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Aṅguttara Nikāya - The Numerical Discourses

10: The Book of the Tens

VI. Your Own Mind — AN 10.54: Serenity

1“Mendicants, if a mendicant isn’t skilled in the ways of another’s mind, then they should train themselves: ‘I will be skilled in the ways of my own mind.’

2And how is a mendicant skilled in the ways of their own mind? Suppose there was a woman or man who was young, youthful, and fond of adornments, and they check their own reflection in a clean bright mirror or a clear bowl of water. If they see any dirt or blemish there, they’d try to remove it. But if they don’t see any dirt or blemish there, they’re happy with that, as they’ve got all they wished for: ‘How fortunate that I’m clean!’

In the same way, checking is very helpful for a mendicant’s skillful qualities. ‘Do I have internal serenity of heart or not? Do I have the higher wisdom of discernment of principles or not?’


3Suppose that, upon checking, a mendicant knows this: ‘I have serenity but not discernment.’ Grounded on serenity, they should practice meditation to get discernment. After some time they have both serenity and discernment.


4But suppose that, upon checking, a mendicant knows this: ‘I have discernment but not serenity.’ Grounded on discernment, they should practice meditation to get serenity. After some time they have both serenity and discernment.

5But suppose that, upon checking, a mendicant knows this: ‘I have neither serenity nor discernment.’ In order to get those skillful qualities, they should apply outstanding enthusiasm, effort, zeal, vigor, perseverance, mindfulness, and situational awareness. Suppose your clothes or head were on fire. In order to extinguish it, you’d apply outstanding enthusiasm, effort, zeal, vigor, perseverance, mindfulness, and situational awareness. In the same way, in order to get those skillful qualities, that person should apply outstanding enthusiasm … After some time they have both serenity and discernment.


6But suppose that, upon checking, a mendicant knows this: ‘I have both serenity and discernment.’ Grounded on those skillful qualities, they should practice meditation further to end the defilements.

7I say that there are two kinds of robes: those you should wear, and those you shouldn’t wear. I say that there are two kinds of almsfood: that which you should eat, and that which you shouldn’t eat. I say that there are two kinds of lodging: those you should frequent, and those you shouldn’t frequent. I say that there are two kinds of market town: those you should frequent, and those you shouldn’t frequent. I say that there are two kinds of country: those you should frequent, and those you shouldn’t frequent. I say that there are two kinds of people: those you should frequent, and those you shouldn’t frequent.

8‘I say that there are two kinds of robes: those you should wear, and those you shouldn’t wear.’ That’s what I said, but why did I say it? Take a robe of which you know this: ‘When I wear this robe, unskillful qualities grow, and skillful qualities decline.’ You should not wear that kind of robe. Take a robe of which you know this: ‘When I wear this robe, unskillful qualities decline, and skillful qualities grow.’ You should wear that kind of robe. ‘I say that there are two kinds of robes: those you should wear, and those you shouldn’t wear.’ That’s what I said, and this is why I said it.

9‘I say that there are two kinds of almsfood: that which you should eat, and that which you shouldn’t eat.’ That’s what I said, but why did I say it? Take almsfood of which you know this: ‘When I eat this almsfood, unskillful qualities grow, and skillful qualities decline.’ You should not eat that kind of almsfood. Take almsfood of which you know this: ‘When I eat this almsfood, unskillful qualities decline, and skillful qualities grow.’ You should eat that kind of almsfood. ‘I say that there are two kinds of almsfood: that which you should eat, and that which you shouldn’t eat.’ That’s what I said, and this is why I said it.

10‘I say that there are two kinds of lodging: those you should frequent, and those you shouldn’t frequent.’ That’s what I said, but why did I say it? Take a lodging of which you know this: ‘When I frequent this lodging, unskillful qualities grow, and skillful qualities decline.’ You should not frequent that kind of lodging. Take a lodging of which you know this: ‘When I frequent this lodging, unskillful qualities decline, and skillful qualities grow.’ You should frequent that kind of lodging. ‘I say that there are two kinds of lodging: those you should frequent, and those you shouldn’t frequent.’ That’s what I said, and this is why I said it.

11‘I say that there are two kinds of market town: those you should frequent, and those you shouldn’t frequent.’ That’s what I said, but why did I say it? Take a market town of which you know this: ‘When I frequent this market town, unskillful qualities grow, and skillful qualities decline.’ You should not frequent that kind of market town. Take a market town of which you know this: ‘When I frequent this market town, unskillful qualities decline, and skillful qualities grow.’ You should frequent that kind of market town. ‘I say that there are two kinds of market town: those you should frequent, and those you shouldn’t frequent.’ That’s what I said, and this is why I said it.

