1Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was living at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's Park. There he addressed the bhikkhus thus: "Bhikkhus." — "Venerable sir," they replied. The Blessed One said this:

1Evaṁ me sutaṁ — ​ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: "bhikkhavo"ti. "Bhadante"ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. Bhagavā etadavoca: 

"Bhikkhus, dwell possessed of virtue, possessed of the Pāṭimokkha, restrained with the restraint of the Pāṭimokkha, perfect in conduct and resort, and seeing fear in the slightest fault, train by undertaking the training precepts.[n.76] MA says that the expression sampannasīlā, translated here as "possessed of virtue," can mean either "perfect in virtue" (paripuṇṇasīlā) or "endowed with virtue" (sīlasamaṅgino). The Pāṭimokkha is the code of monastic discipline, which in its Pali version consists of 227 rules. "Resort" (gocara) implies a proper resort for alms, though it may also signify the proper deportment of a monk, his serene and self-possessed bearing. The key terms in this passage are analysed at Vsm I, 43–52.

"Sampannasīlā, bhikkhave, viharatha sampannapātimokkhā; pātimokkhasaṁvarasaṁvutā viharatha ācāragocarasampannā aṇumattesu vajjesu bhayadassāvino; samādāya sikkhatha sikkhāpadesu.

"If a bhikkhu should wish: ‘May I be dear and agreeable to my companions in the holy life, respected and esteemed by them,’ let him fulfil the precepts, be devoted to internal serenity of mind, not neglect meditation, be possessed of insight, and dwell in empty huts.[n.77] MA: The passage beginning with "let him fulfil the precepts," repeated for each of the following sections until the end of the sutta, comprises the entire threefold training. The phrase about fulfilling the precepts signifies the training in higher virtue (adhisīlasikkhā); the phrase "be devoted to internal serenity of mind, not neglect meditation" indicates the training in concentration or the higher mind (adhicittasikkhā); and the phrase "be possessed of insight" points to the training in the higher wisdom (adhipaññāsikkhā). The phrase "dwell in empty huts" combines the latter two trainings, since one resorts to an empty hut to develop serenity and insight.

Ākaṅkheyya ce, bhikkhave, bhikkhu: ‘sabrahmacārīnaṁ piyo ca assaṁ manāpo ca garu ca bhāvanīyo cā’ti, sīlesvevassa paripūrakārī ajjhattaṁ cetosamathamanuyutto anirākatajjhāno vipassanāya samannāgato brūhetā suññāgārānaṁ.

2"If a bhikkhu should wish: ‘May I be one to obtain robes, almsfood, resting place, and medicinal requisites,’ let him fulfil the precepts, be devoted to internal serenity of mind, not neglect meditation, be possessed of insight, and dwell in empty huts.

2Ākaṅkheyya ce, bhikkhave, bhikkhu: ‘lābhī assaṁ cīvara-piṇḍapāta-senāsana-gilānappaccaya-bhesajja-parikkhārānan’ti, sīlesvevassa paripūrakārī ajjhattaṁ cetosamathamanuyutto anirākatajjhāno vipassanāya samannāgato brūhetā suññāgārānaṁ.

3"If a bhikkhu should wish: ‘May the services of those whose robes, almsfood, resting place, and medicinal requisites I use bring them great fruit and benefit,’ let him fulfil the precepts, be devoted to internal serenity of mind, not neglect meditation, be possessed of insight, and dwell in empty huts.

3Ākaṅkheyya ce, bhikkhave, bhikkhu: ‘yesāhaṁ cīvara-piṇḍapāta-senāsana-gilānappaccaya-bhesajja-parikkhāraṁ paribhuñjāmi tesaṁ te kārā mahapphalā assu mahānisaṁsā’ti, sīlesvevassa paripūrakārī ajjhattaṁ cetosamathamanuyutto anirākatajjhāno vipassanāya samannāgato brūhetā suññāgārānaṁ.

4"If a bhikkhu should wish: ‘When my kinsmen and relatives who have passed away and died remember me with confidence in their minds, may that bring them great fruit and great benefit,[n.78] That is, if the relatives who have been reborn in the realm of ghosts or in some lower deva realm recollect virtuous bhikkhus with confidence, that confidence will become a source of merit for them, protecting them from bad rebirths and becoming a positive condition for the attainment of Nibbāna. ’ let him fulfil the precepts, be devoted to internal serenity of mind, not neglect meditation, be possessed of insight, and dwell in empty huts.

