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Aṅguttara Nikāya - The Numerical Discourses

5: The Book of the Fives

VIII. Warriors — AN 5.73: One Who Lives by the Teaching (1st)

1Then a mendicant went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him:

“Sir, they speak of ‘one who lives by the teaching’. How is one who lives by the teaching defined?”


2“Mendicant, take a mendicant who memorizes the teaching — statements, songs, discussions, verses, inspired exclamations, legends, stories of past lives, amazing stories, and classifications. They spend their days studying that teaching. But they neglect retreat, and are not committed to internal serenity of heart. That mendicant is called one who studies a lot, not one who lives by the teaching.

3Furthermore, a mendicant teaches Dhamma in detail to others as they learned and memorized it. They spend their days advocating that teaching. But they neglect retreat, and are not committed to internal serenity of heart. That mendicant is called one who advocates a lot, not one who lives by the teaching.

4Furthermore, a mendicant recites the teaching in detail as they learned and memorized it. They spend their days reciting that teaching. But they neglect retreat, and are not committed to internal serenity of heart. That mendicant is called one who recites a lot, not one who lives by the teaching.

5Furthermore, a mendicant thinks about and considers the teaching in their heart, examining it with the mind as they learned and memorized it. They spend their days thinking about that teaching. But they neglect retreat, and are not committed to internal serenity of heart. That mendicant is called one who thinks a lot, not one who lives by the teaching.

6Take a mendicant who memorizes the teaching — statements, songs, discussions, verses, inspired exclamations, legends, stories of past lives, amazing stories, and classifications. They don’t spend their days studying that teaching. They don’t neglect retreat, and they’re committed to internal serenity of heart. That’s how a mendicant is one who lives by the teaching.

7So, mendicant, I’ve taught you the one who studies a lot, the one who advocates a lot, the one who recites a lot, the one who thinks a lot, and the one who lives by the teaching. Out of compassion, I’ve done what a teacher should do who wants what’s best for their disciples. Here are these roots of trees, and here are these empty huts. Practice absorption, mendicant! Don’t be negligent! Don’t regret it later! This is my instruction to you.”

1Atha kho aññataro bhikkhu yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho so bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: 

"‘dhammavihārī, dhammavihārī’ti, bhante, vuccati. Kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, bhikkhu dhammavihārī hotī"ti?


2"Idha, bhikkhu, bhikkhu dhammaṁ pariyāpuṇāti – suttaṁ, geyyaṁ, veyyākaraṇaṁ, gāthaṁ, udānaṁ, itivuttakaṁ, jātakaṁ, abbhutadhammaṁ, vedallaṁ. So tāya dhammapariyattiyā divasaṁ atināmeti, riñcati paṭisallānaṁ, nānuyuñjati ajjhattaṁ cetosamathaṁ. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhu:  ‘bhikkhu pariyattibahulo, no dhammavihārī’.

3Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhu, bhikkhu yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ vitthārena paresaṁ deseti. So tāya dhammapaññattiyā divasaṁ atināmeti, riñcati paṭisallānaṁ, nānuyuñjati ajjhattaṁ cetosamathaṁ. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhu:  ‘bhikkhu paññattibahulo, no dhammavihārī’.

4Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhu, bhikkhu yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ vitthārena sajjhāyaṁ karoti. So tena sajjhāyena divasaṁ atināmeti, riñcati paṭisallānaṁ, nānuyuñjati ajjhattaṁ cetosamathaṁ. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhu:  ‘bhikkhu sajjhāyabahulo, no dhammavihārī’.

5Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhu, bhikkhu yathāsutaṁ yathāpariyattaṁ dhammaṁ cetasā anuvitakketi anuvicāreti manasānupekkhati. So tehi dhammavitakkehi divasaṁ atināmeti, riñcati paṭisallānaṁ, nānuyuñjati ajjhattaṁ cetosamathaṁ. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhu:  ‘bhikkhu vitakkabahulo, no dhammavihārī’.

6Idha, bhikkhu, bhikkhu dhammaṁ pariyāpuṇāti – suttaṁ, geyyaṁ, veyyākaraṇaṁ, gāthaṁ, udānaṁ, itivuttakaṁ, jātakaṁ, abbhutadhammaṁ, vedallaṁ. So tāya dhammapariyattiyā na divasaṁ atināmeti, nāpi riñcati paṭisallānaṁ, anuyuñjati ajjhattaṁ cetosamathaṁ. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhu, bhikkhu dhammavihārī hoti.

7Iti kho, bhikkhu, desito mayā pariyattibahulo, desito paññattibahulo, desito sajjhāyabahulo, desito vitakkabahulo, desito dhammavihārī. Yaṁ kho, bhikkhu, satthārā karaṇīyaṁ sāvakānaṁ hitesinā anukampakena anukampaṁ upādāya, kataṁ vo taṁ mayā. Etāni, bhikkhu, rukkhamūlāni, etāni suññāgārāni. Jhāyatha, bhikkhu, mā pamādattha, mā pacchā vippaṭisārino ahuvattha. Ayaṁ vo amhākaṁ anusāsanī"ti.

Tatiyaṁ.