Aṅguttara Nikāya
Pañcaka Nipāta
III: Pañc'aṅgika Vagga
The Numbers Bag
The Book of Fives
III: Five-Dimensional
Sutta 24
Dussīla Suttaṃ
Of Poverty in Ethics
Translated from the Pali
by
Michael M. Olds
Once Upon a Time, The Lucky Man, Sāvatthī-town
came-a revisiting.
There, to the Beggars gathered round, he said:
Beggars!
And the beggars responding:
"Broke Tooth!"
Bhagava said:
For one of poor ethics, beggars,
for the ethically bereft,
consummate serenity has had its means of support cut off.
Consummate serenity not being,
for the consummate-serenity-bereft,
knowing and seeing things as they are
has had its means of support cut off.
Knowing and seeing things as they are not being,
for the knowing-and-seeing-bereft,
world-weary dispassion has had its means of support cut off.
World-weary dispassion not being,
for the world-weary-dispassionate-bereft,
freedom through knowledge and vision has had its means of support cut off.
■
2. In just the same way, beggars, as with a tree
stripped of its branches and leaves,
its component parts just do not reach maturity.
The bark just doesn't reach maturity,
the soft-wood just doesn't reach maturity,
the heartwood just doesn't reach maturity.
■
3. Even so then, beggars, for one of poor ethics,
for the ethically-bereft,
consummate serenity has had its means of support cut off.
Consummate serenity not being,
for the consummate-serenity-bereft,
knowing and seeing things as they are
has had its means of support cut off.
Knowing and seeing things as they are not being,
for the knowing-and-seeing-bereft,
world-weary dispassion has had its means of support cut off.
World-weary dispassion not being,
for the world-weary-dispassionate-bereft,
freedom through knowledge and vision has had its means of support cut off.
§
4. For the ethically practiced, beggars,
for one who is ethically endowed,
consummate serenity is well endowed with means of support.
Consummate serenity being,
for the consummate-serenity-well-endowed,
knowing and seeing things as they are is well-endowed with means of support.
Knowing and seeing things as they are being,
for the knowing-and-seeing-things-as-they-are-well-endowed,
world-weary dispassion is well-endowed with means of support.
World-weary dispassion being,
for the world-weary-dispassion-well-endowed,
freedom through knowledge and vision is well-endowed with means of support.
■
5. In just the same way, beggars, as with a tree
endowed with branches and leaves,
the component parts of such may easily reach maturity.
The bark may easily reach maturity,
the soft-wood may easily reach maturity,
the heartwood may easily reach maturity.
■
6. For the ethically practiced, beggars,
for one who is ethically endowed,
consummate serentiy is well endowed with means of support.
Consummate serenity being,
for the consummate-serenity-well-endowed,
knowing and seeing things as they are is well-endowed with means of support.
Knowing and seeing things as they are being,
for the knowing-and-seeing-things-as-they-are-well-endowed,
world-weary dispassion is well-endowed with means of support.
World-weary dispassion being,
for the world-weary-dispassion-well-endowed,
freedom through knowledge and vision is well-endowed with means of support.
