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Aṅguttara Nikāya - The Numerical Discourses

10: The Book of the Tens

II. A Protector — AN 10.14: Emotional Barrenness

1“Mendicants, a monk or nun who has not given up five kinds of emotional barrenness and has not cut off five emotional shackles can expect decline, not growth, in skillful qualities, whether by day or by night.


2What are the five kinds of emotional barrenness they haven’t given up?

Firstly, a mendicant has doubts about the Teacher. They’re uncertain, undecided, and lacking confidence. This being so, their mind doesn’t incline toward keenness, commitment, persistence, and striving. This is the first kind of emotional barrenness they haven’t given up.

3Furthermore, a mendicant has doubts about the teaching … the Saṅgha … the training … A mendicant is angry and upset with their spiritual companions, resentful and closed off. This being so, their mind doesn’t incline toward keenness, commitment, persistence, and striving. This is the fifth kind of emotional barrenness they haven’t given up.

These are the five kinds of emotional barrenness they haven’t given up.


4What are the five emotional shackles they haven’t cut off?

Firstly, a mendicant isn’t free of greed, desire, fondness, thirst, passion, and craving for sensual pleasures. This being so, their mind doesn’t incline toward keenness, commitment, persistence, and striving. This is the first emotional shackle they haven’t cut off.

5Furthermore, a mendicant isn’t free of greed for the body … They’re not free of greed for form … They eat as much as they like until their belly is full, then indulge in the pleasures of sleeping, lying, and drowsing … They live the spiritual life wishing to be reborn in one of the orders of gods: ‘By this precept or observance or mortification or spiritual life, may I become one of the gods!’ This being so, their mind doesn’t incline toward keenness, commitment, persistence, and striving. This is the fifth emotional shackle they haven’t cut off.

These are the five emotional shackles they haven’t cut off.


6A monk or nun who has not given up these five kinds of emotional barrenness and has not cut off these five emotional shackles can expect decline, not growth, in skillful qualities, whether by day or by night.

7It’s like the moon in the waning fortnight. Whether by day or by night, its beauty, roundness, light, and diameter and circumference only decline. In the same way, monk or nun who has not given up these five kinds of emotional barrenness and has not cut off these five emotional shackles can expect decline, not growth, in skillful qualities, whether by day or by night.

8A monk or nun who has given up five kinds of emotional barrenness and has cut off five emotional shackles can expect growth, not decline, in skillful qualities, whether by day or by night.

9What are the five kinds of emotional barrenness they’ve given up?

Firstly, a mendicant has no doubts about the Teacher. They’re not uncertain, undecided, or lacking confidence. This being so, their mind inclines toward keenness, commitment, persistence, and striving. This is the first kind of emotional barrenness they’ve given up.

10Furthermore, a mendicant has no doubts about the teaching … the Saṅgha … the training … A mendicant is not angry and upset with their spiritual companions, not resentful or closed off. This being so, their mind inclines toward keenness, commitment, persistence, and striving. This is the fifth kind of emotional barrenness they’ve given up.

These are the five kinds of emotional barrenness they’ve given up.


11What are the five emotional shackles they’ve cut off?

Firstly, a mendicant is rid of greed, desire, fondness, thirst, passion, and craving for sensual pleasures. This being so, their mind inclines toward keenness, commitment, persistence, and striving. This is the first emotional shackle they’ve cut off.

12Furthermore, a mendicant is rid of greed for the body … They’re rid of greed for form … They don’t eat as much as they like until their belly is full, then indulge in the pleasures of sleeping, lying, and drowsing … They don’t live the spiritual life wishing to be reborn in one of the orders of gods: ‘By this precept or observance or mortification or spiritual life, may I become one of the gods!’ This being so, their mind inclines toward keenness, commitment, persistence, and striving. This is the fifth emotional shackle they’ve cut off.

These are the five emotional shackles they’ve cut off.


13A monk or nun who has given up these five kinds of emotional barrenness and has cut off these five emotional shackles can expect growth, not decline, in skillful qualities, whether by day or by night.


