Saddhasutta

Aṅguttara Nikāya 11.9

Numbered Discourses 11.9

1. Nissayavagga

1. Dependence

Saddhasutta

With Sandha

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā nātike viharati giñjakāvasathe.

At one time the Buddha was staying at Ñātika in the brick house.

Atha kho āyasmā saddho yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho āyasmantaṁ saddhaṁ bhagavā etadavoca:

Then Venerable Sandha went up to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to him:

“Ājānīyajhāyitaṁ kho, saddha, jhāya;

“Sandha, meditate like a thoroughbred,

mā khaḷuṅkajhāyitaṁ.

not like a wild colt.

Kathañca, khaḷuṅkajhāyitaṁ hoti?

And how does a wild colt meditate?

Assakhaḷuṅko hi, saddha, doṇiyā baddho ‘yavasaṁ yavasan’ti jhāyati.

A wild colt, tied up by the feeding trough, meditates: ‘Fodder, fodder!’

Taṁ kissa hetu?

Why is that?

Na hi, saddha, assakhaḷuṅkassa doṇiyā baddhassa evaṁ hoti:

Because it doesn’t occur to the wild colt tied up by the feeding trough:

‘kiṁ nu kho maṁ ajja assadammasārathi kāraṇaṁ kāressati, kimassāhaṁ paṭikaromī’ti.

‘What task will the horse trainer have me do today? How should I respond?’

So doṇiyā baddho ‘yavasaṁ yavasan’ti jhāyati.

Tied up by the feeding trough they just meditate: ‘Fodder, fodder!’

Evamevaṁ kho, saddha, idhekacco purisakhaḷuṅko araññagatopi rukkhamūlagatopi suññāgāragatopi kāmarāgapariyuṭṭhitena cetasā viharati kāmarāgaparetena uppannassa ca kāmarāgassa nissaraṇaṁ yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti.

In the same way, take a certain wild person who has gone to the forest, the root of a tree, or an empty hut. Their heart is overcome and mired in sensual desire, and they don’t truly understand the escape from sensual desire that has arisen.

So kāmarāgaṁyeva antaraṁ katvā jhāyati pajjhāyati nijjhāyati avajjhāyati,

Harboring sensual desire within they meditate and concentrate and contemplate and ruminate.

byāpādapariyuṭṭhitena cetasā viharati …

Their heart is overcome by ill will …

thinamiddhapariyuṭṭhitena cetasā viharati …

dullness and drowsiness …

uddhaccakukkuccapariyuṭṭhitena cetasā viharati …

restlessness and remorse …

vicikicchāpariyuṭṭhitena cetasā viharati vicikicchāparetena, uppannāya ca vicikicchāya nissaraṇaṁ yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti.

doubt …

So vicikicchaṁyeva antaraṁ katvā jhāyati pajjhāyati nijjhāyati avajjhāyati.

Harboring doubt within they meditate and concentrate and contemplate and ruminate.

So pathavimpi nissāya jhāyati, āpampi nissāya jhāyati, tejampi nissāya jhāyati, vāyampi nissāya jhāyati, ākāsānañcāyatanampi nissāya jhāyati, viññāṇañcāyatanampi nissāya jhāyati, ākiñcaññāyatanampi nissāya jhāyati, nevasaññānāsaññāyatanampi nissāya jhāyati, idhalokampi nissāya jhāyati, paralokampi nissāya jhāyati, yampidaṁ diṭṭhaṁ sutaṁ mutaṁ viññātaṁ pattaṁ pariyesitaṁ anuvicaritaṁ manasā, tampi nissāya jhāyati.

They meditate dependent on earth, water, fire, and air. They meditate dependent on the dimension of infinite space, infinite consciousness, nothingness, or neither perception nor non-perception. They meditate dependent on this world or the other world. They meditate dependent on what is seen, heard, thought, known, attained, sought, or explored by the mind.

Evaṁ kho, saddha, purisakhaḷuṅkajhāyitaṁ hoti.

That’s how a wild colt meditates.

Kathañca, saddha, ājānīyajhāyitaṁ hoti?

And how does a thoroughbred meditate?

Bhadro hi, saddha, assājānīyo doṇiyā baddho na ‘yavasaṁ yavasan’ti jhāyati.

A fine thoroughbred, tied up by the feeding trough, doesn’t meditate: ‘Fodder, fodder!’

Taṁ kissa hetu?

Why is that?

Bhadrassa hi, saddha, assājānīyassa doṇiyā baddhassa evaṁ hoti:

Because it occurs to the fine thoroughbred tied up by the feeding trough:

‘kiṁ nu kho maṁ ajja assadammasārathi kāraṇaṁ kāressati, kimassāhaṁ paṭikaromī’ti.

‘What task will the horse trainer have me do today? How should I respond?’

So doṇiyā baddho na ‘yavasaṁ yavasan’ti jhāyati.

Tied up by the feeding trough they don’t meditate: ‘Fodder, fodder!’

Bhadro hi, saddha, assājānīyo yathā iṇaṁ yathā bandhaṁ yathā jāniṁ yathā kaliṁ evaṁ patodassa ajjhoharaṇaṁ samanupassati.

For that fine thoroughbred regards the use of the goad as a debt, a bond, a loss, a misfortune.

