Aṅguttara Nikāya 6.62

Translators: sujato

Numbered Discourses 6.62

6. Mahāvagga
6. The Great Chapter

Purisindriyañāṇasutta

Knowledge of the Faculties of Persons

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
So I have heard.

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kosalesu cārikaṁ caramāno mahatā bhikkhusaṅghena saddhiṁ yena daṇḍakappakaṁ nāma kosalānaṁ nigamo tadavasari.
At one time the Buddha was wandering in the land of the Kosalans together with a large Saṅgha of mendicants when he arrived at a town of the Kosalans named Daṇḍakappaka.

Atha kho bhagavā maggā okkamma aññatarasmiṁ rukkhamūle paññatte āsane nisīdi.
The Buddha left the road and sat at the root of a tree on the seat spread out.

Te ca bhikkhū daṇḍakappakaṁ pavisiṁsu āvasathaṁ pariyesituṁ.
The mendicants entered Daṇḍakappaka to look for a guest house.

Atha kho āyasmā ānando sambahulehi bhikkhūhi saddhiṁ yena aciravatī nadī tenupasaṅkami gattāni parisiñcituṁ.
Then Venerable Ānanda together with several mendicants went to the Aciravati River to bathe.

Aciravatiyā nadiyā gattāni parisiñcitvā paccuttaritvā ekacīvaro aṭṭhāsi gattāni pubbāpayamāno.
When he had bathed and emerged from the water he stood in one robe drying himself.

Atha kho aññataro bhikkhu yenāyasmā ānando tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ etadavoca:
Then a certain mendicant went up to Venerable Ānanda, and said to him,

“kiṁ nu kho, āvuso ānanda, sabbaṁ cetaso samannāharitvā nu kho devadatto bhagavatā byākato:
“Reverend Ānanda, when the Buddha declared that Devadatta was

‘āpāyiko devadatto nerayiko kappaṭṭho atekiccho’ti, udāhu kenacideva pariyāyenāti?
going to a place of loss, to hell, there to remain for an eon, irredeemable, did he do so after wholeheartedly deliberating, or was this just a way of speaking?”

Evaṁ kho panetaṁ, āvuso, bhagavatā byākatan”ti.
“You’re right, reverend, that’s how the Buddha declared it.”

Atha kho āyasmā ānando yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā ānando bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
Then Venerable Ānanda went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what had happened.

“idhāhaṁ, bhante, sambahulehi bhikkhūhi saddhiṁ yena aciravatī nadī tenupasaṅkamiṁ gattāni parisiñcituṁ.

Aciravatiyā nadiyā gattāni parisiñcitvā paccuttaritvā ekacīvaro aṭṭhāsiṁ gattāni pubbāpayamāno.

Atha kho, bhante, aññataro bhikkhu yenāhaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā maṁ etadavoca:

‘kiṁ nu kho, āvuso ānanda, sabbaṁ cetaso samannāharitvā nu kho devadatto bhagavatā byākato—

āpāyiko devadatto nerayiko kappaṭṭho atekicchoti, udāhu kenacideva pariyāyenā’ti?

Evaṁ vutte, ahaṁ, bhante, taṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavocaṁ:

‘evaṁ kho panetaṁ, āvuso, bhagavatā byākatan’”ti.

“So vā kho, ānanda, bhikkhu navo bhavissati acirapabbajito, thero vā pana bālo abyatto.
“Ānanda, that mendicant must be junior, recently gone forth, or else a foolish, incompetent senior mendicant.

Kathañhi nāma yaṁ mayā ekaṁsena byākataṁ tattha dvejjhaṁ āpajjissati.
How on earth can he take something that I have declared categorically to be ambiguous?

Nāhaṁ, ānanda, aññaṁ ekapuggalampi samanupassāmi, yo evaṁ mayā sabbaṁ cetaso samannāharitvā byākato, yathayidaṁ devadatto.
I do not see a single other person about whom I have given such whole-hearted deliberation before making a declaration as I did in the case of Devadatta.

Yāvakīvañcāhaṁ, ānanda, devadattassa vālaggakoṭinittudanamattampi sukkadhammaṁ addasaṁ;
As long as I saw even a fraction of a hair’s tip of goodness in Devadatta

neva tāvāhaṁ devadattaṁ byākāsiṁ:
I did not declare that he was

‘āpāyiko devadatto nerayiko kappaṭṭho atekiccho’ti.
going to a place of loss, to hell, there to remain for an eon, irredeemable.

Yato ca kho ahaṁ, ānanda, devadattassa vālaggakoṭinittudanamattampi sukkadhammaṁ na addasaṁ;
But when I saw that there was not even a fraction of a hair’s tip of goodness in Devadatta

athāhaṁ devadattaṁ byākāsiṁ:
I declared that he was

‘āpāyiko devadatto nerayiko kappaṭṭho atekiccho’ti.
going to a place of loss, to hell, there to remain for an eon, irredeemable.

