Aṇguttara Nikāya
Catukka Nipāta
XX: Mahā Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
The Book of the Fours
Chapter XX: The Great Chapter
Sutta 199
Taṇhā-Jalini Suttaṃ
Craving
Translated from the Pali by F. L. Woodward, M.A.
Copyright The Pali Text Society
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[1][than][olds] 'Monks, I will teach you craving that ensnares,[1]
that floats along,[2]
that is far-flung,[3]
that clings[4] to one,
by which this world is smothered,[5]
enveloped,
tangled like a ball of thread,
covered as with blight,[6]
twisted up like a grass-rope,
so that it overpasses not the Constant Round (of rebirth),
the Downfall,
the Way of Woe,
the Ruin.
Do ye listen to it carefully.
Apply your minds
and I will speak."
"Yes, lord," replied those monks to the Exalted One.
§
The Exalted One said this:
[2][than][olds]'And of what sort, monks, is craving that ensnares,
that floats along,
that is far-flung,
that clings to one,
in which this world is smothered,
enveloped,
tangled like a ball of thread,
covered as with blight,
twisted up like a grass-rope,
so that it overpasses not the Constant Round (of rebirth),
the Downfall,
the Way of Woe,
the Ruin?
■
There are these eighteen thoughts
which are haunted[7] by craving
concerning the inner self
and eighteen which are haunted by craving
concerning what is external to self.
■
[3][than][olds] Now of what sort are the former?
Monks, when there is the thought:
I am,
— there come the thoughts:
I am in this world.
I am thus.
I am otherwise.
I am not eternal.[8]
I am eternal.[9]
Should I be?[10]
Should I be in this world?
Should I be thus?
Should I be otherwise?
May I become.
May I become in this world.
May I become thus.
May I become otherwise.
I shall become.
I shall become in this world.
I shall become thus.
I shall become otherwise.
These are the eighteen thoughts
which are haunted by craving
concerning the inner self.
■
[4][than][olds] And of what sort, monks, are the eighteen thoughts
which are haunted by craving
concerning what is external to self?
When there is the thought:
By this[11] I am,
— there come the thoughts:
By this I am in the world.
By this I am thus.
By this I am otherwise.
By this I am not eternal.
By this I am eternal.
By this should I be.
By this should I be in this world.
By this should I be thus.
By this should I be otherwise.
By this may I become.
By this may I become in this world.
By this may I become thus.
By this may I become otherwise.
By this I shall become.
By this I shall become in this world.
By this I shall become thus.
By this I shall become othrwise.
These are the eighteen thoughts
which are haunted by craving
concerning what is external to self.[12]
§
[5][than][olds] Now these eighteen thoughts
which are haunted by craving
concerning the inner self
and eighteen which are haunted by craving
concerning what is external to self
are called
"the thirty-six thoughts haunted by craving."
Thus such thirty-six thoughts of past,
thirty-six thoughts of future,
such thirty-six thoughts of present time
make up one hundred and eight thoughts
which are haunted by craving.[13]
[6][than][olds]Verily, monks, this is that craving that ensnares,
that floats along,
that is far-flung,
that clings to one,
by which this world is smothered,
enveloped,
tangled like a ball of thread,
covered over with blight,
twisted up like a grass-rope,
so that it overpasses not
the Constant Round,
the Downfall,
the Way of Woe,
the Ruin.'
[1]Jāliniṃ. Cf. Dhp. 180, yassa jālinī visattikā taṇhā n'atthi (= S. i. 107). The four words used here describe the process of a fisherman's circular cast-net, a familiar picture in the East.
[2]Sarita. Cf. UdA. 424, saṇsār'aṇṇavaṃ taṇhā-saritanñ ca.
[3]Visaṭa = patthaṭa. Comy. 'the metaphor is that of the net (jāla).'
[4]Visattikaṃ (visatta, clinging). Here Comy. gives the right derivation, but adds the other popular one from visa (poison) of SA. i. 175, visa-phala.
[5]Uddhasta = dhaṇsita.
[6]Cf. D. ii. 55; S. ii. 92, iv, 158 n., [but note is at the translation] reading tantākula-jātā, guḷā- guṇṭhika-jātā (J.P.T.S., 1919, p. 49).
[7]Vicaritāni. These are discussed in full at Vibhanga, 392 ff., followed by Comy., but there are differences of readings. The editors of both texts have confused the readings. See next n.
[8]As'asmi (Sinh. text has ay'asmi?). It is Skt. asat, and in the next phrase sat. Comy. and Vibh. expl, thus: nicco'smi, dhuvo'smi, sassato'smi, avipariṇāma-dhamm'asmī ti (which is just the opposite of what it means).
[9]Text: sāt'asmi (but sat'asmi lower down). Sinh. and Comy. sat'asmi; Vibh. explains ucchijissāmi, na bhavissāmi (wrong, see above).
[10]San (Skt. syam). Comy. and Vibh. take this as equal to siyaṃ. Text: santi throughout for san ti. The pointing of our text is most confusing here.
[11]Iminā = rūpena, viññāṇena, etc. Comy.
[12]In these two classes our Comy. thus regards ajjhattika as the self, bāhira as the body or mental states, whereas Vibhanga uses bāhira as applying to parapuggala, thus: I am thus, but so-and-so is different. He is a brāhmin, I am not, etc.
[13]Comy. aṭṭha-sataṃ; Sinh. text atthañ ca taṇhā . . . sataṃ. Text strangely reads aṭṭhārasa taṇhā sataṃ.
