Aṅguttara Nikāya
X. Dasaka-Nipāta
XI: Samaṇa-Saññā-Vagga
Sutta 116
Ajita Suttaṃ
Ajita
Translated from the Pali
by
Michael M. Olds
There then[1] the wanderer Ajito approached the Lucky Man and drew near.
Having drawn near he exchanged greetings.
Having drawn near and exchanged greetings, he took a seat to one side.
Seated to one side then, the wanderer Ajito said this to the Lucky Man:
"We have, good Gotama,
a fellow liver of the holy life
a so-called a wise-man,
who has thought out five-hundred mental states
whereby those who hold differently
thereby know 'we are undone!'"
Thereupon the Lucky Man addressed the beggars:
"Do you not remember, beggars,
the various guises of wisemen?"
"Now is the time Bhagava!
Now is the time Well-gone!
When the bhikkhus have heard this from the Bhagava,
they will bear it in mind."
"Then listen up beggars!
Pay careful attention!
I will speak!"
"Even so bhante!" replied those beggars to the Lucky Man.
The Lucky Man then said:
Bhk. Bodhi: 1. "Here someone refutes and disproves a doctrine poor to the Dhamma with a doctrine contrary to the Dhamma.
2. ... a doctrine that accords with the Dhamma by means of a doctrine contrary to the Dhamma.
3. ... both a doctrine that accords with the Dhamma and a doctrine contrary to the Dhamma by means of a doctrine poor to the Dhamma.
4. ... both a doctrine that accords with the Dhamma and a doctrine contrary to the Dhamma by means of a doctrine that accords with the Dhamma.
— p.p.
[1] "Here, beggars, someone
closely presses, refutes,
badly-formed doctrine,
with badly-formed doctrine.
And this, exciting a badly-formed retinue,
this badly-formed retinue
proclaims:
'For sure this fellow is a wiseman!
For sure this fellow is a wiseman!'
in a strong voice, a great voice.
[2] Here, beggars, someone
closely presses, refutes,
well-formed doctrine,
with badly-formed doctrine.
And this, exciting a badly-formed retinue,
this badly-formed retinue
proclaims:
'For sure this fellow is a wiseman!
For sure this fellow is a wiseman!'
in a strong voice, a great voice.
[3] Here, beggars, someone
closely presses, refutes,
well-formed doctrine and badly-formed doctrine
with badly-formed doctrine.
And this, exciting a badly-formed retinue,
this badly-formed retinue
proclaims:
'For sure this fellow is a wiseman!
For sure this fellow is a wiseman!'
in a strong voice, a great voice.
[4] Here, beggars, someone
closely presses, refutes,
badly-formed doctrine,
with Dhamma doctrine.
And this, exciting a well-formed retinue,
this well-formed retinue
proclaims:
'For sure this fellow is a wiseman!
For sure this fellow is a wiseman!'
in a strong voice, a great voice.
Not-Dhamma, beggars, should be known,
and Dhamma,
not-goal should be known,
and goal.
Knowing Dhamma and not-Dhamma,
knowing goal and not-goal,
what should be followed is
whatsoever is Dhamma,
whatsoever is goal.
And what, friends, is not-Dhamma,
what is Dhamma,
what is not-goal,
what is goal?
Sammā Diṭṭhi: Consummate View: This is Pain; the origin of this pain is thirst; the ending of this pain is the ending of this thirst; this is the Way: Consummate, view, principles, talk, works, lifestyle, self-control, mindedness, serenity.
Low view, friend, is not-Dhamma,
consummate-view is Dhamma,
and whatever results come to one from low view,
— bad, unskilful things —
these are not the goal;
but whatever results are gained,
come to fulfilment through consummate view,
— numerous skilful things —
these are goal.
Sammā Sankappa: Consummate Principles: renunciation, non-cruelty, non-harm
Low principles, friend, are not-Dhamma,
consummate-principles are Dhamma,
and whatever results come to one from low principles,
— bad, unskilful things —
these are not the goal;
but whatever results are gained,
come to fulfilment through consummate principles,
— numerous skilful things —
these are goal.
Sammā Vaca: Consummate Talk: No intentional untrue tlk, cruel talk, slander, harsh talk, useless talk.
Low speech, friend, is not-Dhamma,
consummate-speech is Dhamma,
and whatever results come to one from low speech,
— bad, unskilful things —
these are not the goal;
but whatever results are gained,
come to fulfilment through consummate speech,
— numerous skilful things —
these are goal.
