Aṅguttara Nikāya
VIII. Atthaka Nipāta
IX. Sati-Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
VIII. The Book of the Eights
Chapter IX: Mindfulness
Sutta 81
Sati-Sampajañña Suttaɱ
Mindfulness
Translated from the Pali by E.M. Hare.
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[1] Thus have I heard:
Once the Exalted One was dwelling near Sāvatthī.
There the Exalted One addressed the monks, saying:
"Monks."
"Yes, lord," they replied, and the Exalted One said:
"Monks,[1] when mindfulness and self-possession are lacking,
conscientiousness and fear of blame are perforce destroyed
in one who lacks mindfulness and self-possession.
■
When conscientiousness and fear of blame are lacking,
the control of the senses is perforce destroyed
in one who lacks conscientiousness and the fear of blame.
■
When the control of the senses is lacking,
moral practice is perforce destroyed
in one who lacks control of the senses.
■
When moral practice is lacking,
right concentration is perforce destroyed
in one who lacks moral practice.
■
When right concentration is lacking,
true knowledge and vision are perforce destroyed
in one who lacks right concentration.
■
When true knowledge and vision are lacking,
aversion and dispassion are perforce destroyed
in one who lacks true knowledge and vision.
■
When aversion and dispassion are lacking,
emancipated knowledge and vision are perforce destroyed
in one who lacks aversion and dispassion.
■
Monks, just as in the case of a tree,
which is devoid of branches and foliage,
the shoots thereof come not to maturity,
nor the bark,
nor the sapwood,
nor the core;
when mindfulness and self-possession are lacking,
conscientiousness and fear of blame are perforce destroyed
in one who lacks mindfulness and self-possession;
when conscientiousness and fear of blame are lacking,
the control of the senses is perforce destroyed
in one who lacks conscientiousness and the fear of blame;
when the control of the senses is lacking,
moral practice is perforce destroyed
in one who lacks control of the senses;
when moral practice is lacking,
right concentration is perforce destroyed
in one who lacks moral practice;
when right concentration is lacking,
true knowledge and vision are perforce destroyed
in one who lacks right concentration;
when true knowledge and vision are lacking,
aversion and dispassion are perforce destroyed
in one who lacks true knowledge and vision;
when aversion and dispassion are lacking,
emancipated knowledge and vision are perforce destroyed
in one who lacks aversion and dispassion.
§
WARNING! As with AN 7.61, Hare has the sense of the second section here exactly backwards, requiring in each case the second step before the first.
The Pali:
Satisampajaññe bhikkhave,||
sati sati-sampajañña-sampannassa upanissampannaɱ hoti hirottappaɱ.||
Bodhi:
When there is mindfulness and clear comprehension,
for one possessing mindfulness and clear comprehension,
the sense of moral shame and moral dread possess their proximate cause.
Olds:
Remembering to pay attention to memory, beggars,
possession of attention to memory establishes sense of shame/fear of blame.
— p.p.
Monks, when mindfulness and self-possession are present,
conscientiousness and fear of blame are the efficient cause
of possession of mindfulness and self-possession.
■
When conscientiousness and fear of blame are present,
the control of the senses is the efficient cause
of possession of conscientiousness and fear of blame.
■
[220] When the control of the senses is present,
moral practice is the efficient cause
of possession of the control of the senses.
■
When moral practice is present,
right concentration is the efficient cause
of possession of moral practice.
■
When right concentration is present,
true knowledge and vision are the efficient cause
of possession of right concentration.
■
When true knowledge and vision are present,
aversion and dispassion are the efficient cause
of possession of true knowledge and vision.
■
When aversion and dispassion are present,
emancipated knowledge and vision are the efficient cause
of possession of aversion and dispassion.
■
Monks, just as in the case of a tree,
possessing branches and foliage,
the shoots thereof come to maturity,
so likewise the bark,
the sapwood
and the core;
even so, monks,
when mindfulness and self-possession are present,
conscientiousness and fear of blame are the efficient cause
of possession of mindfulness and self-possession;
when conscientiousness and fear of blame are present,
the control of the senses is the efficient cause
of possession of conscientiousness and fear of blame;
when the control of the senses is present,
moral practice is the efficient cause
of possession of the control of the senses;
when moral practice is present,
right concentration is the efficient cause
of possession of moral practice;
when right concentration is present,
true knowledge and vision are the efficient cause
of possession of right concentration;
when true knowledge and vision are present,
aversion and dispassion are the efficient cause
of possession of true knowledge and vision;
when aversion and dispassion are present,
emancipated knowledge and vision are the efficient cause
of possession of aversion and dispassion.
[1] See above, p. 63.
