Light/Dark

Aṅguttara Nikāya - The Numerical Discourses

5: The Book of the Fives

XVII. Resentment — AN 5.162: Getting Rid of Resentment (2nd)

1There Venerable Sāriputta addressed the mendicants: “Reverends, mendicants!”

“Reverend,” they replied. Sāriputta said this:


2“Reverends, a mendicant should use these five methods to completely get rid of resentment when it has arisen toward anyone. What five?

In the case of a person whose behavior by way of body is impure, but whose behavior by way of speech is pure, you should get rid of resentment for that kind of person.

In the case of a person whose behavior by way of speech is impure, but whose behavior by way of body is pure, …

In the case of a person whose behavior by way of body and speech is impure, but who gets an openness and clarity of heart from time to time, …

In the case of a person whose behavior by way of body and speech is impure, and who doesn’t get an openness and clarity of heart from time to time, …

In the case of a person whose behavior by way of body and speech is pure, and who gets an openness and clarity of heart from time to time, you should get rid of resentment for that kind of person.

3How should you get rid of resentment for a person whose behavior by way of body is impure, but whose behavior by way of speech is pure? Suppose a mendicant wearing rag robes sees a rag by the side of the road. They’d hold it down with the left foot, spread it out with the right foot, tear out what was intact, and take it away with them. In the same way, at that time you should ignore that person’s impure behavior by way of body and focus on their pure behavior by way of speech. That’s how to get rid of resentment for that person.

4How should you get rid of resentment for a person whose behavior by way of speech is impure, but whose behavior by way of body is pure? Suppose there was a lotus pond covered with moss and aquatic plants. Then along comes a person struggling in the oppressive heat, weary, thirsty, and parched. They’d plunge into the lotus pond, sweep apart the moss and aquatic plants, drink from their cupped hands, and be on their way. In the same way, at that time you should ignore that person’s impure behavior by way of speech and focus on their pure behavior by way of body. That’s how to get rid of resentment for that person.

5How should you get rid of resentment for a person whose behavior by way of body and speech is impure, but who gets an openness and clarity of heart from time to time? Suppose there was a little water in a cow’s hoofprint. Then along comes a person struggling in the oppressive heat, weary, thirsty, and parched. They might think: ‘This little bit of water is in a cow’s hoofprint. If I drink it with my cupped hands or a bowl, I’ll stir it and disturb it, making it undrinkable. Why don’t I get down on all fours and drink it up like a cow, then be on my way?’ So that’s what they do. In the same way, at that time you should ignore that person’s impure behavior by way of speech and body, and focus on the fact that they get an openness and clarity of heart from time to time. That’s how to get rid of resentment for that person.

6How should you get rid of resentment for a person whose behavior by way of body and speech is impure, and who doesn’t get an openness and clarity of heart from time to time? Suppose a person was traveling along a road, and they were sick, suffering, gravely ill. And it was a long way to a village, whether ahead or behind. And they didn’t have any suitable food or medicine, or a competent carer, or someone to bring them to the neighborhood of a village. Then another person traveling along the road sees them, and thinks of them with nothing but compassion, kindness, and sympathy: ‘Oh, may this person get suitable food or medicine, or a competent carer, or someone to bring them to the neighborhood of a village. Why is that? So that they don’t come to ruin right here.’ In the same way, at that time you should ignore that person’s impure behavior by way of speech and body, and the fact that they don’t get an openness and clarity of heart from time to time, and think of them with nothing but compassion, kindness, and sympathy: ‘Oh, may this person give up bad conduct by way of body, speech, and mind, and develop good conduct by way of body, speech, and mind. Why is that? So that, when their body breaks up, after death, they’re not reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell.’ That’s how to get rid of resentment for that person.

7How should you get rid of resentment for a person whose behavior by way of body and speech is pure, and who gets an openness and clarity of heart from time to time? Suppose there was a lotus pond with clear, sweet, cool water, clean, with smooth banks, delightful, and shaded by many trees. Then along comes a person struggling in the oppressive heat, weary, thirsty, and parched. They’d plunge into the lotus pond to bathe and drink. And after emerging they’d sit or lie down right there in the shade of the trees.

8In the same way, at that time you should focus on that person’s pure behavior by way of body and speech, and on the fact that they get an openness and clarity of heart from time to time. That’s how to get rid of resentment for that person. Relying on a person who is impressive all around, the mind becomes confident.


9A mendicant should use these five methods to completely get rid of resentment when it has arisen toward anyone.”

1Tatra kho āyasmā sāriputto bhikkhū āmantesi:  "āvuso bhikkhave"ti.

