Aṅguttara Nikāya
Sattaka Nipāta
Mahāyañña Vagga

The Book of Sevens

Sutta 46

Vitthata Satta-Saññā Suttaṁ

Seven Perceptions — In Detail

Translated from the Pāḷi
by
Michael M. Olds

 

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Translator's Introduction

Two things in this sutta should be very interesting to the careful reader. The first is that it is a complete path to the goal using perception as its theme. The second is that each of the seven perceptions given as upward steps in this method can be made to encompass the other perceptions and are, therefore, themselves complete paths to the goal.

 

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[1][pts][than][upal] I Hear Tell:

Once upon a time, Bhagava, Sāvatthi-town revisiting.

"Seven perceptions, beggars,
developed,
made a big thing of,
have great fruit,
great profit,
slip into the deathless,
culminate in the deathless.

What seven?

Imperfection-perception,
death-perception,
food-repulsiveness-perception,
whole-world-nothing-to-be-overjoyed-at-perception,
inconsistency-perception,
pain-in-inconsistency-perception,
not-self-in-pain-perception.

These, then, beggars, are the seven perceptions
developed,
made a big thing of,
which have great fruit,
great profit,
slip into the deathless,
culminate in the deathless.

'Imperfection-perception, beggars,
developed,
made a big thing of,
has great fruit,
great profit,
slips into the deathless,
culminates in the deathless.'

So it is said.

And because of what is this said?

Making a big thing of
the imperfection-perception-wrapped heart, beggars,
a beggar lives with a heart
that shrinks back,
shrivels up,
recoils and
does not stretch out
at the thought of attaining sexual things,
but is repelled, composed and detached.

In the same way, beggars,
as a cock's wing
or a piece of meat,
thrown into a fire,
shrinks back,
shrivels up,
recoils and
does not stretch out,
even so, beggars,
a beggar making a big thing of,
the imperfection-perception-wrapped heart,
lives with a heart
that shrinks back,
shrivels up,
recoils and
does not stretch out
at the thought of attaining sexual things,
but is repelled, composed and detached.

If, beggars, a beggar,
making a big thing of,
the imperfection-perception-wrapped heart,
lives with a heart
given over to,
not disinclined towards,
fixed on,
attainment of sexual things
then this beggar should say to himself:
'not developed by me is imperfection-perception,
not attained by me is distinction between before and after,
not got by me is the fruit of developing.'

Thus by that he has set up self-awareness.

If, however, beggars, a beggar,
making a big thing of
the imperfection-perception-wrapped heart
lives with a heart
that shrinks back,
shrivels up,
recoils and
does not stretch out
at the thought of attaining sexual things,
but is repelled, composed and detached
then this beggar should say to himself:
'developed by me is imperfection-perception,
attained by me is distinction between before and after,
got by me is the fruit of developing.'

Thus by that he has set up self-awareness.

'Imperfection-perception, beggars,
developed,
made a big thing of,
has great fruit,
great profit,
slips into the deathless,
culminates in the deathless.'

So it is said.

And it is because of this that it is said.

'Death-perception, beggars,
developed,
made a big thing of,
has great fruit,
great profit,
slips into the deathless,
culminates in the deathless.'

So it is said.

And because of what is this said?

Making a big thing of
the death-perception-wrapped heart, beggars,
a beggar lives with a heart
that shrinks back,
shrivels up,
recoils and
does not stretch out
at the thought of wishing for life,
but is repelled, composed and detached.

In the same way, beggars,
as a cock's wing
or a piece of meat,
thrown into a fire,
shrinks back,
shrivels up,
recoils and
does not stretch out,
even so, beggars,
a beggar making a big thing of,
the death-perception-wrapped heart,
lives with a heart
that shrinks back,
shrivels up,
recoils and
does not stretch out
at the thought of wishing for life,
but is repelled, composed and detached.

If, beggars, a beggar,
making a big thing of,
the death-perception-wrapped heart,
lives with a heart
given over to,
not disinclined towards,
fixed on,
the thought of wishing for life
then this beggar should say to himself:
'not developed by me is death-perception,
not attained by me is distinction between before and after,
not got by me is the fruit of developing.'

Thus by that he has set up self-awareness.

If, however, beggars, a beggar,
making a big thing of
the death-perception-wrapped heart
lives with a heart
that shrinks back,
shrivels up,
recoils and
does not stretch out
at the thought of wishing for life,
but is repelled, composed and detached
then this beggar should say to himself:
'developed by me is death-perception,
attained by me is distinction between before and after,
got by me is the fruit of developing.'

Thus by that he has set up self-awareness.

'Death-perception, beggars,
developed,
made a big thing of,
has great fruit,
great profit,
slips into the deathless,
culminates in the deathless.'

