Aṇguttara Nikāya
Pañcaka Nipata
The Book of Fives
Sutta 151
Paṭhama Sammatta-Niyāma Suttaṃ
The High Measure of Madness Method (1)[1]
Translated from the Pāḷi
by
Michael M. Olds
Once upon a time, Sāvatthī-town revisiting
The Lucky Man addressed the beggars there:
"Beggars!"
"Bhante!" said the beggars in response,
and The Lucky Man said:
2. "Five, beggars, are things possessed of which,
even hearing the best of Dhammas,
there will be no falling in with the method
of skillful things consummately delightful.[1]
What five?
Having disrespect for speech,
having disrespect for speakers,
having disrespect for self,
having an agitated heart hearing Dhamma with distracted heart
and not studiously tracing out the origins of things.
These, beggars, are the things possessed of which,
even hearing the best of Dhammas,
there will be no falling in with the method
of skillful things consummately delightful.
2. "Five, beggars, are things possessed of which,
if hearing the best of Dhammas,
there will be falling in with the method
of skillful things consummately delightful.
Not having disrespect for speech,
not having disrespect for speakers,
not having disrespect for self,
not having an agitated heart hearing Dhamma whole-heartedly,
and studiously tracing out the origins of things.
These, beggars, are the things possessed of which,
if hearing the best of Dhammas,
there will be falling in with the method
of skillful things consummately delightful."
[1] Sammatta. This is one of those words that I say comes down from the oldest forms of Pāḷi and is a manta, or magic charm. PED has it broken into two forms, one as saṁ+matta, meaning 'with madness' or intoxicated, delighted, etc., but also (unmentioned) 'with measure'; and the other as abstracted from sammā meaning 'correctness,' 'righteousness' (I say 'high' or 'consummate') and then defining that as the Magga. I suggest the meaning is derived from an earlier form incorporating all those meanings: ecstatic intoxication: "a high measure of madness," "divine madness."