Seyyathāpi, ānanda, gūthakūpo sādhikaporiso pūro gūthassa samatittiko.
Suppose there was a sewer deeper than a man’s height, full to the brim with feces,

Tatra puriso sasīsako nimuggo assa.
and someone was sunk into it over their head.

Tassa kocideva puriso uppajjeyya atthakāmo hitakāmo yogakkhemakāmo tamhā gūthakūpā uddharitukāmo.
Then along comes a person who wants to help make them safe, who wants to lift them out of that sewer.

So taṁ gūthakūpaṁ samantānuparigacchanto neva passeyya tassa purisassa vālaggakoṭinittudanamattampi gūthena amakkhitaṁ, yattha taṁ gahetvā uddhareyya.
But circling all around the sewer they couldn’t see even a fraction of a hair’s tip of that person that was not smeared with feces.

Evamevaṁ kho ahaṁ, ānanda, yato devadattassa vālaggakoṭinittudanamattampi sukkadhammaṁ na addasaṁ;
In the same way, when I saw that there was not even a fraction of a hair’s tip of goodness in Devadatta

athāhaṁ devadattaṁ byākāsiṁ:
I declared that he was

‘āpāyiko devadatto nerayiko kappaṭṭho atekiccho’ti.
going to a place of loss, to hell, there to remain for an eon, irredeemable.

Sace tumhe, ānanda, suṇeyyātha tathāgatassa purisindriyañāṇāni vibhajissāmī”ti?
Ānanda, if only you would all listen to the Realized One’s analysis of the knowledges of the faculties of individuals.”

“Etassa, bhagavā, kālo; etassa, sugata, kālo
“Now is the time, Blessed One! Now is the time, Holy One!

yaṁ bhagavā purisindriyañāṇāni vibhajeyya. Bhagavato sutvā bhikkhū dhāressantī”ti.
Let the Buddha analyze the faculties of persons. The mendicants will listen and remember it.”

“Tenahānanda, suṇāhi, sādhukaṁ manasi karohi; bhāsissāmī”ti.
“Well then, Ānanda, listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.”

“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho āyasmā ānando bhagavato paccassosi.
“Yes, sir,” Ānanda replied.

Bhagavā etadavoca:
The Buddha said this:

“Idhāhaṁ, ānanda, ekaccaṁ puggalaṁ evaṁ cetasā ceto paricca pajānāmi:
“Ānanda, when I’ve comprehended the mind of a person, I understand:

‘imassa kho puggalassa vijjamānā kusalāpi dhammā akusalāpi dhammā’ti.
‘Both skillful and unskillful qualities are found in this person.’

Tamenaṁ aparena samayena evaṁ cetasā ceto paricca pajānāmi:
After some time I comprehend their mind and understand:

‘imassa kho puggalassa kusalā dhammā antarahitā, akusalā dhammā sammukhībhūtā.
‘The skillful qualities of this person have vanished, but the unskillful qualities are still present.

Atthi ca khvassa kusalamūlaṁ asamucchinnaṁ, tamhā tassa kusalā kusalaṁ pātubhavissati.
Nevertheless, their skillful root is unbroken, and from that the skillful will appear.

Evamayaṁ puggalo āyatiṁ aparihānadhammo bhavissatī’ti.
So this person is not liable to decline in the future.’

Seyyathāpi, ānanda, bījāni akhaṇḍāni apūtīni avātātapahatāni sāradāni sukhasayitāni sukhette suparikammakatāya bhūmiyā nikkhittāni.
Suppose some seeds were intact, unspoiled, not weather-damaged, fertile, and well-kept. They’re sown in a well-prepared, productive field.

Jāneyyāsi tvaṁ, ānanda, imāni bījāni vuddhiṁ virūḷhiṁ vepullaṁ āpajjissantī”ti?
Wouldn’t you know that those seeds would grow, increase, and mature?”

“Evaṁ, bhante”.
“Yes, sir.”

“Evamevaṁ kho ahaṁ, ānanda, idhekaccaṁ puggalaṁ evaṁ cetasā ceto paricca pajānāmi:
“In the same way, when I’ve comprehended the mind of a person, I understand …

‘imassa kho puggalassa vijjamānā kusalāpi dhammā akusalāpi dhammā’ti.

Tamenaṁ aparena samayena evaṁ cetasā ceto paricca pajānāmi:

‘imassa kho puggalassa kusalā dhammā antarahitā, akusalā dhammā sammukhībhūtā.

