Aṇguttara-Nikāya
III. Tika Nipāta
II. Rathakāra Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
or
More-Numbered Suttas
III. The Book of the Threes
II. The Wheelwright
Sutta 16
Apaṇṇaka Suttaṃ
The Sure Course
Translated from the Pali by
F.L. Woodward, M.A.
Copyright The Pali Text Society
Commercial Rights Reserved
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[1][bodh][upal] Thus have I heard:
On a certain occasion the Exalted One was staying near Sāvatthī, at Jeta Grove, in Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.
Then the Exalted One addressed the monks, saying:
"Monks."
"Yes, lord," replied those monks to the Exalted One.
The Exalted One said this:
"Monks, possessed of three qualities
a monk is proficient in the practice
leading to the Sure Course,[1]
and he has strong grounds[2]
for the destruction of the āsavas.
What three?
Herein a monk keeps watch over the door of his sense faculties
he is moderate in eating
and given to watchfulness.
[98] And how does he keep watch over the door of his sense faculties?
Herein a monk, seeing an object with the eye,
does not grasp at the general features
or at the details thereof.[3]
Since coveting and dejection, evil, unprofitable states,
might overwhelm one
who dwells with the faculty of the eye uncontrolled,
he applies himself to such control,
sets a guard over the faculty of eye,
attains control thereof.
Herein a monk, hearing a sound with the ear,
does not grasp at the general features
or at the details thereof.
Since coveting and dejection, evil, unprofitable states,
might overwhelm one
who dwells with the faculty of the ear uncontrolled,
he applies himself to such control,
sets a guard over the faculty of ear,
attains control thereof.
Herein a monk, smelling a scent with the none,
does not grasp at the general features
or at the details thereof.
Since coveting and dejection, evil, unprofitable states,
might overwhelm one
who dwells with the faculty of the nose uncontrolled,
he applies himself to such control,
sets a guard over the faculty of nose,
attains control thereof.
Herein a monk, tasting a savour with the tongue,
does not grasp at the general features
or at the details thereof.
Since coveting and dejection, evil, unprofitable states,
might overwhelm one
who dwells with the faculty of the tongue uncontrolled,
he applies himself to such control,
sets a guard over the faculty of tongue,
attains control thereof.
Herein a monk, contacting a tangible with the body,
does not grasp at the general features
or at the details thereof.
Since coveting and dejection, evil, unprofitable states,
might overwhelm one
who dwells with the faculty of the body uncontrolled,
he applies himself to such control,
sets a guard over the faculty of body,
attains control thereof.
Herein a monk, cognizing a mental state with the mind,
does not grasp at the general features
or at the details thereof.
Since coveting and dejection, evil, unprofitable states,
might overwhelm one
who dwells with the faculty of the mind uncontrolled,
he applies himself to such control,
sets a guard over the faculty of mind,
attains control thereof.
That, monks, is how a monk has the door of his faculties guarded.
■
And how is a monk moderate in eating?
Herein a monk takes his food thoughtfully and prudently;
not for sport,
not for indulgence,
not for personal charm or adornment,
but just enough for the support
and upkeep of the body,
to allay its pains,
to help the practice of the holy life,
with the thought:
'My former feeling I check
and I set going no new feeling.
So shall I keep going,
be blameless
and live happily.'
Thus a monk is moderate in eating.
■
And how is a monk given to watchfulness?[4]
Herein, by day
a monk walks up and down and then sits,
thus cleansing his heart
of things that he must check.
By night,
for the first watch
a monk walks up and down and then sits,
thus cleansing his heart
of things that he must check.
In the middle watch of the night,
lying on his right side
he takes up the lion-posture,[5]
resting one foot on the other,
and thus collected and composed
fixes his thoughts on rising up again.
In the last watch of the night,
at early dawn,
a monk walks up and down, [99] and then sits,
and so cleanses his heart
of things that he must check.
That is how a monk is given to watchfulness.
Possessed of these three qualities,
a monk is proficient in the practice
leading to the Sure Course,
and he is thorougly set upon
the destruction of the āsavas.'[6]
[1] Apaṇṇakataṃ paṭipadaṃ = aviruddha-ekaṇsa-niyyānika-kārana-sāra-maṇḍa-apaccanīka-anuloma-dhamm-ā-nudhamma-paṭipadaṃ. Comy., and quotes JA. i, 104:
Apaṇṇakaṃ thānam eke dutiyam āhu takkikā,||
Etad aññāya medhāvī taṃ gaṇhe yad apaṇṇakan ti|| ||
(where see JA. Comy.). K.S. iv, 253 n.; VM. 393. Cf. Path of P. ii, 455.
[2] Text yoni c'assa āraddho. Comy. yoni c'assa āraddhā; It. 30; S. iv, 175, yoniso āraddho. Cf. K.S. iv, 110 n.
[3] Cf. K.S. iv, 102, 185; Pts. of Contr. 246.
[4] Acc. to Comy. he divides the day and night into six watches, and is awake in five of them.
[5] Cf. A. ii, 244.
[6] Text yoni c'asaa araddho (Comy. and S. iv, 175 āraddhā). Cf. It. 30.
