Aṇguttara Nikāya
Chakka-Nipāta
II: Sārāṇīya-Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
The Book of the Sixes
Chapter II: Be Considerate
Sutta 17
Kusala Suttaṃ
Right Things[1]
Translated from the Pali by E.M. Hare.
Copyright The Pali Text Society
Commercial Rights Reserved
For details see Terms of Use.
[1] Thus have I heard:
On one occasion, while he dwelt near Sāvatthī
at Jeta Grove in Anāthapiṇḍika's Park,
the Exalted One,
rising from solitude at eventide,
approached the service hall;[2]
and, on arriving,
sat down on the seat ready there.
Then, too, the venerable Sāriputta,
rising from solitude at eventide,
went to the service hall,
saluted the Exalted One,
and sat down at one side.
Then, too, the venerable Mahā Moggallāna,
rising from solitude at eventide,
went to the service hall,
saluted the Exalted One,
and sat down at one side.
Then, too, the venerable Mahā Kaccāna,
rising from solitude at eventide,
went to the service hall,
saluted the Exalted One,
and sat down at one side.
Then, too, the venerable Koṭṭhita,
rising from solitude at eventide,
went to the service hall,
saluted the Exalted One,
and sat down at one side.
Then, too, the venerable Mahā Cunda,
rising from solitude at eventide,
went to the service hall,
saluted the Exalted One,
and sat down at one side.
Then, too, the venerable Mahā Kappina,
rising from solitude at eventide,
went to the service hall,
saluted the Exalted One,
and sat down at one side.
Then, too, the venerable Anuruddha,
rising from solitude at eventide,
went to the service hall,
saluted the Exalted One,
and sat down at one side.
Then, too, the venerable Revata,
rising from solitude at eventide,
went to the service hall,
saluted the Exalted One,
and sat down at one side.
Then, too, the venerable Ānanda[3],
rising from solitude at eventide,
went to the service hall,
saluted the Exalted One,
and sat down at one side.
§
[215] Now, after passing much of the night thus seated,
the Exalted One rose and entered the dwelling.
And soon after he had gone,
the venerable monks also rose and went,
each to his dwelling;
but the novices,
not long gone forth,
newly come to this Dhamma-discipline,
went on snoring[4] and sleeping there,
even till sunrise.
■
And the Exalted One,
seeing with the deva eye,
surpassing the purity of man's,
those monks snoring and sleeping till sunrise,
went to the service hall and sat down;
and being seated,
addressed them,
saying:
"Monks, where is Sāriputta;
where is Maha Moggallāna;
where is Mahā Kassapa,
where is Mahā Kaccāna,
where is Mahā Koṭṭhita,
where is Mahā Cunda,
where is Mahā Kappina,
where is Anuruddha,
where is Revata,
where is Ānanda?
Where have these elder-disciples gone, monks?'
■
'Lord, they, too,
soon after the Exalted One's departure,
rose and went,
each to his dwelling.'
■
"Monks, then are you now elders,
yet novice-like
you sleep and snore till sunrise!
What think you, monks,
have you either seen or heard of a warrior rajah,
crowned and anointed,
living a life of indulgence,
given over to the pleasures bed,
indolence
and sloth
to his heart's content;
and ruling all his life,
the darling and favourite of the country-folk?
'No, indeed, lord.'
'Well, monks, neither have I seen or heard of a warrior rajah,
crowned and anointed,
living a life of indulgence,
given over to the pleasures bed,
indolence
and sloth
to his heart's content;
and ruling all his life,
the darling and favourite of the country-folk.
■
And have you seen or heard of a farmer,[5][ed1]
living a life of indulgence,
given over to the pleasures bed,
indolence
and sloth
to his heart's content;
farming all his life,
the darling and favorite of his underlings?'
'No, indeed, lord.'
'Well, monks, neither have I seen or heard of a farmer,
living a life of indulgence,
given over to the pleasures bed,
indolence
and sloth
to his heart's content;
farming all his life,
the darling and favorite of his underlings.
■
And have you seen or heard of a land-owner's son[6],
living a life of indulgence,
given over to the pleasures bed,
indolence
and sloth
to his heart's content;
managing his lands all his life,
the darling and favorite of his underlings?'
