sutta » an » an5 » Aṅguttara Nikāya 5.136

Dutiyapatthanāsutta

Aspiration (2nd)

“Pañcahi, bhikkhave, aṅgehi samannāgato rañño khattiyassa muddhāvasittassa jeṭṭho putto oparajjaṁ pattheti.
“Mendicants, an anointed aristocratic king’s eldest son with five factors aspires to become a viceroy.

Katamehi pañcahi?
What five?

Idha, bhikkhave, rañño khattiyassa muddhāvasittassa jeṭṭho putto ubhato sujāto hoti mātito ca pitito ca, saṁsuddhagahaṇiko, yāva sattamā pitāmahayugā akkhitto anupakkuṭṭho jātivādena;
It’s when an anointed aristocratic king’s eldest son is well born on both his mother’s and father’s side, of pure descent, with irrefutable and impeccable genealogy back to the seventh paternal generation.

abhirūpo hoti dassanīyo pāsādiko paramāya vaṇṇapokkharatāya samannāgato;
He is attractive, good-looking, lovely, of surpassing beauty.

mātāpitūnaṁ piyo hoti manāpo,
He is dear and beloved to his parents.

balakāyassa piyo hoti manāpo;
He is dear and beloved to the armed forces.

paṇḍito hoti viyatto medhāvī paṭibalo atītānāgatapaccuppanne atthe cintetuṁ.
He is astute, competent, and intelligent, able to think issues through as they bear upon the past, future, and present.

Tassa evaṁ hoti:
He thinks:

‘ahaṁ khomhi ubhato sujāto mātito ca pitito ca, saṁsuddhagahaṇiko, yāva sattamā pitāmahayugā akkhitto anupakkuṭṭho jātivādena.
‘I’m well born …

Kasmāhaṁ oparajjaṁ na pattheyyaṁ.

Ahaṁ khomhi abhirūpo dassanīyo pāsādiko paramāya vaṇṇapokkharatāya samannāgato.
attractive …

Kasmāhaṁ oparajjaṁ na pattheyyaṁ.

Ahaṁ khomhi mātāpitūnaṁ piyo manāpo.
dear and beloved to my parents …

Kasmāhaṁ oparajjaṁ na pattheyyaṁ.

Ahaṁ khomhi balakāyassa piyo manāpo.
dear and beloved to the armed forces …

Kasmāhaṁ oparajjaṁ na pattheyyaṁ.

Ahaṁ khomhi paṇḍito viyatto medhāvī paṭibalo atītānāgatapaccuppanne atthe cintetuṁ.
I’m astute, competent, and intelligent, able to think issues through as they bear upon the past, future, and present.

Kasmāhaṁ oparajjaṁ na pattheyyan’ti.
Why shouldn’t I aspire to become a viceroy?’

Imehi kho, bhikkhave, pañcahi aṅgehi samannāgato rañño khattiyassa muddhāvasittassa jeṭṭho putto oparajjaṁ pattheti.
An anointed aristocratic king’s eldest son with these five factors aspires to become a viceroy.

Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pañcahi dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu āsavānaṁ khayaṁ pattheti.
In the same way, a mendicant with five qualities aspires to end the defilements.

Katamehi pañcahi?
What five?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sīlavā hoti …pe… samādāya sikkhati sikkhāpadesu;
It’s when a mendicant is ethical, restrained in the monastic code, conducting themselves well and seeking alms in suitable places. Seeing danger in the slightest fault, they keep the rules they’ve undertaken.

bahussuto hoti …pe… diṭṭhiyā suppaṭividdhā;
They’re very learned, remembering and keeping what they’ve learned. These teachings are good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, meaningful and well-phrased, describing a spiritual practice that’s totally full and pure. They are very learned in such teachings, remembering them, reciting them, mentally scrutinizing them, and comprehending them theoretically.

catūsu satipaṭṭhānesu suppatiṭṭhitacitto hoti;
Their mind is firmly established in the four kinds of mindfulness meditation.

āraddhavīriyo viharati akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ pahānāya, kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ upasampadāya, thāmavā daḷhaparakkamo anikkhittadhuro kusalesu dhammesu;
They live with energy roused up for giving up unskillful qualities and embracing skillful qualities. They’re strong, staunchly vigorous, not slacking off when it comes to developing skillful qualities.

paññavā hoti, udayatthagāminiyā paññāya samannāgato ariyāya nibbedhikāya sammā dukkhakkhayagāminiyā.
They’re wise. They have the wisdom of arising and passing away which is noble, penetrative, and leads to the complete ending of suffering.

Tassa evaṁ hoti:
They think:

‘ahaṁ khomhi sīlavā, pātimokkhasaṁvarasaṁvuto viharāmi ācāragocarasampanno aṇumattesu vajjesu bhayadassāvī, samādāya sikkhāmi sikkhāpadesu.
‘I’m ethical …

Kasmāhaṁ āsavānaṁ khayaṁ na pattheyyaṁ.

Ahaṁ khomhi bahussuto sutadharo sutasannicayo, ye te dhammā ādikalyāṇā majjhekalyāṇā pariyosānakalyāṇā sātthaṁ sabyañjanaṁ kevalaparipuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ abhivadanti, tathārūpā me dhammā bahussutā honti dhātā vacasā paricitā manasānupekkhitā diṭṭhiyā suppaṭividdhā.
learned …

Kasmāhaṁ āsavānaṁ khayaṁ na pattheyyaṁ.

Ahaṁ khomhi catūsu satipaṭṭhānesu suppatiṭṭhitacitto.
mindful …

Kasmāhaṁ āsavānaṁ khayaṁ na pattheyyaṁ.

Ahaṁ khomhi āraddhavīriyo viharāmi akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ pahānāya, kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ upasampadāya, thāmavā daḷhaparakkamo anikkhittadhuro kusalesu dhammesu.
energetic …

Kasmāhaṁ āsavānaṁ khayaṁ na pattheyyaṁ.

Ahaṁ khomhi paññavā udayatthagāminiyā paññāya samannāgato ariyāya nibbedhikāya sammā dukkhakkhayagāminiyā.
wise. I have the wisdom of arising and passing away which is noble, penetrative, and leads to the complete ending of suffering.

Kasmāhaṁ āsavānaṁ khayaṁ na pattheyyan’ti.
Why shouldn’t I aspire to end the defilements?’

Imehi kho, bhikkhave, pañcahi dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu āsavānaṁ khayaṁ patthetī”ti.
A mendicant with these five qualities aspires to end the defilements.”

Chaṭṭhaṁ.