Aṅguttara Nikāya


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Aṅguttara Nikāya
Chakka Nipāta
VI. Mahā Vagga

The Book of the Gradual Sayings
The Book of the Sixes
Chapter VI: The Great Chapter

Sutta 58

Āsava Suttaɱ

The Cankers[1]

Translated from the Pali by E.M. Hare.

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[276]

[1] Thus have I heard:

Once the Exalted One was dwelling near Sāvatthī,
at Jeta Grove,
in Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.

There the Exalted One addressed the monks, saying:

"Monks."

"Yes, lord," they replied, and the Exalted One said:

"Monks, a monk endowed with six qualities
is worthy of gifts,
worthy of offerings,
worthy of oblations,
meet to be reverently saluted,
the world's peerless field for merit.

What six?

Herein, monks, the cankers to be got rid of by control by a monk
are got rid of by control;
the cankers to be got rid of by use by a monk,
are got rid of by use;
the cankers to be got rid of by endurance by a monk,
are got rid of by endurance;
the cankers to be got rid of by avoidance by a monk,
are got rid of by avoidance;
the cankers to be got rid of by ejection by a monk,
are got rid of by ejection;
the cankers to be got rid of by growth by a monk,
are got rid of by growth.

 

§

 

And what, monks, are
the cankers to be got rid of by control,
which are got rid of by control?

Monks, consider the monk who
with conscious purpose[2]
lives controlled
by controlling the eye-faculties.

Whereas, were he to live uncontrolled,
the cankers,
vexatious,
tormenting,
would arise;
since he lives controlled
by controlling the eye-faculties,
the cankers are not.

So, too, monks, consider the monk who
with conscious purpose
lives controlled
by controlling the ear-faculties.

Whereas, were he to live uncontrolled,
the cankers,
vexatious,
tormenting,
would arise;
since he lives controlled
by controlling the ear-faculties,
the cankers are not.

So, too, monks, consider the monk who
with conscious purpose
lives controlled
by controlling the nose-faculties.

Whereas, were he to live uncontrolled,
the cankers,
vexatious,
tormenting,
would arise;
since he lives controlled
by controlling the nose-faculties,
the cankers are not.

So, too, monks, consider the monk who
with conscious purpose
lives controlled
by controlling the tongue-faculties.

Whereas, were he to live uncontrolled,
the cankers,
vexatious,
tormenting,
would arise;
since he lives controlled
by controlling the tongue-faculties,
the cankers are not.

So, too, monks, consider the monk who
with conscious purpose
lives controlled
by controlling the body-faculties.

Whereas, were he to live uncontrolled,
the cankers,
vexatious,
tormenting,
would arise;
since he lives controlled
by controlling the body-faculties,
the cankers are not.

So, too, monks, consider the monk who
with conscious purpose
lives controlled
by controlling the mind-faculties.

Whereas, were he to live uncontrolled,
the cankers,
vexatious,
tormenting,
would arise;
since he lives controlled
by controlling the mind-faculties,
the cankers are not.

These, monks, are called
the cankers to be got rid of by control,
which are got rid of by control.

 

§

 

And what, monks, are
the cankers to be got rid of by use,
which are got rid of by use?

Consider, monks, the monk who
with conscious purpose
uses a robe
just to ward off cold,
heat,
the bite of gadfly,
gnat,
wind,
sun,
snake,
or just for a covering
or loin-cloth;

Whereas, were not the usage such,
the cankers,
vexatious,
tormenting,
would arise;
since the usage is such,
the cankers are not.

Consider, monks, the monk who
with conscious purpose
uses alms
not for sport,
enjoyment,
adorning
or beautifying himself,
but just to maintain
and keep the body [277] in trim,
to abate (hunger's) pangs,
to enter the godly life,
thinking:

"I'll crush out old feelings
and not allow new ones to rise,
and so blamelessness
and comfort
shall be mine!";

Whereas, were not the usage such,
the cankers,
vexatious,
tormenting,
would arise;
since the usage is such,
the cankers are not.

Consider, monks, the monk who
with conscious purpose
uses a lodging
just to ward off cold,
heat,
the bite of gadfly,
gnat,
wind,
sun,
snake,
to dispel the dangers of the seasons'changes,
to enjoy solitude;

Whereas, were not the usage such,
the cankers,
vexatious,
tormenting,
would arise;
since the usage is such,
the cankers are not.

Consider, monks, the monk who
with conscious purpose
uses medicaments for the sick
to ward off attacks of disease's pains,
or on the score of healing.

Whereas, were not the usage such,
the cankers,
vexatious,
tormenting,
would arise;
since the usage is such,
the cankers are not.

These, monks, are called the cankers to be got rid of by use,
whichare got rid of by use.

 

§

 

And what, monks, are the cankers to be got rid of by endurance,
which are got rid of by endurance?