Atthi ca khvassa kusalamūlaṁ asamucchinnaṁ, tamhā tassa kusalā kusalaṁ pātubhavissati.

Evamayaṁ puggalo āyatiṁ aparihānadhammo bhavissatī’ti.
This person is not liable to decline in the future …

Evampi kho, ānanda, tathāgatassa purisapuggalo cetasā ceto paricca vidito hoti.
This is how another individual is known to the Realized One by comprehending their mind.

Evampi kho, ānanda, tathāgatassa purisindriyañāṇaṁ cetasā ceto paricca viditaṁ hoti.
And this is how the Realized One knows a person’s faculties by comprehending their mind.

Evampi kho, ānanda, tathāgatassa āyatiṁ dhammasamuppādo cetasā ceto paricca vidito hoti.
And this is how the Realized One knows the future origination of a person’s qualities by comprehending their mind.

Idha panāhaṁ, ānanda, ekaccaṁ puggalaṁ evaṁ cetasā ceto paricca pajānāmi:
When I’ve comprehended the mind of a person, I understand:

‘imassa kho puggalassa vijjamānā kusalāpi dhammā akusalāpi dhammā’ti.
‘Both skillful and unskillful qualities are found in this person.’

Tamenaṁ aparena samayena evaṁ cetasā ceto paricca pajānāmi:
After some time I comprehend their mind and understand:

‘imassa kho puggalassa akusalā dhammā antarahitā, kusalā dhammā sammukhībhūtā.
‘The unskillful qualities of this person have vanished, but the skillful qualities are still present.

Atthi ca khvassa akusalamūlaṁ asamucchinnaṁ, tamhā tassa akusalā akusalaṁ pātubhavissati.
Nevertheless, their unskillful root is unbroken, and from that the unskillful will appear.

Evamayaṁ puggalo āyatiṁ parihānadhammo bhavissatī’ti.
So this person is still liable to decline in the future.’

Seyyathāpi, ānanda, bījāni akhaṇḍāni apūtīni avātātapahatāni sāradāni sukhasayitāni puthusilāya nikkhittāni.
Suppose some seeds were intact, unspoiled, not weather-damaged, fertile, and well-kept. And they were sown on a broad rock.

Jāneyyāsi tvaṁ, ānanda, nayimāni bījāni vuddhiṁ virūḷhiṁ vepullaṁ āpajjissantī”ti?
Wouldn’t you know that those seeds would not grow, increase, and mature?”

“Evaṁ, bhante”.
“Yes, sir.”

“Evamevaṁ kho ahaṁ, ānanda, idhekaccaṁ puggalaṁ evaṁ cetasā ceto paricca pajānāmi:
“In the same way, when I’ve comprehended the mind of a person, I understand …

‘imassa kho puggalassa vijjamānā kusalāpi dhammā akusalāpi dhammā’ti.

Tamenaṁ aparena samayena evaṁ cetasā ceto paricca pajānāmi:

‘imassa kho puggalassa akusalā dhammā antarahitā, kusalā dhammā sammukhībhūtā.

Atthi ca khvassa akusalamūlaṁ asamucchinnaṁ, tamhā tassa akusalā akusalaṁ pātubhavissati.

Evamayaṁ puggalo āyatiṁ parihānadhammo bhavissatī’ti.
This person is still liable to decline in the future …

Evampi kho, ānanda, tathāgatassa purisapuggalo cetasā ceto paricca vidito hoti.
This is how another individual is known to the Realized One …

Evampi kho, ānanda, tathāgatassa purisindriyañāṇaṁ cetasā ceto paricca viditaṁ hoti.

Evampi kho, ānanda, tathāgatassa āyatiṁ dhammasamuppādo cetasā ceto paricca vidito hoti.

Idha panāhaṁ, ānanda, ekaccaṁ puggalaṁ evaṁ cetasā ceto paricca pajānāmi:
When I’ve comprehended the mind of a person, I understand:

‘imassa kho puggalassa vijjamānā kusalāpi dhammā akusalāpi dhammā’ti.
‘Both skillful and unskillful qualities are found in this person.’

Tamenaṁ aparena samayena evaṁ cetasā ceto paricca pajānāmi:
After some time I comprehend their mind and understand:

‘natthi imassa puggalassa vālaggakoṭinittudanamattopi sukko dhammo, samannāgatoyaṁ puggalo ekantakāḷakehi akusalehi dhammehi, kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapajjissatī’ti.
‘This person has not even a fraction of a hair’s tip of goodness. They have exclusively dark, unskillful qualities. When their body breaks up, after death, they will be reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell.’

Seyyathāpi, ānanda, bījāni khaṇḍāni pūtīni vātātapahatāni sukhette suparikammakatāya bhūmiyā nikkhittāni.
Suppose some seeds were broken, spoiled, weather-damaged. They’re sown in a well-prepared, productive field.

