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Aṅguttara Nikāya - The Numerical Discourses

3: The Book of the Threes

IX. Ascetics — AN 3.88: Training (3rd)

1“Mendicants, each fortnight over a hundred and fifty training rules come up for recitation, in which gentlemen who love themselves train. These are all included in the three trainings. What three? The training in the higher ethics, the higher mind, and the higher wisdom. These are the three trainings that include them all.

2Take the case of a mendicant who has fulfilled their ethics, immersion, and wisdom. They break some lesser and minor training rules, but are restored. Why is that? Because I don’t say they’re incapable of that. But they’re constant and steady in their precepts regarding the training rules that are fundamental, befitting the spiritual path. They keep the rules they’ve undertaken.

They realize the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life. And they live having realized it with their own insight due to the ending of defilements.

If they don’t penetrate so far, with the ending of the five lower fetters they’re extinguished between one life and the next.

If they don’t penetrate so far, with the ending of the five lower fetters they’re extinguished upon landing.

If they don’t penetrate so far, with the ending of the five lower fetters they’re extinguished without extra effort.

If they don’t penetrate so far, with the ending of the five lower fetters they’re extinguished with extra effort.

If they don’t penetrate so far, with the ending of the five lower fetters they head upstream, going to the Akaniṭṭha realm.

If they don’t penetrate so far, with the ending of three fetters, and the weakening of greed, hate, and delusion, they’re a once-returner. They come back to this world once only, then make an end of suffering.

If they don’t penetrate so far, with the ending of three fetters, they’re a one-seeder. They will be reborn just one time in a human existence, then make an end of suffering.

If they don’t penetrate so far, with the ending of three fetters, they go family to family. They will transmigrate between two or three families and then make an end of suffering.

If they don’t penetrate so far, with the ending of three fetters, they have at most seven rebirths. They will transmigrate at most seven times among gods and humans and then make an end of suffering.


3So, mendicants, if you practice partially you succeed partially. If you practice fully you succeed fully. These training rules are not a waste, I say.”

1"Sādhikamidaṁ, bhikkhave, diyaḍḍhasikkhāpadasataṁ anvaddhamāsaṁ uddesaṁ āgacchati yattha attakāmā kulaputtā sikkhanti. Tisso imā, bhikkhave, sikkhā yatthetaṁ sabbaṁ samodhānaṁ gacchati. Katamā tisso? Adhisīlasikkhā, adhicittasikkhā, adhipaññāsikkhā – imā kho, bhikkhave, tisso sikkhā yatthetaṁ sabbaṁ samodhānaṁ gacchati.

2Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sīlesu paripūrakārī hoti samādhismiṁ paripūrakārī paññāya paripūrakārī. So yāni tāni khuddānukhuddakāni sikkhāpadāni tāni āpajjatipi vuṭṭhātipi. Taṁ kissa hetu? Na hi mettha, bhikkhave, abhabbatā vuttā. Yāni ca kho tāni sikkhāpadāni ādibrahmacariyakāni brahmacariyasāruppāni tattha dhuvasīlo ca hoti ṭhitasīlo ca, samādāya sikkhati sikkhāpadesu.

So āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharati.

Taṁ vā pana anabhisambhavaṁ appaṭivijjhaṁ pañcannaṁ orambhāgiyānaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā antarāparinibbāyī hoti.

Taṁ vā pana anabhisambhavaṁ appaṭivijjhaṁ pañcannaṁ orambhāgiyānaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā upahaccaparinibbāyī hoti.

Taṁ vā pana anabhisambhavaṁ appaṭivijjhaṁ pañcannaṁ orambhāgiyānaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā asaṅkhāraparinibbāyī hoti.

Taṁ vā pana anabhisambhavaṁ appaṭivijjhaṁ pañcannaṁ orambhāgiyānaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā sasaṅkhāraparinibbāyī hoti.

Taṁ vā pana anabhisambhavaṁ appaṭivijjhaṁ pañcannaṁ orambhāgiyānaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā uddhaṁsoto hoti akaniṭṭhagāmī.

Taṁ vā pana anabhisambhavaṁ appaṭivijjhaṁ tiṇṇaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā, rāgadosamohānaṁ tanuttā sakadāgāmī hoti, sakideva imaṁ lokaṁ āgantvā dukkhassantaṁ karoti.

Taṁ vā pana anabhisambhavaṁ appaṭivijjhaṁ tiṇṇaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā ekabījī hoti, ekaṁyeva mānusakaṁ bhavaṁ nibbattetvā dukkhassantaṁ karoti.

Taṁ vā pana anabhisambhavaṁ appaṭivijjhaṁ tiṇṇaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā kolaṅkolo hoti, dve vā tīṇi vā kulāni sandhāvitvā saṁsaritvā dukkhassantaṁ karoti.

Taṁ vā pana anabhisambhavaṁ appaṭivijjhaṁ tiṇṇaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā sattakkhattuparamo hoti, sattakkhattuparamaṁ deve ca manusse ca sandhāvitvā saṁsaritvā dukkhassantaṁ karoti.


3Iti kho, bhikkhave, paripūraṁ paripūrakārī ārādheti padesaṁ padesakārī. Avañjhāni tvevāhaṁ, bhikkhave, sikkhāpadāni vadāmī"ti.

Aṭṭhamaṁ.