Light/Dark

Aṅguttara Nikāya - The Numerical Discourses

6: The Book of the Sixes

II. Warm-hearted — AN 6.17: Sleep

1At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

Then in the late afternoon, the Buddha came out of retreat, went to the assembly hall, and sat down on the seat spread out. Venerable Sāriputta also came out of retreat, went to the assembly hall, bowed to the Buddha and sat down to one side. Venerables Mahāmoggallāna, Mahākassapa, Mahākaccāna, Mahākoṭṭhita, Mahācunda, Mahākappina, Anuruddha, Revata, and Ānanda did the same. The Buddha spent most of the night sitting meditation, then got up from his seat and entered his dwelling. And soon after the Buddha left those venerables each went to their own dwelling.

But those mendicants who were junior, recently gone forth, newly come to this teaching and training slept until the sun came up, snoring. The Buddha saw them doing this, with his clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman. He went to the assembly hall, sat down on the seat spread out, and addressed the mendicants:


2“Mendicants, where is Sāriputta? Where are Mahāmoggallāna, Mahākassapa, Mahākaccāna, Mahākoṭṭhita, Mahācunda, Mahākappina, Anuruddha, Revata, and Ānanda? Where have these senior disciples gone?”

“Soon after the Buddha left those venerables each went to their own dwelling.”

“So, mendicants, when the senior mendicants left, why did you sleep until the sun came up, snoring?

What do you think, mendicants? Have you ever seen or heard of an anointed king who rules his whole life, dear and beloved to the country, while indulging in the pleasures of sleeping, lying, and drowsing as much as he likes?”

“No, sir.”


“Good, mendicants! I too have never seen or heard of such a thing.

3What do you think, mendicants? Have you ever seen or heard of an appointed official … a hereditary official … a general … a village chief … or a guild head who runs the guild his whole life, dear and beloved to the guild, while indulging in the pleasures of sleeping, lying, and drowsing as much as he likes?”

“No, sir.”

“Good, mendicants! I too have never seen or heard of such a thing.


4What do you think, mendicants? Have you ever seen or heard of an ascetic or brahmin who indulges in the pleasures of sleeping, lying, and drowsing as much as they like? Their sense doors are unguarded, they eat too much, they’re not dedicated to wakefulness, they’re unable to discern skillful qualities, and they don’t pursue the development of the qualities that lead to awakening in the evening and toward dawn. Yet they realize the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life. And they live having realized it with their own insight due to the ending of defilements.”

“No, sir.”


“Good, mendicants! I too have never seen or heard of such a thing.


5So you should train like this: ‘We will guard our sense doors, eat in moderation, be dedicated to wakefulness, discern skillful qualities, and pursue the development of the qualities that lead to awakening in the evening and toward dawn.’ That’s how you should train.”

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.

Atha kho bhagavā sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yenupaṭṭhānasālā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi. Āyasmāpi kho sāriputto sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yenupaṭṭhānasālā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Āyasmāpi kho mahāmoggallāno … āyasmāpi kho mahākassapo … āyasmāpi kho mahākaccāno … āyasmāpi kho mahākoṭṭhiko … āyasmāpi kho mahācundo … āyasmāpi kho mahākappino … āyasmāpi kho anuruddho … āyasmāpi kho revato … āyasmāpi kho ānando sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yenupaṭṭhānasālā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi.

Atha kho bhagavā bahudeva rattiṁ nisajjāya vītināmetvā uṭṭhāyāsanā vihāraṁ pāvisi. Tepi kho āyasmanto acirapakkantassa bhagavato uṭṭhāyāsanā yathāvihāraṁ agamaṁsu. Ye pana tattha bhikkhū navā acirapabbajitā adhunāgatā imaṁ dhammavinayaṁ te yāva sūriyuggamanā kākacchamānā supiṁsu. Addasā kho bhagavā dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena te bhikkhū yāva sūriyuggamanā kākacchamāne supante. Disvā yenupaṭṭhānasālā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi. Nisajja kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: 


2"Kahaṁ nu kho, bhikkhave, sāriputto? Kahaṁ mahāmoggallāno? Kahaṁ mahākassapo? Kahaṁ mahākaccāno? Kahaṁ mahākoṭṭhiko? Kahaṁ mahācundo? Kahaṁ mahākappino? Kahaṁ anuruddho? Kahaṁ revato? Kahaṁ ānando? Kahaṁ nu kho te, bhikkhave, therā sāvakā gatā"ti?

