Aṇguttara-Nikāya
III. Tika Nipāta
VIII. Ānanda Vagga

The Book of the Gradual Sayings
or
More-Numbered Suttas
III. The Book of the Threes
VIII. About Ānanda

Sutta 71

Channa Suttaṃ

Channa

Translated from the Pali by
F.L. Woodward, M.A.

Copyright The Pali Text Society
Commercial Rights Reserved

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[195]

[1][than] Thus have I heard:

Sāvatthī was the occasion (for this conversation).^[1]

Now one Channa,^[2] a Wanderer,
came to see the venerable Ānanda,
and on coming to him
greeted him courteously
and, after the exchange of greetings and courtesies,
sat down at one side.

So seated
Channa the Wanderer said this to the venerable Ānanda:

"Reverend Ānanda, do you (people) preach
the abandoning of passion,
of malice
and delusion?"

[196] "We do indeed, reverend sir."

■

"Seeing what disadvantage therein
do you preach
the abandoning of passion,
of malice
and delusion?"

2. "Why, sir, one who is overwhelmed by passion,
losing control of mind,
plans things which trouble himself,
which trouble others,
which trouble both himself and others,
and so experiences
mental suffering and dejection.

But if passion be abandoned
he does not lose control of mind,
plan things which trouble himself,
which trouble others,
which trouble both himself and others,
and so does not experience
mental suffering and dejection.

■

Again, sir, one who is overwhelmed by passion
practises immorality
practises immorality in deed,
practises immorality word
practises immorality thought.

But if passion be abandoned
he does not practises immorality in deed,
he does not practises immorality in word
he does not practises immorality in thought.

■

Again, sir, one who is overwhelmed by passion
understands not, as it really is, his own profit,
understands not, as it really is, the profit of others,
understands not, as it really is, the profit of self and others.

But if passion be abandoned
he understands, as it really is, his own profit,
he understands, as it really is, the profit of others,
he understands, as it really is, the profit of self and others.

■

Again, sir, passion is the cause of blindness,
of not seeing,
of not knowing,
of loss of insight:
it is joined with vexation,
it does not conduce to Nibbāna.

 

§

 

One who is malicious
one who is overwhelmed by malice,
losing control of mind,
plans things which trouble himself,
which trouble others,
which trouble both himself and others,
and so experiences
mental suffering and dejection.

But if malice be abandoned
he does not lose control of mind,
plan things which trouble himself,
which trouble others,
which trouble both himself and others,
and so does not experience
mental suffering and dejection.

■

Again, sir, one who is overwhelmed by malice
practises immorality in deed,
practises immorality in word
practises immorality in thought.

But if malice be abandoned
he does not practises immorality in deed,
he does not practises immorality in word
he does not practises immorality in thought.

■

Again, sir, one who is overwhelmed by malice
understands not, as it really is, his own profit,
understands not, as it really is, the profit of others,
understands not, as it really is, the profit of self and others.

But if malice be abandoned
he understands, as it really is, his own profit,
he understands, as it really is, the profit of others,
he understands, as it really is, the profit of self and others.

■

Again, sir, malice is the cause of blindness,
of not seeing,
of not knowing,
of loss of insight:
it is joined with vexation,
it does not conduce to Nibbāna.

 

§

 

One who is deluded
one who is overwhelmed by delusion,
losing control of mind,
plans things which trouble himself,
which trouble others,
which trouble both himself and others,
and so experiences
mental suffering and dejection.

But if delusion be abandoned
he does not lose control of mind,
plan things which trouble himself,
which trouble others,
which trouble both himself and others,
and so does not experience
mental suffering and dejection.

■

Again, sir, one who is overwhelmed by delusion
practises immorality in deed,
practises immorality in word
practises immorality in thought.

But if delusion be abandoned
he does not practises immorality in deed,
he does not practises immorality in word
he does not practises immorality in thought.

■

Again, sir, one who is overwhelmed by delusion
understands not, as it really is, his own profit,
understands not, as it really is, the profit of others,
understands not, as it really is, the profit of self and others.

But if delusion be abandoned
he understands, as it really is, his own profit,
he understands, as it really is, the profit of others,
he understands, as it really is, the profit of self and others.

■

Again, sir, delusion is the cause of blindness,
of not seeing,
of not knowing,
of loss of insight:
it is joined with vexation,
it does not conduce to Nibbāna

Seeing this disadvantage in passion
we preach the abandoning of passion,
seeing this disadvantage in malice
we preach the abandoning of malice
seeing this disadvantage in delusion
we preach the abandoning of delusion."

 

§

 

3. "But, sir, is there any way,
is there any practice
for the abandoning of passion,
malice
and delusion?"

"There is indeed, reverend sir."

"Pray, sir, what is that way?

What is that practice?"

"Sir, it is just this Ariyan eightfold way,
to wit:

Right view,
right aim,
right speech,
right action,
right living,
right effort,
right mindfulness,
right concentration."

"A goodly way, sir,
and a goodly practice for abandoning passion,
malice
and delusion!

Moreover, sir, it is worth while applying energy thereto."^[3]

 

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^[1] The only instance in this volume of a Sāvatthi-nidanaṃ, for which topic see K.S. iv and v, Introduction.

^[2] This Channa does not appear elsewhere. He is not to be confused with the monk of S. iii and iv.

^[3] Alaṃ appamādāya. Cf. S. v, 350.