā, ariyasāvako iminā ca sīlapārisuddhipadhāniyaṅgena samannāgato iminā ca cittapārisuddhipadhāniyaṅgena samannāgato iminā ca diṭṭhipārisuddhipadhāniyaṅgena samannāgato rajanīyesu dhammesu cittaṁ virājeti, vimocanīyesu dhammesu cittaṁ vimoceti.

6.3

Doing so, they experience perfect freedom.

So rajanīyesu dhammesu cittaṁ virājetvā, vimocanīyesu dhammesu cittaṁ vimocetvā sammāvimuttiṁ phusati.

6.4

This is called purity of freedom.

Ayaṁ vuccati, byagghapajjā, vimuttipārisuddhi.

6.5

They think: ‘I will fulfill such purity of freedom, or, if it’s already fulfilled, I’ll support it in every situation by wisdom.’ Their enthusiasm for that—their effort, zeal, vigor, perseverance, mindfulness, and situational awareness—is called the factor of trying to be pure in freedom.

Iti evarūpiṁ vimuttipārisuddhiṁ aparipūraṁ vā paripūressāmi paripūraṁ vā tattha tattha paññāya anuggahessāmīti, yo tattha chando ca vāyāmo ca ussāho ca ussoḷhī ca appaṭivānī ca sati ca sampajaññañca, idaṁ vuccati, byagghapajjā, vimuttipārisuddhipadhāniyaṅgaṁ.

7.1

These four factors of trying to be pure have been rightly explained by the Blessed One, who knows and sees, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha. They are in order to purify sentient beings, to get past sorrow and crying, to make an end of pain and sadness, to end the cycle of suffering, and to realize extinguishment.”

Imāni kho, byagghapajjā, cattāri pārisuddhipadhāniyaṅgāni tena bhagavatā jānatā passatā arahatā sammāsambuddhena sammadakkhātāni sattānaṁ visuddhiyā sokaparidevānaṁ samatikkamāya dukkhadomanassānaṁ atthaṅgamāya ñāyassa adhigamāya nibbānassa sacchikiriyāyā”ti.

7.2

Catutthaṁ.