Aṅguttara Nikāya 7.71
Translators: sujato
Numbered Discourses 7.71
7. Mahāvagga
7. The Great Chapter
Bhāvanāsutta
Committed to Development
“Bhāvanaṁ ananuyuttassa, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno viharato kiñcāpi evaṁ icchā uppajjeyya:
“Mendicants, when a mendicant is not committed to development, they might wish:
‘aho vata me anupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimucceyyā’ti,
‘If only my mind were freed from the defilements by not grasping!’
atha khvassa neva anupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimuccati.
Even so, their mind is not freed from defilements by not grasping.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
Why is that?
‘Abhāvitattā’tissa vacanīyaṁ.
You should say: ‘It’s because they’re undeveloped.’
Kissa abhāvitattā?
Undeveloped in what?
Catunnaṁ satipaṭṭhānānaṁ, catunnaṁ sammappadhānānaṁ, catunnaṁ iddhipādānaṁ, pañcannaṁ indriyānaṁ, pañcannaṁ balānaṁ, sattannaṁ bojjhaṅgānaṁ, ariyassa aṭṭhaṅgikassa maggassa.
The four kinds of mindfulness meditation, the four right efforts, the four bases of psychic power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven awakening factors, and the noble eightfold path.
Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, kukkuṭiyā aṇḍāni aṭṭha vā dasa vā dvādasa vā.
Suppose there was a chicken with eight or ten or twelve eggs.
Tānassu kukkuṭiyā na sammā adhisayitāni, na sammā pariseditāni, na sammā paribhāvitāni.
But she had not properly sat on them to keep them warm and incubated.
Kiñcāpi tassā kukkuṭiyā evaṁ icchā uppajjeyya:
Even if that chicken might wish:
‘aho vata me kukkuṭapotakā pādanakhasikhāya vā mukhatuṇḍakena vā aṇḍakosaṁ padāletvā sotthinā abhinibbhijjeyyun’ti,
‘If only my chicks could break out of the eggshell with their claws and beak and hatch safely!’
atha kho abhabbāva te kukkuṭapotakā pādanakhasikhāya vā mukhatuṇḍakena vā aṇḍakosaṁ padāletvā sotthinā abhinibbhijjituṁ.
Still they can’t break out and hatch safely.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
Why is that?
Tathā hi, bhikkhave, kukkuṭiyā aṇḍāni na sammā adhisayitāni, na sammā pariseditāni, na sammā paribhāvitāni.
Because she has not properly sat on them to keep them warm and incubated.
Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhāvanaṁ ananuyuttassa bhikkhuno viharato kiñcāpi evaṁ icchā uppajjeyya:
In the same way, when a mendicant is not committed to development, they might wish:
‘aho vata me anupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimucceyyā’ti,
‘If only my mind was freed from the defilements by not grasping!’
atha khvassa neva anupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimuccati.
Even so, their mind is not freed from defilements by not grasping.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
Why is that?
‘Abhāvitattā’tissa vacanīyaṁ.
You should say: ‘It’s because they’re undeveloped.’
Kissa abhāvitattā?
Undeveloped in what?
Catunnaṁ satipaṭṭhānānaṁ, catunnaṁ sammappadhānānaṁ, catunnaṁ iddhipādānaṁ, pañcannaṁ indriyānaṁ, pañcannaṁ balānaṁ, sattannaṁ bojjhaṅgānaṁ, ariyassa aṭṭhaṅgikassa maggassa.
The four kinds of mindfulness meditation, the four right efforts, the four bases of psychic power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven awakening factors, and the noble eightfold path.
Bhāvanaṁ anuyuttassa, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno viharato kiñcāpi na evaṁ icchā uppajjeyya:
When a mendicant is committed to development, they might not wish:
‘aho vata me anupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimucceyyā’ti,
‘If only my mind was freed from the defilements by not grasping!’
atha khvassa anupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimuccati.
Even so, their mind is freed from defilements by not grasping.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
Why is that?
‘Bhāvitattā’tissa vacanīyaṁ.
You should say: ‘It’s because they are developed.’
Kissa bhāvitattā?
Developed in what?
Catunnaṁ satipaṭṭhānānaṁ, catunnaṁ sammappadhānānaṁ, catunnaṁ iddhipādānaṁ, pañcannaṁ indriyānaṁ, pañcannaṁ balānaṁ, sattannaṁ bojjhaṅgānaṁ, ariyassa aṭṭhaṅgikassa maggassa.
