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Aṅguttara Nikāya - The Numerical Discourses

6: The Book of the Sixes

V. About Dhammika — AN 6.47: Visible in This Very Life (1st)

1And then the wanderer Moliyasīvaka went up to the Buddha, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to the Buddha:

“Sir, they speak of ‘a teaching visible in this very life’. In what way is the teaching visible in this very life, immediately effective, inviting inspection, relevant, so that sensible people can know it for themselves?”

2“Well then, Sīvaka, I’ll ask you about this in return, and you can answer as you like. What do you think, Sīvaka? When there’s greed in you, do you understand ‘I have greed in me’? And when there’s no greed in you, do you understand ‘I have no greed in me’?”

“Yes, sir.”


“Since you know this, this is how the teaching is visible in this very life, immediately effective, inviting inspection, relevant, so that sensible people can know it for themselves.

3What do you think, Sīvaka? When there’s hate … delusion … greedy thoughts … hateful thoughts … When there are delusional thoughts in you, do you understand ‘I have delusional thoughts in me’? And when there are no delusional thoughts in you, do you understand ‘I have no delusional thoughts in me’?”

“Yes, sir.”


“Since you know this, this is how the teaching is visible in this very life, immediately effective, inviting inspection, relevant, so that sensible people can know it for themselves.”

4“Excellent, sir! Excellent! From this day forth, may the Buddha remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”

1Atha kho moḷiyasīvako paribbājako yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho moḷiyasīvako paribbājako bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: 

"‘sandiṭṭhiko dhammo, sandiṭṭhiko dhammo’ti, bhante, vuccati. Kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, sandiṭṭhiko dhammo hoti akāliko ehipassiko opaneyyiko paccattaṁ veditabbo viññūhī"ti?

2"Tena hi, sīvaka, taññevettha paṭipucchāmi. Yathā te khameyya tathā naṁ byākareyyāsi. Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, sīvaka, santaṁ vā ajjhattaṁ lobhaṁ ‘atthi me ajjhattaṁ lobho’ti pajānāsi, asantaṁ vā ajjhattaṁ lobhaṁ ‘Natthi me ajjhattaṁ lobho’ti pajānāsī"ti?

"Evaṁ, bhante".


"Yaṁ kho tvaṁ, sīvaka, santaṁ vā ajjhattaṁ lobhaṁ ‘atthi me ajjhattaṁ lobho’ti pajānāsi, asantaṁ vā ajjhattaṁ lobhaṁ ‘Natthi me ajjhattaṁ lobho’ti pajānāsi – evampi kho, sīvaka, sandiṭṭhiko dhammo hoti … pe … .

3Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, sīvaka, santaṁ vā ajjhattaṁ dosaṁ … pe … santaṁ vā ajjhattaṁ mohaṁ … pe … santaṁ vā ajjhattaṁ lobhadhammaṁ … pe … santaṁ vā ajjhattaṁ dosadhammaṁ … pe … santaṁ vā ajjhattaṁ mohadhammaṁ ‘atthi me ajjhattaṁ mohadhammo’ti pajānāsi, asantaṁ vā ajjhattaṁ mohadhammaṁ ‘Natthi me ajjhattaṁ mohadhammo’ti pajānāsī"ti?

"Evaṁ, bhante".


"Yaṁ kho tvaṁ, sīvaka, santaṁ vā ajjhattaṁ mohadhammaṁ ‘atthi me ajjhattaṁ mohadhammo’ti pajānāsi, asantaṁ vā ajjhattaṁ mohadhammaṁ ‘Natthi me ajjhattaṁ mohadhammo’ti pajānāsi – evaṁ kho, sīvaka, sandiṭṭhiko dhammo hoti akāliko ehipassiko opaneyyiko paccattaṁ veditabbo viññūhī"ti.

4"Abhikkantaṁ, bhante, abhikkantaṁ, bhante … pe … upāsakaṁ maṁ, bhante, bhagavā dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan"ti.

Pañcamaṁ.