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Itivuttaka
- Itivuttaka 1-27
- The Group Of Ones
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This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard: "Abandon
one quality, monks, and I guarantee you non-return. Which one quality? Abandon greed as
the one quality, and I guarantee you non-return." This is the meaning of what the
Blessed One said. So with regard to this it was said: *
The greed with which
beings go to a bad destination,
coveting:
from rightly discerning that greed,
those who see clearly
let go.
Letting go,
they never come to this world
again.
This, too, was the meaning of what was said by the Blessed One, so I have heard.*
[* These two statements are repeated in each discourse. To avoid monotony, they
are given here only in the first and last discourses.]
This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard: "Abandon
one quality, monks, and I guarantee you non-return. Which one quality? Abandon aversion as
the one quality, and I guarantee you non-return."
The aversion with which
beings go to a bad destination,
upset:
from rightly discerning that aversion,
those who see clearly
let go.
Letting go,
they never come to this world
again.
This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard: "Abandon
one quality, monks, and I guarantee you non-return. Which one quality? Abandon delusion as
the one quality, and I guarantee you non-return."
The delusion with which
beings go to a bad destination,
confused:
from rightly discerning that delusion,
those who see clearly
let go.
Letting go,
they never come to this world
again.
This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard: "Abandon
one quality, monks, and I guarantee you non-return. Which one quality? Abandon anger as
the one quality, and I guarantee you non-return."
The anger with which
beings go to a bad destination,
enraged:
from rightly discerning that anger,
those who see clearly
let go.
Letting go,
they never come to this world
again.
This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard: "Abandon
one quality, monks, and I guarantee you non-return. Which one quality? Abandon contempt as
the one quality, and I guarantee you non-return."
The contempt with which
beings go to a bad destination,
disdainful:
from rightly discerning that contempt,
those who see clearly
let go.
Letting go,
they never come to this world
again.
This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard: "Abandon
one quality, monks, and I guarantee you non-return. Which one quality? Abandon conceit as
the one quality, and I guarantee you non-return."
The conceit with which
beings go to a bad destination,
proud:
from rightly discerning that conceit,
those who see clearly
let go.
Letting go,
they never come to this world
again.
This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard: "Monks,
one who has not fully known & fully understood the All,* whose mind has not been
cleansed of it, has not abandoned it, is incapable of putting an end to stress. But one
who has fully known & fully understood the All, whose mind has been cleansed of it,
has abandoned it, is capable of putting an end to stress."
Knowing the All
from all around,
not stirred
by anything at all:
he, having comprehended
the All,
has gone beyond
all stress.
[*Note: "The All" = the six senses (sight, hearing, smell, taste,
touch, & ideation) and their respective objects. This covers the entirety of
experience that can be described. For a full discussion of this point, see The Mind
Like Fire Unbound, pp. 30-32.]
This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard: "Monks,
one who has not fully known & fully understood conceit, whose mind has not been
cleansed of it, has not abandoned it, is incapable of putting an end to stress. But one
who has fully known & fully understood conceit, whose mind has been cleansed of it,
has abandoned it, is capable of putting an end to stress."
People are
possessed by conceit
tied up with conceit
delighted with becoming.
Not comprehending conceit,
they come to becoming again.
But those who, letting go of conceit,
are, in its destruction, released,
conquering the bond of conceit,
go beyond
all bonds.
This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard: "Monks,
one who has not fully known & fully understood greed, who has not detached his mind
from it and let go of it, is incapable of putting an end to stress. But one who has fully
known & fully understood greed, who has detached his mind from it and let go of it, is
capable of putting an end to stress."
The greed with which
beings go to a bad destination,
coveting:
from rightly discerning that greed,
those who see clearly
let go.
Letting go,
they never come to this world
again.
13. This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard: "Monks,
one who has not fully known & fully understood aversion ... delusion ... anger ...
contempt, who has not detached his mind from it and let go of it, is incapable of putting
an end to stress. But one who has fully known & fully understood aversion ... delusion
... anger ... contempt, who has detached his mind from it and let go of it, is capable of
putting an end to stress."
[The verses for these discourses are identical with the verses for discourses 2-5.]
This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard: "Monks,
I don't envision even one other obstruction -- obstructed by which people go wandering
& transmigrating on for a long, long time -- like the obstruction of ignorance.
Obstructed with the obstruction of ignorance, people go wandering & transmigrating on
for a long, long time."
No one other thing
so obstructs people
that they wander on, day & night,
as when they're ensnared
with delusion.
But those who, letting go of delusion,
shatter the mass of darkness
wander no further.
Their cause isn't found.
This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard: "Monks,
I don't envision even one other fetter -- fettered by which beings conjoined go wandering
& transmigrating on for a long, long time -- like the fetter of craving. Fettered with
the fetter of craving, beings conjoined go wandering & transmigrating on for a long,
long time."
