Aṅguttara Nikāya
Catukka Nipāta
XX: Mahā Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
The Book of the Fours
Chapter XX: The Great Chapter
Sutta 194
Sāpūgiya Suttaɱ
The Sāpūgyans
Translated from the Pali by F. L. Woodward, M.A.
Copyright The Pali Text Society
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[1] Thus have I heard:
On a certain occasion the venerable Ānanda was staying among the Koliyans, -
there is a place called Sāpūga, -
in a township of the Koliyans.
Then a great number of the Sāpūgyans of the Koliyan clan
came to visit the venerable Ānanda,
and on coming to him saluted him and sat down at one side.
[205] As they sat thus
the venerable Ānanda said this
to the Koliyans of Sāpūga:
'Men of the Leopard's Path,[1]
these four factors of exertion
for utter purification
have been fully proclaimed
by that Exalted One who knows,
who sees,
that Arahant,
the Fully Enlightened One,
for the purification of beings,
for the passing over grief and distress,
for the making an end
of sorrow and lamentation,
for the winning of the Method,
for the realization of Nibbāna.
What are the four?
The factor of exertion
for the utter purification of morals,
the factor of exertion
for the utter purity of thought,
the factor of exertion
for the utter purity of view,
and the factor of exertion
for the utter purity of release.
§
And what, Men of the Leopard's Path,
is the factor of exertion
for the utter purification of morals?
In this case a monk[2] is virtuous,
he undertakes and practises the precepts.
This is called
"utter purification of morals."
(the resolve):
"I will bring to perfection
such a purification of morals
if it be incomplete,
and if complete
I will supplement it here and there
by wisdom,"[3]
the desire to do,
the effort,
exertion,
endeavour,
persistence,
mindfulness
and attention applied thereto
is called
"a factor of exertion
for the utter purification of morals."
■
And what, men of the Leopard's Path,
is the factor of exertion
for the utter purification of thought?
In this case a monk,
aloof from sense-desires,
aloof from evil conditions,
enters upon the first musing,
which is accompanied by thought directed and sustained,
born of seclusion,
zestful and easeful,
and abides therein.
[206] Then by the calming down
of thought directed and sustained
he attains and abides in the second musing,
that inward calming,
that single-mindedness
apart from thought directed and sustained,
that is born of mental balance,
zestful and easeful.
Then by the fading out of zest,
disinterested,
mindful and composed,
he experiences with body
that ease
of which the Ariyans declare:
"He who is disinterested and alert,
dwells at ease,"
and he attains and abides in the third musing.
Then by abandoning both ease and discomfort,
by the ending of both the happiness and unhappiness he had before,
he attains and abides in the fourth musing,
a state of neither ease nor discomfort,
an equanimity of utter purity.
This is called
"the utter purification of thought."
(the resolve):
"I will bring to perfection
such a purification of thought
if it be incomplete,
and if complete
I will supplement it here and there
by wisdom,
the desire to do,
the effort,
exertion,
endeavour,
persistence,
mindfulness
and attention applied thereto
is called
"a factor of exertion
for the utter purification of thought."
■
And what, men of the Leopard's Path,
is the factor of exertion
for the utter purification of view?
In this case a monk comes to understand,
as it really is:
This is Ill.
comes to understand,
as it really is:
This is the arising of Ill.
comes to understand,
as it really is:
This is the ending of Ill.
comes to understand,
as it really is:
This is the practice going to the ending of Ill.
This is called
"utter purification of view "
(the resolve):
"I will bring to perfection
such a purification of view
if it be incomplete,
and if complete
I will supplement it here and there
by wisdom,
the desire to do,
the effort,
exertion,
endeavour,
persistence,
mindfulness
and attention applied thereto
is called
"a factor of exertion
for the utter purification of view."
■
And what, men of the Leopard's Path,
is the factor of exertion
for the utter purification of release?
In this case the Ariyan disciple
who is possessed of this factor of exertion
for the utter purification of morals
for the utter purification of thought
for the utter purification of of view,
cleanses his heart of conditions that defile,
he releases[4] his heart
by means of conditions that release.
So doing he attains perfection of release.
This is called
"the utter purification of release."
(the resolve):
I [207] will bring to perfection
such a purification of release
if it be incomplete,
and if complete
I will supplement it here and there
by wisdom,
the desire to do,
the effort,
exertion,
endeavour,
persistence,
mindfulness
and attention applied thereto
is called
"a factor of exertion
for the utter purification of release."
So, men of the Leopard's Path,
these are the four factors of exertion
for utter purification
which were fully proclaimed
by that Exalted One
who knows,
who sees,
the Arahant,
the Fully Enlightened One,
for the purification of beings,
for the passing over grief and distress,
for the making an end
of sorrow and lamentation,
for the winning of the Method,
for the realization of Nibbāna.'
[1] Vyaggha-pajjā. This particular tribal name acc. to Comy. (which also, at DA. i. 262 and SnA. 356, describes the origin of the Koliyans) arose from the fact that their chief town was built on the site of a kola-tree and on a track of leopards. There is a Burmese v.l. -pathaɱ.
[2] It seems quite out of place to instance the conduct of monks on such an occasion, and in any case to treat a general audience of laymen to a discourse on the higher mental training. Cf. Sakya, 177, where Mrs. Rhys Davids points out that jhāna (musing) had come to be regarded purely as mind-practice.
[3] As at A. i, 125, Tattha tattha pannaya anuggahissami, and infra, § 243
[4] Vimoceti; Sinh. text vimocayati; Comy. vimuccati.
