4: The Book of the Fours
XVIII. Intention — AN 4.178: Billabong
- © Translated from the Pali by Bhante Sujato. (More copyright information)
1“Mendicants, these four people are found in the world. What four?
Take a mendicant who enters and remains in a peaceful release of the heart. They focus on the cessation of identification, but their mind isn’t eager, confident, settled, and decided about it. You wouldn’t expect that mendicant to stop identifying. Suppose a person were to grab a branch with a glue-smeared hand. Their hand would stick, hold, and bind to it. In the same way, take a mendicant who enters and remains in a peaceful release of the heart. They focus on the cessation of identification, but their mind isn’t eager, confident, settled, and decided about it. You wouldn’t expect that mendicant to stop identifying.
2Next, take a mendicant who enters and remains in a peaceful release of the heart. They focus on the cessation of identification, and their mind is eager, confident, settled, and decided about it. You’d expect that mendicant to stop identifying. Suppose a person were to grab a branch with a clean hand. Their hand wouldn’t stick, hold, or bind to it. In the same way, take a mendicant who enters and remains in a peaceful release of the heart. They focus on the cessation of identification, and their mind is eager, confident, settled, and decided about it. You’d expect that mendicant to stop identifying.
3Next, take a mendicant who enters and remains in a peaceful release of the heart. They focus on smashing ignorance, but their mind isn’t eager, confident, settled, and decided about it. You wouldn’t expect that mendicant to smash ignorance. Suppose there was a billabong that had been stagnant for many years. And someone was to close off the inlets and open up the drains, and the heavens didn’t provide enough rain. You wouldn’t expect that billabong to break its banks. In the same way, take a mendicant who enters and remains in a certain peaceful release of the heart. They focus on smashing ignorance, but their mind isn’t eager, confident, settled, and decided about it. You wouldn’t expect that mendicant to smash ignorance.
4Next, take a mendicant who enters and remains in a peaceful release of the heart. They focus on smashing ignorance, and their mind is eager, confident, settled, and decided about it. You’d expect that mendicant to smash ignorance. Suppose there was a billabong that had been stagnant for many years. And someone was to open up the inlets and close off the drains, and the heavens provided plenty of rain. You’d expect that billabong to break its banks. In the same way, take a mendicant who enters and remains in a certain peaceful release of the heart. They focus on smashing ignorance, and their mind is eager, confident, settled, and decided about it. You’d expect that mendicant to smash ignorance.
These are the four people found in the world.”
1"Cattārome, bhikkhave, puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ. Katame cattāro?
Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu aññataraṁ santaṁ cetovimuttiṁ upasampajja viharati. So sakkāyanirodhaṁ manasi karoti. Tassa sakkāyanirodhaṁ manasi karoto sakkāyanirodhe cittaṁ na pakkhandati nappasīdati na santiṭṭhati nādhimuccati. Tassa kho evaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno na sakkāyanirodho pāṭikaṅkho. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, puriso lepagatena hatthena sākhaṁ gaṇheyya, tassa so hattho sajjeyyapi gaṇheyyapi bajjheyyapi; evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu aññataraṁ santaṁ cetovimuttiṁ upasampajja viharati. So sakkāyanirodhaṁ manasi karoti. Tassa sakkāyanirodhaṁ manasi karoto sakkāyanirodhe cittaṁ na pakkhandati nappasīdati na santiṭṭhati nādhimuccati. Tassa kho evaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno na sakkāyanirodho pāṭikaṅkho.
2Idha pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhu aññataraṁ santaṁ cetovimuttiṁ upasampajja viharati. So sakkāyanirodhaṁ manasi karoti. Tassa sakkāyanirodhaṁ manasi karoto sakkāyanirodhe cittaṁ pakkhandati pasīdati santiṭṭhati adhimuccati. Tassa kho evaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno sakkāyanirodho pāṭikaṅkho. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, puriso suddhena hatthena sākhaṁ gaṇheyya, tassa so hattho neva sajjeyya na gaṇheyya na bajjheyya; evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu aññataraṁ santaṁ cetovimuttiṁ upasampajja viharati. So sakkāyanirodhaṁ manasi karoti. Tassa sakkāyanirodhaṁ manasi karoto sakkāyanirodhe cittaṁ pakkhandati pasīdati santiṭṭhati adhimuccati. Tassa kho evaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno sakkāyanirodho pāṭikaṅkho.
3Idha pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhu aññataraṁ santaṁ cetovimuttiṁ upasampajja viharati. So avijjāppabhedaṁ manasi karoti. Tassa avijjāppabhedaṁ manasi karoto avijjāppabhede cittaṁ na pakkhandati nappasīdati na santiṭṭhati nādhimuccati. Tassa kho evaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno na avijjāppabhedo pāṭikaṅkho. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, jambālī anekavassagaṇikā. Tassā puriso yāni ceva āyamukhāni tāni pidaheyya, yāni ca apāyamukhāni tāni vivareyya, devo ca na sammā dhāraṁ anuppaveccheyya. Evañhi tassā, bhikkhave, jambāliyā na āḷippabhedo pāṭikaṅkho. Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu aññataraṁ santaṁ cetovimuttiṁ upasampajja viharati. So avijjāppabhedaṁ manasi karoti. Tassa avijjāppabhedaṁ manasi karoto avijjāppabhede cittaṁ na pakkhandati nappasīdati na santiṭṭhati nādhimuccati. Tassa kho evaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno na avijjāppabhedo pāṭikaṅkho.
4Idha pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhu aññataraṁ santaṁ cetovimuttiṁ upasampajja viharati. So avijjāppabhedaṁ manasi karoti. Tassa avijjāppabhedaṁ manasi karoto avijjāppabhede cittaṁ pakkhandati pasīdati santiṭṭhati adhimuccati. Tassa kho evaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno avijjāppabhedo pāṭikaṅkho. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, jambālī anekavassagaṇikā. Tassā puriso yāni ceva āyamukhāni tāni vivareyya, yāni ca apāyamukhāni tāni pidaheyya, devo ca sammā dhāraṁ anuppaveccheyya. Evañhi tassā, bhikkhave, jambāliyā āḷippabhedo pāṭikaṅkho. Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu aññataraṁ santaṁ cetovimuttiṁ upasampajja viharati. So avijjāppabhedaṁ manasi karoti. Tassa avijjāppabhedaṁ manasi karoto avijjāppabhede cittaṁ pakkhandati pasīdati santiṭṭhati adhimuccati. Tassa kho evaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno avijjāppabhedo pāṭikaṅkho.
Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmin"ti.
Aṭṭhamaṁ.