Aṇguttara Nikāya
Pañcaka Nipāta
VI: Nīvaraṇa Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
The Book of the Fives
VI: The Hindrances
Sutta 51
Nīvaraṇa Suttaṃ
A Check
Translated by E. M. Hare
Copyright The Pali Text Society
Commercial Rights Reserved
For details see Terms of Use.
[1][than][bodh] Thus have I heard:
Once the Exalted One dwelt near Sāvatthī;
in Anāthapiṇḍika's Park,
and there he addressed the monks, saying:
"Monks."
'Yes, lord,' they replied; and the Exalted One said:
'There are, monks, these five checks,
hindrances,
which overspread the heart,
which weaken insight.
What five?
Sensual desire, monks,
is a check,
a hindrance,
which overspreads the heart,
which weakens insight;
iil-wlll, monks,
is a check,
a hindrance,
which overspreads the heart,
which weakens insight;
sloth and torpor, monks,
is a check,
a hindrance,
which overspreads the heart,
which weakens insight;
flurry and worry, monks,
is a check,
a hindrance,
which overspreads the heart,
which weakens insight;
doubt, monks,
is a check,
a hindrance,
which overspreads the heart,
which weakens insight.'[1]
[52] These, monks, are the five checks,
hindrances,
which overspread the heart,
which weaken insight.
§
Monks, that a monk, verily,
without being rid of those five checks,
hindrances,
which overspread the heart,
which weaken insight,
without strength
and weak in insight,
shall know his own good,
shall know another's good,
shall know the good of both,
or shall realize the excellence[2]
of knowledge and insight
proper to Ariyans,
which goes beyond man's conditions —
that cannot be.
■
Monks, suppose in the case of a mountain stream,[3]
winding here and there,
swiftly flowing,
taking all along with it,
a man were to open watercourses[4] into it from both sides;
then indeed, monks,
the flow in mid-stream would be disturbed,
swirled about
and diverted,[5]
nor would the stream
wind here and there,
nor flow swiftly,
nor take all along with it:
■
Even so, monks, that a monk
without being rid of those five checks,
hindrances,
which overspread the heart,
which weaken insight,
without strength
and weak in insight,
shall know his own good,
shall know another's good,
shall know the good of both,
or shall realize the excellence
of knowledge and insight
proper to Ariyans,
which goes beyond man's conditions —
that cannot be.
§
Monks, that a monk, being rid of these five checks,
hindrances,
which overspread the heart,
which weaken insight,
strong and with insight,
shall know his own good,
shall know another's good,
shall know the good of both,
or shall realize the excellence
of knowledge and insight
proper to Ariyans,
which goes beyond man's conditions —
that surely shall be.
■
Monks, suppose in the case of a mountain stream,
winding here and there,
swiftly flowing,
taking all along with it,
a man were to close the watercourses on both sides of it;
then indeed, monks,
the flow in mid-stream would not be disturbed,
swirled about
or diverted,
but the stream would wind here and there,
flow swiftly forward,
taking all along with it:
■
Even so, monks, that a monk, rid of these five checks,
hin- [53] drances,
which overspread the heart,
which weaken insight,
strong and with insight,
shall know his own good,
shall know another's good,
shall know the good of both,
or shall realize the excellence
of knowledge and insight
proper to Ariyans,
which goes beyond man's conditions —
that surely shall be.'
[1] Cf. S. v, 96; D. i, 246; A. iv, 457, DhS. trsl. 310.
[2] Cf. G.S. i, 7; S. iv, 300; AA. i, 58.
[3] Cf. A. iv, 137; Vism. 231.
[4] Naṇgala-mukhāni. Comy. mātikā-, explaining: tāni hi naṇgala-sarikkhattā naṇgalehi ca katattā naṇngalamukhānī ti vuccanti.
[5] Vyādinno, no doubt for vyādiñño with Comy.; S.e. byādinno.