12‘I say that there are two kinds of country: those you should frequent, and those you shouldn’t frequent.’ That’s what I said, but why did I say it? Take a country of which you know this: ‘When I frequent this country, unskillful qualities grow, and skillful qualities decline.’ You should not frequent that kind of country. Take a country of which you know this: ‘When I frequent this country, unskillful qualities decline, and skillful qualities grow.’ You should frequent that kind of country. ‘I say that there are two kinds of country: those you should frequent, and those you shouldn’t frequent.’ That’s what I said, and this is why I said it.


13‘I say that there are two kinds of people: those you should frequent, and those you shouldn’t frequent.’ That’s what I said, but why did I say it? Take a person of whom you know this: ‘When I frequent this person, unskillful qualities grow, and skillful qualities decline.’ You should not frequent that kind of person. Take a person of whom you know this: ‘When I frequent this person, unskillful qualities decline, and skillful qualities grow.’ You should frequent that kind of person. ‘I say that there are two kinds of people: those you should frequent, and those you shouldn’t frequent.’ That’s what I said, and this is why I said it.”

1"No ce, bhikkhave, bhikkhu paracittapariparacittapariparacittapariyāyakusaloyāyakusaloyāyakusalo hoti, atha ‘sacittapariyāyakusalo bhavissāmī’ti – evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabbaṁ.

2Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sacittapariyāyakusalo hoti? Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, itthī vā puriso vā daharo yuvā maṇḍanakajātiko ādāse vā parisuddhe pariyodāte acche vā udapatte sakaṁ mukhanimittaṁ paccavekkhamāno sace tattha passati rajaṁ vā aṅgaṇaṁ vā, tasseva rajassa vā aṅgaṇassa vā pahānāya vāyamati. No ce tattha passati rajaṁ vā aṅgaṇaṁ vā, tenevattamano hoti paripuṇṇasaṅkappo:  ‘lābhā vata me, parisuddhaṁ vata me’ti.

Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno paccavekkhaṇā bahukārā hoti kusalesu dhammesu:  ‘lābhī nu khomhi ajjhattaṁ cetosamathassa, na nu khomhi lābhī ajjhattaṁ cetosamathassa, lābhī nu khomhi adhipaññādhammavipassanāya, na nu khomhi lābhī adhipaññādhammavipassanāyā’ti.


3Sace, bhikkhave, bhikkhu paccavekkhamāno evaṁ jānāti:  ‘lābhīmhi ajjhattaṁ cetosamathassa, na lābhī adhipaññādhammavipassanāyā’ti, tena, bhikkhave, bhikkhunā ajjhattaṁ cetosamathe patiṭṭhāya adhipaññādhammavipassanāya yogo karaṇīyo. So aparena samayena lābhī ceva hoti ajjhattaṁ cetosamathassa lābhī ca adhipaññādhammavipassanāya.


4Sace pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhu paccavekkhamāno evaṁ jānāti:  ‘lābhīmhi adhipaññādhammavipassanāya, na lābhī ajjhattaṁ cetosamathassā’ti, tena, bhikkhave, bhikkhunā adhipaññādhammavipassanāya patiṭṭhāya ajjhattaṁ cetosamathe yogo karaṇīyo. So aparena samayena lābhī ceva hoti adhipaññādhammavipassanāya lābhī ca ajjhattaṁ cetosamathassa.

5Sace pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhu paccavekkhamāno evaṁ jānāti:  ‘Na lābhī ajjhattaṁ cetosamathassa, na lābhī adhipaññādhammavipassanāyā’ti, tena, bhikkhave, bhikkhunā tesaṁyeva kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ paṭilābhāya adhimatto chando ca vāyāmo ca ussāho ca ussoḷhī ca appaṭivānī ca sati ca sampajaññañca karaṇīyaṁ. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, ādittacelo vā ādittasīso vā. Tasseva celassa vā sīsassa vā nibbāpanāya adhimattaṁ chandañca vāyāmañca ussāhañca ussoḷhiñca appaṭivāniñca satiñca sampajaññañca kareyya. Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, tena bhikkhunā tesaṁyeva kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ paṭilābhāya adhimatto chando ca vāyāmo ca ussāho ca ussoḷhī ca appaṭivānī ca sati ca sampajaññañca karaṇīyaṁ. So aparena samayena lābhī ceva hoti ajjhattaṁ cetosamathassa lābhī ca adhipaññādhammavipassanāya.


6Sace pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhu paccavekkhamāno evaṁ jānāti:  ‘lābhīmhi ajjhattaṁ cetosamathassa, lābhī adhipaññādhammavipassanāyā’ti, tena, bhikkhave, bhikkhunā tesuyeva kusalesu dhammesu patiṭṭhāya uttari āsavānaṁ khayāya yogo karaṇīyo.

7Cīvarampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, duvidhena vadāmi – sevitabbampi asevitabbampi. Piṇḍapātampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, duvidhena vadāmi – sevitabbampi asevitabbampi. Senāsanampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, duvidhena vadāmi – sevitabbampi asevitabbampi. Gāmanigamampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, duvidhena vadāmi – sevitabbampi asevitabbampi. Janapadapadesampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, duvidhena vadāmi – sevitabbampi asevitabbampi. Puggalampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, duvidhena vadāmi – sevitabbampi asevitabbampi.

