Aṅguttara-Nikāya
III. Tika Nipāta
VII. Mahā Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
or
More-Numbered Suttas
III. The Book of the Threes
VII. The Great Chapter
Sutta 66
Sāḷha Suttaɱ
Sāḷha
Translated from the Pali by
F.L. Woodward, M.A.
Copyright The Pali Text Society
Commercial Rights Reserved
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On a certain occasion the venerable Nandaka[1] was staying near Sāvatthī in East Park,
at the terraced house of Migara's mother.
Then Sāḷha,[2] Migara's grandson
and Rohaṇa, Pekhuṇiya's grandson,
came to visit the venerable Nandaka.
On coming to him they saluted him
and sat down at one side.
As they thus sat
the venerable Nandaka said this to Sāḷha, Migara's grandson:
2. "Come now, Sāḷha!
Be not misled by report
or tradition
or hearsay;
nor upon what is in a scripture;
nor upon surmise;
nor upon an axiom;
nor upon specious reasoning;
nor upon a bias towards a notion
that has been pondered over;
nor upon another's seeming ability;
nor upon the consideration,
'The monk is our teacher.'
Sāḷha, when you yourself know:
'These things are bad;
these things are blamable;
these things are censured by the wise;
undertaken and observed,
these things lead to harm and ill,'
do you reject them.[3]
3. Now what think you, Sāḷha?
Does greed exist?"
"It does, sir."
"Well, Sāḷha, I call it coveting.
That is what it means, I declare.
Now does not this covetous man
slay a being,
take what is not given,
go after another's wife,
tell lies
and lead another into a state
that is to his loss for a long time?"
"He does, sir."
4. "Now what think you, Sāḷha?
Does malice exist?"
"Yes, sir."
"Well, I call it malevolence.
Now, Sāḷha, does not he whose mind is malevolent,
slay a being,
take what is not given,
go after another's wife,
tell lies
and lead another into a state
that is to his loss for a long time?"
"He does, sir."
5. "Again. Sāḷha, what think you?
Does delusion exist?"
"Yes, sir."
"Well, Sāḷha, I call it nescience.
That is the meaning of the word.
Now does not the deluded man
slay a being,
take what is not given,
go after another's wife,
tell lies
and lead another into a state
that is to his loss for a long time?"
"He does, sir."
6. "Now what think you, Sāḷha?
Are these things profitable or unprofitable?"
"Unprofitable, sir"
"Blamable or not blamable?"
"Blamable, sir."
"Censured or praised by the wise?"
"Censured, sir."
"Undertaken and observed,
do these things lead to harm and ill, or not?
Or how does it strike you?"
"Undertaken and observed,
these things lead to harm and ill.
Thus it strikes me."
7. "Therefore, did we say, Sāḷha:
'Be not misled by report
or tradition
or hearsay;
nor upon what is in a scripture;
nor upon surmise;
nor upon an axiom;
nor upon specious reasoning;
nor upon a bias towards a notion
that has been pondered over;
nor upon another's seeming ability;
nor upon the consideration,
"The monk is our teacher."
Sāḷha, when you yourself know:
These things are bad;
these things are blamable;
these things are censured by the wise;
undertaken and observed,
these things lead to harm and ill,'
do you reject them.'
§
8. Now what think you, Sāḷha?
Is there not-greed?"
"There is, sir."
"Well, I call it not-coveting.
Does not he who is not greedy,
not overcome by coveting,
abstain from slaying a being,
taking what is not given,
going after another's wife,
telling lies?
Does he not lead another to a[4] state
which is to his profit and happiness for a long time?"
"Yes, sir."
9. "What think you, Sāḷha?
Is there not-malice?"
"There is, sir."
"Well, I call it not-malevolence.
That is the meaning of the word.
Now, Sāḷha, does not he who is not malevolent,
whose mind is free from malevolence,
abstain from slaying a being,
taking what is not given,
going after another's wife,
telling lies?
Does he not lead another to a state
which is to his profit and happiness for a long time?"
"He does, sir."
10 "Again, Sāḷha, what think you?
Is there not-delusion?"
"There is, sir."
"I call it knowledge.
That is its meaning.
Does not he[5] who is undeluded,
who has come to knowledge,
abstain from slaying a being,
taking what is not given,
going after another's wife,
telling lies?