So it is said.

And it is because of this that it is said.

'Food-repulsiveness-perception, beggars,
developed,
made a big thing of,
has great fruit,
great profit,
slips into the deathless,
culminates in the deathless.'

So it is said.

And because of what is this said?

Making a big thing of
the food-repulsiveness-perception-wrapped heart, beggars,
a beggar lives with a heart
that shrinks back,
shrivels up,
recoils and
does not stretch out
at the thought of thirst for tastes,
but is repelled, composed and detached.

In the same way, beggars,
as a cock's wing
or a piece of meat,
thrown into a fire,
shrinks back,
shrivels up,
recoils and
does not stretch out,
even so, beggars,
a beggar making a big thing of,
the food-repulsiveness-perception-wrapped heart,
lives with a heart
that shrinks back,
shrivels up,
recoils and
does not stretch out
at the thought of thirst for tastes,
but is repelled, composed and detached.

If, beggars, a beggar,
making a big thing of,
the food-repulsiveness-perception-wrapped heart,
lives with a heart
given over to,
not disinclined towards,
fixed on,
the thought of thirst for tastes
then this beggar should say to himself:
'not developed by me is food-repulsiveness-perception,
not attained by me is distinction between before and after,
not got by me is the fruit of developing.'

Thus by that he has set up self-awareness.

If, however, beggars, a beggar,
making a big thing of
the food-repulsiveness-perception-wrapped heart
lives with a heart
that shrinks back,
shrivels up,
recoils and
does not stretch out
at the thought of thirst for tastes,
but is repelled, composed and detached
then this beggar should say to himself:
'developed by me is food-repulsiveness-perception,
attained by me is distinction between before and after,
got by me is the fruit of developing.'

Thus by that he has set up self-awareness.

'Food-repulsiveness-perception, beggars,
developed,
made a big thing of,
has great fruit,
great profit,
slips into the deathless,
culminates in the deathless.'

So it is said.

And it is because of this that it is said.

'Whole-world-nothing-to-be-overjoyed-at-perception, beggars,
developed,
made a big thing of,
has great fruit,
great profit,
slips into the deathless,
culminates in the deathless.'

So it is said.

And because of what is this said?

Making a big thing of
the whole-world-nothing-to-be-overjoyed-at-perception-wrapped heart, beggars,
a beggar lives with a heart
that shrinks back,
shrivels up,
recoils and
does not stretch out
at the thought of worldly thoughts,
but is repelled, composed and detached.

In the same way, beggars,
as a cock's wing
or a piece of meat,
thrown into a fire,
shrinks back,
shrivels up,
recoils and
does not stretch out,
even so, beggars,
a beggar making a big thing of,
the whole-world-nothing-to-be-overjoyed-at-perception-wrapped heart,
lives with a heart
that shrinks back,
shrivels up,
recoils and
does not stretch out
at the thought of worldly thoughts,
but is repelled, composed and detached.

If, beggars, a beggar,
making a big thing of,
the whole-world-nothing-to-be-overjoyed-at-perception-wrapped heart,
lives with a heart
given over to,
not disinclined towards,
fixed on,
the thought of worldly thoughts
then this beggar should say to himself:
'not developed by me is whole-world-nothing-to-be-overjoyed-at-perception,
not attained by me is distinction between before and after,
not got by me is the fruit of developing.'

Thus by that he has set up self-awareness.

If, however, beggars, a beggar,
making a big thing of
the whole-world-nothing-to-be-overjoyed-at-perception-wrapped heart
lives with a heart
that shrinks back,
shrivels up,
recoils and
does not stretch out
at the thought of worldly thoughts,
but is repelled, composed and detached
then this beggar should say to himself:
'developed by me is whole-world-nothing-to-be-overjoyed-at-perception,
attained by me is distinction between before and after,
got by me is the fruit of developing.'

Thus by that he has set up self-awareness.

'Whole-world-nothing-to-be-overjoyed-at-perception, beggars,
developed,
made a big thing of,
has great fruit,
great profit,
slips into the deathless,
culminates in the deathless.'

So it is said.

And it is because of this that it is said.

'Inconsistency, beggars,
developed,
made a big thing of,
has great fruit,
great profit,
slips into the deathless,
culminates in the deathless.'

So it is said.

And because of what is this said?

Making a big thing of
the inconsistency-perception-wrapped heart, beggars,
a beggar lives with a heart
that shrinks back,
shrivels up,
recoils and
does not stretch out
at the thought of gains and honors,
but is repelled, composed and detached.

In the same way, beggars,
as a cock's wing
or a piece of meat,
thrown into a fire,
shrinks back,
shrivels up,
recoils and
does not stretch out,
even so, beggars,
a beggar making a big thing of,
the inconsistency-perception-wrapped heart,
lives with a heart
that shrinks back,
shrivels up,
recoils and
does not stretch out
at the thought of gains and honors,
but is repelled, composed and detached.