4Ākaṅkheyya ce, bhikkhave, bhikkhu: ‘ye maṁ ñātī sālohitā petā kālaṅkatā pasannacittā anussaranti tesaṁ taṁ mahapphalaṁ assa mahānisaṁsan’ti, sīlesvevassa paripūrakārī ajjhattaṁ cetosamathamanuyutto anirākatajjhāno vipassanāya samannāgato brūhetā suññāgārānaṁ.

5"If a bhikkhu should wish: ‘May I become a conqueror of discontent and delight, and may discontent not conquer me; may I abide transcending discontent whenever it arises,’ let him fulfil the precepts, be devoted to internal serenity of mind, not neglect meditation, be possessed of insight, and dwell in empty huts.

5Ākaṅkheyya ce, bhikkhave, bhikkhu: ‘aratiratisaho assaṁ, na ca maṁ arati saheyya, uppannaṁ aratiṁ abhibhuyya abhibhuyya vihareyyan’ti, sīlesvevassa paripūrakārī … pe … brūhetā suññāgārānaṁ.

6"If a bhikkhu should wish: ‘May I become a conqueror of fear and dread, and may fear and dread not conquer me; may I abide transcending fear and dread whenever they arise,’ let him fulfil the precepts, be devoted to internal serenity of mind, not neglect meditation, be possessed of insight, and dwell in empty huts.

6Ākaṅkheyya ce, bhikkhave, bhikkhu: ‘bhayabheravasaho assaṁ, na ca maṁ bhayabheravaṁ saheyya, uppannaṁ bhayabheravaṁ abhibhuyya abhibhuyya vihareyyan’ti, sīlesvevassa paripūrakārī … pe … brūhetā suññāgārānaṁ.

7"If a bhikkhu should wish: ‘May I become one to obtain at will, without trouble or difficulty, the four jhānas that constitute the higher mind and provide a pleasant abiding here and now,’ let him fulfil the precepts, be devoted to internal serenity of mind, not neglect meditation, be possessed of insight, and dwell in empty huts.

7Ākaṅkheyya ce, bhikkhave, bhikkhu: ‘catunnaṁ jhānānaṁ ābhicetasikānaṁ diṭṭhadhammasukhavihārānaṁ nikāmalābhī assaṁ akicchalābhī akasiralābhī’ti, sīlesvevassa paripūrakārī … pe … brūhetā suññāgārānaṁ.

8"If a bhikkhu should wish: ‘May I contact with the body and abide in those liberations that are peaceful and immaterial, transcending forms,’ let him fulfil the precepts, be devoted to internal serenity of mind, not neglect meditation, be possessed of insight, and dwell in empty huts.[n.79] These are the four immaterial attainments for which the full formulas are to be found below at MN 8.8–11, MN 25.16–19, etc. MA glosses "body" as "mental body" (nāmakāya).

8Ākaṅkheyya ce, bhikkhave, bhikkhu: ‘ye te santā vimokkhā atikkamma rūpe āruppā, te kāyena phusitvā vihareyyan’ti, sīlesvevassa paripūrakārī … pe … brūhetā suññāgārānaṁ.

9"If a bhikkhu should wish: ‘May I, with the destruction of three fetters, become a stream-enterer, no longer subject to perdition, bound for deliverance, headed for enlightenment,’[n.80] The three fetters destroyed by the stream-enterer are identity view, doubt, and adherence to rules and observances, as mentioned at MN 2.11. let him fulfil the precepts, be devoted to internal serenity of mind, not neglect meditation, be possessed of insight, and dwell in empty huts.

9Ākaṅkheyya ce, bhikkhave, bhikkhu: ‘tiṇṇaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā sotāpanno assaṁ avinipātadhammo niyato sambodhiparāyaṇo’ti, sīlesvevassa paripūrakārī … pe … brūhetā suññāgārānaṁ.

10"If a bhikkhu should wish: ‘May I, with the destruction of three fetters and with the attenuation of lust, hate, and delusion, become a once-returner, returning once to this world to make an end of suffering,’ let him fulfil the precepts, be devoted to internal serenity of mind, not neglect meditation, be possessed of insight, and dwell in empty huts.