14It’s like the moon in the waxing fortnight. Whether by day or by night, its beauty, roundness, light, and diameter and circumference only grow. In the same way, a monk or nun who has given up these five kinds of emotional barrenness and has cut off these five emotional shackles can expect growth, not decline, in skillful qualities, whether by day or by night.”

1"Yassa kassaci, bhikkhave, bhikkhussa vā bhikkhuniyā vā pañca cetokhilā appahīnā pañca cetasovinibandhā asamucchinnā, tassa yā ratti vā divaso vā āgacchati hāniyeva pāṭikaṅkhā kusalesu dhammesu no vuddhi.


2Katamassa pañca cetokhilā appahīnā honti?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu satthari kaṅkhati vicikicchati nādhimuccati na sampasīdati. Yo so, bhikkhave, bhikkhu satthari kaṅkhati vicikicchati nādhimuccati na sampasīdati, tassa cittaṁ na namati ātappāya anuyogāya sātaccāya padhānāya. Yassa cittaṁ na namati ātappāya anuyogāya sātaccāya padhānāya, evamassāyaṁ paṭhamo cetokhilo appahīno hoti.

3Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu dhamme kaṅkhati … pe … saṅghe kaṅkhati … sikkhāya kaṅkhati … sabrahmacārīsu kupito hoti anattamano āhatacitto khilajāto. Yo so, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sabrahmacārīsu kupito hoti anattamano āhatacitto khilajāto, tassa cittaṁ na namati ātappāya anuyogāya sātaccāya padhānāya. Yassa cittaṁ na namati ātappāya anuyogāya sātaccāya padhānāya, evamassāyaṁ pañcamo cetokhilo appahīno hoti.

Imassa pañca cetokhilā appahīnā honti.


4Katamassa pañca cetasovinibandhā asamucchinnā honti?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kāmesu avītarāgo hoti avigatacchando avigatapemo avigatapipāso avigatapariḷāho avigatataṇho. Yo so, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kāmesu avītarāgo hoti avigatacchando avigatapemo avigatapipāso avigatapariḷāho avigatataṇho, tassa cittaṁ na namati ātappāya anuyogāya sātaccāya padhānāya. Yassa cittaṁ na namati ātappāya anuyogāya sātaccāya padhānāya, evamassāyaṁ paṭhamo cetasovinibandho asamucchinno hoti.

5Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kāye avītarāgo hoti … pe … rūpe avītarāgo hoti … pe … yāvadatthaṁ udarāvadehakaṁ bhuñjitvā seyyasukhaṁ passasukhaṁ middhasukhaṁ anuyutto viharati … aññataraṁ devanikāyaṁ paṇidhāya brahmacariyaṁ carati:  ‘imināhaṁ sīlena vā vatena vā tapena vā brahmacariyena vā devo vā bhavissāmi devaññataro vā’ti. Yo so, bhikkhave, bhikkhu aññataraṁ devanikāyaṁ paṇidhāya brahmacariyaṁ carati:  ‘imināhaṁ sīlena vā vatena vā tapena vā brahmacariyena vā devo vā bhavissāmi devaññataro vā’ti, tassa cittaṁ na namati ātappāya anuyogāya sātaccāya padhānāya. Yassa cittaṁ na namati ātappāya anuyogāya sātaccāya padhānāya, evamassāyaṁ pañcamo cetasovinibandho asamucchinno hoti.

Imassa pañca cetasovinibandhā asamucchinnā honti.


6Yassa kassaci, bhikkhave, bhikkhussa vā bhikkhuniyā vā ime pañca cetokhilā appahīnā ime pañca cetasovinibandhā asamucchinnā, tassa yā ratti vā divaso vā āgacchati hāniyeva pāṭikaṅkhā kusalesu dhammesu no vuddhi.

7Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, kāḷapakkhe candassa yā ratti vā divaso vā āgacchati, hāyateva vaṇṇena hāyati maṇḍalena hāyati ābhāya hāyati ārohapariṇāhena; evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, yassa kassaci bhikkhussa vā bhikkhuniyā vā ime pañca cetokhilā appahīnā ime pañca cetasovinibandhā asamucchinnā, tassa yā ratti vā divaso vā āgacchati hāniyeva pāṭikaṅkhā kusalesu dhammesu no vuddhi.

