Aṇguttara Nikāya
Aṭṭhaka Nipāta
IX. Sati Vagga
The Book of Eights
Sutta 83
Kiṃ Mūlaka? Suttaṃ
What is the Root?
Translated from the Pāḷi
by
Michael M. Olds
Once upon a time The Lucky Man, Sāvatthi Town, Anāthapiṇḍika Park, Jeta Grove came-a revisiting.
There, to the Beggars gathered round he said:
"Beggars!"
And, "Broke Tooth!" they responded.
"If, beggars, wanderers of other positions thus ask:
'What roots,[1] friend, all things,
what conceives[2] all things,
what self-supports all things,
what merges into all things,
what surfaces all things,
what controls[3] all things,
what delivers[4] all things,
what excels all things?'
Thus asked of you beggars,
by wanderers of other positions;
how then would you approach this?"
"We, Bhante, rooted in The Lucky Man
guided in things by the Lucky Man,
take the Lucky Man as refuge.
Well-gained, Bhante, would be The Lucky Man's response to this saying.
Hearing the Lucky Man, the bhikkhus bear it in memory."
"In that case, beggars, listen up!
Well examine in mind,
I will speak!"
"Even so, bhante!" the beggars then said to the Lucky Man in response.
The Lucky man said this:
"If, beggars, wanderers of other positions thus ask:
'What roots, friend, all things,
what conceives all things,
what self-supports all things,
what merges into all things,
what surfaces all things,
what controls all things,
what delivers all things,
what excels all things?'
Thus asked of you beggars,
by wanderers of other positions;
thus should you approach this:
'Wishing, friends, roots all things,
mental study conceives all things,
touch self-supports all things,
sensation merges into all things,
serenity surfaces all things,
memory controls all things,
wisdom delivers all things,
freedom excels all things.'
Thus asked of you beggars,
by wanderers of other positions;
thus should you approach this."
| Pāḷi | Olds | Hare | Bhk. Bhodi |
| Kiṃ-Mūlaka/Chanda- | What roots ~/wishing | Wherein are ~ rooted/in desire | in what are ~ rooted/in desire |
| Kiṃ-Sambhavā/Manasikāra- | What conceives ~/mental study | What is their origin/have their origin in | come into being/through attention |
| Kiṃ-Samudayā/Phassa- | What self-supports ~/touch | What gives rise to ~/contact | originate/from contact |
| Kiṃ-Samosaraṇā/Vedanā- | What merges into ~/sensation | What is their confluence/is feeling | converge/upon feeling |
| Kiṃ-Pamukhā/Samādhi- | What surfaces ~/serenity | What is their chief state/is concentration | headed/by concentration |
| Kiṃ-Ādhipateyyā/Sata- | What controls ~/memory | What is their master state/mindfulness | exercises authority over them/Mindfulness |
| Kiṃ-Uttarā/Pañña- | What delivers ~/wisdom | what their further state/wisdom | supervisor/Wisdom is their |
| Kiṃ-Sārā/Vimutti- | What excels ~/freedom | of ~ what is most precious/emancipation | core/Liberation is their |
[1] Mūlakā Literally root; foot, basis, foundation, remuneration (pay = support). Here of sabbe dhammā (all things), compare with MN 1.
[2] Sambhavā This may be the point of origin, but the word does not mean origin. Literally it is 'com-becoming', or 'com-existing', or 'com-living' or "own-becoming". It means the coming together of what is one's own with that which is other that makes a living being, an individual, or that which is personal existence, or owned. Hint: the word also means 'semen virile'. And that is a good illustration of the meaning. But here we are talking about 'all things', not just living beings, and that which is the co-becoming of all things is work of mind.
[3] Adhipateyya. PED has: "probably misreading for ādhipateyya." [Ādhipacca: supreme rule, lordship, sovereignty, power] Childers: Influence, rule, supremacy. There are three adhipatteyyas or influences that induce men to follow virtue: Attādhipateyyaṃ, "the influence of self," that is, self-respect overrides; lokādhipateyyaṃ, "the influence of the world,' that is, dread of censure, and Dhammādhipateyyaḍṃ, "the influence of religion," or the love of virtue for its own sake.]
[4] Uttarā2. PED: [from uttarati] crossing over, to be crossed. > Uttaraṇa (nt.) [from uttarati] bringing or moving out, saving, delivery.
References:
See also: AN 10.58 where I translate some terms differently. I think my previous choices are not incorrect, but I think the better choice, and coming closer to the Pāḷi, is with this sutta. I think it is incorrect to say 'Rooted in Bhagava'. The Bhikkhus are saying 'we are (our views are) rooted in Bhagava', not 'things' or 'all things' are rooted in Bhagava.