Sammā Kammanta: Consummate Works: No intentional harm to living beings, taking of other people's ungiven things; low deeds for pleasure's sake in one's work, mantras or deeds.
Low works, friend, are not-Dhamma,
consummate-works are Dhamma,
and whatever results come to one from low works,
— bad, unskilful things —
these are not the goal;
but whatever results are gained,
come to fulfilment through consummate works,
— numerous skilful things —
these are goal.
Sammā Ajiva: Consummate Lifestyle: When one dumps what one clearly sees is a low element of one's lifestyle, what remains is Consummate Lifestyle.
Low lifestyle, friend, is not-Dhamma,
consummate-lifestyle is Dhamma,
and whatever results come to one from low lifestyle,
— bad, unskilful things —
these are not the goal;
but whatever results are gained,
come to fulfilment through consummate lifestyle,
— numerous skilful things —
these are goal.
Sammā Vāyama: Consummate Self-control: Strive, make an effort, exert energy and endeavor to restrain low ways that are in this seen thing; refrain from low ways not yet in this seen thing; retain consummate ways that are in this seen thing; obtain consummate ways not yet in this seen thing.
Low self-control, friend, is not-Dhamma,
consummate-self-control is Dhamma,
and whatever results come to one from low self-control,
— bad, unskilful things —
these are not the goal;
but whatever results are gained,
come to fulfilment through consummate self-control,
— numerous skilful things —
these are goal.
Sammā Saṭi: Consummate Minding: live in a body, in sense-experience, in states of the heart, and in the word, seeing bodies, sense-experience, states of the heart, and the word, as they really are, seeing how they come to be, seeing how they burn out, living above it all, watchful and diligent, recollected, reviewing and calming down, overcoming any thirst, ambitions and disappointments that may appear, downbound to nothing at all in the world.
Low mindedness, friend, is not-Dhamma,
consummate-mindedness is Dhamma,
and whatever results come to one from low mindedness,
— bad, unskilful things —
these are not the goal;
but whatever results are gained,
come to fulfilment through consummate mindedness,
— numerous skilful things —
these are goal.
Sammā Samādhi: Consummate Serenity: letting go of involvements with the world, live in the appreciation of the peace and calm of solitude; letting go of thinking in verbal terms, live in the appreciation of serenity; letting go of excitement, live at ease; letting go of living at ease, live off the all 'roun', clean clear through, bright shiny, radiance, of detachment.
Low serenity, friend, is not-Dhamma,
consummate-serenity is Dhamma,
and whatever results come to one from low serenity,
— bad, unskilful things —
these are not the goal;
but whatever results are gained,
come to fulfilment through consummate serenity,
— numerous skilful things —
these are goal.
Sammā Ñāṇa: Consummate knowledge: Knowing blindness results in own-making; own-making results in individualized-consciousness; individualized-consciousness results in named forms; named forms results in sense-consciousness; sense-consciousness results in the six realms of the senses; the six realms of the senses result in sense-experience; sense experience results in thirst; thirst results in working at satiating that thirst; working at realizing plans for satiating thirst results in existing; existing results in birth; birth results in old age, sickness suffering and death, grief and lamentation, pain and misery and despair.
Low knowledge, friend, is not-Dhamma,
consummate-knowledge is Dhamma,
and whatever results come to one from low knowledge,
— bad, unskilful things —
these are not the goal;
but whatever results are gained,
come to fulfilment through consummate knowledge,
— numerous skilful things —
these are goal.
Sammā Vimutti: Consummate freedom. So knowing, abandoning further own-making of mental states, utterly and completely detached from everything conceivable whatsoever, awake to freedom of mind, and in freedom seeing freedom, knowing: "I am free" and so knowing, knowing: "Left behind is rebirth. Lived is the best of lives. Done is duty's doing. No more it'n-n-at'n for me."
— p.p.
Low freedom, friend, is not-Dhamma,
consummate-freedom is Dhamma,
and whatever results come to one from low freedom,
— bad, unskilful things —
these are not the goal;
but whatever results are gained,
come to fulfilment through consummate freedom,
— numerous skilful things —
these are goal.
'Not-Dhamma, beggars, should be known,
and Dhamma,
not-goal should be known,
and goal.
Knowing Dhamma and not-Dhamma,
knowing goal and not-goal,
what should be followed is
whatsoever is Dhamma,
whatsoever is goal.'
This is what was said,
this is the point of that saying."
[1] Atha kho. 'There then'. There is no Nidana for this sutta or any suttas in this vagga, the nearest previous Nidana in AN 10.96 gives Rājagaha. This Ajita is not clearly identified.