Consider the monk who
with conscious purpose
bears cold,
heat,
hunger,
thirst,
the bite of gadfly, gnat,
wind,
sun
and snake,
the ways of speech,
irksome,
abusive;
endures the aches and pains
that surge through the body,
sharp,
rough,
piercing,
bitter,
galling,
deadly.

Whereas, were not the endurance such,
the cankers,
vexatious,
tormenting,
would arise;
since the endurance is such,
the cankers are not.

These, monks, are called the cankers to be got rid of by endurance,
which are got rid of by endurance.

 

§

 

And what, monks, are the cankers to be got rid of by avoidance,
which are got rid of by avoidance?

Consider the monk who
with conscious purpose
avoids a savage elephant,
horse,
bull
or hound,
a snake,
tree-stumps,
thorny brakes,
ravines,
cliffs,
cesspools,
middens.

Whereas, were not the avoidance such,
the cankers,
vexatious,
tormenting,
would arise;
since the avoidance is such,
the cankers are not.

Consider the monk who
who with conscious purpose
avoids the forbidden seat,
haunt
and evil friends -such that were he to sit there,
wander in those haunts,
associate with those evil friends,
his fellows in the godly life
might suspect him of misconduct.

Whereas, were not the avoidance such,
the cankers,
vexatious,
tormenting,
would arise;
since the avoidance is such,
the cankers are not.

These, monks, are called the cankers to be got rid of by avoidance,
which are got rid of by avoidance.

 

§

 

And what, monks, are the cankers to be got rid of by ejection,
which are got rid of by ejection?

[278] Consider the monk who
with conscious purpose
allows no halt for the surge of lustful thoughts,
rids himself of them,
ejects-them,
makes an end of them,
sends them to their eeasiitg;

Whereas, were not the ejection such
the cankers,
vexatious,
tormenting,
would arise;
since the ejection is such,
the cankers are not.

Consider the monk who
with conscious purpose
allows no halt for the surge of fell thoughts thoughts,
rids himself of them,
ejects-them,
makes an end of them,
sends them to their eeasiitg;

Whereas, were not the ejection such
the cankers,
vexatious,
tormenting,
would arise;
since the ejection is such,
the cankers are not.

Consider the monk who
with conscious purpose
allows no halt for the surge of cruel thoughts thoughts,
rids himself of them,
ejects-them,
makes an end of them,
sends them to their eeasiitg;

Whereas, were not the ejection such
the cankers,
vexatious,
tormenting,
would arise;
since the ejection is such,
the cankers are not.

Theses monks, are called the cankers to be got rid of by ejection,
which are got rid of by ejection.

 

§

 

And what, monks, are the cankers to be got rid of by growth,
which are got rid of by growth?

Consider, monks, the monk who
with conscious purpose
grows the limb of awakening
that is mindfulness,
through solitude,
dispassion,
ending,
to the fullness of release;[3]

who with conscious purpose
grows the limb of awakening
that is Dhamma-testing,
through solitude,
dispassion,
ending,
to the fullness of release;

who with conscious purpose
grows the limb of awakening
that is energy,
through solitude,
dispassion,
ending,
to the fullness of release;

who with conscious purpose
grows the limb of awakening
that is zest,
through solitude,
dispassion,
ending,
to the fullness of release;

who with conscious purpose
grows the limb of awakening
that is tranquillity,
through solitude,
dispassion,
ending,
to the fullness of releasev
grows the limb of awakening
that is concentration,
through solitude,
dispassion,
ending,
to the fullness of release;

who with conscious purpose
grows the limb of awakening
that is equanimity,
through solitude,
dispassion,
ending,
to the fullness of release.

Whereas, were not the growth such,
the cankers,
vexatious,
tormenting,
would arise;
since the growth is such,
the cankers are not.

These, monks, are called the cankers to be got rid of by growth,
which are got rid of by growth.

Verily, monks, endowed with these six qualities
a monk is worthy of gifts,
worthy of offerings,
worthy of oblations,
meet to be reverently saluted
the world's peerless field for merit.'

 


[1] Cf. the whole sutta with M. i, 9 ff. (F. Dial. i, 4; S.B.E. xi, 296); our Comy. is much the same as MA. i, 75 ff.; but vision, the first of seven ways of riddance, is in our sutta omitted, leaving six ('scrutiny' in the M. trans. does not well coincide with dassana). According to M. the four cankers - kāma, bhava, ditthi, avijja - are to be multiplied by the number of 'sense-doors' - in the first instance - making twenty-four cankers to be got rid of by control. Here 'cankers' are left unspecified: any baneful tendency in the religious life. See DhS. trsl. 292; Expos. 476.

Acts xi, 23: Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.
K.J.V.

p.p. explains it all — p.p.

[2] Paṭisankhā yoniso; cf. for a similar expression Acts xi, 23.

[3] Vossagga-pariṇāmiɱ see K.S. i, 113 n., ava + √sṛj.


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