Aṅguttara Nikāya 3.40

Translators: sujato

Numbered Discourses 3.40

4. Devadūtavagga
4. Messengers from the Gods

Ādhipateyyasutta

In Charge

“Tīṇimāni, bhikkhave, ādhipateyyāni.
“There are, mendicants, these three things to put in charge.

Katamāni tīṇi?
What three?

Attādhipateyyaṁ, lokādhipateyyaṁ, dhammādhipateyyaṁ.
Putting oneself, the world, or the teaching in charge.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, attādhipateyyaṁ?
And what, mendicants, is putting oneself in charge?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu araññagato vā rukkhamūlagato vā suññāgāragato vā iti paṭisañcikkhati:
It’s when a mendicant has gone to a wilderness, or to the root of a tree, or to an empty hut, and reflects like this:

‘na kho panāhaṁ cīvarahetu agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajito.
‘I didn’t go forth from the lay life to homelessness for the sake of a robe,

Na piṇḍapātahetu, na senāsanahetu, na itibhavābhavahetu agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajito.
almsfood, lodgings, or rebirth in this or that state.

Api ca khomhi otiṇṇo jātiyā jarāya maraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi, dukkhotiṇṇo dukkhapareto.
But I was swamped by rebirth, old age, and death; by sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress. I was swamped by suffering, mired in suffering.

Appeva nāma imassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa antakiriyā paññāyethāti.
And I thought, “Hopefully I can find an end to this entire mass of suffering.”

Ahañceva kho pana yādisake kāme ohāya agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajito tādisake vā kāme pariyeseyyaṁ tato vā pāpiṭṭhatare, na metaṁ patirūpan’ti.
But it would not be appropriate for me to seek sensual pleasures like those I abandoned when I went forth, or even worse.’

So iti paṭisañcikkhati:
Then they reflect:

‘āraddhaṁ kho pana me vīriyaṁ bhavissati asallīnaṁ, upaṭṭhitā sati asammuṭṭhā, passaddho kāyo asāraddho, samāhitaṁ cittaṁ ekaggan’ti.
‘My energy shall be roused up and unflagging, mindfulness shall be established and lucid, my body shall be tranquil and undisturbed, and my mind shall be immersed in samādhi.’

So attānaṁyeva adhipatiṁ karitvā akusalaṁ pajahati, kusalaṁ bhāveti, sāvajjaṁ pajahati, anavajjaṁ bhāveti, suddhaṁ attānaṁ pariharati.
Putting themselves in charge, they give up the unskillful and develop the skillful, they give up the blameworthy and develop the blameless, and they keep themselves pure.

Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, attādhipateyyaṁ.
This is called putting oneself in charge.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, lokādhipateyyaṁ?
And what, mendicants, is putting the world in charge?

‘na kho panāhaṁ cīvarahetu agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajito.
‘I didn’t go forth from the lay life to homelessness for the sake of a robe,

Na piṇḍapātahetu, na senāsanahetu, na itibhavābhavahetu agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajito.
almsfood, lodgings, or rebirth in this or that state.

Api ca khomhi otiṇṇo jātiyā jarāya maraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi, dukkhotiṇṇo dukkhapareto.
But I was swamped by rebirth, old age, and death, by sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress. I was swamped by suffering, mired in suffering.

Appeva nāma imassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa antakiriyā paññāyethā’ti.
And I thought, “Hopefully I can find an end to this entire mass of suffering.”

Ahañceva kho pana evaṁ pabbajito samāno kāmavitakkaṁ vā vitakkeyyaṁ, byāpādavitakkaṁ vā vitakkeyyaṁ, vihiṁsāvitakkaṁ vā vitakkeyyaṁ, mahā kho panāyaṁ lokasannivāso.
And now, since I’ve now gone forth, I might have sensual, malicious, or cruel thoughts. But the population of the world is large,

Mahantasmiṁ kho pana lokasannivāse santi samaṇabrāhmaṇā iddhimanto dibbacakkhukā paracittaviduno.
and there are ascetics and brahmins who have psychic power—they’re clairvoyant, and can read the minds of others.

Te dūratopi passanti, āsannāpi na dissanti, cetasāpi cittaṁ pajānanti.
They see far without being seen, even by those close; and they understand the minds of others.

Tepi maṁ evaṁ jāneyyuṁ:
They would know me:

‘passatha, bho, imaṁ kulaputtaṁ saddhā agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajito samāno vokiṇṇo viharati pāpakehi akusalehi dhammehī’ti.
“Look at this gentleman; he’s gone forth out of faith from the lay life to homelessness, but he’s living mixed up with bad, unskillful qualities.”

devatāpi kho santi iddhimantiniyo dibbacakkhukā paracittaviduniyo.
And there are deities, too, who have psychic power—they’re clairvoyant, and can read the minds of others.

