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Aṅguttara Nikāya - The Numerical Discourses

10: The Book of the Tens

VII. Pairs — AN 10.69: Topics of Discussion (1st)

1At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Now at that time, after the meal, on return from alms-round, several mendicants sat together in the meeting hall. They engaged in all kinds of unworthy talk, such as talk about kings, bandits, and ministers; talk about armies, threats, and wars; talk about food, drink, clothes, and beds; talk about garlands and fragrances; talk about family, vehicles, villages, towns, cities, and countries; talk about women and heroes; street talk and well talk; talk about the departed; motley talk; tales of land and sea; and talk about being reborn in this or that state of existence.


2Then in the late afternoon, the Buddha came out of retreat and went to the assembly hall, where he sat on the seat spread out and addressed the mendicants:

“Mendicants, what were you sitting talking about just now? What conversation was left unfinished?”


3And they told him what had happened.


“Mendicants, it is not appropriate for you gentlemen who have gone forth in faith from the lay life to homelessness to engage in these kinds of unworthy talk.


4There are, mendicants, these ten topics of discussion. What ten? Talk about fewness of wishes, contentment, seclusion, aloofness, arousing energy, ethics, immersion, wisdom, freedom, and the knowledge and vision of freedom. These are the ten topics of discussion.


5Mendicants, if you bring up these topics of conversation again and again then your glory could surpass even the sun and moon, so mighty and powerful, let alone the wanderers who follow other paths.”

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tena kho pana samayena sambahulā bhikkhū pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkantā upaṭṭhānasālāyaṁ sannisinnā sannipatitā anekavihitaṁ tiracchānakathaṁ anuyuttā viharanti, seyyathidaṁ – rājakathaṁ corakathaṁ mahāmattakathaṁ senākathaṁ bhayakathaṁ yuddhakathaṁ annakathaṁ pānakathaṁ vatthakathaṁ sayanakathaṁ mālākathaṁ gandhakathaṁ ñātikathaṁ yānakathaṁ gāmakathaṁ nigamakathaṁ nagarakathaṁ janapadakathaṁ itthikathaṁ sūrakathaṁ visikhākathaṁ kumbhaṭṭhānakathaṁ pubbapetakathaṁ nānattakathaṁ lokakkhāyikaṁ samuddakkhāyikaṁ itibhavābhavakathaṁ iti vāti.


2Atha kho bhagavā sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yena upaṭṭhānasālā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi. Nisajja kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: 

"Kāya nuttha, bhikkhave, etarahi kathāya sannisinnā sannipatitā, kā ca pana vo antarākathā vippakatā"ti?


3"Idha mayaṁ, bhante, pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkantā upaṭṭhānasālāyaṁ sannisinnā sannipatitā anekavihitaṁ tiracchānakathaṁ anuyuttā viharāma, seyyathidaṁ – rājakathaṁ corakathaṁ … pe … itibhavābhavakathaṁ iti vā"ti.


"Na kho panetaṁ, bhikkhave, tumhākaṁ patirūpaṁ kulaputtānaṁ saddhāya agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajitānaṁ, yaṁ tumhe anekavihitaṁ tiracchānakathaṁ anuyuttā vihareyyātha, seyyathidaṁ – rājakathaṁ corakathaṁ mahāmattakathaṁ senākathaṁ bhayakathaṁ yuddhakathaṁ annakathaṁ pānakathaṁ vatthakathaṁ sayanakathaṁ mālākathaṁ gandhakathaṁ ñātikathaṁ yānakathaṁ gāmakathaṁ nigamakathaṁ nagarakathaṁ janapadakathaṁ itthikathaṁ sūrakathaṁ visikhākathaṁ kumbhaṭṭhānakathaṁ pubbapetakathaṁ nānattakathaṁ lokakkhāyikaṁ samuddakkhāyikaṁ itibhavābhavakathaṁ iti vāti.


4Dasayimāni, bhikkhave, kathāvatthūni. Katamāni dasa? Appicchakathā, santuṭṭhikathā, pavivekakathā, asaṁsaggakathā, vīriyārambhakathā, sīlakathā, samādhikathā, paññākathā, vimuttikathā, vimuttiñāṇadassanakathāti – imāni kho, bhikkhave, dasa kathāvatthūni.


5Imesañce tumhe, bhikkhave, dasannaṁ kathāvatthūnaṁ upādāyupādāya kathaṁ katheyyātha, imesampi candimasūriyānaṁ evaṁmahiddhikānaṁ evaṁmahānubhāvānaṁ tejasā tejaṁ pariyādiyeyyātha, ko pana vādo aññatitthiyānaṁ paribbājakānan"ti.

Navamaṁ.