Evamevaṁ kho, saddha, bhadro purisājānīyo araññagatopi rukkhamūlagatopi suññāgāragatopi na kāmarāgapariyuṭṭhitena cetasā viharati na kāmarāgaparetena, uppannassa ca kāmarāgassa nissaraṇaṁ yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti,

In the same way, take a certain fine thoroughbred person who has gone to the forest, the root of a tree, or an empty hut. Their heart is not overcome and mired in sensual desire, and they truly understand the escape from sensual desire that has arisen.

na byāpādapariyuṭṭhitena cetasā viharati …

Their heart is not overcome by ill will …

na thinamiddhapariyuṭṭhitena cetasā viharati …

dullness and drowsiness …

na uddhaccakukkuccapariyuṭṭhitena cetasā viharati …

restlessness and remorse …

na vicikicchāpariyuṭṭhitena cetasā viharati na vicikicchāparetena, uppannāya ca vicikicchāya nissaraṇaṁ yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti.

doubt …

So neva pathaviṁ nissāya jhāyati, na āpaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na tejaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na vāyaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na idhalokaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na paralokaṁ nissāya jhāyati, yampidaṁ diṭṭhaṁ sutaṁ mutaṁ viññātaṁ pattaṁ pariyesitaṁ anuvicaritaṁ manasā, tampi nissāya na jhāyati;

They don’t meditate dependent on earth, water, fire, and air. They don’t meditate dependent on the dimension of infinite space, infinite consciousness, nothingness, or neither perception nor non-perception. They don’t meditate dependent on this world or the other world. They don’t meditate dependent on what is seen, heard, thought, known, attained, sought, or explored by the mind.

jhāyati ca pana.

Yet they do meditate.

Evaṁ jhāyiñca pana, saddha, bhadraṁ purisājānīyaṁ saindā devā sabrahmakā sapajāpatikā ārakāva namassanti:

When a fine thoroughbred meditates like this, the gods together with Indra, the Divinity, and the Progenitor worship them from afar:

‘Namo te purisājañña,

‘Homage to you, O thoroughbred!

namo te purisuttama;

Homage to you, supreme among men!

Yassa te nābhijānāma,

We don’t understand

yampi nissāya jhāyasī’”ti.

the basis of your absorption.’”

Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā saddho bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

When he said this, Venerable Sandha asked the Buddha,

“kathaṁ jhāyī pana, bhante, bhadro purisājānīyo neva pathaviṁ nissāya jhāyati, na āpaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na tejaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na vāyaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na ākāsānañcāyatanaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na viññāṇañcāyatanaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na ākiñcaññāyatanaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na idhalokaṁ nissāya jhāyati, na paralokaṁ nissāya jhāyati, yampidaṁ diṭṭhaṁ sutaṁ mutaṁ viññātaṁ pattaṁ pariyesitaṁ anuvicaritaṁ manasā, tampi nissāya na jhāyati;

“But sir, how does that fine thoroughbred meditate?”

jhāyati ca pana?

Kathaṁ jhāyiñca pana, bhante, bhadraṁ purisājānīyaṁ saindā devā sabrahmakā sapajāpatikā ārakāva namassanti:

‘Namo te purisājañña,

namo te purisuttama;

Yassa te nābhijānāma,

yampi nissāya jhāyasī’”ti.

“Idha, saddha, bhadrassa purisājānīyassa pathaviyaṁ pathavisaññā vibhūtā hoti, āpasmiṁ āposaññā vibhūtā hoti, tejasmiṁ tejosaññā vibhūtā hoti, vāyasmiṁ vāyosaññā vibhūtā hoti, ākāsānañcāyatane ākāsānañcāyatanasaññā vibhūtā hoti, viññāṇañcāyatane viññāṇañcāyatanasaññā vibhūtā hoti, ākiñcaññāyatane ākiñcaññāyatanasaññā vibhūtā hoti, nevasaññānāsaññāyatane nevasaññānāsaññāyatanasaññā vibhūtā hoti, idhaloke idhalokasaññā vibhūtā hoti, paraloke paralokasaññā vibhūtā hoti, yampidaṁ diṭṭhaṁ sutaṁ mutaṁ viññātaṁ pattaṁ pariyesitaṁ anuvicaritaṁ manasā, tatrāpi saññā vibhūtā hoti.

“Sandha, for a fine thoroughbred person, the perception of earth has vanished in relation to earth. The perception of water … fire … air has vanished in relation to air. The perception of the dimension of infinite space has vanished in relation to the dimension of infinite space. The perception of the dimension of infinite consciousness … nothingness … neither perception nor non-perception has vanished in relation to the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception. The perception of this world has vanished in relation to this world. The perception of the other world has vanished in relation to the other world. And the perception of what is seen, heard, thought, known, attained, sought, or explored by the mind has vanished.

Evaṁ jhāyī kho, saddha, bhadro purisājānīyo neva pathaviṁ nissāya jhāyati …pe…

That’s how that fine thoroughbred person doesn’t meditate dependent on earth, water, fire, and air. They don’t meditate dependent on the dimension of infinite space, infinite consciousness, nothingness, or neither perception nor non-perception. They don’t meditate dependent on this world or the other world.

yampidaṁ diṭṭhaṁ sutaṁ mutaṁ viññātaṁ pattaṁ pariyesitaṁ anuvicaritaṁ manasā, tampi nissāya na jhāyati;

They don’t meditate dependent on what is seen, heard, thought, known, attained, sought, or explored by the mind.

jhāyati ca pana.

Yet they do meditate.

Evaṁ jhāyiñca pana, saddha, bhadraṁ purisājānīyaṁ saindā devā sabrahmakā sapajāpatikā ārakāva namassanti:

When a fine thoroughbred person meditates like this, the gods together with Indra, the Divinity, and the Progenitor worship them from afar:

‘Namo te purisājañña,

‘Homage to you, O thoroughbred!

namo te purisuttama;

Homage to you, supreme among men!

Yassa te nābhijānāma,

We don’t understand

yampi nissāya jhāyasī’”ti.

the basis of your absorption.’”

Navamaṁ.