Sacred Books of the Buddhists
Volume IV
Dīgha Nikāya
Dialogues of the Buddha
Part III
Sutta 33
Saṇgīti Suttantaṃ
The Recital
Tens
Translated from the Pali by T.W. Rhys Davids and
C.A.F. Rhys Davids
Public Domain
Originally published under the patronage of
His Majesty King Chulālankarana,
King of Siam
by The Pali Text Society, Oxford
[245] There are Tens in the Doctrine, friends, which are perfectly set forth by the Exalted One who knows, who sees.
Herein there should be a chanting by all in concord, not a wrangling, that thus this holy life may persist and be long maintained.
That may be for the welfare and happiness of many folk, for compassion on the world, for the good, the welfare, the happiness of devas and of men.
Which are the tens?
[10.01][wlsh][olds] Ten doctrines conferring protection.[1]
(1) Herein [246] friends, a brother is virtuous, lives self-controlled according to the self-control prescribed in the Vinaya, he has entered on a proper range of conduct, he sees danger in the least of the things he should avoid, he adopts and trains himself in the precepts.
[267]
(2) He learns much, and remembers and stores up what he has learnt. Those doctrines which, excellent at the start, in the middle, at the end, in the letter and in their contents, declare the absolutely perfect and pure religious life, these he learns to a great extent bears them in mind, treasures them by repetition, onders them in mind, penetrates them by intuition.[2]
(3) He is a friend, an associate, an intimate of men of good character.
(4) He is affable, endowed with gentleness and humility; he is patient and receives admonition with deference.
(5) Where there are duties to be done for the seniors among his fellow-disciples, he therein is industrious, not slothful, and exercises forethought in methods for discharging them, is capable of accomplishing, capable of organizing.
(6) And furthermore, friends, he loves the doctrine, the utterance of it is dear to him,[3] he finds exceeding joy in the advanced teaching of both Doctrine and Discipline.[4]
[268] (7) Furthermore, friends, he is content with necessaries of any quality, whether it be raiment, alms, lodging, drugs and provision against sickness.
(8) Furthermore, friends, he is continually stirring up effort to eliminate bad qualities, evoke good qualities, making dogged and vigorous progress in good things, never throwing off the burden.
(9) Furthermore, friends, he is mindful, [247] and possessed of supreme lucidity and perspicacity in following mentally and recollecting deeds and words long past.
(10) Furthermore,friends, he is intelligent, endowed with insight into the rise and passing away [of things], insight which is of that Ariyan penetration which leads to the complete destruction of pain.
Air. This is not 'air' it is wind, vayo, and stands for motion. Air does not stand for motion.
— p.p.
[10.02][wlsh][olds] Ten objects for self-hypnosis.[5] These, perceived severally as above, below or across, and as homogeneous, and without limits, are:
a piece of earth [extended matter],
water,
fire,
air,
indigo,
yellow,
red,
white,
space,
consciousness.[6]
[269] [10.03][wlsh][olds] Ten bad channels of action, to wit,
taking life,
theft,
inchastity,
lying,
abuse,
slander,
idle talk,
covetousness,
malevolence,
wrong views.
[10.04][wlsh][olds] Ten good channels of action, to wit,
abstention from taking life,
theft,
inchastity,
lying,
abuse,
slander,
idle talk,
covetousness,
malevolence,
wrong views.
[10.05][wlsh][olds] Ten Ariyan methods of living. Herein, friends, a brother has got rid of five factors,
is possessed of six factors,
has set the one guard,
carries out the four bases of observance,[7]
has put away sectarian opinions,
has utterly given up quests,
is candid in his thoughts,
has calmed the restlessness of his body,
and is well emancipated in heart
and intellect.
(1) What five factors has he got rid of? Sensuality, malevolence, sloth and torpor, excitement and worry, doubt.[8]
(2) What six factors is he possessed of? The six 'chronic states.' (See p. 234)
(3) How has he set the one guard? By the mental guard of mindfulness.
[248] [270] (4) What are the four bases of observance? Herein a brother judges that something is to be (i) habitually pursued, (ii) endured, (iii) avoided, (iv) suppressed.
(5) How does he become 'one who has put away sectarian opinions?[9] All those many opinions of the mass of recluses and brahmins which are held by individuals as dogmas: — all these he has dismissed, put away, given up, ejected, let go, eliminated, abandoned.