10Ākaṅkheyya ce, bhikkhave, bhikkhu: ‘tiṇṇaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā rāgadosamohānaṁ tanuttā sakadāgāmī assaṁ sakideva imaṁ lokaṁ āgantvā dukkhassantaṁ kareyyan’ti, sīlesvevassa paripūrakārī … pe … brūhetā suññāgārānaṁ.

11"If a bhikkhu should wish: ‘May I, with the destruction of the five lower fetters, become due to reappear spontaneously in the Pure Abodes and there attain final Nibbāna, without ever returning from that world,’[n.81] In addition to the first three fetters, the non-returner destroys the other two "lower fetters" of sensual desire and ill will. The non-returner is reborn in a special region of the Brahma-world called the Pure Abodes, and there makes an end of suffering. let him fulfil the precepts, be devoted to internal serenity of mind, not neglect meditation, be possessed of insight, and dwell in empty huts.

11Ākaṅkheyya ce, bhikkhave, bhikkhu: ‘pañcannaṁ orambhāgiyānaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā opapātiko assaṁ tattha parinibbāyī anāvattidhammo tasmā lokā’ti, sīlesvevassa paripūrakārī … pe … brūhetā suññāgārānaṁ.

12"If a bhikkhu should wish:[n.82] ¶¶12–17 present the six kinds of direct knowledge (abhiññā). For details, see Vsm XII and XIII. ‘May I wield the various kinds of supernormal power: having been one, may I become many; having been many, may I become one; may I appear and vanish; may I go unhindered through a wall, through an enclosure, through a mountain as though through space; may I dive in and out of the earth as though it were water; may I walk on water without sinking as though it were earth; seated cross-legged, may I travel in space like a bird; with my hand may I touch and stroke the moon and sun so powerful and mighty; may I wield bodily mastery, even as far as the Brahma-world,’ let him fulfil the precepts, be devoted to internal serenity of mind, not neglect meditation, be possessed of insight, and dwell in empty huts.

12Ākaṅkheyya ce, bhikkhave, bhikkhu: ‘anekavihitaṁ iddhividhaṁ paccanubhaveyyaṁ — ekopi hutvā bahudhā assaṁ, bahudhāpi hutvā eko assaṁ; āvibhāvaṁ tirobhāvaṁ; tirokuṭṭaṁ tiropākāraṁ tiropabbataṁ asajjamāno gaccheyyaṁ, seyyathāpi ākāse; pathaviyāpi ummujjanimujjaṁ kareyyaṁ, seyyathāpi udake; udakepi abhijjamāne gaccheyyaṁ, seyyathāpi pathaviyaṁ; ākāsepi pallaṅkena kameyyaṁ, seyyathāpi pakkhī sakuṇo; imepi candimasūriye evaṁmahiddhike evaṁmahānubhāve pāṇinā parāmaseyyaṁ parimajjeyyaṁ; yāva brahmalokāpi kāyena vasaṁ vatteyyan’ti, sīlesvevassa paripūrakārī … pe … brūhetā suññāgārānaṁ.

13"If a bhikkhu should wish: ‘May I, with the divine ear element, which is purified and surpasses the human, hear both kinds of sounds, the divine and the human, those that are far as well as near,’ let him fulfil the precepts, be devoted to internal serenity of mind, not neglect meditation, be possessed of insight, and dwell in empty huts.

13Ākaṅkheyya ce, bhikkhave, bhikkhu: ‘dibbāya sotadhātuyā visuddhāya atikkantamānusikāya ubho sadde suṇeyyaṁ — dibbe ca mānuse ca ye dūre santike cā’ti, sīlesvevassa paripūrakārī … pe … brūhetā suññāgārānaṁ.

14"If a bhikkhu should wish: ‘May I understand the minds of other beings, of other persons, having encompassed them with my own mind. May I understand a mind affected by lust as affected by lust and a mind unaffected by lust as unaffected by lust; may I understand a mind affected by hate as affected by hate and a mind unaffected by hate as unaffected by hate; may I understand a mind affected by delusion as affected by delusion and a mind unaffected by delusion as unaffected by delusion; may I understand a contracted mind as contracted and a distracted mind as distracted; may I understand an exalted mind as exalted and an unexalted mind as unexalted; may I understand a surpassed mind as surpassed and an unsurpassed mind as unsurpassed; may I understand a concentrated mind as concentrated and an unconcentrated mind as unconcentrated; may I understand a liberated mind as liberated and an unliberated mind as unliberated,’ let him fulfil the precepts, be devoted to internal serenity of mind, not neglect meditation, be possessed of insight, and dwell in empty huts.

