Aṇguttara Nikāya
Pañcaka Nipāta
V: Muṇḍa-Rāja Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
The Book of the Fives
V. Rajah Muṇḍa
Sutta 43
Pañca Iṭṭha-Dhamma Suttaṃ
What is Welcome
Translated by E. M. Hare
Copyright The Pali Text Society
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Once the Exalted One dwelt near Sāvatthī.
Then Anāthapiṇḍika, the householder, visited the Exalted One and,
saluting him,
sat down at one side;
and so seated,
the Exalted One spoke to him and said:
'There are these five things, householder,
which are welcome,
sought after,
lovely,
but hard to get in the world.
What five?
Long life, householder,
is welcome,
sought after,
lovely,
but hard to get in the world;
beauty, householder,
is welcome,
sought after,
lovely,
but hard to get in the world;
happiness, householder,
is welcome,
sought after,
lovely,
but hard to get in the world;
honour, householder,
is welcome,
sought after,
lovely,
but hard to get in the world;
the heaven-worlds, householder,
is welcome,
sought after,
lovely,
but hard to get in the world.
Such, householder, are the five things,
which are welcome,
sought after,
lovely,
but hard to get in the world.
§
Now these five things, householder,
are not to be got
either by vows
or prayers,
I declare;
for if they were,
why would anyone languish here?
§
To bring about long life, householder,
it is of no use for an Ariyan disciple,
yearning for long life,
either to pray for it
or to think much of it;
the way that leads[1] to long life
must be wayfared by the Ariyan disciple,
and when the way is wayfared by him,
it leads to the winning [40] of long life,
and he becomes a winner
both of heavenly life
and human life.
■
To bring about beauty, householder,
it is of no use for an Ariyan disciple,
yearning for beauty,
either to pray for it
or to think much of it;
the way that leads to beauty
must be wayfared by the Ariyan disciple,
and when the way is wayfared by him,
it leads to the winning of beauty,
and he becomes a winner
both of heavenly beauty
and human beauty.
■
To bring about happiness, householder,
it is of no use for an Ariyan disciple,
yearning for happiness,
either to pray for it
or to think much of it;
the way that leads to happiness
must be wayfared by the Ariyan disciple,
and when the way is wayfared by him,
it leads to the winning of happiness,
and he becomes a winner
both of heavenly happiness
and human happiness.
■
To bring about honour, householder,
it is of no use for an Ariyan disciple,
yearning for honour,
either to pray for it
or to think much of it;
the way that leads to honour
must be wayfared by the Ariyan disciple,
and when the way is wayfared by him,
it leads to the winning of honour,
and he becomes a winner
both of heavenly honour
and human honour.
■
Householder, to bring about (life in) the heaven-worlds,
it is of no use for an Axiyan disciple,
yearning for heaven,
either to pray for it
or to think much of it;
the steps that lead to heaven
must be stepped by the Ariyan disciple,
and when those steps are stepped by him,
they lead to the winning of heaven,
and he becomes a winner of the heaven-worlds.
"Life,[2] beauty, honour, fame, high birth and heaven —
Whoso, day in day out, again, again,
Doth often pray for such, in him the wise
Zeal in the acts that make for good commend.
A twofold weal the wise, the zealous man attains:
Good here and good hereafter. "Wise and sage"
He's called who weal hath understood.'[3]
[1] Comy. observes: dāna-sīlādikā puñña-paṭipadā. Paṭipadā is the term used for the more usual, perhaps more genuine, Magga in the First (Benares) Utterance.
[2] Except for the first line, this gāthā recurs at S. i, 87; Cf. also 89; to suit the prose here I have varied the trsl. compared with K.S. i, 112, The last three lines of the text recur at It. 17, the last two at D.A. i, 32 (quoted), and the last at A. ii, 46.
[3] Atthābhisamayā. Comy. atthassa abhisamāgamena. See S.A. i, 156.