Does he not lead another to a state
which is to his profit and happiness for a long time?"
"He does, sir."
"Now, Sāḷha, what think you?
Are these things profitable or unprofitable?"
"Profitable, sir."
"Blamable or not blamable?"
"Not blamable, sir."
"Censured or praised by the wise?"
"Praised by the wise, sir."
"Undertaken and observed,
do these things lead to harm and ill,
or benefit and happiness?
Or how does it strike you?"
"Undertaken and observed,
these things lead to benefit and happiness.
Thus it strikes me."
9. "Therefore, did we say, Sāḷha:
'Be not misled by report
or tradition
or hearsay;
nor upon what is in a scripture;
nor upon surmise;
nor upon an axiom;
nor upon specious reasoning;
nor upon a bias towards a notion
that has been pondered over;
nor upon another's seeming ability;
nor upon the consideration,
"The monk is our teacher."
Sāḷha, when you yourself know:
'These things are good;
these things are not blamable;
these things are praised by the wise;
undertaken and observed,
these things lead to benefit and happiness,'
do you, having undertaken them, abide therein.
The disciple of the Noble Ones, Sāḷha,
who in this way is devoid of coveting,
devoid of ill will,
undeluded,
clearly comprehending and mindful,
dwells, having pervaded,
with the thought of amity,
one quarter;
likewise the second;
likewise the third;
likewise the fourth;
so above,
below,
and across;
he dwells, having pervaded
because of the existence in it
of all living beings,
everywhere,
the entire world,
with the great,
exalted,
boundless thought of amity
that is free of hate or malice.
He lives, having pervaded,
with the thought of compassion,
one quarter;
likewise the second;
likewise the third;
likewise the fourth;
so above,
below,
and across;
he dwells, having pervaded
because of the existence in it
of all living beings,
everywhere,
the entire world,
with the great,
exalted,
boundless thought of compassion
that is free of hate or malice.
He lives, having pervaded,
with the thought of gladness,
one quarter;
likewise the second;
likewise the third;
likewise the fourth;
so above,
below,
and across;
he dwells, having pervaded
because of the existence in it
of all living beings,
everywhere,
the entire world,
with the great,
exalted,
boundless thought of gladness
that is free of hate or malice.
He lives, having pervaded,
with the thought of equanimity,
one quarter;
likewise the second;
likewise the third;
likewise the fourth;
so above,
below,
and across;
he dwells, having pervaded
because of the existence in it
of all living beings,
everywhere,
the entire world,
with the great,
exalted,
boundless thought of equanimity
that is free of hate or malice.
He comes to know thus:
There is a mean state.
There is an exalted state.
There is an escape from this realm of consciousness.[6]
When he thus knows,
thus sees,
his mind is released
from the āsava of sensual desire,
his mind is released
from the āsava of continued becoming,
his mind is released from the āsavaof nescience.
To him thus released
comes the knowledge that he is released,
and he is assured:
'Ended is rebirth,
lived is the righteous life,
done is my task,
there is no more of this state for me.'
Likewise he comes to know:
'Formerly I had greed:[7]
that was evil.
Now it exists no more:
that is good.
Formerly I had malice:
that was evil.
Now it exists no more:
that is good.
Formerly I was deluded:
that was evil.
Now delusion exists no more:
that is good.'
Thus in this very life
he is free from craving,[8]
he is released,
he has become cool:
he, of himself,
abides in experience of bliss,
by becoming Brahma."[9]
[1] 'Admonisher of the nuns,' cf. text 25; iv, 358.
[2] One of the Licchavī. Cf. ii, 200.
[3] This sermon is a sort of variant edition of the previous sutta.
[4] Text should read hoti.
[5] Text should read ayaɱ for ahaɱ.
[6] Saññāgatasaa (what comes within one's sphere of consciousness). Cf. M. i, 38. Comy. paraphrases: Imassa vipassanā-saññā-sankhātassa saññāgatasaa nissaraṇaɱ Nibbānaɱ nāma dasseti.
[7] Cf. Pts. of Contr. 96.
[8] For nicchāto nibbuto cf. S. iii, 26.
[9] Brahma-bhūtena. A trace of the teaching common to Gotama and his brahmin disciples. Comy. seṭṭha-bhūtena. See infra, 187 n.