Jāneyyāsi tvaṁ, ānanda, nayimāni bījāni vuddhiṁ virūḷhiṁ vepullaṁ āpajjissantī”ti?
Wouldn’t you know that those seeds would not grow, increase, and mature?”

“Evaṁ, bhante”.
“Yes, sir.”

“Evamevaṁ kho ahaṁ, ānanda, idhekaccaṁ puggalaṁ evaṁ cetasā ceto paricca pajānāmi:
“In the same way, when I’ve comprehended the mind of a person, I understand …

‘imassa kho puggalassa vijjamānā kusalāpi dhammā akusalāpi dhammā’ti.

Tamenaṁ aparena samayena evaṁ cetasā ceto paricca pajānāmi:

Evampi kho, ānanda, tathāgatassa purisapuggalo cetasā ceto paricca vidito hoti.

Evampi kho, ānanda, tathāgatassa purisindriyañāṇaṁ cetasā ceto paricca viditaṁ hoti.

Evampi kho, ānanda, tathāgatassa āyatiṁ dhammasamuppādo cetasā ceto paricca vidito hotī”ti.

Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā ānando bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
When he said this, Venerable Ānanda said to the Buddha,

“sakkā nu kho, bhante, imesaṁ tiṇṇaṁ puggalānaṁ aparepi tayo puggalā sappaṭibhāgā paññāpetun”ti?
“Sir, can you describe three other persons who are counterparts of these three?”

“Sakkā, ānandā”ti bhagavā avoca:
“I can, Ānanda,” said the Buddha.

“idhāhaṁ, ānanda, ekaccaṁ puggalaṁ evaṁ cetasā ceto paricca pajānāmi:
“Ānanda, when I’ve comprehended the mind of a person, I understand:

‘imassa kho puggalassa vijjamānā kusalāpi dhammā akusalāpi dhammā’ti.
‘Both skillful and unskillful qualities are found in this person.’

Tamenaṁ aparena samayena evaṁ cetasā ceto paricca pajānāmi:
After some time I comprehend their mind and understand:

‘imassa kho puggalassa kusalā dhammā antarahitā, akusalā dhammā sammukhībhūtā.
‘The skillful qualities of this person have vanished, but the unskillful qualities are still present.

Atthi ca khvassa kusalamūlaṁ asamucchinnaṁ, tampi sabbena sabbaṁ samugghātaṁ gacchati.
Nevertheless, their skillful root is unbroken, but it’s about to be totally destroyed.

Evamayaṁ puggalo āyatiṁ parihānadhammo bhavissatī’ti.
So this person is still liable to decline in the future.’

Seyyathāpi, ānanda, aṅgārāni ādittāni sampajjalitāni sajotibhūtāni puthusilāya nikkhittāni.
Suppose that there were some burning coals, blazing and glowing. And they were placed on a broad rock.

Jāneyyāsi tvaṁ, ānanda, nayimāni aṅgārāni vuddhiṁ virūḷhiṁ vepullaṁ āpajjissantī”ti?
Wouldn’t you know that those coals would not grow, increase, and spread?”

“Evaṁ, bhante”.
“Yes, sir.”

“Seyyathāpi vā pana, ānanda, sāyanhasamayaṁ sūriye ogacchante, jāneyyāsi tvaṁ, ānanda, āloko antaradhāyissati andhakāro pātubhavissatī”ti?
“Or suppose it was the late afternoon and the sun was going down. Wouldn’t you know that the light was about to vanish and darkness appear?”

“Evaṁ, bhante”.
“Yes, sir.”

“Seyyathāpi vā, panānanda, abhido addharattaṁ bhattakālasamaye, jāneyyāsi tvaṁ, ānanda, āloko antarahito andhakāro pātubhūto”ti?
“Or suppose that it’s nearly time for the midnight meal. Wouldn’t you know that the light had vanished and the darkness appeared?”

“Evaṁ, bhante”.
“Yes, sir.”

“Evamevaṁ kho ahaṁ, ānanda, idhekaccaṁ puggalaṁ evaṁ cetasā ceto paricca pajānāmi:
“In the same way, when I’ve comprehended the mind of a person, I understand …

‘imassa kho puggalassa vijjamānā kusalāpi dhammā akusalāpi dhammā’ti.

Tamenaṁ aparena samayena evaṁ cetasā ceto paricca pajānāmi:

‘imassa kho puggalassa kusalā dhammā antarahitā, akusalā dhammā sammukhībhūtā.

Atthi ca khvassa kusalamūlaṁ asamucchinnaṁ, tampi sabbena sabbaṁ samugghātaṁ gacchati.