Aṅguttara Nikāya 4.14

Numbered Discourses 4.14

2. Caravagga

2. Walking

Saṁvarasutta

Restraint

“Cattārimāni, bhikkhave, padhānāni. Katamāni cattāri? Saṁvarappadhānaṁ, pahānappadhānaṁ, bhāvanāppadhānaṁ, anurakkhaṇāppadhānaṁ.

“Bhikkhus, there are these four efforts. What four? The efforts to restrain, to give up, to develop, and to preserve.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, saṁvarappadhānaṁ? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu cakkhunā rūpaṁ disvā na nimittaggāhī hoti nānubyañjanaggāhī. Yatvādhikaraṇamenaṁ cakkhundriyaṁ asaṁvutaṁ viharantaṁ abhijjhādomanassā pāpakā akusalā dhammā anvāssaveyyuṁ, tassa saṁvarāya paṭipajjati, rakkhati cakkhundriyaṁ, cakkhundriye saṁvaraṁ āpajjati. Sotena saddaṁ sutvā … ghānena gandhaṁ ghāyitvā … jivhāya rasaṁ sāyitvā … kāyena phoṭṭhabbaṁ phusitvā … manasā dhammaṁ viññāya na nimittaggāhī hoti nānubyañjanaggāhī, yatvādhikaraṇamenaṁ manindriyaṁ asaṁvutaṁ viharantaṁ abhijjhādomanassā pāpakā akusalā dhammā anvāssaveyyuṁ, tassa saṁvarāya paṭipajjati, rakkhati manindriyaṁ, manindriye saṁvaraṁ āpajjati. Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, saṁvarappadhānaṁ.

And what, bhikkhus, is the effort to restrain? When a bhikkhu sees a sight with their eyes, they don’t get caught up in the features and details. If the faculty of sight were left unrestrained, bad unskillful qualities of covetousness and displeasure would become overwhelming. For this reason, they practice restraint, protecting the faculty of sight, and achieving its restraint. When they hear a sound with their ears … When they smell an odor with their nose … When they taste a flavor with their tongue … When they feel a touch with their body … When they know a thought with their mind, they don’t get caught up in the features and details. If the faculty of mind were left unrestrained, bad unskillful qualities of covetousness and displeasure would become overwhelming. For this reason, they practice restraint, protecting the faculty of mind, and achieving its restraint. This is called the effort to restrain.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, pahānappadhānaṁ? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu uppannaṁ kāmavitakkaṁ nādhivāseti pajahati vinodeti byantīkaroti anabhāvaṁ gameti; uppannaṁ byāpādavitakkaṁ …pe… uppannaṁ vihiṁsāvitakkaṁ …pe… uppannuppanne pāpake akusale dhamme nādhivāseti pajahati vinodeti byantīkaroti anabhāvaṁ gameti. Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, pahānappadhānaṁ.

And what, bhikkhus, is the effort to give up? It’s when a bhikkhu doesn’t tolerate a sensual, malicious, or cruel thought that’s arisen, but gives it up, gets rid of it, eliminates it, and obliterates it. They don’t tolerate any bad, unskillful qualities that have arisen, but give them up, get rid of them, eliminate them, and obliterate them. This is called the effort to give up.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, bhāvanāppadhānaṁ? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu satisambojjhaṅgaṁ bhāveti vivekanissitaṁ virāganissitaṁ nirodhanissitaṁ vossaggapariṇāmiṁ, dhammavicayasambojjhaṅgaṁ bhāveti … vīriyasambojjhaṅgaṁ bhāveti … pītisambojjhaṅgaṁ bhāveti … passaddhisambojjhaṅgaṁ bhāveti … samādhisambojjhaṅgaṁ bhāveti … upekkhāsambojjhaṅgaṁ bhāveti vivekanissitaṁ virāganissitaṁ nirodhanissitaṁ vossaggapariṇāmiṁ. Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, bhāvanāppadhānaṁ.

And what, bhikkhus, is the effort to develop? It’s when a bhikkhu develops the awakening factors of mindfulness, investigation of principles, energy, rapture, tranquility, immersion, and equanimity, which rely on seclusion, fading away, and cessation, and ripen as letting go. This is called the effort to develop.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, anurakkhaṇāppadhānaṁ? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu uppannaṁ bhaddakaṁ samādhinimittaṁ anurakkhati aṭṭhikasaññaṁ puḷavakasaññaṁ vinīlakasaññaṁ vicchiddakasaññaṁ uddhumātakasaññaṁ. Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, anurakkhaṇāppadhānaṁ.

And what, bhikkhus, is the effort to preserve? It’s when a bhikkhu preserves a meditation subject that’s a fine foundation of immersion: the perception of a skeleton, a worm-infested corpse, a livid corpse, a split open corpse, or a bloated corpse. This is called the effort to preserve.

Imāni kho, bhikkhave, cattāri padhānānīti.

These are the four efforts.

Saṁvaro ca pahānañca, bhāvanā anurakkhaṇā; Ete padhānā cattāro, desitādiccabandhunā; Yehi bhikkhu idhātāpī, khayaṁ dukkhassa pāpuṇe”ti.

Restraint and giving up, development and preservation: these are the four efforts taught by the kinsman of the Sun. Any bhikkhu who keenly applies these may attain the ending of suffering.”

Catutthaṁ.