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- Anguttara Nikaya IX.1
- Sambodhi Sutta
- Self-awakening
- 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. There he said to the
monks: "Monks, if wanderers who are members of other sects should ask you, 'What, friend, are the prerequisites for the development of the wings to
self-awakening?' how would you answer them?"
"For us, lord, the teachings have the Blessed One as their root, their guide,
& their refuge. It would be good if the Blessed One himself would explicate the
meaning of this statement. Having heard it from the Blessed One, the monks will remember
it."
"In that case, monks, listen & pay close attention. I will speak."
"As you say, lord," the monks responded.
The Blessed One said, "If wanderers who are members of other sects should ask you,
'What, friend, are the prerequisites for the development of the wings to self-awakening?'
you should answer, 'There is the case where a monk has admirable
people as friends, companions, & colleagues. This is the first prerequisite for the
development of the wings to self-awakening.
"'Furthermore, the monk is virtuous. He dwells restrained in accordance with the
Patimokkha, consummate in his behavior & sphere of activity. He trains himself, having
undertaken the training rules, seeing danger in the slightest faults. This is the second
prerequisite for the development of the wings to self-awakening.
"'Furthermore, he gets to hear at will, easily & without difficulty, talk that
is truly sobering & conducive to the opening of awareness, i.e., talk on having few
wants, on contentment, on seclusion, on non-entanglement, on arousing persistence, on
virtue, on concentration, on discernment, on release, and on the knowledge & vision of
release. This is the third prerequisite for the development of the wings to
self-awakening.
"'Furthermore, he keeps his persistence aroused for abandoning unskillful mental
qualities and for taking on skillful mental qualities. He is steadfast, solid in his
effort, not shirking his duties with regard to skillful mental qualities. This is the
fourth prerequisite for the development of the wings to self-awakening.
"'Furthermore, he is discerning, endowed with the discernment of arising &
passing away -- noble, penetrating, leading to the right ending of stress. This is the
fifth prerequisite for the development of the wings to self-awakening.'
"Monks, when a monk has admirable people as friends,
companions, & colleagues, it is to be expected that he will be virtuous, will dwell
restrained in accordance with the Patimokkha, consummate in his behavior & sphere of
activity, and will train himself, having undertaken the training rules, seeing danger in
the slightest faults.
"When a monk has admirable people as friends, companions, & colleagues, it is
to be expected that he will get to hear at will, easily & without difficulty, talk
that is truly sobering and conducive to the opening of awareness, i.e., talk on having few
wants, on contentment, on seclusion, on non-entanglement, on arousing persistence, on
virtue, on concentration, on discernment, on release, and on the knowledge & vision of
release.
"When a monk has admirable people as friends, companions, & colleagues, it is
to be expected that he will keep his persistence aroused for abandoning unskillful mental
qualities, and for taking on skillful mental qualities -- steadfast, solid in his effort,
not shirking his duties with regard to skillful mental qualities.
"When a monk has admirable people as friends, companions, & colleagues, it is
to be expected that he will be discerning, endowed with discernment of arising &
passing away -- noble, penetrating, leading to the right ending of stress.
"And furthermore, monks, when the monk is established in these five qualities,
there are four additional qualities he should develop: He should develop [contemplation
of] the unattractive so as to abandon lust. He should develop good will so as to abandon
ill will. He should develop mindfulness of in-&-out breathing so as to cut off
distractive thinking. He should develop the perception of inconstancy so as to uproot the
conceit, 'I am.' For a monk perceiving inconstancy, the perception of not-self is made
firm. One perceiving not-self attains the uprooting of the conceit, 'I am' -- Unbinding in
the here & now."
See also: AN X.69.