AN 11 The Book of the Elevens – Ekādasakanipāta > AN 11.9 With Sandha

Numbered Discourses 11.9 – Aṅguttara Nikāya 11.9

1. Dependence – 1. Nissayavagga

AN 11.9 With Sandha – Saddhasutta

1.1

At one time the Buddha was staying at Nādika in the brick house.

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā nātike viharati giñjakāvasathe.

1.2

Then Venerable Sandha went up to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to him:

Atha kho āyasmā saddho yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho āyasmantaṁ saddhaṁ bhagavā etadavoca:

2.1

“Sandha, meditate like a thoroughbred,

“Ājānīyajhāyitaṁ kho, saddha, jhāya;

2.2

not like a wild colt.

mā khaḷuṅkajhāyitaṁ.

2.3

And how does a wild colt meditate?

Kathañca, khaḷuṅkajhāyitaṁ hoti?

2.4

A wild colt, tied up by the feeding trough, meditates: ‘Fodder, fodder!’

Assakhaḷuṅko hi, saddha, doṇiyā baddho ‘yavasaṁ yavasan’ti jhāyati.

2.5

Why is that?

Taṁ kissa hetu?

2.6

Because it doesn’t occur to the wild colt tied up by the feeding trough:

Na hi, saddha, assakhaḷuṅkassa doṇiyā baddhassa evaṁ hoti:

2.7

‘What task will the horse trainer have me do today? How should I respond?’

‘kiṁ nu kho maṁ ajja assadammasārathi kāraṇaṁ kāressati, kimassāhaṁ paṭikaromī’ti.

2.8

Tied up by the feeding trough they just meditate: ‘Fodder, fodder!’

So doṇiyā baddho ‘yavasaṁ yavasan’ti jhāyati.

2.9

In the same way, take a certain wild person who has gone to the forest, the root of a tree, or an empty hut. Their heart is overcome and mired in sensual desire, and they don’t truly understand the escape from sensual desire that has arisen.

Evamevaṁ kho, saddha, idhekacco purisakhaḷuṅko araññagatopi rukkhamūlagatopi suññāgāragatopi kāmarāgapariyuṭṭhitena cetasā viharati kāmarāgaparetena uppannassa ca kāmarāgassa nissaraṇaṁ yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti.

2.10

Harboring sensual desire within they meditate and concentrate and contemplate and ruminate.

So kāmarāgaṁyeva antaraṁ katvā jhāyati pajjhāyati nijjhāyati avajjhāyati,

2.11

Their heart is overcome by ill will …

byāpādapariyuṭṭhitena cetasā viharati …

2.12

dullness and drowsiness …

thinamiddhapariyuṭṭhitena cetasā viharati …

2.13

restlessness and remorse …

uddhaccakukkuccapariyuṭṭhitena cetasā viharati …

2.14

doubt …

vicikicchāpariyuṭṭhitena cetasā viharati vicikicchāparetena, uppannāya ca vicikicchāya nissaraṇaṁ yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti.

2.15

Harboring doubt within they meditate and concentrate and contemplate and ruminate.

So vicikicchaṁyeva antaraṁ katvā jhāyati pajjhāyati nijjhāyati avajjhāyati.

2.16

They meditate dependent on earth, water, fire, and air. They meditate dependent on the dimension of infinite space, infinite consciousness, nothingness, or neither perception nor non-perception. They meditate dependent on this world or the other world. They meditate dependent on what is seen, heard, thought, known, attained, sought, or explored by the mind.

So pathavimpi nissāya jhāyati, āpampi nissāya jhāyati, tejampi nissāya jhāyati, vāyampi nissāya jhāyati, ākāsānañcāyatanampi nissāya jhāyati, viññāṇañcāyatanampi nissāya jhāyati, ākiñcaññāyatanampi nissāya jhāyati, nevasaññānāsaññāyatanampi nissāya jhāyati, idhalokampi nissāya jhāyati, paralokampi nissāya jhāyati, yampidaṁ diṭṭhaṁ sutaṁ mutaṁ viññātaṁ pattaṁ pariyesitaṁ anuvicaritaṁ manasā, tampi nissāya jhāyati.

