Aṇguttara Nikāya
Sattaka Nipāta
Mahāyañña-Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
The Book of the Sevens
Chapter V: The Great Sacrifice
Sutta 46
Vitthata-Satta-Saññā Suttaṃ
Thoughts 2
Translated from the Pali by E.M. Hare.
Copyright The Pali Text Society
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[1][than][olds][upal] 'Monks, these seven thoughts,
when made become,
made an increase in,
are very fruitful,
of great advantage,
plumbing the deathless,
having the deathless as their goal.
What seven?
The thought of the unattractive,
of death,
of the cloying of food,
of all-world discontent,
of impermanence,
of ill therein,
of no self in ill.
Verily, monks,
these seven thoughts,
when made become,
made an increase in,
are very fruitful,
of great advantage,
plumbing the deathless,
having the deathless as their goal.'
Monks, the thought of the unattractive,
when made become,
made an increase in,
is very fruitful,
of great advantage,
plumbing the deathless,
having the deathless as its goal —
thus is this said;
and on what score is this said?
Monks, when a monk lives much
with the thought of the unattractive
heaped around[1] the mind,
the mind draws[2] back,
bends back,
turns back
from falling into sex-ways,[3]
nor is distended[4] thereby;
and either poise or disgust is set up.
■
Just[5] as a cock's feather
or piece of gristle,
thrown on the fire,
draws back,
bends back,
turns back
and is not disstended;
even so, when a monk lives much
with the thought of the unattractive
heaped around the mind,
the mind draws back,
bends back,
turns back
from falling into sex-ways
and is not distended thereby;
and either poise or disgust is set up.
■
Monks, if, when a monk lives much
with the thought of the unattractive
heaped around the mind,
the mind flow[6] after sex-things,
if relish[7] be set up,
the monk must realize this:
"Not made become by me
is the thought of the unattractive;
not by me is there a passing[8] on
from the old state to a better;
not won 'by me is the fruit of making-become!"
Then surely he is thoughtful.
■
But if, when a monk lives much
with the thought of the unattractive
heaped around the mind,
the mind draw back,
bend back,
turn back
from falling into sex-ways
and be not distended thereby
and either poise or disgust be set up,
he ought to realize this:
"Made become by me
is the thought of the unattractive;
I have passed on from old
to better state;
I have won the fruit of making-become!"
Then surely he is thoughtful.
[29] Monks, the thought of the unattractive,
when made become,
made an increase in,
is very fruitful,
of great advantage,
plumbing the deathless,
having the deathless as its goal —
thus is this said;
and it is on this score it is said.
§
Monks, the thought of death,
when made become,
made an increase in,
is very fruitful,
of great advantage,
plumbing the deathless,
having the deathless as its goal —
thus is this said;
and on what score is it said?
Monks, when a monk lives much
with the thought of death
heaped around the mind,
the mind draws back,
bends back,
turns back
from longing for life and is not distended thereby;
and either poise or disgust is set up.
■
Just as a cock's feather
or piece of gristle,
thrown on the fire,
draws back,
bends back,
turns back
and is not disstended;
even so, when a monk lives much
with the thought of death,
heaped around the mind,
the mind draws back,
bends back,
turns back
from falling into longing for life,
and is not distended thereby;
and either poise or disgust is set up.
■
Monks, if, when a monk lives much
with the thought of death
heaped around the mind,
the mind flow after longing for life,
if relish be set up,
the monk must realize this:
"Not made become by me
is the thought of death;
not by me is there a passing on
from the old state to a better;
not won 'by me is the fruit of making-become!"
Then surely he is thoughtful.
■
But if, when a monk lives much
with the thought of death
heaped around the mind,
the mind draw back,
bend back,
turn back
from longing for life
and be not distended thereby
and either poise or disgust be set up,
he ought to realize this:
"Made become by me
is the thought of death;
I have passed on from old
to better state;
I have won the fruit of making-become!"
Then surely he is thoughtful.
■
Monks, the thought of death,
when made become,
made an increase in,
is very fruitful,
of great advantage,
plumbing the deathless,
having the deathless as its goal —
thus is this said;
and it is on this score it is said.
§
Monks, the thought of the cloying of food,
when made become,
made an increase in,
is very fruitful,
of great advantage,
plumbing the deathless,
having the deathless as its goal —
thus is this said;
and on what score is it said?
Monks, when a monk lives much
with the thought of the cloying of food
heaped around the mind,
the mind draws back,
bends back,
turns back
from craving for taste;
and either poise or disgust is set up.
