Aṅguttara-Nikāya
III. Tika Nipāta
II. Rathakāra Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
or
More-Numbered Suttas
III. The Book of the Threes
II. The Wheelwright
Sutta 19
Paṭhama Pāpaṇika Suttaɱ
The Shopkeeper (a)
Translated from the Pali by
F.L. Woodward, M.A.
Copyright The Pali Text Society
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[1][bodh][upal] Thus have I heard:
On a certain occasion the Exalted One was staying near Sāvatthī, at Jeta Grove, in Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.
Then the Exalted One addressed the monks, saying:
"Monks."
"Yes, lord," replied those monks to the Exalted One.
The Exalted One said this:
"Monks, possessed of three characteristics
a shopkeeper is incapable
of acquiring wealth he had not before,
of holding what he gets,
or increasing what he holds.
What three?
Herein, monks, the shopkeeper
at early dawn attends not closely to his work,
at midday attends not closely to his work,
at eventide attends not closely to his work.
These are the three characteristics
possessed of which
a shopkeeper is incapable
of acquiring wealth he had not before,
of holding what he gets,
or increasing what he holds.
■
[100] Just so, monks, possessed of three characteristics
a monk is incapable of acquiring a state of profit,
of holding it when gotten
or increasing a state of profit when he gets it.
What are the three?
sakkaccaɱ samādhinimittaɱ adhiṭṭhāti. sincerely bear down on the sign or mark of serenity.
— p.p.
Herein, monks,
at early dawn the monk does not concentrate on the mark[1] of his meditation exercise,
at midday he does not concentrate on the mark of his meditation exercise,
at eventide he does not concentrate on the mark of his meditation exercise.
It is owing to these three characteristics that he is incapable of acquiring a state of profit,
of holding it when gotten
or increasing a state of profit when he gets it.
§
Monks, possessed of three characteristics
the shopkeeper is capable
of acquiring wealth he had not before,
of holding what he gets,
of increasing what he holds.
What three?
Herein, monks, the shopkeeper
at early dawn attends closely to his work,
at midday attends closely to his work,
at eventide attends closely to his work.
These are the three characteristics
possessed of which
a shopkeeper is capable
of acquiring wealth he had not before,
of holding what he gets,
or increasing what he holds.
■
Just so, monks, possessed of three characteristics
a monk is capable of acquiring a state of profit,
of holding it when gotten
or increasing a state of profit when he gets it.
What are the three?
Herein, monks,
at early dawn the monk concentrates on the mark of his meditation exercise,
at midday he concentrates on the mark of his meditation exercise,
at eventide he concentrates on the mark of his meditation exercise.
It is owing to these three characteristics
that he is capable of acquiring a state of profit,
of holding it when gotten
or increasing a state of profit when he gets it."
This is 'Samādhi-nimittaɱ.', a compound, not 'nimittaɱ.'. This would necessitate the translaltion: samadhi-reflex image, [or per Woodward: meditation-reflex image, or the more usual 'concentration-reflex image] or some sort of reflex image of the state one is attempting to achieve which would require it to be had before the thing being done to acquire it. The idea here is 'sign' or 'indication'. Some mechanism with which the access to serenity has been previously attained. Think of 'signs' seen by the 'tracker' to 'track-down' his quarry.
— p.p.
[1] Cf. VM. i, 123, the reflex image.