"Āvuso"ti kho te bhikkhū āyasmato sāriputtassa paccassosuṁ. Āyasmā sāriputto etadavoca: 


2"Pañcime, āvuso, āghātapaṭivinayā yattha bhikkhuno uppanno āghāto sabbaso paṭivinetabbo. Katame pañca?

Idhāvuso, ekacco puggalo aparisuddhakāyasamācāro hoti parisuddhavacīsamācāro; evarūpepi, āvuso, puggale āghāto paṭivinetabbo.

Idha panāvuso, ekacco puggalo aparisuddhavacīsamācāro hoti parisuddhakāyasamācāro; evarūpepi, āvuso, puggale āghāto paṭivinetabbo.

Idha panāvuso, ekacco puggalo aparisuddhakāyasamācāro hoti aparisuddhavacīsamācāro, labhati ca kālena kālaṁ cetaso vivaraṁ cetaso pasādaṁ; evarūpepi, āvuso, puggale āghāto paṭivinetabbo.

Idha panāvuso, ekacco puggalo aparisuddhakāyasamācāro hoti aparisuddhavacīsamācāro, na ca labhati kālena kālaṁ cetaso vivaraṁ cetaso pasādaṁ; evarūpepi, āvuso, puggale āghāto paṭivinetabbo.

Idha panāvuso, ekacco puggalo parisuddhakāyasamācāro parisuddhavacīsamācāro, labhati ca kālena vā kālaṁ cetaso vivaraṁ cetaso pasādaṁ; evarūpepi, āvuso, puggale āghāto paṭivinetabbo.

3Tatrāvuso, yvāyaṁ puggalo aparisuddhakāyasamācāro parisuddhavacīsamācāro, kathaṁ tasmiṁ puggale āghāto paṭivinetabbo? Seyyathāpi, āvuso, bhikkhu paṁsukūliko rathiyāya nantakaṁ disvā vāmena pādena niggaṇhitvā dakkhiṇena pādena pattharitvā, yo tattha sāro taṁ paripātetvā ādāya pakkameyya; evamevaṁ khvāvuso, yvāyaṁ puggalo aparisuddhakāyasamācāro parisuddhavacīsamācāro, yāssa aparisuddhakāyasamācāratā na sāssa tasmiṁ samaye manasi kātabbā, yā ca khvassa parisuddhavacīsamācāratā sāssa tasmiṁ samaye manasi kātabbā. Evaṁ tasmiṁ puggale āghāto paṭivinetabbo. (1)

4Tatrāvuso, yvāyaṁ puggalo aparisuddhavacīsamācāro parisuddhakāyasamācāro, kathaṁ tasmiṁ puggale āghāto paṭivinetabbo? Seyyathāpi, āvuso, pokkharaṇī sevālapaṇakapariyonaddhā. Atha puriso āgaccheyya ghammābhitatto ghammapareto kilanto tasito pipāsito. So taṁ pokkharaṇiṁ ogāhetvā ubhohi hatthehi iticiti ca sevālapaṇakaṁ apaviyūhitvā añjalinā pivitvā pakkameyya. Evamevaṁ kho, āvuso, yvāyaṁ puggalo aparisuddhavacīsamācāro parisuddhakāyasamācāro, yāssa aparisuddhavacīsamācāratā na sāssa tasmiṁ samaye manasi kātabbā, yā ca khvassa parisuddhakāyasamācāratā sāssa tasmiṁ samaye manasi kātabbā. Evaṁ tasmiṁ puggale āghāto paṭivinetabbo. (2)

5Tatrāvuso, yvāyaṁ puggalo aparisuddhakāyasamācāro aparisuddhavacīsamācāro labhati ca kālena kālaṁ cetaso vivaraṁ cetaso pasādaṁ, kathaṁ tasmiṁ puggale āghāto paṭivinetabbo? Seyyathāpi, āvuso, parittaṁ gopade udakaṁ. Atha puriso āgaccheyya ghammābhitatto ghammapareto kilanto tasito pipāsito. Tassa evamassa:  ‘idaṁ kho parittaṁ gopade udakaṁ. Sacāhaṁ añjalinā vā pivissāmi bhājanena vā khobhessāmipi taṁ loḷessāmipi taṁ apeyyampi taṁ karissāmi. Yannūnāhaṁ catukkuṇḍiko nipatitvā gopītakaṁ pivitvā pakkameyyan’ti. So catukkuṇḍiko nipatitvā gopītakaṁ pivitvā pakkameyya. Evamevaṁ kho, āvuso, yvāyaṁ puggalo aparisuddhakāyasamācāro aparisuddhavacīsamācāro labhati ca kālena kālaṁ cetaso vivaraṁ cetaso pasādaṁ, yāssa aparisuddhakāyasamācāratā na sāssa tasmiṁ samaye manasi kātabbā; yāpissa aparisuddhavacīsamācāratā na sāpissa tasmiṁ samaye manasi kātabbā. Yañca kho so labhati kālena kālaṁ cetaso vivaraṁ cetaso pasādaṁ, tamevassa tasmiṁ samaye manasi kātabbaṁ. Evaṁ tasmiṁ puggale āghāto paṭivinetabbo. (3)

