AN 7 The Book of the Sevens – Sattakanipāta > AN 7.71 Committed to Development

Numbered Discourses 7.71 – Aṅguttara Nikāya 7.71

7. The Great Chapter – 7. Mahāvagga

AN 7.71 Committed to Development – Bhāvanāsutta

1.1

“Bhikkhū, when a bhikkhu is not committed to development, they might wish:

“Bhāvanaṁ ananuyuttassa, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno viharato kiñcāpi evaṁ icchā uppajjeyya:

1.2

‘If only my mind were freed from the defilements by not grasping!’

‘aho vata me anupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimucceyyā’ti,

1.3

Even so, their mind is not freed from defilements by not grasping.

atha khvassa neva anupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimuccati.

1.4

Why is that?

Taṁ kissa hetu?

1.5

It’s because they’re undeveloped.

‘Abhāvitattā’tissa vacanīyaṁ.

1.6

Undeveloped in what?

Kissa abhāvitattā?

1.7

The four kinds of mindfulness meditation, the four right efforts, the four bases of psychic power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven awakening factors, and the noble eightfold path.

Catunnaṁ satipaṭṭhānānaṁ, catunnaṁ sammappadhānānaṁ, catunnaṁ iddhipādānaṁ, pañcannaṁ indriyānaṁ, pañcannaṁ balānaṁ, sattannaṁ bojjhaṅgānaṁ, ariyassa aṭṭhaṅgikassa maggassa.

2.1

Suppose there was a chicken with eight or ten or twelve eggs.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, kukkuṭiyā aṇḍāni aṭṭha vā dasa vā dvādasa vā.

2.2

But she had not properly sat on them to keep them warm and incubated.

Tānassu kukkuṭiyā na sammā adhisayitāni, na sammā pariseditāni, na sammā paribhāvitāni.

2.3

Even if that chicken might wish:

Kiñcāpi tassā kukkuṭiyā evaṁ icchā uppajjeyya:

2.4

‘If only my chicks could break out of the eggshell with their claws and beak and hatch safely!’

‘aho vata me kukkuṭapotakā pādanakhasikhāya vā mukhatuṇḍakena vā aṇḍakosaṁ padāletvā sotthinā abhinibbhijjeyyun’ti,

2.5

Still they can’t break out and hatch safely.

atha kho abhabbāva te kukkuṭapotakā pādanakhasikhāya vā mukhatuṇḍakena vā aṇḍakosaṁ padāletvā sotthinā abhinibbhijjituṁ.

2.6

Why is that?

Taṁ kissa hetu?

2.7

Because she has not properly sat on them to keep them warm and incubated.

Tathā hi, bhikkhave, kukkuṭiyā aṇḍāni na sammā adhisayitāni, na sammā pariseditāni, na sammā paribhāvitāni.

2.8

In the same way, when a bhikkhu is not committed to development, they might wish:

Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhāvanaṁ ananuyuttassa bhikkhuno viharato kiñcāpi evaṁ icchā uppajjeyya:

2.9

‘If only my mind was freed from the defilements by not grasping!’

‘aho vata me anupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimucceyyā’ti,

2.10

Even so, their mind is not freed from defilements by not grasping.

atha khvassa neva anupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimuccati.

2.11

Why is that?

Taṁ kissa hetu?

2.12

It’s because they’re undeveloped.

‘Abhāvitattā’tissa vacanīyaṁ.

2.13

Undeveloped in what?

Kissa abhāvitattā?

2.14

The four kinds of mindfulness meditation, the four right efforts, the four bases of psychic power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven awakening factors, and the noble eightfold path.

3.1

When a bhikkhu is committed to development, they might not wish:

Bhāvanaṁ anuyuttassa, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno viharato kiñcāpi na evaṁ icchā uppajjeyya:

3.2

‘If only my mind was freed from the defilements by not grasping!’

‘aho vata me anupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimucceyyā’ti,

3.3

Even so, their mind is freed from defilements by not grasping.

atha khvassa anupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimuccati.

3.4

Why is that?

Taṁ kissa hetu?

3.5

It’s because they’re developed.

‘Bhāvitattā’tissa vacanīyaṁ.

3.6

Developed in what?

Kissa bhāvitattā?

3.7

The four kinds of mindfulness meditation, the four right efforts, the four bases of psychic power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven awakening factors, and the noble eightfold path.