With craving his companion, a man
wanders on a long, long time.
Neither in this state here
nor anywhere else
does he go beyond
the wandering- on.
Knowing this drawback --
that craving brings stress into play --
free from craving,
devoid of clinging,
mindful, the monk
lives the mendicant life.
This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard: "With
regard to internal factors, I don't envision any other single factor like appropriate
attention as doing so much for a monk in training, who has not attained the goal but
remains intent on the unsurpassed safety from bondage. A monk who attends appropriately
abandons what is unskillful and develops what is skillful.
Appropriate attention
as a quality
of a monk in training:
nothing else
does so much
for attaining the superlative goal.
A monk, striving appropriately,
attains the ending of stress.
[See MN 2]
This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard: "With
regard to external factors, I don't envision any other single factor like friendship with
admirable people as doing so much for a monk in training, who has not attained the goal
but remains intent on the unsurpassed safety from bondage. A monk who is a friend with
admirable people abandons what is unskillful and develops what is skillful."
A monk who is a friend
to admirable people
-- who's reverential, respectful,
doing what his friends advise --
mindful, alert,
attains step by step
the ending of all fetters.
[See SN XLV.2]
This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard: "One
thing, when arising in the world, arises for the detriment of many, for the unhappiness of
many, for the detriment & unhappiness of many beings, both human & divine. Which
one thing? Schism in the Sangha. When the Sangha is split, there are arguments with one
another, there is abuse of one another, ganging up on one another, abandoning of one
another. Then those with little confidence [in the teaching] lose all confidence, while
some of those who are confident become otherwise."
Doomed for an aeon
to deprivation,
to hell:
one who has split the Sangha.
Delighting in factions,
unjudicious --
he's barred
from safety from bondage.
Having split a Sangha in concord,
he cooks for an aeon
in hell.
[See Iti 89]
This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard: "One
thing, when arising in the world, arises for the welfare of many, for the happiness of
many, for the welfare & happiness of many beings, both human & divine. Which one
thing? Concord in the Sangha. When the Sangha is in concord, there are no arguments with
one another, no abuse of one another, no ganging up on one another, no abandoning of one
another. Then those with little confidence [in the teaching] become confident, while those
already confident become even more so."
Blissful is concord in the Sangha.
One who assists in concord --
delighting in concord,
judicious --
isn't barred from safety from bondage.
Having brought concord to the Sangha,
he rejoices for an aeon
in heaven.
This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard: "There
is the case where a certain person is a corrupt-minded. Having encompassed that mind with
[my] awareness, I discern, 'If this person were to die at this instant, then as if he were
to be carried off, he would thus be placed in hell.' Why is that? Because his mind is
corrupt. It's because of corrupt-mindedness that there are cases where beings -- at the
break-up of the body, after death -- reappear in the plane of deprivation, the bad
destination, the lower realms, in hell."
Knowing the case
of a corrupt-minded person,
the One Awakened explained its meaning
in the presence of the monks.
If that person were to die at this instant,
he'd reappear in hell
because his mind is corrupt --
as if he were carried off
and placed there.
It's because of corrupt-mindedness
that beings go
to a bad destination.
This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard: "There
is the case where a certain person is a clear-minded. Having encompassed that mind with
[my] awareness, I discern, 'If this person were to die at this instant, then as if he were
to be carried off, he would thus be placed in heaven.' Why is that? Because his mind is
clear. It's because of clear-mindedness that there are cases where beings -- at the
break-up of the body, after death -- reappear in the heavenly world."
Knowing the case
of a clear-minded person,
the One Awakened explained its meaning
in the presence of the monks.
If that person were to die at this instant,
he'd reappear in heaven
because his mind is clear --
as if he were carried off
and placed there.
It's because of clear-mindedness
that beings go
to a good destination.
This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard: "Monks,
don't be afraid of acts of merit. This is another way of saying what is blissful,
desirable, pleasing, endearing, charming -- i.e., acts of merit. I am cognizant that,
having long performed meritorious deeds, I long experienced desirable, pleasing,
endearing, charming results. Having developed a mind of good will for seven years, then
for seven aeons of contraction & expansion I didn't return to this world. Whenever the
aeon was contracting, I went to the realm of Streaming Radiance. Whenever the aeon was
expanding, I reappeared in an empty Brahma-abode. There I was the Great Brahman, the
Unconquered Conqueror, All-seeing, & Wielder of Power. Then for thirty-six times I was
Sakka, ruler of the gods. For many hundreds of times I was a king, a wheel-turning
emperor, a righteous king of Dhamma, conqueror of the four corners of the earth,
maintaining stable control over the countryside, endowed with the seven treasures*
-- to say nothing of the times I was a local king. The thought occurred to me: 'Of what
action of mine is this the fruit, of what action the result, that I now have such great
power & might?' Then the thought occurred to me: 'This is the fruit of my three [types
of] action, the result of three types of action, that I now have such great power &
might: i.e., generosity, self-control, & restraint.'"
