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- Anguttara Nikaya XI.1
- Kimattha Sutta
- What is the Purpose?
- For free distribution only, as a gift of Dhamma
I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Savatthi
in Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika's monastery. Then Ven.
Ananda went to the Blessed One and on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one
side. As he was sitting there he said to the Blessed One: "What is the purpose of
skillful virtues? What is their reward?"
"Skillful virtues have freedom from remorse as their purpose, Ananda, and freedom
from remorse as their reward."
"And what is the purpose of freedom from remorse? What is its reward?"
"Freedom from remorse has joy as its purpose, joy as its reward."
"And what is the purpose of joy? What is its reward?"
"Joy has rapture as its purpose, rapture as its reward."
"And what is the purpose of rapture? What is its reward?"
"Rapture has serenity as its purpose, serenity as its reward."
"And what is the purpose of serenity? What is its reward?"
"Serenity has pleasure as its purpose, pleasure as its reward."
"And what is the purpose of pleasure? What is its reward?"
"Pleasure has concentration as its purpose, concentration as its reward."
"And what is the purpose of concentration? What is its reward?"
"Concentration has knowledge & vision of things as they actually are as its
purpose, knowledge & vision of things as they actually are as its reward."
"And what is the purpose of knowledge & vision of things as they actually are?
What is its reward?"
"Knowledge & vision of things as they actually are has disenchantment as its
purpose, disenchantment as its reward."
"And what is the purpose of disenchantment? What is its reward?"
"Disenchantment has dispassion as its purpose, dispassion as its reward."
"And what is the purpose of dispassion? What is its reward?"
"Dispassion has knowledge & vision of release as its purpose, knowledge &
vision of release as its reward.
"Thus in this way, Ananda, skillful virtues have freedom from remorse as their
purpose, freedom from remorse as their reward. Freedom from remorse has joy as its
purpose, joy as its reward. Joy has rapture as its purpose, rapture as its reward. Rapture
has serenity as its purpose, serenity as its reward. Serenity has pleasure as its purpose,
pleasure as its reward. Pleasure has concentration as its purpose, concentration as its
reward. Concentration has knowledge & vision of things as they actually are as its
purpose, knowledge & vision of things as they actually are as its reward. Knowledge
& vision of things as they actually are has disenchantment as its purpose,
disenchantment as its reward. Disenchantment has dispassion as its purpose, dispassion as
its reward. Dispassion has knowledge & vision of release as its purpose, knowledge
& vision of release as its reward.
"In this way, Ananda, skillful virtues lead step-by-step to the consummation of
arahantship."