Aṇguttara Nikāya
X. Dasaka-Nipāta
I. Ānisaṇsa Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
X. The Book of the Tens
I. Profit
Sutta 10
Vijjā Suttaṃ
By Knowing[1]
Translated from the Pali by F. L. Woodward, M.A.
Copyright The Pali Text Society
Commercial Rights Reserved
For details see Terms of Use.
On a certain occasion the Exalted One was staying near Sāvatthī.
There the Exalted One addressed the monks, saying:
"Monks."
"Yes, lord," they replied, and the Exalted One said:
"Monks, a monk may be a believer
but yet not be virtuous.
Thus in that respect he is incomplete.
That defect must be remedied by the thought:
'How can I be both a believer
and virtuous?'
But, monks, when a monk is both a believer
and virtuous,
he is complete in that respect.
■
Monks, a monk may be both a believer
and virtuous
yet not learned.
Thus in that respect he is incomplete.
That defect must be remedied by the thought:
'How can I be both a believer
and virtuous
and learned?'
But, monks, when a monk is a believer
and virtuous,
and learned,
he is complete in that respect.
■
Monks, a monk may be a believer
and virtuous,
and learned,
yet no dhamma-preacher.
Thus in that respect he is incomplete.
That defect must be remedied by the thought:
'How can I be a believer
and virtuous
and learned,
and a dhamma-preacher?'
But, monks, when a monk is a believer
and virtuous,
and learned,
and a dhamma-preacher,
he is complete in that respect.
■
Monks, a monk may be a believer
and virtuous,
and learned,
and a dhamma-preacher
yet not a frequenter of debates.
Thus in that respect he is incomplete.
That defect must be remedied by the thought:
'How can I be a believer
and virtuous
and learned,
and a dhamma-preacher,
and a frequenter of debates?'
But, monks, when a monk is a believer
and virtuous,
and learned,
and a dhamma-preacher,
and a frequenter of debates,
he is complete in that respect.
■
Monks, a monk may be a believer
and virtuous,
and learned,
and a dhamma-preacher
and a frequenter of debates,
yet not be confident in expounding dhamma in a company.
Thus in that respect he is incomplete.
That defect must be remedied by the thought:
'How can I be a believer
and virtuous
and learned,
and a dhamma-preacher,
and a frequenter of debates,
and be confident in expounding dhamma in a company?'
But, monks, when a monk is a believer
and virtuous,
and learned,
and a dhamma-preacher,
and a frequenter of debates,
and is confident in expounding dhamma in a company,
he is complete in that respect.
■
Monks, a monk may be a believer
and virtuous,
and learned,
and a dhamma-preacher
and a frequenter of debates,
and be confident in expounding dhamma in a company,
yet not be expert in discipline.
Thus in that respect he is incomplete.
That defect must be remedied by the thought:
'How can I be a believer
and virtuous
and learned,
and a dhamma-preacher,
and a frequenter of debates,
and be confident in expounding dhamma in a company,
and be expert in discipline?'
But, monks, when a monk is a believer
and virtuous,
and learned,
and a dhamma-preacher,
and a frequenter of debates,
and is confident in expounding dhamma in a company,
and is expert in discipline,
he is complete in that respect.
■
Monks, a monk may be a believer
and virtuous,
and learned,
and a dhamma-preacher
and a frequenter of debates,
and be confident in expounding dhamma in a company,
and be expert in discipline,
yet not be one who can recall his former dwelling in divers ways, thus:
One birth,
[10] two births,
three, four, five,
ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty,
a hundred,
a thousand,
a hundred thousand births:
the various destructions of aeons,
the various renewals of aeons,
both the destructions and renewals of eons, thus:
'I lived there,
was named thus,
was of such a clan,
of such a caste,
was thus supported,
had such and such pleasant and painful experiences,
had such length of days,
disappeared thence
and arose elsewhere:
there too I lived,
was named thus,
was of such a clan,
of such a caste,
was thus supported,
had such and such pleasant and painful experiences,
had such length of days,
disappeared thence
and arose elsewhere.'
Thus he calls to mind
in all their specific details,
in all their characteristics,
in many various ways,
his previous states of existence.
Thus in that respect he is incomplete.
That defect must be remedied by the thought:
'How can I be a believer
and virtuous
and learned,
and a dhamma-preacher,
and a frequenter of debates,
and be confident in expounding dhamma in a company,
and be expert in discipline,
and be be one who can recall his former dwelling in divers ways, thus:
One birth,
two births,
three, four, five,
ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty,
a hundred,
a thousand,
a hundred thousand births:
the various destructions of aeons,
the various renewals of aeons,
both the destructions and renewals of eons, thus:
"I lived there,
was named thus,
was of such a clan,
of such a caste,
was thus supported,
had such and such pleasant and painful experiences,
had such length of days,
disappeared thence
and arose elsewhere:
there too I lived,
was named thus,
was of such a clan,
of such a caste,
was thus supported,
had such and such pleasant and painful experiences,
had such length of days,
disappeared thence
and arose elsewhere."