Train in acts of merit
that bring long-lasting bliss --
develop generosity,
a life in tune,
a mind of good-will.
Developing these
three things
that bring about bliss,
the wise reappear
in a world of bliss
unalloyed.
[*Note: The seven treasures are a divine wheel, an ideal jewel, an ideal
elephant, an ideal horse, an ideal wife, an ideal treasurer, an ideal counselor.]
This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard: "This
one quality, if developed & pursued, keeps both kinds of benefit in hand: benefit in
this life & benefit in lives to come. Which one quality? Heedfulness with regard to
skillful qualities. This is the one quality that, if developed & pursued, keeps both
kinds of benefit in hand: benefit in this life & benefit in lives to come."
They praise heedfulness, the wise,
in doing acts of merit.
When heedful, wise,
you achieve both kinds of benefit:
benefit in this life,
& benefit in lives to come.
By breaking through to your benefit,
you're called enlightened,
wise.
This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard: "If
a single person were to wander & transmigrate on for an aeon, he/she would leave
behind a chain of bones, a pile of bones, a heap of bones, as large as this Mount Vepulla, if there were someone to collect them and the collection
were not destroyed."
The accumulation
of a single person's
bones for an aeon
would be a heap
on a par with the mountain,
so said the Great Seer.
(He declared this to be
the great Mount Vepulla
to the north of Vulture's Peak
in the mountain-ring
of the Magadhans.)
But when that person sees
with right discernment
the four Noble Truths --
stress,
the cause of stress,
the transcending of stress,
& the Noble Eightfold Path,
the way to the stilling of stress --
having wandered on
seven times at most, then,
with the ending of all fetters,
he puts a stop
to stress.
This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard: "For
the person who transgresses in one thing, I tell you, there is no evil deed that is not to
be done. Which one thing? This: telling a deliberate lie."
The person who lies,
who transgress in this one thing,
transcending concern for the world beyond:
there's no evil
he might not do.
Read an alternate translation.
This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard: "If
beings knew, as I know, the results of giving & sharing, they would not eat without
have given, nor would the stain of selfishness overcome their minds. Even if it were their
last bite, their last mouthful, they would not eat without having shared, if there were
someone to receive their gift. But because beings do not know, as I know, the results of
giving & sharing, they eat without have given. The stain of selfishness overcomes
their minds."
If beings knew
what the Great Seer said,
how the result of sharing
has such great fruit,
then, subduing the stain of selfishness
with brightened awareness,
they'd give in season
to the noble ones,
where a gift bears great fruit.
Having given food
as an offering
to those worthy of offerings,
many donors, when they pass away from here,
the human state,
go
to heaven.
They, having gone there
to heaven,
rejoice,
enjoying sensual pleasures.
Unselfish, they
partake of the result
of sharing.
This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard: "All
the grounds for making merit leading to spontaneously arising (in heaven) do not equal
one-sixteenth of the release of awareness through good will. Good will -- surpassing them
-- shines, blazes, & dazzles.
"Just as the radiance of all the stars does not equal
one-sixteenth of the radiance of the moon, as the moon -- surpassing them -- shines,
blazes, & dazzles, even so, all the grounds for making merit leading to spontaneously
arising in heaven do not equal one-sixteenth of the release of awareness through good
will. Good will -- surpassing them -- shines, blazes, & dazzles.
"Just as in the last month of the rains, in autumn, when the
sky is clear & cloudless, the sun, on ascending the sky, overpowers the space immersed
in darkness, shines, blazes, & dazzles, even so, all the grounds for making merit
leading to spontaneously arising in heaven do not equal one-sixteenth of the release of
awareness through good will. Good will -- surpassing them -- shines, blazes, &
dazzles.
"Just as in the pre-dawn darkness the morning star shines,
blazes, & dazzles, even so, all the grounds for making merit leading to spontaneously
arising in heaven do not equal one-sixteenth of the release of awareness through good
will. Good will -- surpassing them -- shines, blazes, & dazzles."
When one develops -- mindful --
good will without limit,
fetters are worn through,
on seeing the ending
of acquisitions.
If with uncorrupted mind
you feel good will
for even
one
being,
you become skilled from that.
But a Noble One produces
a mind of sympathy
for
all
beings,
an abundance of merit.
Kingly seers, who conquered the earth
swarming with beings,
went about making sacrifices:
the horse sacrifice, human sacrifice,
water rites, soma rites,
& the "Unobstructed,"
but these don't equal
one sixteenth
of a well-developed mind of good will --
as all the constellations don't,
one sixteenth
of the radiance of the moon.
One who neither kills
nor gets others to kill,
neither conquers,
nor gets others to conquer,
with good will for all beings,
has no hostility with anyone
at all.
[See also: AN XI.16; Sn I.8]