Aṅguttara Nikāya 11.4

Numbered Discourses 11.4

1. Nissayavagga

1. Dependence

Dutiyaupanisāsutta

Vital Conditions (2nd)

Tatra kho āyasmā sāriputto bhikkhū āmantesi: “āvuso bhikkhave”ti.

There Venerable Sāriputta addressed the bhikkhus: “Friends, bhikkhus!”

“Āvuso”ti kho te bhikkhū āyasmato sāriputtassa paccassosuṁ. Āyasmā sāriputto etadavoca:

“Friend,” they replied. Sāriputta said this:

“Dussīlassa, āvuso, sīlavipannassa hatūpaniso hoti avippaṭisāro, avippaṭisāre asati avippaṭisāravipannassa hatūpanisaṁ hoti pāmojjaṁ, pāmojje asati pāmojjavipannassa hatūpanisā hoti pīti, pītiyā asati pītivipannassa hatūpanisā hoti passaddhi, passaddhiyā asati passaddhivipannassa hatūpanisaṁ hoti sukhaṁ, sukhe asati sukhavipannassa hatūpaniso hoti sammāsamādhi, sammāsamādhimhi asati sammāsamādhivipannassa hatūpanisaṁ hoti yathābhūtañāṇadassanaṁ, yathābhūtañāṇadassane asati yathābhūtañāṇadassanavipannassa hatūpanisā hoti nibbidā, nibbidāya asati nibbidāvipannassa hatūpaniso hoti virāgo, virāge asati virāgavipannassa hatūpanisaṁ hoti vimuttiñāṇadassanaṁ.

“An unethical person, who lacks ethics, has destroyed a vital condition for not having regrets. When there are regrets, one who has regrets has destroyed a vital condition for joy. When there is no joy, one who lacks joy has destroyed a vital condition for rapture. When there is no rapture, one who lacks rapture has destroyed a vital condition for tranquility. When there is no tranquility, one who lacks tranquility has destroyed a vital condition for bliss. When there is no bliss, one who lacks bliss has destroyed a vital condition for right immersion. When there is no right immersion, one who lacks right immersion has destroyed a vital condition for true knowledge and vision. When there is no true knowledge and vision, one who lacks true knowledge and vision has destroyed a vital condition for disillusionment. When there is no disillusionment, one who lacks disillusionment has destroyed a vital condition for dispassion. When there is no dispassion, one who lacks dispassion has destroyed a vital condition for knowledge and vision of freedom.

Seyyathāpi, āvuso, rukkho sākhāpalāsavipanno. Tassa papaṭikāpi na pāripūriṁ gacchati, tacopi … pheggupi … sāropi na pāripūriṁ gacchati.

Suppose there was a tree that lacked branches and foliage. Its shoots, bark, softwood, and heartwood would not grow to fullness.

Evamevaṁ kho, āvuso, dussīlassa sīlavipannassa hatūpaniso hoti avippaṭisāro, avippaṭisāre asati avippaṭisāravipannassa hatūpanisaṁ hoti pāmojjaṁ …pe… vimuttiñāṇadassanaṁ.

In the same way, an unethical person, who lacks ethics, has destroyed a vital condition for having no regrets. When there are regrets, one who has regrets has destroyed a vital condition for joy. … When there is dispassion, one who lacks dispassion has destroyed a vital condition for knowledge and vision of freedom.

Sīlavato, āvuso, sīlasampannassa upanisasampanno hoti avippaṭisāro, avippaṭisāre sati avippaṭisārasampannassa upanisasampannaṁ hoti pāmojjaṁ, pāmojje sati pāmojjasampannassa upanisasampannā hoti pīti, pītiyā sati pītisampannassa upanisasampannā hoti passaddhi, passaddhiyā sati passaddhisampannassa upanisasampannaṁ hoti sukhaṁ, sukhe sati sukhasampannassa upanisasampanno hoti sammāsamādhi, sammāsamādhimhi sati sammāsamādhisampannassa upanisasampannaṁ hoti yathābhūtañāṇadassanaṁ, yathābhūtañāṇadassane sati yathābhūtañāṇadassanasampannassa upanisasampannā hoti nibbidā, nibbidāya sati nibbidāsampannassa upanisasampanno hoti virāgo, virāge sati virāgasampannassa upanisasampannaṁ hoti vimuttiñāṇadassanaṁ.

An ethical person, who has fulfilled ethics, has fulfilled a vital condition for not having regrets. When there are no regrets, one who has no regrets has fulfilled a vital condition for joy. When there is joy, one who has fulfilled joy has fulfilled a vital condition for rapture. When there is rapture, one who has fulfilled rapture has fulfilled a vital condition for tranquility. When there is tranquility, one who has fulfilled tranquility has fulfilled a vital condition for bliss. When there is bliss, one who has fulfilled bliss has fulfilled a vital condition for right immersion. When there is right immersion, one who has fulfilled right immersion has fulfilled a vital condition for true knowledge and vision. When there is true knowledge and vision, one who has fulfilled true knowledge and vision has fulfilled a vital condition for disillusionment. When there is disillusionment, one who has fulfilled disillusionment has fulfilled a vital condition for dispassion. When there is dispassion, one who has fulfilled dispassion has fulfilled a vital condition for knowledge and vision of freedom.

Seyyathāpi, āvuso, rukkho sākhāpalāsasampanno. Tassa papaṭikāpi pāripūriṁ gacchati, tacopi … pheggupi … sāropi pāripūriṁ gacchati.

Suppose there was a tree that was complete with branches and foliage. Its shoots, bark, softwood, and heartwood would grow to fullness.

Evamevaṁ kho, āvuso, sīlavato sīlasampannassa upanisasampanno hoti avippaṭisāro, avippaṭisāre sati avippaṭisārasampannassa upanisasampannaṁ hoti pāmojjaṁ …pe… vimuttiñāṇadassanan”ti. …pe…

In the same way, an ethical person, who has fulfilled ethics, has fulfilled a vital condition for not having regrets. When there are no regrets, one who has no regrets has fulfilled a vital condition for joy. … When there is dispassion, one who has fulfilled dispassion has fulfilled a vital condition for knowledge and vision of freedom.”

Catutthaṁ.