■
Just as a cock's feather
or piece of gristle,
thrown on the fire,
draws back,
bends back,
turns back
and is not disstended;
even so, when a monk lives much
with the thought of the cloying of food,
heaped around the mind,
the mind draws back,
bends back,
turns back
from falling into craving for tastes,
and is not distended thereby;
and either poise or disgust is set up.
Monks, if, when a monk lives much
with the thought of the cloying of food
heaped around the mind,
the mind flow after craving for tastes,
if relish be set up,
the monk must realize this:
"Not made become by me
is the thought of the cloying of food;
not by me is there a passing on
from the old state to a better;
not won 'by me is the fruit of making-become!"
Then surely he is thoughtful.
■
But if, when a monk lives much
with the thought of the cloying of food
heaped around the mind,
the mind draw back,
bend back,
turn back
from craving for tastes,
and be not distended thereby
and either poise or disgust be set up,
he ought to realize this:
"Made become by me
is the thought of the cloying of food;
I have passed on from old
to better state;
I have won the fruit of making-become!"
Then surely he is thoughtful.
■
Monks, the thought of the cloying of food,
when made become,
made an increase in,
is very fruitful,
of great advantage,
plumbing the deathless,
having the deathless as its goal —
thus is this said;
and it is on this score it is said.
§
Monks, the thought of all-world discontent,
when made become,
made an increase in,
is very fruitful,
of great advantage,
plumbing the deathless,
having the deathless as its goal —
thus is this said;
and on what score is it said?
Monks, when a monk lives much
with the thought of all-world discontent
heaped around the mind,
the mind draws back,
bends back,
turns back
from the garishness of the worlds.[9] ...
■
Just as a cock's feather
or piece of gristle,
thrown on the fire,
draws back,
bends back,
turns back
and is not disstended;
even so, when a monk lives much
with the thought of the all-world discontent,
heaped around the mind,
the mind draws back,
bends back,
turns back
from the garishness of the worlds,
and is not distended thereby;
and either poise or disgust is set up.
■
Monks, if, when a monk lives much
with the thought of all-world discontent
heaped around the mind,
the mind flow after the garishness of the worlds,
if relish be set up,
the monk must realize this:
"Not made become by me
is the thought of all-world discontent;
not by me is there a passing on
from the old state to a better;
not won 'by me is the fruit of making-become!"
Then surely he is thoughtful.
■
But if, when a monk lives much
with the thought of all-world discontent
heaped around the mind,
the mind draw back,
bend back,
turn back
from the garishness of the worlds,
and be not distended thereby
and either poise or disgust be set up,
he ought to realize this:
"Made become by me
is the thought of all-world discontent;
I have passed on from old
to better state;
I have won the fruit of making-become!"
Then surely he is thoughtful.
■
Monks, the thought of all-world discontent,
when made become,
made an increase in,
is very fruitful,
of great advantage,
plumbing the deathless,
having the deathless as its goal —
thus is this said;
and it is on this score it is said.
§
Monks, the thought of the thought of impermanence,
when made become,
made an increase in,
is very fruitful,
of great advantage,
plumbing the deathless,
having the deathless as its goal —
thus is this said;
and on what score is it said?
Monks, when a monk lives much
with the thought of impermanence
heaped around the mind,
the mind draws back,
bends back,
turns back
from from gains, favours and flattery[10]
and is not distended thereby;
and either poise or disgust is set up.
■
Just as a cock's feather
or piece of gristle,
thrown on the fire,
draws back,
bends back,
turns back
and is not disstended;
even so, when a monk lives much
with the thought of impermanence,
heaped around the mind,
the mind draws back,
bends back,
turns back
from gains, favours and flattery,
and is not distended thereby;
and either poise or disgust is set up.
Monks, if, when a monk lives much
with the thought of impermanence
heaped around the mind,
the mind flow after gains, favours and flattery,
if relish be set up,
the monk must realize this:
"Not made become by me
is the thought of impermanence;
not by me is there a passing on
from the old state to a better;
not won 'by me is the fruit of making-become!"
Then surely he is thoughtful.
■
But if, when a monk lives much
with the thought of impermanence
heaped around the mind,
the mind draw back,
bend back,
turn back
from gains, favours and flattery,
and be not distended thereby
and either poise or disgust be set up,
he ought to realize this:
"Made become by me
is the thought of impermanence;
I have passed on from old
to better state;
I have won the fruit of making-become!"
Then surely he is thoughtful.
■
Monks, the thought of impermanence,
when made become,
made an increase in,
is very fruitful,
of great advantage,
plumbing the deathless,
having the deathless as its goal —
thus is this said;
and it is on this score it is said.
§
Monks, the thought of the thought of ill in impermanence,
when made become,
made an increase in,
is very fruitful,
of great advantage,
plumbing the deathless,
having the deathless as its goal —
thus is this said;
and on what score is it said?