6Tatrāvuso, yvāyaṁ puggalo aparisuddhakāyasamācāro aparisuddhavacīsamācāro na ca labhati kālena kālaṁ cetaso vivaraṁ cetaso pasādaṁ, kathaṁ tasmiṁ puggale āghāto paṭivinetabbo? Seyyathāpi, āvuso, puriso ābādhiko dukkhito bāḷhagilāno addhānamaggappaṭipanno. Tassa puratopissa dūre gāmo pacchatopissa dūre gāmo. So na labheyya sappāyāni bhojanāni, na labheyya sappāyāni bhesajjāni, na labheyya patirūpaṁ upaṭṭhākaṁ, na labheyya gāmantanāyakaṁ. Tamenaṁ aññataro puriso passeyya addhānamaggappaṭipanno. So tasmiṁ purise kāruññaṁyeva upaṭṭhāpeyya, anuddayaṁyeva upaṭṭhāpeyya, anukampaṁyeva upaṭṭhāpeyya:  ‘aho vatāyaṁ puriso labheyya sappāyāni bhojanāni, labheyya sappāyāni bhesajjāni, labheyya patirūpaṁ upaṭṭhākaṁ, labheyya gāmantanāyakaṁ. Taṁ kissa hetu? Māyaṁ puriso idheva anayabyasanaṁ āpajjī’ti. Evamevaṁ kho, āvuso, yvāyaṁ puggalo aparisuddhakāyasamācāro aparisuddhavacīsamācāro na ca labhati kālena kālaṁ cetaso vivaraṁ cetaso pasādaṁ, evarūpepi, āvuso, puggale kāruññaṁyeva upaṭṭhāpetabbaṁ anuddayāyeva upaṭṭhāpetabbā anukampāyeva upaṭṭhāpetabbā:  ‘aho vata ayamāyasmā kāyaduccaritaṁ pahāya kāyasucaritaṁ bhāveyya, vacīduccaritaṁ pahāya vacīsucaritaṁ bhāveyya, manoduccaritaṁ pahāya manosucaritaṁ bhāveyya. Taṁ kissa hetu? Māyaṁ āyasmā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapajjī’ti. Evaṁ tasmiṁ puggale āghāto paṭivinetabbo. (4)

7Tatrāvuso, yvāyaṁ puggalo parisuddhakāyasamācāro parisuddhavacīsamācāro labhati ca kālena kālaṁ cetaso vivaraṁ cetaso pasādaṁ, kathaṁ tasmiṁ puggale āghāto paṭivinetabbo? Seyyathāpi, āvuso, pokkharaṇī acchodakā sātodakā sītodakā setakā supatitthā ramaṇīyā nānārukkhehi sañchannā. Atha puriso āgaccheyya ghammābhitatto ghammapareto kilanto tasito pipāsito. So taṁ pokkharaṇiṁ ogāhetvā nhātvā ca pivitvā ca paccuttaritvā tattheva rukkhacchāyāya nisīdeyya vā nipajjeyya vā.

8Evamevaṁ kho, āvuso, yvāyaṁ puggalo parisuddhakāyasamācāro parisuddhavacīsamācāro labhati ca kālena kālaṁ cetaso vivaraṁ cetaso pasādaṁ, yāpissa parisuddhakāyasamācāratā sāpissa tasmiṁ samaye manasi kātabbā; yāpissa parisuddhavacīsamācāratā sāpissa tasmiṁ samaye manasi kātabbā; yampi labhati kālena kālaṁ cetaso vivaraṁ cetaso pasādaṁ, tampissa tasmiṁ samaye manasi kātabbaṁ. Evaṁ tasmiṁ puggale āghāto paṭivinetabbo. Samantapāsādikaṁ, āvuso, puggalaṁ āgamma cittaṁ pasīdati. (5)


9Ime kho, āvuso, pañca āghātapaṭivinayā, yattha bhikkhuno uppanno āghāto sabbaso paṭivinetabbo"ti.

Dutiyaṁ.