Light/Dark

Aṅguttara Nikāya - The Numerical Discourses

11: The Book of the Elevens

III. Similarity — AN 11.22-29:

1“Mendicants, a cowherd with eleven factors can’t maintain and expand a herd of cattle. What eleven? It’s when a cowherd doesn’t know form, is unskilled in characteristics, doesn’t pick out flies’ eggs, doesn’t dress wounds, doesn’t smoke out pests, doesn’t know the ford, doesn’t know satisfaction, doesn’t know the trail, is not skilled in pastures, milks dry, and doesn’t show extra respect to the bulls who are fathers and leaders of the herd. A cowherd with these eleven factors can’t maintain and expand a herd of cattle.

2In the same way, a mendicant with eleven qualities can’t meditate observing impermanence in the eye … suffering … not-self … ending … vanishing … fading away … cessation … letting go …”

1"Ekādasahi, bhikkhave, aṅgehi samannāgato gopālako abhabbo gogaṇaṁ pariharituṁ phātiṁ kātuṁ. Katamehi ekādasahi? Idha, bhikkhave, gopālako na rūpaññū hoti, na lakkhaṇakusalo hoti, na āsāṭikaṁ hāretā hoti, na vaṇaṁ paṭicchādetā hoti, na dhūmaṁ kattā hoti, na titthaṁ jānāti, na pītaṁ jānāti, na vīthiṁ jānāti, na gocarakusalo hoti, anavasesadohī ca hoti, ye te usabhā gopitaro gopariṇāyakā te na atirekapūjāya pūjetā hoti – imehi kho, bhikkhave, ekādasahi aṅgehi samannāgato gopālako abhabbo gogaṇaṁ pariharituṁ phātiṁ kātuṁ.

2Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, ekādasahi dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu abhabbo cakkhusmiṁ aniccānupassī viharituṁ … pe … abhabbo cakkhusmiṁ dukkhānupassī viharituṁ … abhabbo cakkhusmiṁ anattānupassī viharituṁ … abhabbo cakkhusmiṁ khayānupassī viharituṁ … abhabbo cakkhusmiṁ vayānupassī viharituṁ … abhabbo cakkhusmiṁ virāgānupassī viharituṁ … abhabbo cakkhusmiṁ nirodhānupassī viharituṁ … abhabbo cakkhusmiṁ paṭinissaggānupassī viharituṁ".