AN 6 The Book of the Sixes – Chakkanipāta > AN 6.29 With Udāyī

Numbered Discourses 6.29 – Aṅguttara Nikāya 6.29

3. Unsurpassable – 3. Anuttariyavagga

AN 6.29 With Udāyī – Udāyīsutta

1.1

Then the Buddha said to Udāyī,

Atha kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ udāyiṁ āmantesi:

1.2

“Udāyī, how many topics for recollection are there?”

“kati nu kho, udāyi, anussatiṭṭhānānī”ti?

1.3

When he said this, Udāyī kept silent.

Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā udāyī tuṇhī ahosi.

1.4

And a second time …

Dutiyampi kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ udāyiṁ āmantesi:

1.5

“kati nu kho, udāyi, anussatiṭṭhānānī”ti?

1.6

Dutiyampi kho āyasmā udāyī tuṇhī ahosi.

1.7

and a third time, the Buddha said to him,

Tatiyampi kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ udāyiṁ āmantesi:

1.8

“Udāyī, how many topics for recollection are there?”

“kati nu kho, udāyi, anussatiṭṭhānānī”ti?

1.9

And a second time and a third time Udāyī kept silent.

Tatiyampi kho āyasmā udāyī tuṇhī ahosi.

2.1

Then Venerable Ānanda said to Venerable Udāyī,

Atha kho āyasmā ānando āyasmantaṁ udāyiṁ etadavoca:

2.2

“Reverend Udāyī, the teacher is addressing you.”

“satthā taṁ, āvuso udāyi, āmantesī”ti.

2.3

“Reverend Ānanda, I hear the Buddha.

“Suṇomahaṁ, āvuso ānanda, bhagavato.

2.4

It’s when a bhikkhu recollects many kinds of past lives. That is: one, two, three, four, five, ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, a hundred, a thousand, a hundred thousand rebirths; many eons of the world contracting, many eons of the world expanding, many eons of the world contracting and expanding. They remember: ‘There, I was named this, my clan was that, I looked like this, and that was my food. This was how I felt pleasure and pain, and that was how my life ended. When I passed away from that place I was reborn somewhere else. There, too, I was named this, my clan was that, I looked like this, and that was my food. This was how I felt pleasure and pain, and that was how my life ended. When I passed away from that place I was reborn here.’ And so they recollect their many kinds of past lives, with features and details.

Idha, bhante, bhikkhu anekavihitaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussarati—Seyyathidaṁ—ekampi jātiṁ dvepi jātiyo …pe…. Iti sākāraṁ sauddesaṁ anekavihitaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussarati.

2.5

This is a topic for recollection.”

Idaṁ, bhante, anussatiṭṭhānan”ti.

3.1

Then the Buddha said to Venerable Ānanda:

Atha kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ āmantesi:

3.2

“Ānanda, I know that

“aññāsiṁ kho ahaṁ, ānanda:

3.3

this silly man Udāyī is not committed to the higher mind.

‘nevāyaṁ udāyī moghapuriso adhicittaṁ anuyutto viharatī’ti.

3.4

Ānanda, how many topics for recollection are there?”

Kati nu kho, ānanda, anussatiṭṭhānānī”ti?

4.1

“Sir, there are five topics for recollection.

“Pañca, bhante, anussatiṭṭhānāni.

4.2

What five?

Katamāni pañca?

4.3

Firstly, a bhikkhu, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskillful qualities, enters and remains in the first absorption … second absorption … third absorption.

Idha, bhante, bhikkhu vivicceva kāmehi …pe… tatiyaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati.

4.4

When this topic of recollection is developed and cultivated in this way it leads to blissful meditation in this very life.

Idaṁ, bhante, anussatiṭṭhānaṁ evaṁ bhāvitaṁ evaṁ bahulīkataṁ diṭṭhadhammasukhavihārāya saṁvattati.

5.1

Furthermore, a bhikkhu focuses on the perception of light, concentrating on the perception of day regardless of whether it’s night or day.