4.1

Suppose there was a chicken with eight or ten or twelve eggs.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, kukkuṭiyā aṇḍāni aṭṭha vā dasa vā dvādasa vā.

4.2

And she properly sat on them to keep them warm and incubated.

Tānassu kukkuṭiyā sammā adhisayitāni, sammā pariseditāni, sammā paribhāvitāni.

4.3

Even if that chicken doesn’t wish:

Kiñcāpi tassā kukkuṭiyā na evaṁ icchā uppajjeyya:

4.4

‘If only my chicks could break out of the eggshell with their claws and beak and hatch safely!’

‘aho vata me kukkuṭapotakā pādanakhasikhāya vā mukhatuṇḍakena vā aṇḍakosaṁ padāletvā sotthinā abhinibbhijjeyyun’ti,

4.5

Still they can break out and hatch safely.

atha kho bhabbāva te kukkuṭapotakā pādanakhasikhāya vā mukhatuṇḍakena vā aṇḍakosaṁ padāletvā sotthinā abhinibbhijjituṁ.

4.6

Why is that?

Taṁ kissa hetu?

4.7

Because she properly sat on them to keep them warm and incubated.

Tathā hi, bhikkhave, kukkuṭiyā aṇḍāni sammā adhisayitāni, sammā pariseditāni, sammā paribhāvitāni.

4.8

In the same way, when a bhikkhu is committed to development, they might not wish:

Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhāvanaṁ anuyuttassa bhikkhuno viharato kiñcāpi na evaṁ icchā uppajjeyya:

4.9

‘If only my mind was freed from the defilements by not grasping!’

‘aho vata me anupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimucceyyā’ti,

4.10

Even so, their mind is freed from defilements by not grasping.

atha khvassa anupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimuccati.

4.11

Why is that?

Taṁ kissa hetu?

4.12

It’s because they’re developed.

‘Bhāvitattā’tissa vacanīyaṁ.

4.13

Developed in what?

Kissa bhāvitattā?

4.14

The four kinds of mindfulness meditation, the four right efforts, the four bases of psychic power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven awakening factors, and the noble eightfold path.

Catunnaṁ satipaṭṭhānānaṁ …pe… ariyassa aṭṭhaṅgikassa maggassa.

5.1

Suppose a carpenter or their apprentice sees the marks of his fingers and thumb on the handle of his adze. They don’t know how much of the handle was worn away today, how much yesterday, and how much previously. They just know what has been worn away.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, phalagaṇḍassa vā phalagaṇḍantevāsikassa vā dissanteva vāsijaṭe aṅgulipadāni dissati aṅguṭṭhapadaṁ. No ca khvassa evaṁ ñāṇaṁ hoti: ‘ettakaṁ me ajja vāsijaṭassa khīṇaṁ, ettakaṁ hiyyo, ettakaṁ pare’ti, atha khvassa khīṇe ‘khīṇan’teva ñāṇaṁ hoti.

5.2

In the same way, when a bhikkhu is committed to development, they don’t know how much of the defilements were worn away today, how much yesterday, and how much previously. They just know what has been worn away.

Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhāvanaṁ anuyuttassa bhikkhuno viharato kiñcāpi na evaṁ ñāṇaṁ hoti: ‘ettakaṁ me ajja āsavānaṁ khīṇaṁ, ettakaṁ hiyyo, ettakaṁ pare’ti, atha khvassa khīṇe ‘khīṇan’teva ñāṇaṁ hoti.

6.1

Suppose there was a sea-faring ship bound together with ropes. For six months they deteriorated in the water. Then in the cold season it was hauled up on dry land, where the ropes were weathered by wind and sun. When the clouds soaked it with rain, the ropes would readily collapse and rot away.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, sāmuddikāya nāvāya vettabandhanabaddhāya cha māsāni udake pariyādāya hemantikena thale ukkhittāya vātātapaparetāni bandhanāni, tāni pāvussakena meghena abhippavuṭṭhāni appakasireneva parihāyanti, pūtikāni bhavanti.

6.2

In the same way, when a bhikkhu is committed to development their fetters readily collapse and rot away.”

Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhāvanaṁ anuyuttassa bhikkhuno viharato appakasireneva saṁyojanāni paṭippassambhanti, pūtikāni bhavantī”ti.

6.3

Sattamaṁ.