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Aṅguttara Nikāya - The Numerical Discourses

4: The Book of the Fours

XVII. Practice — AN 4.162: In Detail

1“Mendicants, there are four ways of practice. What four?

Painful practice with slow insight,

painful practice with swift insight,

pleasant practice with slow insight, and

pleasant practice with swift insight.


2And what’s the painful practice with slow insight? It’s when someone is ordinarily full of acute greed, hate, and delusion. They often feel the pain and sadness that greed, hate, and delusion bring. They have these five faculties weakly: faith, energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom. Because of this, they only slowly attain the conditions for ending the defilements in the present life. This is called the painful practice with slow insight.

3And what’s the painful practice with swift insight? It’s when someone is ordinarily full of acute greed, hate, and delusion. They often feel the pain and sadness that greed, hate, and delusion bring. And they have these five faculties strongly: faith, energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom. Because of this, they swiftly attain the conditions for ending the defilements in the present life. This is called the painful practice with swift insight.

4And what’s pleasant practice with slow insight? It’s when someone is not ordinarily full of acute greed, hate, and delusion. They rarely feel the pain and sadness that greed, hate, and delusion bring. They have these five faculties weakly: faith, energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom. Because of this, they only slowly attain the conditions for ending the defilements in the present life. This is called the pleasant practice with slow insight.

And what’s the pleasant practice with swift insight? It’s when someone is not ordinarily full of acute greed, hate, and delusion. They rarely feel the pain and sadness that greed, hate, and delusion bring. They have these five faculties strongly: faith, energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom. Because of this, they swiftly attain the conditions for ending the defilements in the present life. This is called the pleasant practice with swift insight.

These are the four ways of practice.”

1"Catasso imā, bhikkhave, paṭipadā. Katamā catasso?

Dukkhā paṭipadā dandhābhiññā,

dukkhā paṭipadā khippābhiññā,

sukhā paṭipadā dandhābhiññā,

sukhā paṭipadā khippābhiññā.


2Katamā ca, bhikkhave, dukkhā paṭipadā dandhābhiññā? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco pakatiyāpi tibbarāgajātiko hoti, abhikkhaṇaṁ rāgajaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti. Pakatiyāpi tibbadosajātiko hoti, abhikkhaṇaṁ dosajaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti. Pakatiyāpi tibbamohajātiko hoti, abhikkhaṇaṁ mohajaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti. Tassimāni pañcindriyāni mudūni pātubhavanti – saddhindriyaṁ, vīriyindriyaṁ, satindriyaṁ, samādhindriyaṁ, paññindriyaṁ. So imesaṁ pañcannaṁ indriyānaṁ muduttā dandhaṁ ānantariyaṁ pāpuṇāti āsavānaṁ khayāya. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, dukkhā paṭipadā dandhābhiññā.

3Katamā ca, bhikkhave, dukkhā paṭipadā khippābhiññā? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco pakatiyāpi tibbarāgajātiko hoti, abhikkhaṇaṁ rāgajaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti. Pakatiyāpi tibbadosajātiko hoti, abhikkhaṇaṁ dosajaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti. Pakatiyāpi tibbamohajātiko hoti, abhikkhaṇaṁ mohajaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti. Tassimāni pañcindriyāni adhimattāni pātubhavanti – saddhindriyaṁ, vīriyindriyaṁ, satindriyaṁ, samādhindriyaṁ, paññindriyaṁ. So imesaṁ pañcannaṁ indriyānaṁ adhimattattā khippaṁ ānantariyaṁ pāpuṇāti āsavānaṁ khayāya. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, dukkhā paṭipadā khippābhiññā.

4Katamā ca, bhikkhave, sukhā paṭipadā dandhābhiññā? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco pakatiyāpi na tibbarāgajātiko hoti, nābhikkhaṇaṁ rāgajaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti. Pakatiyāpi na tibbadosajātiko hoti, nābhikkhaṇaṁ dosajaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti. Pakatiyāpi na tibbamohajātiko hoti, nābhikkhaṇaṁ mohajaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti. Tassimāni pañcindriyāni mudūni pātubhavanti – saddhindriyaṁ … pe … paññindriyaṁ. So imesaṁ pañcannaṁ indriyānaṁ muduttā dandhaṁ ānantariyaṁ pāpuṇāti āsavānaṁ khayāya. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, sukhā paṭipadā dandhābhiññā.

5Katamā ca, bhikkhave, sukhā paṭipadā khippābhiññā? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco pakatiyāpi na tibbarāgajātiko hoti, nābhikkhaṇaṁ rāgajaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti. Pakatiyāpi na tibbadosajātiko hoti, nābhikkhaṇaṁ dosajaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti. Pakatiyāpi na tibbamohajātiko hoti, nābhikkhaṇaṁ mohajaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti. Tassimāni pañcindriyāni adhimattāni pātubhavanti – saddhindriyaṁ, vīriyindriyaṁ, satindriyaṁ, samādhindriyaṁ, paññindriyaṁ. So imesaṁ pañcannaṁ indriyānaṁ adhimattattā khippaṁ ānantariyaṁ pāpuṇāti āsavānaṁ khayāya. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, sukhā paṭipadā khippābhiññā.

Imā kho, bhikkhave, catasso paṭipadā"ti.

Dutiyaṁ.