“Puna caparaṁ, bhante, bhikkhu ālokasaññaṁ manasi karoti, divā saññaṁ adhiṭṭhāti, yathā divā tathā rattiṁ, yathā rattiṁ tathā divā;

5.2

And so, with an open and unenveloped heart, they develop a mind that’s full of radiance.

iti vivaṭena cetasā apariyonaddhena sappabhāsaṁ cittaṁ bhāveti.

5.3

When this topic of recollection is developed and cultivated in this way it leads to knowledge and vision.

Idaṁ, bhante, anussatiṭṭhānaṁ evaṁ bhāvitaṁ evaṁ bahulīkataṁ ñāṇadassanappaṭilābhāya saṁvattati.

6.1

Furthermore, a bhikkhu examines their own body up from the soles of the feet and down from the tips of the hairs, wrapped in skin and full of many kinds of filth.

Puna caparaṁ, bhante, bhikkhu imameva kāyaṁ uddhaṁ pādatalā adho kesamatthakā tacapariyantaṁ pūraṁ nānappakārassa asucino paccavekkhati:

6.2

‘In this body there is head hair, body hair, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, sinews, bones, bone marrow, kidneys, heart, liver, diaphragm, spleen, lungs, intestines, mesentery, undigested food, feces, bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tears, grease, saliva, snot, synovial fluid, urine.’

‘atthi imasmiṁ kāye kesā lomā nakhā dantā taco, maṁsaṁ nhāru aṭṭhi aṭṭhimiñjaṁ vakkaṁ, hadayaṁ yakanaṁ kilomakaṁ pihakaṁ papphāsaṁ, antaṁ antaguṇaṁ udariyaṁ karīsaṁ, pittaṁ semhaṁ pubbo lohitaṁ sedo medo, assu vasā kheḷo siṅghāṇikā lasikā muttan’ti.

6.3

When this topic of recollection is developed and cultivated in this way it leads to giving up sensual desire.

Idaṁ, bhante, anussatiṭṭhānaṁ evaṁ bhāvitaṁ evaṁ bahulīkataṁ kāmarāgappahānāya saṁvattati.

7.1

Furthermore, suppose a bhikkhu were to see a corpse thrown in a charnel ground. And it had been dead for one, two, or three days, bloated, livid, and festering.

Puna caparaṁ, bhante, bhikkhu seyyathāpi passeyya sarīraṁ sivathikāya chaṭṭitaṁ ekāhamataṁ vā dvīhamataṁ vā tīhamataṁ vā uddhumātakaṁ vinīlakaṁ vipubbakajātaṁ.

7.2

They’d compare it with their own body:

So imameva kāyaṁ evaṁ upasaṁharati:

7.3

‘This body is also of that same nature, that same kind, and cannot go beyond that.’

‘ayampi kho kāyo evaṁdhammo evaṁbhāvī evaṁanatīto’ti.

8.1

Or suppose they were to see a corpse thrown in a charnel ground being devoured by crows, hawks, vultures, herons, dogs, tigers, leopards, jackals, and many kinds of little creatures.

Seyyathāpi vā pana passeyya sarīraṁ sīvathikāya chaṭṭitaṁ kākehi vā khajjamānaṁ kulalehi vā khajjamānaṁ gijjhehi vā khajjamānaṁ sunakhehi vā khajjamānaṁ siṅgālehi vā khajjamānaṁ vividhehi vā pāṇakajātehi khajjamānaṁ.

8.2

They’d compare it with their own body:

So imameva kāyaṁ evaṁ upasaṁharati:

8.3

‘This body is also of that same nature, that same kind, and cannot go beyond that.’

‘ayampi kho kāyo evaṁdhammo evaṁbhāvī evaṁanatīto’ti.

