Aṇguttara Nikāya
Pañcaka-Nipāta
XVII. Āghāta Vaggo
Sutta 162
Dutiya Āghāta-Paṭivinaya Suttaṃ
The Subduing of Hatred (2)
Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
Proofed against and modified in accordance with the revised edition at dhammatalks.org
For free distribution only.
[1][pts] Then Ven. Sāriputta addressed the monks: "Friend monks."
"Yes, friend," the monks responded to him.
Ven. Sāriputta said:
"There are these five ways
of subduing hatred
by which,
when hatred arises in a monk,
he should wipe it out completely.
Which five?
"There is the case
where some people are impure
in their bodily behavior
but pure in their verbal behavior.
Hatred for a person of this sort
should be subdued.
■
"There is the case
where some people are impure
in their verbal behavior
but pure in their bodily behavior.
Hatred for a person of this sort
should also be subdued.
■
"There is the case
where some people are impure
in their bodily behavior and verbal behavior,
but who periodically experience
mental clarity and calm.
Hatred for a person of this sort
should also be subdued.
■
"There is the case
where some people are impure
in their bodily behavior and verbal behavior,
and who do not periodically experience
mental clarity and calm.
Hatred for a person of this sort
should also be subdued.
■
"There is the case
where some people are pure
in their bodily behavior and their verbal behavior,
and who periodically experience
mental clarity and calm.
Hatred for a person of this sort
should also be subdued.
§
"Now as for a person who is impure
in his bodily behavior
but pure in his verbal behavior,
how should one subdue hatred for him?
Just as when a monk
who makes use of things
that are thrown away
sees a rag in the road:
Taking hold of it with his left foot
and spreading it out with his right,
he would tear off the sound part
and go off with it.
In the same way,
when the individual is impure
in his bodily behavior
but pure in his verbal behavior,
one should at that time
pay no attention
to the impurity of his bodily behavior,
and instead pay attention
to the purity of his verbal behavior.
Thus the hatred for him
should be subdued.
■
"And as for a person who is impure
in his verbal behavior,
but pure in his bodily behavior,
how should one subdue hatred for him?
Just as when there is a pool
overgrown with slime and water plants,
and a person comes along,
burning with heat,
covered with sweat,
exhausted, trembling, and thirsty.
He would jump into the pool,
part the slime and water plants
with both hands, and then,
cupping his hands,
drink the water
and go on his way.
In the same way,
when the individual is impure
in his verbal behavior
but pure in his bodily behavior,
one should at that time
pay no attention to the impurity of his verbal behavior,
and instead pay attention
to the purity of his bodily behavior.
Thus the hatred for him
should be subdued.
■
"And as for a person who is impure
in his bodily behavior and verbal behavior,
but who periodically experiences
mental clarity and calm,
how should one subdue hatred for him?
Just as when there is a little puddle
in a cow's footprint,
and a person comes along,
burning with heat,
covered with sweat,
exhausted, trembling, and thirsty.
The thought would occur to him,
'Here is this little puddle
in a cow's footprint.
If I tried to drink the water
using my hand or cup,
I would disturb it,
stir it up, and make it unfit to drink.
What if I were to get down on all fours
and slurp it up like a cow,
and then go on my way?'
So he would get down on all fours,
slurp up the water like a cow,
and then go on his way.
In the same way,
when an individual is impure
in his bodily behavior and verbal behavior,
but periodically experiences mental clarity and calm,
one should at that time
pay no attention
to the impurity of his bodily behavior ...
the impurity of his verbal behavior,
and instead pay attention
to the fact
that he periodically experiences
mental clarity and calm.
Thus the hatred for him
should be subdued.
■
"And as for a person who is impure
in his bodily behavior and verbal behavior,
and who does not periodically experience
mental clarity and calm,
how should one subdue hatred for him?
Just as when there is a sick man
— in pain, seriously ill —
traveling along a road,
far from the next village
and far from the last,
unable to get the food he needs,
unable to get the medicine he needs,
unable to get a suitable assistant,
unable to get anyone
to take him to human habitation.
Now suppose another person
were to see him coming along the road.
He would do what he could
out of compassion, pity, and sympathy
for the man, thinking,
'O that this man should get the food he needs,
the medicine he needs,
a suitable assistant,
someone to take him
to human habitation.
Why is that?
So that he won't fall into ruin right here.'
In the same way,
when a person is impure
in his bodily behavior and verbal behavior,
and who does not periodically experience
mental clarity and calm,
one should do what one can
out of compassion, pity, and sympathy for him,
thinking,
'O that this man should abandon
wrong bodily conduct
and develop right bodily conduct,
abandon wrong verbal conduct
and develop right verbal conduct,
abandon wrong mental conduct
and develop right mental conduct.
Why is that?
So that, on the break-up of the body, after death,
he won't fall into the plane of deprivation,
the bad destination,
the lower realms, purgatory.'
Thus the hatred for him
should be subdued.
■
"And as for a person who is pure
in his bodily behavior and verbal behavior,
and who periodically experiences mental clarity and calm,
how should one subdue hatred for him?
Just as when there is a pool of clear water
— sweet, cool, and limpid,
with gently sloping banks,
and shaded on all sides
by trees of many kinds —
and a person comes along,
burning with heat,
covered with sweat,
exhausted, trembling, and thirsty.
Having plunged into the pool,
having bathed and drunk
and come back out,
he would sit down
or lie down right there
in the shade of the trees.
In the same way,
when an individual is pure
in his bodily behavior and verbal behavior,
and periodically experiences
mental clarity and calm,
one should at that time
pay attention to the purity
of his bodily behavior
... the purity of his verbal behavior,
and to the fact
that he periodically experiences
mental clarity and calm.
Thus the hatred for him
should be subdued.
An entirely inspiring individual
can make the mind grow serene.
"These are five ways
of subduing hatred
by which, when hatred arises in a monk,
he should wipe it out completely."
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