Aṅguttara Nikāya
Chakka Nipāta
VII. Devatā Vagga

The Book of Sixes

Sutta 65

Anāgāmi-Phala Suttaṁ

The Fruit of Non-Returning

Translated from the Pāḷi
by
Michael M. Olds

 

---

 

[1][pts] I Hear Tell:

Once upon a time the Lucky Man,
Savatthi-town revisiting,
Anāthapiṇḍika's Jeta Grove.

There then, the Lucky Man addressed the beggars:

"Beggars!"

And the beggars responding "Venerable!", the Lucky Man said this:

"There are six things, beggars, which,
if not given up,
make it impossible to see for yourself
the fruit of non-retuning.

What six?

Lack of faith,
lack of a sense of shame,
lack of a fear of blame,
slacking off,^[1]
mis-remembering what is true,^[2]
lack of wisdom.^[3]

These then, beggars, are the six things, which,
if not given up,
make it impossible to see for yourself
the fruit of non-retuning.

There are six things, beggars, which,
if given up,
make it possible to see for yourself
the fruit of non-retuning.

What six?

Lack of faith,
lack of a sense of shame,
lack of a fear of blame,
slacking off,
mis-remembering what is true,
lack of wisdom.

These then, beggars, are the six things, which,
if given up,
make it possible to see for yourself
the fruit of non-returning."

 

---

^[1] Kosajja. Uncool!

^[2] Muṭṭha-saccaṁ. Muṭṭha: [past participle of mussati] having forgotten. PED has muṭṭha-saccaṁ as forgotten-mindedness, Hare uses 'forgetfulness in mindfulness. Bhk. Bodhi: muddle-mindedness. No one addresses 'sacca': truth, reality.

^[3] Du-p-paññataṁ. Stupidity. Being stupefied. We tend to think of stupidity as a genetic trait, but it is here intended to mean a condition which can be remedied.