2.17

That’s how a wild colt meditates.

Evaṁ kho, saddha, purisakhaḷuṅkajhāyitaṁ hoti.

3.1

And how does a thoroughbred meditate?

Kathañca, saddha, ājānīyajhāyitaṁ hoti?

3.2

A fine thoroughbred, tied up by the feeding trough, doesn’t meditate: ‘Fodder, fodder!’

Bhadro hi, saddha, assājānīyo doṇiyā baddho na ‘yavasaṁ yavasan’ti jhāyati.

3.3

Why is that?

Taṁ kissa hetu?

3.4

Because it occurs to the fine thoroughbred tied up by the feeding trough:

Bhadrassa hi, saddha, assājānīyassa doṇiyā baddhassa evaṁ hoti:

3.5

‘What task will the horse trainer have me do today? How should I respond?’

‘kiṁ nu kho maṁ ajja assadammasārathi kāraṇaṁ kāressati, kimassāhaṁ paṭikaromī’ti.

3.6

Tied up by the feeding trough they don’t meditate: ‘Fodder, fodder!’

So doṇiyā baddho na ‘yavasaṁ yavasan’ti jhāyati.

3.7

For that fine thoroughbred regards the use of the goad as a debt, a bond, a loss, a misfortune.

Bhadro hi, saddha, assājānīyo yathā iṇaṁ yathā bandhaṁ yathā jāniṁ yathā kaliṁ evaṁ patodassa ajjhoharaṇaṁ samanupassati.

3.8

In the same way, take a certain fine thoroughbred person who has gone to the forest, the root of a tree, or an empty hut. Their heart is not overcome and mired in sensual desire, and they truly understand the escape from sensual desire that has arisen.

Evamevaṁ kho, saddha, bhadro purisājānīyo araññagatopi rukkhamūlagatopi suññāgāragatopi na kāmarāgapariyuṭṭhitena cetasā viharati na kāmarāgaparetena, uppannassa ca kāmarāgassa nissaraṇaṁ yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti,

3.9

Their heart is not overcome by ill will …

na byāpādapariyuṭṭhitena cetasā viharati …

3.10

dullness and drowsiness …

na thinamiddhapariyuṭṭhitena cetasā viharati …

3.11

restlessness and remorse …

na uddhaccakukkuccapariyuṭṭhitena cetasā viharati …

3.12

doubt …

na vicikicchāpariyuṭṭhitena cetasā viharati na vicikicchāparetena, uppannāya ca vicikicchāya nissaraṇaṁ yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti.

3.13

They don’t meditate dependent on earth, water, fire, and air. They don’t meditate dependent on the dimension of infinite space, infinite consciousness, nothingness, or neither perception nor non-perception. They don’t meditate dependent on this world or the other world. They don’t meditate dependent on what is seen, heard, thought, known, attained, sought, or explored by the mind.

So neva pathaviṁ nissāya jhāyati, na āpaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na tejaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na vāyaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na idhalokaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na paralokaṁ nissāya jhāyati, yampidaṁ diṭṭhaṁ sutaṁ mutaṁ viññātaṁ pattaṁ pariyesitaṁ anuvicaritaṁ manasā, tampi nissāya na jhāyati;

3.14

Yet they do meditate.

jhāyati ca pana.

3.15

When a fine thoroughbred meditates like this, the gods together with Indra, Brahmā, and Pajāpati worship them from afar:

Evaṁ jhāyiñca pana, saddha, bhadraṁ purisājānīyaṁ saindā devā sabrahmakā sapajāpatikā ārakāva namassanti:

4.1

‘Homage to you, O thoroughbred!

‘Namo te purisājañña,

4.2

Homage to you, supreme among men!

namo te purisuttama;

4.3

We don’t understand

Yassa te nābhijānāma,

4.4

the basis of your absorption.’”

yampi nissāya jhāyasī’”ti.

