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Aṅguttara Nikāya - The Numerical Discourses

4: The Book of the Fours

II. Walking — AN 4.12: Ethics

1“Mendicants, live by the ethical precepts and the monastic code. Live restrained in the code of conduct, conducting yourselves well and seeking alms in suitable places. Seeing danger in the slightest fault, keep the rules you’ve undertaken. When you’ve done this, what more is there to do?

2Suppose a mendicant has got rid of desire and ill will while walking, and has given up dullness and drowsiness, restlessness and remorse, and doubt. Their energy is roused up and unflagging, their mindfulness is established and lucid, their body is tranquil and undisturbed, and their mind is immersed in samādhi. Such a mendicant is said to be ‘keen and prudent, always energetic and determined’ when walking.


3-5Suppose a mendicant has got rid of desire and ill will while standing … sitting … and when lying down while awake, and has given up dullness and drowsiness, restlessness and remorse, and doubt. Their energy is roused up and unflagging, their mindfulness is established and lucid, their body is tranquil and undisturbed, and their mind is immersed in samādhi. Such a mendicant is said to be ‘keen and prudent, always energetic and determined’ when lying down while awake.


6Carefully walking, carefully standing,
carefully sitting, carefully lying;
a mendicant carefully bends their limbs,
and carefully extends them.

7Above, below, and all around,
as far as the earth extends;
they scrutinize the rise and fall
of phenomena such as the aggregates.

8Training in what leads to serenity of heart,
always staying mindful;
they call such a mendicant
‘always determined’.”

1"Sampannasīlā, bhikkhave, viharatha sampannapātimokkhā, pātimokkhasaṁvarasaṁvutā viharatha ācāragocarasampannā, aṇumattesu vajjesu bhayadassāvino samādāya sikkhatha sikkhāpadesu. Sampannasīlānaṁ vo, bhikkhave, viharataṁ sampannapātimokkhānaṁ pātimokkhasaṁvarasaṁvutānaṁ viharataṁ ācāragocarasampannānaṁ aṇumattesu vajjesu bhayadassāvīnaṁ samādāya sikkhataṁ sikkhāpadesu, kimassa uttari karaṇīyaṁ?

2Carato cepi, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno abhijjhābyāpādo vigato hoti, thinamiddhaṁ … uddhaccakukkuccaṁ … vicikicchā pahīnā hoti, āraddhaṁ hoti vīriyaṁ asallīnaṁ, upaṭṭhitā sati asammuṭṭhā, passaddho kāyo asāraddho, samāhitaṁ cittaṁ ekaggaṁ, carampi, bhikkhave, bhikkhu evaṁbhūto ‘ātāpī ottāpī satataṁ samitaṁ āraddhavīriyo pahitatto’ti vuccati.


3Ṭhitassa cepi, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno abhijjhābyāpādo vigato hoti, thinamiddhaṁ … uddhaccakukkuccaṁ … vicikicchā pahīnā hoti, āraddhaṁ hoti vīriyaṁ asallīnaṁ, upaṭṭhitā sati asammuṭṭhā, passaddho kāyo asāraddho, samāhitaṁ cittaṁ ekaggaṁ, ṭhitopi, bhikkhave, bhikkhu evaṁbhūto ‘ātāpī ottāpī satataṁ samitaṁ āraddhavīriyo pahitatto’ti vuccati.

4Nisinnassa cepi, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno abhijjhābyāpādo vigato hoti, thinamiddhaṁ … uddhaccakukkuccaṁ … vicikicchā pahīnā hoti, āraddhaṁ hoti vīriyaṁ asallīnaṁ, upaṭṭhitā sati asammuṭṭhā, passaddho kāyo asāraddho, samāhitaṁ cittaṁ ekaggaṁ, nisinnopi, bhikkhave, bhikkhu evaṁbhūto ‘ātāpī ottāpī satataṁ samitaṁ āraddhavīriyo pahitatto’ti vuccati.

5Sayānassa cepi, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno jāgarassa abhijjhābyāpādo vigato hoti, thinamiddhaṁ … uddhaccakukkuccaṁ … vicikicchā pahīnā hoti, āraddhaṁ hoti vīriyaṁ asallīnaṁ, upaṭṭhitā sati asammuṭṭhā, passaddho kāyo asāraddho, samāhitaṁ cittaṁ ekaggaṁ, sayānopi, bhikkhave, bhikkhu jāgaro evaṁbhūto ‘ātāpī ottāpī satataṁ samitaṁ āraddhavīriyo pahitatto’ti vuccatīti.


6Yataṁ care yataṁ tiṭṭhe,
Yataṁ acche yataṁ saye;
Yataṁ samiñjaye bhikkhu,
Yatamenaṁ pasāraye.

7Uddhaṁ tiriyaṁ apācīnaṁ,
yāvatājagatogati;
Samavekkhitā ca dhammānaṁ,
khandhānaṁ udayabbayaṁ.

8Cetosamathasāmīciṁ,
sikkhamānaṁ sadā sataṁ;
Satataṁ pahitattoti,
āhu bhikkhuṁ tathāvidhan"ti.

Dutiyaṁ.