Tā dūratopi passanti, āsannāpi na dissanti, cetasāpi cittaṁ jānanti.
They see far without being seen, even by those close; and they understand the minds of others.

Tāpi maṁ evaṁ jāneyyuṁ:
They would know me:

So iti paṭisañcikkhati:
Then they reflect:

So lokaṁyeva adhipatiṁ karitvā akusalaṁ pajahati, kusalaṁ bhāveti, sāvajjaṁ pajahati, anavajjaṁ bhāveti, suddhaṁ attānaṁ pariharati.
Putting the world in charge, they give up the unskillful and develop the skillful, they give up the blameworthy and develop the blameless, and they keep themselves pure.

Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, lokādhipateyyaṁ.
This is called putting the world in charge.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, dhammādhipateyyaṁ?
And what, mendicants, is putting the teaching in charge?

‘na kho panāhaṁ cīvarahetu agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajito.
‘I didn’t go forth from the lay life to homelessness for the sake of a robe,

Na piṇḍapātahetu, na senāsanahetu, na itibhavābhavahetu agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajito.
almsfood, lodgings, or rebirth in this or that state.

Appeva nāma imassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa antakiriyā paññāyethāti.
And I thought, “Hopefully I can find an end to this entire mass of suffering.”

Svākkhāto bhagavatā dhammo sandiṭṭhiko akāliko ehipassiko opaneyyiko paccattaṁ veditabbo viññūhīti.
The teaching is well explained by the Buddha—apparent in the present life, immediately effective, inviting inspection, relevant, so that sensible people can know it for themselves.

Santi kho pana me sabrahmacārī jānaṁ passaṁ viharanti.
I have spiritual companions who live knowing and seeing.

Ahañceva kho pana evaṁ svākkhāte dhammavinaye pabbajito samāno kusīto vihareyyaṁ pamatto, na metaṁ assa patirūpan’ti.
Now that I’ve gone forth in this well explained teaching and training, it would not be appropriate for me to live lazy and heedless.’

So iti paṭisañcikkhati:
Then they reflect:

So dhammaṁyeva adhipatiṁ karitvā akusalaṁ pajahati, kusalaṁ bhāveti, sāvajjaṁ pajahati, anavajjaṁ bhāveti, suddhaṁ attānaṁ pariharati.
Putting the teaching in charge, they give up the unskillful and develop the skillful, they give up the blameworthy and develop the blameless, and they keep themselves pure.

Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, dhammādhipateyyaṁ.
This is called putting the teaching in charge.

Imāni kho, bhikkhave, tīṇi ādhipateyyānīti.
These are the three things to put in charge.

Natthi loke raho nāma,
There’s no privacy in the world,

pāpakammaṁ pakubbato;
for someone who does bad deeds.

Attā te purisa jānāti,
You’ll know for yourself,

saccaṁ vā yadi vā musā.
whether you’ve lied or told the truth.

Kalyāṇaṁ vata bho sakkhi,
When you witness your good self,

attānaṁ atimaññasi;
you despise it;

Yo santaṁ attani pāpaṁ,
while you disguise

attānaṁ parigūhasi.
your bad self inside yourself.

Passanti devā ca tathāgatā ca,
The gods and the Realized One see

Lokasmiṁ bālaṁ visamaṁ carantaṁ;
the fool who lives unjustly in the world.

Tasmā hi attādhipateyyako ca,
So with yourself in charge, live mindfully;

Lokādhipo ca nipako ca jhāyī;
with the world in charge, <j>be alert and practice absorption;

Dhammādhipo ca anudhammacārī,
with the teaching in charge, <j>live in line with that teaching:

Na hīyati saccaparakkamo muni.
a sage who tries for the truth doesn’t deteriorate.

Pasayha māraṁ abhibhuyya antakaṁ,
Māra’s conquered; the terminator’s overcome:

Yo ca phusī jātikkhayaṁ padhānavā;
one who strives reaches the end of rebirth.

So tādiso lokavidū sumedho,
Poised, intelligent, knowing the world—

Sabbesu dhammesu atammayo munī”ti.
that sage is determined by nothing at all.”

Dasamaṁ.

Devadūtavaggo catuttho.

Tassuddānaṁ

Brahma ānanda sāriputto,

Nidānaṁ hatthakena ca;

Dūtā duve ca rājāno,

Sukhumālādhipateyyena cāti.