sutta » an » an4 » Aṅguttara Nikāya 4.14

Saṁvarasutta

Restraint

“Cattārimāni, bhikkhave, padhānāni.
“Mendicants, there are these four efforts.

Katamāni cattāri?
What four?

Saṁvarappadhānaṁ, pahānappadhānaṁ, bhāvanāppadhānaṁ, anurakkhaṇāppadhānaṁ.
The efforts to restrain, to give up, to develop, and to preserve.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, saṁvarappadhānaṁ?
And what, mendicants, is the effort to restrain?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu cakkhunā rūpaṁ disvā na nimittaggāhī hoti nānubyañjanaggāhī.
When a mendicant sees a sight with their eyes, they don’t get caught up in the features and details.

Yatvādhikaraṇamenaṁ cakkhundriyaṁ asaṁvutaṁ viharantaṁ abhijjhādomanassā pāpakā akusalā dhammā anvāssaveyyuṁ, tassa saṁvarāya paṭipajjati, rakkhati cakkhundriyaṁ, cakkhundriye saṁvaraṁ āpajjati.
If the faculty of sight were left unrestrained, bad unskillful qualities of covetousness and displeasure would become overwhelming. For this reason, they practice restraint, protecting the faculty of sight, and achieving its restraint.

Sotena saddaṁ sutvā …
When they hear a sound with their ears …

ghānena gandhaṁ ghāyitvā …
When they smell an odor with their nose …

jivhāya rasaṁ sāyitvā …
When they taste a flavor with their tongue …

kāyena phoṭṭhabbaṁ phusitvā …
When they feel a touch with their body …

manasā dhammaṁ viññāya na nimittaggāhī hoti nānubyañjanaggāhī,
When they know an idea with their mind, they don’t get caught up in the features and details.

yatvādhikaraṇamenaṁ manindriyaṁ asaṁvutaṁ viharantaṁ abhijjhādomanassā pāpakā akusalā dhammā anvāssaveyyuṁ, tassa saṁvarāya paṭipajjati, rakkhati manindriyaṁ, manindriye saṁvaraṁ āpajjati.
If the faculty of mind were left unrestrained, bad unskillful qualities of covetousness and displeasure would become overwhelming. For this reason, they practice restraint, protecting the faculty of mind, and achieving its restraint.

Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, saṁvarappadhānaṁ.
This is called the effort to restrain.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, pahānappadhānaṁ?
And what, mendicants, is the effort to give up?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu uppannaṁ kāmavitakkaṁ nādhivāseti pajahati vinodeti byantīkaroti anabhāvaṁ gameti;
It’s when a mendicant doesn’t tolerate a sensual,

uppannaṁ byāpādavitakkaṁ …pe…
malicious,

uppannaṁ vihiṁsāvitakkaṁ …pe…
or cruel thought that’s arisen, but gives it up, gets rid of it, eliminates it, and obliterates it.

uppannuppanne pāpake akusale dhamme nādhivāseti pajahati vinodeti byantīkaroti anabhāvaṁ gameti.
They don’t tolerate any bad, unskillful qualities that have arisen, but give them up, get rid of them, eliminate them, and obliterate them.

Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, pahānappadhānaṁ.
This is called the effort to give up.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, bhāvanāppadhānaṁ?
And what, mendicants, is the effort to develop?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu satisambojjhaṅgaṁ bhāveti vivekanissitaṁ virāganissitaṁ nirodhanissitaṁ vossaggapariṇāmiṁ,
It’s when a mendicant develops the awakening factors of mindfulness,

dhammavicayasambojjhaṅgaṁ bhāveti …
investigation of principles,

vīriyasambojjhaṅgaṁ bhāveti …
energy,

pītisambojjhaṅgaṁ bhāveti …
rapture,

passaddhisambojjhaṅgaṁ bhāveti …
tranquility,

samādhisambojjhaṅgaṁ bhāveti …
immersion,

upekkhāsambojjhaṅgaṁ bhāveti vivekanissitaṁ virāganissitaṁ nirodhanissitaṁ vossaggapariṇāmiṁ.
and equanimity, which rely on seclusion, fading away, and cessation, and ripen as letting go.

Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, bhāvanāppadhānaṁ.
This is called the effort to develop.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, anurakkhaṇāppadhānaṁ?
And what, mendicants, is the effort to preserve?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu uppannaṁ bhaddakaṁ samādhinimittaṁ anurakkhati aṭṭhikasaññaṁ puḷavakasaññaṁ vinīlakasaññaṁ vicchiddakasaññaṁ uddhumātakasaññaṁ.
It’s when a mendicant preserves a meditation subject that’s a fine foundation of immersion: the perception of a skeleton, a worm-infested corpse, a livid corpse, a split open corpse, or a bloated corpse.

Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, anurakkhaṇāppadhānaṁ.
This is called the effort to preserve.

Imāni kho, bhikkhave, cattāri padhānānīti.
These are the four efforts.

Saṁvaro ca pahānañca,
Restraint and giving up,

bhāvanā anurakkhaṇā;
development and preservation:

Ete padhānā cattāro,
these are the four efforts

desitādiccabandhunā;
taught by the kinsman of the Sun.

Yehi bhikkhu idhātāpī,
Any mendicant who keenly applies these

khayaṁ dukkhassa pāpuṇe”ti.
may attain the ending of suffering.”

Catutthaṁ.