The four kinds of mindfulness meditation, the four right efforts, the four bases of psychic power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven awakening factors, and the noble eightfold path.
Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, kukkuṭiyā aṇḍāni aṭṭha vā dasa vā dvādasa vā.
Suppose there was a chicken with eight or ten or twelve eggs.
Tānassu kukkuṭiyā sammā adhisayitāni, sammā pariseditāni, sammā paribhāvitāni.
And she properly sat on them to keep them warm and incubated.
Kiñcāpi tassā kukkuṭiyā na evaṁ icchā uppajjeyya:
Even if that chicken doesn’t wish:
‘aho vata me kukkuṭapotakā pādanakhasikhāya vā mukhatuṇḍakena vā aṇḍakosaṁ padāletvā sotthinā abhinibbhijjeyyun’ti,
‘If only my chicks could break out of the eggshell with their claws and beak and hatch safely!’
atha kho bhabbāva te kukkuṭapotakā pādanakhasikhāya vā mukhatuṇḍakena vā aṇḍakosaṁ padāletvā sotthinā abhinibbhijjituṁ.
Still they can break out and hatch safely.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
Why is that?
Tathā hi, bhikkhave, kukkuṭiyā aṇḍāni sammā adhisayitāni, sammā pariseditāni, sammā paribhāvitāni.
Because she properly sat on them to keep them warm and incubated.
Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhāvanaṁ anuyuttassa bhikkhuno viharato kiñcāpi na evaṁ icchā uppajjeyya:
In the same way, when a mendicant is committed to development, they might not wish:
‘aho vata me anupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimucceyyā’ti,
‘If only my mind was freed from the defilements by not grasping!’
atha khvassa anupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimuccati.
Even so, their mind is freed from defilements by not grasping.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
Why is that?
‘Bhāvitattā’tissa vacanīyaṁ.
You should say: ‘It’s because they are developed.’
Kissa bhāvitattā?
Developed in what?
Catunnaṁ satipaṭṭhānānaṁ …pe… ariyassa aṭṭhaṅgikassa maggassa.
The four kinds of mindfulness meditation, the four right efforts, the four bases of psychic power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven awakening factors, and the noble eightfold path.
Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, phalagaṇḍassa vā phalagaṇḍantevāsikassa vā dissanteva vāsijaṭe aṅgulipadāni dissati aṅguṭṭhapadaṁ. No ca khvassa evaṁ ñāṇaṁ hoti: ‘ettakaṁ me ajja vāsijaṭassa khīṇaṁ, ettakaṁ hiyyo, ettakaṁ pare’ti, atha khvassa khīṇe ‘khīṇan’teva ñāṇaṁ hoti.
Suppose a carpenter or their apprentice sees the marks of his fingers and thumb on the handle of his adze. They don’t know how much of the handle was worn away today, how much yesterday, and how much previously. They just know what has been worn away.
Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhāvanaṁ anuyuttassa bhikkhuno viharato kiñcāpi na evaṁ ñāṇaṁ hoti: ‘ettakaṁ me ajja āsavānaṁ khīṇaṁ, ettakaṁ hiyyo, ettakaṁ pare’ti, atha khvassa khīṇe ‘khīṇan’teva ñāṇaṁ hoti.
In the same way, when a mendicant is committed to development, they don’t know how much of the defilements were worn away today, how much yesterday, and how much previously. They just know what has been worn away.
Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, sāmuddikāya nāvāya vettabandhanabaddhāya cha māsāni udake pariyādāya hemantikena thale ukkhittāya vātātapaparetāni bandhanāni, tāni pāvussakena meghena abhippavuṭṭhāni appakasireneva parihāyanti, pūtikāni bhavanti.
Suppose there was a sea-faring ship bound together with ropes. For six months they deteriorated in the water. Then in the cold season it was hauled up on dry land, where the ropes were weathered by wind and sun. When the clouds soaked it with rain, the ropes would readily collapse and rot away.
Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhāvanaṁ anuyuttassa bhikkhuno viharato appakasireneva saṁyojanāni paṭippassambhanti, pūtikāni bhavantī”ti.
In the same way, when a mendicant is committed to development their fetters readily collapse and rot away.”
Sattamaṁ.