14Ākaṅkheyya ce, bhikkhave, bhikkhu: ‘parasattānaṁ parapuggalānaṁ cetasā ceto paricca pajāneyyaṁ — sarāgaṁ vā cittaṁ sarāgaṁ cittanti pajāneyyaṁ, vītarāgaṁ vā cittaṁ vītarāgaṁ cittanti pajāneyyaṁ; sadosaṁ vā cittaṁ sadosaṁ cittanti pajāneyyaṁ, vītadosaṁ vā cittaṁ vītadosaṁ cittanti pajāneyyaṁ; samohaṁ vā cittaṁ samohaṁ cittanti pajāneyyaṁ, vītamohaṁ vā cittaṁ vītamohaṁ cittanti pajāneyyaṁ; saṅkhittaṁ vā cittaṁ saṅkhittaṁ cittanti pajāneyyaṁ, vikkhittaṁ vā cittaṁ vikkhittaṁ cittanti pajāneyyaṁ; mahaggataṁ vā cittaṁ mahaggataṁ cittanti pajāneyyaṁ, amahaggataṁ vā cittaṁ amahaggataṁ cittanti pajāneyyaṁ; sauttaraṁ vā cittaṁ sauttaraṁ cittanti pajāneyyaṁ, anuttaraṁ vā cittaṁ anuttaraṁ cittanti pajāneyyaṁ; samāhitaṁ vā cittaṁ samāhitaṁ cittanti pajāneyyaṁ, asamāhitaṁ vā cittaṁ asamāhitaṁ cittanti pajāneyyaṁ; vimuttaṁ vā cittaṁ vimuttaṁ cittanti pajāneyyaṁ, avimuttaṁ vā cittaṁ avimuttaṁ cittanti pajāneyyan’ti, sīlesvevassa paripūrakārī … pe … brūhetā suññāgārānaṁ.

15"If a bhikkhu should wish: ‘May I recollect my manifold past livesExplained in detail at Vsm XIII, 13–71., that is, one birth, two births, three births, four births, five births, ten births, twenty births, thirty births, forty births, fifty births, a hundred births, a thousand births, a hundred thousand births, many aeons of world-contraction, many aeons of world-expansion, many aeons of world-contraction and expansion: ‘There I was so named, of such a clan, with such an appearance, such was my nutriment, such my experience of pleasure and pain, such my life-term; and passing away from there, I reappeared elsewhere; and there too I was so named, of such a clan, with such an appearance, such was my nutriment, such my experience of pleasure and pain, such my life-term; and passing away from there, I reappeared here.’ Thus with their aspects and particulars may I recollect my manifold past lives,’ let him fulfil the precepts, be devoted to internal serenity of mind, not neglect meditation, be possessed of insight, and dwell in empty huts.

15Ākaṅkheyya ce, bhikkhave, bhikkhu: ‘anekavihitaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussareyyaṁ, seyyathidaṁ — ekampi jātiṁ dvepi jātiyo tissopi jātiyo catassopi jātiyo pañcapi jātiyo dasapi jātiyo vīsampi jātiyo tiṁsampi jātiyo cattālīsampi jātiyo paññāsampi jātiyo jātisatampi jātisahassampi jāti satasahassampi anekepi saṁvaṭṭakappe anekepi vivaṭṭakappe anekepi saṁvaṭṭavivaṭṭakappe — amutrāsiṁ evaṁnāmo evaṅgotto evaṁvaṇṇo evamāhāro evaṁsukhadukkhappaṭisaṁvedī evamāyupariyanto, so tato cuto amutra udapādiṁ; tatrāpāsiṁ evaṁnāmo evaṅgotto evaṁvaṇṇo evamāhāro evaṁsukhadukkhappaṭisaṁvedī evamāyupariyanto, so tato cuto idhūpapannoti. Iti sākāraṁ sauddesaṁ anekavihitaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussareyyan’ti, sīlesvevassa paripūrakārī … pe … brūhetā suññāgārānaṁ.