5.1

When he said this, Venerable Sandha asked the Buddha,

Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā saddho bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

5.2

“But sir, how does that fine thoroughbred meditate?”

“kathaṁ jhāyī pana, bhante, bhadro purisājānīyo neva pathaviṁ nissāya jhāyati, na āpaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na tejaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na vāyaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na idhalokaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na paralokaṁ nissāya jhāyati, yampidaṁ diṭṭhaṁ sutaṁ mutaṁ viññātaṁ pattaṁ pariyesitaṁ anuvicaritaṁ manasā, tampi nissāya na jhāyati;

5.3

jhāyati ca pana?

5.4

Kathaṁ jhāyiñca pana, bhante, bhadraṁ purisājānīyaṁ saindā devā sabrahmakā sapajāpatikā ārakāva namassanti:

6.1

‘Namo te purisājañña,

6.2

namo te purisuttama;

6.3

Yassa te nābhijānāma,

6.4

yampi nissāya jhāyasī’”ti.

7.1

“Sandha, for a fine thoroughbred person, the perception of earth has vanished in relation to earth. The perception of water … fire … air has vanished in relation to air. The perception of the dimension of infinite space has vanished in relation to the dimension of infinite space. The perception of the dimension of infinite consciousness … nothingness … neither perception nor non-perception has vanished in relation to the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception. The perception of this world has vanished in relation to this world. The perception of the other world has vanished in relation to the other world. And the perception of what is seen, heard, thought, known, attained, sought, or explored by the mind has vanished.

“Idha, saddha, bhadrassa purisājānīyassa pathaviyaṁ pathavisaññā vibhūtā hoti, āpasmiṁ āposaññā vibhūtā hoti, tejasmiṁ tejosaññā vibhūtā hoti, vāyasmiṁ vāyosaññā vibhūtā hoti, ākāsānañcāyatane ākāsānañcāyatanasaññā vibhūtā hoti, viññāṇañcāyatane viññāṇañcāyatanasaññā vibhūtā hoti, ākiñcaññāyatane ākiñcaññāyatanasaññā vibhūtā hoti, nevasaññānāsaññāyatane nevasaññānāsaññāyatanasaññā vibhūtā hoti, idhaloke idhalokasaññā vibhūtā hoti, paraloke paralokasaññā vibhūtā hoti, yampidaṁ diṭṭhaṁ sutaṁ mutaṁ viññātaṁ pattaṁ pariyesitaṁ anuvicaritaṁ manasā, tatrāpi saññā vibhūtā hoti.

7.2

That’s how that fine thoroughbred person doesn’t meditate dependent on earth, water, fire, and air. They don’t meditate dependent on the dimension of infinite space, infinite consciousness, nothingness, or neither perception nor non-perception. They don’t meditate dependent on this world or the other world.

Evaṁ jhāyī kho, saddha, bhadro purisājānīyo neva pathaviṁ nissāya jhāyati …pe…

7.3

They don’t meditate dependent on what is seen, heard, thought, known, attained, sought, or explored by the mind.

yampidaṁ diṭṭhaṁ sutaṁ mutaṁ viññātaṁ pattaṁ pariyesitaṁ anuvicaritaṁ manasā, tampi nissāya na jhāyati;

7.4

Yet they do meditate.

jhāyati ca pana.

7.5

When a fine thoroughbred person meditates like this, the gods together with Indra, Brahmā, and Pajāpati worship them from afar:

Evaṁ jhāyiñca pana, saddha, bhadraṁ purisājānīyaṁ saindā devā sabrahmakā sapajāpatikā ārakāva namassanti:

8.1

‘Homage to you, O thoroughbred!

‘Namo te purisājañña,

8.2

Homage to you, supreme among men!

namo te purisuttama;

8.3

We don’t understand

Yassa te nābhijānāma,

8.4

the basis of your absorption.’”

yampi nissāya jhāyasī’”ti.

8.5

Navamaṁ.