Monks, when a monk lives much
with the thought of ill in impermanence
heaped around the mind,
and lethargy,
indolence,
languor,
idleness,
carelessness
and disregard come,[11]
a lively sense of fear springs up,
as a slayer with drawn sword.'
■
Monks, if, when a monk lives much
with the thought of ill in impermanence
heaped around the mind,
and lethargy,
indolence,
languor,
idleness,
carelessness
and disregard come,
and no lively sense of fear springs up,
as a slayer with drawn sword,
the monk must realize this:
"Not made become by me
is the thought of ill in impermanence;
not by me is there a passing on
from the old state to a better;
not won 'by me is the fruit of making-become!"
Then surely he is thoughtful.
■
But if, when a monk lives much
with the thought of ill in impermanence
heaped around the mind,
and lethargy,
indolence,
languor,
idleness,
carelessness
and disregard come,
and a lively sense of fear springs up,
as a slayer with drawn sword,
he ought to realize this:
"Made become by me
is the thought of ill in impermanence;
I have passed on from old
to better state;
I have won the fruit of making-become!"
Then surely he is thoughtful.
■
Monks, the thought of ill in impermanence,
when made become,
made an increase in,
is very fruitful,
of great advantage,
plumbing the deathless,
having the deathless as its goal —
thus is this said;
and it is on this score it is said.
§
Monks, the thought of the thought of there being no self in ill,
when made become,
made an increase in,
is very fruitful,
of great advantage,
plumbing the deathless,
having the deathless as its goal —
thus is this said;
and on what score is it said?
Monks, when a monk lives much
with the thought of there being no self in ill
heaped around the mind,
taking[12] thought is free of ideas[13]
that make for "I" and "mine" as [30] to this discriminative[14] body,
as to all outward signs,
is beyond the vanities,[15]
calmed,
wholly liberated.
■
Monks, if while a monk lives much
with the thought of there being no self in ill
heaped around the mind,[16]
taking thought be not free of all such ideas
that make for "I" and "mine" as to this discriminative body,
as to all outward signs,
is not beyond the vanities,
nor calmed,
nor wholly liberated,
the monk must realize this:
"Not made become by me
is the thought of there being no self in ill;
not by me is there a passing on
from the old state to a better;
not won by me is the fruit of making become!"
Then surely he is thoughtful.
■
But if, Monks, when a monk lives much
with the thought of there being no self in ill
heaped around the mind,
taking thought be free
of ideas that make for "I" and "mine"
as to this discriminative body,
as to all outward signs,
be beyond the vanities,
calmed,
wholly liberated,
he ought to realize:
"Made become by me
is the thought of there being no self in ill;
I have passed on
from the old state to a better;
I have won the fruit of making-become!"
Then surely he is thoughtful.
■
Monks, the thought of there being no self in ill,
when made become,
made an increase in,
is very fruitful,
of great advanntage,
plumbing the deathless,
having the deathless as its goal —
thus is this said;
and it is on this score it is said.
Verily, monks, these seven thoughts,
when made become,
made an increase in,
are very fruitful,
of great advantage,
plumbing the deathless,
having the deathless as their goal.'
[1] Paricita.
[2] Cf. S. ii, 265; [Ed.?] Mil. 297.
[3] Methuna-dhamma-samāpatti.
[4] 'And now his heart distends with pride,' Milton, Paradise Lost i 573; sampasārīyati.
[5] M. i, 188.
[6] Anusandati. P.E.D. prefers to read anusandahati: to apply to.
[7] Appāṭikiūlyatā.
[8] Pubbenāparaṇ viseso (leaving apart), but see K.S. v. 134 n.
[9] Loka-citta. Comy. the three worlds; cf. Dhp. 171.
[10] Vin. i, 183; M. i, 192; S. ii, 226; A. ii, 26.
[11] The construction is presumably locative absolute. Visaṭṭhiye. Comy. visaṭṭhabhāve: abandon.
[12] A. iii, 443. KS. ii, 167; iii. 145; A. i, 32; M. iii, 18.
[13] Mānasaṇ.
The idea here is more simply put: This embodied consciousness; consciousness located in a body, i.e., what we usually think of as 'me'.
— p.p.
[14] Saviññāṇake kāye. See Introduction. [Ed.: "This discriminative body" for saviññāṇako kāyo is misleading. The kāyo was never held to be the discriminator. The adjective simply implies him: — body-cum-man-the-survivor, or later, body-cum-mind as in the phrase saviññāṇako samanī sasaññī.]
[15] Vidhā: 'I am better than someone else, equal to, worse,' see K.S. iii, 42.
[16] The text repeats mostly in full throughout. [Ed.: expanded here]
