sutta » an » an10 » Aṅguttara Nikāya 10.116

Ajitasutta

With Ajita

Atha kho ajito paribbājako yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi.
Then the wanderer Ajita went up to the Buddha, and exchanged greetings with him.

Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho ajito paribbājako bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to the Buddha,

“Amhākaṁ, bho gotama, paṇḍito nāma sabrahmacārī.
“Mister Gotama, we have a spiritual companion called ‘Astute’.

Tena pañcamattāni cittaṭṭhānasatāni cintitāni, yehi aññatitthiyā upāraddhāva jānanti upāraddhasmā”ti.
He has worked out around five hundred arguments by which followers of other religions will know when they’ve been refuted.”

Atha kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:
Then the Buddha said to the mendicants,

“dhāretha no tumhe, bhikkhave, paṇḍitavatthūnī”ti?
“Mendicants, do you remember this Astute’s points?”

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

yaṁ bhagavā bhāseyya, bhagavato sutvā bhikkhū dhāressantī”ti.
Let the Buddha speak and the mendicants will remember it.”

“Tena hi, bhikkhave, suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī”ti.
“Well then, mendicants, listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.”

“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.
“Yes, sir,” they replied.

Bhagavā etadavoca:
The Buddha said this:

“Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco adhammikena vādena adhammikaṁ vādaṁ abhiniggaṇhāti abhinippīḷeti, tena ca adhammikaṁ parisaṁ rañjeti.
“Mendicants, take a certain person who rebuts and quashes unprincipled statements with unprincipled statements. This delights an unprincipled assembly,

Tena sā adhammikā parisā uccāsaddamahāsaddā hoti:
who make a dreadful racket:

‘paṇḍito vata bho, paṇḍito vata bho’ti.
‘He is truly astute! He is truly astute!’

Idha pana, bhikkhave, ekacco adhammikena vādena dhammikaṁ vādaṁ abhiniggaṇhāti abhinippīḷeti, tena ca adhammikaṁ parisaṁ rañjeti.
Another person rebuts and quashes principled statements with unprincipled statements. This delights an unprincipled assembly,

Tena sā adhammikā parisā uccāsaddamahāsaddā hoti:
who make a dreadful racket:

‘paṇḍito vata bho, paṇḍito vata bho’ti.
‘He is truly astute! He is truly astute!’

Idha pana, bhikkhave, ekacco adhammikena vādena dhammikañca vādaṁ adhammikañca vādaṁ abhiniggaṇhāti abhinippīḷeti, tena ca adhammikaṁ parisaṁ rañjeti.
Another person rebuts and quashes principled and unprincipled statements with unprincipled statements. This delights an unprincipled assembly,

Tena sā adhammikā parisā uccāsaddamahāsaddā hoti:
who make a dreadful racket:

‘paṇḍito vata bho, paṇḍito vata bho’ti.
‘He is truly astute! He is truly astute!’

Adhammo ca, bhikkhave, veditabbo dhammo ca;
Mendicants, you should know bad principles and good principles.

anattho ca veditabbo attho ca.
And you should know bad results and good results.

Adhammañca viditvā dhammañca, anatthañca viditvā atthañca yathā dhammo yathā attho tathā paṭipajjitabbaṁ.
Knowing these things, your practice should follow the good principles with good results.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, adhammo, katamo ca dhammo, katamo ca anattho, katamo ca attho?
So what are bad principles? What are good principles? What are bad results? And what are good results?

Micchādiṭṭhi, bhikkhave, adhammo;
Wrong view is a bad principle.

sammādiṭṭhi dhammo;
Right view is a good principle.

ye ca micchādiṭṭhipaccayā aneke pāpakā akusalā dhammā sambhavanti, ayaṁ anattho;
And the many bad, unskillful qualities produced by wrong view are bad results.

sammādiṭṭhipaccayā ca aneke kusalā dhammā bhāvanāpāripūriṁ gacchanti, ayaṁ attho.
And the many skillful qualities fully developed because of right view are good results.

Micchāsaṅkappo, bhikkhave, adhammo;
Wrong thought is a bad principle.

sammāsaṅkappo dhammo …
Right thought is a good principle. …

micchāvācā, bhikkhave, adhammo;
Wrong speech is a bad principle.

sammāvācā dhammo …
Right speech is a good principle. …

micchākammanto, bhikkhave, adhammo;
Wrong action is a bad principle.

sammākammanto dhammo …
Right action is a good principle. …

micchāājīvo, bhikkhave, adhammo;
Wrong livelihood is a bad principle.

sammāājīvo dhammo …
Right livelihood is a good principle. …

micchāvāyāmo, bhikkhave, adhammo;
Wrong effort is a bad principle.

sammāvāyāmo dhammo …
Right effort is a good principle. …

micchāsati, bhikkhave, adhammo;
Wrong mindfulness is a bad principle.

sammāsati dhammo …
Right mindfulness is a good principle. …

micchāsamādhi, bhikkhave adhammo;
Wrong immersion is a bad principle.

sammāsamādhi dhammo …
Right immersion is a good principle. …

micchāñāṇaṁ, bhikkhave, adhammo;
Wrong knowledge is a bad principle.

sammāñāṇaṁ dhammo.
Right knowledge is a good principle. …

Micchāvimutti, bhikkhave, adhammo;
Wrong freedom is a bad principle.

sammāvimutti dhammo;
Right freedom is a good principle.

ye ca micchāvimuttipaccayā aneke pāpakā akusalā dhammā sambhavanti, ayaṁ anattho;
And the many bad, unskillful qualities produced by wrong freedom are bad results.

sammāvimuttipaccayā ca aneke kusalā dhammā bhāvanāpāripūriṁ gacchanti, ayaṁ attho.
And the many skillful qualities fully developed because of right freedom are good results.

‘Adhammo ca, bhikkhave, veditabbo dhammo ca;
‘You should know bad principles and good principles.

anattho ca veditabbo attho ca.
And you should know bad results and good results.

Adhammañca viditvā dhammañca, anatthañca viditvā atthañca yathā dhammo yathā attho tathā paṭipajjitabban’ti,
Knowing these things, your practice should follow the good principles with good results.’

iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ, idametaṁ paṭicca vuttan”ti.
That’s what I said, and this is why I said it.”

Catutthaṁ.