sutta » an » an4 » Aṅguttara Nikāya 4.165

Dutiyakhamasutta

Patience (2nd)

“Catasso imā, bhikkhave, paṭipadā.
“Mendicants, there are four ways of practice.

Katamā catasso?
What four?

Akkhamā paṭipadā, khamā paṭipadā, damā paṭipadā, samā paṭipadā.
Impatient practice, patient practice, taming practice, and calming practice.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, akkhamā paṭipadā?
And what’s the impatient practice?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco akkhamo hoti sītassa uṇhassa jighacchāya pipāsāya, ḍaṁsamakasavātātapasarīsapasamphassānaṁ duruttānaṁ durāgatānaṁ vacanapathānaṁ uppannānaṁ sārīrikānaṁ vedanānaṁ dukkhānaṁ tibbānaṁ kharānaṁ kaṭukānaṁ asātānaṁ amanāpānaṁ pāṇaharānaṁ anadhivāsakajātiko hoti.
It’s when someone cannot endure cold, heat, hunger, and thirst. They cannot endure the touch of flies, mosquitoes, wind, sun, and reptiles. They cannot endure rude and unwelcome criticism. And they cannot put up with physical pain—sharp, severe, acute, unpleasant, disagreeable, and life-threatening.

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, akkhamā paṭipadā.
This is called the impatient practice.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, khamā paṭipadā?
And what’s the patient practice?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco khamo hoti sītassa uṇhassa jighacchāya pipāsāya, ḍaṁsamakasavātātapasarīsapasamphassānaṁ duruttānaṁ durāgatānaṁ vacanapathānaṁ uppannānaṁ sārīrikānaṁ vedanānaṁ dukkhānaṁ tibbānaṁ kharānaṁ kaṭukānaṁ asātānaṁ amanāpānaṁ pāṇaharānaṁ adhivāsakajātiko hoti.
It’s when someone endures cold, heat, hunger, and thirst. They endure the touch of flies, mosquitoes, wind, sun, and reptiles. They endure rude and unwelcome criticism. And they put up with physical pain—sharp, severe, acute, unpleasant, disagreeable, and life-threatening.

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, khamā paṭipadā.
This is called the patient practice.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, damā paṭipadā?
And what’s the taming practice?

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

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 restraint over it.

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, damā paṭipadā.
This is called the taming practice.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, samā paṭipadā?
And what’s the calming practice?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu uppannaṁ kāmavitakkaṁ nādhivāseti pajahati vinodeti sameti byantīkaroti anabhāvaṁ gameti, uppannaṁ byāpādavitakkaṁ …pe… uppannaṁ vihiṁsāvitakkaṁ … uppannuppanne pāpake akusale dhamme nādhivāseti pajahati vinodeti sameti byantīkaroti anabhāvaṁ gameti.
It’s when a mendicant doesn’t tolerate a sensual, malicious, or cruel thought. They don’t tolerate any bad, unskillful qualities that have arisen, but give them up, get rid of them, calm them, eliminate them, and obliterate them.

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, samā paṭipadā.
This is called the calming practice.

Imā kho, bhikkhave, catasso paṭipadā”ti.
These are the four ways of practice.”

Pañcamaṁ.