8Yassa kassaci, bhikkhave, bhikkhussa vā bhikkhuniyā vā pañca cetokhilā pahīnā pañca cetasovinibandhā susamucchinnā, tassa yā ratti vā divaso vā āgacchati vuddhiyeva pāṭikaṅkhā kusalesu dhammesu no parihāni.

9Katamassa pañca cetokhilā pahīnā honti?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu satthari na kaṅkhati na vicikicchati, adhimuccati sampasīdati. Yo so, bhikkhave, bhikkhu satthari na kaṅkhati na vicikicchati adhimuccati sampasīdati, tassa cittaṁ namati ātappāya anuyogāya sātaccāya padhānāya. Yassa cittaṁ namati ātappāya anuyogāya sātaccāya padhānāya, evamassāyaṁ paṭhamo cetokhilo pahīno hoti.

10Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu dhamme na kaṅkhati … pe … saṅghe na kaṅkhati … sikkhāya na kaṅkhati … sabrahmacārīsu na kupito hoti attamano na āhatacitto na khilajāto. Yo so, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sabrahmacārīsu na kupito hoti attamano na āhatacitto na khilajāto, tassa cittaṁ namati ātappāya anuyogāya sātaccāya padhānāya. Yassa cittaṁ namati ātappāya anuyogāya sātaccāya padhānāya, evamassāyaṁ pañcamo cetokhilo pahīno hoti.

Imassa pañca cetokhilā pahīnā honti.


11Katamassa pañca cetasovinibandhā susamucchinnā honti?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kāmesu vītarāgo hoti vigatacchando vigatapemo vigatapipāso vigatapariḷāho vigatataṇho. Yo so, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kāmesu vītarāgo hoti vigatacchando vigatapemo vigatapipāso vigatapariḷāho vigatataṇho, tassa cittaṁ namati ātappāya anuyogāya sātaccāya padhānāya. Yassa cittaṁ namati ātappāya anuyogāya sātaccāya padhānāya, evamassāyaṁ paṭhamo cetasovinibandho susamucchinno hoti.

12Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kāye vītarāgo hoti … pe … rūpe vītarāgo hoti … pe … na yāvadatthaṁ udarāvadehakaṁ bhuñjitvā seyyasukhaṁ passasukhaṁ middhasukhaṁ anuyutto viharati, na aññataraṁ devanikāyaṁ paṇidhāya brahmacariyaṁ carati:  ‘imināhaṁ sīlena vā vatena vā tapena vā brahmacariyena vā devo vā bhavissāmi devaññataro vā’ti. Yo so, bhikkhave, bhikkhu na aññataraṁ devanikāyaṁ paṇidhāya … pe … devaññataro vāti, tassa cittaṁ namati ātappāya anuyogāya sātaccāya padhānāya. Yassa cittaṁ namati ātappāya anuyogāya sātaccāya padhānāya, evamassāyaṁ pañcamo cetasovinibandho susamucchinno hoti.

Imassa pañca cetasovinibandhā susamucchinnā honti.


13Yassa kassaci, bhikkhave, bhikkhussa vā bhikkhuniyā vā ime pañca cetokhilā pahīnā ime pañca cetasovinibandhā susamucchinnā, tassa yā ratti vā divaso vā āgacchati vuddhiyeva pāṭikaṅkhā kusalesu dhammesu no parihāni.


14Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, juṇhapakkhe candassa yā ratti vā divaso vā āgacchati, vaḍḍhateva vaṇṇena vaḍḍhati maṇḍalena vaḍḍhati ābhāya vaḍḍhati ārohapariṇāhena; evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, yassa kassaci bhikkhussa vā bhikkhuniyā vā ime pañca cetokhilā pahīnā ime pañca cetasovinibandhā susamucchinnā, tassa yā ratti vā divaso vā āgacchati vuddhiyeva pāṭikaṅkhā kusalesu dhammesu no parihānī"ti.

Catutthaṁ.