8‘Cīvarampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, duvidhena vadāmi – sevitabbampi asevitabbampī’ti, iti kho panetaṁ vuttaṁ. Kiñcetaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ? Tattha yaṁ jaññā cīvaraṁ:  ‘idaṁ kho me cīvaraṁ sevato akusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti, kusalā dhammā parihāyantī’ti, evarūpaṁ cīvaraṁ na sevitabbaṁ. Tattha yaṁ jaññā cīvaraṁ:  ‘idaṁ kho me cīvaraṁ sevato akusalā dhammā parihāyanti, kusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhantī’ti, evarūpaṁ cīvaraṁ sevitabbaṁ. ‘Cīvarampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, duvidhena vadāmi – sevitabbampi asevitabbampī’ti, iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ, idametaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ.

9‘Piṇḍapātampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, duvidhena vadāmi – sevitabbampi asevitabbampī’ti, iti kho panetaṁ vuttaṁ. Kiñcetaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ? Tattha yaṁ jaññā piṇḍapātaṁ:  ‘imaṁ kho me piṇḍapātaṁ sevato akusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti, kusalā dhammā parihāyantī’ti, evarūpo piṇḍapāto na sevitabbo. Tattha yaṁ jaññā piṇḍapātaṁ:  ‘imaṁ kho me piṇḍapātaṁ sevato akusalā dhammā parihāyanti, kusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhantī’ti, evarūpo piṇḍapāto sevitabbo. ‘Piṇḍapātampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, duvidhena vadāmi – sevitabbampi asevitabbampī’ti, iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ, idametaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ.

10‘Senāsanampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, duvidhena vadāmi – sevitabbampi asevitabbampī’ti, iti kho panetaṁ vuttaṁ. Kiñcetaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ? Tattha yaṁ jaññā senāsanaṁ:  ‘idaṁ kho me senāsanaṁ sevato akusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti, kusalā dhammā parihāyantī’ti, evarūpaṁ senāsanaṁ na sevitabbaṁ. Tattha yaṁ jaññā senāsanaṁ:  ‘idaṁ kho me senāsanaṁ sevato akusalā dhammā parihāyanti, kusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhantī’ti, evarūpaṁ senāsanaṁ sevitabbaṁ. ‘Senāsanampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, duvidhena vadāmi – sevitabbampi asevitabbampī’ti, iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ, idametaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ.

11‘Gāmanigamampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, duvidhena vadāmi – sevitabbampi asevitabbampī’ti, iti kho panetaṁ vuttaṁ. Kiñcetaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ? Tattha yaṁ jaññā gāmanigamaṁ:  ‘imaṁ kho me gāmanigamaṁ sevato akusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti, kusalā dhammā parihāyantī’ti, evarūpo gāmanigamo na sevitabbo. Tattha yaṁ jaññā gāmanigamaṁ:  ‘imaṁ kho me gāmanigamaṁ sevato akusalā dhammā parihāyanti, kusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhantī’ti, evarūpo gāmanigamo sevitabbo. ‘Gāmanigamampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, duvidhena vadāmi – sevitabbampi asevitabbampī’ti, iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ, idametaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ.

12‘Janapadapadesampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, duvidhena vadāmi – sevitabbampi asevitabbampī’ti, iti kho panetaṁ vuttaṁ. Kiñcetaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ? Tattha yaṁ jaññā janapadapadesaṁ:  ‘imaṁ kho me janapadapadesaṁ sevato akusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti, kusalā dhammā parihāyantī’ti, evarūpo janapadapadeso na sevitabbo. Tattha yaṁ jaññā janapadapadesaṁ:  ‘imaṁ kho me janapadapadesaṁ sevato akusalā dhammā parihāyanti, kusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhantī’ti, evarūpo janapadapadeso sevitabbo. ‘Janapadapadesampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, duvidhena vadāmi – sevitabbampi asevitabbampī’ti, iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ, idametaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ.


13‘Puggalampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, duvidhena vadāmi – sevitabbampi asevitabbampī’ti, iti kho panetaṁ vuttaṁ. Kiñcetaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ? Tattha yaṁ jaññā puggalaṁ:  ‘imaṁ kho me puggalaṁ sevato akusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti, kusalā dhammā parihāyantī’ti, evarūpo puggalo na sevitabbo. Tattha yaṁ jaññā puggalaṁ:  ‘imaṁ kho me puggalaṁ sevato akusalā dhammā parihāyanti, kusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhantī’ti, evarūpo puggalo sevitabbo. ‘Puggalampāhaṁ, bhikkhave, duvidhena vadāmi – sevitabbampi asevitabbampī’ti, iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ, idametaṁ paṭicca vuttan"ti.

Catutthaṁ.