16"If a bhikkhu should wish: ‘May I, with the divine eye, which is purified and surpasses the human, see beings passing away and reappearingExplained in detail at Vsm XIII, 72–101., inferior and superior, fair and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate; may I understand how beings pass on according to their actions thus: ‘These worthy beings who were ill conducted in body, speech, and mind, revilers of noble ones, wrong in their views, giving effect to wrong view in their actions, on the dissolution of the body, after death, have reappeared in a state of deprivation, in a bad destination, in perdition, even in hell; but these worthy beings who were well conducted in body, speech, and mind, not revilers of noble ones, right in their views, giving effect to right view in their actions, on the dissolution of the body, after death, have reappeared in a good destination, even in the heavenly world.’ Thus with the divine eye, which is purified and surpasses the human, I saw beings passing away and reappearing, inferior and superior, fair and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate, and I understood how beings pass on according to their actions.’ let him fulfil the precepts, be devoted to internal serenity of mind, not neglect meditation, be possessed of insight, and dwell in empty huts.

16Ākaṅkheyya ce, bhikkhave, bhikkhu: ‘dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena satte passeyyaṁ cavamāne upapajjamāne hīne paṇīte suvaṇṇe dubbaṇṇe sugate duggate yathākammūpage satte pajāneyyaṁ — ime vata bhonto sattā kāyaduccaritena samannāgatā vacīduccaritena samannāgatā manoduccaritena samannāgatā ariyānaṁ upavādakā micchādiṭṭhikā micchādiṭṭhikammasamādānā, te kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapannā; ime vā pana bhonto sattā kāyasucaritena samannāgatā vacīsucaritena samannāgatā manosucaritena samannāgatā ariyānaṁ anupavādakā sammādiṭṭhikā sammādiṭṭhikammasamādānā, te kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapannāti, iti dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena satte passeyyaṁ cavamāne upapajjamāne hīne paṇīte suvaṇṇe dubbaṇṇe sugate duggate yathākammūpage satte pajāneyyan’ti, sīlesvevassa paripūrakārī ajjhattaṁ cetosamathamanuyutto anirākatajjhāno vipassanāya samannāgato brūhetā suññāgārānaṁ.

17"If a bhikkhu should wish: ‘May I, by realising for myself with direct knowledge, here and now enter upon and abide in the deliverance of mind and deliverance by wisdom that are taintless with the destruction of the taints,’[n.83] MA: In this passage "mind" and "wisdom" signify, respectively, the concentration and wisdom associated with the fruit of arahantship. Concentration is called "deliverance of mind" (cetovimutti) because it is liberated from lust; wisdom is called "deliverance by wisdom" (paññāvimutti) because it is liberated from ignorance. The former is normally the result of serenity, the latter the result of insight. But when they are coupled and described as taintless (anāsava), they jointly result from the destruction of the taints by the supramundane path of arahantship. let him fulfil the precepts, be devoted to internal serenity of mind, not neglect meditation, be possessed of insight, and dwell in empty huts.

17Ākaṅkheyya ce, bhikkhave, bhikkhu: ‘āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja vihareyyan’ti, sīlesvevassa paripūrakārī ajjhattaṁ cetosamathamanuyutto anirākatajjhāno vipassanāya samannāgato brūhetā suññāgārānaṁ.

"So it was with reference to this that it was said: ‘Bhikkhus, dwell possessed of virtue, possessed of the Pāṭimokkha, restrained with the restraint of the Pāṭimokkha, perfect in conduct and resort, and seeing fear in the slightest fault, train by undertaking the training precepts.’"

‘Sampannasīlā, bhikkhave, viharatha sampannapātimokkhā; pātimokkhasaṁvarasaṁvutā viharatha ācāragocarasampannā aṇumattesu vajjesu bhayadassāvino; samādāya sikkhatha sikkhāpadesū’ti — iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ idametaṁ paṭicca vuttan"ti.

That is what the Blessed One said. The bhikkhus were satisfied and delighted in the Blessed One's words.

Idamavoca bhagavā. Attamanā te bhikkhū bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandunti.

Ākaṅkheyyasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ chaṭṭhaṁ.