If, beggars, a beggar,
making a big thing of,
the inconsistency-perception-wrapped heart,
lives with a heart
given over to,
not disinclined towards,
fixed on,
the thought of gains and honors,
then this beggar should say to himself:
'not developed by me is inconsistency-perception,
not attained by me is distinction between before and after,
not got by me is the fruit of developing.'

Thus by that he has set up self-awareness.

If, however, beggars, a beggar,
making a big thing of
the inconsistency-perception-wrapped heart
lives with a heart
that shrinks back,
shrivels up,
recoils and
does not stretch out
at the thought of gains and honors,
but is repelled, composed and detached
then this beggar should say to himself:
'developed by me is inconsistency-perception,
attained by me is distinction between before and after,
got by me is the fruit of developing.'

Thus by that he has set up self-awareness.

'Inconsistency, beggars,
developed,
made a big thing of,
has great fruit,
great profit,
slips into the deathless,
culminates in the deathless.'

So it is said.

And it is because of this that it is said.

'Pain-in-inconsistency-perception, beggars,
developed,
made a big thing of,
has great fruit,
great profit,
slips into the deathless,
culminates in the deathless.'

So it is said.

And because of what is this said?

Making a big thing of
the pain-in-inconsistency-perception-wrapped heart, beggars,
a beggar lives with a heart
set up detached from
lassitude and indolence,
with a sharp sense of fear
of the results of
carelessness,
lack of devotion,
and lack of reflection,
in the same way as towards
a murderer with upraised sword.

If, beggars, a beggar,
making a big thing of,
the pain-in-inconsistency-perception-wrapped heart,
lives with a heart
not set up detached from
lassitude and indolence,
with a sharp sense of fear
of the results of
carelessness,
lack of devotion,
and lack of reflection,
in the same way as towards
a murderer with upraised sword,
then this beggar should say to himself:
'not developed by me is pain-in-inconsistency-perception,
not attained by me is distinction between before and after,
not got by me is the fruit of developing.'

Thus by that he has set up self-awareness.

If, however, beggars, a beggar,
a big thing of
the pain-in-inconsistency-perception-wrapped heart
lives with a heart
set up detached from
lassitude and indolence,
with a sharp sense of fear
of the results of
carelessness,
lack of devotion,
and lack of reflection,
in the same way as towards
a murderer with upraised sword,
then this beggar should say to himself:
'developed by me is pain-in-inconsistency-perception,
attained by me is distinction between before and after,
got by me is the fruit of developing.'

Thus by that he has set up self-awareness.

'Pain-in-inconsistency-perception, beggars,
developed,
made a big thing of,
has great fruit,
great profit,
slips into the deathless,
culminates in the deathless.'

So it is said.

And it is because of this that it is said.

'Not-self-in-pain-perception-perception, beggars,
developed,
made a big thing of,
has great fruit,
great profit,
slips into the deathless,
culminates in the deathless.'

So it is said.

And because of what is this said?

Making a big thing of
the not-self-in-pain-perception-wrapped heart, beggars,
a beggar lives with a heart
calm and well-freed,
and in this external body-with-consciousness
has passed all signs and varieties
of intent to get
I-making-my-making pleasure.

If, beggars, a beggar,
making a big thing of,
the not-self-in-pain-perception-wrapped heart,
lives with a heart
neither^[1] calm nor well-freed,
and in this external body-with-consciousness
has not passed all signs and varieties
of intent to get
I-making-my-making pleasure,
then this beggar should say to himself:
'not developed by me is not-self-in-pain-perception,
not attained by me is distinction between before and after,
not got by me is the fruit of developing.'

Thus by that he has set up self-awareness.

If, however, beggars, a beggar,
making a big thing of,
the not-self-in-pain-perception-wrapped heart,
lives with a heart
calm and well-freed,
and in this external body-with-consciousness
has passed all signs and varieties
of intent to get
I-making-my-making pleasure,
then this beggar should say to himself:
'developed by me is not-self-in-pain-perception,
attained by me is distinction between before and after,
got by me is the fruit of developing.'

Thus by that he has set up self-awareness.

'Not-self-in-pain-perception, beggars,
developed,
made a big thing of,
has great fruit,
great profit,
slips into the deathless,
culminates in the deathless.'

So it is said.

And it is because of this that it is said.

These then, beggars are the seven perceptions,
developed,
made a big thing of,
which have great fruit,
great profit,
slip into the deathless,
culminate in the deathless."

 

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^[1] The negatives in this segment are not clear and are different in the different versions of the Pāḷi. I have made the best sense of it as I can.