9.1

Furthermore, suppose they were to see a corpse thrown in a charnel ground, a skeleton with flesh and blood, held together by sinews …

Seyyathāpi vā pana passeyya sarīraṁ sīvathikāya chaṭṭitaṁ aṭṭhikasaṅkhalikaṁ samaṁsalohitaṁ nhārusambandhaṁ …pe…

9.2

A skeleton without flesh but smeared with blood, and held together by sinews …

aṭṭhikasaṅkhalikaṁ nimmaṁsalohitamakkhitaṁ nhārusambandhaṁ …

9.3

A skeleton rid of flesh and blood, held together by sinews …

aṭṭhikasaṅkhalikaṁ apagatamaṁsalohitaṁ nhārusambandhaṁ.

9.4

Bones rid of sinews scattered in every direction. Here a hand-bone, there a foot-bone, here a shin-bone, there a thigh-bone, here a hip-bone, there a rib-bone, here a back-bone, there an arm-bone, here a neck-bone, there a jaw-bone, here a tooth, there the skull … White bones, the color of shells … Decrepit bones, heaped in a pile … Bones rotted and crumbled to powder.

Aṭṭhikāni apagatasambandhāni disāvidisāvikkhittāni, aññena hatthaṭṭhikaṁ aññena pādaṭṭhikaṁ aññena jaṅghaṭṭhikaṁ aññena ūruṭṭhikaṁ aññena kaṭiṭṭhikaṁ aññena phāsukaṭṭhikaṁ aññena piṭṭhikaṇṭakaṭṭhikaṁ aññena khandhaṭṭhikaṁ aññena gīvaṭṭhikaṁ aññena hanukaṭṭhikaṁ aññena dantakaṭṭhikaṁ aññena sīsakaṭāhaṁ, aṭṭhikāni setāni saṅkhavaṇṇappaṭibhāgāni aṭṭhikāni puñjakitāni terovassikāni aṭṭhikāni pūtīni cuṇṇakajātāni.

9.5

They’d compare it with their own body:

So imameva kāyaṁ evaṁ upasaṁharati:

9.6

‘This body is also of that same nature, that same kind, and cannot go beyond that.’

‘ayampi kho kāyo evaṁdhammo evaṁbhāvī evaṁanatīto’ti.

9.7

When this topic of recollection is developed and cultivated in this way it leads to uprooting the conceit ‘I am’.

Idaṁ, bhante, anussatiṭṭhānaṁ evaṁ bhāvitaṁ evaṁ bahulīkataṁ asmimānasamugghātāya saṁvattati.

10.1

Furthermore, a bhikkhu, giving up pleasure and pain, and ending former happiness and sadness, enters and remains in the fourth absorption, without pleasure or pain, with pure equanimity and mindfulness.

Puna caparaṁ, bhante, bhikkhu sukhassa ca pahānā …pe… catutthaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati.

10.2

When this topic of recollection is developed and cultivated in this way it leads to the penetration of many elements.

Idaṁ, bhante, anussatiṭṭhānaṁ evaṁ bhāvitaṁ evaṁ bahulīkataṁ anekadhātupaṭivedhāya saṁvattati.

10.3

These are the five topics for recollection.”

Imāni kho, bhante, pañca anussatiṭṭhānānī”ti.

11.1

“Good, good, Ānanda.

“Sādhu sādhu, ānanda.

11.2

Well then, Ānanda, you should also remember this sixth topic for recollection.

Tena hi tvaṁ, ānanda, idampi chaṭṭhaṁ anussatiṭṭhānaṁ dhārehi.

11.3

In this case, a bhikkhu goes out mindfully, returns mindfully, stands mindfully, sits mindfully, lies down mindfully, and applies themselves to work mindfully.

Idhānanda, bhikkhu satova abhikkamati satova paṭikkamati satova tiṭṭhati satova nisīdati satova seyyaṁ kappeti satova kammaṁ adhiṭṭhāti.

11.4

When this topic of recollection is developed and cultivated in this way it leads to mindfulness and situational awareness.”

Idaṁ, ānanda, anussatiṭṭhānaṁ evaṁ bhāvitaṁ evaṁ bahulīkataṁ satisampajaññāya saṁvattatī”ti.

11.5

Navamaṁ.