Thus calling to mind
in all their specific details,
in all their characteristics,
in many various ways,
his previous states of existence?'
But, monks, when a monk is a believer
and virtuous,
and learned,
and a dhamma-preacher,
and a frequenter of debates,
and is confident in expounding dhamma in a company,
and is expert in discipline,
and is one who can recall his former dwelling in divers ways, thus:
One birth,
two births,
three, four, five,
ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty,
a hundred,
a thousand,
a hundred thousand births:
the various destructions of aeons,
the various renewals of aeons,
both the destructions and renewals of eons, thus:
'I lived there,
was named thus,
was of such a clan,
of such a caste,
was thus supported,
had such and such pleasant and painful experiences,
had such length of days,
disappeared thence
and arose elsewhere:
there too I lived,
was named thus,
was of such a clan,
of such a caste,
was thus supported,
had such and such pleasant and painful experiences,
had such length of days,
disappeared thence
and arose elsewhere,'
Thus calling to mind
in all their specific details,
in all their characteristics,
in many various ways,
his previous states of existence.
he is complete in that respect.
■
Monks, a monk may be a believer
and virtuous,
and learned,
and a dhamma-preacher
and a frequenter of debates,
and be confident in expounding dhamma in a company,
and be expert in discipline,
and is one who can recall his former dwelling in divers ways, thus:
One birth,
two births,
three, four, five,
ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty,
a hundred,
a thousand,
a hundred thousand births:
the various destructions of aeons,
the various renewals of aeons,
both the destructions and renewals of eons, thus:
'I lived there,
was named thus,
was of such a clan,
of such a caste,
was thus supported,
had such and such pleasant and painful experiences,
had such length of days,
disappeared thence
and arose elsewhere:
there too I lived,
was named thus,
was of such a clan,
of such a caste,
was thus supported,
had such and such pleasant and painful experiences,
had such length of days,
disappeared thence
and arose elsewhere,'
Thus calling to mind
in all their specific details,
in all their characteristics,
in many various ways,
his previous states of existence,
but he may not be one who with the deva-sight,
purified and surpassing that of men,
he beholds beings deceasing
and rising up again,
beings both mean and excellent,
fair and foul,
gone to a happy state,
gone to a woeful state
according to their deeds
(so as to say):
'Alas! these worthies,
given to the practice of evil deeds,
of evil words,
of evil thoughts,
scoffing at the Noble Ones,
of perverted views
and reaping the fruits of their perverted views, -
these beings,
on the dissolution of body after death
arose again in the Waste,
the Woeful Way,
the Downfall,
in Purgatory!'
Or:
'Ah, these worthies,
given to the practice of good deeds,
of good words,
of good thoughts,
not scoffing at the Noble Ones,
but of sound views
and reaping the fruits of their sound views, -
these beings,
on the dissolution of the body after death
arose again in the Happy Lot,
in the Heaven World.'
Thus with the deva-sight,
purified and surpassing that of men,
he beholds beings deceasing
and rising up again,
beings both mean and excellent,
fair and foul,
gone to a happy state,
gone to a woeful state
according to their deeds.
Thus in that respect he is incomplete.
That defect must be remedied by the thought:
'How can I be a believer
and virtuous
and learned,
and a dhamma-preacher,
and a frequenter of debates,
and be confident in expounding dhamma in a company,
and be expert in discipline,
and be one who can recall his former dwelling in divers ways, thus:
One birth,
two births,
three, four, five,
ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty,
a hundred,
a thousand,
a hundred thousand births:
the various destructions of aeons,
the various renewals of aeons,
both the destructions and renewals of eons, thus:
'I lived there,
was named thus,
was of such a clan,
of such a caste,
was thus supported,
had such and such pleasant and painful experiences,
had such length of days,
disappeared thence
and arose elsewhere:
there too I lived,
was named thus,
was of such a clan,
of such a caste,
was thus supported,
had such and such pleasant and painful experiences,
had such length of days,
disappeared thence
and arose elsewhere,'
Thus calling to mind
in all their specific details,
in all their characteristics,
and be one who with the deva-sight,
purified and surpassing that of men,
he beholds beings deceasing
and rising up again,
beings both mean and excellent,
fair and foul,
gone to a happy state,
gone to a woeful state
according to their deeds
(so as to say):
"Alas! these worthies,
given to the practice of evil deeds,
of evil words,
of evil thoughts,
scoffing at the Noble Ones,
of perverted views
and reaping the fruits of their perverted views, -
these beings,
on the dissolution of body after death
arose again in the Waste,
the Woeful Way,
the Downfall,
in Purgatory!"