(6) How is he one whose questing is utterly given up? He has eliminated the questing after worldly desires, the questing for rebirth, the questing for religious life.[10]
(7) How is he candid in his thoughts? He has eliminated occupying his mind with sensual or malicious or cruel ideas.
(8) How does he tranquillize the activity of the body? Because of eliminating the being affected pleasurably or painfully, because of the dying out of previous impressions as joyful or sorrowful, he attains to and abides in a state of neutral feeling, of very pure indifference and mental lucidity, namely, the state called Fourth Jhāna.
(9) How does he become well emancipated in heart?[11] He becomes emancipated in heart from passion, hate, and illusion.
(10) How does he become well emancipated in intellect?[12] He understands his emancipated condition, namely, in the thought: Passion ... hate ... illusion ... for me are eliminated, cut off at the root, become as a palmtree stump, become non-existent, unable to grow again in future.[13]
[271] [249] [10.06][wlsh][olds] Ten qualities belonging to the adept, to wit,
the right (or perfect) views,
intentions,
speech,
action,
livelihood,
effort,
mindfulness,
concentration,
insight
and emancipation as held by adepts.[14]
These Tenfold doctrines friends, have been perfectly set forth by the Exalted One who knows, who sees.
Hereon there should be a chanting by all in concord, not a wrangling, that thus this holy life may persist and be long maintained.
That may be for the welfare and happiness of many folk, for compassion on the world, for the good, the welfare, the happiness of devas and of men."
[10.07][wlsh][olds] Now when the Exalted One had arisen he addressed the venerable Sāriputta saying:
"Excellent, Sāriputta, excellent!
Excellently, Sāriputta, have you uttered the scheme of chanting together[15] for the brethren."
These things were spoken by the venerable Sāriputta.
The Master signified his assent.
The brethren were pleased and delighted with the venerable Sāriputta's discourse.
HERE ENDETH THE SUTTANTA OF THE CHANTING IN CONCORD
[1] Lit. protector-making. For (1) cf. Dial. I, 317. 'Self-control prescribed,' etc., is pātimokkha-saṃvara.
[2] See Vin. Texts III, 50, on these qualifications for a bhikkhu juryman, and the footnote.
[3] Piya-samudāhāro, concerning which term Childers was doubtful, is thus expanded by B.: 'he listens intently (sakkaccaṃ) when another discourses and longs to teach others.' Cf. Mil. II, 237.
[4] Abhidhamme Abhivinaye. B., by alternative exegeses, shows these terms are used vaguely, The former may mean the third Piṭake(?), or the doctrine of the Paths and Fruits. The latter may mean the Khandhaka-Parivāra, or the end of the vinaya — self-mastery. Cf. Sumagala Vilāsinī I, 18.
[5] Kasiṇa, 'in the sense of entire (sakala).' Comy. Cf. Bud. Ps. Eth., pp. 43 f., n. 4; 57 f., n. 2.
[6] On the varying number of these 'objects' in Buddhist literature see B.P.E., p.57, n.2. Buddhaghosa also comments thereon in The Expositor, p. 249 f., but not here, nor in the Visuddhimagga, though he refers to fuller treatment there. There he drops the 'consciousness' object altogether, substituting āloka, or brightness. He identifies the former with the second of the Eight Deliverances (or second Arūpa-jhāna). See above. (Ed.: follow links)
[8] Cf. above, 216, viii
[9] A curious use of sacca (fact or truth). 'This view, that view is true! Thus pātiyekkam gahitāni ..." Comy.
[10] Cf. above, p. 209, xxii
[11] [12] The distinctive replies given in the case of citta and paññā should be noted.
[13] This No. v., which is a Sutta in the Aṇguttara (v., 29), is presumably the Ariya-vasāni, one of the five Dhamma-teachings recommended for study in Asoka's Bhabra edict. Cf. Rh. Davids, Buddhist India, 169.
[14] That is, these factors in their case are 'connected with fruition.' The 'views' and 'insight' are understanding (or intellect, paññā) exercised on two sorts of occasion (ṭhāna). To avoid multiplying footnotes, references have not been given to all the parallels in the other Nikāyas, of the foregoing summarized doctrines. References, especially to one Nikāya, the Aṇguttara, will be found in Dr. J.E. Carpenter's edition of the text.
[15] Sangīti-pariyāyan ti sāmaggikāraṇaṃ
[Ones-Twos] [Threes] [Fours] [Fives] [Sixes] [Sevens] [Eights] [Nines] [Tens]
