5: The Book of the Fives
XIV. Kings — AN 5.136: Aspiration (2nd)
- © Translated from the Pali by Bhante Sujato. (More copyright information)
1“Mendicants, an anointed aristocratic king’s eldest son with five factors aspires to become a viceroy. What five?
It’s when an anointed aristocratic king’s eldest son is well born on both his mother’s and father’s side, of pure descent, irrefutable and impeccable in questions of ancestry back to the seventh paternal generation.
He is attractive, good-looking, lovely, of surpassing beauty.
He is dear and beloved to his parents.
He is dear and beloved to the armed forces.
He is astute, competent, and intelligent, able to think issues through as they bear upon the past, future, and present.
2He thinks: ‘I’m well born … attractive … dear and beloved to my parents … dear and beloved to the armed forces … I’m astute, competent, and intelligent, able to think issues through as they bear upon the past, future, and present. Why shouldn’t I aspire to become a viceroy?’ An anointed aristocratic king’s eldest son with these five factors aspires to become a viceroy.
3In the same way, a mendicant with five qualities aspires to end the defilements. What five?
It’s when a mendicant is ethical, restrained in the code of conduct, with good behavior and supporters. Seeing danger in the slightest fault, they keep the rules they’ve undertaken.
They’re very learned, remembering and keeping what they’ve learned. These teachings are good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, meaningful and well-phrased, describing a spiritual practice that’s totally full and pure. They are very learned in such teachings, remembering them, reciting them, mentally scrutinizing them, and understanding them with right view.
Their mind is firmly established in the four kinds of mindfulness meditation.
They live with energy roused up for giving up unskillful qualities and embracing skillful qualities. They’re strong, staunchly vigorous, not slacking off when it comes to developing skillful qualities.
They’re wise. They have the wisdom of arising and passing away which is noble, penetrative, and leads to the complete ending of suffering.
4They think: ‘I’m ethical … learned … mindful … energetic … wise. I have the wisdom of arising and passing away which is noble, penetrative, and leads to the complete ending of suffering. Why shouldn’t I aspire to end the defilements?’
A mendicant with these five qualities aspires to end the defilements.”
1"Pañcahi, bhikkhave, aṅgehi samannāgato rañño khattiyassa muddhāvasittassa jeṭṭho putto oparajjaṁ pattheti. Katamehi pañcahi?
Idha, bhikkhave, rañño khattiyassa muddhāvasittassa jeṭṭho putto ubhato sujāto hoti mātito ca pitito ca, saṁsuddhagahaṇiko, yāva sattamā pitāmahayugā akkhitto anupakkuṭṭho jātivādena;
abhirūpo hoti dassanīyo pāsādiko paramāya vaṇṇapokkharatāya samannāgato;
mātāpitūnaṁ piyo hoti manāpo,
balakāyassa piyo hoti manāpo;
paṇḍito hoti viyatto medhāvī paṭibalo atītānāgatapaccuppanne atthe cintetuṁ.
2Tassa evaṁ hoti: ‘Ahaṁ khomhi ubhato sujāto mātito ca pitito ca, saṁsuddhagahaṇiko, yāva sattamā pitāmahayugā akkhitto anupakkuṭṭho jātivādena. Kasmāhaṁ oparajjaṁ na pattheyyaṁ. Ahaṁ khomhi abhirūpo dassanīyo pāsādiko paramāya vaṇṇapokkharatāya samannāgato. Kasmāhaṁ oparajjaṁ na pattheyyaṁ. Ahaṁ khomhi mātāpitūnaṁ piyo manāpo. Kasmāhaṁ oparajjaṁ na pattheyyaṁ. Ahaṁ khomhi balakāyassa piyo manāpo. Kasmāhaṁ oparajjaṁ na pattheyyaṁ. Ahaṁ khomhi paṇḍito viyatto medhāvī paṭibalo atītānāgatapaccuppanne atthe cintetuṁ. Kasmāhaṁ oparajjaṁ na pattheyyan’ti. Imehi kho, bhikkhave, pañcahi aṅgehi samannāgato rañño khattiyassa muddhāvasittassa jeṭṭho putto oparajjaṁ pattheti.
3Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pañcahi dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu āsavānaṁ khayaṁ pattheti. Katamehi pañcahi?
Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sīlavā hoti … pe … samādāya sikkhati sikkhāpadesu; bahussuto hoti … pe … diṭṭhiyā suppaṭividdhā;
catūsu satipaṭṭhānesu suppatiṭṭhitacitto hoti;
āraddhavīriyo viharati akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ pahānāya, kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ upasampadāya, thāmavā daḷhaparakkamo anikkhittadhuro kusalesu dhammesu;
paññavā hoti, udayatthagāminiyā paññāya samannāgato ariyāya nibbedhikāya sammā dukkhakkhayagāminiyā.
4Tassa evaṁ hoti: ‘Ahaṁ khomhi sīlavā, pātimokkhasaṁvarasaṁvuto viharāmi ācāragocarasampanno aṇumattesu vajjesu bhayadassāvī, samādāya sikkhāmi sikkhāpadesu. Kasmāhaṁ āsavānaṁ khayaṁ na pattheyyaṁ. Ahaṁ khomhi bahussuto sutadharo sutasannicayo, ye te dhammā ādikalyāṇā majjhekalyāṇā pariyosānakalyāṇā sātthaṁ sabyañjanaṁ kevalaparipuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ abhivadanti, tathārūpā me dhammā bahussutā honti dhātā vacasā paricitā manasānupekkhitā diṭṭhiyā suppaṭividdhā. Kasmāhaṁ āsavānaṁ khayaṁ na pattheyyaṁ. Ahaṁ khomhi catūsu satipaṭṭhānesu suppatiṭṭhitacitto. Kasmāhaṁ āsavānaṁ khayaṁ na pattheyyaṁ. Ahaṁ khomhi āraddhavīriyo viharāmi akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ pahānāya, kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ upasampadāya, thāmavā daḷhaparakkamo anikkhittadhuro kusalesu dhammesu. Kasmāhaṁ āsavānaṁ khayaṁ na pattheyyaṁ. Ahaṁ khomhi paññavā udayatthagāminiyā paññāya samannāgato ariyāya nibbedhikāya sammā dukkhakkhayagāminiyā. Kasmāhaṁ āsavānaṁ khayaṁ na pattheyyan’ti.
Imehi kho, bhikkhave, pañcahi dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu āsavānaṁ khayaṁ patthetī"ti.
Chaṭṭhaṁ.