Or:
"Ah, these worthies,
given to the practice of good deeds,
of good words,
of good thoughts,
not scoffing at the Noble Ones,
but of sound views
and reaping the fruits of their sound views, -
these beings,
on the dissolution of the body after death
arose again in the Happy Lot,
in the Heaven World."
Thus with the deva-sight,
purified and surpassing that of men,
he beholds beings deceasing
and rising up again,
beings both mean and excellent,
fair and foul,
gone to a happy state,
gone to a woeful state
according to their deeds?'
But, monks, when a monk is a believer
and virtuous,
and learned,
and a dhamma-preacher,
and a frequenter of debates,
and is confident in expounding dhamma in a company,
and is expert in discipline,
and is one who can recall his former dwelling in divers ways, thus:
One birth,
two births,
three, four, five,
ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty,
a hundred,
a thousand,
a hundred thousand births:
the various destructions of aeons,
the various renewals of aeons,
both the destructions and renewals of eons, thus:
'I lived there,
was named thus,
was of such a clan,
of such a caste,
was thus supported,
had such and such pleasant and painful experiences,
had such length of days,
disappeared thence
and arose elsewhere:
there too I lived,
was named thus,
was of such a clan,
of such a caste,
was thus supported,
had such and such pleasant and painful experiences,
had such length of days,
disappeared thence
and arose elsewhere,'
Thus calling to mind
in all their specific details,
in all their characteristics,
and is one who with the deva-sight,
purified and surpassing that of men,
he beholds beings deceasing
and rising up again,
beings both mean and excellent,
fair and foul,
gone to a happy state,
gone to a woeful state
according to their deeds
(so as to say):
'Alas! these worthies,
given to the practice of evil deeds,
of evil words,
of evil thoughts,
scoffing at the Noble Ones,
of perverted views
and reaping the fruits of their perverted views, -
these beings,
on the dissolution of body after death
arose again in the Waste,
the Woeful Way,
the Downfall,
in Purgatory!'
Or:
'Ah, these worthies,
given to the practice of good deeds,
of good words,
of good thoughts,
not scoffing at the Noble Ones,
but of sound views
and reaping the fruits of their sound views, -
these beings,
on the dissolution of the body after death
arose again in the Happy Lot,
in the Heaven World.'
Thus with the deva-sight,
purified and surpassing that of men,
he beholds beings deceasing
and rising up again,
beings both mean and excellent,
fair and foul,
gone to a happy state,
gone to a woeful state
according to their deeds,
he is complete in that respect.
■
Monks, a monk may be a believer
and virtuous,
and learned,
and a dhamma-preacher
and a frequenter of debates,
and be confident in expounding dhamma in a company,
and be expert in discipline,
and is one who can recall his former dwelling in divers ways, thus:
One birth,
two births,
three, four, five,
ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty,
a hundred,
a thousand,
a hundred thousand births:
the various destructions of aeons,
the various renewals of aeons,
both the destructions and renewals of eons, thus:
'I lived there,
was named thus,
was of such a clan,
of such a caste,
was thus supported,
had such and such pleasant and painful experiences,
had such length of days,
disappeared thence
and arose elsewhere:
there too I lived,
was named thus,
was of such a clan,
of such a caste,
was thus supported,
had such and such pleasant and painful experiences,
had such length of days,
disappeared thence
and arose elsewhere,'
Thus calling to mind
in all their specific details,
in all their characteristics,
in many various ways,
his previous states of existence,
and be one who with the deva-sight,
purified and surpassing that of men,
beholds beings deceasing
and rising up again,
beings both mean and excellent,
fair and foul,
gone to a happy state,
gone to a woeful state
according to their deeds
(so as to say):
'Alas! these worthies,
given to the practice of evil deeds,
of evil words,
of evil thoughts,
scoffing at the Noble Ones,
of perverted views
and reaping the fruits of their perverted views, -
these beings,
on the dissolution of body after death
arose again in the Waste,
the Woeful Way,
the Downfall,
in Purgatory!'
Or:
'Ah, these worthies,
given to the practice of good deeds,
of good words,
of good thoughts,
not scoffing at the Noble Ones,
but of sound views
and reaping the fruits of their sound views, -
these beings,
on the dissolution of the body after death
arose again in the Happy Lot,
in the Heaven World.'
Thus with the deva-sight,
purified and surpassing that of men,
he beholds beings deceasing
and rising up again,
beings both mean and excellent,
fair and foul,
gone to a happy state,
gone to a woeful state
according to their deeds.
yet he does not, by destroying the cankers,
in this same visible state comprehending it of himself,
realize the heart's release,
the release by insight,
and attaining it abide therein.