'No, indeed, lord.'
'Well, monks, neither have I seen or heard of a land-owner's son,
living a life of indulgence,
given over to the pleasures bed,
indolence
and sloth
to his heart's content;
managing his lands all his life,
the darling and favorite of his underlings.
■
And have you seen or heard of a general,
living a life of indulgence,
given over to the pleasures bed,
indolence
and sloth
to his heart's content;
leading an army all his life,
the darling and favorite of his underlings?'
'No, indeed, lord.'
'Well, monks, neither have I seen or heard of a general,
living a life of indulgence,
given over to the pleasures bed,
indolence
and sloth
to his heart's content;
leading an army all his life,
the darling and favorite of his underlings.
■
And have you seen or heard of a village headman,[7]
living a life of indulgence,
given over to the pleasures bed,
indolence
and sloth
to his heart's content;
governing a village all his life,
the darling and favorite of his underlings?'
'No, indeed, lord.'
'Well, monks, neither have I seen or heard of a village headman,
living a life of indulgence,
given over to the pleasures bed,
indolence
and sloth
to his heart's content;
governing a village all his life,
the darling and favorite of his underlings.
■
And have you seen or heard of a guildmaster,
living a life of indulgence,
given over to the pleasures bed,
indolence
and sloth
to his heart's content;
mastering his guild all his life,
the darling and favorite of his underlings?'
'No, indeed, lord.'
'Well, monks, neither have I seen or heard of a guildmaster,
living a life of indulgence,
given over to the pleasures bed,
indolence
and sloth
to his heart's content;
mastering his guild all his life,
the darling and favorite of his underlings.
■
Then have you seen or heard
of a recluse or godly man[8]
indulging himself to his heart's content
in the pleasures of [216] bed,
indolence
and sloth,
with sense-doors unguarded,
knowing no moderation in eating,
not practising vigilance,
no seer of right things,
nor practising the practice -
day in day out -
of making become
things that wing to his awakening;[9]
yet, having destroyed the cankers
and being canker-free,
entering and abiding in mind-emancipation,
in insight-emaneipation
and realizing it,
here now,
by his own knowledge?'
'No indeed, lord.'
'Well, monks, neither have I seen or heard
of a recluse or godly man
indulging himself to his heart's content
in the pleasures of bed,
indolence
and sloth,
with sense-doors unguarded,
knowing no moderation in eating,
not practising vigilance,
no seer of right things,
nor practising the practice -
day in day out -
of making become
things that wing to his awakening;
yet, having destroyed the cankers
and being canker-free,
entering and abiding in mind-emancipation,
in insight-emaneipation
and realizing it,
here now,
by his own knowledge.
Wherefore, monks, train yourselves thus:
We will become guarded as to the sense-doors,
know moderation in eating,
be practised in vigilance,
seers of right things,
and dwell -
day in day out -
practising the practice of making become
things that wing to our awakening.
Verily, monks, train yourselves thus.'
[1] The text of the uddāna for both §§ 16 and 17 reads Nakula maccha ... ; S.e. Nakula-kusalā macchaṃ ...
[2] Upaṭṭhāna-sālā, lit. attendance-hall
[3] For all these, except Mahā Cunda, see G.S. i, 16 [and] and ref. there; for Mahā Cunda see below, § 46.
[4] Kākacchamānā. Comy. kāka-saddaṃ karontā, dante khadantā (gnashing teeth, as a sleeping infant often does).
[5] Cf. above V, § 58. Comy. here: yo raṭṭhaṃ bhuñjati.
[6] Gāma-gāmiko. Comy. gāma-bhojako, landlord.
[7] Brāhmaṇa.
[8] Cf. above V, § 56.
[9] Comy. the thirty-seven; see Buddhist Suttas, p. 62, [?] Vism. trsl. 832, and elsewhere. Originally, most likely thirty. Cf. K.S. v, Contents and Introduction.
[ed1] Hare, the PTS Pali, Bhk. Bodhi and the CSCD all abridge the following sections down to the name of the group. The BJT version I have appears to have begun an expanded version but left it mid-way. I have expanded both the Pali and Hare's translation inventing the appropriate changes in as close an alignment with Hare's vocabulary as I could manage.