"Tepi kho, bhante, āyasmanto acirapakkantassa bhagavato uṭṭhāyāsanā yathāvihāraṁ agamaṁsū"ti.

"Tena no tumhe, bhikkhave, therā bhikkhū nāgatāti yāva sūriyuggamanā kākacchamānā supatha?

Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave, api nu tumhehi diṭṭhaṁ vā sutaṁ vā:  ‘rājā khattiyo muddhāvasitto yāvadatthaṁ seyyasukhaṁ passasukhaṁ middhasukhaṁ anuyutto viharanto yāvajīvaṁ rajjaṁ kārento janapadassa vā piyo manāpo’"ti?

"No hetaṁ, bhante".


"Sādhu, bhikkhave. Mayāpi kho etaṁ, bhikkhave, neva diṭṭhaṁ na sutaṁ:  ‘rājā khattiyo muddhāvasitto yāvadatthaṁ seyyasukhaṁ passasukhaṁ middhasukhaṁ anuyutto viharanto yāvajīvaṁ rajjaṁ kārento janapadassa vā piyo manāpo’ti.

3Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave, api nu tumhehi diṭṭhaṁ vā sutaṁ vā:  ‘raṭṭhiko … pe … pettaṇiko … senāpatiko … gāmagāmaṇiko … pūgagāmaṇiko yāvadatthaṁ seyyasukhaṁ passasukhaṁ middhasukhaṁ anuyutto viharanto yāvajīvaṁ pūgagāmaṇikattaṁ kārento pūgassa vā piyo manāpo’"ti?

"No hetaṁ, bhante".

"Sādhu, bhikkhave. Mayāpi kho etaṁ, bhikkhave, neva diṭṭhaṁ na sutaṁ:  ‘pūgagāmaṇiko yāvadatthaṁ seyyasukhaṁ passasukhaṁ middhasukhaṁ anuyutto viharanto yāvajīvaṁ pūgagāmaṇikattaṁ vā kārento pūgassa vā piyo manāpo’ti.


4Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave, api nu tumhehi diṭṭhaṁ vā sutaṁ vā:  ‘samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā yāvadatthaṁ seyyasukhaṁ passasukhaṁ middhasukhaṁ anuyutto indriyesu aguttadvāro bhojane amattaññū jāgariyaṁ ananuyutto avipassako kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ pubbarattāpararattaṁ bodhipakkhiyānaṁ dhammānaṁ bhāvanānuyogaṁ ananuyutto āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharanto’"ti?

"No hetaṁ, bhante".


"Sādhu, bhikkhave. Mayāpi kho etaṁ, bhikkhave, neva diṭṭhaṁ na sutaṁ:  ‘samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā yāvadatthaṁ seyyasukhaṁ passasukhaṁ middhasukhaṁ anuyutto indriyesu aguttadvāro bhojane amattaññū jāgariyaṁ ananuyutto avipassako kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ pubbarattāpararattaṁ bodhipakkhiyānaṁ dhammānaṁ bhāvanānuyogaṁ ananuyutto āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharanto’ti.


5Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ:  ‘indriyesu guttadvārā bhavissāma, bhojane mattaññuno, jāgariyaṁ anuyuttā, vipassakā kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ, pubbarattāpararattaṁ bodhipakkhiyānaṁ dhammānaṁ, bhāvanānuyogamanuyuttā viharissāmā’ti. Evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban"ti.

Sattamaṁ.