Aṅguttara Nikāya - The Numerical Discourses

5: The Book of the Fives

134. In Whatever Quarter

1"Bhikkhus, in whatever quarter he might dwell, a head-anointed khattiya king who possesses five factors dwells in his own realm. What five?

2"(1) Here, a head-anointed khattiya king is well born on both his maternal and paternal sides, of pure descent, unassailable and impeccable with respect to birth as far back as the seventh paternal generation. [n.1134] In commenting on saṁsuddhagahaṇiko yāva sattamā pitāmahayugā akkhitto anupakkuṭṭho jātivādena, Mp says that yāva sattamā pitāmahayugā can be construed in apposition either to saṁsuddhagahaṇiko or to akkhitto anupakkuṭṭho jātivādena. Be and Ee punctuate as if it should be taken in the former way, Ce as if it should be taken in the latter way. I follow Ce. (2) He is rich, with great wealth and property, with full treasuries and storerooms. (3) He is powerful, possessing an army of four divisions that is obedient and compliant to his commands. (4) His counselor is wise, competent, and intelligent, able to consider benefits pertaining to the past, future, and present. [n.1135] Paṭibalo atītānāgatapaccuppanne atthe cintetuṁ. Mp explains: "Through present benefits, he considers what happened in the past and what will happen in the future" (so hi paccuppannaatthavaseneva ‘‘atītepi evaṁ ahesuṁ, anāgatepi evaṁ bhavissantī’’ti cinteti). (5) These four qualities of his promote his fame. Possessing these five qualities inclusive of fame, he dwells in his own realm in whatever quarter he might dwell. For what reason? Because this is how it is for the victorious ones.

3"So too, bhikkhus, in whatever quarter he might dwell, a bhikkhu who possesses five qualities dwells liberated in mind. What five?


"(1) Here, a bhikkhu is virtuous; he dwells restrained by the Pāṭimokkha, possessed of good conduct and resort, seeing danger in minute faults. Having undertaken the training rules, he trains in them. This is like the head-anointed khattiya king's being well born. (2) He has learned much, remembers what he has learned, and accumulates what he has learned. Those teachings that are good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, with the right meaning and phrasing, which proclaim the perfectly complete and pure spiritual life—such teachings as these he has learned much of, retained in mind, recited verbally, mentally investigated, and penetrated well by view. This is like the head-anointed khattiya king's being rich, with great wealth and property, with full treasuries and storerooms. (3) He has aroused energy for abandoning unwholesome qualities and acquiring wholesome qualities; he is strong, firm in exertion, not casting off the duty of cultivating wholesome qualities. This is like the head-anointed khattiya king's being powerful. (4) He is wise; he possesses the wisdom that discerns arising and passing away, which is noble and penetrative and leads to the complete destruction of suffering. This is like the head-anointed khattiya king's having a good counselor. (5) These four qualities of his promote his liberation. Possessing these five qualities inclusive of liberation, in whatever quarter he might dwell, he dwells liberated in mind. For what reason? Because this is how it is for those who are liberated in mind."

1"Pañcahi, bhikkhave, aṅgehi samannāgato rājā khattiyo muddhāvasitto yassaṁ yassaṁ disāyaṁ viharati, sakasmiṁyeva vijite viharati.

2Katamehi pañcahi? Idha, bhikkhave, rājā khattiyo muddhāvasitto ubhato sujāto hoti mātito ca pitito ca, saṁsuddhagahaṇiko, yāva sattamā pitāmahayugā akkhitto anupakkuṭṭho jātivādena; aḍḍho hoti mahaddhano mahābhogo paripuṇṇakosakoṭṭhāgāro; balavā kho pana hoti caturaṅginiyā senāya samannāgato assavāya ovādapaṭikarāya; pariṇāyako kho panassa hoti paṇḍito viyatto medhāvī paṭibalo atītānāgatapaccuppanne atthe cintetuṁ; tassime cattāro dhammā yasaṁ paripācenti. So iminā yasapañcamena dhammena samannāgato yassaṁ yassaṁ disāyaṁ viharati, sakasmiṁyeva vijite viharati. Taṁ kissa hetu? Evañhetaṁ, bhikkhave, hoti vijitāvīnaṁ.

3Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pañcahi dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu yassaṁ yassaṁ disāyaṁ viharati, vimuttacittova viharati. Katamehi pañcahi?


Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sīlavā hoti, pātimokkhasaṁvarasaṁvuto viharati ācāragocarasampanno aṇumattesu vajjesu bhayadassāvī, samādāya sikkhati sikkhāpadesu – rājāva khattiyo muddhāvasitto jātisampanno; bahussuto hoti sutadharo sutasannicayo, ye te dhammā ādikalyāṇā majjhekalyāṇā pariyosānakalyāṇā sātthaṁ sabyañjanaṁ kevalaparipuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ abhivadanti, tathārūpāssa dhammā bahussutā honti dhātā vacasā paricitā manasānupekkhitā diṭṭhiyā suppaṭividdhā – rājāva khattiyo muddhāvasitto aḍḍho mahaddhano mahābhogo paripuṇṇakosakoṭṭhāgāro; āraddhavīriyo viharati akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ pahānāya kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ upasampadāya thāmavā daḷhaparakkamo anikkhittadhuro kusalesu dhammesu – rājāva khattiyo muddhāvasitto balasampanno; paññavā hoti udayatthagāminiyā paññāya samannāgato ariyāya nibbedhikāya sammā dukkhakkhayagāminiyā – rājāva khattiyo muddhāvasitto pariṇāyakasampanno; tassime cattāro dhammā vimuttiṁ paripācenti. So iminā vimuttipañcamena dhammena samannāgato yassaṁ yassaṁ disāyaṁ viharati vimuttacittova viharati. Taṁ kissa hetu? Evañhetaṁ, bhikkhave, hoti vimuttacittānan"ti.


Catutthaṁ.

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