Aṅguttara Nikāya 6.13

Translators: sujato

Numbered Discourses 6.13

2. Sāraṇīyavagga
2. Warm-hearted

Nissāraṇīyasutta

Elements of Escape

“Chayimā, bhikkhave, nissāraṇīyā dhātuyo.
“Mendicants, there are these six elements of escape.

Katamā cha?
What six?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu evaṁ vadeyya:
Take a mendicant who says:

‘mettā hi kho me cetovimutti bhāvitā bahulīkatā yānīkatā vatthukatā anuṭṭhitā paricitā susamāraddhā;
‘I’ve developed the heart’s release by love. I’ve cultivated it, made it my vehicle and my basis, kept it up, consolidated it, and properly implemented it.

atha ca pana me byāpādo cittaṁ pariyādāya tiṭṭhatī’ti.
Yet somehow ill will still occupies my mind.’

So ‘mā hevan’tissa vacanīyo: ‘māyasmā evaṁ avaca; mā bhagavantaṁ abbhācikkhi, na hi sādhu bhagavato abbhakkhānaṁ, na hi bhagavā evaṁ vadeyya.
They should be told, ‘Not so, venerable! Don’t say that. Don’t misrepresent the Buddha, for misrepresentation of the Buddha is not good. And the Buddha would not say that.

Aṭṭhānametaṁ, āvuso, anavakāso yaṁ mettāya cetovimuttiyā bhāvitāya bahulīkatāya yānīkatāya vatthukatāya anuṭṭhitāya paricitāya susamāraddhāya;
It’s impossible, reverend, it cannot happen that the heart’s release by love has been developed and properly implemented,

atha ca panassa byāpādo cittaṁ pariyādāya ṭhassati, netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati.
yet somehow ill will still occupies the mind.

Nissaraṇañhetaṁ, āvuso, byāpādassa yadidaṁ mettācetovimuttī’ti.
For it is the heart’s release by love that is the escape from ill will.’

Idha pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhu evaṁ vadeyya:
Take another mendicant who says:

‘karuṇā hi kho me cetovimutti bhāvitā bahulīkatā yānīkatā vatthukatā anuṭṭhitā paricitā susamāraddhā;
‘I’ve developed the heart’s release by compassion. I’ve cultivated it, made it my vehicle and my basis, kept it up, consolidated it, and properly implemented it.

atha ca pana me vihesā cittaṁ pariyādāya tiṭṭhatī’ti.
Yet somehow the thought of harming still occupies my mind.’

Aṭṭhānametaṁ, āvuso, anavakāso yaṁ karuṇāya cetovimuttiyā bhāvitāya bahulīkatāya yānīkatāya vatthukatāya anuṭṭhitāya paricitāya susamāraddhāya;

atha ca panassa vihesā cittaṁ pariyādāya ṭhassati, netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati.

Nissaraṇañhetaṁ, āvuso, vihesāya yadidaṁ karuṇācetovimuttī’ti.
For it is the heart’s release by compassion that is the escape from thoughts of harming.’

Idha pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhu evaṁ vadeyya:
Take another mendicant who says:

‘muditā hi kho me cetovimutti bhāvitā bahulīkatā yānīkatā vatthukatā anuṭṭhitā paricitā susamāraddhā;
‘I’ve developed the heart’s release by rejoicing. I’ve cultivated it, made it my vehicle and my basis, kept it up, consolidated it, and properly implemented it.

atha ca pana me arati cittaṁ pariyādāya tiṭṭhatī’ti.
Yet somehow discontent still occupies my mind.’

Aṭṭhānametaṁ, āvuso, anavakāso yaṁ muditāya cetovimuttiyā bhāvitāya bahulīkatāya yānīkatāya vatthukatāya anuṭṭhitāya paricitāya susamāraddhāya;

atha ca panassa arati cittaṁ pariyādāya ṭhassati, netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati.

Nissaraṇañhetaṁ, āvuso, aratiyā yadidaṁ muditācetovimuttī’ti.
For it is the heart’s release by rejoicing that is the escape from discontent.’

Idha pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhu evaṁ vadeyya:
Take another mendicant who says:

‘upekkhā hi kho me cetovimutti bhāvitā bahulīkatā yānīkatā vatthukatā anuṭṭhitā paricitā susamāraddhā;
‘I’ve developed the heart’s release by equanimity. I’ve cultivated it, made it my vehicle and my basis, kept it up, consolidated it, and properly implemented it.

atha ca pana me rāgo cittaṁ pariyādāya tiṭṭhatī’ti.
Yet somehow desire still occupies my mind.’

Aṭṭhānametaṁ, āvuso, anavakāso yaṁ upekkhāya cetovimuttiyā bhāvitāya bahulīkatāya yānīkatāya vatthukatāya anuṭṭhitāya paricitāya susamāraddhāya;

atha ca panassa rāgo cittaṁ pariyādāya ṭhassati, netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati.

Nissaraṇañhetaṁ, āvuso, rāgassa yadidaṁ upekkhācetovimuttī’ti.
For it is the heart’s release by equanimity that is the escape from desire.’

Idha pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhu evaṁ vadeyya:
Take another mendicant who says:

‘animittā hi kho me cetovimutti bhāvitā bahulīkatā yānīkatā vatthukatā anuṭṭhitā paricitā susamāraddhā;
‘I’ve developed the signless release of the heart. I’ve cultivated it, made it my vehicle and my basis, kept it up, consolidated it, and properly implemented it.

atha ca pana me nimittānusāri viññāṇaṁ hotī’ti.
Yet somehow my consciousness still follows after signs.’

Aṭṭhānametaṁ, āvuso, anavakāso yaṁ animittāya cetovimuttiyā bhāvitāya bahulīkatāya yānīkatāya vatthukatāya anuṭṭhitāya paricitāya susamāraddhāya;

atha ca panassa nimittānusāri viññāṇaṁ bhavissati, netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati.

Nissaraṇañhetaṁ, āvuso, sabbanimittānaṁ yadidaṁ animittācetovimuttī’ti.
For it is the signless release of the heart that is the escape from all signs.’

Idha pana bhikkhave, bhikkhu evaṁ vadeyya:
Take another mendicant who says:

‘asmīti kho me vigataṁ, ayamahamasmīti ca na samanupassāmi;
‘I’m rid of the conceit “I am”. And I don’t regard anything as “I am this”.

atha ca pana me vicikicchākathaṅkathāsallaṁ cittaṁ pariyādāya tiṭṭhatī’ti.
Yet somehow the dart of doubt and indecision still occupies my mind.’

Aṭṭhānametaṁ, āvuso, anavakāso yaṁ asmīti vigate ayamahamasmīti ca na samanupassato;
It’s impossible, reverend, it cannot happen that the conceit “I am” has been done away with, and nothing is regarded as “I am this”,

atha ca panassa vicikicchākathaṅkathāsallaṁ cittaṁ pariyādāya ṭhassati, netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati.
yet somehow the dart of doubt and indecision still occupies the mind.

Nissaraṇañhetaṁ, āvuso, vicikicchākathaṅkathāsallassa yadidaṁ asmīti mānasamugghāto’ti.
For it is the uprooting of the conceit “I am” that is the escape from the dart of doubt and indecision.’

Imā kho, bhikkhave, cha nissāraṇīyā dhātuyo”ti.
These are the six elements of escape.”

Tatiyaṁ.