Thus in that respect he is incomplete.
That defect must be remedied by the thought:
"How can I be a believer
and virtuous
and learned,
and a dhamma-preacher,
and a frequenter of debates,
and be confident in expounding dhamma in a company,
and be expert in discipline,
and be one who can recall his former dwelling in divers ways, thus:
One birth,
two births,
three, four, five,
ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty,
a hundred,
a thousand,
a hundred thousand births:
the various destructions of aeons,
the various renewals of aeons,
both the destructions and renewals of eons, thus:
'I lived there,
was named thus,
was of such a clan,
of such a caste,
was thus supported,
had such and such pleasant and painful experiences,
had such length of days,
disappeared thence
and arose elsewhere:
there too I lived,
was named thus,
was of such a clan,
of such a caste,
was thus supported,
had such and such pleasant and painful experiences,
had such length of days,
disappeared thence
and arose elsewhere,'
Thus calling to mind
in all their specific details,
in all their characteristics,
and be one who with the deva-sight,
purified and surpassing that of men,
he beholds beings deceasing
and rising up again,
beings both mean and excellent,
fair and foul,
gone to a happy state,
gone to a woeful state
according to their deeds
(so as to say):
'Alas! these worthies,
given to the practice of evil deeds,
of evil words,
of evil thoughts,
scoffing at the Noble Ones,
of perverted views
and reaping the fruits of their perverted views, -
these beings,
on the dissolution of body after death
arose again in the Waste,
the Woeful Way,
the Downfall,
in Purgatory!'
Or:
'Ah, these worthies,
given to the practice of good deeds,
of good words,
of good thoughts,
not scoffing at the Noble Ones,
but of sound views
and reaping the fruits of their sound views, -
these beings,
on the dissolution of the body after death
arose again in the Happy Lot,
in the Heaven World.'
Thus with the deva-sight,
purified and surpassing that of men,
he beholds beings deceasing
and rising up again,
beings both mean and excellent,
fair and foul,
gone to a happy state,
gone to a woeful state
according to their deeds
and by destroying the cankers,
in this same visible state comprehending it of myself,
realize the heart's release,
the release by insight,
and attaining it abide therein?"
But, monks, when a monk is a believer
and virtuous,
and learned,
and a dhamma-preacher,
and a frequenter of debates,
and is confident in expounding dhamma in a company,
and is expert in discipline,
and is one who can recall his former dwelling in divers ways, thus:
One birth,
two births,[2]
three, four, five,
ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty,
a hundred,
a thousand,
a hundred thousand births:
the various destructions of aeons,
the various renewals of aeons,
both the destructions and renewals of eons, thus:
'I lived there,
was named thus,
was of such a clan,
of such a caste,
was thus supported,
had such and such pleasant and painful experiences,
had such length of days,
disappeared thence
and arose elsewhere:
there too I lived,
was named thus,
was of such a clan,
of such a caste,
was thus supported,
had such and such pleasant and painful experiences,
had such length of days,
disappeared thence
and arose elsewhere,'
Thus calling to mind
in all their specific details,
in all their characteristics,
and is one who with the deva-sight,
purified and surpassing that of men,
he beholds beings deceasing
and rising up again,
beings both mean and excellent,
fair and foul,
gone to a happy state,
gone to a woeful state
according to their deeds
(so as to say):
'Alas! these worthies,
given to the practice of evil deeds,
of evil words,
of evil thoughts,
scoffing at the Noble Ones,
of perverted views
and reaping the fruits of their perverted views, -
these beings,
on the dissolution of body after death
arose again in the Waste,
the Woeful Way,
the Downfall,
in Purgatory!'
Or:
'Ah, these worthies,
given to the practice of good deeds,
of good words,
of good thoughts,
not scoffing at the Noble Ones,
but of sound views
and reaping the fruits of their sound views, -
these beings,
on the dissolution of the body after death
arose again in the Happy Lot,
in the Heaven World.'
Thus with the deva-sight,
purified and surpassing that of men,
he beholds beings deceasing
and rising up again,
beings both mean and excellent,
fair and foul,
gone to a happy state,
gone to a woeful state
according to their deeds,
and by destroying the cankers,
in this same visible state comprehending it of himself,
realizes the heart's release,
the release by insight,
and attaining it abides therein,
he is complete in that respect.
Monks, if he be endowed with these ten qualities
a monk is altogether charming
and complete in every attribute."
[1] The uddana has Vijjaya (?) probably referring to the sentence about his former dwelling.
[2] Text abbreviates this well-known passage occurring e.g. at G.S. i, 147, and later on in this volume, and by error repeats several sentences.
