Light/Dark

Aṅguttara Nikāya - The Numerical Discourses

4: The Book of the Fours

III. At Uruvelā — AN 4.27: Contentment

1“Mendicants, these four trifles are easy to get hold of and are blameless. What four?

Rag-robes … A lump of alms-food … Lodgings at the root of a tree … Fermented urine as medicine …


These four trifles are easy to get hold of and are blameless. When a mendicant is content with trifles that are easy to get hold of, they have one of the factors of the ascetic life, I say.


2Dissatisfaction doesn’t prevail over a wise one;
for the wise one is not beaten by discontent.
A wise one prevails over discontent,
for the wise one is a beater of discontent.

3Who can hold back the dispeller,
who’s thrown away all karma?
They’re like a coin of mountain gold:
who is worthy of criticizing them?
Even the gods praise them,
and by Brahmā, too, they’re praised.”

1"Cattārimāni, bhikkhave, appāni ca sulabhāni ca, tāni ca anavajjāni. Katamāni cattāri?

Paṁsukūlaṁ, bhikkhave, cīvarānaṁ appañca sulabhañca, tañca anavajjaṁ. Piṇḍiyālopo, bhikkhave, bhojanānaṁ appañca sulabhañca, tañca anavajjaṁ. Rukkhamūlaṁ, bhikkhave, senāsanānaṁ appañca sulabhañca, tañca anavajjaṁ. Pūtimuttaṁ, bhikkhave, bhesajjānaṁ appañca sulabhañca, tañca anavajjaṁ.


Imāni kho, bhikkhave, cattāri appāni ca sulabhāni ca, tāni ca anavajjāni. Yato kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu appena ca tuṭṭho hoti sulabhena ca, idamassāhaṁ aññataraṁ sāmaññaṅganti vadāmīti.


2Anavajjena tuṭṭhassa,
appena sulabhena ca;
Na senāsanamārabbha,
cīvaraṁ pānabhojanaṁ;
Vighāto hoti cittassa,
disā nappaṭihaññati.

3Ye cassa dhammā akkhātā,
sāmaññassānulomikā;
Adhiggahitā tuṭṭhassa,
appamattassa sikkhato"ti.

Sattamaṁ.